Some Arguments For A Complete Reboot Of Marvel Comics

The extra downtime that comes with a holiday weekend is a great time to ponder things you wouldn’t normally have time to think about. Things like, say, a complete reboot of the Marvel Comics line.

Why even consider something like this? It was about a week ago when one of Rich Johnston’s reports on Bleeding Cool on Diamond’s Retailer Summit in Las Vegas first put the idea in my head (and the heads of many others, no doubt). At the center of the speculation was Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 “Time Runs Out” event — at at this point, we’re not even sure that’s a title or a description — and the idea that a reboot universe “was the popular rumour amongst the retailers.” The site revisited the idea a few days later reporting on Tom Brevoort’s joking response when asked about the possibility on Tumblr.

I would consider an honest to goodness, starting over from scratch and throwing continuity out the window reboot to be highly unlikely. Though I think true leaders in any industry appreciate the idea that it’s good to shake things up from time to time to stay on top, I tend to side with those who think that as the number one comics publisher, Marvel would be taking a huge long-term risk for a short-term game by pressing the reset button.

There’s also the fact that Marvel has never done it, preferring the “sliding scale” approach to keeping its characters relatable to modern audiences as time passes — like when Warren Ellis retold Iron Man’s origin, moving the conflict which necessitated the construction of his first armor from Vietnam to Afghanistan. In fact neither of the Big Two has really gone all-in on a line-wide reboot, though DC has come close twice: once after 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths and just a few years ago with the New 52 concept.

But a relaunch and a reboot are two different animals. If Marvel really wanted to say, “We’re keeping the characters and concepts everyone knows and loves, but we’re acting like none of the stories of the past 75 years actually happened,” it would send a shockwave through not just comics, but pop culture as a whole. Some fans would be dismayed, others would be excited, but one thing you could guarantee is that everyone who has any interest in comics or super heroes would want to see how it would go down.

That’s why it’s fun to think about even if the chances of it actually happening are slim.  And the arguments against it are easy, so it’s even more entertaining to brainstorm reasons for why it might make sense, and specifically why next spring would be the perfect time.

With that in mind — and without addressing whether I’d actually want it to happen, which is an entirely separate issue — here are five reasons that a complete Marvel reboot in early 2015 might not be that crazy: