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Post by foxley on Jul 30, 2014 4:55:10 GMT -5
In one of those idle speculations that occur to me from time to time, I started wondering what the most retold comic book story (barring origin stories).
This was brought about by the new version of "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate" in the Batman Day giveaway of Detective Comics #27. This makes five versions of this story I am aware of:
*The original in Detective Comics #27
*An updated version called "The Cry of the Night is -- "Kill"' in Detective Comics #387
*Two new versions in Detective Comics #627 (which also reprinted the above two stories)
*The version in the Batman Day giveaway
What's interesting is that the Detective Comics #387 was so desperate to be hip and with it (it even features Batman making a Mama Cass reference) that it feels far more dated than the original.
So what other stories have be retold multiple times?
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jul 30, 2014 9:52:55 GMT -5
Detective #627 was one of the few comics I bought off the shelves and loved as an adolescent. The different versions of the origin story were immensely fun, especially the Detective #387 one which felt humorously dated by 1991.
For another story that's been told multiple times, Jean Grey's introduction to the X-Men. Let me explain, though. They've probably only told that PRECISE story a few times, but virtually every time the X-Men are introduced via a new medium, they use that same story, only told with a different young female protagonist being introduced to this terrifying group that she'll eventually come to accept and love.
Some examples:
X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men: Kitty Pryde
X-Men Animiated Series: Jubilee
X-Men film franchise: Rogue
I've never seen the other animated series, nor read the Ultimate X-Men series, but I'm willing to bet some of them began with a young girl first being introduced to the X-Men too.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jul 30, 2014 10:44:59 GMT -5
If you're counting other media, I'd imagine Spidey's Origin takes it...
In the comics, you have the original, the Untold Tales, the Bryne Chapter One reboot, and Slott version, and probably a couple others.
Then you have two different movie franchises, and, what 6 different cartoons (the 60s one, Amazing Friends, the 90s one, the MTV one voiced by Neil Patrick Harris, the other recent crappy CGI one, and the current Disney XD one)
THat's just off the top of my head.
Iron Man's got, I think 4 in the comics (the re-told it during the Michilinie era, then again for Heroes Reborn, then one more time later.. not sure if it was Busiek or Quesada)... Fraction may have, too, actually. There's theres the Marvel Action Hour version, the rest CGI Teenaged one, and the Movie verison.
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Post by Action Ace on Jul 30, 2014 11:37:22 GMT -5
Superman's origin
It seems like it's been retold twenty times in the last fifteen years.
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Crimebuster
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Post by Crimebuster on Jul 30, 2014 12:01:34 GMT -5
Despite the fact he's always been perceived as a b-lister, I swear I've seen about eleventy jillion different versions of Green Arrow's origin. Beside all the different retellings in his regular series, and the retelling that is the entire Arrow TV show, there have also been at least two whole mini-series devoted just to retelling his origin. Why that is necessary is beyond me.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2014 12:36:25 GMT -5
Just for Foxley's sake-he did say barring origin stories in the original post. since those are part and parcel of anniversaries and "jumping on" or refresh points for the character/franchise, they will be retold quite often.
-M
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Post by paulie on Jul 30, 2014 13:05:06 GMT -5
Despite the fact he's always been perceived as a b-lister, I swear I've seen about eleventy jillion different versions of Green Arrow's origin. Beside all the different retellings in his regular series, and the retelling that is the entire Arrow TV show, there have also been at least two whole mini-series devoted just to retelling his origin. Why that is necessary is beyond me. If memory serves none of them are necessarily congruent either. |
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Post by paulie on Jul 30, 2014 13:06:42 GMT -5
Detective #627 was one of the few comics I bought off the shelves and loved as an adolescent. The different versions of the origin story were immensely fun, especially the Detective #387 one which felt humorously dated by 1991. For another story that's been told multiple times, Jean Grey's introduction to the X-Men. Let me explain, though. They've probably only told that PRECISE story a few times, but virtually every time the X-Men are introduced via a new medium, they use that same story, only told with a different young female protagonist being introduced to this terrifying group that she'll eventually come to accept and love. Some examples: X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men: Kitty Pryde X-Men Animiated Series: Jubilee X-Men film franchise: Rogue I've never seen the other animated series, nor read the Ultimate X-Men series, but I'm willing to bet some of them began with a young girl first being introduced to the X-Men too. Spot on in the context of the thread, barring origin stories. |
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Post by Crimebuster on Jul 30, 2014 13:15:54 GMT -5
The story of Wonder Man from Avengers #9 has been often repeated. Avengers #57 is a direct homage to it, as is the Tomorrow Woman story in JLA #5. For all I know, the Wonder Man story itself might be referencing an earlier work, but if so, I'm not aware of it.
When JLA #5 came out I remember a lot of fans gushing over it and it always boggled me. Not that it's a bad story, but it was so clearly the exact same plot as Avengers #9/57, yet none of the stuff I read about the issue at the time made mention of this. Just a lot of gushing over how great Grant Morrison was. Sure, his stuff is good - especially when Stan Lee is writing it!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2014 14:10:00 GMT -5
One that comes to mind is a plot where a villain takes a superhero's identity and commits crimes, making the police believe the superhero is actually a bad guy. I know I've seen someone take Spidey's identity before but can't name the issue. The earliest issue I can think of where this occurred is in Fantastic Four #2 when the Skrulls take over the identities of the Fantastic Four, but I believe this kind of plot may have occurred even earlier than that.
In any case I've seen this kind of story several times since.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2014 14:21:35 GMT -5
If you are going to break it down as far as story type/plot, just start with Campbell's Hero's Journey as detailed in Hero with a Thousand Faces, and move forward. I think Foxley is looking for something specific, like how many times as MJ showing up at Peter's door saying you've hit the jackpot tiger been retold over the years, or how many times has the story of Reed and Sue's wedding been retold, stories (that aren't origin stories) getting retold various times in various ways. The death of Gwen Stacy comes to mind, from its original, to Busiek's take in Marvels, and lots of other times in between every time Peter gets a new flame and the guilt card is played by the writer-can I get involved or is it fair to put her at risk like I did with Gwen...etc. etc.
If you trust the old Bard, there are only 7 basic plots so of course those are going to be recycled over and over again ad nauseum, and a lot of time the borrowing in comics is intentional as an homage (other times it is a blatant swipe.
-M
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Post by foxley on Jul 30, 2014 16:33:54 GMT -5
MRP has it, as I was thinking of specific stories that have been told multiple times, rather than the basic plot (although that is an interesting discussion in its own right). Things like Jean Grey joining the X-Men, or MJ turning up at at Peter's door are what I had in mind. I excluded origin stories because just about every writer feels the need to retell/put their own spin a character's origin. I couldn't begin to count how many times Batman's origin has been retold since "The Batman and How He Came to Be" in Detective Comics #33.
The Joker's first clash with Batman (which is not his origin story) is another one that has had multiple re-tellings, including the original in Batman #1, a version in Legends of the Dark Knight and The Man Who Laughs, plus some I'm probably forgetting.
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Post by Prince Hal on Jul 30, 2014 16:41:48 GMT -5
MRP has it, as I was thinking of specific stories that have been told multiple times, rather than the basic plot (although that is an interesting discussion in its own right). Things like Jean Grey joining the X-Men, or MJ turning up at at Peter's door are what I had in mind. I excluded origin stories because just about every writer feels the need to retell/put their own spin a character's origin. I couldn't begin to count how many times Batman's origin has been retold since "The Batman and How He Came to Be" in Detective Comics #33. The Joker's first clash with Batman (which is not his origin story) is another one that has had multiple re-tellings, including the original in Batman #1, a version in Legends of the Dark Knight and The Man Who Laughs, plus some I'm probably forgetting. "The Man Behind the Red Hood" from Detective 168, which I first read in Batman 213. Come to think of it, I should mention this in the "Best Forgotten Batman Stories" thread. It's a great story. |
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Post by Phil Maurice on Jul 30, 2014 17:23:47 GMT -5
How about the Avengers finding Captain America in the water? This was revisited many times in both the Avengers and Cap's own title.
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Post by Rob Allen on Jul 30, 2014 18:46:24 GMT -5
I just got an issue of Hogan's Alley that has an article by Michael T. Gilbert about two instances where an artist drew the exact same script a few years apart. He shows them side-by-side - Jack Kirby's two versions of the origin of the Rawhide Kid, and from Steve Ditko, two versions of a horror script for Charlton.
And I've read about at least one scripter (Jack Oleck?) selling the same script to something like five different publishers over the course of a decade. No way to track them down, unfortunately.
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