Lack Of Comicbook Cliffhangers

[Gernot]

It's kind'a funny, but I remember learning to read in the 1960's thanks in large part to Batman & Robin (Superman and Superboy also helped a great deal).

I was just wondering how many others were as disappointed as I was upon learning the comics did not have cliffhangers like our beloved TV show? I recall actually turning to the end of more than one book hoping to see a cliffhanger and being sorry they didn't have any!

I was curious to see who else felt this way back in the day?

[AndyFish]

marvel Comics of the day often had cliffhangers. I never made the connection as a kid, and it wasn't until I got a copy of an Amazing Spider-man comic did I encounter the cliffhanger thing, and man did I love it. Batman in the 70s had continuing stories so they did have them.

[clavierankh]

Batman 66 was my first exposure to Batman. When I got my first comic book I was surprised it wasn't like the show.

[Gernot]

I'm with you on this, Clavierankh! I really wanted to see cliffhangers as opposed to the soap-opera aspect continuing the stories from issue to issue, too.

Heh. I wanted two- and maybe three-parters with the bad guy going to jail at the end, and the next issue starting a new adventure, free and clear.

That's probably why I didn't care for Marvel's comics as a kid. We didn't have too many comic stores, and it was a cr@pshoot as to whether a local drug store would have consecutive issues of any comic or not! As kids, one of my brothers and I would ALWAYS specify Superman or Batman comics for Christmas, as their stories would rarely end in cliffhangers!

We felt safer for Batman and Superman that way!

[Robin's Girl]

Since I wasn't yet born back in the day, all I can attest for is that I am a huge Amazing Spider-Man fan, and as I read reprints of the classic issues, I do and don't like the cliffhangers, both for the same reasons: I feel like I just have to know what happens next, and therefore have stayed up way too late reading three entire issues to find out everything that happens! I do like the idea of simply continuing the stories, though, but the cliffhangers do leave a little more suspense.

[elmrgraham]

I agree.The Bat-Trap Cliffhangers should have been included.

[Gernot]

I think they would've sold a FEW more comics back then at least, ESPECIALLY if they'd set them up more like the TV show, as opposed to the serials. Show several panels (in the case of the TV show, several SECONDS) of our heroes in dire peril, rather than a bomb exploding and leaving the reader wondering if the hero survived, as so many serials did.