Will a new, major Superhero ever be created again ?

[SalvorHardin]

I don't know too much about comic books these days.
I read a few books here and there, read some wiki summaries, watch superhero movies.
But I know almost nothing about the behind the scenes machinations in DC or Marvel.

So, to all experts out there, are there chances of a new Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Spiderman etc etc emerging in the future ?
Is there the talent that can create something new and is there the market to embrace and make it grow to legendary proportions as the years pass ?

 

[The Fatman]

My instinct says no.... but anything is possible.

For what it's worth, Marvel is trying like hell now with The Sentry.

 

[Greylock Crescent]

With the recent success of Harry Potter, I'd say anything is possible. Likely? Perhaps not. But possible? Definitely.

 

[SalvorHardin]

With the recent success of Harry Potter, I'd say anything is possible. Likely? Perhaps not. But possible? Definitely.

I'm not sure I follow.
How does the success of Harry Potter influence the emergence of a new major comic book superhero ?

 

[FPAlpha]

Judging by how strongly the majors are keeping their major heroes around while killing them off, mutilating them and doing all kinds of nasty stuff with them and still bring them back in contrived ways i'd guess the major companies have little interest in developing major new characters.

At best some characters have become fan favorites over the years but they still can't compare to the majors who get their standalone movies, comic series and merchandise.

 

[Caliburn24]

Comics are dying, so any new major superhero would be developed in some other media. Movies or TV most likely.

 

[Bad Bishop]

Spawn was a very important, new creation in the 1990's. Spawn comics sold very well, the merchandising was all over the place and the character got a movie in 1997. Spawn was HUGE. I just don't expect another new character to come along soon with similar success, especially now that comic books are $3 to $4 apiece.

As for Marvel's The Sentry, he's around mainly because Marvel has a bad case of Superman envy. I'm surprised that Sentry doesn't have his own monthly title yet.

 

[FalTorPan]

They aren't major, but the heroes of Astro City are very cool.

 

[TheMasterOfOrion]

For what it's worth, Marvel is trying like hell now with The Sentry.

and failing miserably

Someone should send Marvel a memo, Superman was cool back in the 50s or maybe cool way back in the old Golden Age of comics. After that he stopped being cool and people wanted to move onto meat and bones comics like Batman and X-Men

The Silver Age was terrible age for Superman comics
I don't see why Marvel is trying to go back to it and mix this ridiculous era with a Saw movie

Marvel has gone off a cliff
People will move onto the next Anime or the next Watchmen or whatever if Marvel does not get its house back in order

I think JMS could have put some sanity back into Marvel when he started writing Thor but the dumbass beancounters at Marvel sacked him

 

[Hyperspace05]

Of course a new and popular superhero will be created eventually.

Will it come from Marvel or DC? Perhaps not. But they won't last forever.

 

[Snaploud]

I think the big break would come from outside the realm of comics. It would be a cult hit comic strip that turns into a surprise blockbuster.

 

[Praetor]

I'd say eventually, but probably not until comic books are basically reinvented as some kind of online-only thing. Sad, but probably inevitable.

 

[DarKush]

I don't know if you can create iconic characters like that again, though there is a lot of talent out there and I think they could do it. Popular characters like Spawn, etc. have been created in the last 20 years, though they aren't universally known. However Spawn has been pretty successful, because he seemed different and came at the right time. I think so many characters are derivative of the icons that its hard to create a break out character, unless you turn the derivative on its head in some way, or give it a new twist. That might result in popularity among comic readers, but I can't say that I've seen much widespread, mainstream popularity.

Then again, the mainstream media was calling Iron Man a B-list hero when the first Iron Man movie came out.

 

[Praetor]

Thing is, any character isn't going to be iconic overnight. They have to be created, be massively distributed/read/whatever, and then pass into the public consciousness. It's really a magic formula that, right now, I don't think the comics industry is set up to recreate because, let's face it, they're not reaching that many people. At least not as many as when these heroes first became so well known.

 

[Jetfire]

They aren't major, but the heroes of Astro City are very cool.

I thought a Astro City movie was in the works a few years back...guess not.

Astro City would make a great TV series I think.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

There's been a few new Lanterns...

 

[Nardpuncher]

It may be like asking what the next big Star Wars-like movie will be. (Don't say Avatar!)

Maybe whatever comes out will just be compared to others anyway.
Maybe we have to wait a long time, like 50 years, till a new generation comes along and then you bring out a super-hero that will feel new, but not really be. The same way Indiana Jones is the best of his kind even though we had Doc Savage already and he was actually created in that era.

 

[RandyS]

I have an idea for one for several years now, but I've had my doubts about how commercially successful it would be.

 

[Technobuilder]

Spawn while done well, just seemed like a different universe version of Ghost Rider to me.

Witchblade was doing well for a while there and...

Hellboy also, has quite a following.

I'd say it just depends on what you mean by "Major Superhero"...
Icons like the "Big 3" are woven into the public consciousness in such a way that it's hard to imagine the world without them and hard to see them taking a back seat.

 

[Skywalker]

Sorry, I think Jack Bauer was the last great superhero.