Will There Ever Be A Truly New Generation of Super Heroes?? - Gen. Discussion

#1 Posted by Agent9149 (2841 posts) - 6 months, 13 days ago - Show Bio

Name me the top super heroes and super teams we see today: Superman, Batman, Wonder woman, JLA, Thor, Captain America, Wolverine, Avengers, X-men, Fantastic 4 and so and so on.

These were the big names back then and they are still the big names today, and the question is: Will these still be the big names tomorrow?

Don't get me wrong, I love these names. But I want new names. I want new blood to enter the comic-verse and be given the same amount of respect, time, money, and franchise as these names above. I am not talking about replacements, I'm not talking about new characters with the same concept (the next new GL, or wonder girl, or x-men fringe group). I'm talking about completely new characters, with new backgrounds, in new cities, dealing with new problems. Different stories with completely different plots that doesn't rely on any per-established series.

The one thing I love about manga/anime is that the spot light changes as time goes on. Before it was all about sailor moon, dragon ball z, gunam, tenchi,etc. and today its all about one piece, Naruto, bleach, fairy tail, and tomorrow it will be whole new series. The older series aren't forgotten. They're revered and seen as classics and still referenced and loved.

I want this to happen with Western Comics. Instead of reboots, retcons, parallel universe, non-canons, lets just go full force and bring in a new ideas bring in new concepts. I don't wanna think 50 years from now I will be reading a new version of Hal Jordan, Batman's successor or see the x-men still fighting for mutant rights.

#2 Edited by YourNeighborhoodComicGeek (13855 posts) - 6 months, 13 days ago - Show Bio

Probably not. The current heroes are just too popular/widely known to be overshadowed by new heroes.

#3 Posted by fodigg (4535 posts) - 6 months, 13 days ago - Show Bio

Look outside the big two for that. Hellboy made it pretty big.

#4 Posted by Blood1991 (8098 posts) - 6 months, 13 days ago - Show Bio

@YourNeighborhoodComicGeek said:

Probably not. The current heroes are just too popular/widely known to be overshadowed by new heroes.

This. Alt universes are the only place this could happen.

This is the separation between Eastern and Western comics and I enjoy both, but I love Eastern comics for their continuity.

#5 Posted by Eternal19 (1421 posts) - 6 months, 13 days ago - Show Bio

@YourNeighborhoodComicGeek said:

Probably not. The current heroes are just too popular/widely known to be overshadowed by new heroes.

this, Marvel and DC wont let there biggest cashcows go away anyway

#6 Posted by Agent9149 (2841 posts) - 6 months, 13 days ago - Show Bio

@Eternal19 said:

@YourNeighborhoodComicGeek said:
Probably not. The current heroes are just too popular/widely known to be overshadowed by new heroes.
this, Marvel and DC wont let there biggest cashcows go away anyway

That is understandable, but how do they know they won't make a new cash-cow, if they barely try anything new and give it true 100% effort

#7 Posted by KnightRise (3701 posts) - 6 months, 13 days ago - Show Bio

I was digging the younger incarnations pre-New 52. Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, and Stephanie Brown as Batman, Robin, and Batgirl, respectively, plus Arthur Joseph Curry, and Kyle Rayner.

#8 Posted by GundamHeavyarms (694 posts) - 6 months, 12 days ago - Show Bio

Well, its gotten to the point where characters are more than just characters, they've become brands now. If they stop making the comics with those characters, then they'd have to stop using the brand as well. To them its just not worth the risk.

#9 Posted by Or35ti (1069 posts) - 6 months, 12 days ago - Show Bio

I hope so slowly, but if it does happen it won't be for a while.

#10 Posted by SandMan_ (2390 posts) - 6 months, 12 days ago - Show Bio

@YourNeighborhoodComicGeek said:

Probably not. The current heroes are just too popular/widely known to be overshadowed by new heroes.

yup

#11 Posted by Jorgevy (4731 posts) - 6 months, 12 days ago - Show Bio

I don't want them to do that, Id like them to try that temporarily, but then just switch back. Like, 10 years of gen 1, then gen 2 comes in, more 10 years, then gen 3 comes and more 10 years, then repeat, it's a reboot rebang or wthatver, and gen 1 is on the spotlight again, ten years, then gen 2 comes again, then gen 3, then repeat. but obviously always with new takes and new stories on each character, etc...

#12 Edited by SmashBrawler (3834 posts) - 6 months, 12 days ago - Show Bio

I always thought Spawn had the potential to be the next popular comic book character. I mean, he had a popular comic, a movie and a TV series , not to mention that he was the face of a revolutionary comic book company.

The problem was that his comic was created in one of the worst eras of comics ever, his film was a P.O.S. and his TV series obviously wasn't enough to propel him to stardom.

#13 Edited by colonyofcells (1899 posts) - 6 months, 12 days ago - Show Bio

DC and marvel super heroes are more like popeye, felix the cat, mickey mouse, bugs bunny, Optimus Prime, etc. and I don't expect any of these characters to be retired or die or age. Some can become less popular such as felix the cat who used to be more popular than Mickey Mouse. New super heroes do get invented every now and then. Dc also has younger heroes who also won't age such as Robin, Supergirl, Cyborg, Colossal Boy, Sun Boy, etc. In Japan, My Neighbor Totoro merchandise also seems always around and are not in danger of retiring. New Astro Boy tv shows are also always coming out every now and then. I heard there will also be a new Sailor Moon tv show again so it is panty time again.

#14 Posted by Xorion (193 posts) - 6 months, 12 days ago - Show Bio

they're getting closer to it step by step in ultimate universe in marvel but I don't see it happening in the main universe mostly because of selling power of the known characters and fear of creating more angry fans. The latest example could be the reactions of the fans on the news about superior spiderman not being peter parker. So it won't happen in mainstream but could be done with secondary universes

#15 Posted by Kamal Re'x the Abductor (230 posts) - 6 months, 12 days ago - Show Bio

The conditions that started off the two biggest explosions in the numbers of superheroes during the Gold and Silver age were rather unique. Both of these times the mass of new superheroes were there to fill a void, the first time creating the superhero, and the second time was reviving and redefining the superhero with ideas that had been waiting for decades following the temporary death of the superhero comic after world war two. The closest thing in recent times to these two great expansions was the whole slew of new characters made during the dark age, but certainly most would agree that the majority of the Dark Agers pale before the silver and golden agers in popularity. But even the Dark Age boom formed in response to a void, that is a void for grimdark comics that people saw as cool and edgy back in that time. But now? I don't see a niche in comics that needs a lot of filling. Comicdom is definitely in it's adulthood, everything has already been laid out, the developmental process of the genre where writers and artists tried to figure out what does and doesn't work in what was then a new genre is long over. Rather, the current trend is to develop on the body of what has been created rather than attempting to grow a new organ to continue the developmental analogy. Comics are more or less complete in body so to speak, but there is still room for refinement of mental skills to once again use this analogy.