Anybody who’s watched a film or learn a ebook can most likely inform you that sequels are not often pretty much as good because the originals. Oftentimes, sequels come off as low cost cash-ins attempting and failing to recapture the magic of their predecessors. The identical rule applies to comedian tales as properly. Each DC and Marvel Comics have made unimaginable storylines that without end modified the comedian ebook business. So naturally, they tried and didn’t create worthy continuations of those iconic storylines. Whereas the originals have gone down in historical past as a few of the finest comics of all time, these sequels have gone down in infamy for the way unhealthy they’re.
The perfect sequels supply plausible, compelling story arcs that take what labored within the authentic and increase on it. Sadly, these DC and Marvel sequel storylines didn’t get that memo and as a substitute creates tales that don’t even come near matching the greatness of their precursors.
5) Zero Hour: Disaster in Time
There are few storylines in DC Comics historical past extra iconic and impactful than 1985’s Disaster on Infinite Earths. With its multiversal stakes, omnipotent villain, and long-lasting impacts, Disaster on Infinite Earths impressed quite a few future Disaster occasions. Nonetheless, whereas many of those Disaster occasions lived as much as the unique’s legacy, the identical can’t be mentioned for the primary try at a sequel. In 1994, Zero Hour: Disaster in Time was the primary Disaster following Disaster on Infinite Earths, and it was created to repair the quite a few continuity errors that sprang from the unique occasion. Sadly, this sequel storyline solely made issues extra complicated and convoluted. The story concerned two corrupted heroes, Extant and Parallax, working collectively to rewrite actuality in their very own picture. There are definitely worse Disaster tales. Nonetheless, Zero Hour: Disaster in Time holds the excellence of not solely being the primary failed try at a sequel to the groundbreaking authentic, however its mediocrity and convolutedness have led to it falling into obscurity, which a Disaster occasion by no means ought to.
4) “H2SH”
In 2002, the enduring storyline Batman: Hush gave the Darkish Knight certainly one of his most menacing villains of the trendy period: the titular felony mastermind, Hush. With such reputation, DC tried to recapture the magic with 2025’s “H2SH,” and failed miserably due to its nonsensical writing. With a plot that strengthened each grievance of contemporary Batman comics, “H2SH” centered on Hush having Batman discover the Joker on demise’s door. Due to his unbreakable code, Batman decides to avoid wasting the Joker’s life, a lot to the disdain of the remainder of the Bat-Household who flip in opposition to him. If that wasn’t unhealthy sufficient, Purple Hood has as soon as once more regressed into the villain function and teamed up with Hush. The most important downside with “H2SH” is that it feels prefer it was written immediately after the unique storyline, without any consideration for the way the characters developed within the over 20 years between the occasions. This concern unintentionally makes the characters appear like idiots. Additionally, it ends on a cliffhanger which the poor reception of “H2SH” has ensured that it’s going to by no means be resolved.
3) Secret Wars II
The unique 1984 Secret Wars storyline was a groundbreaking occasion during which the all-powerful Beyonder pressured Earth’s best heroes and villains to combat one another for his leisure. The story was a large crossover with long-lasting results on the Marvel Universe. The identical can’t be mentioned for Secret Wars II, which got here out the next yr. In a weird plotline, the Beyonder returns and takes on a human type to study extra about Earth’s heroes. Naturally, the Beyonder begins to sow chaos wherever he goes regardless of one of the best efforts of the Avengers, X-Males, New Mutants, and Spider-Man. Ultimately, the Beyonder threatens to destroy the complete multiverse. Not like the unique Secret Wars, the sequel was atrocious as a result of the plot and writing had been too goofy and nonsensical to be taken critically. To today, Secret Wars II is without doubt one of the most hated storylines in Marvel historical past as a result of it tried so poorly to journey the success of its predecessor.
2) Civil Warfare II
The long-lasting 2006 Civil Warfare story already has its fair proportion of detractors, however its 2016 sequel makes it appear like a masterpiece by comparability. The unique Civil Warfare noticed Captain America and Iron Man combating over the Superhuman Registration Act. In the meantime, Civil Warfare II concerned Iron Man and Captain Marvel combating over whether or not they need to use the Inhuman Ulysses’ future-vision to cease crimes earlier than they occur. On prime of nonsensical plot holes and pointless deaths, the story’s most egregious flaw was ruining Captain Marvel’s fame. Whereas within the authentic occasion robust arguments might be made for supporting both facet of the battle, in Civil Warfare II Captain Marvel is clearly, albeit unintentionally, within the improper. Regardless of Marvel’s finest efforts to persuade the readers in any other case, Captain Marvel comes off as a fascist who strips folks’s rights away and will get quite a few heroes killed for the sake of her ego. Civil Warfare II was a determined try to construct up hype for the MCU’s Captain America: Civil Warfare film. As a substitute, all Civil Warfare II completed was inadvertently without end tarnished Captain Marvel’s rise to being an A-Checklist hero.
1) The Darkish Knight Strikes Once more
Frank Miller’s 1986 The Darkish Knight Returns is rightfully thought of by many a contemporary masterpiece that without end modified the superhero panorama with its darkish, politically charged reimagining of Batman. Nonetheless, Miller’s 2002 sequel The Darkish Knight Strikes Once more throws every thing that made the unique good out the window in favor of a plot that reads as pure insanity. Set three years after The Darkish Knight Returns, the sequel sees the growing old Batman declare conflict in opposition to President Lex Luthor and his corrupt regime. Each character on this sequence is totally horrible. The Batman portrayed on this sequence is a psychopathic monster who’s prepared to let harmless folks die. Not solely that, however Batman bullies Nightwing to the purpose that he’s pushed insane earlier than being horrifically murdered by his surrogate father. Moreover, Superman and Marvel Lady by chance kill 1000’s of individuals from the earthquakes precipitated from them hooking up. Add in an atrocious artwork fashion and you’ve got a recipe for the textbook instance of a nasty sequel comedian.