Throughout the past three ANAD (all new, all different) parts ( Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) I have talked much about the curse affecting Marvel Comics and in this conclusion to this series I will go over everything I have said with some final words.
Event Fatigue
A lot has happened since the last time I discussed events in Marvel, particularly more events being announced, however my overall statement still stands more or less. This whole problem started right after Secret Wars as we got Avengers Standoff, followed by Civil War 2, Inhumans versus X-men. With events such as Monsters Unleashed, Generations, Secret Empire and Resurrection also being added to that list. Granted that some of these are smaller and more like mini events however all this happened just over the span of one year! Not only this but the past year and a little was riddled with crossovers, mini series and much more! It has been one crazy ride in 2016 however it seems that this ride will not end anytime soon.
Diversification Way Too Fast
Marvel has recently changed the entire landscape of heroes in their comics. It seems unrecognizable to many including fans who have been reading comics for some time. By diversifying the entire cast of heroes all at once and at such a rapid speed, Marvel is sacrificing many of their old characters to create new politically correct heroes. Many fans are complaining about how swift new characters, who have never appeared in comics before, become new heroes that took over the mantle of their predecessor’s series. We fans are complaining about how we don’t really know who these characters are and can’t relate with them. The characters have had no time grow and experience stories that define them and make them more human. While this is only one issue it is a problem that is prominent in many other stories and heroes right now.
Alienation
This issue equally affects old readers as much as new readers and is an issue that needs to be addressed heavily. It is a fact that after the success and popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) kicked off, a lot of new readers flocked to comics to read more of their new favourite heroes. While it is true that the comic books were slightly altered to match their movie counterparts, however they were still the same heroes at their core. The most that was changed was their appearance and sometimes attitude. The team of Avengers in the comics in 2012 was more or less the same team as the movie The Avengers. The movies allowed readers to relate to the characters and be familiar with their personalities and gave them a sense of connection. However if someone was to go to an Avengers comic right now the current members (at the time this blog was written) consists of Captain America (Sam Wilson), Thor (Jane Foster), Spiderman (Peter Parker), Wasp (Nadia Pym), Vision and Hercules. Sound familiar? That leads me into the part of the curse.
The Final Conclusion
Even though it seems like we can’t do anything besides vent our anger and issues out onto the internet or some forum, all hope is not lost. All the issues I have talked about can be fixed however it won’t happen instantly. Changing the current course of Marvel Comics may take a couple months up to a few years, however it’s inevitable. Marvel realizes that we are done with all the events and starts to tone down the amount of events a year, they have even recognized the complaints coming in. Fans have been complaining and we are having an impact on the comics and their course. It has happened in the past before so it isn’t crazy to think it won’t happen again. All hope is not lost and we must endure these dark times until they have passed. While it does seem that there is no end to this madness in sight all we can do is hope.
