The death of characters to elicit emotional responses from readers is almost as old as the medium itself but over time it has become as cliché as splash pages and variant covers. All had their place and still do at times, but have been overused to the point that their impact has been all but lost. How can a reader invest in a death like they were once able to with character such as Gwen Stacy when the characters are all but guaranteed to return before half a decade passes by? The short answer is they can’t.
At the end of Blackest Night we are led to believe that the cycle of characters dying and returning to life will, at least at DC, be slowing if not stopping all together. So does Blackest Night really end this trend or does it only push the misuse of death and resurrection further into an acceptable practice? I mean here we are as fans seemingly asking on a constant basis for characters that have meaningful deaths to be left to rest. Then an event like this comes around and receives positive nods from critics and fans alike.
So are we as a community sending a mixed message? Hell yes. I myself am far from innocent in this cycle. I am all for a character that dies staying dead when the death is meaningful. So what constitutes a meaningful death? Well, I can’t really say to be honest. You can’t really define it but you know the deaths when you see them. Better yet you know them when you feel them. Ted Kord? Felt that one. Sue and Ralph? Felt those. Vic Sage in 52? Man I felt that one and may have even shed a tear. If I did though I’m sure as hell denying it. Those were deaths that touched me and left a lasting impression.
For most of these characters it was more of an impression than they had left in some time quite frankly. So why not make the characters mean more in death than they did and ever would in life? Wouldn’t bringing them back to life only invalidate an amazing character moment and reset them to a point where they’re be put back into a place of under appreciation? That’s a strong possibility in my opinion. Would Gwen Stacy be as beloved a character if she’d lived? Who can say? I CAN tell you her death was a game changer and has remained that way. Peter Parker and his mythos will never be the same and that’s an amazing accomplishment for the creators involved.
DC isn’t the only culprit here. Look at Marvel they may be the worst of the bunch when it comes to dying and returning. They brought back Bucky, killed Cap and brought Cap back all within five years. Wow…I mean wow! Problem is on both sides when these characters return we vote with out wallets. We could avoid the returns and send the message that these things are
unwanted. Instead we, yes we includes me, support these returns in astounding ways by not only buying the comics but merchandise and a myriad of other things that in one way or another supports the process of revolving door death. How many people out there own a Bucky Cap shirt or poster? How many people own Blackest Night merchandise? If anyone raised his or her hand my point is made.
So can we really blame the big two for playing into this cycle? Nope, they have a bottom line and no matter how you look at it they need to make money. If this type of story element makes them money why wouldn’t they do it? They’d have to be idiots not to. To kill a character and have them return is so easy. It’s an easy buck that we as fans seem more than happy to hand to them with the same hands we’ll turn around and use to type hateful diatribes about creators and their abilities to entertain us. This whole thing is what would be in expert circles called a “cluster fuck”.
It’s not going away anytime soon either. I mean hell it’s been around a long time. You could argue the Death of Superman is truly to blame for this cycle at least in the way that it is now presented. Death as an event comic. You know they are coming back but how long can the company hold out in rebirthing the character? That seems to be the biggest question rather than will they bring the character back. So how do you end it? Well I argue you can’t but you can slow it down at least and bring the deaths and resurrections back to a pre Superman dead then returned with a mullet rates.
So now I anxiously await DC’s Brightest Day. I, like many fans, place my trust in Geoff Johns much like corporate WB has and hope that he can deliver on the promises that he has plans for these characters and that their returns have a reason and meaning. I also place my trust in him to, at most, slow the circle of wanton death in the DCU. I feel if we can put the death/resurrection story element to rest for a bit we can come up with new story elements to take its place. Some other story elements that we can bleed dry and then complain about. First though we as fans must speak with our wallets or DC and Marvel must lead us like sheep into the next big thing. My money knowing myself and other fans is on the second option having the most likelihood.
