Scoops

I have to agree with Ron on things that have made me angry in comics, but also expand on it in a way you guys touched on. Gwen Stacy is one of the most egregious examples of what I hate in comics: retconning. It seems to happen for one of two reasons, both of which have to do with bad writing. Either the retconning is done just for shock, like Gwen, or it is needed to undo bad writing (like... Gwen...). Retconning almost always makes me feel hollow, like the writer says "Oh, you know that big thing you thought you new about Man X? It's not true." The narrative device of the character reacting to being lied to can be interesting, but when I feel like I (appropriate bold!) have been lied to, it overwhelms the story and the characters. I don't relate to Spider-man feeling betrayed anymore. I just feel let down.

Gwen Stacy and the Green Goblin is the Platonic ideal of the bad retcon, perfection achieved. Constantly dicking around with Jean Grey annoys me too, and that all goes back to a retcon as well. Dying, in general, is one of the big retcon things. I realize that comics are fantasy, but when you've taken the sting out of the worst outcome, death, then where is the suspense? Oh? They killed Batman? He'll be back. Captain America? He'll be back. Superman? Jason Todd? Bucky? "Wouldn't it be cool if..." or "I really want to..." are cop out reasons. The character is dead. Deal with that.

Damn, I miss Valiant Comics.  Rai die, and it mattered. Torque died, and it mattered.

(and, breathe!)