MY question is , how many times can heroes save the world before it becomes too much for the average reader. if it came down to numbers alone the fantastic four by themselves have saved the planet at least 600 times. really test your memory and you'd be shocked at how many destroy the planet or universe storyline there have been. even minor characters can boast of saving the world, its just redundent
It has definitely been done a lot. My question to you is: what's the alternative? In a genre characterized by heroes who avert tragedy, what could be a bigger tragedy than the destruction of our world? And once that'd been done, the destruction of the universe?
Instead of doing it again in the next crossover or event (which, for all the valid complaints, generally still sell), what should they do? Somehow I don't think Superman's battle with ennui would sell as many copies.
The answer is, as many times as is it needs saving. :)
Yeah, you're right. It's one of the many tough aspects of serial fiction. The reader knows that the heroes are going to win every time, but you have to make them believe that this could be the one every story. If you escalate the stakes repeatedly it can get pretty ridiculous.
I guess there's a kind of unwritten contract with the reader, that you don't start counting through every Fantastic Four story (or whoever) ever written in the middle of reading the current one, or you know its going to break the spell. With a good writer, each one can feel new and fresh, but it kind of takes two to tango - both the writer and the reader.
Well i agree with you both , i think i long for the times when world destruction it was a once a year event. i'm old enough to remeber the new universe and although a lot of it was flawed i loved the scale of it. one city being blown up was epic in their world. in that world being able to throw a truck was impressive but in the regular marvel dc universe that person wouldnt even raise spocks eyebrow
Yes, heroes saved the world multiple times, but you maybe looking at this from the wrong POV. For example, how many time Batman saved Gotham? Millions, but how does he saves it? How was Gotham in trouble in the first place? That is what make the story great or no-so great. Also if the story was done really well, then we should also see the after effects of saving the world.
good points and its not that im against those type of storylines. in astro city the world and universe are threatened all the time but it does'nt seem as grim to me. i agree the set to why is as important as how.
Marketing. Not thew sole angle but you see more of this when it comes to mainstream Earth universes. They're characters and respective backdrops extend into mediums beyond print and as such they're creatively in a rock and a hard place. They have an obligation to keep everything relatively the same in order to maintain the overall appeal. Hence rather than seeing a complete change we see " all new all different " versions of the same, streamlined modernized versions that stand more as variants of the characters and worlds rather than something completely different. Take out NY, take out Gotham and you take out the established backdrop and a chunk of the main character. Whereas Indy books, particularly those with a definite end can get away with a more realistic scenario.
I always noted the same thing but like many tropes in mainstream superhero comics the cities and world still being there as well as being threatened by another city/world/universe/multiverse/spirit realm/cat litter box/tree fort consuming threat are part of the very foundation and framework of comics as much as are superpowers. Sure they " could " try to to risk and defy convention, and say have it all go down but that's a great risk when it stands to endanger the very line itself, especially in a medium that just something as simple as a costume change can literally make or break the markets interest. Like many I have my little superhero-verse in my imagination (and scribbled on plenty of cut out dollies and made into Freedom Force skins of course!).
Like what you noted I had my world hit by one super disaster after another like in comics proper but the result was that the non-powered population was brought down to a mere handful and the powered engaged in a war over them which amounted to more of a battle of ideologies more so than anything else (naturally Earth was eventually out of the equation as well as it became uninhabitable). This is one but a probable direction things would have to brought if things were taken in an opposite and more realistic direction than the big two do but one can see where that would cause a much larger shake-up than the normal " everything changes " we see in solicits and would also logically deform the characters to the point they were no longer recognizable as their traditionally molded selves. This really wouldn't work as we've all seen the kind of backlash when drastic changes are made to a beloved character. It can be novel for awhile and the controversy from it in turn generate interest but they never do it in a way that the change couldn't be undone, or that would stick. Removing the save the universe and more, the universe to be saved element would in the end to drastically alter the backbone of the stories themselves. Make for more riveting and original storytelling to be sure but short lived and that isn't applicable when trying to keep a franchise afloat indefinitely.
On the other hand we do get books that deviate from the formula usually in the independents again or in the mainstreams off brand counterparts and they serve as sort of a break in the monotony and refresh the repetitive end of the comic spectrum whether that be intentional or not, so there's that. Personally I don't give a flip about convention and I'd love to see them tear it all down, but aside from the collective gasp I just heard some other reader emit over that I really doubt either publishing house would take such a dicey chance. Given we're talking about collections of creative persons and artists I wouldn't doubt they've broached the same topic and many more ideas to deviate from the norm but were likely just not green lit all the same.
That or the cities and people just regenerate? Sorry, I read that somewhere as a No-Prize answer and had to toss it in. But, so how many times can the Fantastic 4 save the world? Probably as many times as Thing can say " Sweet Aunt Petunia " which is at least as many times as product branding requires.
lol Alice litter box(snicker) you make several excellent point which i agree with . many a time ive seen the new version of a hero get trashed and the status quota restored and my inner anarchist laughs and claps. the ultimate universe is a good example of a flaming nosedive. aside from the great work on m m spiderman , i was glad when loeb destroyed almost everything (not the writing of course, just the concept) and also wildstorms worldend was a bold take on the end of the world vibe. although i sometime think the comic companies under estimate their readership and what we will or wont give a chance to. p.s your comic world sounds great :D
I remember the "intro" to "The Incredibles", where Mr. Incredible discusses his frustration at the way the Earth just keeps getting endangered.