Over the recent years comics have been pushing the term of heroism and how much the term means when our world keeps changing. Heroes were always the good guys and they always win in the end. Recent comics however show the results and how even in the heroes world, even they have casualties. DC comic's had their events and when they involved major hero and villain its called a Crisis, while Marvel events are large scale battles like Civil War, the Skrull Invasion, and now with Siege.
We have seen heroes fighting heroes, villains masquerading as heroes, and villains seizing power in the world. Now that We are seen the great Blackest Night and the amazing Siege, DC and Marvel are doing something that me and nearly a majority of readers are looking forward too. The good old days when heroes fought villains and saved the day. We are entering an age of optimism in comics. We are returning to a time when comics weren't set in a world much like our own. The world they live shouldn't be a reflection of ours. We see that these companies want to show us that the heroes we love and cherish come from a world we can be in.
So what go us here and why did it take this long. I will discuss both companies and how they went from dark times leading to bright futures. First off with Marvel.
Marvel really started the make the hero vs hero gimmick with Civil War but it was in the development process during House of M, Decimation, Avengers: Disassemble, and Secret War. We followed the characters becoming split over the idea of registering superheroes in order for regular people to feel more at ease. I for one believe in Captain America's view, that heroes shouldn't be tethered down to be controlled, they should be above us because they protect when others aren't able to, thats what a hero is supposed to be. With the pro-registration winning, the heroes who opposed were hunted by the Thunderbolts. Soon came the event known as One-more Day and caused a major retcon in the main series thus affecting Civil War and many things after that. Following that we gained the confusing and poorly executed Secret Invasion, where the skrulls invade earth by hiding as heroes and other powerful figures in the world. By chance and a rifle, the kill shot of the Skrull queen was dealt by Norman Osborn. Osborn was hailed a hero, gained access to S.H.E.I.L.D and all the toys that were there before him.
We then entered the period known as the Dark Reign, where we had the villains running the show, and the heroes fighting back this oppression. While most of Osborn's goals failed and his madness is the result of non other than Loki, the real puppet master in all this. As such Osborn and Loki cause Volstagg to cause an event similar to the Stamford incident. He takes this as an opportunity to attack Asgard with the entire Initiative, H.A.M.M.E.R. and Thunderbolts.
We are nearing the end and the we are approaching the "Heroic Age", where heroes are heroes again, no fighting amongst allies, and villains will be villains. Now a few people I seen on here in a few of my editorials are worried that the stories are gonna be cheesy.
However, we are entering an unknown age, we always tread lightly at first but with from what I have been seeing with Fraction and Ferry teaming up for THOR 611 onward, I can't wait. I hope to see more diverse stories, new characters, and give us plenty of time before the next event they have in store, keep it in the heroic age but not engulf the universe as a whole.
Next is DC. DC seems to have been in a dark age since Crisis on Infinite Earths, where since the multi-verse was placed into one earth we had lots of major player deaths, 2 more crisis's and a returned multi-verse(kinda). Blackest Night has really been pushing the terms of an event comic because we are bringing closure to a series of events that have been leading up to this one moment. Although this event was a prophecy, so wouldn't Brightest Day be too, so there was a light at the end of the dark tunnel. We had major revelations involving the corps, and many other heroes. With DC we are entering a period called Brightest Day, where I'm sure we shall be seeing plenty of new White Lanterns, heroes being reborn, and I'm sure their universe will still have inner turmoil amongst heroes and villains, but I'm looking forward to this line. Although Final Crisis was the latest Crisis, I wouldn't expect it to be the "FINAL" crisis.
And theres my abridged take on all the events that have lead us to the moments in the coming months. I wish great stories and new series for us to follow. Bring on the Heroic Age and the Brightest Day. Til next time BlackAirs out!!