Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2019 17:45:07 GMT -5
Being a comic fan, I know that time moves differently within a fictional universe. I accept that many, many years in our time might equate to only months, or weeks, in "comic book time". This debate came up in the mid-90s (in the letters pages of a UK Spidey comic), and one person put forward the view that while we were reading Spidey issues in the 90s, and the character had been around 33+ years, in "comic time", the web-slinger might only have been around 7-9 years.
Each story takes place now. Which is fine. Topical references come and go, but you always just enjoy a title while reading it.
What of Marvel 2099, though? Did the specific date create any sense of urgency as far as reaching 2100 was concerned?
I was a huge fan of Marvel 2099 as a kid. US comics were hard to come by (I didn't live near a specialist store), but I tried to pick up as many issues as I could, specifically Spider-Man 2099, Punisher 2099, Doom 2099, and X-Men 2099. And I did follow them for quite a while, even though they didn't last long. Didn't Spider-Man 2099 last something like three years? Didn't Doom 2099 last a bit longer than that? Marvel 2099 was very fleeting.
And while I enjoyed the various stories, there was a part of me, in my silly young brain, that wondered if we were going to reach the year 2100. After all, they were certainly having a lot of adventures. As I followed the adventures over 3-4 years, I did think, 'When are we reaching 2100? We can't stay in 2099 forever?'
(Depressingly, one person asked when we were gonna reach 3000. If someone thinks 3000 comes after 2099, then I guess the educational establishment has failed).
Marvel 2099 sounds good as a "brand". It sounds pretty cool. It still does. But with any work of fiction, placing it in ONE year does mean that a pedantic soul like me will start wondering when those 365 days are going to be up. The mainstream Marvel Universe, topical references aside, was vague about its time. Sure, a character could meet Nixon or mention a Beatles album, which does date the stories a tad, but for the most part, they don't set in stone the years in which they are set. They could be taking place during any year/decade. But when you given a comic series a specific year, it does make you conscious of the passage of time.
Thoughts?
Each story takes place now. Which is fine. Topical references come and go, but you always just enjoy a title while reading it.
What of Marvel 2099, though? Did the specific date create any sense of urgency as far as reaching 2100 was concerned?
I was a huge fan of Marvel 2099 as a kid. US comics were hard to come by (I didn't live near a specialist store), but I tried to pick up as many issues as I could, specifically Spider-Man 2099, Punisher 2099, Doom 2099, and X-Men 2099. And I did follow them for quite a while, even though they didn't last long. Didn't Spider-Man 2099 last something like three years? Didn't Doom 2099 last a bit longer than that? Marvel 2099 was very fleeting.
And while I enjoyed the various stories, there was a part of me, in my silly young brain, that wondered if we were going to reach the year 2100. After all, they were certainly having a lot of adventures. As I followed the adventures over 3-4 years, I did think, 'When are we reaching 2100? We can't stay in 2099 forever?'
(Depressingly, one person asked when we were gonna reach 3000. If someone thinks 3000 comes after 2099, then I guess the educational establishment has failed).
Marvel 2099 sounds good as a "brand". It sounds pretty cool. It still does. But with any work of fiction, placing it in ONE year does mean that a pedantic soul like me will start wondering when those 365 days are going to be up. The mainstream Marvel Universe, topical references aside, was vague about its time. Sure, a character could meet Nixon or mention a Beatles album, which does date the stories a tad, but for the most part, they don't set in stone the years in which they are set. They could be taking place during any year/decade. But when you given a comic series a specific year, it does make you conscious of the passage of time.
Thoughts?
