Retcons are often encountered in serial formats such as comic books or. Then, in a prequel album, we see her alive under the traits of a snake. In fact, they had to go through many chops and changes before they became the characters weve loved, feared and revered through the decades. What are the best and worst retcons in comic history.
So, for instance, it is not a retcon that cyborg was a founding member of the justice league. Obviously, retcons happen all the time in comics, and theres generally some logic behind it. Here, then, are 15 of the very best comic book retcons. Enjoy this awesomeness and disregard the order in which these artists are listed. The term retroactive continuity was made known by allstar squadron. The colorful history of comic books and newspaper cartoon. Of course, marvel does also but im a dc guy so i cant comment on them. S, the first comic with a regular cast of characters, the little bears created by jimmy swinnerton, appeared in 1892 in the san francisco examiner. So, here are the most unnecessary retcons in comics history. Take a look at some of the top comic book conventions to put on your list of mustdo cons. Comic book retcons that were ignored archive straight. Subscribe to americas largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions. Kinglsey has become a popular villain in recent years, as the hobgoblin has taken to franchising both his identity and other villain identities to up. The early years provides one of the best retcons ever so far.
Balloons are frequently rounded, but can take many shapes including rectangular. We cover gaming words like nerf, buff, and what it means to be op. Our word up series takes a word and breaks it down, so you know how to use it. Sal and joel discuss some of the best continuity changes in comics. The term retroactive continuity or retcon for short is used in comic books to define. The 25 most iconic comic book covers of all time 26 images for more on your favorite comic book heroes, check out our roundup of. If you read that one issue and made a more traditional comic book character based on what you learned of the character, youll get a pretty good idea of what death was like in the ca book. To celebrate the last 25 years in comics, were looking back at the greatest comic book artists from the last quarter century. In the world of comic books, what does retcon mean.
They typically have smooth edges, but can also have jagged or irregular edges. For the purposes of this list, it does not include animal companions like krypto or sandmans owls, or supervillain henchmen like the jokers harley quinn. Id say the retcon that magneto is not the father of quicksilver and scarlet witch. Tracing the evolution of comic books by looking at the. The first known printed use of retroactive continuity referring to the altering of history in a fictional. Note that were differentiating from reboots, which is when a whole line of comics starts over and all sorts of things change. The term retroactive continuity or retcon for short is used in comic books to define a rewrite of a current origin or introduction of new information as if it had always been that way. Top 10 retcons in comics daily superheroes your daily. The 25 greatest comic book artists from the last 25 years. In another comicbook retcon, batman is now known as a superhero who. The xmen are famous for being some of marvel comics most compelling superheroes and also among their most complicated. He is especially popular among fans of cartoon networks teen titans tv series, which enjoyed success beyond many modern cartoons people familiar with beast boy will occasionally reference him with respect to other fictional characters with. Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established facts in a.
And other comic book legends revealed and why does batman carry shark repellent. Comic cons like eccc are big events, but are not the same level of fanfare as sdcc and nycc. In comics, you have celebrated characters who are selfaware and breaking the fourth wall. Usually, events flow forward in a neverending battle.
Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established facts in a fictional work are adjusted, ignored, or contradicted by a subsequently published work which breaks continuity with the former. But in a tv show or a comic book, it becomes the point of contention that causes waves. Either theyre brilliant, and manage to reinvent an old character in a bold new way while getting rid of a bizarre storyarc, or theyre. Heres a look at the top 10 retcons that actually helped make characters. No surrender crossover, which unites the main avengers, the usavengers, the uncanny. Top 10 retcons in comics daily superheroes your daily dose of. One of the earliest known examples of the application of retroactive continuity is when sir arthur conan doyle killed off sherlock holmes with every intention of having him stay dead, and then changed it to a fakeout in order to bring the popular character back for more adventures. Comic book collectors are often lifelong enthusiasts of the comic book stories, and they usually focus on particular heroes and attempt to assemble the entire run of a title. Continuity is a major part of the comicbook experience. Top 10 retcons that improved characters comics bulletin. What are some of the dumbestworst retcons in comics. One of the earliest known examples of the application of retroactive continuity is when sir. Theyre not just for comic book fans, but lovers of popculture everywhere. Top 10 dumbest retcons in comic book history viral videos.
Are comic books released strictly monthly or weekly. The term was popularized by comics fandombut thats not where it originated. These classic ads in the back of comic books tricked kids from the 50s through the 80s. Probably the most known comic retcon is in dead pool 2 when he goes back in time to wolverine origin and kills himself this i think, but would. The 10 greatest comic book artists of all time creative bloq. Amazingly, however, not every retcon is a terrible, terrible thing that completely ruins a character or marriage forever. Retcons are common in pulp fiction, and especially in comic books published by. But after that great neal adams run that everyone forgets about, we got. In the very first issue of this funny animal gritty comic, the dungeon keeper has a look at a picture of his lost love who looks human. Retcons come part and parcel with comic books sometimes, a characters origin will require reworking, a story arc will need to reset some boundaries, heck, every couple of decades the entire. This is a list of comic book sidekicksdefined as a character who spends a significant amount of time as a superheros junior partner, or was officially acknowledged as the heros sidekick for some period of time. It was printed in color and appeared alongside the weather forecast.
In the comics internal timeline, she was now in her midtwenties, making a dalliance with sam wilson her business and nobody elses. So what do you guys feel are the dumbest retcons in comics. Originally, she was a computer simulation of a young wonder woman. Ever since comic books first came to be, some writers and artists have sought to use the medium as a vehicle to get across messages draped in social commentary. We did our best to bring you only the best comic book artists you should know. Archive comic book retcons that were ignored cafe society. No real reason was given, because no one cared about stuff like that in the old days, until a famous jla issue where it was revealed there were two black canarys, one being her daughter. A comic book is a periodical that contains a series of panels in the form of a narrative. They rewrite history as often as most people change shoes. Gil kane april 6, 1926 january 31, 2000, born eli katz, was a comic book artist whose career. They still nurture and value the comic book origins for their conventions. Then came the series finale, and one of the most famous and, depending on ones perspective, fascinating or infuriating retcons in the history of tv.
The top most unnecessary retcons in comics history. So here are ten littleknown facts about your favorite comic book characters. The whole dc universe changed, not just cyborgs status as a founding member of the league. The 100 most influential pages in comic book history. Love em or hate em and i know most people side with the latter, retroactive continuity changes are a permanent part of comic book culture. Retcons are as much a part of superhero storytelling as the capes and secret identities. Scarlet witch and quicksilver are not mutants, they are not magnetos kids. The comiccon has become a big business and they are popping up in many major cities the world over. In its 48th annual edition, the overstreet comic price guide is the market leader, with good reason. Five comic book retcons that stuck oh how dc comics loves their retcons.
Comics have a history of making retcons to their history and many of themdont work. Text containers balloons aka speech balloons, bubbles the objects that are used to contain the dialogue that the characters in the comic speak. Before anyone cries outrage at why george perez and walt simonson are not on this list, despite continuing to produce amazing work, please remember that were just talking about seminal works from the last 25 years. Way back when, the xmen was a phenomenally unpopular comic book, it was almost canceled. But after that great neal adams run that everyone forgets about, we got the uncanny xmen. Retcons are often encountered in serial formats such as comic books or television series, where they serve as a means of allowing the works creators to create a parallel universe, reintroduce a character, or explore plot lines that would otherwise be in conflict with the work. Voyager is current front and center in marvels avengers. Beast boy is widely used among fans younger and older of dc comics, due to his longrunning inclusion in the dc comics universe.
A famous example of this is when in the oneshot story, the killing joke, became part of the mainline. Retcon or retroactive continuity is a term that is used when writers. The first issue of a longrunning comic book series is commonly the rarest and most desirable to collectors. Top 10 dumbest retcons in comic book history subscribe. Like, it just invalidates so much of their character history. So im not so much bothered by retcons, as i am bothered by retcons done. The series was set on dcs earthtwo, an alternate universe in which golden age comic characters age in real time. Straight dope message board main cafe society comic book retcons that. In this vaguelydefined pocket dimension, luthor began. Remender revealed this with a reference to jets 23rd birthday. Im experimenting with the retcon as story structure because, love it or hate it, it is a permanent part of comic book storytelling.
Then came the series finale, and one of the most famous and, depending on ones. His most famous work, however, is the spirit which was first published in 1940 and. The problem is, the majority of retcons in comic books are far from smart. But you cant go wrong with this selection of the best mutant. Then she was forced by nazis to live through multiple tragic lives. Then he left the book, and another writer revealed that ned leeds, who. But so many of our favorite comic book characters very nearly werent what they are today. Originally they were magnetos kids, but when they met the avengers they joined.
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