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PSA: The day I realized comic book fans gatekeep harder than anyone
Last Saturday I went to a local con in Portland and wore a Superman shirt, nothing fancy just my favorite one. Some dude in his 40s walked up and asked me who my favorite Superman writer was, then laughed when I said Jeph Loeb. He spent 10 minutes explaining why John Byrne was the only real choice and told me I wasn't a "real fan" if I didn't own the Byrne run. Like bro, I just like wearing the shirt, I've read maybe 20 issues total. It made me wonder, do you guys ever feel like some fans turn simple fun into a weird competition? Has anyone else had that awkward moment where a stranger grills you over something casual?
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margaretj401mo ago
Gosh, that reminds me of something nobody talks about. Those gatekeepers are usually the same guys who haven't touched a new comic in years, so they're basically stuck in a time capsule. They grill you on writers from the 80s because that's when they felt important, and now they're mad the hobby moved on. You wearing that shirt is a way bigger compliment to Superman than some dude who treats reading like a homework assignment. Honestly, the real fan test is whether you still smile when you see the logo, not if you can name every issue of a 40 year old run. Next time someone tries that, just ask them what they think of the current run and watch them squirm.
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