I think Eastman and Laird would have still gone their separate ways eventually as their creative visions developed. They wouldn't have been quite as distracted with the marketing side of the franchise, but they probably would have made a few more issues cooperatively while still letting their friends do issues. I'm not sure City at War would have happened as it did, as it felt like a self-conscious effort by E&L to do a no-nonsense approach to the characters, perhaps in some way acknowledging how zany the franchise's reputation had become without directly referencing it. Return to New York might have happened, but I expect even that story might have had a bit more humor and levity to it too.
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