Nominations clean up: the Comics Conundrum!

[aphrodite_mine]

Hopefully all of the nominations have been fixed aside from any issue caused by multiple tag associations (this happens when a character, say "Cassie Lang", is nominated under a particular category [Young Avengers] and already has tagged associations within the archive in other categories [Marvel 616, etc

Comments

[greerwatson]

And then, of course, there's the problem that I've been reading comics for forty years, and I just had to google "Marvel 616" to find out what-on-Earth you were talking about. To me, it's just the "regular Marvel universe" as opposed to the movieverse or the Ultimates-verse. (And there are other people who feel the same way: see the "Editorial Reaction" section of the Wikipedia article.)

Honestly, there are times when AO3 seems to have its own little universe!

[greerwatson]

On a somewhat less peevish note....

I think it depends on how distinctive the title is-or was, since the most distinctive tend to be short-lived.

For instance, if I were to request Maggie Sawyer in Gotham Central, I would be seriously annoyed to get a different version of her (esp. if it were from her Superman era, but even from the other Bat books). That's because Gotham Central took an unusual approach to the DCU, being mostly seen from the POV of the police characters. A lot of its cast appeared only in that title, which would affect the choice of supporting characters in the story.

Of course, Gotham Central was a short-lived title, and hence presented a fairly coherent version of all its characters. There wasn't a lot of change, at least until the final issues. (In the Marvel Universe, Alias would be a title with a similarly distinctive quality.)

Someone mentioned Barbara Gordon. (The various Batgirls are...a pain in the neck, quite frankly.) Babs is particularly problematic. I remember her before she was shot; and

[muccamukk]

One would assume that, in that it's gift fic, someone would at least try to write what you want. Optional details are optional, but mostly people aren't going to write you Batgirl from the current run if you asked for Oracle.

It just seems to me that there's a lot of fool proofing the system that doesn't really add anything. I can lay out and be as specific about which Jess Jones from which title I want, and still get a story I don't like or that ignores my likes and squicks, even if it's set in Alias like I asked, not New Avengers Vol 2.

[amathela]

And there's also the problem that, even if you requested Barbara Gordon under one of the smaller fandoms, eg. Batgirl (comics), there's no stronger way of specifying Oracle!Babs in that fandom than there in under the DC - Comicsverse general banner. That being said, whatever fandom you used to request her, I'd seriously side-eye anyone who wrote you Batgirl!Babs instead of Oracle!Babs if that's what you requested in your optional details, optional though they may be.

[greerwatson]

" [...] there's no stronger way of specifying Oracle!Babs in that fandom than there in under the DC - Comicsverse general banner"

This is true. You should be safe with Oracle!Babs if you're asking for a Birds of Prey story; but, if you want her with other members of the Bat Family, there's really no way to specify it except in the optional details.

[muccamukk]

The universe designations aren't new or an AO3 thing. I've been using them on LJ since I've been in comics fandom (granted, less time than you).

Maybe it's more a comics fic thing, then a widely used by non-fic fandom thing, but it's not AO3 this time around.

[greerwatson]

"Maybe it's more a comics fic thing, then a widely used by non-fic fandom thing"

I think you're probably right. I've been reading comics for years; but my fanfic has always been written in other areas.

[muccamukk]

Quite frankly, the news that Joey Q hates the term only makes me want to use it more :D

[greerwatson]

It's interesting, though, that the people who actually make comics don't use the term. (Tom Brevoort commented, too, after all.)

[muccamukk]

Some of them don't. I've seen others use it. (They don't write Carol and Wanda having mad lesbian sex either, so I find my interests/use of characters don't always coincide with Marvel Editorial's.)

I just find "616"to be an incredibly useful way to make clear what comics I'm talking about. "Main universe" works too, of course, but just calling it "Marvel universe" isn't really specific enough, I find.

I came into comics around Secret Invasion (five years ago?), and, as I mentioned, it was firmly entrenched in fic circles then, mostly to differentiate between Ults, Marvel Adventures, and the Iron Man movies.

[greerwatson]

""Main universe" works too, of course, but just calling it "Marvel universe" isn't really specific enough, I find."

"Main universe" being more the way I'd say it, yeah. Certainly, one needs some way to tell them all apart!

"I came into comics around Secret Invasion (five years ago?), and, as I mentioned, it was firmly entrenched in fic circles then, [...]"

Of course, as an old old timer, I tend to stick with the terminology of ancient times. *g*

For some reason, I never got into comics-based fanfic, probably because I don't have time for more than a couple of main fandoms (and those I already have).

However, I've thought more than once of asking for Gotham Central in a gift exchange. I really miss that title! I'd be wanting gen, though-casefic, or a scene in the squad room, or the like.

[muccamukk]

You and Joe Q are probably similar eras. It was working perfectly before, why change it? :D

Gotham Central was amazing. I really wish it had run a bit longer, though, on the other hand, it was so wonderfully self-contained, and 52 patched on so neatly for Renee, that I'm pretty happy with what we got. I don't think I'll offer it though. I'm not sure I could do it justice.