Comics began life as pulp fiction for kids. In both the Golden and Silver Ages the average reader was quite young. In those days few people died and when they did it was always a big deal. I was reading Spider-Man in 1973 and I remember the death of Gwen Stacy like it was yesterday. It was a controversial storyline but a powerful one that left quite a mark on my young psyche.
Gwen remained dead which is something that has also always been a tradition. Normal people can die but when Heros die well it is rarely forever. Even as comics evolved and became more adult-focused the problems with Death remained.
1992
The Death of Superman
Oh what an event that was. Superman was everywhere. From CNN and down it was the news of the day for about a week. Collectors rushed out to buy copies of the Man of Steel's final adventures. Sales were at levels unseen since the 60s.
Sadly most people did not understand what was happening. True comic fans knew that there was no way in hell old Supes was going to stay dead. I mean really. But to the average person it was a big deal and many remember it to this day. When people look for reason why the market for comics fell apart in the 90s most people point a finger at Superman. This bait and switch really, really backfired. The collectible comics market took a HUGE hit and things look bleak.
The stories that came out of the Death were actually pretty good. All the different people wanting to stand up to take his place made for some interesting reading. But by and large this event has to be put down as one of the worst moments in comics history. We got a whole bunch of people to express their love for Superman by tricking them into thinking he was gone for good. Frankly I think there are some people who still have not forgiven DC for this.
2007
The Death of Captain America
Marvel's Civil War was a bold storyline. I have to admit in all my years of reading and then watching comics it does stand out by a lot. Sure the accidental Hero-Hero fight is a staple. And I will also agree that putting Hero again Hero is nothing new. But supposedly for once this was not all driven by some Spell or other device to force people to do bad things. There was a true split in the SuperHero Community and it cost lives before it was over.
I didn't actually like Civil War all that much. But I think it is one of the best stories Marvel has ever done. My reading was mostly of the mainline of events and some trades. You may wonder how I can call it the best story ever and yet not have read all that much of it? Well I am a complex guy what can I say? I can appreciate something for it's artistic merit even when I personally don't find it all that enjoyable. Civil War was one of those. It had heartbreaking moments that I just did not wish to experience.
When they gunned down Steve Rogers though I really took notice. It was a perfect ending to the tale and one I thought they would not do. All throughout Civil War people kept saying 'It's not 1940 anymore'. This meant that the average citizen did not want the traditional SuperHero approach anymore. It was very much directed at Captain America and echoes what readers of the comics themselves have been thinking and saying for a while. Nothing against Cap but comics have been slow to change and the time to do so is here.
I knew it was over for Steve Rogers when I watched him get brow-beaten by a snotty female reporter. She was so mean and vindictive I actually enjoyed her attack because of what I expected Cap to say in response. Steve's response was weak. For Captain America it was pathetic. First he quits on the battlefield and now he folds before a woman with a grudge. All of this was very hard for me to take. In fact it made me a bit angry I will admit.
Then he died.
As sad as that was I also thought it was brilliant. I prayed that he would be allowed to rest in peace. Ok so I knew that someday he would come back but someday could be 10 years from now. For once I thought the Grim Reaper was going to keep his prize.
Then he came back.
Disappointed is too weak a word.
The Importance of Death
Without real Death then there is no real Drama. Most people have watched some sort of action TV show at some point. A cop show, detectives, rescue workers, spys, there are a whole lot of choices here. But any show where people get killed will do. Depending on how well it was done you might have felt some moments of worry about your main characters. In the end though you know that the stars of the show are not going to die. They need to be back next week.
Comics of course suffer from the same thing but it is even worse. The originals like Batman have been around 75 years now. They don't age much and have 'died' who knows how many times. The saying goes something like this... If you do not see the body do not assume they are dead. Even if you do see the body don't be too sure.
The actual body count of today's comics far exceeds those of the past I will grant. I would say by a solid factor of oh 1,000 maybe. Normal people die quite frequently but the Heros still have their magic powers of return quite intact.
The Age of the Comic Book Movie
Not everyone might be aware that despite all these CBMs the sales of comics have not improved all that much. Some increases to be sure but nothing dramatic. This is odd to some since if you go to a CBM and like it the logical thing to do would be to check out the comics.
Pretty sure people are doing that actually. Problem is that they are not finding much that interests them. There are three reasons that seem to me to be pretty big ones for a lot of people.
1. Comics are for kids.
2. Comics are not very realistic.
3. Comics have history.
If you read any coverage of CBMs in the press the assumption of #1 is pretty easy to see. Fans of comics are called various funny names and generally written-off as an unimportant group. While some do acknowledge the actual number of people who are some point in their lives read comics the coverage is still generally less that flattering. Simply put to the average person the comics of today are every bit as much a kids thing as they were back in the beginning.
Readers of comics know how much they have changed. We know that Marvel publishes separate comics for kids because the mainstream ones are for adults. Everybody knows that Dark Knight Returns had a great run on the NY Times Best Sellers list. But still. Comics are for kids and we have yet to shake that label to any great degree.
Where to I begin with #2. Actually I did with Death above. While the realism level has slowly climbed over the years it is still a far cry from what you see in a CBM. I give Ultimates credit for letting the Hulk rampage and showing the true result of his actions but too many comics still ignore reality far too often. Mainstream SuperHero comics still exist in a semi-cartoon environment.
Obviously. And I do mean obviously. Quite a few people like how comics work. I am one of them. But when you compare the two forms of reality to each other they just do not match up.
The history of the comics is very much a part of what makes them great. Over the years you build up layers of story and detail. Seeing someone from a tale you read two years ago reappear can be quite a lot of fun. The history of the comics provides all sorts of toys and tools to make life interesting.
It is however rather daunting from the outside.
Some say the true joy of comics can only be understood once you have immersed yourself in the lore and mythos for quite some time. Perhaps that is true but to the outsider it means they might never really 'get it'. I know that is all a little silly but people do think like that.
Little can be done about the depth of the history of the comic book Supers. But as far as #1 and #2 I think changes are on the way.
Shadowland
For those who do not know DareDevil has gone over to the darkside. He leads an evil organization and seems to be headed either towards Death or some other exit from the comics. Considering the events I have read about it looks bad for the Man without Fear.
If you are a DareDevil fan then I am sorry. Every Hero takes a walk on the Darkside but you expect them to come back. Personally I always thought DD was a very strong character and some of the runs of his comics have been nothing less than brilliant. I love him, respect him, and really think highly of the character.
So I am really, really, really, sorry to say this next part.
I do hope that IF he dies in the end that he stays that way.
According to Wiki DareDevil killed Bullseye in the same manner that Bullseye killed Electra. And I cannot help but say 'about damn time.' But it does seem that Matt Murdock is headed down a road that has only one final outcome.
Here is where the CBM and the source material differ. In a modern action movie the bad guy generally dies. Simply because by the end of the movie he or she has done such horrible things there is just no other fitting end. We want the hero to deliver justice. It is not the best side of us but it is very real.
I think the best we can expect is that people who are SuperHeros will try to save lives when they can do so. When a criminal can be handled and perhaps redeemed they will make every effort to do so. But just like the simple policeman on the street there is a line that cannot be crossed. Beyond a certain point a man becomes a rapid dog. There is only one thing to do with a rabid dog.
"You won't kill me because of some misguided moral code. And I won't kill you because you are just too much fun. I have a feeling we are destined to do this forever."
Yeah right. I know I am not the only one who wanted Batman to just let go. He killed the woman you love and how many others? Nobody is that good. Nobody is that moral.
Not even Batman.
"I won't kill you but I don't have to save you?"
Say what? Woah. I thought that was a warning to the audience. I assumed that it meant that this Batman knew he would have to kill. I had hoped for a clearer version of that moment in Dark Knight but we did not really get it. Audiences today will not take well to the paragons of old. They want their Heros to be very human at their core. I think they expect the Hero to be the best of what we can be but the limits on that are still the same as anyone.
I am a peaceful man. If you harm my wife I will take your life. I would also give my life for hers with out need for thought. Does that not define us as human beings? To let the Joker live would make Batman something less than human not something more.
The Comic Book Movies are working to embrace this idea and comics themselves will have to struggle with it as well. CBMs are not going to bend all that much but I have a feeling comics will. I see a chance for it if the ending for Shadowland goes as I expect. For the Fans of DareDevil I can only say that at least his death can mean something in the long run. If it helps to bring comic book SuperHeros to the attention of more people then he will not have died in vain.
There will be growing pains as always but the future seems rather bright to me.
There really is no reason to fear the Reaper.