The content that follows was originally published on the Darby Pop Publishing website at https://www.darbypop.com/darby-pops-offs/darby-pops-off-crisis-of-infinite-rebirths-by-adam-breen/

Reboots, rebirths, and big events have been the way of comics as long as I can remember. In fact, my introduction to comics was during one of those big shake ups, back in the days when Ben Reilly was Spider-Man. I stopped reading when he died and Peter took back up the mask. It may have been back to square one for most people, but he wasn’t my Spidey. Since then I’ve fallen in and out of love with books from the big two, but one thing is always the trigger for the break up.

Events. I have yet to encounter one where I had the time, money, and inclination to keep up. And most of the time it causes me to put down what I was reading. And I’m not alone in that. In this week’s Darby Pops Off, Women of Darby Pop and Spotlight on Side-Kicked winning writer Adam Breen talks about reboots, rebirths, and these big event comics and shines a light on why they don’t work for many of us.

If you have a thought on the topic of the week, please join in the discussion on Facebook (facebook.com/DarbyPopPublishing), Twitter (@DarbyPopComics), or in the comments section below.

Until next time,

-Kristine

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People often ask me to name the first comic book I read. And my answer is always the same: ‘I don’t know.’ I honestly can’t remember. But, there was one title that left a big impression on me in my younger days. And not for the reasons you might imagine.

It was the early ‘90s, and the invasion of Ireland by American culture was in full swing. You couldn’t move for Ninja Turtles, Street Fighter, and Nickelodeon’s slime. In other words, I was in my element. So, understandably, I was beyond excited to get my hands on some big, brash American comic books. One of the first was Superman #82 – Reign of the Supermen “Back for Good!” It was a variant edition holofoil cover – a quintessentially ‘90s product. After admiring the cover for an age, I finally threw the cover open only to be greeted with a warning,

“DO NOT READ UNTIL YOU HAVE READ GREEN LANTERN #46’’

Wait… what?!?

Was this book, this great escape, this magical piece of literature… giving me homework? Not exactly. But, I did have the misfortune of jumping into the middle of an event comic.

Event comics are those big and bold story arcs that typically sprawl over several titles. They promise action, they promise drama, and they promise “things will NEVER be the same again!!!”

We all get excited when a big crossover is announced, but do the books ever live up to expectations? They try hard, and there are often cool moments. But, let’s face reality: event comics kinda suck. Maybe that’s not fair; the problem isn’t with the events themselves. It’s what happens after the event that usually ruins it.

It’s always the same. Captain Awesome finds that after a hundred issues his enemies have finally had enough. They band together to finish him for good. They pick off his allies one by one and shove his wife into the deep freeze. He is broken but, somehow, finds the strength for one last fight. He defeats his enemies and his world is changed forever.

Emotionally-draining and dramatic as hell, yes. Where will the Captain go from here? What will the future hold? Who will… oh, actually, never mind; it’s been six months and the entire continuity has been reset. The wounds have healed. The dead have risen. And Superman has flown around the Earth to turn back time. The bold decisions originally made by editors, writers, and artists are undone and we readers are primed for yet another “brand new” origin story.

A never-ending cycle of death and rebirth.

It’s just not right. Resets exploit the loyalty of comic book fans. Every year, we are all dragged through the event mill, driving some of us into anxiousness if we haven’t read every single issue to-date. And for what? To have all the continuity reset at the end of the run. To be denied the satisfaction of a narrative conclusion. Event comics are meant to be these big dramatic tomes with big narrative changes. But, those changes are usually undermined within a year as Batman rises from the grave and continuity gets reset and punched back into something resembling a jumping-on point.

How many more times do we have to see poor Thomas and Martha get shot?

It is a lesson the big guys never seem to learn: continuity doesn’t have to be an albatross. Take a comic like 2000AD’s Judge Dredd, which has had the same continuity for over 30 years, yet remains one of the best books you can buy today.

Or, take a look at an event done right: IDW’s Revolution. Revolution acted as a launch pad for IDW’s Hasbro properties. It consisted of a main story arc of five issues, with one issue then dedicated to each separate property serving as a jumping-on point. Fourteen issues. That’s it. IDW explicitly stated that there was no need to read the issues of the properties you weren’t interested in. Like M.A.S.K but not G.I. JOE? Then, there was no reason to “Go, Joe!”

Clean, simple, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Turning to Marvel’s FIRST Civil War – over 100 issues. Yes, there was a main series of eight issues but it seemed a bit shallow in terms of story, perhaps because it had to keep pace with the dozens of other tie-in issues that were being released alongside it each month. So, if you wanted the full story, you had to buy as many separate floppies as you could, with each one costing (at least) a crisp five. Do the math; it’s ridiculous.

For one story!?!

I know these characters are some of the most beloved pop culture icons in the world. I know they are so meaningful to some of us that they feel like real people. But, should we keep bringing them back from the dead? Are the constant reboots giving new life to these characters, or are they merely granting temporary life-support?

So what is the solution? I doubt event comics are going anywhere, so it is up to we readers to change. Rather than trying to force yet another Iron Man origin story into your head, why don’t you just take some time off; a sort-of comic book Rumspringa. Spend some of the time and money that you have previously reserved for the big guys, and read a handful of the indie comics you haven’t had the opportunity to sample yet, at least for a few months.

There is just so much good stuff out there, now more than ever. From psychedelic space adventures to subtle slice-of-life drama, intense indie originals to familiar iconic properties. Bastard’s Waltz and Bruce Lee: The Dragon Rises from the gang here at Darby Pop are particularly enjoyable examples. There are – literally – loads to choose from.

To be clear, I love Marvel and DC. They open the door for most of us. But, as a comic book fan, they’re kinda like your parents. You love ‘em and love spending time with them, but you don’t wanna live with them forever. You eventually wanna leave home and go to college and try new things, right? And you can always visit on the holidays.

Embrace change. Maybe the next time you walk into a comic store, take a chance on something you’ve never heard of. Show some love to the creators who don’t have the luxury of being able to play with the industry’s best-known toys. And if you’re lucky, or receive useful advice, you may find something fresh that you’ll love for years to come.

Trust me: Superman isn’t going anywhere.

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