Fandoms are always right
Comic Reviews for week ending 8/21/2022
Good morning, my friend,
This week saw the release of the first episode of She-Hulk on Disney+ and more news about the upcoming releases of The Rings of Power (Lord of the Rings prequel on Amazon) and House of the Dragon (Game of Thrones prequel on HBO). That’s more nerd entertainment than most (including me) would have dreamed possible only a few decades ago. But with the good comes the bad courtesy of the creators and the dreaded f-word - Fandom.
I’ve watched the first episode of She-Hulk, and despite the over-reactions of naysayers, it’s not bad. Not great, but not bad. The major flaws in the first episode center around Jessica Walters, aka She-Hulk, personality, which doesn’t match her comic book persona. If you’re a fan of the source material, especially the quintessential, character-defining runs from John Byrne, you’ll struggle with the first episode.
The Rings of Power hasn’t come out yet, but Amazon has a metric ton of troubles on their hands with the fans. The major source of trouble stems from gratuitous deviations from the source material and horrendous marketing tactics. If you’re a Tolkien purist or believe Tolkien’s work should be adapted with reverence, you’ll struggle with the advertised liberties the Amazon show creators have taken with the show. Admittedly, the show isn’t out yet, so there’s room to reconsider.
House of the Dragon, from all outward appearances, appears to be consistent with George R. R. Martin’s published works. Surprising absolutely nobody, HoD appears to have considerably more fan hype and positive vibes associated with it compared to The Rings of Power. In short, the fans seem to be mostly happy.
One show is out and receives a middling reaction from fans (She-Hulk), one show isn’t out yet and is receiving a fair amount of negative reaction from fans (The Rings of Power), and yet another show isn’t out yet but has a positive buzz surrounding it (House of the Dragon). What’s the difference? Fans.
Fans (short for Fanatic) are a collective of people who’ve developed a passionate connection to property or person. A fan has a strong emotional attachment to whatever is at the center of their attention. Sports fans are strongly passionate about the success of their favorite fan or athlete. Music fans feel intensely good feelings about their favorite singer or band. Nerd fans are no different. In all cases, fandom comes down to strong, positive emotions attached to a person, place, or thing.
If you’ve read this newsletter for some time, you know that emotion forms the basis for all motivations. We act based on how we feel. When creators reinforce a fan’s positive feelings, that fan’s loyalty grows deeper and stronger. Rub those feelings the wrong way, and Hell hath no fury. When a fandom comes together, the creator's job is to fan those flames of positive feelings for as long as possible.
If you’ve ever heard the phrase “give the customers what they want,” that phrase is making the same case for how you treat the fandom. Fans want to feel good about what they follow, so giving fans what they want doesn’t mean taking an order and regurgitating the request back like a cheap diner meal. That phrase means a creator is obliged to understand what about a property creates good feelings for the fans and to create more content that generates more of those same good feelings.
More good feelings = happy fans
Negative feelings = unhappy fans
Where’s the line between negative feelings and positive feelings for fans? There is no one answer. It depends on the property, but let’s look at the three examples above.
House of the Dragon appears to be giving fans more of what they like from Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin is involved in the property, and the quality of the show from the snippets presented so far appears to be good. Keeping what fans like and reinforcing those positive feelings, generates more positive feelings among the fans, resulting in positive buzz.
She-Hulk is receiving a middling response because some pieces of the first episode work and others do not. The lead actress is engaging, the chemistry between She-Hulk and Hulk feels natural for two people who are cousins, and the light tone of the show is amusing. Conversely, the lead character’s personality is inconsistent with the source material, and some of the dialog is offputting. In other words, a mixed bag. Therefore, it’s no surprise the first episode is receiving a mixed reaction.
A whole newsletter could be devoted to the missteps created by The Rings of Power creators. Intentional changes in character creation, story timelines, and established character behavior are announced almost weekly. Comments from the show creators and a few actors point to general dissatisfaction with Tolkien’s writings, and that the new show seeks to “correct” Tolkien’s shortcomings. In short, the creators and actors have publicly stated their intention is to take Tolkien’s works and change them to match their modern sensibilities, irrespective of the fans. If you’re a die-hard fan of Tolkien’s works, this public position is tantamount to setting Tolkien’s corpse on fire before throwing it in the trash.
We can’t talk about fandom without addressing the phrase “toxic fandom,” and where that fits into this analysis. Unfortunately, the phrase has been placed on critics unfairly, but that doesn’t mean toxicity doesn’t exist.
A fandom is a group, and every group has at least one crazy person who goes too far. The crazies exist. There’s no point denying it, and fans need to accept that.
Conversely, not every vehement critic is crazy and toxic. Modern creators have developed a bad habit of deflecting criticism by labeling the critic as “toxic.” As long as that habit continues, so will needless division.
Here’s how to spot the difference. Are creators taking what fans love about a property and changing it, irrespective of what elements created the fandom in the first place? If yes, then the backlash is justified. If no, then look closely at the critic to assess if their either misinformed or truly toxic. There is no simple answer until you consider all sources first.
Let’s recap:
Fans are built on positive emotions about a person, place, or thing
When creators adopt a property and preserve what generates positive feelings for fans, reception is positive
When creators adopt a property and subvert, change, or eliminate what generates positive feelings for fans, the backlash is swift and deserved
Toxic fans do exist as every group has its shares of crazies but be careful not to dismiss valid criticism as toxic until the creators have passed the sniff test above
If a fan is being toxic, don’t enable him/her. One bad apple spoils the bunch.
What do you think about fandom? Has it gotten out of hand, or are creators becoming too irreverent in a bid to do something “different”? Share your thoughts in the Comment section below.
Now, let’s share our positive feelings about comics with this week’s reviews.
OVER THE ROPES: BROKEN KAYFABE #3 – Review
POTIONS INC. #3 – Review
MAN GOAT & THE BUNNYMAN: GREEN EGGS & BLAM! #2 – Review
THE LIVING CORPSE: RELICS #6 – Review
SHERLOCK: A SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA PART 2 #1 – Review
PROMETHEE 13:13 #2 – Review
LE FAY (Vol. 1) – Review
LADY HEL #1 – Review
ARMY OF DARKNESS VS. REANIMATOR: NECRONOMICON RISING #2 – Review
IMMORTAL RED SONJA #5 – Review
WarBound #3 – Review
Nottingham #10 (Mad Cave Studios)
August: Purgatory Underground #1 (Red 5 Comics)
Show's End: The Second Coming #2 (Mad Cave Studios)
Kold (One-Shot) (Source Point Press)
Gun Honey: Blood For Blood #1 (Titan Comics)
Grimm Fairy Tales 2022 Annual (Zenescope Entertainment)
Book of Shadows #2 (Valiant Entertainment)
Dandy Presents: Penny Dreadfuls (One-Shot) (Source Point Press)
Good Boy (Vol. 2) #4 (Source Point Press)
Little Red Ronin #2 (Source Point Press)
Monstrous: Book of the Dead #3 (Source Point Press)
Nook #3 (Source Point Press)
Yuki vs. Panda #10 (Source Point Press)
Dejah Thoris Fairy Tales (One-Shot) (Dynamite Comics)
Nyx #9 (Dynamite Comics)
Pantha #4 (Dynamite Comics)
Samurai Sonja #3 (Dynamite Comics)
Vampirella Strikes #4 (Dynamite Comics)
Here Comes Calico #1 (Indie Submission)
That’s the shortlist for now. We’ll add more titles and adjust as time and resources allow.
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