What kind of X-Men reader are you?

[Domino_Dare-Doll]

I read all of Marvel from X-Men, to Spider-Man and General MU. I’m far from exclusive to any branch.

Cool! Any reason why?

[Domino_Dare-Doll]

Both of those approaches definitely apply to me as well.

Really? I won't pry on your personal situations but, if I may ask, how do other fans' opinions/reactions impact your read or experience?

[JB]

Are you the type who needs it to be immersed and connected to the rest of the Marvel universe?
No...with the exception of DD, I don't currently read outside the XU. However, I do like when there is some acknowledgement that it is a shared Universe as with BP and F4. (I have absolutely sworn off of inter-office Crossover events, for decades...waste of time and money).

Is continuity a deal-breaker for you?
Continuity and/or Lack there-of is a non-issue. I've always been a here-in the-now reader. I like and appreciate when situations and characters change and develop beyond their points of origin. I do have my favourite "eras" but I expect my books to change with the times, not here for the nostalgia, that's what my back-issues are for.

Perhaps you're more of an emotional reader, here for the experience? Or are you strictly character based?
Both. I love certain characters and I like the X-Men as a whole very much...always have. But...I never get too emotionally invested in the story/characters in front of me as I fully understand they are subjected to the whims and fancies of the writers and artists. Either I like/love it or I don't...there is very little room for middling.

Does anything impact how you read?
I will always be interested in a book if I think the art/artist is excellent. I will probably continue to read even if the writer isn't that skilled but I will never pick up a book if the writer or artist is one whom I detest, even if it stars my favourite characters.

Your own experiences or situations, perhaps? ...Never. I separate my real life from my creative escapism. I don't need the product to be relatable in any way, shape or form. I just need it to be entertaining, literarily and visually.

Or, say, other fans' opinions or reactions? ...Never. I depend entirely on my own judgement and interests...it's my interest, my time, my money...no one else gets a say. I may consider someone else's pov but at the end of the day, it has very little direct, personal value.

Can I copy your answers?

[Astroman]

I see, that's so fascinating! Because as a creative myself working to get into the business, I find that being part of the process draws me in closer to it? It further fuels my passion and gives me a great appreciation for the medium. But it is really interesting to hear how that's influenced you: so you'd say you don't really empathise with the characters as people? They're...part of a product, for you? Do you still feel concern for characters in the same manner, or hold the same level of investment because of it?

It's less about absolutes and more about perspective. Or to use a more philosophical or spiritual term, my "observer self" is in full effect. I can emotionally and vicariously enjoy the story and characters but while fully being able to disengage from those attachments when needed. They are 'people' with a lower-case 'p' and not in the same category as my wife, kids, friends, or coworkers, etc. Stories can be used to reflect upon real life, not to be a virtual stand in for it. For me, if I took my fiction that seriously, it would be because I was trying to avoid something in my real life, or use it to numb out part of my real life, or fill a hole that might be better filled with something else. That may not be the case for others, but for me that would be the case. This isn't to say that I'm not disappointed when things change in ways I don't like, just that the disappointment is at the same level of a favorite restaurant's menu changing... not losing a friend or job or something like that.

Something to consider with regard to your passion mentioned above would be, how would you respond if you got a dream job writing your favorite characters only to be told by editorial that you had to insert elements you found contrary or reprehensible to your understanding of the character? Those sort of choices and considerations are part and parcel with the industry. Being more detached helps 1) keep a paycheck and career; and 2) not drive yourself into a negative emotional state. Or, to paraphrase an old quote, "If you want to destroy a perfectly good hobby, make it your job."

So what fascinates you about this approach? And what would it take for it to change, for you, do you think?

It's not about fascination as what, for me, is a mature personal approach to fiction. Nothing in fiction warrants me getting tied in knots about creative choices or losing sleep over what happened to my favorite characters or whatever.

The fiction I am fully invested in is the fiction I create and the "public domain" realm of folklore that I like to tell stories from. And no matter how many times Disney has people show up at storytelling festivals to try and convince tellers to tell folktales the "Disney" way, those belong to the people, not a corporation. Anything else, to me at least, is a suckers' game.

Additionally, here's a question: Do you find you engage differently with the data pages than you do with the on panel stuff? How do they enrich the story for you beyond just being extra information or goodies? What is is about them?

When I'm reading them, I approach them in two different ways. The first read through has me imagining the in-story author of the text writing it out. I then consider possible things that prompted them to make that entry. Sometimes even where they are, what they are drinking while doing it, and other concerns. It is an interactive way of engaging with the page and the context of its creation. Completely personal and subjective but also a fun creative exercise.

The second time I go through it, I approach it from a craft point of view, especially when diagrams, charts, flows, etc. are included. At this point I'm just geeking out on the info design.

[Astroman]

Really? I won't pry on your personal situations but, if I may ask, how do other fans' opinions/reactions impact your read or experience?

They don't. The only time it does is when things get too heated or weird (for my experience at least) here on the forums, I log out as it isn't fun or entertaining anymore.

With regard to the books though, not at all.

Now, if someone points out a plot element or beat that I missed, that can be cool. But 'opinions' in the sense of "like" or "don't like" don't affect me. If my connection with larger fandom disappeared tomorrow, it wouldn't affect my reading habits at all.

[Odd Rödney]

Ok, cool: can I ask what you find so exciting about it? How do you feel it's shaken things up; has it contradicted anything at all for you, or if not, how do you feel the concept has been 'evolved'?

Well, everything is just so fresh and new. I truly don't know what's going to happen next which is a big thing. Like I mentioned earlier, the X-Men were starting to feel like a nostalgia trip with very few new ideas, the books became predictable. This new stuff also treats some characters dear to me in ways that seem more in line with established characterization, which was lacking in recent years. Plus, I think Scott, Jean & Logan are totally in a polyamorous relationship, which is certainly new.

Do you see this as a hopeful approach or as the X-Men finally 'giving up' in a sense to follow something more along the lines of Magneto?

It seems like a hopeful compromise between Charles' and Erik's ideologies, pursuing coexistence while making it clear that the treatment they recieved in the past will no longer be tolerated.

[Hybrid]

Cool! Any reason why?

I just think the MU is a great setting full of awesome stories and characters, and it’s pretty well connected so it feels good to read about a shared world.

[tuck frump]

Right now, only read for Polaris, and only when she's treated well and respectfully.

I used to read books like X-Men Legacy earlier cause Lorna was going to show up there eventually, or books like Bunn's Magneto solo because I figured it was relevant to Lorna by association even if she were to never show up. I saw it as something where gradual exposure to associated characters would build my interest outward til I was into all of it. Marvel's treatment of Lorna after 2015 has soured me on that approach, so I don't do it anymore. No point if what I care most about won't be respected in the grand scheme.

A lot of things impact my reading (or, rather, the fact I'm not reading anything anymore). Experiences with Marvel and companies that operate the same way Marvel does. Awareness of what is and isn't possible with writing, vs what Marvel actually does. Comments by editors and executives, especially in comparison to my actual lived experiences and observations in fandom.

I'm coming from a POV in which I didn't really care much about anything Marvel offered until I randomly stumbled on Polaris via the Marvel wikia entirely by myself. I didn't have a solo book, or a playable game or movie/TV appearance, or focus in a major event to make me aware of her. It had to happen by accident, because Marvel's reluctant to acknowledge she has anything to offer or give her a real chance.

What were you doing on the Marvel wiki if you didnt know anything about Marvel and didnt care?

[pandafarmer]

So can I ask, what is it about New Mutants that draws you towards them? And, I'm especially intrigued at the idea of you just being able to drop a book; that's purely on how it's executed? Have you ever found that you can't stand how a character is at any time? Be it their execution or where there story seems to head, or...?

And you wouldn't say you're particularly swayed by reactions on her or, say, interviews or creator views or the like?

When I was growing up Marvel used to put out these packs of 2-3 comic books in a plastic bag and my local book shop would sell them at the counter. My parents would buy my sister and I comics and she liked all the Batman and DC books and I liked ROM, Avengers, and X-Men. The X-Men seemed different. They were mysterious and dealt with things that the Avengers just didn't (this was during Claremont's classic run). I eventually only collected X-Books and through that wanted to know more about the B-squad of mutants that Kitty hung out with. They were my age, like me and my friends, and had faults like we did. Through that I fell in love with the core group and followed them until X-Force even when I dropped the main X-Men Blue/Gold line. Something about them stayed with me, because even when I stopped reading comic books and tried to be more mature in college, it was the second volume of New Mutants that brought me back into reading and through that Astonishing and New X-Men. Then after another long break as an adult, it was seeing a random picture of Bendis's X-Men featuring Cyclops fighting along side Emma, Mags, and Magik that made me stop in my tracks. I went back and re-read the entire Xcatalog as a result. New Mutants were my family and best friends in my formative years. Even today, I understand their motivations more than any other comic character.

I don't really let the creators sway what I read. If someone's a jerk in real life usually you never see it in the books. Unless someone is really over the top about it and it ruins the characters on the page for me, I don't find it an issue.

[Silver Fang]

--Are...are you me?? That's my life story right there!!

Tragic. Again such is the fate for people who are tightly character-focused.

But, see, that's just as fascinating: Do you find you mourn for those characters when you have to drop them? Do you feel betrayed at all...how do you move on to another character/fandom because, ya know...it's not them. They can't just be substituted? And what does it take for you to drop that character?

Moving on isn't premeditated. But as I cling to a destroyed character hoping for scraps, I usually always stumble onto another fandom. Sometimes a character will catch my eye, and I look them up. Then that character becomes a new interest. Meanwhile the previous character went bad long ago, nobody has tried to fix it, so they no longer have anything to offer me as a fan So out I went & my interest flat-lined. I only mourn things I care about. At the time of caring for a character, I mourn how great they used to be & how much they've been destroyed. But if I have moved on to something else, then I don't care anymore. Even if they recover, I still don't care. It's too late. The time for something good is when I cared. When I lose interest, it doesn't come back.

Again, most recent in the string of destroyed favs. was Sabretooth. Back in the late 80's and up to 2002, he was the type of villain I Liked. He was intelligent, effective, and dangerous. He also had that provocative sense of humor to himself. He took his lumps like any character, but he was an effective foe that took effort to defeat unless he was handicapped in some way. And even if he was defeated, it usually wasn't without damage to the hero(es) physically or mentally. Move to 2003, and he no longer any of the things he was. He's dumb as a post, can't fight for ****, nobody takes him seriously, and he gets KO'd by everyone instantly. Then some idiot thought it'd be good to pair him up with Mystique who ripped off what little balls he had left & wore them herself. Now, instead of being a solo villain, he's now known as her personal henchman or a Brotherhood flunky after another idiot decided to follow those crappy FOX films..

When he became a good guy in AXIS, the character still jobbed but was characterized better and more seriously, so I was cool with that. But his last good story there ended with Bunn and every writer after that only uses him as a Scapegoat Punching Bag.

Then once again, I took notice of another character & found them more enjoyable. This is an OLD character I was always familiar with but it'd be so many years since I'd casually seen them that I didn't think much of them until I saw them a few months back. Oddly enough this character is basically how Sabretooth used to be when he was relevant and he hasn't lost his effectiveness. BUT AGAIN, downside is pairing. He's paired up with a woman I HATE who has his balls in a vice. Loved the first woman he was with but that was destroyed in a HUGE way years ago. Now his current woman comes with the package, and isn't going anywhere since they've been together for 20 years now.

[Odd Rödney]

What were you doing on the Marvel wiki if you didnt know anything about Marvel and didnt care?

This is probably the most interesting and important question on this thread. It does make one wonder.

[Devaishwarya]

Can I copy your answers?

Certainly...we Krakoans are family.

[Domino_Dare-Doll]

When I was growing up Marvel used to put out these packs of 2-3 comic books in a plastic bag and my local book shop would sell them at the counter. My parents would buy my sister and I comics and she liked all the Batman and DC books and I liked ROM, Avengers, and X-Men. The X-Men seemed different. They were mysterious and dealt with things that the Avengers just didn't (this was during Claremont's classic run). I eventually only collected X-Books and through that wanted to know more about the B-squad of mutants that Kitty hung out with. They were my age, like me and my friends, and had faults like we did. Through that I fell in love with the core group and followed them until X-Force even when I dropped the main X-Men Blue/Gold line. Something about them stayed with me, because even when I stopped reading comic books and tried to be more mature in college, it was the second volume of New Mutants that brought me back into reading and through that Astonishing and New X-Men. Then after another long break as an adult, it was seeing a random picture of Bendis's X-Men featuring Cyclops fighting along side Emma, Mags, and Magik that made me stop in my tracks. I went back and re-read the entire Xcatalog as a result. New Mutants were my family and best friends in my formative years. Even today, I understand their motivations more than any other comic character.

I don't really let the creators sway what I read. If someone's a jerk in real life usually you never see it in the books. Unless someone is really over the top about it and it ruins the characters on the page for me, I don't find it an issue.

That's really great though; you obviously hold fond memories for the franchise?

So, can I ask; do you still love the old stuff despite this new direction? This new direction doesn't contradict them at all, in your opinion? See, I've seen from many posters that they're alright with basically burning all the old to the ground, but...?

[Domino_Dare-Doll]

Tragic. Again such is the fate for people who are tightly character-focused.



Moving on isn't premeditated. But as I cling to a destroyed character hoping for scraps, I usually always stumble onto another fandom. Sometimes a character will catch my eye, and I look them up. Then that character becomes a new interest. Meanwhile the previous character went bad long ago, nobody has tried to fix it, so they no longer have anything to offer me as a fan So out I went & my interest flat-lined. I only mourn things I care about. At the time of caring for a character, I mourn how great they used to be & how much they've been destroyed. But if I have moved on to something else, then I don't care anymore. Even if they recover, I still don't care. It's too late. When I lose interest in anything, I don't gain it back.

Again, most recent in the string of destroyed favs. was Sabretooth. Back in the late 80's and up to 2002, he was the type of villain I Liked. He was intelligent, effective, and dangerous. He also had that provocative sense of humor to himself. He took his lumps like any character, but he was an effective foe that took effort to defeat unless he was handicapped in some way. And even if he was defeated, it usually wasn't without damage to the hero(es) physically or mentally. Move to 2003, and he no longer any of the things he was. He's dumb as a post, can't fight for ****, nobody takes him seriously, and he gets KO'd by everyone instantly. Then some idiot thought it'd be good to pair him up with Mystique who ripped off what little balls he had left & wore them herself. Now, instead of being a solo villain, he's now known as her personal henchman or a Brotherhood flunky after another idiot decided to follow those crappy FOX films..

When he became a good guy in AXIS, the character still jobbed but was characterized better and more seriously, so I was cool with that. But his last good story there ended with Bunn and every writer after that only uses him as a Scapegoat Punching Bag.

Then once again, I took notice of another character & found them more enjoyable. This is an OLD character I was always familiar with but it'd be so many years since I'd casually seen them that I didn't think much of them until I saw them a few months back. Oddly enough this character is basically how Sabretooth used to be when he was relevant and he hasn't lost his effectiveness. BUT AGAIN, downside is pairing. He's paired up with a woman I HATE who has his balls in a vice. Loved the first woman he was with but that was destroyed in a HUGE way years ago. Now his current woman comes with the package, and isn't going anywhere since they've been together for 20 years now.

I see; so it's a natural progression of apathy?

I think I understand that. My special interests are always fuelled by the content coming out: I have 'old' interests that I've lost no love for, but there's simply nothing 'new' about them that sparks the same old passion. I'll hold them fondly in my heart but...that's it? That's sort of how you feel, I think?

Do you still find yourself frustrated, though, at the treatment of your favourite? Even if you are able to detach and 'move on' in a way? Or is it just...you sort of expect it...?

[Domino_Dare-Doll]

I just think the MU is a great setting full of awesome stories and characters, and it’s pretty well connected so it feels good to read about a shared world.

Aw that's awesome! So what do you like most about the characters? What about the shared world really keeps you sticking around?