What makes a great legacy is how well it carries on through generations. No matter how global or interpersonal it might be, a form of legacy is what many strive to do. A part of a great legacy involves beliefs, ideas, morals, skills, heirlooms, and everything in between. And art imitates life. It’s seen in the world of comic books. When a hero becomes too old to operate properly or get recognized, they develop followers, and their actions leave a legacy. A younger generation will develop an interest in a prior hero’s work, sometimes going as far as adopting their motif, esthetics, skills, and name. Once that happens, legacy heroes are created. Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Green Lantern, and The Flash have been created legacy characters in some capacity. From a creative standpoint, it’s always interesting to see what a writing team will do to differentiate the characters to make them stand on their own. However, wouldn’t that mean new characters adopting established motifs are unoriginal rehashes? Legacy heroes have greatly impacted the comic book genre, but with it, a form of originality is dying with it.
The products of legacy have done well. Superboy Prime, a product of the Superman legacy, literally punched a hole in the universe so hard that the multiverse became a little more linear. The Wally West Flash is considered the strongest form of Flash and has taken the spotlight from Barry Allen multiple times. So much so that it could be argued that he could be another source of the Flash legacy. The Miles Morales version of Spider-Man has clearly stepped out of Peter Parker’s shadow as Spider-Man. A few extra, exclusive abilities have pushed Miles away from Peter. And now Miles has two animated movies and a major spinoff from a successful video game. And these characters and others are welcomed with open arms by fans. In a way, they leave their own legacy and set the bar for the next person. They could reshape what made the original hero does and provide new angles, new expectations, and fresh perspectives for a hero that may need a recoating. On a rare occasion, maybe take the full mantle from the original character, like Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern, to Alan Scott’s Green Lantern. The product of Legacy Characters has their own stories, enemies, and journeys, which could be brand new, that add to the character and the world they are a part of. Seeing Superboy Prime be on a whole other power level than Superman puts a different light on Superman. As powerful as he is, Superboy Prime showed him levels that Superman should be wary of. Watching each Robin bring something different to the mission characterized Batman even more. Grayson was the good cop to Batman’s bad cop, which showed how grim he could be. Todd brought an edge to him that forced Batman to become stricter as a vigilante and a father figure. And Drake’s detective skills at a young age humbled Batman. Then, using Miles Morles’ bio-electricity and invisibility added new and great dynamics to an already successful game. As much as capes and superpowers are a staple to the comic book genre, legacy heroes are, too.
On the other hand, originality may be taking a step back with these legacy heroes. In a day and age where sequels, prequels, reboots, and revisions are popular, the audience is seeking originality. Something new to entertain themselves. Although a writing team could display creativity for legacy heroes, it’s still a large part of the same hero in a different light. Although different in many cases, Miles Morales still has many aspects that overlap with Peter Parker. The strength, agility, wall-sticking, swinging, spider sense, tragic family incident, close connection to villains, master geniuses in scientific fields, bitten by a radioactive spider, operating almost exclusively in New York, and the name is even spelled the same with the hyphen. This case is seen for many other legacy heroes. It serves as a soft, quiet reboot for a character. Reboot is a taboo word in the comic book genre. Instead of thinking of something entirely new, legacy heroes ride on the success of something that came before. Half of the work is done when it comes to creating a product of a legacy character. The genre gets even more saturated with characters that are already popular and successful. What makes the Batman and Superman relationship so good is that they are miles apart in traits and elements. Yet, when they are seen together, their major differences are what makes it compelling. When that is seen with Spider-Man and Spider-Man, it’s a rehash of what was just witnessed. Creativity is limitless, but its capabilities are not extended high when another legacy hero is created.
This aspect of the comic book genre could and does go both ways. These characters head into the unknown when they debut. Will they be a one-off? Will they come again later down the road? Will they be a mainstay? Only the fans will answer that. Yet legacy heroes have a different fight. They have to meet and, perhaps, surpass the established hero. A hard fight. But they could go on a long, impactful journey once they settle. Yet, they could stuff more of the same into the already crowded pool.
