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Examples of Real Time comics |
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The definition of Real Time In this web site "real time" means "not Marvel Time." In other words, the characters live according to our own clocks and calendar. It does not mean that exactly 30 days must take place between each issue, only that issues can be placed in real time and real space. Real time is what anchors stories in the real world. Take Sherlock Holmes for example. Each of his adventures were written down several years after the event, but most of them have dates and locations given in the text. Half of the enjoyment of reading a Sherlock Holmes story is the feeling that he is a real person and you are seeing the real London of the 1890s. Some comics are called real time when they are not. For example, Marvel's 1986 New Universe comics were billed as real time, but it took place in an unrecognizable world (Pittsburgh had been blown up, the president was an alien, etc.). Of course, every fiction differs from reality in some way, but real time indicates a connection (or a pretended connection) with the real world. The New Universe severed that connection. This page lists some well known comics that took place in real time |
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The golden age of comics The golden age of comics was during World War II. Characters like Captain America and the (original) Human Torch fought Hitler and the Nazis in the war. These stories were strongly anchored to current events. Fans loved it, and sales broke all records before or since. Marvel's old name, Timely, illustrated its commitment to be up to date. After the war, the characters had less connection with the real world. Stories involved pointless battles between the same old superheroes, and sales declined. Obviously there were other factors, but I am just pointing out the correlation: coincidence or not, the best sales come when comics are in real time. The silver age of comics Marvel's most successful period, in terms of sales growth, new characters, and memorable, classic stories, was the 1960s. The 1960s page on this site focuses on the Fantastic Four. By the late 1960s Marvel comics were mentioning the date less often, but one exception stands out: Steranko's Nick Fury. The story screams up-to-the minute 1960s style, recent dates are mentioned, and Fury often refers to his experience in World War II, and to "the younger" agents. All of this made the series seem very alive. These are some of the most highly praised comics ever. Steranko was more influential than any Marvel comic creator outside of Lee and Kirby. The greatest comics tend to be real time comics. The 1970s Marvel Time took over in the 1970s, and sales declined. However, there were occasional success stories, such as Steve Englehart's books and in each case real time stories played a major role. The Claremont/Byrne X-Men The new X-Men, written by Chris Claremont in the late 1970s, was the biggest thing to hit comics since Spiderman, and is still unbeaten in terms of critical acclaim and explosive sales growth. I don’t think Claremont sat down and thought “let’s have a real time comic,” but he did decide to write stories that were relevant, up to date, and going somewhere. And real time was what came out. (Most of the references on this page are based on Essential X-Men volume 1, which collects Giant Size 1 and X-Men 94-119. Other data is provided by Jason Powell. Thanks, Jason!) |
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Claremont's 1970s X-Men: real world dates Claremont took over with issue 94. Issue 98 ties the book to Christmas (it was on sale Christmas 1975) and refers to Jean’s powers "back in 1969." The origin of Ororo (issue 102) says she was born in 1951, and then it refers to events "five years later" in 1956 during the Suez crisis. Colossus constantly refers to his background in the Soviet Union. Later, the death of Jean Grey begins with a full page splash of her headstone, with the dates "1956-1980." (But see note.) |
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A note about Jean's age. X-Men 1 came out in 1963. If Jean was born in 1956 she would be just 7 years old then. However, those early X-Men stories had been reprinted in the X-Men's own title in the late 1960s, effectively moving the fans' memories of the X-Men to the late 1960s. Yet it is still possible to insist on 1963. Children can hit puberty as young as 9, so maybe mutants are sometimes even younger. This could explain why Cyclops did not openly declare his love in the early years. |
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Claremont's 1970s X-Men: real world locations The book visited numerous real world locations in these early issues: New York, other US states, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Antarctica, Greece, the southern tip of South America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. And of course the origins issue (Giant Size X-Men 1) is based entirely around visiting different nations: Kenya, the Pacific, the USSR, etc. Right from the start the new X-Men escaped from the confines of normal comic locations (e.g. New York etc.) and were characterized by entering the wider world. The “real world” feeling was palpable and exciting. Claremont's 1970s X-Men: real world events Issues 96-99 has key events take place on the space shuttle, with frequent references to NORAD, UN, NASA, racism, communist USSR, etc. These were all major topics in the news in the mid 1970s. In issue 99 the main story is introduced by Geraldo on TV, and Colossus’ history is tied to the Apollo 1 fire (all by page 3!) Page 1 or issue 113 refers to "one of the deadliest beings in the world today" Notice the word "today" in "the world today" - this story does not take place in a timeless comic continuity, it takes place "today"! Claremont's 1970s X-Men: real world people In issue 99 the main story is introduced by Geraldo on TV. In issue 113 the main story is introduced by the BBC's John Cheever. In issue 105 Claremont and Cockrum appear in the comic. In issue 108 the president is clearly Jimmy Carter. Note that these references normally take place in the first 2 or 3 pages, clearly setting the story in the real world. Even exotic stories take care to ground themselves in the here and now. Claremont's 1970s X-Men: time passes Claremont's stories often refer to time passing. Issue 96 p.6 includes a vacation and refers to "a few weeks." Page 12 says "weeks" have passed since the last issue. Issue 97 p.3 refers to "a hundred sleepless nights." Page 4 says that Moira (who arrived in issue 96) came as a result of these, so the 100 must have started before issue 96 began. On page13 Professor X is on vacation. Clearly the plenty of time passes. Any good writer knows that you need periods of build up to give the action meaning. This necessary build-up is lost in Marvel Time, where dramatic events happen every day (with no lasting effects) and thus become mundane. Issue 101 includes a week of sightseeing in Ireland, then other time spent at a relaxed pace. Issue 103 the last frame says the next adventure approaches "in a matter of weeks." Issue 105 page 1 says "these past months" referring to a character who first reappeared in issue 97. Issue 109 p.5 is another vacation. Issue 110 starts with a noticeable gap in time. Issue 111 p.2 has mail piled up in the house. Issue 114 p.16(?) mentions another jump of a week. In issue 116 p. 2 the last issue was "weeks before." Issue 117 p.4 Jean leaves because "too many memories in this house." Yet superheroes are always accumulating bad memories as well as good ones. Surely she would not give up and move on unless considerable time had passed. Issue 118 has "six weeks" since the previous issue. Issue 119 is another Christmas issue, like issue 98. Both books were on sale at Christmas time (until 111 the book was bi-monthly). These references are not enough to prove a one month to one month correlation, but the dates and current events give the book a strong feeling of real time passing. Claremont's 1970s X-Men: time is prominent Claremont created a strong feeling of time passing in other ways too. Issue 116 begins with the heroes starting a dramatic mountain climb at dawn, "it took effort to remember that only day before..." The feeling of time passing is intense. Another story begins with the Beast struggling through the endless snow. Another begins with the team trying to navigate a vast ocean in a storm. Time does not pass imperceptibly, you feel every moment! Claremont also showed great respect for history and continuity, so the reader could feel that the stories were going places. Themes are built up over many months, even years. Footnotes frequently refer to earlier issues and other books. Past retcons (like characters returnign from the death more than once) are not glossed over, but highlighted. For example, issue 119 refers to both of Moses Magnum's previous apparent deaths, and government agencies take interest. Claremont's 1970s X-Men: heroes grow older The classic X-Men was characterized by frequent permanent changes. People say they don’t want their favorite characters to change, but sales say otherwise. Note that these are permanent and substantial changes. or at least they were, until later writers reversed them and diluted their effect. Issue 96, p.4) says that the old X-Men were once children but are now adults and are leaving home. Soon after a member died (Thunderbird) and another was changed forever (Jean Grey) and a couple of years later she too was dead. In issue 117. Xavier looks back over his past life, and reflects that his “children” have all grown up and left home, and some of them are dead. He is now confined to a wheelchair, and decides to retire and move away. Banshee comments on his graying hair. Professor X is no spring chicken. And how old is Wolverine exactly? Around a hundred years old, last time I heard. But they don’t look old, you say? of course not! In real time, superheroes never look old. Superhero work is inherently dangerous so anyone who showed signs of slowing down would be killed in the normal course of battles. Indeed, Banshee often comments that he is surprised that he has survived so long, despite his graying hair. Footnote 1: The 1980s X-Men As late as 1983 (circa Uncanny X-Men 171-176) it was stated that Madeline had been in a fiery plane crash on a specific date "in 1980", with Scott said, "That's the exact day that Jean died!" But by this time the pressures of Marvel Time were becoming too great. Real time references began to disappear. The X-Men's best stories were over. However, Claremont did write one hugely popular story arc in the 1980s, one that has been often imitated: "Days of Future Past" and the ongoing "mutant registration" (and later "superhero registration") stories. Call it coincidence if you like, but these stories were firmly based in real time. Uncanny X-Men 141-142 were dated Oct. and Nov. of 1980, and the story is specifically stated as taking place over the days Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, in 1980. The story contains many specific dates, including the 1984 "Mutant Registration Act" was passed. Jason Powell explains: "In the ACTUAL year 1984, Claremont did a story in which the Mutant Registration Act WAS introduced. And Claremont was VERY clear about the fact that this was supposed to resonate with Days of Future Past (i.e., not only is this happening, it's happening on the EXACT SAME TIMETABLE that was delineated earlier). Claremont even, in that very story, makes a point of reminding us what year it is, with one character speaking a line of dialogue that goes something like, "This is the year for government paranoia -- thank you, George Orwell." (This all goes down circa Uncanny X-Men 181-184.)" Footnote 2: Claremont's later X-Men Years later, Claremont returned to the X-Men. But this time there was no attempt at real time, and the later stories were not memorable. Indeed, when the early classics had been reprinted (as "Classic X-Men" with extra pages), the real time references were removed. The "back in 1969" word balloon was changed to read "years ago." The Suez references were changed. The new pages were supposed to take place at the same time as the Dave Cockrum stories (mid 1970s) but the new pages once referred to "President Reagan and his precious Contras." (in Classic X-Men 29). Yes, this was a real time reference, but it directly contradicted previously established real world dates. It thus throws the series out of the real world and is no longer real time. Footnote 3: Claremont today The pressure for real time won’t go away. Marvel.com recently ran a web poll for fans to choose “Claremont’s Next X-Men Project.” Guess what idea won? That’s right, a real time series to see what happens when the heroes grow up. Clearly the fans want real time. These quotes are from various news sites: "Claremont said the premise, 'is what if the X-Men aged in real time.' Storm, he pointed out, "was born in 1950, so you do the math." In this alternate reality the original X-Men would now be in their late 40s or 50s, the "new" X-Men (dating from Giant-Size X-Men #1 in 1975), would be in their 40s, the New Mutants in their 30s, and even the members of Generation X would now be 'pushing 30'. "The series takes place in 2006 and follows continuity up through X-Men Vol. 2 #3. People believe Magneto is dead, but in truth he decided he was getting too old for this s--- and disappeared to live in peace. 'The '90s never happened,' Claremont said, referring to the continuity break and perhaps the dark period full of bad X-Men stories.“ |
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Another 1970s hit: Steve Englehart's Captain America This is from a discussion at comicboards: "If you're looking for a late example of at least marginally "real time"- level comics, Steve Engelhart's Captain America run is as close as you'll get. At least two of the arcs ("The Secret Empire" and the Viper/Serpent Squad/Serpent Squad arc) are meant to present the Marvel Universe/616 versions of Watergate and the Symbionese Liberation Army standoff. The former story actually name drop Watergate, and it's villains -- the Committee to Regain America's Principles (CRAP) -- are meant to resonate with the Committee to Re-Elect the President (popularly dubbed CREEP). And Engelhart likewise uses "years" when describing the reemergance of old X-Men villain Lucifer." I asked if these issues were popular with fans? And did they sell well? The answer: "It's one of the high points of the Captain America comic and is largely considered so by most Cap fans." An experienced writer added: "I don't know for sure, but Engelhart was a star writer in the 1970s. My guess is that he improved sales, because Marvel kept giving him books and DC aggressively pursued him for JLA and Batman a few years later." |
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The 1980s The 1980s saw a small increase in sales, mainly due to the growth of the collectors' market, but fans refer to a slight increase in quality across the comics. Let's look at the Fantastic Four for example: John Byrne’s Fantastic Four Byrne introducd what looked like major changes: the Baxter Building was destroyed and the FF had a new permanent home for the first time ever. Reed and Sue moved out. Johnny got his own apartment and a new girlfriend (they later married). The Thing left the team (this lasted for years, not just an issue or two.) Sue changed her name (from Invisible Girl to Invisible Woman) and became pregnant again. Events were moving forwards at last, for the first time since the 1960s. In issue 291 we even have a rare real time reference: Nick Fury was "a teenager" in 1936, confirming that he did indeed fight in WWII. And Byrne himself featured in one story (the trial of Reed Richards). Of course it could not last. All the changes were eventually reversed and sales went down again. But for a while it seemed like events were moving forwards just like they do in the real world, and for those few years sales went up and the fans loved it. Critics could argue that the most popular stories were 232-250, before the great changes occurred. But just compare those with the earlier issues: Byrne emphasized the ordinary and mundane things that readers would recognize. We see more ordinary streets, and more background detail. We see ordinary looking people in wrinkled clothing, not impossibly muscled paragons in lycra. Byrne spent his first two years establishing that his characters lived in the real world. These issues were not true real time comics, but they had more real time elements than before, and sales went up. After Byne left the real world elements went away, the changes were reversed, and sales went down again. But one other 1980s issue deserves special mention. The FF annual 1998 has the Thing enter a parallel universe where the Fantastic Four really started in 1961. I recommend this since it's a single issue that most strongly illustrates real time in action. According to discussions on ComicBoards.com, most fans of the Fantastic Four consider this one of the best annuals of recent years. What about MC2 ("Marvel Comics 2") ? MC2, on sale in 1998, jumped forward 15 years to when Spiderman had a grown-up daughter, Spidergirl. MC2 was originally intended to be a new version of Marvel comics aimed at new readers, but Marvel was unable to get the non-comic-shop distribution it wanted, so MC2 ended up as just Spidergirl and a few spin offs. Real time is about real time, time that is conencted to real worl events. Real time does not jump forward fifteen years, or stay still for seven years (Spidergirl lasted for 100 issues, just over seven years, but the teenage Spidergirl did not noticably age). So Spidergirl was not a real time title. The greatest hits of the 1980s Some of the most successful and influential series ever (such as Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen) deal with the passage of time and how events would play out “in the real world.” Fans like change. They like their comiocs to be closer to the world they live in - it makes the superheros seem more interesting. |
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The 1990s Another page discusses how the Marvel Universe died in the early 1990s and Marvel went bankrupt. But there was still the occasional good story. Let's look at the X-Men one more time. Grant Morrison and the X-Men Great stories involve change. But Marvel Time forbids real change. So what can great writers do? They either write out of continuity or they do their own thing anyway and let later writers retcon it. This commentary is from Adam Cadre’s site, about fan favorite writer Grant Morrison: “A problem that has always plagued superhero comics is that of stasis. Though there are some amazing writers on a few of the titles, these are still commercial properties they're writing. In the early days, characters' status quo changed enormously over time: characters grew up (Spider-Man went through high school almost in real time and then went off to college, for instance), their relationships with one another changed, as did their looks and powers... but then that all stopped. Marvel's core business is no longer comics; it's maintaining a stable of properties that can be turned into movies and toys. These properties have to stay recognizable. So if a writer dares to allow characters to grow, to overcome their problems - the hard-luck college guy ends a string of bad relationships and is happily married, the android develops human emotion, the villain goes straight, a character dies a noble death - someone else gets brought in and it's "back to basics!" Divorce the wife! Wipe the robot's memory! Make the reformed guy go bad again! Resurrect the dead chick! “What Morrison did was say, hell with it - whatever happened before, whatever happens after, I'm writing a book. His entire run, though divided into arcs, is one long story, with a beginning, a middle, and a beautiful Joycean ending.” Modern writers are forbidden from making permanent changes, so Morrison just sidestepped the whole problem and made his own real time bubble. But the sad thing is that later writers will have to ignore it or change it back. Without real time we can have no long term narrative. Without real time, any attempt at a living narrative is quickly pulled back and clubbed to death. |
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Comics by other publishers Despite the impression I may give on this site, Marvel is not the only publisher in the world. Other publishers have explored the idea of real time comics with great success. Erik Larsen’s "Savage Dragon" Larsen is an interesting case because he has a real time comic, but argues that mainstream heroes should not be real time. This is kind of like how Stan Lee created a whole series of real time comics, then decided to ditch real time (iit he late 1960s) and watched sales decline. Larsen may not much like real time, but the fact is that real time Savage Dragon has been a continuing success for many years, when other independent titles tend to fold in just a few months. Thankfully, despite his comments, Larsen has more sense than to change his winning formula. The biggest and best example of all: Manga Japanese Manga are the world's most successful comics. I have used this quote elsewhere on this site, but it is worth repeating. From 'An Introduction to Manga:' "Manga stay fresh and vibrant because they have to keep on finding new authors and winning over readers. Unlike in America, where Spider-Man or Superman are still wearing their underpants outside their trousers after forty, or sixty, years, in Japan not every successful series has to last forever. Manga engage you because they chart the lives and growth of characters and do actually come to a conclusion. It may take thousands of pages, but you can see genuine change going on, not just the 'illusion of change' found in most superhero soap operas." Remember that real time is not about clocks or calendars. Real time is about having stories that begin, change, and end, with strong links to the real world. Judge Dredd The most successful comic book character of the last generation in Britain is Judge Dredd. Dredd began in 1977 in 2000 AD comic and was not expected to run for more than two years (the normal life of a British comic back then). Since then all other British comics have folded, except the venerable Beano and Dandy. Yet Dredd still sells! He has been reprinted all over the world, has two titles, video games and a major Hollywood movie under his belt. What makes Dredd so different? One thing is that the stories take place in real time. As one fan reminded me, "2000 AD has always run in real time since it's founding in 1977. You've certainly heard of Judge Dredd but you may not be aware that the man is now seventy years old and unlike many American comic characters, he is actually starting to show it. In fact many fans have been discussing the imminent death of Britain's most popular comic character. And you know that once he's dead that will be it, like Strontium Dog in 1990. That makes it an exciting time to be a Judge Dredd fan." |
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Newspaper comics Gasoline Alley If you look at a history of the earliest comics, starting with the Yellow Kid, Krazy Kat and the rest, they have all gone. Until you get to Gasoline Alley, started in 1919. Why did Gasoline Alley survive when others did not? How did it manage to continue attracting new audiences and winning awards when the others began to look stale and dated? Is it a coincidence that Gasoline Alley is set in real time and so can always keep up to date? For Better or Worse Lynn Johnston's "For Better or Worse" is a newspaper strip with millions of readers. It's one of only five strips that syndicate to more than 2,000 newspapers. Real time is just a natural result of trying to be relevant - and it works. "I didn't intend for everybody to grow up," Johnston said. "They just did." Doonesbury Doonesbury is another of those handful of strips that syndicates in thousands of newspapers. And here again it exists in (more or less) real time. Coincidence? OK, there are other popular strips that do not feature real time, but those tend to be simple gag strips. A gag is not a story. When we look at strips that tell stories, those that connect with their reader's world have a great advantage over those that do not. |
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Conclusion: Coincidence? or Causality? Is it just coincidence that the best comics include real time elements? Or does one lead to the other? Let's ask an expert. "How to Write a Damn Good Novel" by James N. Frey If you want to see what makes a good story, read "How to Write a Damn Good Novel" by James N. Frey. Everything screams Real Time. If you ever read a great story, it will have contain real time elements: A great story contains characters with a history. Not just "he was bitten by a radioactive spider,". but something with great detail, concrete facts, and subtle shades. Real Time treats characters' history very seriously. A great story contains conflict that is dynamic, not static. Static conflict is boring. Static conflict is where the conflict makes no real difference, because we know what the outcome will be. Real Time ensures that nothing ever stays the same. A great story contains strong ruling passions. This is where superhero comic books should win over every other kind of fiction, because the characters are larger than life. Marvel Time removes the consequences of the actions. So nobody cares what they say or do because it won't make the slightest long term difference to anything. Thus, Marvel Time heroes are empty windbags. But Real Time adds real danger, because events have permanent consequences. A great story contains a crucible, a strong reason why they can't solve the problem any other way. The first time a villain attacks, it's a surprise, and the heroes must stop him or it's the end of the world! That's a good crucible! But after the second or third or tenth time, it is no longer believable. The reader wonders why the hero never learns. All credibility (and hence tension) is gradually lost. Real Time ensures that every danger is new and fresh. A great story requires inner conflict. Marvel Time weakens the inner conflict because after forty years it becomes tired and stale. And new writers often ignore the past, so inner conflicts come and go at random. Real Time respects the character's history and thus gives deeper, more authentic feelings. A great story has a great premise: it asks the question: "What happens to the characters as a result of the core conflict in the story?" Marvel Time ensures that nothing happens, everything returns to normal because real change is not allowed. But Real Time allows geneuienly new situations and new ideas with real dangers. A great story has a strong narrative. That means consequences and changes. Both concepts are forbidden by Marvel Time, except in trivial ways. So it is no surprise that great stories are based in Real Time. Great stories and Real Time naturally go together. |
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