Do Superhero Comics Need Cross-Over Events?

Comic sales figures across the board have been way down compared to just a year or two ago, despite the fact that there are some GREAT books out there. Personally, I think it might have to do with there not being a big singular event going on in the Marvel or DC Universes at the moment. Now I know there are things like Brightest Day and Heroic Age going on, but those aren't true Universe-wide crossover event books like Civil War, Infinite Crisis, Secret Invasion, Blackest Night, etc. (Brightest Day is close since it has an actual core book, but still doesn't seem like the same scale as those others.)

I've always loved these big event stories even when it was "cool" to hate them. I just think there is a need for the big "blockbuster" stories, along with the more self-contained ones. They give us something to focus on for the whole Universe, not to mention something "Earth-shattering" to look forward to every month. I remember how excited I was just for the build up of events like Civil War, Siege, and Blackest Night. Whether these stories deliver or not is another thing, but there's no doubt that they create excitement and passion for comics.

What do you guys think? Bring big universe-wide events back or go with the current approach of smaller more focused "mini-events"?

Every once in a while, not every year. Otherwise it destroys the true value of the epicness that's being sold to us.

I don't mind then. The Marvel Universe is a shared universe. Same with the DC Universe. Superman and Batman share a universe just like Spider-Man and Captain America. It's inevitable that they are going to team up or something is going to happen that is big enough for the heroes of that universe to come together. My problem is that it's become the "go-to" thing. Space them out. Don't have so many so that when you do a crossover event, it's something people are going to know is big.

Bigtymin504 wrote:Comic sales figures across the board have been way down compared to just a year or two ago, despite the fact that there are some GREAT books out there. Personally, I think it might have to do with there not being a big singular event going on in the Marvel or DC Universes at the moment.

It's not really answering your original question but I wouldn't be surprised if the thing affecting sales figures is the increase in price for a large amount of titles. Without doing a single bit of research I'm throwing out there that it has to have had some impact. Of course with an increase in price it allows the companies to deal with a reduction in sales numbers and probably still come out on top.

In answer to your question - I don't mind the events if they are done well. If they're not done well they can be unbearable. Now I have to say of the crossovers that have occurred over the last few years the thing that has annoyed me the most has been connected mini series that have been pointless and not very good but just created to cash in on the event. So much so that I decided last year to never buy those types of mini series again when connected to a crossover unless by a writer I really respect.

I just want to read good stories. I shouldn't have to buy 4 extra books to understand what's going on in the one book I really want. Part of the reason I really enjoyed Blackest Night was that for a couple of years prior to the event the stories in GL and GLC were leading to the event. I hate when an event is just thrown at you with no real lead in.

We Want Big Events Back

http://comics.ign.com/articles/112/1121707p1.html

Personally i'm ready for a BIG DC event. Blackest Night was a Green Lantern event even if Brightest Day has spread it around in the DC universe more. So the last big DC event was Final Crisis and I don't know what the heck that was about.

I am happy with the mini events going on though in specific books though. Return of Bruce Wayne is good, Blackest Night was really good, Flash Point will hopefully be good.

I would say sometimes you have to endure lower sales to reinforce your dedicated fan base and background for the characters before "blowing it up" in a way with an event. If anything, I would say that event fatigue has lead to the current predicament because instead of a more consistent lull between so-called "big" stories, you're going to suffer a massive drop as the fan base attempts to recoup, be it in money or energy. As they say, everything in moderation.

I, for one am a big fan of crossover events but I don't really like them when the companies use them as a crutch and what I mean by that is have one event after another after another. I want these events and crossovers to matter and I want them to mean something when they are done and have some kind of impact within the universe.

I agree with Rath99, if there is lead up to the event, in multiple titles, that makes the event seem natural. The last event that I really got into, besides Blackest Night, was Civil War. Civil War and Blackest Night had good character moments, a definite story, and changed their respective universe.

I would love to see a crossover event contained in a single title, like Top Cow/Image is doing with Artifacts. Just my two-cents though.