Dark Reign - what the Initiative should have been?

I've started to read some of the books that are introducing the post Secret Invasion status quo. I'm a lot more interested in heroes as outlaws when the sheriff is the Green Goblin, then when it is Iron Man. You know Norman, after a team up with the New Avengers, isn't going to turn a blind eye to them running away. There is actually a sense of danger, which makes the stories compeling.

I hope Dark Reign stays the status quo for a while. I think there are a lot of stories that can be told under it.

One of the things that kept Civil War, World War Hulk, and Secret Invasion, from having any punch was that they were over quickly. They weren't changing the status quo because the status quo has been crossover events.

Of course focusing on storytelling rather than stunts may be difficult when the EIC can't conceive of any good stories about a married Spider-Man or of a new young hero that would fill the idea space left behind when Spiderman is allowed to grow up.