Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2023 12:47:46 GMT -5
As many of you no doubt know, Black Mirror is a dystopian anthology show, which examines the negative consequences of technology. In the episode “Fifteen Million Merits”, we see a society where people are forced to cycle on exercise bikes in order to generate energy and earn credits - which they can use to buy necessities and entertainment. One man, Bing, looks to escape the system, but at what cost?
The episode features an exploitative talent show, where the sanctimonious judges often give people an escape from their lives - but at a great cost.
By definition, an anthology show doesn’t revisit old ground. And in all honesty, I would not have it any other way. However, by the end of the episode, which I watched the other night, I wanted to know more about this world. Who was Bing? What was his background? What happened after the episode ended? What about the judges? I wanted - and perhaps needed - to know more about the dystopian world presented in the episode.
Then again, whatever my desires, perhaps the episode will stay with me, and be special, because it’s a one-time only thing. I mean, some wrestling matches are special because they only happened once, but that’s a short list.
Here’s my point: in the serialised, ongoing, never-ending world of comicbook universes, the well is revisited so many times. That can be good or bad depending on your subjective view. Some of us might have been been happy if the only “Clone Saga” storyline in existence had been the 70s storyline - but we got the 1994-96 arc, not to mention that well being revisited since. If you love Spidey clone stories, you are catered for; if not, it doesn’t appeal to you. We like what we like.
I just get bored when I view upcoming comics. Naturally, no-one is forcing me to buy anything - so I don’t. But it makes me feel cynical. I did like DC Comics’ “Metal” storyline - and then they revisited that well. “White Knight” is a most intriguing and entertaining storyline, but I have little-to-no appetite for the sequel. I can just about enjoy the 1994-96 “Clone Saga”, but a clone story featuring Ghost-Spider doesn’t interest me because I’ve seen it all before. Can one have too much of a good thing?
Revisiting the well is as old as the hills. There seem to be complaints about the amount of film sequels today, but how many Frankenstein films were there in the 30s and 40s? How many times did Christopher Lee return as Dracula? I’m sure historical comics will provide us with examples of revisiting the well. I also get that there is nothing new under the sun, and coming up with variations on a theme is probably more pragmatic.
I am also aware of the whole business/marketing of it all. I know not how many comics DC’s “Metal” sold, but if it sold a lot, then sequels, spin-offs and tie-ins make business sense. As a fan, though, one becomes numb to it all. And I often feel I’d rather see something relatively new than yet another follow-up, spin-off, tie-in, etc. I know they are not making comics solely for me, though.
I do feel there are some new things that could be done. Has Galactus ever faced Dormammu? How about a depowered Superman having to use his brains to solve the Riddler’s clues? Might there be some mileage in the X-Men facing Doctor Octopus, or Kang taking on The Stranger? Or any number of ideas, really. I’d rather see those - which might not have been done before - than the revisiting of old ground.
So, to open this discussion up (hopefully!), what do you wish hadn’t been revisited? What do you think perhaps warrants being revisited? On an emotional, subjective level - forgetting the business side of what publishers do - how do you feel about DC and Marvel revisiting the well, especially in the last 9 or 10 years? In your ideal world, what would your approach be?
The episode features an exploitative talent show, where the sanctimonious judges often give people an escape from their lives - but at a great cost.
By definition, an anthology show doesn’t revisit old ground. And in all honesty, I would not have it any other way. However, by the end of the episode, which I watched the other night, I wanted to know more about this world. Who was Bing? What was his background? What happened after the episode ended? What about the judges? I wanted - and perhaps needed - to know more about the dystopian world presented in the episode.
Then again, whatever my desires, perhaps the episode will stay with me, and be special, because it’s a one-time only thing. I mean, some wrestling matches are special because they only happened once, but that’s a short list.
Here’s my point: in the serialised, ongoing, never-ending world of comicbook universes, the well is revisited so many times. That can be good or bad depending on your subjective view. Some of us might have been been happy if the only “Clone Saga” storyline in existence had been the 70s storyline - but we got the 1994-96 arc, not to mention that well being revisited since. If you love Spidey clone stories, you are catered for; if not, it doesn’t appeal to you. We like what we like.
I just get bored when I view upcoming comics. Naturally, no-one is forcing me to buy anything - so I don’t. But it makes me feel cynical. I did like DC Comics’ “Metal” storyline - and then they revisited that well. “White Knight” is a most intriguing and entertaining storyline, but I have little-to-no appetite for the sequel. I can just about enjoy the 1994-96 “Clone Saga”, but a clone story featuring Ghost-Spider doesn’t interest me because I’ve seen it all before. Can one have too much of a good thing?
Revisiting the well is as old as the hills. There seem to be complaints about the amount of film sequels today, but how many Frankenstein films were there in the 30s and 40s? How many times did Christopher Lee return as Dracula? I’m sure historical comics will provide us with examples of revisiting the well. I also get that there is nothing new under the sun, and coming up with variations on a theme is probably more pragmatic.
I am also aware of the whole business/marketing of it all. I know not how many comics DC’s “Metal” sold, but if it sold a lot, then sequels, spin-offs and tie-ins make business sense. As a fan, though, one becomes numb to it all. And I often feel I’d rather see something relatively new than yet another follow-up, spin-off, tie-in, etc. I know they are not making comics solely for me, though.
I do feel there are some new things that could be done. Has Galactus ever faced Dormammu? How about a depowered Superman having to use his brains to solve the Riddler’s clues? Might there be some mileage in the X-Men facing Doctor Octopus, or Kang taking on The Stranger? Or any number of ideas, really. I’d rather see those - which might not have been done before - than the revisiting of old ground.
So, to open this discussion up (hopefully!), what do you wish hadn’t been revisited? What do you think perhaps warrants being revisited? On an emotional, subjective level - forgetting the business side of what publishers do - how do you feel about DC and Marvel revisiting the well, especially in the last 9 or 10 years? In your ideal world, what would your approach be?
