Continuing on:
I think most fans today are more in line as "Nostalgia Fans" than anything else.In other words,my first super-hero comic was Fantastic Four so I keep buying Fantastic Four because it was my first.It doesn't matter who's writing or drawing the book or whether it's good or not.The FF doesn't even top my list as fave super-team(it's in the top five)but because it is what exposed me to the awesomeness of comics,I nostalgically continue to purchase it(FYI I still enjoy the title).
I think a lot of readers do the same for many a book and it isn't a bad thing really,but it does lend itself to the mentality of keeping with a title that you don't really enjoy simply because you remember it fondly through the mist of time.It connects you to your past so you keep getting it. Now of course,that same mentality can really release some fanboy rage....Check out Byrne's website and you'll see that 90% of the registered posters there really hate modern comics simply because they aren't like the ones they grew up with......the perils of progress I suppose.
What about the creators of today's books? Do they fall into that category? I tend to think some do.Geoff Johns,love his work or hate it,is so silvery-age based in a lot of his work.You can tell it's his favorite era of comics just by reading a couple of books.Superman:Secret Origin is nothing more than an updated tale of a lot of Silver Age Superman/Superboy stories that he blends into one story. I do,however,enjoy his work on Green Lantern immensely.The thing is,when the fan writes the book,are they writing for the reader or for themselves and is the character(s) that they write being treated with respect or not? I believe it's a subjective perception based off each individual reader and it's up to them to judge.The thing is.....if a reader does not like the direction of a book and continues to buy it,then they forfeit the right to bitch IMHO.I hear it a lot and I always say "Then why keep buying it?"...average response "I want to see if it gets better." Fair enough I suppose.I could see that being a somewhat viable reason back in the day before internet and on-line reviews.You honestly didn't know then whether the book would turn around or not and if you missed out on something good,you'd be pissed. These days though with all the advanced solicits through Preveiws or internet and all the various reviews you can look up,I find the "Keep buying" mentality redundant. I'm just sayin'.
