From Spider-Man's "Brand New Day" to Marvel's Ultimates, DC's Absolute line, and countless reboots in between, comics have long been the medium of reinvention—erasing marriages, rewriting origins, and reimagining icons for new eras. But what drives these creative resets? How do fans react when beloved characters are remade, and what can the psychology of change in comics teach us about navigating change in our own lives? Freelance editor and author Joseph P. Illidge, forensic psychiatrist Vasilis K. Pozios, M.D., child and forensic psychiatrist Praveen Kambam, M.D., and Wayne State University School of Social Work doctoral student and graduate research assistant Mackenzie Sprecher, M.S.W., take a lively look at the art and impact of reinvention in comics—from the storytelling logic behind big swings to the fierce fandom debates that follow. Along the way, the panel explores why letting characters change, and letting ourselves change with them, might be one of comics' most enduring superpowers. Moderated by attorney Jeff Trexler (interim director, CBLDF).
