The Constant Campaign

Politics has a saying: "It's not the crime, it's the cover-up." In recent years, commentators have observed that various incumbent politicians are still in "campaign mode" -- distinguishing between a sort of cutthroat get-elected-at-all-costs behavior, versus a more dignified posture once in a position to actually govern. Perhaps the equivalent phrase as it applies to mainstream superhero comics today should be "it's not the 'crisis,' it's the follow-up."

I've complained before about the months, if not years, about the time alloted for the buildup, execution, and aftermath of Infinite Crisis. The narrative threads proceeding from "Avengers Disassembled" have also, I imagine, produced similar frustrations with longtime Marvel fans. Still, it's not hard to see why "crisis mode," DC's and Marvel's campaign-mode counterpart, is so appealing both for publishers and fans. During these turbulent times, every convention (if not every new trip to the Internet) could bring some new bit of information about how one's favorite title will be forever changed and which noteworthy creative team will be responsible. When the outcome is uncertain, the news is more critical, and the need for such news is therefore heightened.

However, with regard to their individual crisis campaigns, neither DC nor Marvel are obligated to disclose their respective Election Days. Oh sure, Infinite Crisis ends in May, but for months thereafter, DC will continue to roll out new and revamped titles, not to mention 52 providing the ultimate gap-filler storyline well into 2007. Likewise, who outside of Marvel can say how long Civil War's effects will last, or what titles will extend the storylines it begins?

Comparing the end of Infinite Crisis to Election Day is hardly precise, of course. The electorate plays a much bigger role in a campaign than the reader does in a crossover. Nevertheless, the constant campaign must at some point give way to actual governance, or risk burning out both the elected and the constituency. A Big Event that Changes Everything is sometimes appropriate, but it should set up better storytelling opportunities, not the next batch of wholesale changes.

Of course, both companies say that better stories are the point of their big events, and many times better opportunities have come out of a line-wide housecleaning. Still, those opportunities need room to grow and be nurtured outside the harsh environment of intracompany crossovers. Following a few years in the 1990s during which the Bat-titles went from one interfraternal crossover to another, group editor Denny O'Neil declared a moratorium on such crossovers for at least one year. (I think that turned out to be about 15-16 months in 1997-98, between "Legacy" and "Cataclysm.") Now that Infinite Crisis is ending, DC will have the opportunity to institute a similar company-wide moratorium.

I'm not holding my breath, though . I do remain hopeful that before too long, DC and Marvel will have grown weary of the constant campaign and finally set their minds to governing. It's not the crisis, it's the follow-up.

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