Post by Reptisaurus! on Feb 6, 2019 1:43:53 GMT -5
I dunno... it doesn't seem like the replacement characters did much conceptually that the Silver Age legacy characters didn't do first.
The Earth-Two Robin - Has to take over Batman's job, worried that he's not good enough. (Nobody ever acknowledges how important the Earth-Two Robin was in the development of superheroes, but when we think "legacy character" 98% of what occurs to us started with the Earth-Two Robin.)
Zatanna - Related to a previous hero character.
Blue Beetle - The guy who didn't even know the original hero, but ends up in the same costume and having to interact with the dead hero's milleu.
So on the one hand: These are the exact same conceptual archetypes as the Wally West Flash, Connor Hawk Green Arrow and Kyle Rayner Green Lantern. (In order.) Legacy heroes have always felt more driven by commerce than art to me, and they haven't been creatively exciting since the '60s.
On the other hand: SOME change in a 50-60-70 year old franchise is more interesting than no change in a 50-60-70 year old franchise. And some legacy characters I just like better than the originals.
I definitely have some affinity for the recent wave of Marvel characters who are Black or Asian or Hispanic or women or Muslims. Mostly because I see internet racists flip out about this, and HA! $%^& you, internet racists!
The Earth-Two Robin - Has to take over Batman's job, worried that he's not good enough. (Nobody ever acknowledges how important the Earth-Two Robin was in the development of superheroes, but when we think "legacy character" 98% of what occurs to us started with the Earth-Two Robin.)
Zatanna - Related to a previous hero character.
Blue Beetle - The guy who didn't even know the original hero, but ends up in the same costume and having to interact with the dead hero's milleu.
So on the one hand: These are the exact same conceptual archetypes as the Wally West Flash, Connor Hawk Green Arrow and Kyle Rayner Green Lantern. (In order.) Legacy heroes have always felt more driven by commerce than art to me, and they haven't been creatively exciting since the '60s.
On the other hand: SOME change in a 50-60-70 year old franchise is more interesting than no change in a 50-60-70 year old franchise. And some legacy characters I just like better than the originals.
I definitely have some affinity for the recent wave of Marvel characters who are Black or Asian or Hispanic or women or Muslims. Mostly because I see internet racists flip out about this, and HA! $%^& you, internet racists!
