10 Most Harmful Trends In Comics Today
4. Complete Ignorance Of Character History...
Writers: lets get one thing straight. You are not a genius for thinking of a story that has never been done before, if it is completely out of character for the hero you are writing.
For all you know, it is entirely possible that the idea for your graphic novel Wolverine: Flower Arranger has already been thought of and discarded by someone with far more talent than you.
Stories where Batman retires to Sussex and opens up a chip shop are not clever at all, they are just wantonly out of character.
Although the characters in comic books have changed many times over the years, with different backstories, costumes, powers and so on, the core of the character really doesnt change much from decade to decade. It is their essence, their soul, if you like. They might become tougher, sadder, bigger or stronger, but who they are and what they do should always remain consistent.
One of the worst trends in todays comics concerns writers with MASSIVE egos coming in to work on a character and thinking that they can re-define it from the ground up. They change the character and everything about him/her. Dont misunderstand, its OK to change most things about the character, (this is how they stay fresh, of course) but not the characters central self.
However, all too often, todays writer decides to throw the baby out with the bathwater and then you get characters that neither look like, nor act like, any recognisable version of the character youve paid to read about.
It isnt bold or daring, it just highlights your own deficiencies as a storyteller.
The overall point should be, if youre offered an assignment on a character that you dont especially like, turn it down and write one you do like. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Its been done. Instead, figure out a way to make it go faster!