Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login
The John Byrne Forum
Byrne Robotics > The John Byrne Forum
Topic: An Alternative To Events? (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message
Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
Posted: 15 July 2017 at 3:04pm | IP Logged | 1  

I don't really follow many US titles now, maybe the occasional title such as KISS. I think "event fatigue" turned me off. I mean, there appear to be 2-3 a year now. One ends, another begins. How I pine for 1985, when the only crossover that occurred (Marvel) was SECRET WARS. Okay, I'm sure there might have been others, but they weren't ubiquitous. 

Less is more. I wouldn't enjoy the FIFA World Cup if it was twice a year or every year. Every four years is perfect.

Okay, what's the alternative to events? Well, standalone tales is one such things. Whether it's our host's SUPERMAN VOL. 2 #9 (where the Man of Steel takes on the Joker) or that MARVEL FANFARE issue where Captain America investigated arson, I miss standalone tales.

But you know what I would like to see? Imagine Robert Parry becomes Editor-In-Chief of either DC or Marvel (I'm working on it). I would issue a directive: instead of events, I'd ask writers to come up with FIVE "cross-pollination" tales per annum. A free-for-all, if you will. 

So, if I were at DC, I'd ask editors to "cross-pollinate". No big event needed, no contrived "Acts of Vengeance" style-scenario needed. Just "cross-pollination". Same if I was at Marvel.

I would NEVER want to overdo "cross-pollination". It is only workable when it is rarely done. But I'd like to see more. It'd be great to see Marvel have the X-Men take on Dr. Octopus. Or DC give us the Teen Titans VS Reverse-Flash. And I don't believe a contrived scenario (like DC VS MARVEL gave us) or a big event is needed.

I say that because the law of averages means there'll be confrontations. Why wouldn't Spider-Man be away - leaving Cap to come across the Vulture? Why wouldn't Bruce Banner, in New York looking for a cure, come across the Lizard? Why wouldn't Clark Kent be in Gotham, working on a story, only to come across Killer Croc (I know that'd be a short fight)? Why wouldn't Wonder Woman travel to battle Ra's al Ghul when his plans threaten Paradise Island?

My point is, you don't have to have contrived scenarios or multi-issue crossovers featuring "universe-crossing". Odds are that Daredevil will come across a Spider-Man enemy during one of his patrols; and given the devious plans of Ra's al Ghul, I'm sure he'd be on the "radar" of others besides Batman.

So, that's the directive I'd give if I was Editor-in-Chief. Don't overdo it, but once a year, have five books do a standalone "cross-pollination" tale. Standalone tales would get me back as a reader. And it'd be a lot more fun. I actually think there are some battles that have potential. Thing VS Abomination? Bring it on. Aquaman VS Ra's al Ghul? Yes, please. And one could even go down the villain vs villain route at times, i.e. Juggernaut VS Abomination or Reverse-Flash VS Brainiac.

Any thoughts?
Back to Top profile | search
 
Mario Ribeiro
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 18 June 2016
Location: Brazil
Posts: 474
Posted: 15 July 2017 at 3:36pm | IP Logged | 2  

Yes, I like that. But of course for that to work heroes would have to start fighting different villains every month again, instead of fighting two villains a year.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Joe Zhang
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 12857
Posted: 15 July 2017 at 4:35pm | IP Logged | 3  

I would like to see more crossover events within families of titles or between families.  I would also like to see events told within a mini-series, without disrupting the regular titles, which is sort of how Valiant does it these days.
Back to Top profile | search e-mail
 
Charles Nelson
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 25 June 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 245
Posted: 15 July 2017 at 9:43pm | IP Logged | 4  

Hey Mario, 
I LONG for the days when heroes fought 2 villians a year instead of fighting each other constantly.
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132137
Posted: 16 July 2017 at 8:26am | IP Logged | 5  

Strange to think back to the first "event" that really qualifies as such, SUPERMAN vs THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, which most people didn't even know was happening until they saw the house ads. And even that was muted by the ridiculous WIZARD OF OZ adaptation being technically the first Marvel/DC crossover.

Fast forward a few years, and one of the next colossal "events" was the Death of Phoenix, which again virtually nobody knww was coming (including Chris and me!) until it happened.

I blame the Death of Phoenix for a lot of what came after. That story -- and "story" is a key word, here -- had such a gigantic impact, cast such a long shadow, that "creators" ever since have been trying to rebottle that lightning, not remembering that it was all a fluke.

What do we want instead of "events"? Stories. And stories that, like Dark Phoenix, do not begin with the talent getting up in the morning saying "Today I am going to create an EVENT!" The audience is too old, too ennui-engorged. And much of the "talent" seems just too damn cynical. Real events cannot be manufactured. They have to just happen.

Back to Top profile | search
 
Vinny Valenti
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 17 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 8009
Posted: 16 July 2017 at 10:12am | IP Logged | 6  

I remember coming across that house ad a few years into my collecting comics, and my jaw dropping. The issue was released years before, but I hadn't know of its existence until that moment.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
Posted: 16 July 2017 at 11:06am | IP Logged | 7  

I also didn't know about the Superman/Spider-Man crossover - until I saw it for sale in a shop within a railway station!

Less is more. Events can become too contrived.

In the same ballpark. I hated how some of the DC/Marvel crossover events kept requiring big, cosmic explanations to get them together. Superman and Spider-Man simply met in the first crossover; and then Parker went to Metropolis (hope I'm remembering that correctly) in the second one. Bruce Banner got a job at S.T.A.R. Labs in the Batman/Hulk crossover. All felt organic.

DC VS MARVEL, and later crossovers, required big, cosmic occurrences to "bridge the gap". Didn't work for me.
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132137
Posted: 16 July 2017 at 11:31am | IP Logged | 8  

Certain fans read SUPERMAN vs THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and came away disappointed that no attempt was made to explain how the universes had "fused". Later, some of those fans would get the chance to make up explanations.

When I did my crossovers, I insisted they be handled SvASM style -- these guys had always been in the same reality, no explanations necessary.

(Mentioned before: When I did BATMAN & CAPTAIN AMERICA the plot whipped thru DC's editorial approval at light speed. Then it sat at Marvel while weeks went by, eating into my schedule. Finally I asked about the delay, and it turned out the editor approved the Marvel half, but he had some problems with the DC half. "BUT THEY DON'T!" I growled. The plot was approved.)

Back to Top profile | search
 
Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
Posted: 16 July 2017 at 1:21pm | IP Logged | 9  

I'm disappointed that there were fans who thought that way. And doubly disappointed that they got the chance to make up explanations.

The bigger the explanation, the more contrived it is. That being in the DC VS MARVEL story (Access?), why did we need it? Why do we need a "bridge" between universes?

Surely Peter Parker showing up in Metropolis, or Clark Kent showing up in New York, is acceptable?
Back to Top profile | search
 
Eric Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 27 October 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 2280
Posted: 16 July 2017 at 1:55pm | IP Logged | 10  

"Real events cannot be manufactured. They have to just happen."

Yes, exactly!

But it doesn't help when editorial gets together at the beginning of the year and plans out what three "events" they can squeeze into everybody's ongoing storylines.
Back to Top profile | search
 
Robbie Parry
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 17 June 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 12186
Posted: 16 July 2017 at 2:30pm | IP Logged | 11  

But it doesn't help when editorial gets together at the beginning of the year and plans out what three "events" they can squeeze into everybody's ongoing storylines.

***

This is so true. It does not feel organic.

It feels like "square pegs in round holes". Surely just let story ideas flow - crossovers and mini-events are bound to flow naturally from such a mindset.
Back to Top profile | search
 

Sorry, you can NOT post a reply.
This topic is closed.

  Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

 Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login