Debate: Do comic book fans gatekeep on purpose or just not realize it?

I was reading this survey from last year on CBR that said 62% of comic fans think new readers should start with classic arcs like 'The Dark Knight Returns', but I always see folks in forums telling beginners to skip that and jump into modern stuff like Tom King's run. So are we trying to protect the hobby or just push people away without meaning to? I'm on the fence, what do you all think?

2 comments

2 Comments

gavinlopez1mo ago

Drove a buddy to his first comic shop once and the guy at the counter handed him a stack of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Told him to read it before anything else. He never went back.

lauras831mo ago

62% of comic fans said new readers should start with The Dark Knight Returns? That one genuinely shocks me. I mean, I love Miller's work but that book is so tied to the politics and storytelling of the mid-80s, it's almost a time capsule more than a jumping on point. A new reader picking that up cold is going to get lost in all the alternate universe stuff and the very specific satire of Superman and the whole Cold War paranoia. You're basically giving them homework instead of a fun story. I've seen beginners bounce off it hard because they expect something more like the movies and instead get a dense, wordy, and honestly kinda mean-spirited comic. It's a great book, but as a starter? Your mileage may very well vary, and I'd argue it's more gatekeeping than helpful.

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