Why I Read Event Comics
(AXIS, Spider-Verse and Death of Wolverine)
Earlier this week, I came across the following comment on the internet: “If you buy event comics like AXIS, Death of Wolverine and Spider-Verse, then you’re part of the problem.”
When I first read that, I chuckled to myself because I’ve been buying all three of those events. I don’t buy comics to impress anyoneb -- and I certainly don’t avoid comics because someone thinks I should be ashamed of them. I say that about comics in general (you’d be surprised how many people still consider comics to be inappropriate reading material) and I say that about specific comic books. I don’t see why it should bother anyone else that I read Death of Wolverine. It didn’t bother me, and that’s really the only opinion that counts.
As I said, I chuckled to myself and moved on. I had pretty much forgotten about that comment until I read the first three issues of Spider-Verse. I was sitting there, reading comics, enjoying myself and I suddenly remembered that someone suggested that was supposed to be a problem. I chuckled again- but I also thought that it might be an interesting topic for conversation. Why do I read event comics?
Truthfully, it’s not about the event. It’s about the story. I read comics because I like good stories and I’m going to seek out good stories whether or not they’re labeled events. I don’t read every event. I read the events that interest me. Sometimes there’s a good creative team. Sometimes there’s an intriguing hook. And sometimes I’m disappointed because the actual story didn’t live up to its promises or to my expectations. Hey, there’s a calculated risk any time you fork over money for entertainment -- whether that’s for a comic book, a movie or an album.
So why read these events? Well, it’s a different answer for each one.
I was initially reluctant to get involved with Death of Wolverine. I hadn’t been impressed with Paul Cornell’s run on the regular title and dropped it pretty quickly. It didn’t make sense to get back on board for something that could be described as a stunt. Even then, I wasn’t necessarily opposed to the stunt. It’s the journey, not the destination. As the saying goes, getting there is half the fun. We all knew that Steve Rogers and Peter Parker would eventually resume their roles as Captain America and Spider-Man but it was a blast watching Bucky Barnes and Otto Octavius take on those mantles in the meantime. So, no, I never expected Wolverine to stay dead. My reluctance was more about the storytellers than the story.
However, I changed my mind when I started seeing previews. For one thing, Charles Soule was taking the reins as writer so my biggest objection was removed. More importantly, Steve McNiven’s art was absolutely stunning. I’ve been a McNiven fan since he first started out with CrossGen and he’s only gotten better over the years. The first cover was amazing and the interior art was striking. It was rugged and beautiful at the same time, and I knew I had to get it.
It also helps that Wolverine is one of my favorite characters. Even when I was hesitating, I kind of knew I would give Death of Wolverine a try. It’s a big story for the character and I wouldn’t want to write it off without sampling it myself. I’m glad I took the chance. It was honestly a great story. Soule touched on Wolverine’s history by revisiting significant locations from his life -- traveling to Canada, Madripoor and Japan before ending up in a resurrected Weapon X facility. Soule also touched on past relationships, bringing in classic villains like Viper and old friends like Kitty Pryde. And, of course, the Steve McNiven art was excellent. Every page was a treat. The ending was suitably tragic as Wolverine fought on while a coating of adamantium slowly froze around him, preventing him from breathing.
I bought Death of Wolverine because of a great artist and my love for the character and I wasn’t disappointed.
Spider-Verse was a much easier decision. I’ve been on the Spidey bandwagon since Dan Slott took over as head writer (has it been seven years already?). I’ve followed him through other so-called stunts -- like Spider-Island and the aforementioned death of Peter Parker -- and always enjoyed the ride. Plus, Spider-Verse had a great hook: every Spider-Man ever appearing in the same story together. That sounds awesome! I’ve been looking forward to Spider-Verse ever since it was announced.
However, I wasn’t sure how many of the connected titles I would also read. I’m choosy about which events I read, and I’m even choosier about spin-offs and crossovers. I’ll read the main story, but I don’t need every little one-shot or mini-series. And, from the looks of things, Spider-Verse was going to have a lot of them.
It helped that Marvel published some "Spider-Verse" comics as precursors to the main event. I was able to get into the story slowly, picking up the return of Otto Octavius in Superior Spider-Man and spotlights on alternate universe Spideys in Edge of Spider-Verse. So far, I’ve been suitably impressed. The Superior Spider-Man issues were excellent and the Edge of Spider-Verse stories have been entertaining. The first two, with Spider-Man Noir and a Gwen Stacy Spider-Woman were especially good. At this point, I’m in for whole enchilada. I still don’t know if I’ll buy every single tie-in (there are a lot of them) but I’ve already picked up extra issues in the form the Spider-Verse anthology and new Spider-Woman title.
I’m buying Spider-Verse because of a great writer and a great hook. So far, so good.
AXIS was another late decision, though this time it was more about a lack of information than a lack of interest. At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to pick up yet another Avengers/X-Men event. But I was at least intrigued by the creative team. I’ve enjoyed Rick Remender’s work on Uncanny X-Force, Uncanny Avengers and Dark Horse’s Fear Agent. I also love artist Jimmy Cheung (another CrossGen alum) though I mistakenly thought he would be drawing interiors as well as covers.
Then I discovered that AXIS was flowing straight out of events in Uncanny Avengers and would essentially replace that title on the calendar for three months. That clinched it. I was reading and enjoying Uncanny Avengers. Why wouldn’t I follow the Avengers Unity Team into a directly connected miniseries? It would almost be silly not to. The last couple issues of Uncanny Avengers did a great job of setting up the event as well. The Red Skull had captured several members of the team. During their escape, the Red Skull tapped into the power of the still-deceased Xavier and became the new Onslaught. Red Skull as Onslaught against the combined powers of the X-Men and Avengers? That’s definitely a story I want to read.
Event comics are the comic book equivalent of blockbuster movies. That can be a good or bad. Like summer blockbusters, event comics can sometimes rely on flash over substance, hoping that the big explosions will distract us from a weak premise or a shaky plot. But the best blockbusters combine a cool story with cool explosions. We shouldn’t be too eager to dismiss that cool quotient. That’s a big reason why we read stories or go to movies after all. We want to be wowed. And event comics promise us that wow factor. I don’t want to be insulted with a stupid story, but I have no problem with a good story that also overwhelms me with big battles, hot fights and cool explosions. It’s too early to say where AXIS will fall. But it definitely had that wow factor and a premise strong enough to justify it. I enjoyed the first act and eagerly purchased the second.
I’m buying AXIS because it springs out of a title I’m enjoying and features a great creative team. That’s reason enough to read a cool comic, even if someone else thinks that’s a problem.
Replies
I was going to comment but ... I think all I can add is...
"Well said."
I'll second that. Well said, indeed.
There will always be people who look down on the choices of others, unfortunately. Some people feel the only worthwhile movies for watching are art-house and foreign films. Some deride all network tv shows. And with comics, it runs the gamut. Some dismiss events, others certain characters and creators - usually what and who are currently popular, and some bash either or both of the Big Two. On the internet, you see a lot of people devoting a lot of time and words to comics they are clearly not reading, which is just bizarre to me. Live and let live, I say. That's what makes horse races, your mileage may vary, etc etc.
Add to that "don't rain on someone else's parade." If you don't like something, fine -- have your say, it's a free country. But then leave it alone. Let those who enjoy what they enjoy have fun, and go talk positive elsewhere about stuff you DO like.
I don't mind anyone reading anything, but I've decided to stay away from events period. DC or Marvel, doesn't matter. Money is extremely tight right now and things are getting worse and these events are designed to eat their way through a budget.