Death in Comics SHOULD MATTER!

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The Comics Pals is a weekly comic book podcast where a group of comic book journalists and friends get together to talk comics.
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[@joeparrigen4982]

At this point, if they want to shake things up, they need to stop killing their characters because, at this point, it's a joke.

[@atomichound1868]

The only writer/editor/executive that I can recall who took death seriously was Jim Shooter. I think Stan did to a certain extent, but as you guys said, those rules really only applied to civilians, not the costumes. Great topic - I’m enjoying these evergreen videos!

[@TheComicsPals]

Thanks so much! Appreciate that you’re enjoying the content!

[@bluespaceman7937]

Curiously, I just remembered how even the current Phyla-Vell that's shown up in a couple of books isn't the 616 incarnation either. Eight years later, they imported another one from another universe and she's still occasionally running around in stuff like Peter David's recent Captain Marvel (Genis-Vell) retro series. Not a super popular character, but the same logic applies.

[@TheComicsPals]

I didn't know that!

[@theronhildebrand5925]

I’m glad that I’ve found your channel! Comic pop brought me here

[@TheComicsPals]

Thank for you coming along! I’m glad you enjoy what we’re doing here and I hope you continue to.

[@Jones25ful]

I remember the Ultimate universe saying that death mattered which was fantastic for a time unfortunately by the end they had killed off so many mainstays it made that universe unreadable

[@TheComicsPals]

Yeah, they became a bit too trigger happy. It's a fine line to walk and they definitely went too far in the other direction.

[@HeroicAge616]

Death is impactful in comics because if you know they are off the table for a long time. If Marvel and DC had a rule where dead characters had to stay dead for a decade, that not only makes it impactful but makes them less trigger happy. If you kill Nightcrawler in 2024 and he doesn’t return until 2034, you will sell a ton of books and up the character’s importance.

[@TheComicsPals]

This is true, but then you also can’t make money off the character while they’re gone with new stories. It’s tough. Like DC or Marvel couldn’t afford to keep any A tier character off the board for anywhere close to that long.

[@HeroicAge616]

@@TheComicsPals you could do what Marvel did when Wolverine was dead for 5 years and bring in Old Man Logan or someone similar. It cheapens it a little bit but if you have a similar character you can keep the series going

[@bluespaceman7937]

Death can and does matter in the context of a specific storyline, I'd argue, but there are very few lasting cases when it comes to superhero characters. Marvel/DC aren't going to leave a popular character off the books forever. I'm very sure that Alfred is going to return sooner or later. Only unimportant civilians tend to remain dead. Even in the case of Gwen Stacy, she's still technically been revived as a clone or through alternate versions, so I'd argue she's only legally dead in the most technical sense rather than actually practically dead.

[@TheComicsPals]

When we say "matter" we're talking about the death having an impact. Alfred's death has absolutely had an impact and one that I think can still be felt, which is good. I didn't like that they killed him but I like that it's stuck and has mattered to the batfamily. On the other side of the coin, Doctor Strange died and that felt irrelevant, as did the death of Ms. Marvel because she was back within a moment. As to Gwen Stacy, and Uncle Ben are the quintessential deaths that matter. Do I think it undercuts the importance of her death that Ghost Spider is around and soon to be permanently in 616? Yes. But I also think her death has hung over Peter's life like a specter for 40 or so years, so we've gotten plenty of that.

[@davelowther2499]

Death's not a good device for the big 2. All the regular readers are cynical and apathetic about it as you say.

[@yarc9]

Death not permanent in comics cause most of the characters are immortal beings not human so doesn’t really makes since from them too die

[@TheComicsPals]

No they're not? Most of the characters are people with powers, not immortals.

[@yarc9]

@@TheComicsPals people with powers immortal beings the same thing in comics you don’t die permanently unless your Jason Todd and Barry Allen

[@TheComicsPals]

Those aren’t the same thing at all. Also those people are alive right now so how is that permanent death?

[@yarc9]

@@TheComicsPals Jason Todd died in death in the family and he haven’t returned until under the red hood Barry Allen died in crisis on infinite earths and returned in flashpoint

[@TheComicsPals]

You get that that’s not permanent death though because they’re literally alive right?