Wonderella

[NimrodClover]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot

I think that's probably a myth. In most comic reboots it seems like they take away many of the things that make certain characters unique and normalize all of them.

Maybe that was true at one point, but smaller breasts seem to be the trend now.

In most superhero comics, you notice over time it seems like almost everyone is eventually about the same age. Also all of the women become one height, and the men another.

Look at Power Girl in the new 52, they took her from being only slightly above average down to just being average. Also most of the characters below average will eventually move up to being average.

This "Averaging Process" is a well documented trend over time in any group ensemble comic cast. It is a frustration for two reasons to me. First, as their physical nature becomes more normalized or averaged one does tend to lose what made them unique - it gets lost in the mix. Second, it starts to put all the characters into a tight clump, sort of like if your collection of crayons went from being a normal range of colors to all trending toward a dull brown.

Ironically there is also the "Colors of Benetton" effect which you see everywhere, e.g. Captain Planet, Winx, The Magic School Bus, Power Rangers, The New Mutants, My Little Pony, etc. where an effort is made to have a ethnically diverse group only to have them all act the same. The averaging process then makes them eventually (except for color) look the same.

I think my most "upsetting" character shift over time on this topic would have to be the MARVEL comic character Psylocke. She started out as a rather well curved British gal with a substantial chest and a figure verging on zaftig. She became a Japanese woman of athletic build!?!