There is something to be said for the ending of a story. Personally, I find it to be the most important aspect. It’s the last thing you remember, and therefore paints your entire perception of a story in either a positive or negative light. Why then, do so many comics insist on going on forever?



This affliction, which I have coined “daytime soap opera syndrome” affects even the best of us. With a never ending story, the writers are forced to come up with increasingly improbable plot lines in order to keep readers interested. It’s sometimes also known as “Lost-itis.”



The most recent example that comes to mind involves everyone’s favorite web-slinger. When fans of the series complained about the new, married Spider-Man, the writers were forced to do something about it. Their idea? In the “One More Day” mini-series, after Aunt May is shot, Peter Parker makes a deal with the demon Mephisto to save her life. And what did the Satan-like being want? For the marriage between Peter and Mary Jane to have never existed.



Yeah, because that makes sense.



Think of some of the greatest comic stories ever told. Watchmen. Preacher. V For Vendetta. Thay all have one thing in common: they have an ending. As complete stories they have the ability to affect us in a way that never-ending dramas don’t.



And it doesn’t apply only to comic books. The 5 hour long videogame Portal has one of the most engrossing narratives that I can recall. Firefly (coupled with Serenity), is one of the best television shows ever, and it didn’t even stay on the air for an entire season. Compare that to something like the aforementioned Lost, which started out great, but now features invisible people, time travel and smoke monsters in order to keep viewers watching.



Now I know why they do it. Characters like Spider-Man, the X-Men, or Batman are timeless, and have been around for generations. But because of this, the characters end up growing stale over time. The only way this is avoided is through either a) a mini-series’, such as Frank Miller’s reimagining of Batman’s origins, or b) introducing major new story elements such as Onslaught or Captain America’s assasination in order to keep things fresh.



So the point of the story is, well, I’m not too sure. I don’t want to see venerable characters like Wolverine of Superman disappear, but I’m also sick of reading nonsense like “One More Day.” I guess, in the end, stories like Miller’s “The Dark Knight” are the answer. Short and controlled stories, with definite endings, and long-time favorite characters who get to stick around as long as we want them.

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Andrew Webster is a freelance writer based in Toronto who covers comics, movies, videogames, and anything else that will rot out your brain. Check out his personal site to read more of his incoherent ramblings.

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