Comics were originally handlettered because it was cheaper. Now that look is just tradition. Some comics (EC for instance, making classic horror comics) didn't use this handlettering, though.
I think a reason for sticking with the handwritten look is that the texts in comics mostly represent speech. Lettereres (if you can still call them that) also use different styles/balloons/colours and whatever for different characters. Look at Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' for instance. (Embarrasing that I don't know the name of the letterer.)
A funny thing is that comics usually are lettered in all caps, except when representing small sounds like 'Oh' and 'Uck'. there are also two types of 'I' in comic book typography, one with serifs, only used for first person stuff like 'I'm going down to the pub to get legless' and one without serifs for everything else.

Todd Klein.

>English translated version of manga with western comic style typefaces,

A version for the true manga-phile wouldn't •••• with the totality of the original: it would retain the original lettering and provide accompanying "subtitles" -- like an art-house foreign movie.

Or, like an English-language version of an Italian fashion magazine, have a text-only translation inserted, on a different stock.

But if you're the kind of hardcorist who is bothered by the poor "translation", you can get both the original and the Western version -- and teach yourself Japanese in the process.

i think if there's a domain where type is irrelevant, it's comics. Handletters look way better, and quite more logic in most circumstances.

Yes, Todd Klein!
Thanks John.

Nick, adding a sheet or insert with an english translation would ruin the sequential nature of comics, it would be like having the subtitles of a foreign film on another screen.
If you're reading comics for the typography i agree that you should buy two copies. Or just the one you couldn't actually read.

I think another reason for lettering comics with that handwriting style is that comics are almost entirely hand drawn. To me, a formal serif typeface looks pretty weird with all that drawing around it!
I like Todd Klein!

EC comics is an interesting case. Their horror comics were lettered using lettering templates, which is what gives them their distinctive look.

The Comics Code, which came down hard on EC, had an interesting effect on EC's Mad. They changed the format early on calling it a magazine instead of a comic book, thereby exempting themselves from the Comic Code. To make it look less like a comic book, all the word balloons were typeset (in News Gothic).

Mark, why did The Comics Code come down on EC? Because they used templates instead of handletterers?

Now THAT is a long and complicated story, Kenn, and
the best man to explain that is one and only Frank Miller.
I'll try to hunt down that text by him amongst my hundreds
of comics and post it. Don't hold yer breath tho...

Mark, why did The Comics Code come down on EC? Because they used templates instead of handletterers?

:-)

The Comics Code was instituted in the early fifties by the comic publishing industry to "clean up" comics which many at the time thought were too violent or vulgar. EC was the main target because they published the most popular horror comics.

Comic books are an interesting case because legibility is always prime in the lettering: the different roles of inker, letterer, etc keep personality down to a comfortable minimum. Contrast comic book lettering with comic strip lettering and one thing is readily apparent: personality of the strip is very present in the lettering (until it is turned into a font, though this statement is very open to debate). Imagine Winsor McKay lettering in Comic Sans or the EC template...

Plus, did you ever notice that American strips printed overseas oftentimes mimic the English handlettering? I seem to recall some Calvin & Hobbes in French that were this way...