I see it a lot online (not here of course). People who debate characters like they know what they are talking about when in actuality they haven’t read the comic or even read the pages to know exactly what they are debating. And this stuff bleeds into movies/show discussions because those people tend to be very vocal online. There are also websites that propagate comic book misinformation like CBR and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a lot of people who get their information solely from there.
I am still fairly new to comics in general. Batman is a hot topic in a lot of discussions because of certain feats and how popular he is. With some of the stuff I’ve heard online, his character seemed very goofy and outlandish. It wasn’t until I started reading batman months ago that I realized the amount of misinformation out there.
True. As I said, I never touched batman BECAUSE of that stuff. I think a good portion of me starting was spite. But now I see why people love him but the stuff I see online is just wrong in many ways.
It’s essentially what killed the Burtonverse and Snyderverse.
It seems like big hobbies/trends attract possers who essentially end up affecting said franchise or IP. The same thing happened to Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.
I feel this thread so much, I felt this way not too long ago. I got into Batman because I was forced to watch the 1989 movie and instantly I fell in love with it, and this was around the time Batman vs. Superman came out. During that time, I hadn’t read any of the comics myself but I was trying to watch all of the movies first in order to get a good foundation, but when BvS came out, people would try to tell me that it wasn’t a good choice to side with Batman when those debates would come up, because those people back then were the general public who saw “Superman has super powers, therefore he wins”, even though I knew at the time that not everything in comics and the superhero genre worked that way. I vividly remember someone saying “What’s Batman gonna do, throw a batarang at 'em” when I mentioned how excited I was to go see the movie when it came out, and not gonna lie, it kinda hurt.
Then I started reading comics, and I quickly learned that there is a fine line between comic readers and the general public who only associate the characters with their on-screen adaptations. Not only that, but depending on the person, some people will only associate a character based on which specific version. For example, for the longest time my mom only associated Robin with Burt Ward’s version from the Adam West show, and it took a really hard time to explain how far the character of Robin has come (I was actually terrified to show her Red Hood because I felt like she wouldn’t understand). Those people think that the comics work the same way, even though they don’t. It’s actually why I don’t tell people I don’t know very well that I like comics, because then they’ll start asking me questions but won’t actually listen to me, because I know how hard it is to try to explain certain things or provide context to things that look “weird” to the general public (like how Peacekeeper hasn’t had a much needed costume update). It’s really hard to teach people when they aren’t willing to listen, and this is where being a fan can be exhausting.
Sorry if this was long and all over the place, the TL;DR is that it’s just ignorance from a whole lot of people. I didn’t even discuss how there are some people that only read certain comics but still act like they know everything else. That’s a discussion for another day.
Interesting. There are indeed a lot of people who think Batman is only a ‘street-level’ character for a lack of better words. In my post, I was more so talking about the people who know of the greater feats but they don’t know the context of those feats which can completely charge the arguments being made. You can only really get that context from reading the comics. I think during the time of BvS there was one side that was saying what you mentioned and the other saying what I mentioned.
Also I hella relate to not wanting to explain stuff to people. You are right. They really don’t want to listen. I’ve experienced the type of people you mentioned. There are also people who pride themselves on knowing a lot of information about the movies and shows. and once you tell them or even hint that you read some comics they don’t want to hear any more out of you. it’s weird.
Yeah, when I first saw this thread I felt a rush of emotions and I didn’t know how to convey them all, so I tried my best. What gets me the most is when other people who are a part of the fanbase/community are the one’s who start making it toxic. While it’s not so big on here, there are some members you have to watch out for, but then again, I don’t know a community who doesn’t have at least one of those.
True. But the stuff I see online a lot of times is people referencing specific feats but not actually knowing the context/story/dialogue/etc. then using those feats to make a point or debate etc.
EDIT: It’s the equivalent of reading news headlines then going out and discussing said news which people most certainly do as well.
I started reading comics in my early 30s. Before that, the only thing I knew about comics is that they didn’t exactly follow the movies or shows, and all my DC knowledge was based on Reeve, Keaton, Carter, etc. An online Comixology ad for New 52 got me into it. Later, websites like CBR and comicbook.com provided rabbit holes I would dive into to discover more stuff. For instance, I see an article about COIE, so I decide to check it out. DC related social sites became a thing for me only with DCU. I only have 1 friend who used to be into Marvel comics in his teens, but has since dropped the hobby. The rest of my social circle have probably never read a comic.
Basically, in the 11 years I’ve been reading this stuff, I’ve only scratched the surface. I’m no expert on any of it, even my favorite character, Superman. I do know a bit more than the average non-comic book reading Joe though. I don’t find it off putting at all that folks… well… know what they know. It’s not like (for example) Superman getting split into two energy beings in the 90s is essential knowledge, you know? I’m not shy at all about my hobby. Some folks are curious, some are dismissive, but I find that most are respectful about it. I’m also respectful of the fact that the person I’m talking to may (for example) appreciate Christopher Reeve’s Superman and can care less about how John Byrne rebooted the character. If there’s interest, we get into it. If not, well… Reeve really was swell .
I could imagine this post being perceived in all sorts of ways. But I thought it was best to ask here since we all read comics. Or at least more likely do. Since we are willing to pay the subscription and all.
Yeah, I am probably a baby in terms of reading compared to most of you guys. I started VERY late. So I know even less. Some guy posted some screenshots in this thread and IDK what comics they even are. When I mentioned the stuff that I personally see, it is only stuff that I have verified through my own reading. I am not sure if people are following but I tried to word it in the best way possible without giving off certain vibes I guess? Knowing what you know is fine. But pretending to know stuff you don’t is weird to me.
I’ve only been REALLY reading for about 2-3 years. But I spent a long time being overwhelmed and trying to go by long reading orders and getting burnt out because half the comics in the ‘correct’ order I didn’t care about. That caused me to read in spurts. Once I accepted that it was impossible to read everything I kinda just read whatever I think is appealing.
In order: Detective Comics #30, Batman #2, Batman: The Cult #4, Batman #156, Detective Comics #439, Batman #656, Justice League of America #9, and Batman and the Outsiders #1. Every single one of those stories is at least very good, and some of them are classics.
Well… not to get all meta on you… but if that’s what your concern, it extends to all facets of life. We live in an age where a lot of folks unfortunately get their news and info from social media bits and questionable online sources, and form their opinions based on it. Reminds me of Peacemaker: “Why would Google lie to me?”. Know it alls that don’t know much will always exist, and so will trolls. My advice is to just be smart & diligent. Do your own comics reading, form your own opinions, find your own passion, and surround yourself with good influences. Seems like you’re well on your way anyway… enjoy yourself!
I think if studios did a better job of adapting said stories, then people would be more informed with the full context of things. You can’t really blame people for only being familiar with these characters through movies or television. Especially if these studios aren’t really doing a good job with the adaptations.
.