Thinking About Mary Marvel Picking Up Captain Marvel (Billy Batson) From Justice League Missions/meetings

Hi. I'm not a canon purist and enjoy some fanon content very much, but I do think people in the fandom should at least familiarize themselves with the canon content and source material. It's easier to break the "rules" so to speak and experiment with canon when you know what that actually is. I've noticed a lot of fans that are only familiar with fanon criticise content that doesn't line up with what they believe to be canon but isn't. The Red Hood for example. I've seen writers who portray him as the violent criminal he is in much of the canon be completely decimated by Jason fans who only know fanon and the retconned version of Red Hood and completely deny canon even exists and refuse to even glance at the comics. Transformative works are important and playing in the sandbox is for everyone but fandom literally cannot exist without canon. Canon is important and people can do whatever they want with it but they should respect it enough to at least look at it.

Hi anon, I'm going to hold your hand as I say this, and I will say it as gently as I can: This is still a form of canon purism.

We can absolutely agree that readers shouldn't berate or abuse writers for how they choose to portray characters in fic, whether that's a more canon-faithful characterization or a popular fanon version. If readers don't like how a character is portrayed, we should encourage them to hit the back button instead.

I want to draw your attention to some of the words you used in your ask above: "should" "respect" "decimated" etc. Those are some strong words to describe how you think people need to behave, in order to exist in fandom. Of course, there is no fandom without canon source material -- I'm not denying that. But with such a wide and varied canon, the DC fandom has examples of the Red Hood you mention above, AND the "retconned" version you also reference. Both are canon, as in actually, officially, canon. WFA is canon, and that Red Hood looks very different from the Red Hood you describe.

Now, I think your issue is that you enjoy a certain version of canon, and you're frustrated that the fandom doesn't also, as trends ebb and flow, enjoy that canon as much as you do. Again, I want to acknowledge that just because a certain version is popular, it doesn't give folks the right to berate authors for writing a different version. But again, I don't think that's what we're really talking about here. From your ask's tone, I think you're suggesting that people should, in order to participate in fandom, read that older canon, that different version, or as you say, "glance at it" before enjoying or writing the fanon version.

Guess what? They actually, really, really, don't have to. It sounds like you have some issues with judging your fellow fandom members who don't read what you do or reference certain canon. But the magic of this fandom is, you can enter it at any point. We're a big pool, and if someone's entry point is the Lego Batman movie and that's it, that's still valid.

Fandom stems from canon, yes, but I almost never hear people talk about movies, or web comics, or other media when they talk about "required reading." It's always a comic. I really wish people would reflect on that before suggesting it as the one true path to being a fan.

The other thing I don't see asks like these reference ever is the reality that sometimes a fandom outstrips its canon material, and that that's an eventuality in some spaces. Fanon interpretations become popular, and people write about those specific characterizations or scenarios. They ebb and flow, like I mentioned, and some are more canon-faithful than others. Some completely reject canon, and again -- it's still fandom. It doesn't make it better or worse than a more canon-faithful fic. It's just different.

I had a couple asks about this topic a few weeks ago, and I'm assuming you haven't read those or you likely wouldn't have sent me this ask. But in them, I discuss how sometimes we need to suck it up and be unhappy that canon-faithful fics aren't as popular in a fandom at a specific time, and stop punishing fellow fans for writing and enjoying those fics. And we really need to stop shitting on them publicly on Tumblr.

Because often, what you're really saying is that you wish more people would write more canon-faithful fics, and stop writing ones about fanon topics you don't enjoy or think are accurate. And to that, I again say, there is nothing you can or should do to change that behavior from others. If you want to read it, write it, enjoy it, etc, do it yourself. Build the comic-faithful community here, write fics and promote challenges, create a discord channel and discuss your "required reading" there.

We are all writing and reading fanfiction at the end of the day. It is a great equalizer in many ways. My silly Lego Batman fic is just as valid as a canon-faithful rewrite of a certain Batman issue. One is not better than the other, or more deserving of respect. You will never get me to admit otherwise on this blog.

tl;dr: people should absolutely not berate authors who choose to write canon-faithful characterizations. however, there are layers of judgement and disdain many DC comics canon-faithful authors/readers have for their fellow fans that I think we need to examine critically in order to coexist respectfully.

in my head, all of bruce's adult children reject bruce's money and live like simple bachelors. except for cass, who accepts bruce's money and lives like a simple bachelor and once bought a cup-o-noodles and walmart brand flip flops with her luxury black card.

After Cass got adopted, DC should’ve locked in and given us titles like “Daughter of the Dark Knight.” “The Night and The Shadow.” “One who is All and that guy who likes bats.” “Heir to Gotham.”

Or something. I don’t know.

Crossover DC/Marvel

Billy Batson and Peter Parker switch places

Billy Batson wakes up in Peter Parker’s bed and Peter wakes up in an abandoned building

Both are freaking out and are trying to understand what the fuck is going on so they start to investigate and end up meeting the avengers or in Peter’s case the justice league

After a while and figuring out it will only last a couple of weeks they just help around because well there is still a hero or vigilante missing

Isn't it funny how every fandom revolving around the most horrifying and angst ridden concepts and themes have the cutest fan art of them just being happy for once and every fandom revolving around the most heartwarming and soft themes have that one corner that's filled with people obsessed with the miniscule amount of angst they can get their hands on , I love it, they just make it a different genre so it can be all incompassing

Headcanon that whenever somebody in the Marvel Trio says something stupid another Marvel smacks their head and says “get outta there, Mr Mind!” And only other heroes from Fawcett understand it.

It would be such a cute inside joke that confuses every other hero.

Orphan breaks my heart because she has no swag. Like okay the big pants and the hood are fun and maybe they would work if she was like a solo hero in an action film but as an ensemble cast member she looks like Background Assassin #3. Even Tim’s “the Drake” persona looked like less of red shirt. She doesn’t even have a logo. Like Black Bat was stupid but it also served campy superhero vibes. And obviously nothing can beat Batgirl. Batgirl was so perfect because it was so clearly a derivative of Batman’s costume that showed her allegiance to him and marked her as a Gothamite even when working with other heroes but still had the unique full mask with the stitch mouth that made her easily recognizable and all together cuts a shadowy mysterious figure that is immediately visually interesting. Orphan gives me absolutely nothing. And the name sucks.

I need a fic where Captain Marvel’s identity is found out and after a lot of arguing and debating, the Justice League is like “okay fine, you can be a hero as long as you have your parents’ permission”

And Billy homeless-orphan Batson, has to jump through hoops to convince all the adults that he has parents and they are fine with him being a hero

Fanfic writers PLEASE!!! I need Billy to have a situation like Tim drake when he had a fake uncle!

I always forget that Superman has freeze breath or whatever it’s called.

So I’ll see a bit of fan media where he uses that power, and I’m just like, “Wtf??? Doesn’t he already have enough powers to begin with? You’re adding more???”

And then I remember and I spend the rest of the day embarrassed.

in absolute tears about the pride module at my work