Marvel plans to kill a character every quarter, seriously...

[MattComix]

Having a death/return cycle actually planned and announced may very well be the punchline to the joke that is excessive grimdark in modern comics. Yeah, they're so damn cutting edge and hip, these aren't ya daddy's comics so you never know what they'll do next. Except that we do and it usually involves killing somebody in some cheap shock n' schlock fashion and/or bringing them back.

 

[Tom Constantine]

Aside from it being announced, a hero/villian dies about that timeframe in the comics anyway? You don't think decisions like this just happen for dramatic effect and not sales?