What happens when a superhero dies? Well, if we’re to believe modern media, the effects do not last long.
A few years ago, director and screenwriter Max Landis released a monologue/parody video where he discussed the 1992 DC Comics storyline “The Death of Superman,” which featured the first major death of an important comic book character. As Landis discussed, this was a major event at the time, and the story of the beloved character’s passing was covered on many major news outlets. People really believed that The Man of Steel was dead. Yet, it was only a few months before the character returned.
Landis claimed that this is what killed the concept of death in comics, and started the popular trend of writers using death to raise comic sales, yet bringing the character back to life soon after. This grim interpretation was hugely popular and, in recent years, fans of comics have soured toward the idea.
Recently, Marvel Comics announced a storyline called “3 Months to Live,” which will supposedly feature the death of the popular character Wolverine. Already, many suspect that this death will not last long.
Marvel is first and foremost a business, and to let a character like Wolverine, who earns the company millions a year, die could potentially be a disservice to its shareholders. On top of that, for one writer to decide that a character is going to die removes the possibility of future writers creating great storylines with that character. So clearly, death is not the answer.
The challenge for comic writers becomes making death interesting, not to let death die, but to give it a new form. Because of this initiative, death is becoming an opportunity for writers to challenge the status quo.
Recently, writer Dan Slott used the death of Spider-Man to reinvigorate the character and re-launch his story as “Superior Spider-Man” where the villain, Doctor Octopus, took over the character’s mind. The storyline has attained massive critical acclaim and brought more readers to a series that is notoriously difficult for new fans to appreciate.
Another story that broke recently was that Sebastian Stan, the actor who plays The Winter Soldier in the upcoming film “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” has signed a deal with Marvel to appear in nine films. Comic-savvy readers will know that after Captain America died in the comics, it was The Winter Soldier who took his title and became the second Captain America. It seems that Marvel may already be planning for the future of their film universe.
Much like the comics, the superhero movies are learning that death need not be the end.
Ultimately, it is up to the fans to not fall for the gimmicks companies use to sell books and to support the comics that treat the superheroes they love with respect and admiration.