Guest Panelists! Wacky Hi-jinx! In this our tenth podcast, the panelists talk about Spider-Man plugging along, the soap opera-zation (made up word) of the DC and what we learned from 90’s comics. Come and listen to how we get from Meatloaf (the singer) to The Circle of Life (the song) in fifteen minutes. Para-dig this!
I’m not a great Spider-Man reader; after seeing the first Spider-Man film, I began reading Ultimate Spider-Man. Now, I question if I will continue reading the book (but then I’m questioning all of the Ultimate Titles right now). Nevertheless, I hope Marvel can make the Mainstream Spider-Man good again. I don’t think his marriage to Mary Jane hurts his character. After all, does Superman’s marriage to Lois Lane hurt his character? I like Spider-Man being an Avenger even if I don’t like Brian Bendis writing the Avengers. In listening to the podcast, several guys mentioned how they first liked Peter because they could identify with them and that now he’s not as identifiable as he was when they were younger. I agree with the guys, but I’d add that it doesn’t matter to me how I can identify with the characters as long I like to stories ABOUT the characters. I don’t it has hurt Spider-Man to become older, get married, etc. but I think what has hurt Spider-Man in the last 5-10 years is a lack of GOOD STORIES. His mainstream books have been struggling to pump out consistently good stories since the 90s clone saga. There have been a few good stories in this time: the 9/11 issue, the Civil War tie-ins. But I’m hard pressed to say that there have been a solid 20 consecutive issues of good Spider-Man stories.
On the issue of DC comics and soap opera, let me start by saying I’ve watched soap operas since the 80s. I watched the 90s daytime soap Generations (feat. Vivica Fox and Kritoff St. John) from beginning to end; the 80s nighttime soaps (Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, Hotel), and the current nighttime soaps (Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Brothers and Sisters). I often thought soap operas are characterized by notions such as:
1. A rich person struggling to maintain a professional empire while trying to control their immediate family, especially children and/or grandchildren;
2. the members of the matriarch/patriarch family struggling to gain power and/or love and admiration of the family clan head.
3. marriages, divorces, pregnancies, mistaken identity, or identity revelation being a mainstay of plots over years of continuity.
Comics have similar characterizations, but I draw the line of teenage superheroes having sex, nudity and profanity in comics becoming almost commonplace, and soap opera drama replacing superhero action. I think DC is now struggling to differentiate between characterization, drama, and soap opera-style storytelling. Perhaps it should look back at its stories told from 30s-80s to really see this difference and how it should just loosen up in terms of continuity, soaps, and such.
I’m cutting my comments short here and I’ll come back with my opinions about the 90s ’cause I’ve got to make sure I keep make them shorter than this response (LOL).
Now I think I can address the topics of 90’s comics. In my opinion, we have learned the following from the 90’s:
1. The true meaning of the word ‘overkill’. In the 90s, any idea a creator had was milked for more than the idea’s worth. Here are some examples:
A. The X-Men had become one of Marvel’s best selling titles by the early 90s; by 1995 there were 5 regular X-books (Uncanny X-Men, X-Men, X-Factor, X-Force, Wolverine) that crossed over annually and numerous X-related mini-series and specials. I left most of these titles on the shelf because the main books were enough to handle. The X-franchise fell apart with Onslaught and I don’t think it has recovered. I hope Messiah Complex will change that.
B. Marvel and DC tried to capitalize on the X-Men’s success by simply copying it instead of understanding it. DC hires an editor who thinks what works for X-Men will work for the New Titans (i.e. creating a family of books with New Titans, Deathstroke the Terminator, and Team Titans). Marvel and DC duke it out over who has the most books: Superman, Batman, or Spider-Man.
C. Marvel’s most popular characters (Spider-Man, Wolverine, and the Punisher) pop up all over the Marvel Universe for no reason except to increase sales.
D. Marvel flooded comics with gimmick covers
2. Changing a character’s costume or changing who’s in the costume should have a purpose other than, “sales are down, so ruffling feathers will increase them.” The Death/Return of Superman were great stories, but in reflecting on last decade, almost every major character was replaced (e.g. Batman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern) or their costume/names was changed (e.g. Legion of Super-Heroes, X-Men, New Warriors, Daredevil) for no good reason.
3. It takes more than one creator to make a good comic book. Wizard Magazine and some of the Image Comics founders helped create an atmoshpere where people debate whether the writer or the artist is more important to a comic book. As a result, all creators got better at their craft, and I think all creators realized even more that a good story plus good art equals a good comic book.