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Resurrections: The Only Acceptable Versions

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RedneckRocker First Loyalty: Yourself from None Of Your Business Since: Jan, 2001
First Loyalty: Yourself
#1: Apr 8th 2012 at 9:03:19 AM

Yes, I'm perfectly aware that Death Is Cheap in comics. What I don't like is when the reason for them coming back from the dead is badly orchestrated. As far as I'm concerned, the following methods are okay:

  • Assumed Dead: The building blew up (or whatever), there's no way they could've survived that, right? Wrong; they'll have found a way.
  • Fake Death: The character decided to disappear for a while (for one reason or another), so they staged a car crash/sniper attack/whatever.
  • Ghost: The character's spirit appears to someone they were close with (like Obi-Wan to Luke in Star Wars).
  • Impostor: There are all sorts of ways to go with this. Robot double, clone, shapeshifter, whatever.
  • Mostly Dead: I don't need to go into detail about this one; after all, we've all heard Miracle Max's lecture on this subject, right?

But these are just my choices. Any other form of resurrection you find acceptable (or mildly tolerable)?

Embroiled in slave rebellion, I escaped crucifixion simply by declaring 'I am Vito', everyone else apparently being called 'Spartacus'.
3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#2: Apr 8th 2012 at 1:45:45 PM

Its not about the "how to resurrect", in my opinion. Its about the "how it is done in relation plot" which is deciding if its done good. A good author can use even a "bad" resurrection version in a good way.

That being said, I am quite okay with resurrection per non-scientific means (Divine Power, Magic), as long as "Magic A" Is "Magic A" is observed (my general preference is that it only works if the death was brought on by supernatural means).

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VampireBuddha Calendar enthusiast from Ireland (Wise, aged troper) Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Calendar enthusiast
#3: Apr 9th 2012 at 3:14:50 AM

My view: if we see a corpse, the character should not come back unless this was planned in advance to be a fake-out.

Ukrainian Red Cross
Canondorf Since: Sep, 2009
#4: Apr 17th 2012 at 9:15:02 PM

If the character dies and comes back in the same arc, or meta-story, or under the same creative team, it is justified. If not, then it isn't.

HamburgerTime Since: Apr, 2010
#5: Apr 17th 2012 at 9:19:12 PM

I know if I were a comic writer, I'd totally bring back a character, preferably a bit player killed off to show how badass the new villain is, without explanation as a way of mocking resurrections that don't have explanations. The character would be there and would be part of the cast, but other characters would constantly point out how little sense it makes for that character to be alive.

KingZeal Since: Oct, 2009
#6: Apr 18th 2012 at 2:53:53 AM

I stand by the argument that it isn't resurrections that are the problem, but the deaths themselves.

JHM Apparition in the Woods from Niemandswasser Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Hounds of love are hunting
Apparition in the Woods
#7: Apr 19th 2012 at 6:34:44 AM

[up] Agreed. Death seems to be kind of cheap in a lot of recent comic books, and not because of the resurrections.

edited 19th Apr '12 6:35:00 AM by JHM

I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.
Jhimmibhob Since: Dec, 2010
#8: Apr 19th 2012 at 8:56:10 AM

Virtually none of them are artistically acceptable. However, the whole death/resurrection shell game is unavoidable in a medium whose characters' storylines are open-ended by design, and handed through an endless stream of writers & editors. Like the "weakest link" theory w/r/t chains, comic readers are at the mercy of the biggest hack who happens to be hired for a title at any point in its history.

So you either get used to the unseriousness of anybody's death, or grow away from fooling with DC/Marvel-type comics in the first place.

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