What are things you dislike about the comic book fandom?

[ed2962]

It depends. There was a good number of folks who were upset when Kyle took over as GL. Remember HEAT? And a lot of people where mad when Barry died. Dan Slott got death threats over Sp0ck.

But you definitely don't get the same level of OUTRAGE when it's a minority/woman taking over. And it kills me cuz Marvel/DC has been doing this since the 80's but it's now that folks want to throw hissy fits.

Black Woman is the new 80's Capt Marvel? Cool. Latino teen is new 2000's Blue Beetle? Whatever. 2000-teens Muslim MS Marvel? PC Tyranny is being shoved down my throat!!

[tombo]

One of my biggest bugbears is when someones asks for more realism in a particular aspect of a comic/film and gets met with a mocking chorus of "you want realism in a fantasy/hero story, ha ha". IMO the thing that makes Spider-man interesting is that he's hero in a real world, JP is a dino theme park in the real world, Transformers are giant robots in the real world. When you make that the world around those fantasy characters fantasy too they stop being interesting IMO. Even LOTR type stuff should be believable historical world IMO and even a completely offbeat China Meiville type world should have its own internal logic/rules.

for example, i think it's completely valid to believe in Superman (for the duration of the movie) but not believe he can turn back time, or to suspend disbelief in the JP raptors existing, but not that Owen could befriend them so well, etc.

[LordMikel]

Nothing wrong with that. People that think Storm isn't black are fucking crazy, though.

Wait Storm is black? That explains so much about her coloring, I always thought they were just over doing it on the shadowing.

(High sarcasm for those who missed it)

[MaxQuick]

The inability to even consider that new characters are actual new characters and not this or that obscure never-was from 30 years back.

Oh man, so much this.

When it comes to the sections of comic-book fandom that I have the least amount of regard for, I often compare and contrast it to my own experiences with the band Radiohead.

At the turn of the millennium, after two stellar previous albums, Radiohead took a left turn in their career that I simply couldn't follow them down. It was a more electronic direction, which wasn't the problem in and of itself, it was more the way that it was implemented. I tried to get into them but I ultimately found the 'Kid A' and 'Amnesiac' albums boring and directionless. That was where Radiohead and I parted ways and I've barely heard a note of their music since. Thing is, it wasn't an acrimonious parting of ways. The band themselves have never heard of me and, even if they had somehow, wouldn't have given a toss. As for me, there are too many classic bands and albums out there to be bitter about something specific like that.

If I'd had the mentality of some 'fans' on here then I'd have spent the next decade online, endlessly harping on about the unfairness of it all. Looking for scapegoats in the band for the change in musical direction, demanding the return of the 'real' Radiohead and picking holes in albums that I've never even listened to. That kind of behaviour.

Obviously there's a big difference between comic-books and a rock band but the sense of entitlement that some people possess is the same.

I liked Shinedown's post on Facebook before their most recent album dropped. Basically, one of the guys said, "Stick with us, folks. If you like the new stuff, GREAT! If not, maybe we'll catch you on the next album!" I then realized that they do change a bit from album to album (as comics do from team to team) and that's great. It's offering something different with each new endeavor but those old ones are still there. They'll still play "45" even if their new stuff is more upbeat and doesn't really fit. It's not that they dislike it or disavowed it, but there's an album cycle to run. "Focus on the now, but we've got some hits still in the bag for ya."

"check your privilege" is a terrible expression at the best of times.

Thank you. I'm just glad someone acknowledges it.

The suffocating feeling of nostalgia expressed by a lot of fans, making the whole medium fee encased in amber.

Oh man, this so much. The local alternative rock radio station goes 90s all too often. There was once two Wayback Weekends in a SINGLE MONTH. It was a dark time, for sure.

It depends. There was a good number of folks who were upset when Kyle took over as GL. Remember HEAT? And a lot of people where mad when Barry died. Dan Slott got death threats over Sp0ck.

But you definitely don't get the same level of OUTRAGE when it's a minority/woman taking over. And it kills me cuz Marvel/DC has been doing this since the 80's but it's now that folks want to throw hissy fits.

Black Woman is the new 80's Capt Marvel? Cool. Latino teen is new 2000's Blue Beetle? Whatever. 2000-teens Muslim MS Marvel? PC Tyranny is being shoved down my throat!!

I think it's that now those people have a megaphone to broadcast those opinions whereas before they'd just grumble on with their lives.

[Holt]

People who won't shut up about the same topic. I sympathize with people who are angry over any given issue but there's a point where they hijack every thread to talk about the character or topic in question, and it gets annoying. You can't even have a discussion with anything that might be tangentially related to Nova because the same handful of people will come in screaming about how it's time for Richard Rider to come back.

when someone decides to call me a feminazi for saying Rat Queens is my current favorite title, then yes there are issues to be addressed

This. There's some people who are so insecure that they view pretty much anything pertaining to women, minorities, or LGBT characters as something to do with political correctness. Ms. Marvel just won some big award in France the other day and literally the first comment on the CBR article was something about how it only won because she's a Muslim and the judges wanted to feel progressive.

[John Ossie]

People who won't shut up about the same topic. I sympathize with people who are angry over any given issue but there's a point where they hijack every thread to talk about the character or topic in question, and it gets annoying. You can't even have a discussion with anything that might be tangentially relate to Nova because the same handful of people will come in screaming about how it's time for Richard Rider to come back.

THIS. SO THIS. I remember getting into a little argument with a Richard Rider fan pre-Secret Wars because EVERY time there was a thread that was SPECIFICALLY about Sam's book it got hijacked by Richard Rider fans, it got to the point where there was no point trying to talk about the Sam book because they kept coming in and bitching and whining about Rider not being around. And no matter how often you reminded them it was supposed to be a thread specifically about Sam's book, and most of the time there wasn't even a reference to Richard they STILL did it.

We get it you want him back!

LOL

Thank you for posting that, it gave me a chance to get that of my chest.

[John Ossie]

Also, fans who get aggressive and won't listen LOL that's a big one. To be fair there's not many like that though.

[Professor Moriarty]

I was at a con and there was this guy there with his wife and kids and he was dressed as Star Sapphire, the sliver age Star Sapphire, he had a wig and everything.

You want to do that fine, but you bring your kids with you while you're dressed like a female character? could you image if the kids at the school those kids go to found out?

[CSTowle]

Kids are a##holes. Especially to other kids. They'll make up reasons to pick on another kid. I think it's cool that dad's comfy enough with his hobby and cosplay (something I could never get the courage up to do, male or female character) that he's able to bring his kids into his hobby. If anything I'd be more concerned with them getting bored by table after table of old comics, but chances are they're on their phones/iPads/etc.

[MyriVerse]

People who think Storm is the greatest comic character everr.

People who think Storm isn't the greatest comic character ever... after Kitty.
HAHA!

Seriously though... I think comic fandom (in general) is way too fickle about most things, these days. Few seem to want to stick around to enjoy stuff, instead wander off to the next new shiny bling bling very quickly.

[hero talk]

Batman fans have to be the worst. Also the ppl who love to see the Watchmen story told over and over again for the millionth time in the worst way possible.

this is something I dont like people saying batman fans are the worst because they really like him thats just wrong and it needs to stop
its one thing to say you dont like batman it's another to say batman fans are bad

[PwrdOn]

What gets on my nerves is the continued insistence of fans that their opinions are somehow objective or that there is any chance people won't see through their biases. Because at the end of the day, it's fine to be subjective and irrational when it comes to comics, I like what I like and sometimes I can't explain why, but I just want to see more of it and recognize that not everybody will agree. There isn't some kind of natural logic to any of this stuff.

[CliffHanger2]

this is something I dont like people saying batman fans are the worst because they really like him thats just wrong and it needs to stop
its one thing to say you dont like batman it's another to say batman fans are bad

But it's mostly their fault I blame Frank Milller partly though. I don't know who really invented the batgod tho but the whole" He's the most dangerous hero cause he has no powers so he can beat anybody! TDK is the best movie evaaarr!!!" stuff is just ugh...and then the Joker thing. Ya just can't...

[Professor Moriarty]

I was at a con and there was this guy there with his wife and kids and he was dressed as Star Sapphire, the sliver age Star Sapphire, he had a wig and everything.

You want to do that fine, but you bring your kids with you while you're dressed like a female character? could you image if the kids at the school those kids go to found out?

Also at that convention there was a neo nazi there.

I was there with my brother and his now ex girlfriend and we where sitting in a auditorium to see Kevin Eastman and while Eastman was talking i look over at the other side of the aisle and this guy was sitting there and had swastika tattoos all over his arms and legs.

If you are going around showing off your neo nazi tattoos in public for everybody to see then you are asking for trouble.

[TheInvisibleMan]

this is something I dont like people saying batman fans are the worst because they really like him thats just wrong and it needs to stop
its one thing to say you dont like batman it's another to say batman fans are bad

Batman fans are at the top of the obnoxious list IMO, they believe he can do anything at all and that anyone that gets anything past him is some conspiracy against the character

actually its Batman and X-Men fans

both are pretty grating