It is a very widely known fact that death has absolutely no meaning in comics, but should it be more serious and much more permanent?
I know allot if not all of my favorite characters would have been long gone if this was true but, I have alway despised the use of death for sales in comics. It is a cheap lame cop-out for writers that just aren't willing to either put more effort into their stories or except defeat. There are to many alternatives to raise sales in a comic to resort to such a lame and overused tactic. I will admit some of the best stories I have ever read involved the death of a significant character but their deaths always prove to me to be almost meaning less with their return. For example, Colossus, one of my favorite X-Men, gave his life to cure thousands of the Legacy Virus and allow them to live and suffer no longer. However, with his return in Astonishing X-Men, as with so many others, the power and deeper meaning loss nearly all of its impact and worth to me.
I admit the characters are very important and the books aren't the same without them but, that is the point that makes their deaths so meaningful and important to me. Would you be much more impressed by the heroic ultimate sacrifice if you knew it really was the ultimate sacrifice and the character would almost as certainly not came back as we now know they almost certainly will. There are so many stories that would have so much more meaning to me if it had really been the characters death. They can still bring back heroes and villains once in awhile just not all the damn time, and when they bring a character back make it something believable. Not something like, that wasn't me it was my twin brothers, doppleganger's clone from an alternate time line. Make it more like, i didn't die i just lost my ability to walk and couldn't bare to face the people that looked up to me like this. So I let you believe i was death and even watched my own funeral. Whatever just not the total crap or especial the times they don't even give an explanation and, just act like it never happened with no one ever bring it up.
So, long post short. Should death have meaning in comics and should the majority of deaths be permanent? Do you believe like me, the return of characters takes away nearly all the significants of their death?
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Last edited by Entity on Nov 12th, 2006 at 11:57 AM
In general, yes. But it's stupid to talk in absolutes.
There are characters that i've always said should never be brought back. Mar-Vell, Barry Allen, Ben Parker, Arthur Jr. (Aquaman's son), Gwen Stacy, etc. But Bucky used to be a major part of this list, and his ressurrection has been great so far (whether it works in the long term though, is still to be seen).
If a character has had a meaningful, well executed death then they shouldn't be brought back. It cheapens it.
There are characters who have been killed off for no reason other than doing it to do it. It's all right to bring these characters back IMO, as long as it's done well.
Banshee should be brought back. His death served no purpose at all. Skin was killed off in the most disrespectful way, he deserves to come back.
I don't really have a problem with villains coming back from the dead (as long as it's not very often, unlike Magneto who's done it a gajillion times). That's what they do.
It depends on how they died, why they died, how long they've been dead, why they're being brought back, and how they're being brought back. As always it depends on the writer's skills e.g. Colossus was brought back quite well, while Psylocke was not.
I agree with Lucid that it depends. for example, bringing Jason Todd back was kinda crazy. I admit that Jason as the Red Hood was OK, but it shouldn't have happened. I reckon it could have worked as an Elseworlds in the style of a Marvel "What if...?" (What if Jason todd Survived?) but the resurrection thing to me in that case was very irritating. in other cases... say Hal Jordan... I find that I'm not really sure what I think. Hal's the greatest GL and one of my favourite heroes, but I also thought Emerald Twilight was a really bold, original and great move...
As for villain's, well... it again depends on the villain. Mysterio, for example, died in an excellent storyline and I reckon brining him back would truly be insane. But how many times have Magneto or Doom seemingly died? Killing one of those off permanently would DESTROY their opponents... I mean, what would the X-Men and FF be without Mags or Victor? They are as much part of the respective franchises as Cyclops or The Thing! Then again... the constant cycle of death and resurrection is ridiculous. Fine, have a "presumed dead" where the bad guys will blatantly be back (EG the old style bad guy HQ explodes, but o body is found), 'cos a blatant death and especially an unexplained resurrection piss me off to Hell (yes, Mr Morrison, you had both with Magneto at the end of your run on New X-Men!)...
There's my 2 cents...
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I agree with what's being said up above. Some characters should never be killed off (ie Bruce Wayne or Magneto), but some characters are useless and should be taken off the charts (ie tons of X-Men). If they kill a popular character that isn't essential to the storyline (like Colossus) and want to bring him back in the future, at least make it somewhat believable. Jason Todd should have stayed dead, as well. If a character is known for being killed, keep them dead. Some comebacks are ok, like if Superman was to be killed and then regenerate by being sent to the sun or something...but like, now that they've killed Goliath...keep him underground.
Really meaningful deaths should not be undone. That includes Gwen Stacy, Jean Grey (the first one, but also the most recent), Uncle Ben, Mar-vell, and a few others.
However, i am against cheap plot device deaths like most in comics are; that should be avoided, but if they are not, in some cases it's all right to be brought back. I'm in favor when it has some sense; for example
[SPOILER - highlight to read]: If Thanos is brought back, it makes sense, considering his link to Death; however, the magic cosmic mumbo jumbo responsible for Psylocke's return was ridiculous, and to bring back, for example, Banshee, it wouldn't.
I tend to believe, if you're going to kill someone then you keep them dead.
Don't use them being killed as an excuse to reinvent them, and those who do it are unimaginative and stale. Exception.. Maybe Drax, Genis.. That's bout it. oh and Bucky, how the brought him back rocked.
I do think that if you are going to have a likely chance of a character returning, keep it open. If a character dies ultimately and blatntly are dead (for Christ's sake, Logan cleaved Lensherr's head off!) then keep them dead... but if they may return in the foreseeable future, leave it open: like with Hector and Lyta going to the Dreamworld thingummy...
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Same here, in fact I just waited and bought the collected version, and have read it several times, then the stuff afterwards was pretty good... The 4 supermen trying to replace the true one... THen yeah he comes back and since they're still making money off the whole Doomsday kick they make a doomsday returns thing ... So utterly unnecessary... That's what drove me away from DC... That and I can't keep with the universe as whole since all of the Crisises... Crisisee... All those comics with "Crisis" in the title...
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KMC Community Forums
Should Characters Stay Dead?
Nov 12th, 2006 11:52 AM
Superman shoulda stayed dead. PERMANENTLY!
