During the mid-late 1980s, I read a ton of comic books, most of them Marvel. There were a few DCs in the mix. Frank Miller's The Dark Knight, and 1989's Batman movie with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, were popular enough to have me check out some of their stuff. But Marvel seemed to have the fuller, more compelling universe of superheroes and villains (as it does now in the cinematic world). I used to read and compare the comics with my friend Derrick. Thor was our favorite. This was during the Walt Simonson era, which featured some powerful storytelling and unique artwork. Spider-Man was another good one, along with The Silver Surfer, Secret Wars, and of course The Avengers.
My interest in reading and collecting comic books ended about as abruptly as the intensity of my liking for them had burned. After a few years of enjoyment, and the end of a few tenures of creative teams across various titles, it became apparent that these stories would never end. During the Walt Simonson era of Thor, there was the epic Odin vs. Surtur battle, where they both tumbled away from Asgard, seemingly to their deaths. Several issues later, both were back. Then there was Steve Rogers resigning as Captain America (he quit often, apparently). Of course, Rogers returned as Cap after awhile. Marvel's Secret Wars was -- or at least seemed to be -- a special series of comics where a lot of important things happened, forever changing the Marvel universe landscape. Except that so much seemed to be reversed, or forgotten, or retconned afterward.
Overall in the comic book landscape, characters died, were resurrected, or weren't really dead to begin with. It took me a few years of reading and collecting them for this reality to become clear and, once it did, I was out. For some, that's just the world of comic book storytelling. Some may bristle at the comparison, but it is akin to the farcical world of daytime soap operas (though some have, finally, ended). There are those who are entertained mostly by the continuously twisting storylines -- who cares if they're recycled versions of stuff we've watched, or read before?
I am someone who needs an end for my entertainment, in order to fully enjoy it. For one, having a known ending raises the stakes, does it not? If Odin and Surtur falls to their apparent deaths, that's impactful. If they come back, while it is thrilling in the moment, it tends to lessen what came before. More importantly, it diverges perhaps a bit too far from real life. Yes, we're reading comic books with fantastic beings who have all sorts of enhanced strength and super powers, yet it can be argued that they need to be vulnerable in order for us, the readers, to relate to them. And while Captain America quitting his job in protest is certainly dramatic, it can also be easily reversed. Not so with death, at least not in our known reality. Death is the ultimate vulnerability.
And so we arrive at the impetus for this post -- the impending release of the Avengers: Endgame movie. When last we saw our intrepid heroes, the villainous Thanos had snapped his Infinity Gauntlet-clad fingers and extinguished half of all life in the universe (including their clothes -- seriously, why did everyone's clothes disappear, as well? I digress... ). Some characters -- Loki, Heimdall and Gamora) died before the snap. So, are they all dead? Obviously, they are not. In fact, that's not really the question. It was already known at the time Infinity War was released that there would be more Black Panther and Spider-Man movies, so at the moment when those characters turned to dust on screen, we knew it was only temporary. No, Endgame's puzzle lies in how they call come back, not if they come back.
Is all of this a cheat? Yes and no. If you are remotely familiar with the comic book world, then you know that nothing that happens is permanent. Unlike our own lives, comic book characters -- on the page and on the screen -- are practically immortal, even if they're human. And that can be entertaining in its own right, until it works against itself. We lose value in what transpires. Tension can become drained from the plot. When we know nothing of permanence will occur, then the stakes becomes low. I've no idea what will happen in Avengers: Endgame, though would make a small wager that no one, save Thanos, will likely be dead when the credits roll. And, if they are, watch for them to come back at some point.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. James Bond movies have been fairly regular in cinemas for over half-a-century, and are still popular. I enjoy them. But then, for the most part, they are episodic, and they've never pretended to kill Bond at the end of an installment, only to miraculously bring him back later on. Again, the 007 franchise is more of an exception than the rule. Most things benefit from a known expiration date, up to and including ourselves. Our lives seem all the more precious because they are finite. We don't quit and then come back. When we're done, we're done. That's something the comic book world, in whatever form, could benefit from.
Meanwhile, I'm going to be at Endgame on opening night.
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