Broken Frontier

Does the number of versions of popular characters get out of hand? Does it hurt the comic book industry, or does it help it? What’s the thinking behind them, and what do the fans think of them? It’s time for the All-Star Ultimate version of OTB!

Okay, I think we all would agree, when characters make the leap from one medium to another, there is change. Certain visuals that work okay in comics do not work as well in movies (Wolverine in yellow spandex for example, though truth be told, it doesn’t work for me well in comics either). Likewise, certain story elements which might unfold over longer periods in comics need to be compacted to fit in a movie, or expanded to better fit the ‘flow’ of a novel, for example.

So, let’s not delve in there too much. Instead, let’s explore why sometimes there are multiple versions of a character in comics.

Demographics…
One of the primary reasons of doing an alternate version of a character is to cater to a different demographic than the regular version does, or, in some cases, to re-focus on a certain demographic the regular version used to focus on better.

For example…

Spider-Man, when he was originally launched, part of the appeal and popularity of the character was definitely his age. Peter Parker was a teenager; what’s more, he was a geeky sort of teenager, one which a lot of comic fans found a definite connection with. As the regular series progressed, though incredibly slowly, Peter grew up. He graduated high school, college, got married, etc. etc.

Ultimate Spider-Man brings Spider-Man back to that awkward part of life, being a teenager, and lets a whole new generation of fans connect to a modern day, still somewhat geeky teenage hero, with hang-ups and trials that speak to the modern teen. Looking back at those old issues of Spider-Man, that Peter Parker is very outdated, with the round-framed glasses and crew cut kind of look. Simply republishing those stories would not have the same connection power as a re-imagining of the story as Ultimate Spider-Man did.

Likewise, the Marvel Age version of Spider-Man is not only returning Spidey to those teenage roots, but creates a story with an art style to match that soundly targets younger readers. The entire Marvel Age line is intended to focus on younger readers and recruiting new fans into the medium. Thus, more sophisticated stories are not really appropriate here.

Spider-Man India, something of a new idea, takes a similar philosophy, but instead of aiming across age lines, aims across cultural lines. By re-imagining the story of Spider-Man using versions of characters which are definitively of Indian ethnicity, culture and tradition, we get a story that will better attract people of the same background.

So, when you have an iconic character, by shifting small elements, juxtaposing certain characteristics, or skewing others, you translate (hopefully successfully) the icon into a book aimed at a specific group.

Losing the Baggage of Continuity…
Another big reason for alternate versions of classic characters is to free up creators from dealing with many, many years of continuity, and, likewise, increase chances of attracting new fans who are intimidated by the buildup of such continuity elsewhere.

X-Men is a hugely popular series of books, but you only have to read a couple issues before anyone would realize there is a lot of complex story history to that series in its original form. Alternate universe versions, relationships, groups, power changes, on and on and on, have woven a tapestry sometimes challenging for a lifelong fan, and downright frightening to the casual one.

When Ultimate X-Men launched, none of that previous history was a weight. Sure, it could be an inspiration to the writers and artists, but none of it was binding. The toys were all new and ready to be played with. For people whose interests were sparked by the movie, or the cartoon series, this provided an easy in to enjoy the comic.

Why Renew the Old and Not Just Make New?
Why didn’t Marvel Age simply launch a line of kid friendly new heroes? Why didn’t Ultimate Marvel be a New Universe? There is value to being established.

First, these characters have already proven their longevity and popularity. They are icons in modern American society. Keeping them in the spotlight and re-launching them in order to launch a line of all-ages comics, for example, has a better chance of success in today’s market.

Since Spider-Man is so popular, for example, fans are more likely to buy a Spider-Man comic than a totally new character they’ve never heard of. Fans being drawn back to comics, say after seeing the movie version, might be more drawn to the Ultimate version, because its continuity is far less, or it seems fresher. Likewise, parents seeking to encourage their kids to read, are more likely to pick up a Marvel Age Spider-Man for a very simple fact—they remember Spider-Man when they were a kid.

The Challenge…
I think us experienced comics fans are used to this sort of phenomenon, and many of us have been around long enough, that we remember the diversification of characters into multiple versions. Sales would certainly seem to reflect that opinion. Ultimate books are doing considerably well for Marvel, and sales on Marvel Age series and the digests in book stores also see pretty decent returns, and these series serve a good purpose, as both have an element of drawing in new fans for various reasons.

But what about those fans who are new to the comic-book phenomenon? Will they be able to step in and understand? Will some of these new fans get lost in the translation?

Not if we’re careful. The fact is people are used to this sort of thing (though maybe not piled one on top of another).

In the world of prose, it’s very rare. Novels and such, once done, are done. No one goes back and retells the story in a fresh new take on the novel. However, some characters who persist in prose also find elements of being re-launched or expanded as time goes on. Conan for example, his history, childhood, older age has continued to be explored in more and more writings since his introduction.

Many of those works of literature make the leap into other mediums, such as movies, and there often undergo such updates. Shakespearean plays are very popular in this category. Plays like Romeo and Juliet and Othello (“O”) have been translated into movies where feuding families become gangs, and rulers become BMOC.

In the world of movies and television we are also seeing more and more of update mania. King Kong, from the 1930s to the 1970s is about to get a third shot from Peter Jackson. Godzilla, actually got an Ultimate remake in a US version of his story which took some radical departures from the original, but kept the spirit of the king of monsters. TV Series even now seem to be getting into it. BattleStar Galactica had a very successful re-imagining and re-launch on SciFi. Kojak now becomes the latest to join this group.

The problem is that most of these other mediums have differing versions spread over long periods of time, and are updated to reconnect icons to more modern times. There are not multiple versions of any such properties in any other medium all being con-currently produced. So, that means in order not to scare off new fans, we need to make sure that such versions are clearly labeled and identified, and by more than just titles. Make sure the first time fan who picks up an Ultimate title understands what it means that its part of the Ultimate universe, or a Marvel Age readers picks up an issue, they understand this is a version of the characters for all ages, then those readers can quickly pick up the idea. These alternate versions should all sport a little blurb box on their back covers for trades, inside front covers for monthlies, or somewhere that gives a quick intro to the line.

This could be as simple and succinct as the blurb that used to run in the DC Elseworlds books, so that any first time fan picking up an Elseworlds knew what that meant. So, with that…here’s to variety, it truly is the spice of life!

Next Week: OTB does its own “House of M”, no, not THAT M… M as in MARVEL. They’ve been all over the news, making front page blurbs on USA Today and the Wall Street Journal, and OTB takes a look at where the renaissance in Marvel is going!