“Some people think Marvel’s new Conan comics are great. Others think they are mediocre and don’t reflect the barbarian they know and love. Whatever the opinion, they’re all OK. We don’t have to agree and we can still be friends. The PM Library Editor-in-Chief shares his thoughts on polarization in the comics hobby.”

By WALLY MONK – PM Library Editor

Since Paint Monk’s Library began covering Marvel’s new Conan the Barbarian comic, I’ve received a slew of emails and private messages, mainly from people agreeing with our reviewers about the direction the House of Ideas has taken with such an iconic property.

But for every five or six encouraging emails, I get one message from an angry reader telling me that I’m out of touch and if I don’t like Marvel’s new comics to quit reading and “go back to the nursing home to read Bugs Bunny” (Yes, I really did receive that email last month).

The thing about reviews is that they’re entirely subjective. If you share a like mind with the reviewer, you’re more likely to believe that based on that reviewer’s thoughts, you might or might not enjoy that same comic book yourself.

The natural conclusion to the above is that if you think a reviewer is an old “fuddy duddy,” you’re probably going to disagree with his or her reviews and buy a comic anyway. That’s the nature of reviews – it’s also why some people watch certain news networks instead of others. They may sympathize with certain narratives and really don’t care about the opinion offered by someone with whom they do not agree.

But this isn’t an article about politics – but it could be about how identity politics has crossed over into our hobby. I’m concerned about the nastiness currently abounding in the industry – both from the fans and the creative teams, and it applies to more than just a Conan story. If one person is unhappy about changes to major characters, they’re automatically “a jerk”, “old-fashioned” or a “judgmental idiot”. If another person applauds a companies decision to change a beloved character in some new, unexplored manner, they’re a “crazy ‘SJW’ who is out to destroy everything”, “incompetent” or simply “clueless”.

Come on, everybody, we’re better than this.

It’s true that I am not a fan of Marvel’s latest experiments with Conan. My reviews are based on the mindset of a 50 year old who has collected comic books for decades, with an eye on sword-and-sorcery and classic storytelling. Google Analytics and blog statistics here and on our Facebook page indicate that the bulk of our readers are over 30 and under 65. That would make them early to late middle-aged comic collectors, much like the writing team here.

My criticisms and book reviews are never intended to go after a new generation of writers for trying something new. Rather, much of my criticism lately comes from the seeming inability of creators these days to respect the past while boldly re-presenting and re-packaging classic characters for a new generation of readers.

Fellow Paint Monk’s Library blogger and author Bob Freeman refers to this as a writer’s ability to “play in the sandbox without breaking the toys” left there by a previous creator. It seems to me that is the crux of the problem.

Jason Aaron, in my opinion, has dropped the ball on Conan the Barbarian overall. But he’s kicking it out of the park with Jane Foster: Valkyrie, a series to which I am now hopelessly addicted (and will begin reviewing here with issue #5). Tini Howard is being lauded for her work on the new Excalibur comic – but she blew it, in my opinion, with Age of Conan: Belit, which was a writing and artistic travesty of epic proportions.

Ultimately, love and enjoyment of the comic hobby is one’s personal preference. Here at Paint Monk’s Library, my objective is to share my thoughts (and the thoughts of our regular bloggers) on some of the books out on the shelf. And whether you are referred to as “a jerk, old fashioned, a judgmental idiot, a ‘crazy SJW’, incompetent, or just clueless” what you read here on this site is informed opinion. But it’s opinion offered with respect to all people who – like you – love the comics industry with all its glory, ugliness, creativity and petty disagreements.

We can share what we like about comics and what drives us crazy, but let’s do it with respect and dignified treatment of all, especially those with whom we have different opinions. One kind word is all it takes, or in some cases, maybe it’s holding back a negative word that doesn’t need to be shared.

In the words of Bill S. Preston and Theodore Logan (I’m putting a time stamp on myself here, folks) – let’s be “excellent” to each other. But that doesn’t mean I won’t tell you if I genuinely don’t like a comic book – and why.

As always, I am – Wally Monk, PM Library Editor