Comic Books Are Dead
Long live comic books!
Since this newsletter is ostensibly about Comic Book Culture™—not my damn crackpot theories of life, living, and the coming Soft Apocalypse™—I’ll start today’s missive with my thoughts on this recent “Death of the Justice League” thing.
Spoilers: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and the rest aren’t *REALLY* going to die. I mean…they’re probably going to die. Again. They’re all gonna die, again. Like they always do. Only to be resurrected. Again. Because two of the most best-selling types of comic books are death issues & #1’s.
But don’t worry, an entire Justice League of “replacement versions” of the characters are going to be enlisted. Because it’s important to keep expanding the franchise. What sells better than “one” Batman? Multiple Batmen! Brilliant!
It’s at this point that I’m going to assume the position of “old person yelling at cloud” and say: death in comic books don’t really mean anything, anymore. And further: it’s a damn shame.
Some background: deaths of characters in comic books used to mean something. In fact, they were often quite sacrosanct in terms of the attitude of the publishers of said comics. This is, in part, because peeps who really really loved the comics & the lore all became comics creators & editors & bigwigs & whatnot. Like yours truly.
But because these superheroes & whatnot are all now essentially the property of faceless multinational corporations, they can no longer die. Not really—not permanently. Because they are now Valuable Intellectual Property™.
IP is King, folks.
So, no. Contrary to what you’ve read online, via a fine assortment of media outlets who all got their individual exclusive images & interviews, the venerable JLA (do they even include the “A” anymore?) are not going to die; not really.
But great clickbait! When I used to be the editor-in-chief of MTV’s comic book website, I got these pitches from DC PR *all the time.* And you know, the articles we ran on this stuff always did really well with the advertiser-friendly Mainstream Beyond-the-Comic-Book-Fan Audience™. Cause they didn’t know better. Most of them didn’t even read comics.
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I can assure you, however, that my character Butterfly is indeed quite dead & not returning to this mortal coil.
Unless Marvel decides to resurrect her for another Girl Heroes Rock!™ initiative, in which we learn that Women Can Be Heroes Too!!!™. And a self-proclaimed “male feminist” writes Butterfly. In which case I might throw up & never stop.
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Look, I created Butterfly, and I’m telling you right now that she’s very dicey politically and has been known to listen to Jordan Peterson on occasion. She’s *already* cancelled. She’s the freakin’ Camille Paglia of female superheroes, OK?! Leave her dead! Why court controversy? Thank you! As you were!
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Look, I eventually have to make every news story I cover on this here newsletter about me. Because my name is in the url. IP is King™.
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Related to the “Death of the Justice League” is the apparently evergreen comics industry rumor (my spellcheck automatically changed that to “tumor,” which is appropriate) that DC and/or Marvel Comics are “dying”—on the verge of getting shuttered up by their respective faceless multinational corporations.
My two cents on the matter is…there pretty much isn’t a “DC Comics” or “Marvel Comics” anymore. Truly. There are, instead, research-and-development units of faceless multinational corporations. The ultimate switch, which has been slowly taking place this entire time, is to shutter the (vaguely) “independent” comic book companies and officially roll them into the publishing wings of their individual parent corps. The same publishing wings that produce licensed children’s books & the like.
The problem with this seeming eventuality, however, is that it threatens to kill the very soul of these comic books & superhero stories. I go back to the ragtag team of assorted geeks & stoners & Ayn Rand fanatics who made these stories & characters unique…so that when a popular hero really did die, it actually meant something!
But. IP is King™. Long live the Multiverse of Unlimited Versions & Licensing Opportunities!
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Thanks so much for reading this humble little newsletter. Do you want to support Women In Comics Journalism™? Or do you want to support me? Hit that “subscribe” button, True Believer, it’s free & it will clog up your inbox with notifications! Have a great weekend!