Continuity Problems: A Primer

In the past couple of days some big changes were announced by Marvel Comics and Archie Comics. If you do not want to know of these spoilers, then do not scroll below past the image of Batman and Archie

 

Okay, you’ve been warned and given plenty of time to click away from this post.

I posted this message today on Facebook:

“so with Thor becoming a woman, The Falcon donning the costume of Captain America, Wolverine going to die, and Archie Andrews shot down in a hail of bullets and coming back as a guardian angel, I'm thinking this isn't a good week for comic book continuity.”

There you have it- that’s a lot to take in. Oddly, DC Comics has been strangely silent with any shake ups other than a new (= trendy) costume for Batgirl. I think that’s because with Batman’s 75^th Anniversary next week, DC doesn’t want any negative publicity to take away from the festivities. But mark my word, something big is on the horizon and it’s going to tick off loyal fans mightily.

So, why all these dramatic changes all of a sudden? The number one reason is always sales. Usually a big change in a comic book was limited to the death of a minor character or a costume change. But ever since DC killed off Superman and Robin the major comic book publishers have been clamoring for the next ‘shocking’ event. Those issues fly off the shelves, garnish inflated prices, and eventually collect dust on eBay. The hot book that is $300 today will eventually become dollar bin fodder is a few years after the publishers flood the market with more and more reprints.

 More importantly for comic book publishers, events like this garnish publicity and any publicity is good publicity in the media world. Remember the explosion of controversy when Captain America was killed about 7 years ago? Some Congressmen and Senators actually condemned Marvel Comics for the unpatriotic act of killing Steve Rogers. Well, it’s 2014 and Superman, Captain America, and yes, even Jason Todd are all alive and well in the pages of your favorite comics. Yes, if they kill them, they will come (back.)

So that explains the death of Archie and impending doom of one James “Logan” AKA Wolverine Howlett. Let’s look at the next publicity stunt of comic book companies- the shake-up. Why do comic books just have to change the superhero you loved and adored as a child? This one can easily be explained by the demand for more hype in the press. But there’s something a little more to this ploy.

Even though super hero movies and TV shows dominate right now (and yes, I’m including non-super hero comic properties like Walking Dead in this categorization) only about half of those viewers actually read the comic that they are based on. I don’t have an exact source for that fact, but I’ve sat through enough panels at ComiCons that I can tell you that this is considered canon.

Anyway, so let’s say 2 million people watch your comic book TV show. That means only half of the viewers is giving you both ratings and comic book sales for your franchise. Thus there are about 1 million untapped potential readers. Let’s say you’ve got 5 shows based on your publishing company with 2 million viewers a show. That’s 10 million total viewers but only 5 million readers. So, how do you drum up new readers? You’d think events like Free Comic Book Day would be doing the trick. But sadly, the publishers tend to see this as a minor marketing tool and not what it really is: the preservation of the comic book industry by marketing to the next generation of readers. No, the publishers think the best way to get readers is to placate, placate, placate- pander, pander, pander.

Case in point- dateline 2008 Washington DC. Barack Obama has won the presidency and becomes the first African American president in American history. Within weeks, Spider-man gets stars in a special Inauguration edition comic that has the web-slinger saving Obama from a terrorist plot. Over the next few months, dozens (and I mean dozens) of companies- big and small- issue comics starring Obama. There’s the obvious one’s that are factual and educational. But then you’ve got one book in which Obama is portrayed as a barbarian and has taken a bikinied Sarah Palin as his wench.

Now flash forward to yesterday, 2014 Durham. My favorite comic book store. Obama’s popularity rating is close to record lows. A scandal in the FBI, a possible lawsuit brought forth by Congress, and a wildly unpopular healthcare program hasn’t marked Obama as the media darling he once was. Do you know how many new comics based on President Obama I found? Zero. Nobody wants to touch the 44^th President in comic book form because it would be publishing poison.

You pick a popular, trendy thing and they’ll make a comic book out of it. Right now gay transgendered rights is a hot topic. So is women’s rights. Thus, this is why you’re going to have a female Thor. It’s also why Archie Andrews gave his life to protect his gay friend, Kevin Keller.

   Now the point I am making isn’t to be anti-anything here. I believe in the Constitution and as long as your beliefs and lifestyles do not physically harm another person, I believe our forefathers established it to be okay for you to do. If you think God is a dog who wants you to kill cats, you can do that. But don’t expect me to hand over my five kitties so you can be closer to Fido, Dark Lord of All. But believe me; it this was a popular religion, you can believe there’s going to be a new character in your favorite books that practices Fidoism.

I think the Big Two believe that ALL comic book fans want edgy and daring, and truly believe that if they make every character transgender, alternative lifestyled, different cultured, anti-religion, anti-ethics, anti-America, anti-social, etc., etc., that the masses will become fans of the books. It’s not socially popular to be a Christian right now, that’s why you don’t see a super hero who’s a believer. Don’t believe me- Google Phil from Duck Dynasty and see how popular he became after he made remarks about homosexuality and how it gels with his faith in Jesus. Sadly, instead of making great comics with great characters, publishers just seek to exploit the next thing that trends on Twitter.

One of the biggest trends is dystopia. Money is tight, the world is at the brink of war every day, jobs scarce, and hope is even scarcer. And what are some of the biggest movies, books, and TV shows out there? Dystopian thrillers like 24, the Strain, Under the Dome, and the Hunger Games. It’s kill or be killed out there it seems with tragic shootings in schools and colleges. Why you can’t even see the Dark Knight without fear a man in body armor is going to burst in to theatre 7, guns blazing. Surviving in a world were all is lost seems like a fairy tale compared to the things you see on your local news.

 But I think the average reader doesn't want that. Just because fans of Twilight and Hunger Games are clamoring for dystopia, the readers (the true masses) that have grown up with comics read them because there was always a promise of a Utopia at the end of the issue or storyline. Even in its grittiest forms, comic books always would end with the hope of bright new day. I’m reminded of Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns. This was a gritty, dirty, hopeless future that Miller painted. Superman was a bad guy, Wonder Woman literally was a call girl and raped by the Joker, and crime was rampant in the streets of Gotham. But instead of status quo at the ending of the book, you got an aging Batman, riding off into the sunset with his new Robin and even newer members of the Batman family, ready to save the day.

   That is the ending that the real comic book fan desires. That is the hero we need. Sure, he got older but he was still Bruce Wayne: The Batman. We don’t want Superman to become a god. Yeah, he’s got god-like powers, except 1- he can die. Archie isn’t supposed to die and then become the guardian angel of Riverdale. He’s supposed to not be able to decide between Betty and Veronica and have trouble getting his jalopy to work. The good thing about Archie’s death is that it’s an imaginary story and isn’t canon to the Archie Universe. However, nobody has seemed to tell that to CNN who’ve made it seem like Archie is worm food forever and ever.

   That’s brings me to my final thought on comic books. The publishers release press releases to the media and while they report on the happenings in your favorite comics, they don’t educate the casual viewer. When somebody sees “Archie Andrews: Dead at 95” they’re going to think, “well I don’t have to buy that comic book anymore” and the loyal fan is going to be royally ticked off.

   In comics, unless you are Uncle Ben Parker, everybody returns from the dead at one point or another. Publishers need to understand that the casual reader doesn’t know this. The same goes with adding new and edgy characters that reflect the values of ‘today.’ Remember Dazzler? The hot swinging disco chick mutant superhero? If you’re younger than 34, probably not. She was supposed to be the face of 1970 and 80s life. But one day, you know what happened? Disco died. Oh, Dazzler’s still around but you won’t ever see her as the flagship hero of Marvel Comics ever again unless Disco makes a comeback.

I think it’s perfectly fine to create new characters. They reflect the times. They may be right. They may be wrong. Hitler was comic’s first villain. Today, the average superhero’s main nemesis is bigotry, homophobia, and hate. Both villains exhibit the same characteristics; only the modern super villain isn’t a single face to anoint as the root of all evil. Dazzler is a good example to the tides of change as to why not as much fuss is made over new characters. One day, somebody is going to look at a Beanie Baby and not know that they used to command hundreds and thousands of dollars. So, in order to make an impact, the publishers screw around with your childhood. They kill off the superhero you used to run around your yard as or they change your idol into a woman, an alien, or even a villain.

Yes, as the average comic book reader and fan, I want new and exciting stories. I don’t want comics being so dull that the newest issue of Action Comics sees Superman and Lex Luthor sitting on a porch sipping lemonade. Publishers, it’s time to realize that you need to make 2 comics- one series for the established reader who remembers the innocent times fondly and one series for those who want their heroes to be raw and dangerous. I thought that was the point of series like Elseworlds and Ultimate Marvel. Sadly, it seems that the Big Two forgot the point behind those experiments and now just create their next story on what CNN and Fox News thinks is that voice of the people.

 Folks if you think that your voice is different from what the media is trying to make our favorite superheroes, and then I encourage you to comment on this story. Please make folks aware that someone still loves comic books as a vessel of hope not a pamphlet of despair. If you agree with at least some of the points I am trying to make, please link this story to whatever social media you see fit. Please use the hashtag #bringbackmyheroes to let DC Comics and Marvel know that we want out super heroes back and in the condition we found them.