Once every five to ten years, a book or a movie grips the imagination of the country. So much so, the concept drains away all creative juices and turning a vast majority of subsequent ideas into poorly designed copycats of the original. This normally happens with television shows. For example, how may cop shows appeared after the debut and success of Hill Street Blues? How many clones of Survivor are there? Or CSI?
Today, we have another of those fads running. It started with an anime called Battle Royale. It continued into the commercial success of the three books, and especially the subsequent movie of the Hunger Games. The second book of the series is being made into a movie for release next year.
Marvel, however, decided to go the copycat route with their new comic book, Avengers Arena. Taking sixteen super powered children and pitting them against one another thanks to Marvel's classic villain, Arcade, even the author has admitted being inspired by Battle Royale and Hunger Games. The logo on the front of the book is a direct copy of Battle Royale's logo.
However, should Marvel Comics, the largest comic book manufacturer in the world, be putting out a comic book for children depicting a child's death in each and every episode? The first death in the comic, in the last few panels, showed a teenaged 'hero' exploding in front of the other fifteen children. The explosion was graphic, yet this comic book is marketed to all age groups. This comic was not bagged, like other adult titles. It is being put out by a comic book company currently on a peak, due to the success of their Avengers movie. Most of the children are from the previous comic, Avengers Academy.
Marvel has killed children in their comics before. Cameron Hodge slaughtered a number of young mutants in the New Mutants story line, and Marvel deals with serious subject matter in many of its comic. However, both Battle Royale and Hunger Games were allegories, used to point out a dystopia society and to make children afraid of that society. With Arcade and his Murderworld Arena, there is no dystopia, just a madman killing children in a fashion more in common with the Saw flavored horror movies than actually having any meaning.
If and when it is revealed the children are really in a Matrix-like simulation or reality, it will be too late. Popular characters like Mettle will have been killed in a gruesome fashion in front of children's eyes, even if the magic wand suddenly is waved and all is better, the damage has been done.
This comic book was a mistake, and the fact Marvel endorsed it makes it even more of one. The other cute references in the comic, such as Mettle's last words being "I am the weakest link" may be amusing to some, but fall flat under the greater weight.
Some may think I am taking the criticism to an extreme. They will point out great writing, or talk about how good the art is, or the lettering, or some other excuse. However, we just had someone go into a Batman movie and try to kill everyone in the theater. Our culture is already riddled with hypocrisy. Showing children's deaths just for the sake of showing children being killed is not a worthy subject. Marvel has stepped over the line with this comic, and it needs to be pointed out. We should not tolerate it.
Do not buy Avengers Arena. Maybe someone at Marvel or their parent company will get the hint.