What is the Point of Comic Character Deaths?

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

1. Captain America died and came back!
2. Batman died and came back!

I now here that Johnny Storm is coming back soon, so what is the point other than grabbing headlines?

I ask because the FF (Future Foundation), that replaced Fantastic Four will be get it's first 5 issues in a TPB, i was planning on getting this but now i just can't see the point because it seems Fantastic Four will come back and this series will be canceled before it even picks up steam.

This is just what i think will happen, I'm not 100% sure because although previous heroes have been resurrected their roles are different.

I don't follow batman much but i think Bruce isn't Batman again but rather D_ck Grayson still is?

Captain America is "Steve Roger's: Super Soldier" now, not Captain America, but it seems like this is just gonna be a short period before these characters take up they're established roles.

it seems so fleeting and worthless a thing to do.

From a book/collection point of view, these new series are far too limited, they get good, build up the characters, grab the attention of buyers and collectors and are inexplicably canceled, either because of sales (disregarding fans) or to launch a new series that will suffer the same fate.

Some of my favorite series were canceled... Immortal Iron fist, Nova, Guardians of the Galaxy, War Machine and so forth.


So it seems that i just shouldn't bother as FF will likely be canceled before the forth TPB comes to pass, so they can just relaunch Fantastic Four.

Thoughts?​

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

that's what the big 2 want you to do. run out & buy books

I called issue 600 for the real FF's return when marvel pulled this latest stunt. who really thought they wouldn't give steve rogers back the shield when a movie was right around the corner

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

that's what the big 2 want you to do. run out & buy books

I called issue 600 for the real FF's return when marvel pulled this latest stunt. who really thought they wouldn't give steve rogers back the shield when a movie was right around the corner

But that's what I'm saying, it's working the other way for me.

Why bother buying FF if it's almost guaranteed to cancel and be replaced by another new one, to then be replaced before that gets going fully.

There's no point getting into the series, stories and characters if someday soon it's stopped dead and left with no real end.

 

[Sebastian]

SPOILER ALERT.

Nightcrawler died, and is coming back (well, the AOA timeline variant).

His new XFORCE costume is fan-f#$%ing-tastic

---

Heard Marvel intends to kill one major character a month until the Fear Itself saga ends...

SPOILER ALERT

 

[automaton]

the use of stunts and gimmicks is used to cover the fact that the writing is not enough. the stories they are creating are the filler between the next big promotion... ironically, there are no limitations when telling a story in a comic book yet the writers constantly back themselves into corners.

 

[isculpt]

Money, and most writers just aren't that creative anymore.

 

[Sebastian]

Jean Grey is coming back.. they've hinted towards it since Messiah Complex. Im still unclear as to what significance does HOPE play (aside for the fact that the very presence is a rip-off of Children of Men film). Disney wants to milk the Marvel franchise as much as they can by cashing in on the latest fads (Twiilight Saga, TruBlood, Vampires etc etc being the latest). Comics these days are dictated too much by media and pop culture. They are still enjoyable to read and the art gets more and more amazing but the stories are redundant and predictable at times.

 

[Darth Snoopy]

The storeis have been redundant and predictable since the early 80's IMO.

 

[KingGrayskull]

Maud Flanders never came back...

This being said I have to agree. Its a little annoying that dead characters always return. Why did Steve have to come back? leave him dead and release a Captain America - Steve Rogers Year One series. This way they could have drawn a bridge between comic and movie without destroying the present storyline.
Same with Bruce Wayne. I really liked Grayson being the new leader who becomes as bittered as Bruce because of Bruces death. He was really a growing character and together with Damian I really like the new Dynamic Dou (over here we are a little behind with the story and have just started with the Return of BW, so I have no clue who will be who in future). Of course Bruce could have come back but why so early? Why dont leave him where he is for 5 to 10 years?
I didnt know about Johnnys death but really dont care. He is not even rotten and already back?! ...

 

[cokebabies]

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

 

[xYx]

There are numerous reasons.
Firstly the publishers trying to get attention to their stories as to attract potential readers for profit. Then there's the often overlooked reason of just furthering a storyline, somewhere down the line it'll benefit the book itself. A prime example was bringing Bucky back, it wasn't just some money grubbing scheme. If you followed Brubaker's Captain America you'd know that.

As for Future Foundation, it'll continue on. Fantastic Four will be back in a way. Nothing has been said if the Fantastic Four #600 marks the return of Johnny or just a special "flashback" sort of story with Human Torch.

I think it's best not to judge a book by it's cover & just wait & see.

 

[Sebastian]

No one cared about Johnny until he died.

Personally, when I heard that a FF member was getting the axe "permanently" I was rooting for it to be Sue.

---

Same can be said about Superman. No one cared until they killed him off.

 

[xYx]

No one cared about Johnny until he died.

Personally, when I heard that a FF member was getting the axe "permanently" I was rooting for it to be Sue.

---

Same can be said about Superman. No one cared until they killed him off.

I think those are your OWN personal opinion Seb.
I'm pretty certain that ALOT of people followed the Fantastic Four even before the supposed "death" of a member.

Especially with the case of the big blue boy scout. I personally do not like Superman but I know alot of people who loves that doofus.

Just because you don't doesn't mean everyone. Just saying.

 

[Sebastian]

actually no, based on census Marvel determined that Human Torch wasnt popular enuff or unique enuff that they decided to axe him. Im sure they didnt wake up one morning and decide to randomly kill him off. Plus F4 sales have been lagging every other comic storybook in the Marvel Universe. Same with Superman sales, they didnt spike until word got out that they were killing him off.

Its methodical NOT random...

look at sales records. Im not saying my opinion is right, Im saying that its obvious that in order to stimulate sales they draw attention to a character's death, or restart the series back at issue 1.

Its happend with Daredevil, Mighty Thor, Captain America, and now FF. Its not rocket science.

Putting Spider-Man in Johnny's place, and restarting the series back at 1... all the while promoting a relaunch of the Spiderman film franchise isnt all but a random coincidence..

 

[xYx]

actually no, based on census Marvel determined that Human Torch wasnt popular enuff or unique enuff that they decided to axe him. Im sure they didnt wake up one morning and decide to randomly kill him off. Plus F4 sales have been lagging every other comic storybook in the Marvel Universe. Same with Superman sales, they didnt spike until word got out that they were killing him off.

Its methodical NOT random...

look at sales records. Im not saying my opinion is right, Im saying that its obvious that in order to stimulate sales they draw attention to a character's death, or restart the series back at issue 1.

Its happend with Daredevil, Mighty Thor, Captain America, and now FF. Its not rocket science.

Putting Spider-Man in Johnny's place, and restarting the series back at 1... all the while promoting a relaunch of the Spiderman film franchise isnt all but a random coincidence..

Never mentioned it was random.
I did mention though that ONE way publisher uses a character's "death" to boost sales, BUT not ALL character's "death" is to boost sale at least not to the writers who have passion towards the characters & stories they write. True that it isn't rocket science but to assume that every creative decision a writer makes is just make money is just downright moronic.

 

[KBA]

There are numerous reasons.
Firstly the publishers trying to get attention to their stories as to attract potential readers for profit. Then there's the often overlooked reason of just furthering a storyline, somewhere down the line it'll benefit the book itself. A prime example was bringing Bucky back, it wasn't just some money grubbing scheme. If you followed Brubaker's Captain America you'd know that.

As for Future Foundation, it'll continue on. Fantastic Four will be back in a way. Nothing has been said if the Fantastic Four #600 marks the return of Johnny or just a special "flashback" sort of story with Human Torch.

I think it's best not to judge a book by it's cover & just wait & see.

I think it's definitely a gimmick, but Brubaker was the first to really pull off the 'death and rebirth' thing.

 

[automaton]

sadly, resurrecting characters only demonstrates lack of writing ability and disrespect for the fan. it happens so frequently these days, that more and more people are asking themselves if continuing to follow the story line is justifiable.

television seems to be more and more where good writing flourishes... why can't comic story lines take a cue? instead of flooding the market with multiple books of the same character, why not a cohesive format? let our lives move on with the characters lives... i can't relate to Aunt May returning from the dead yet the writers expect to keep me reading? it is almost insulting as to the lack of respect this industry shows its followers.

 

[The Mike]

Honestly? It's a cheap way to get fans to run out and buy books but it's also a cheap way to "reboot" or "retcon" a character. Character X dies because their history has become too convoluted or too unpopular and then when they are back, the writers leave out what they don't like or even get a chance to simply ignore what happened in the past to get back to whatever medium they want.

 

[Agent0028]

These characters have been around 40+ years. There is only so much that can be done with them. Killing a character and resurrecting them later tells a story. Does anyone really want to never see Steve Rogers as Cap in anything but flashbacks?

I think the true distinction should be between when its done to just do it and when its attached to a good story. I've really enjoyed Bucky being brought back, him taking over as Cap, and Steve moving up to head of SHIELD. I haven't gotten to the Batman death yet, but it sound like they took an interesting direction with ____ as Batman. Sounds like they should have kept that as the status quo for a bit longer, especially given this silly reboot DC is doing.

 

[xYx]

These characters have been around 40+ years. There is only so much that can be done with them. Killing a character and resurrecting them later tells a story. Does anyone really want to never see Steve Rogers as Cap in anything but flashbacks?

I think the true distinction should be between when its done to just do it and when its attached to a good story. I've really enjoyed Bucky being brought back, him taking over as Cap, and Steve moving up to head of SHIELD. I haven't gotten to the Batman death yet, but it sound like they took an interesting direction with ____ as Batman. Sounds like they should have kept that as the status quo for a bit longer, especially given this silly reboot DC is doing.

Couldn't agree enough.

sadly, resurrecting characters only demonstrates lack of writing ability and disrespect for the fan. it happens so frequently these days, that more and more people are asking themselves if continuing to follow the story line is justifiable.

television seems to be more and more where good writing flourishes... why can't comic story lines take a cue? instead of flooding the market with multiple books of the same character, why not a cohesive format? let our lives move on with the characters lives... i can't relate to Aunt May returning from the dead yet the writers expect to keep me reading? it is almost insulting as to the lack of respect this industry shows its followers.

I think there are still some gems out there if you look hard enough. There are still some pretty good writers out there & really promising up & comers. Remender for example is really making quite a name for himself.