Well, that and they've been going on for so long that they can bank on new readers not being able to Archive Binge, so they can recycle plot ideas and the like because not everyone will even notice anything has been done before.
Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper WallI had an idea. What would people think if superhero comics used a system where each writer was allowed to have their own continuity, where they could do whatever they wanted, and then have an ending. They would run for a year or two (maybe longer if it was really popular), and then someone else would take over with a new continuity.
I imagine a lot of comic fans would dislike this, since it would mean ending the longstanding continuity of the comics from all these decades. Although, there have been so many retcons and shifts in the timeline that I don't think it would be that big a deal.
That is what happened in practice at least with Marvel. I'm more familiar with the Italian Disney comics, they rely on perpetual status quo but towards the last years that I read them (about 2004) I noticed a similar trend of writer/artist teams making their own mini-continuities (you could tell which one you were reading by the art style and original characters).
One problem with this approach is that it fails if the stories become too popular, as other writers will want to use those elements.
Stories don't tell us monsters exist; we knew that already. They show us that monsters can be trademarked and milked for years.
How did it happen with Marvel? As far as I know, we never got a comic run where Peter Parker gave up being Spiderman to settle into a quiet married life with Mary Jane. We never got a story where he died through a heroic sacrifice, and stayed dead.
Several years ago Gerry Conway did an AU comic series called Renew Your Vows, which showed what would have happened if Peter chose to let Aunt May die, and not make the deal with Mephisto. Mary Jane became a superhero too, and they had a young daughter that was also a hero. It was fun, albeit flawed in some ways. I liked it. But then executive meddling caused Gerry Conway to quit. The Marvel executives wanted a bunch of changes made the Conway didn't agree with. They brought in a new writer, did a timeskip, and changed the focus. Ruined it in my opinion, and then it was cancelled not long after. Too bad.
That's the sort of thing I would like to see, before Conway was forced out. I think there's also the Batman: White Knight series, which does something similar. I'd like to see more stuff like that. I can't get invested in the main continuities, since nothing is permanent and nothing really matters.
Edited by JunkAction on Aug 1st 2023 at 11:46:25 AM
I’ve grown out of the Big 2 but I still enjoy some of their older outings (mostly standalone stories and cartoons). I don’t think media based on properties is bad, though it’s a mixed bag especially when there’s a lack of change.
American comic book censorship hit hard and it’s a gut wrenching tale. I recommend anyone who’s interested in its history read David Hajdu’s “The Ten-Cent Plague.” Really interesting stuff.
Edited by ChicoTheParakeet on Aug 1st 2023 at 12:20:59 PM

Apologies if this thread already exists, but I didn't see it anywhere, and the search function isn't very effective. Also, if this isn't the right board then I'm fine with it being moved. Having said that... Superhero comics.
At one time, superhero comics seemed to have real changes that mattered. Things that stuck. Marriages, deaths, retirements. During the 60s, 70s, and 80s, there were all kinds of events that happened that changed the status quo. Like, Peter Parker and Mary Jane getting married, or Johnny Blaze getting a happy ending. Dick Grayson going from Robin to Nightwing after decades.
This started changing in the 90s. There were still a few changes, but it seemed like more and more stuff would be undone, or even outright retconned. Superman died and came back, Batman got his back broken and was replaced, only to come back. Peter was revealed to be a clone and was replaced, only to come back. Lots of big events happening, but ultimately a lot of it didn't really seem to matter in the long run. And eventually they even began undoing stuff from earlier decades, like bringing Jason Todd back, and the One More Day event.
When superman died, it was big news, that even the mainstream paid attention to. Now, people barely bat an eye when a character dies, because everyone knows that it is only temporary. Dying in a superhero comic is like going to the hospital now. They'll be out of action for a while, but then they'll be back. The same applies to the villains. None of them will ever permanently die or go to prison. They always come back. Its the same fights and struggles over and over. These characters will never have an ending to their stories.
How do people feel about this? Do most comic readers like the unending continuity where nothing is permanent? If so, why? Is there a better way of doing it, and what could that be?
Edited by JunkAction on Jul 28th 2023 at 5:47:56 AM