Reboot is a dirty word. Much like an Etch-a-Sketch, a reboot is a chance to wipe the slate clean, so to speak, and start something anew. Sometimes it seems like a good idea to freshen things up by taking a creative concept and then radically changing some parts to make it seem better. Other times it’s a sign that the creators screwed up.
Of course, the term reboot came from the computer industry. Where booting refers to loading a computer’s start-up programs into memory, rebooting means to do that very same thing again. Normally a computer needs to be rebooted when the data stored in memory and on disk becomes scrambled, corrupted, or otherwise incorrect. In other words, you reboot a computer when it gets messed up.
Similarly, sometimes comic books and TV shows will “reboot” a creative concept when it’s clear that it has grown muddy, confusing, or otherwise unpopular. Here are some examples:
DC Comics is now infamous for rebooting key characters, comic books, and even their entire universe. The most famous reboot occurred in 1986, when they simplified their entire line of comics to revolve around a single universe and a single planet Earth, when at one point there was a seeming infinite number of alternate universes with versions of their most famous heroes (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, etc.) While this was done ostensibly to “simplify” their creative landscape and give their characters a fresh start, the real purpose was to stimulate sales with this renewal.
Some of these reboots have been extremely annoying to longtime comic book fans. In the case of the Legion of Super-Heroes, the cast and characters have been radically reinvented at least twice. While these changes were intended to attract new readers, it seems likely that DC Comics lost fans as older versions of this super-hero team were left by the wayside while new fans were likely confused by stories of previous Legions.
The NBC TV series Heroes appears to be undergoing a reboot of sorts. As the name implies, this TV series is about people who have super owers. The first two and a half seasons became very convoluted through the introduction of many new characters, added into an already large cast that lacked a true “star”, while using one of the most dangerous of science fiction and fantasy devices, time travel. This made it increasingly difficult to know what was real, what wasn’t real, and who the characters really were.
Now, the second half of Heroes Season Three has removed a number of characters, eliminated the time travel, and has otherwise simplified an increasingly complex series. The TV show now feels like it has returned to its roots, with many characters back into situations that they had faced in the first season. However, a lot of interesting possibilities and developments were cast to the winds by these changes and returning to an old status quo is as good as admitting defeat.
When you leave the world of content and fiction, rebooting isn’t all that uncommon when you look at the world of products. Sometimes reboots are successful, such as the VW Beetle, changes and improvements to the Apple product lines, laundry detergent, IBM, etc. Fast Company changed from a print magazine with an online presence to a completely online publication – we’re all watching to see if they can make a long term go of that format. Other times, you get the New Coke experience, which most surely did not go as the company management would have expected. In fact, when you look at creative reboots as changes to products, you can understand why these things happen. After all, in the mass media content is ultimately underwritten, produced, and distributed as products by companies.
Here’s the thing, though: is it better to reboot or to start from scratch? Are there situations when it makes sense to return to a core concept and tweak it OR are there times when it’s best to dump something and begin anew? Are there any key symptoms or indicators which are signs that a concept can be saved?
What do you think? Have you seen reboots done well or do they always suck?
