“A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.” ~ Mark Twain
I love that quote, but i define a classic as "A masterpiece that can be enjoyed for generations to come.". As opposed to something that is only really enjoyable to the generation it was marketed to. I think a Classic is identified by it's quality and it's ability to endure the test of time.
---------------------------
I think Noblesse, so far at least, doesn't seem like the kind of thing with classic potential.
Don't get me wrong, i love Noblesse and i think it does a large number of things exceedingly well, but it took about the first 100 fairly unfocused chapters for Noblesse to really establish itself. Unfortunately, no matter how perfect it is from here on, that slow beginning is always going to hold it back a little. So i think it will be hard for it to become a true masterpiece.
That being said, i think Noblesse does have the potential to influence many other series for the better, because it has done some stuff with regards to it's characters and story telling which defies the standard manga/manhwa methods.
- Noblesse trusts it's artwork to convey many things that other series force themselves to say openly.
A lot of times in manga and manhwa authors don't trust thier ablites to convey emotion through characters faces and posture, which forces them to make characters come out and say everything or use thought bubbles to lay out what they are thinking. Noblesse trust's it's artist to convey subtle things and, not only does it work better than the more conventional methods, it also enriches the overall dialogue because there isn't so much fluff packed into it.
- Noblesse avoids flashbacks.
Most comics drown themselves in flashbacks, sometimes making a whole arc a flashback. This is mostly done because the author is making stuff up as he goes along and needs to create "history on the fly" or is not satisfied with just having a character explaining what happened. Noblesse refuses to take the same approach. Characters may "talk about an event" but almost never "see the event". Which is a much more subtle way of doing things and i think it works better.
Basically, i think Noblesse is a very special manhwa but it will have a hard time becoming a classic. Though, i think if it's ever turned into an anime it could easily become a classic in that genre. After all, if Vampire Hunter D can become a classic how could Noblesse possibly not?