Man-Child Messiah

Adventures of Superman #1

So, my Linkara article is taking its damn time getting finished but in the meantime there is something vastly more important to talk about concerning comics and stupid people on the Internet. I’m talking about the ongoing debacle of DC Comic’s digital first Adventures of Superman comic, which will open with a story by Orson Scott Card. Card has come under fire in recent years due his staunch opposition of gay rights as a member of National Organization for Marriage (NOM). While he has long since been public about his beliefs concerning homosexuality as the result of sexual abuse or “disturbing seduction.” His views didn’t come to the forefront until 2008 when Card described court judges in California and Massachusetts giving legal recognition to gay marriage as “the end of democracy in America” and said that “the people who are actually creating successful marriages have no choice but to change governments, by whatever means is made possible or necessary.”

Orson Scott Card

As a result, several retailers have announced that they will not carry Card’s issues of Adventures of Superman. Much has been said about Card’s own beliefs at this point and how buying the book (and thus encouraging DC Comics to continue their relationship with him) directly contributes to Card’s work with NOM. I’m not here to talk so much about that, I’m here to talk about the piss poor level of discourse that is on display from the comic fandom. Most notably the constant cries of censorship whenever the thought of an organized boycott is even remotely entertained.

It’s not censorship to refuse to buy a book we don’t like for whatever reason. I listen to people bitch and moan about why they won’t buy such and such new book for the pettiest of reasons and the first time someone refuses to buy a book for some reason that is bigger than comics the fans cry that we’re “the real bigots.”  If this was just people refusing to buy a Chuck Austen penned Superman book because Chuck Austen is teh sux none of you would so much as bat an eyelash. We have to keep the comics scene from talking about anything bigger than how much the newest issues sucks more than the last issue sucked and trying to figure out who can and can’t lift Thor’s hammer! We have to keep the fandom totally stagnant and vapid so that these people can immerse themselves forehead deep into it and pretend that the worst thing in the world is that Brian Michael Bendis is writing X-Men now! Right guys!?

Nerd Logic 1: Refusing to buy a book whose creator is active in a movement opposed to civil rights is unfair and wrong.

— Dorian Wright (@dorianwright) February 8, 2013

Nerd Logic 2: Refusing to buy a book because a different creator in a different book broke up your favorite OTP is perfectly fine and just.

— Dorian Wright (@dorianwright) February 8, 2013

It’s also a sad attempt to shame the boycotters by using their own language against them. We’re not bigots for refusing to buy something whose creator will likely turn around and use the money gained from the project to support an organization that forwards the cause of bigoty.

“Your honor…Perhaps the ones who are upset about bigotry….ARE THE REAL BIGOTS *gavel bangs, court applauds until their hands bleed* — Max Robinson(@DieRobinsonDie) February 15, 2013

We’re not denying Card any work because, as it’s been pointed out before, it’s no huge task for him to find work. He could walk into almost any publisher in the country and get his book to the press because he’s a very well established Science Fiction writer with a large enough fanbase. His work is even going to be adapted into a major motion picture later this year. Any work DC Comics wouldn’t give him is just work someone else will give him.

“Oh, but someone’s livelihood…” Fuck that.They made their choice, let them deal with the consequences.

— Andrew Otis Weiss (@ThatWeissGuy) February 14, 2013

It’s not censorship; you’ll still be able to buy the book if you want. Even if you’re someone like me who only has one local comic shop nearby and your shop refuses to carry it, it’s still a digital first book, so you’ll be able to get it before any of those shops have the opportunity to not put it on their shelves. Not to mention that none of the large scale online retailers have announced a refusal to stock it. If you want to buy it, fine, have at it, but we don’t have to and don’t want to and if that somehow changes DC’s mind on publishing future stories under Card’s pen, tough luck, that’s how the free market works. Even if the organized boycott is too small to make any meaningful difference, we still have a personal choice to buy or not to buy something for whatever reasons we choose.

I didn’t order several items for the shop in this month’s Previews. I’M A FASCIST CENSOR

— Mike Sterling (@mikesterling) February 16, 2013

And please understand that when you’re talking about this issue, you’re talking about something that exceeds comics. For the love of God, I don’t want to see this shit anymore.

Okay guys, civil rights issues, enough of that, lets get down to business and talk about crossovers!

Nobody in the real world gives a damn if you don’t want to buy Age of Ultron or still have your underwear in a bunch because Superman has a high collar now, so stop bringing your whiny BS into the discussion.

Just know someone at DC is thinking: “Oh, thank God we didn’t put Lex Luthor’s brain in Superman’s body. Then people would be REALLY mad.”

— Dorian Wright (@dorianwright) February 13, 2013

This is pathetic, disgusting, and shameful people. Most of these people are grown adults but can’t process thoughts beyond stupid adolescent garbage. I have never been more embarrassed to be a member of the comics fandom than I have been these last few weeks, and I was into this shit when I went public high school. Grow up already.

On a side note, I hope none of the individuals whose tweets I used mind me doing so, and I encourage you to follow all of those guys, comics fan or not, because they all have some pretty enjoyable tweets.