7 Reasons You Should Give Up Superhero Comics In 2017
5. They Refuse To Take Real Risks
Since superhero comics are built on franchises and properties, writers have to find a way to please fans with new material, but also keep the corporate owners happy by not changing things so much they’ll no longer be profitable. That means Spider-Man can never really die - and if he does, there’d better be an easy way to bring him back at a moment’s notice. That makes every death of a main character extremely underwhelming. Any shock factor is completely gone because the cynical fanboy within knows they’ll be back eventually. The only surprising thing about Wolverine’s death is that it’s taken so long for him to return (but it’s accepted by all that he will).
It’s not like Brian Michael Bendis suddenly felt he had a new story to tell about Jessica Jones, so they launched a new solo title for her; the Netflix show did well and Marvel wants to capitalize on that success, so a new title is ordered. And the moment it’s no longer profitable, it will be unceremoniously canceled and replaced. Taking a chance on a labor of love so it can have time to find its audience? That’s for independent comics.
Even the most recent diversity push from Marvel has a safety net. The changes to Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, etc. can all be easily fixed within an issue or two, if so required, plus, there’s usually an alternative available if you’ve been alienated by a diversity change. Yes, there’s a woman as Wolverine right now, but there’s also Old Man Logan for your male oriented needs. The black Captain America can hand the shield back to his white counterpart in a single panel. If you want to watch characters grow and change and experience a loss that isn’t a dead girlfriend, superheroes just aren’t for you.