Perhaps my biggest gripe with the big two pumping out tie-ins, like Hollywood’s been vomiting “theme” movies, lies in the launch of multiple mini-series starring characters already spotlighted in one or more of their own monthly books (Marvel and Secret Invasion, I’m looking at you). As I peruse the new releases every week, I’m taken aback when I see Secret Invasion: Spider-Man sitting all cozy next to the latest issue of Amazing Spider-Man. Now, I do not presume that the quality of said tie-in to be poor, or boring, or any other tie-in for that matter to be bad just because it’s a tie-in. It may very well be an entertaining run-off of the bigger storyline, but I can’t help but hold a leery first thought on the weight and importance of the story. Specifically, I ask myself “If this story was so important, why does in not take place in ‘starring character/s’ on-going series?”
What I do presume is that these stories, regardless of quality, will have none, if not very little, presence in the grand scheme of “starring character/s” existence. That if this story was not important enough to appear, interrupt, crash through, appear as a back-up, whatever, in the title hero’s monthly series, then why should I care? History has already shown, more often than not, these “additional must reads” to have no hold, no mention in continuity, and appear to me to do nothing more than piggyback on a guaranteed cash cow.
If the company couldn’t care to make it a priority to showcase this story in its rightful place, then why should I care to read it?
Or worse, it may be possible these stories needn’t be told, but someone figured out the right formula for making more money, and have been exploiting it ever since.
Take “event” plus “popular character” and you’ve got a hit.
Secret Invasion Thor = $$$$$$$$
Now I understand what with how “done-in-one” stories exist as a rarity in today’s comic book storytelling and the choice to interrupt a creative team’s arc already in progress when the “big event” hits borders on taboo, but these are companies that plan months, years in advance – shouldn’t there be the foresight to say “Let’s reserve these months, X-Y-Z, and show what happens to the Fantastic Four when the Skrulls kick off their full, green hammer-fisted invasion?” Instead, the fan’s wallet suffers or is forced to drop a book in order to pick up another to get the whole story.
The whole story…
This brings me to my next point…
Does anyone else get the idea that when all these tie-ins start popping up, they serve a “let’s cover our asses” role in the greater scheme of the story? As if suddenly the writer got to a point where they said “oops, I’m gonna need about 200 extra pages *cough* Infinite Crisis Specials *cough* Superman Sacrifice *cough* to get this to a point where it all makes sense.” Thus, a promised (and all those editors and creators always promise for it to be a) story that will stand alone, becomes an intricate web of tie-ins and specials, that makes my brain swell just trying to figure out the order in which they are to be read – and some confusingly appear to need to be read at the same time…?
Whatever the reason and beyond my personal gripes, the methodology of the “event tie-in” needs a closer look.
Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be looking at tie-ins to the major events of late, weighing the pros and cons, exploring the history of the practice, and searching for, if the thing should exist, the means to stay afloat in the tidal wave of event books flooding comic shops. So stick around, and maybe, just maybe, we can get through this together.
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