If you have read Marvel comics recently there have been dark times in the current line up of comics. While there have been some amazing issues and series the vast majority of issues and events have seriously been affected by the ANAD (all new, all different) curse. Last time on What’s up with Marvel ANAD I talked about a curse that is affecting the current line-up of Marvel comics. I had also talked about what the curse was; however, that was not all. I had merely discussed a portion of the curse and this time we delve deeper. Let us now continue our research into the topic without further ado.
Diversification Way Too Fast
Before I start I would just like to say that I am not against diversity. I am up for the idea for a new character to come and take the role and mantle of a previous character to adapt to modern times while still representing the old character. I am glad that Marvel is adding more genders, people of colour and LGBTQI members. However, with that said, I am not a fan of how and when Marvel handled this mass diversification. A main problem surrounding this issue, not just me but many others, is how fast and abruptly the new characters are taking the mantle. Riri Williams who has recently replaced Tony Stark was not very well known before taking on the mantle. How long has Riri Williams been in comics? Less than a year! Not less than a year as Ironheart but less than a year as a character. To put this into comparison, Wally West first appeared as Kid Flash in 1959 and it wasn’t until 1986 when he became the Flash! 27 years as Kid Flash before taking the mantle. Many fans are complaining about how swift Riri became Ironheart and took over the Invincible Iron Man series, they complain about how they don’t really know who she is and can’t relate. While this is only one case it is a problem that is prominent in many other stories and hero’s right now.
Conclusion (Part 2)
By diversifying the entire cast of hero’s all at once and at such a rapid speed, Marvel is sacrificing character and story building to be politically correct. And though it may not seem like it, this problem takes away something every reader wants. Choice. With many titles before we, the readers, could choose to read character B if character A was unappealing to us even though both characters held the same title. An example of this was when fans could read Jay Garrick (the original flash) and Barry Allen (the second flash) at the same time. That is why the current diversity shift in Marvel isn’t working.
However, this isn’t all, read more in Part 3 as we discuss the third and final part of the curse.
