Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2022 12:57:14 GMT -5
I’m thinking only of Marvel Comics here, but has the Hulk had the most radical changes (and a high number of changes) when compared to other characters?
There are characters in comics that really never change. Has Judge Dredd changed in any way over his 45-year tenure? Not saying he should, it’s sort of the point of the character not to change. Then you have characters that have had subtle changes over time, such as Superman and Batman. Then there are the characters who, while remaining recognisable in one sense, change radically and often go of in different directions that some people consider sacrilegious.
I haven’t yet read it (waiting for the trade), but I gather the Hulk is a “starship” of sorts at the moment, “piloted” by Banner. Very different from Al Ewing’s Immortal Hulk run. And the further back we go, the more radical the changes seem, from Peter David’s tenure right back to the days of the Savage Hulk. Even within one writer’s tenure, we had differences, such as David’s Joe Fixit Era, or Smart Hulk. There are also external environmental changes, such as “Planet Hulk” and “World War Hulk”.
And this brings me to my next point: while everyone’s mileage varies, we have probably known creators and fans who don’t want ANY change. John Byrne often seems to advocate for that (while changing things himself, I mean who wanted the Vision to be how he was on Byrne’s watch?). I’ve known fans who don’t think you should change anything. There are probably fans out there who don’t mind ANY change, while some, such as myself, will judge changes based on their own merits.
It’s a tricky balancing act. It’s subjective, too. I, personally, do not want Spider-Man to become a space-faring, half-robot character who travels the solar system accompanied by a pirate. That would be a change too far for me, while there could be one person on Earth who laps it up. But at the same time, in 2022, a Peter Parker/Spider-Man who was the same, and in the same situation/scenario, as he was in Amazing Fantasy #15 would not appeal, either. Something in between is preferable. I like some change while at least allowing a character to be recognisable. I don’t want slight superficial changes, though.
(I realise there’s a whole separate debate about the illusion of change)
With some exceptions, such as Dredd, could a character really survive long-term if nothing ever changed, not his/her powers/personality or external environments/situations? I realise there’s a separate debate about turnover of audience. There may be some people who were reading Hulk comics in 1962, while others may have only been alive 15-20 years, so would have grown up with Greg Pak and Al Ewing. That said, thanks to reprints and the likes of Marvel Unlimited, we do have an entire timeline to read. If someone chooses to read 1962-2022 Hulk, would they be enthusiastic if nothing had changed since the first issue?
I quite like the idea of “Starship Hulk”, so will look forward to buying it. Anyway, as per usual in my topics, I’ve failed to stay in one lane, so take your pick of any point I’ve raised!
There are characters in comics that really never change. Has Judge Dredd changed in any way over his 45-year tenure? Not saying he should, it’s sort of the point of the character not to change. Then you have characters that have had subtle changes over time, such as Superman and Batman. Then there are the characters who, while remaining recognisable in one sense, change radically and often go of in different directions that some people consider sacrilegious.
I haven’t yet read it (waiting for the trade), but I gather the Hulk is a “starship” of sorts at the moment, “piloted” by Banner. Very different from Al Ewing’s Immortal Hulk run. And the further back we go, the more radical the changes seem, from Peter David’s tenure right back to the days of the Savage Hulk. Even within one writer’s tenure, we had differences, such as David’s Joe Fixit Era, or Smart Hulk. There are also external environmental changes, such as “Planet Hulk” and “World War Hulk”.
And this brings me to my next point: while everyone’s mileage varies, we have probably known creators and fans who don’t want ANY change. John Byrne often seems to advocate for that (while changing things himself, I mean who wanted the Vision to be how he was on Byrne’s watch?). I’ve known fans who don’t think you should change anything. There are probably fans out there who don’t mind ANY change, while some, such as myself, will judge changes based on their own merits.
It’s a tricky balancing act. It’s subjective, too. I, personally, do not want Spider-Man to become a space-faring, half-robot character who travels the solar system accompanied by a pirate. That would be a change too far for me, while there could be one person on Earth who laps it up. But at the same time, in 2022, a Peter Parker/Spider-Man who was the same, and in the same situation/scenario, as he was in Amazing Fantasy #15 would not appeal, either. Something in between is preferable. I like some change while at least allowing a character to be recognisable. I don’t want slight superficial changes, though.
(I realise there’s a whole separate debate about the illusion of change)
With some exceptions, such as Dredd, could a character really survive long-term if nothing ever changed, not his/her powers/personality or external environments/situations? I realise there’s a separate debate about turnover of audience. There may be some people who were reading Hulk comics in 1962, while others may have only been alive 15-20 years, so would have grown up with Greg Pak and Al Ewing. That said, thanks to reprints and the likes of Marvel Unlimited, we do have an entire timeline to read. If someone chooses to read 1962-2022 Hulk, would they be enthusiastic if nothing had changed since the first issue?
I quite like the idea of “Starship Hulk”, so will look forward to buying it. Anyway, as per usual in my topics, I’ve failed to stay in one lane, so take your pick of any point I’ve raised!