It seems to me that this is a curious time in comics. We have the two main comic companies, DC and Marvel, both furiously trying to raise the sale of comics. As examples of what the two are doing, I will use Superman and Spider-man (duh!). DC has tried to gain readers by completely changing the character. The cape is gone, the original powers are gone. In a way, the original character has been replaced. This company has gone as far away from the expected norm as possible.
Meanwhile, Marvel is doing exactly the opposite. They are trying to return Spidey to his origins, bringing back old(and previously dead) villains. They are trying to recapture the feel of classic storylines. They are about to have what they are calling flashback month. This is obviously a very different approach, that leaves the following question: will a company make more money by trying new things, or by staying with a tried and true formula? I would give you the answer, but I think I'll go drink a Coke instead...