CBR: Shelf Life - Jan 27, 2011

[CBR News]

Today, Ron Marz delves into the concept of death in comics in light of the recently released "Fantastic Four" #587 and eulogizes his friend and creative partner on "Pantheon City," the late Clement Suavé.


Full article here.

[Steve Broome]

Great stuff. As said, it's a cheat to the readers, that the ultimate factor (other than perhaps love) in fiction is meaningless in your world. It just invalidates so many things. And the art on Pantheon City is incredible, the clear but detailed art reminds me of Early Chris Bachalo or another great artist who died too early, Seth Fisher.

[King Nonentity]

I had this same conversation last night at my lcs. We all said the same thing, "Now stay dead". We all agreed the character will come back bigger, and more advertised than ever. It is amazing how visible this Fantastic Four event was to the mainstream media.

Jenny's death in Artifacts is probably the biggest shocker I've experienced. If she came back somehow, all of it would mean nothing. Great article.

[truebelieverreviews]

Wonderful article. The casualness of death and resurrection in comics today is a big part of that "illusion of change" where every Marvel/DC comic slowly creeps back to the status the characters have in the movie franchises. In theory this will boost sales based off the movie properties, but in actuality, it's driving comic readers away, because we feel talked down to by these companies. That's exactly why I've been buying more Top Cow / Image / Indie books over the past year and slowly dropping my Big 2 books.

[fajrdrako]

Good article, yes.

I want to defend the indefensible: the value of resurrection in comics. At the most superficial level, it's melodramatic adventure fiction in which heroes face mortal danger all the time: the possibility of death is part of the excitement. If a hero never dies or risks death, the adventure is devalued. But I don't want to lose my heroes, my favourite characters - favourite villains, even - I want to see them again. I don't want their story to end. The possibility of cancellation of a title is bad enough, but death? I want the drama of death as part of the action; and I want continuation at the same time.

It's the paradox of character-based serial fiction. The characters, being larger than life, are inescapably larger than death.

On a deeper level, death and resurrection have been important parts of myth since the beginning of fable and literature, for gods and heroes alike.

So while rationally I dislike the predictability that turns this concept into a cliche, I find I'm enjoying the creativity writers are giving to the new twists with the recent return from death of various heroes like Batman and Captain America.

As for the Fantastic Four - I haven't bought an issue of the title in several years, but I bought #587, out of curiosity. And surprised myself by enjoying it.

[Skib]

I recently had a death in my family, so this article really hit home. Great stuff, Ron.

[Ron Marz]

Today is actually Clement Sauve's funeral service, so it'd be nice if you spared a thought for him and his family today.