The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

by **Jubilee** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:00 am

I mean properly. If Joe Quesada came out tomorrow and said "As of this month, every three years in real life = One year in Marvel time" Or something to that effect, would you be happier? I mean obviously it's a bit more fluent than that, but the question I'm effectively asking is, would you be happier if the characters we've read about for decades started to go through a more significant change?

I think AMS, me, Xaraan, Strict and even Jude have offered this opinion recently. Whilst I know there are some of you who would be oppose to it.

So basically, without getting into specifics, would you like the characters to start significantly aging and changing from where they are now? Or are you happy with how comics are at the moment.

by **Punchy** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:06 am

I don't think it would work, most characters are more than just their superhero codename, most comics fans want to read about Tony Stark as Iron Man, not just any old person as Iron Man. You may think that allowing Bucky to become Cap or Dick Grayson to become Batman would bring in new readers, but there's no guarantee. Plus, do you really want to read about a 45 year old Peter Parker swinging around with a beer gut and bald head? In general, superheroes only work in their physical prime, or dead.

by **LobsterJ** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:08 am

naw, its too late for this. would have been great if this had been happening since 1961 though.

by **Jubilee** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:09 am

LobsterJ wrote:naw, its too late for this. would have been great if this had been happening since 1961 though.

It did happen in 1961! I wonder when it stopped happening fully? When we were left with what we've got. I'd have to say I wonder if Secret Wars somewhat started it, when they realised the licencing money was worth too much.

by **Jubilee** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:11 am

Punchy wrote:I don't think it would work, most characters are more than just their superhero codename, most comics fans want to read about Tony Stark as Iron Man, not just any old person as Iron Man. You may think that allowing Bucky to become Cap or Dick Grayson to become Batman would bring in new readers, but there's no guarantee. Plus, do you really want to read about a 45 year old Peter Parker swinging around with a beer gut and bald head? In general, superheroes only work in their physical prime, or dead.

I'd like to read about an older Peter Parker, married and potentially raising his kids sure. I know what you're saying, perhaps now the fans left only do want Tony Stark, but I think if things had been allowed to change organically since 1961 as Lobster suggests, then things would be different (and better)

by **Punchy** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:15 am

Always fieldy snuts wrote:
I'd like to read about an older Peter Parker, married and potentially raising his kids sure. I know what you're saying, perhaps now the fans left only do want Tony Stark, but I think if things had been allowed to change organically since 1961 as Lobster suggests, then things would be different (and better)

We just don't know about that. I think maybe it might work better at DC, which has a bigger history of 'Legacy' heroes and where the mask is often more important than the person behind it, but at Marvel, where the focus is always on Matt Murdock as a person rather than Daredevil, on Peter Parker, then it wouldn't work.

by **eltopo** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:19 am

no leave it the way it is

by **Jubilee** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:24 am

Punchy vote!

by **Punchy** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:08 am

Always fieldy snuts wrote:Punchy vote!

Done

by **Timbales** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 8:19 am

I think the lack of aging is one of the reasons comics is stagnating. How many times can you rehash the same stories with the same characters and have no or few consequences?

by **Lord Simian** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:02 am

But when a book comes out, that gets great reviews, featuring older versions of the characters and the next generation, its sales are never solid enough to keep it around. Spider-girl is the perfect example. It never really sold, it was always on the verge of cancellation, and the only reason it got so many reprieves was that Marvel could say "hey, of course we listen to our fans, look! This book would have been cancelled if we didnt! Therefore, obviously, since we listen to fans, the fans WANT spider-man to make a deal with Mephisto to sell his marriage!"

by **covalesky** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:07 am

Yes please.

It would be a fresh twist on things. I love the elsewords stories when current heroes have aged.

by **Johnny Smith** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:09 am

How many comics did old Hal Jordan sell? :lol:

No to aging.

by **ReturnoftheMack** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:09 am

No. It would be nice for those of us reading now, but it would kill it for future generations.

by **covalesky** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 9:15 am

Rusty Kuntz wrote:No. It would be nice for those of us reading now, but it would kill it for future generations.

Why would it kill it for future generations?

They would be able to grow with the characters and witness the birth of new ones. There would be more naturelly occouring entry points to new readers seing that aging heroes = rotation.