Are we, as fans, spoiled?
Being the unrepentant old-school comic geek that I am, I sometimes marvel at the times. Big movie budgets and amazing animated features that crushes anything I had as a child rule the day. Only the best actors need apply when Marvel OR DC rolls out their latest cinematic project. And the access! With Netfix and digital downloads galore, the comic world is at your disposal. But these things do not astound me quite as much as the instance world of the internet.
Everything at your finger tips. And the attention span? Short and not so sweet. But with all of this access, you would think we would be a happy bunch of fan boys (and girls). But we aren't. Ride the internet long enough and you find it to be a truly agonizing roller coaster ride with more downs that ups. So, keeping all of this in mind, it begs the question: Are we way too spoiled as fans? And how does this bode for the future of comics and the cinematic universes?
The short answer is 'YES! Damn straight we're spoiled!' Like giving a child everything it asks for and wants; it NEVER ends well and only raises a brat!
The long answer is a bit more difficult.
I hate to be the old man in the room by saying 'Back in my day', but back in my day we were lucky to even get comic related movies past the low budget television specials. We ended up with Captain America riding a motorcycle with a see through shield or Spidey climbing the wall with the obvious cables to help. Nostalgia begs me to praise the days of the sixties Batman although the camp was strong with this one. It also raises a glass to Linda Carter in that red, yellow and blue bustier fighting crime and a waning male chauvinism. And it would be sad of me not to mention Bill Bixby and Lou Ferigno selling the Incredible Hulk to the general public on a weekly basis.
But those days are gone. And, as good as they were for their times, they pale in comparison to the great television shows and movies coming out of the woodwork every year from the various comic franchises. Hollywood and all the networks are clamoring for comic properties to release to the public and be a part of the 'in' thing. Much like the flood of reality shows before them, a handful of production companies makes something work and everyone has to copy it. It just so happens that the thing they are flooding today’s market with is something we all know and love: our comics!
But we're still not a bit happy as a collective, it seems. I must say I'm overjoyed. But everyday I look at the internet and wonder what is wrong with my brethren! Once again, it's not all of them. I find many of my ilk are just as giddy as I am about everything I see and hear. And it may be the squeaky wheel syndrome here, but the overall feel from the reactions from the internet is that we can't be happy with any of it. This actor is wrong for that part. The makeup is wrong. The outfit is bad. The leaked or released story is insane and must be butchered before we even see the end result. We cry and moan and whine about every little detail. Sometimes, we're right. But, oft times, we have to eat crow but we hardly admit our mistakes.
And, in the midst of picking every bit of information clean, we find every occasion to not only fault every detail, but look for reasons to be offended by each and every word and picture. Comics especially are running scared of a fan base that expects the world to bend to the whim of each and every special cause as well as adhere to a politically correct 'comics code' that runs on the emotions of the loudest and most determined reader. Misstep and they find themselves backpedaling, kowtowing and releasing apologies left and right; all the while, running damage control. They pull covers in an instant and make up stories about how they were going to do it anyway. Anything to make them part of the 'in crowd' and stay on the happy side of the internet mob.
And, God forbid you withhold teasers and spoilers from the fans! Point in case, San Diego Comic Con. Companies are shunning it daily. Although Agents of Shield and Supergirl producers will make an appearance, the panels are bereft of most of Marvel or DC's movie offerings. And Disney announced no new trailer for the Comic Con. But JJ Abrams and company will be there to talk about the big movie and we were promised a new trailer by fall, but yet we're still not happy. How dare any of them withhold information! But we forget that we were never given a right to daily spoilers. Yet, if it weren't for those they release, we would wander off and loose interest. Well, at least, SOME of us would!
The point I'm trying to make is 'CHILL THE HELL OUT!'. Enjoy the ride while it lasts. For who knows how long Hollywood will be so eager to push comic movies. Don't be so judgmental. Reserve judgment for the finished product. Cast your opinion, sure, but let's not make rash statements or hit the internet with angry rants without the right amount of evidence. And, yes, I'm talking to me too. I have had my moments, of course. But I'm learning to sprinkle my posts with a modem of rationale. The internet has been there long enough for most of us to mature a bit and understand the flow of things. And let's practice this 'tolerance' that everybody's preaching no matter how it steps on our overgrown sensibilities. I guess what I'm saying is let's go back a bit to the days when you and your best pals gathered on the corner and shared your fandom whatever that fandom is. You remember? When your friends and you gushed immortal about the things you loved and shared that love as a community. For those on the internet who are already doing this; I salute you. To everyone else, let's just enjoy the stories and characters that have made our lives a bit more tolerable; all the while not sinking into the negative aspects of our community and killing this enjoyment for the rest of us.
