Sticking to the status quo is an understandable impulse, especially in any sort of series. If you’ve got a formula that works, why change it? Especially if you have fans who like your formula — what if they don’t want to change?
Take the Carter Brown paperbacks that were ubiquitous in my tween years (the Robert McGinnis covers didn’t hurt, obviously). While Brown (a pseudonym for Aussie author Alan Yates) had a number of heroes, the formula was consistent: protagonist investigates a crime, runs into lots of scantily clad women, beds at least a couple of them. Having one of them fall in love and sleep with one woman consistently — however hot and randy she might be — would probably not appeal to the target audience.
Many creators whose series revolves around sexual tension — will protagonists kiss/admit their feelings/get horizontal? — often worry that bringing the protagonists together, ending the tension, will also end audience interest. Having them hover on the edge of consummation without ever getting there fits Stan Lee’s old mantra about giving fans not change but the illusion of change. Or as mystery novelist Lawrence Block put it, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The trouble is, few formulas can run indefinitely on just the illusion of change. I’ve enjoyed rereading the Silver Age these past few years but much as I enjoy the old books, I’m not lamenting the Silver Age didn’t run longer. I have hundreds of books I can reread if the mood strikes me and I’m happy comics tried new formulas, ideas and approaches in the decades since. Sure, a lot of them suck, but plenty of Silver and Bronze Age material was mediocre too. Unlike the protagonist of Harlan Ellison’s Jeffty Is Five, I’m nostalgic for my past reading and viewing but I’m not mourning it.
I’ve read several comics creators arguing that the Clark/Lois/Superman triangle of the pre-Crisis era is the definitive take we need to get back to; I think that’s daft. Even in the Bronze Age they were tinkering with the formula, for example Marty Pasko having Clark and Lois start dating, then Clark and Lana dating (in response to Margot Kidder getting dropped from Superman III). If Byrne hadn’t rebooted Superman, I’m sure we’d still have seen some shake-up in the relationship and someone would still be looking back nostalgically to the Before Time.
Maintaining the status quo requires increasing strain the longer it continues. For a decade, Barry Allen hid his secret identity from his fiancee Iris. As Alan Stewart says discussing Barry Allen’s wedding day, Barry previously promised Iris he’d reveal his identity once they were married; when the day rolled around, he broke his promise (despite the later retcon he didn’t break it really because he told her in his sleep).
That’s one reason I think Gerry Conway killing off the Green Goblin was a smart move. How many more times could Peter keep wiping Norman’s mind and telling himself it’s over — he’ll never threaten me or my loved ones again! If Norman lived and kept reverting to evil, it would strain credulity more.
Several TV series running on sexual tension eventually turned me off because the creators refused to let the characters jump each other. While I wasn’t a fan of the 1990s sitcom Anything But Love, I give the creators top marks for ending the sexual tension after about a season rather than sticking to the status quo. As one of the producers said, having a relationship actually happen doesn’t mean everything gets easy or no obstacles crop up. I feel the same about people who argue Peter being married to MJ makes his life just too perfect — because what, getting married to your dream girl is utopia? Trust me, happy as I am with TYG, it’s not so.
My impression listening to comic-book chatter online is that while creators frequently justify their decisions with “comic book fans want only the illusion of change” it’s the creators who resist it as much, or more. Joe Quesada was the prime mover behind undoing Spider-Man’s marriage and resurrecting Harry Osborne (somehow Undoing That Change I Don’t Like is never considered “change” no matter how long the change has lasted). Dan Didio wanted Barry Allen back as Flash, Hal Jordan back as Green Lantern and Babs Gordon as Batgirl instead of Oracle.
One of the things that discourages me from keeping up with current comics is reading interviews with creators who make startling changes, then undo them when their time on the book is up (“I wanted to put the tools back in the tool box.”). Writing as if there’s a definitive character and any permanent change to the definitive version would be a mistake annoys the heck out of me. That logic would have eliminated Michael Fleischer’s Spectre As Avenging Angel take or the idea the helmet of Nabu wears Dr. Fate instead of vice versa — both of which, in turn, would go on to be considered “definitive.”
Keep things the same? Change things around? There are risks either way.
Art top to bottom by Bob McGinnis, Curt Swan, Steve Ditko, Ramona Fradon, Lee Garbett
