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Since the launch of DC's "New 52" there have been a number of people griping about the changes. Some of these gripes I haven't understood, some I've agreed with, and others I have disagreed with. These are just opinions that others and I have. It's no big deal, right? We comment (sometimes energetically) and then we move on. Okay, so sometimes we just keep commenting. While some of us are content to make our opinion known and be done with it, others are like the Energizer Bunny. They just keep going, and going, and going.
One of the gripes I've noticed most often that people have a hard time getting past is the idea that a character has changed. I don't mean this specifically regarding DC. They're just a very obvious example on a large scale right now. If a person wants to make the argument as to why they don't like a change, I'm fine with that. What bothers me is when people attempt to argue that they're fighting for (or defending) the "original" version of a character. DC's changes to Superman when the New 52 started are an excellent example of this in my eyes.
I've read some Superman titles over the years (decades if we want to be more accurate). Usually it was a few issues that connected to a larger DC event or that included characters I really like (the Metal Men for example). I don't have anything against Superman. It's just that I'm not a "fan". When the New 52 launched I decided I would check out the new take on the character. It was a good time for me to attempt it. The costume redesign threw me off a bit, but it was just because it wasn't what I was familiar with. I had the same experience when I saw the 'Superman Returns' costume changes. Nothing Earth-shattering in either case. After those more cosmetic changes the changes to Superman's personality and life elements followed.
When the more "personal" aspects of Superman's New 52 life were revealed things did get more odd for me. A t-shirt and work boots to start with? A bit of a vigilante element to him as he stood up for the "little guy"? Very different from what I knew of the character. The changes to his life as Clark (his parents) weren't as shocking since I grew up with variations of his parents being alive or dead.
At this point I hope you've picked up on some key concerns and phrases I've used in talking about how I reacted to the changes in Superman. Remember, this isn't about that character. This is about how we readers deal with changes. How do we deal with things no longer being familiar? Do we call those elements "unfamiliar", "odd", or "different"? I believe most do What really annoys me is the people using the word "original" in reference to the changes they don't like when it doesn't apply.
I just want people to step up and say, "I want what I prefer." The scary thing is people sometimes don't realize what they remember about a character isn't the "original" take. When I saw people complaining about Superman and saying they wanted the "original" I thought to myself, "No, you don't. You probably don't even know much about the original version of Superman." I knew I didn't. I wasn't a fan. Yet, here were these supposed fans complaining about returning to the "original". The original version of Superman isn't what they wanted. They wanted what they were familiar with and/or preferred.
I wish people would show some awareness (or honesty) and say, "I want what I'm familiar with. This version makes me uncomfortable." Maybe not those exact words, but something that carried that meaning. I can respect that. I can empathize. Every time the New Warriors has another incarnation I experience it (but I always support the new incarnation). More importantly I wish people would acknowledge the version they prefer still exists. It exists in back issues, in trades, and in discussions with other fans (and not all of them read comics).
The characters we love are still around. We have to be willing to understand that. Characters and universes have changed and will change. If they didn't then at some point they'd die off because people would no longer connect with them. If that were to happen then we wouldn't have some of us wanting back our preferred versions. We'd all end up wanting more comics in general because they would start vanishing. Changes and updates are necessary.
You don't have to love changes to characters (or universes). Heck, you don't even have to like them. I'm just asking fans to be honest with themselves. If they can do that, then maybe they wouldn't end up becoming something the industry doesn't need. That thing? One more barrier to the success of the industry and the undermining of the hobby. If you have a preferred version of a character, share that enthusiasm. Convince people to check that version. Work to make it an additional element of interest for another as opposed to working to destroy/undermine the one they have. Let them have their preference. You were obviously allowed to have yours if you're missing it.
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