This is the sort of response that gives weight to an argument. I'm very glad to hear it, too. I'd love to see the industry make a rebound.
One word that sums up the American continuities.. convoluted. no matter how you streamline a character and his myth, there's always decades of history to weigh it down,and you're always going to bring in characters from past continuities to make it more interesting or maybe give the newer stories a twist. So I'm actually hoping the industry collapses. While the good ol' staple superheroes will undoubtedly stay, a lot of the muck can be gotten rid of. And maybe a structure like the one Japan has will rise out of the ashes. Nice dream huh?