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Topic: Caring About Superboy’s Exploits Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Andrew Bitner
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Posted: 01 February 2018 at 2:01pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Much like a TV series, where (at least most of) the cast will survive whatever danger threatens, comic books mostly offer the excitement of wondering "how will they escape this time?"

Once in a while, they don't.

You know Superboy will survive but if it's a good story, it will still engage and entertain. Does it really matter if you *know* Superboy will survive somehow?

Feels like this is overthinking our entertainment.
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Robbie Parry
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Posted: 01 February 2018 at 2:11pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

 Peter Martin wrote:
Whether you are reading it as a back issue or if you were reading it in 1966 straight from the newsstand, the likelihood is that if you thought for moment, you'd likely guess that the FF will win, but you're even more likely to be too engrossed in the story to do so.

It gets back to living in the moment. I wasn't around in '66, but read the story via a reprint. It was no less gripping. Galactus seemed a real threat.

 Andrew Bitner wrote:
Feels like this is overthinking our entertainment.

Very true. If I'm seeing Superboy getting his clock cleaned by a robot in a barn, I am enjoying that moment, not thinking about how he'll grow up to be Superman.

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Andrew Bitner
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Posted: 01 February 2018 at 3:17pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

Absolutely, Robbie.
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Andrew Bitner
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Posted: 01 February 2018 at 3:18pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

For another data point, consider the play and/or movie 1776-

You know how the story turns out. What you don't know is how close it came to never happening at all and it's dramatic as anything. It's positively gripping. And it's all real.

That we know the story--same as TITANIC, MIDWAY, and so on--doesn't mean that they are not effective and engaging dramas.
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Robbie Parry
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Posted: 01 February 2018 at 3:41pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

Definitely. If I was chatting to Mr Larsen, I'd be putting points like that across.


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