To Paraphrase Darkwing Duck, Let's Get Serious

So, I'm a bit late on the mark with this bit of interesting comics op-ed journalism, but, frankly, it's worth sharing anyway. Chris Sims is a thought-provoking fellow, once he sidles sideways of the whole Batman/car battery quagmire (I steadfastly maintain that Batman's best moment was not chucking a car battery, but instead when he rescued a ghost-girl from Thomas Jefferson's underground satanic temple with the help of a bat-demon), and his piece, "The Racial Politics of Regressive Storytelling" is well worth reading.

Especially in light of this bit of recent news.

My own thoughts on the matter are relatively simple: some characters have to be who they are for the brand to work. Others, not so much. Characters like the Flash, or the Atom or Green Lantern? They're gimmicks with attached characterization. As long as the gimmick and the costume is the same, it doesn't matter who they are under the mask. Batman? Batman has to be Bruce Wayne, because only Bruce Wayne could be Batman. His origin is inextricably tied into his gimmick. Same for Superman or Spider-Man. Even then, a change can work, given the correct circumstances (Dick Grayson as Batman, for instance, or say Spider-Girl) and a shift that comes with a smooth evolution in the ongoing story.

Personally, I've always wondered why super-hero comics aren't more open to change, especially considering the market base the Big Two are currently playing to. An older market implies the need for more complex stories (which doesn't necessarily equate with [insert random character death]). Granted, familiarity and nostalgia are amongst the most powerful forces of assembled geekdom, and not to be trifled with, but frankly, if comics are to grow, they need to attract more readers. Best way to do that? Appeal to a wider sample of people. Simple.