Bio: Jay Katz, a comic book collector since 1983 and is the owner/creator of InvestComics LLC since 2005. InvestComics LLC was originally a magazine in 2005 before the website launched in 2005.
What once was a shocking event is just a another shrug of the shoulders these days.
Back in the winter of 1982, writer/illustrator Jim Starlin put together a masterpiece of a story in a form of a Marvel Graphic Novel. Not only was the concept of the format different regarding a ‘comic book’ here, the story was groundbreaking. The prestige format along with the oversize pages was a clear indication Marvel was about to change things and that this ‘Graphic Novel’ thing was big figuratively and literally. The name of this game changer was Marvel Graphic Novel: The Death Of Captain Marvel.
Jim Starlin delivered an instant classic. He wrote and drew an epic tale relating to one of Marvel’s own learning and dealing with the fact he was dying of…..cancer? Captain Marvel was first introduced back in 1967’s Marvel Super-Heroes #12. A super-hero dying of cancer was not something most comic collectors ever thought of. It was a riveting, yet a 
big smack in the mouth that super-heroes are not immortal. Marvel/Jim Starlin made our heroes more ‘human’. It made them tangible. The graphic novel really changed things in the comic book industry unlike anything we have ever seen before. It wasn’t until about 4 years later Miller’s Dark Knight Returns and the Watchmen hit. Thus upping the ante. Some comics were just not meant for the kiddie’s anymore.
So what exactly did happen after Captain Marvel’s death? So much has happened between then and now that it would be an eight hour movie to cover it all. That said, we can fast forward to the next significant death within the comic industry….
In 1985 DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12 issue series that killed just about everyone and no one cared as much as they did until the winter of 1988. Winter 1988, the start of Batman: A Death in The Family. It took DC Comics 6 years to answer that proverbial bell after Mar-vell’s death with their big ‘death’ book and boy was it big. Jim Starlin once again involved as a creator/writer. DC involved the fans in on the “fun” to let Jason Todd either live or die from a bomb Joker has set off. Fans got to vote. Cast your ballot! Thumbs down or Thumbs up?! Sounds so morbid, but it a maniacal, sinister way, the fans felt they were involved (which they were) and they felt powerful. Rightly so. The fans finally had the power and they would let it be known……..Jason Todd shall DIE! 
The Death of Superman came 4 years later and that too was huge. Were there deaths of 
heroes/villans in-between Captain Marvel, Robin and Superman? Of course there were, but nothing hit the media circuit harder than Superman biting the dust. It was a frenzy.
Things changed this time in 1992. While the world mourned Superman’s death, the hard-core comic book/Superman fan knew it was a temporary. The Kryptonian was not staying away very long. But we all had to endure so much before he finally did come back. That mullet…..that mullet.
Why did things change so much? Well the death of Superman, while dramatic and all, set the tone for the beginning of the end for ‘the death of a hero/villain’. Never again will a character simply ‘stay dead’.
There were so many character deaths after Superman, it became very predictable. Crisis on Infinite Earths killed Supergirl, Flash and the list goes on.
By the time Captain America #25 rolled around in 2007, it was time for Marvel to make a big impact and ‘kill’ the greatest American superhero of all time. Once again, great storytelling, the media caught fire, and the comic fan knew this was a temp job.
We all like great storytelling, who doesn’t right? Does a story including a significant loss of life owe it to anyone to bring them back? Some may say no, some may say yes. Either way of thinking is obviously fine, they’re your thoughts!
The demise of a comic book character has become insignificant. A cliché to sell a comic book. Archie #22 did this a last week. The cover told a somber story (flatling) as the solicit stated that Riverdale was about to lose one of their own. Nope, that didn’t happen, but the fanfare was to drive the bus right to the local comic shop to buy this comic. The overhype has become the underwhelming. Comic companies need to realize comic fans are tired of the drumming up ‘the death of..’ comic. We’re not all in anymore and if we are, it better be a well told story. Comic buyers are yearning for a great story. It doesn’t mean a comic company has to entice us with the death carrot in front of our faces. We love good storytelling, that’s all we ask for. Give us that and we’re happy.
Something changed along the way over the years, stories do not always end the way you want them to and that’s okay. It keeps things on a real level. Keeps us on edge. Turning those pages with bated breath. Wow us instead of going for the shock value. This way when a ‘death of a character’ story does come along, we won’t act so jaded instead of peeking out interest like Jim Starlin and DC comics did all those years ago with Jason Todd and Captain Marvel. Recapture that feeling, evoke that emotion in us to get teary eyed. To have a voter’s chance in saving one of our favorite characters. That was fun, different and enticing. Let’s dial back a bit, let’s recapture the good ol’ days.
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Jay Katz
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nicely done~~~