Can we talk about the guy who tried to school me on Batman's origin at a coffee shop?

I was just reading my comic at a cafe in Austin last Tuesday when some dude straight up interrupts me. He points at my copy of Year One and says 'you know that's not even the real origin, right?' Like he had some secret knowledge I was missing. He went on for 5 minutes about how the real Batman started in Detective Comics 27 and I should throw away my 'modern garbage'. Has anyone else run into these gatekeeper types who act like anything after 1985 doesn't count?

3 comments

3 Comments

park.abby2mo ago

That guy at the coffee shop sounds exhausting. @parker_thomas is right about the gatekeeping, they never actually read the old stuff. The whole interaction was just weird flex energy.

parker_thomas2mo ago

Fair take but I see it a little different. Year One is basically required reading at this point for anyone getting into Batman. That guy was being a jerk for sure but there is some truth to the idea that older comics matter too. Detective Comics 27 is where it all started but it reads like a old timey newspaper compared to modern stuff. Let's be real most people who pull that gatekeeping card have barely cracked open a golden age issue themselves. Your copy of Year One is solid and that guy needs to chill.

parker_thomas10d ago

Gotta push back on this one. Calling Year One "required reading" is exactly the kind of gatekeeping that makes new fans feel like they need a degree in comics to enjoy Batman. You can jump into almost any modern run and be fine. Year One is great, sure, but acting like it's some sacred text people have to read before they're allowed to have an opinion is just another form of the same elitism you're criticizing. And comparing Detective Comics 27 to a newspaper is a lazy dismissal of the craft those old writers had. Golden age stuff is different but it's still got heart and smarter storytelling than people give it credit for. If someone wants to start with a current run like Snyder or King, let them. The hobby doesn't need a curriculum.