So are you a comic book reader? Have you ever been one? Marvel or DC? Evan Puschak explains why we tend to cleave to one or the other, for several reasons that make sense. Like Puschak, I started reading DC comics because of a Superman TV show, but in my case it was Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, which I only saw in reruns. Comic books were 15 cents each, and I had to carefully budget my allowance to buy one. The rivalry between the two major comic producers is the same today, although the prices have gone up. I'm sure allowances have, too.
Puschak explains how comic publishers go through cycles of storytelling with their superhero characters, in order to boost readership and make money. Every once in a while, the cycle has escalated to a point where it has to stop and start over again, with a death, retirement, resurrection, or reboot, but that's fine because over the years another generation becomes old enough to read and enjoy comics. It's happened for around a hundred years. But does the cycle of a comic book superhero story translate to movies and TV? The Marvel Cinematic Universe has dozen of movies, and they follow the same sort of cycle seen in publishing. DC appears to be doing that, too, although with fewer films. Only time will tell if they know when it's the right time to slow down, take a break, and start over again. -via Kottke
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Pretty much nailed it. But it's also the same for pretty much any ongoing series: Bond, Homeland, Mission Impossible, Jack Ryan, et.al. Not just with crossovers, but with scope and scale. Each new release has to exceed whatever happened previously. At least with comics, it's just comics and the realm of believe-abililty is easy to suspend. Not so much with the others.
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