Stardate 20010808.1704 (On Screen): Sometimes I think that Marvel Comics hasn't had an original idea since Stan Lee retired. DC decided to kill off Superman, so Marvel decided that Reed Richards would die. (They both got better.) Now, it seems, the bodies are piling up high at both publishers. I suppose one reason why is that they just are getting too cluttered; new heroes are being created constantly and the comic book universes are getting crowded. It seems as if you can't throw a rock in Gotham City any longer without hitting someone in a colored costume. Still, it also suggests serious desperation on the part of the publishers, because the market has collapsed. Time was when a big issue of a popular title might sell 5 million copies. Now they think 200,000 is good. But who wants to read about the derring do of fancy heroes when you can be one yourself with a computer or game console? Especially when that game can be had for the price of 12 comic books?
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