When Did Comic-Books Stop Being FUN???
Seriously, why is it so fashionable for comics fans to struggle to prove themselves “more cynical than thou?” And why do debates about super-hero comics so often devolve into personal attacks and hurt feelings?
I was reading a thread in Peter David’s blog in which the discussion turned to some recent — and controversial — DC stories. Some posters began debating about whether DC is properly preserving the integrity of certain characters, and the super-hero genre in general. The arguments soon turned bitter, with one poster declaring to another “I don’t like you very much.”
I’m not going to ask “can’t we all just get along?” It’s not possible, and not necessarily even desirable. But for God’s sake, if someone likes a story that you don’t or vice versa, there’s no reason to take it as a personal insult. And if a major publisher starts taking your favorite icons in a direction you don’t like, there’s no reason to see it as a personal betrayal.
I don’t get it. The world’s big enough to accommodate all the varied tastes of everyone who exists here. Unlike the physical landscape, the intellectual landscape is indeed infinite. Yet some of us insist on acting like the latter is standing room only.
July 29th, 2006 at 3:20 am
You know what it is? I’ve found it to be a basic truism of life that the smaller the stakes, the greater the passion. It’s ridiculous.Feuds that tear families apart can be over the most insignificant of slights. A school board meeting can result in a political melee that almost makes you forget that this is the absolute bottom rung of the political process.
What gets me aboutthe debate in question is how quickly people assume the worst of each other when we are arguing about the freaking Elongated Man, for the love of God! We bitch about how are portrayed in the media maybe it’s not as unfair a portrayal as we deserve.
(then again, sports fans are just as bad–witness all the couch quarterbacks who mope for weeks when “they” lose a game. Yeah, like “they” were anywhere near the field. And how is it their team anyway. I have students who can’t zip up their pants by themselves but they root for the Duke Bluedevils like they will one day actually be at the school. I don’t get it.
Anyway, don’t take it to heart. It’s always been like this. Read some of the letter columns from musty old issues and you’ll see that comics…um, let’s just say, they attract a certain type. And I’ve got my own issues so who am I to judge?
July 31st, 2006 at 2:39 am
Even worse are the fans who are cheering when they win and praise the greatness of the team, but can’t say anything nice if they are on a losing streak-even if it’s the same players.
Yeah, I mean, i may not care for a series (I will admit, it annoyed me to find Booster Gold was being reverted back to the “Money Hungry Celeb Hero” for 52, only because I thought the death of Ted Kord would be a nice catalyst towards turning him into a strong and maybe even noble hero.
But I was also one of those people who loved Keith and J.M.’s Justice League. Hey, I liked the idea of a super-hero book that was funny.
I don’t participate much in the debates on the stuff, because people seem to quick to become upset over the little things.
On the other hand, i am one of those sickos who also like stories where the hero is less noble or struggles to overcome tragic odds.