I think there are different stages in comic book reading development; from just looking at the pictures, to looking at the pictures and then reading the issue, to reading it, to understanding subtleties.  Along the way, you start asking the "fanboy" questions but mature beyond that to realize there will be aspects of stories that are of their time and should be dissmissed later or mentally substituted for what is current--example--if the President is shown and looks like Carter, it's just a representation of the President.  The ironic thing is the fanboys that are stuck in the "take everything at face value" phase actually think they are the mature and intelligent group, when in reality they are the ones that just don't "get it".  They never moved the the next stage.  As Dad says, "You can't overcome ignorance AND obstinance."

The fanboys remind me of the Christians that take The Bible literally and not as a book of allegorical fables to convey certain points.

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An appropriate metaphor, for this Forum!!

The first group knows only what has happened since they started reading. It was from this group that came those who started foaming at the mouth when X-MEN - THE HIDDEN YEARS was announced. They were sure I was going to "screw up" the X-Men's history, especially the Magneto-as-freedom-fighter aspects that had been retconned in since I left UNCANNY. And that was the key; they seemed to have no idea that the stuff they were so zealously defending had, itself, "screwed up" what had been previously established!

The second group was even more frustrating, tho, since they'd memorized every jot and tittle, yet they still insisted on seamless "continuity". These were the ones who complained most bitterly about MAN OF STEEL, even tho they were well aware of how many times over the span of Superman's publishing history Krypton had changed, the powers had changed, the backstory had changed.