“If you hate it so much, then why are you reading it?”
We’ve all seen this question before, whether it was directed at ourselves or at someone else in a comments section or on Twitter. It’s a really easy way to put someone in their place when they complain about a comic book run that they didn’t enjoy. The problem is that comic books present a unique problem that very few other media outlets have to deal with, at least with this sort of frequency. Being a fan of a character means having to read a lot of different creators have takes on that character over the years. You will inevitably like some of them and you will inevitably dislike others. One solution is to follow creators rather than characters (something that I definitely advocate), but there are two very understandable problems with that approach.
One is that I really like Spider-Man. He’s my favorite. I think Dan Slott is doing a terrific job with him, but even if I didn’t, I would find it very difficult to drop his major titles. The other problem is that even creators that you like will eventually disappoint you with their take on a character. All due respect to Kieron Gillen, who is one of the best writers in comics if you ask me, but his Iron Man run just hasn’t done it for me. Dropping titles can be difficult. Sometimes it’s a case of comic book fans being overly obsessive by nature, but most times it’s just human nature. We want to enjoy the things that we normally enjoy and we feel a little lost and sometimes upset when we don’t.
“But how can you criticize it, if you haven’t read it?”
Well, now what do you do? They’ve caught you in a trap. Does this frustrate you as much as it does me? You stopped reading “Avengers Arena” after giving it an honest 3-issue trial period, but now everyone insists that it’s great and that you can’t argue about it if you haven’t read it. But they’ve put up an iron-clad defense that makes it about what you did wrong, rather than what you think the title did wrong. Apparently you aren’t supposed to read 8 issues of something you didn’t like, but you can’t dislike it if you didn’t read it. Somehow, whatever you did, it wasn’t good enough.
So what do you do?
You could stop debating comic books on the internet. You won’t run into these arguments if you just shut up, read your comics, and go about your day. But you want to discuss comic books with somebody! It’s your hobby and you want to engage in it in some sort of public forum. After all, the age of troll is upon us and, to be honest, sometimes that’s what you look like. I know I’m guilty of it, when I get particularly frustrated.
You could only focus on the things that you read and liked, rather than the things that you didn’t like. This keeps things really positive and is, in theory, a fine idea. If you have this sort of impeccable self-control, then you are a better man or woman than I. Even those who tout positivity will snark on things like the Transformers films or other media that is generally accepted to be bad. Is it okay, just because it’s a bigger consensus?
Moreover, every comics website would like to write positive reviews for comic books, because nobody wants comic books to be bad and nobody is looking to trash a creator. First of all, they’re human beings too. Second of all, writing bad reviews means that you have to disappoint someone. Unfortunately, it’s inevitable. But the point of a debate is that everyone isn’t going to see things the same way. Every individual is, in a way, an amateur critic. You hated “Age of Ultron” and you want to combat a point of view that says it’s the best event in a long time, because you think debate is healthy and you really think that the success of “Age of Ultron” could result in more comics that you don’t want to see. But hey, why did you read 10 issues of something you hated? And there we go again.
Continued below
We’ve seen these incredibly divided arguments play out recently with Man of Steel, “Age of Ultron”, and “Superior Spider-Man”, a few very polarizing events in the comic book world. And out of these events, I found a couple of ways to engage in internet debate in a way that might lessen the frustration of being caught in an inescapable loop and help you know when to quit doing something that you don’t like:
1. Do not engage the creator of a work that you hated. Debating with individuals on Twitter is one thing, but trying to tell Dan Slott that you hate what he’s doing with Peter Parker is another. And as free as you are to go ahead and do it, no one really wants to see it. You wouldn’t want Dan Slott coming to you at your job and telling you and your boss how bad you are at it. Beyond the fact that the creator will not take it well and doesn’t need to see it, they have a lot of friends in the industry that will back them up too. That’s without even mentioning the creator’s fans, who will be more than happy to pile on too. You’re setting yourself up for failure and it’s really very understandable from their end. So put your feelings out there, but don’t directly try to trash anyone. It won’t go well.
2. Resign yourself to the idea that you got your opinion out there and sometimes that’s the best you can do. Sometimes being a part of the discussion means making your feelings known, but leaving it at that. Social media is wonderful, because you control the amount of engagement. Sometimes some people are just not worth debating. That doesn’t mean you have to lose your right to voice your opinions entirely. Remember that you can block, leave, or ignore whoever and whatever you want. There’s no changing everyone’s mind. Hell, you know well enough that your own mind is rarely changed when you have a strong opinion. There is value in being a part of the discussion, but not a part of the devolution of an argument. Learn when to disengage.
3. Set concrete rules for yourself. I personally read the first 3 issues of any run that I’m relatively interested in. No more, if I don’t like it, and no less, even if I’m not liking it. Three issues in, that creator should have gotten to a point where you know what kind of book you’ll be getting and whether you dig it or not. If anyone tries to tell you that you didn’t give it enough of a shot, take comfort in the fact that they’re expecting too much out of you. It’s unreasonable to keep spending money on something that you didn’t like after 3 full issues (or whatever number you decide upon). I made an exception for “Age of Ultron” and I regret it. After 3 issues, my complaints about the writing and the general direction of the plot were not alleviated by the end of the miniseries, and in some cases they were amplified. There are too many good comic books out there these days for you to waste much more time on ones you don’t like. You know, some of these debate problems actually are your responsibility.
4. Have good spelling, good grammar, and stay on topic. Pretty obvious, right? You didn’t just have English class in high school so that you could pass an English test. You had to do it because you were being prepared for the real world, which now very much includes social media debate on the internet. I won’t dwell on this one much longer, but if this is you: “superior spiderman is fricken retardded dan slott sux”, then you shouldn’t have to wonder very much why you aren’t being engaged with the level of respect that you think you deserve.
Debating comic books on the internet, as with politics or religion, can be an incredibly passionate and heated exercise. We spend a lot of time and money on a hobby that we love very much and can sometimes be too close to it to let go. It’s frustrating to play the game of not reading something you hate, but being able to talk about something you stopped reading. If these arguments begin to frustrate you, take a more concentrated approach to them, figure out who is actually interested in honest debate, and learn to let go when your point has been made. You might find that you’ll begin to enjoy your hobby a lot more.
