Is Time Travel Lazy Writing?

Seriously what do you think about using time travel? A lot of the times writers use it to bring a character back to life or alter some plot to justify their actions. The best book that is now the Status quo or bar to reach is Flashpoint. That is the epic example of how Time travel should be used. I want to know what books or shows that use time travel to erase the actions of the characters, making the characters suffer no real accountability. I know there is a lot so leave it in the comments.

1 Like

It never makes sense, it’s almost always entertaining.

I think it’s best suited for a light hearted comedy story or a science-fiction story diving into the time travel shenanigans with love.

I’m not massively into using time travel as a way to escape loss.

I think my personal favorite use of it in DC specifically is the silver age. It gave us the legion and was a way to explore different eras. It was like taking a bus for Kara and Kal, and they skirted around the ins and outs of time travel and just delivered regular stories but in different eras.

Doing time travel seriously isn’t sustainable long term. It always collapses in on itself logically, and for that reason I think comics does best in avoiding doing it seriously except in one-shot else worlds. In continuity its best to do it silver-age bus style. Have some fun in different eras, defeat some bad guys, take the bus home, but never start pondering butterfly effects or using it to change history, it will cause more damage than its worth once you start thinking about it that way.

I think my favorite movie is Frequently Asked Questions about Time Travel.

3 Likes

That’s a bingo.

2 Likes

In something like Booster Gold, time travel in stories can bring some heartwarming character development; even when you don’t realize time travel is involved like when we learned how Booster and Rip are related. Hell, the early part of that series was all about Booster wanting to go back and save Ted, and when we did get the Ted Kord Blue Beetle back for a bit, how it had to end was both heartbreaking and noble.

I guess, much like anything else, it’s how the writer uses it. If it feels lazy then chances are the writer was lazy.

1 Like