Should pulp characters be re-worked into contemporary settings?

When Dynamite Entertainment announced that David Liss would be writting their new series based on the pulp character, The Spider, I was thrilled. Liss writes some amazing crime-noir (Black Panther) and great period pieces (Mysyery Men). I just read that he is not writing a period piece, instead he is "re-working one of the great pulp characters into a contemporary setting."

I am not happy about the announcement. Not only does the comic not lend itself to the strengths of Liss, but it doesn't do justice to the history of the PULP character. I have read the Shadow in his various comicbook forms since the 70s. The best stories published were from when the character was written in the appropriate timeperiod. There are enough modern characters. Pulp characters should remain written in the past.

What do you think?

@kashyaprn: I am buying it either way, just on the strength of David Liss' writing. I probably should have stated that. I would have prefered a period piece.

They may have moderized it to differentiate it from the Shadow (which I hope is based in the correct era), as they aquired that license around the same time as they announced The Spider ongoing.

@kartron said:

@jsphsmth Not sure if they count the phantom as a pulp character... but I think dynamite is doing great with modernization.. The last phantom is great attempt. I'm saying attempt coz its still to be seen how their next set of plots go. Right now only 10 issues have come out. So on that confidence I think we should give them a chance and see what they do with these characters..

The point to Dynamite's "modernization" of Phantom I believe had to do with the fact that he was the latest in line of the men descended from the first Phantom who was mistakenly thought to be immortal .Moonshadow played around with this in their spin with something called Phantom Generations and even talked about a female Phantom.I never read these books so I don't how they reconciled the immortality angle with the sudden appearance of a female Phantom. Sort of Like Nolan's spin on Ras al Ghul in Batman Begins.I'm not a fan otherwise of updating pulp to modern because I think it spoils the "magic".It would be like trying to update Aladdin or Sinbad to modern times.It's too bad the writer who brought us Mystery Men can't work in a similar time frame with Spider,but to tell the truth this was never on my list anyway.

@Alton said:

It's too bad the writer who brought us Mystery Men can't work in a similar time frame with Spider,but to tell the truth this was never on my list anyway.

Unfortunately, it isn't on anyone's list. News from Dynamite about both The Spider and The Shadow has been nonexistent since the initial announcements in August. I was happy to see the quote, but not necessarily the contents, from Liss last week. I was beginning to think that Dynamite had dropped them.

@Roxanne Starr: Umm, no. I think not. Sounds like a silly idea.

I think that it might vary from character to character, although in general if you want to "modernize" a pulp character then just have it not be the original, but instead someone new taking on the mantle. Keeps things fresh and doesn't ruin the pulp character, everybody wins.

I may be changing my stance. Andy Diggle has re-envisioned Marvel's classic western heroes in modern day Mexico in Six Guns. I am enjoying the miniseries. It is a fresh, fun adventure with some gritty characters.

I guess it all comes down to the ability of the creators to tell a good story.

@jsphsmth said:

I may be changing my stance. Andy Diggle has re-envisioned Marvel's classic western heroes in modern day Mexico in Six Guns. I am enjoying the miniseries. It is a fresh, fun adventure with some gritty characters.

I guess it all comes down to the ability of the creators to tell a good story.

Such a thing really should go without saying.

Even the worst idea can become great if handled by the right creative team.

@Decoy Elite: Unfortunately this is a business and I don't think that quality is always a major factor in the decision making process.

@jsphsmth: True, which is a shame because that means good ideas end up going down the drain with the bad due to lack of good creative teams.

@jsphsmth:  
 
No.  
 
One should create THEIR OWN pulp characters and put them in a modern setting. 
http://www.comicvine.com/forums/gen-discussion/1/the-pulp-fiction-game/414458

@spiderbat87 said:

@Roxanne Starr said:

@jsphsmth:

No.

One should create THEIR OWN pulp characters and put them in a modern setting.
http://www.comicvine.com/forums/gen-discussion/1/the-pulp-fiction-game/414458

This

No, still sounds like a silly idea.

Although I have been thinking about writing some fan fiction for all the fans who's hopes were dashed that the Huntress was still Helena Bertinelli.

@spiderbat87 said:

@Roxanne Starr said:

@jsphsmth:

No.

One should create THEIR OWN pulp characters and put them in a modern setting.
http://www.comicvine.com/forums/gen-discussion/1/the-pulp-fiction-game/414458

This

No, still sounds like a silly idea.

Although I have been thinking about writing some fan fiction for all the fans who's hopes were dashed that the Huntress was still Helena Bertinelli.

@spiderbat87: You misunderstand. I wasn't calling pulp silly. Did you read my original post? I have been following pulp since I was a child, both in comics and reprinted novelizations.

What I found silly was Roxanne Star using this thread to draw attention to her fan fiction thread. They are two completely different threads.

With the news that The Shadow will be set in the correct time period, I guess that I will relax about David Liss writing The Spider in a contemporary setting. He did a great job with Black Panther, so The Spider should be good too. I hope that it sells better though.

@kartron LOL thanks for the correction on Moonstone not Moonshadow...I was flashing back to a bar in downtown Ithaca called Moonshadow (ahh yes those buy 2 Saranac Black Forests on tap get 1 free days.)I didn't realise that Phantom generations came from Lee Falk.I'll have to catch up on this someday.For those of you out there who went to Ithaca College or Cornell U the Golden Palm is closing it's doors after 71 yrs. in operation in Collegetown.Another casualty of the 21 drinking age debacle(owner says they are all drinking on campus anyway) and the insanely repressive NYS DWI laws.How these .08 laws get passed without the legislation covering an affordable ride home is beyond me.Another niche industry biting the dust before Comic Shops most likely..……

@jspsmith and @ Decoy Elite: I like Andy Diggle's work too but my take on Six Guns is Diggle using the characters in name only and turning the whole story into a Desperado style(the movie) urban myth.He did something similar with The Losers and convinced DC to drop the WW2 angle and wrote the whole thing as a modern A-Team covert ops on the run kind of thing. …

Bring on The Spider. Sounds and looks amazing.

THE SPIDER #1

32 pages FC • $3.99 • Teen +

Written by DAVID LISS

Art by COLTON WORLEY

One of the greatest pulp characters of all time is now re-launched into the 21st century! The world knows Richard Wentworth as a decorated war hero and the son of a wealthy industrialist – but only a few confidants know the truth. As New York City slides into violence and despair, Wentworth has transformed himself into a force of justice as The Spider! With only his wits, his technology, and his pistols to aid him, he fights a one-man war against crime, but when a mysterious new villain threatens the city with an unspeakable horror, it may be more than even The Spider can handle. How far will a sane man go to restore order to an insane world?

@Decept-O: The overwhelming majority of comics published are set in modern times. It would be nice if readers were offered a little variety and were given the opportunity to read pulp characters in their original setting.

Liss is a great period piece writer, so it seems a shame to have him writing he Spider set in modern times. The series looks great, based on the advanced art and Liss's interviews, but I can't help but wonder how much better it could be if it was set in the proper timeframe.