Marvel's Fresh Start: 8 Reasons To Be Concerned

8. This Is Marvel's Sixth Relaunch Since 2010

Marvel All New All Different
Marvel Comics

Relaunches, retcons, renumberings and reboots are not a new phenomenon. They are exceedingly annoying, however, and while there's no denying their effectiveness in rekindling interest in the medium, there's another side to them that's damaging Marvel in the long run.

While yes, these relaunches can often serve as a great jumping on point for new readers, or even those who've absented the scene for a while, they also tend to make those who've actually been sticking with the comics feel somewhat redundant. No one wants to invest in a universe or series that's only going to amount to the square-root of nothing in a few months' time, and while bringing in new readers should be a priority for every publisher, there's a way to do it without making Marvel's Universe feel temporary, or its stories inconsequential.

With the Heroic Age, Marvel Now, All-New, All-Different Marvel, Marvel Now again and Marvel Legacy all having promised to reinvent the wheel in some way, only to be binned later down the line, the likelihood of this particular Fresh Start enjoying a lengthy stay doesn't look all that high - a story fans have seen play out time and again over the course of the last six years.

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Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.