brevoortformspring:

All fan outraged is justified to the fan in question, sure.

But it’s a very rare thing that any fan outrage leads to us changing direction in the way you’re talking about, not in the short-term anyway.

We tell stories. We have confidence in the skills of our creators and editors in being able to craft those stories such that people like them. And we’re not a Democracy, not a choose-your-own-adventure experience.

And yeah, that means that we’re sometimes going to do stories that some people aren’t going to like, but that’s true of every storyteller in every medium. Can’t let that paralyze you, can’t let it hold you back.

Hrm. I agree in theory, except that lots of the time fan outrage at comics is over things like, I dunno, killing off a character who had their own stories to tell or otherwise removing them from the lineup.

I mean yes don’t be slaves to your readers’ every whim (that’s not practical or possible really) but it’s not like it doesn’t happen with some regularity that someone will come along and basically disrespect what a character has stood for in the past. Was it hard to foresee anger over, say, using Cassandra Cain (who, as I understand it, was popular as Batgirl) as a villain and then having to backpedal like mad? Or retroactively making Dr. Light a rapist? (I know this was a marvel conversation but I know more about DC controversies, so) It’s not as though comics don’t have a legacy of doing things for shock value without much regard for the consequences, or, indeed, actually telling a good story.

I don’t doubt that the confidence alluded to is there, but between its crappy track record on representation and rampant misogyny, mainstream superhero comics is not a medium that needs to listen to criticism LESS. Maybe not from every fan with an obscure continuity boner, or who just doesn’t like change, but certainly from SOMEBODY.

Idk just my thoughts.