B) As covered in the Northstar thread, you've been deliberately making a point of representation and agency for women and minorities in your work since pretty much as long as you've been professional.

And William, drinking Coca-Cola with real sugar is the ONLY way to do it. The rest of you are kidding yourselves. ;) 

With respect to different perspectives, looking at the thread to which they lampooned you, it looks to me as if you were genuinely seeking more information on a topic. Rather than lambast you on the internet, it might've been more productive if someone came along and earnestly and rationally explained how some comments could have been misperceived. 

In general, I think that if we responded less by shunning people who don't perfectly align with our world-views, but instead by actually talking to them to understand the differences in how we see things, then there'd probably be less hostility online. But a lot of people go online to find a place to vent rage. 

I don't always agree with others' opinions on the board, but I'm aware enough to know that could be down to my own viewpoints. I'd hope I grow that little bit each time.

As to you, JB - I've found you to be direct, honest, and insightful - often challenging, but in a way that makes me reconsider. Your ability with Occam's Razor is remarkable. And - fair-handed.

Plus, you seem to be damned good with a pencil !

Thing is, I haven't ever been able to figure out how one is supposed to learn about any subject without asking questions, and it would be impossible if those questions never came from a preconceived notion. How could they? Attacking for asking the 'wrong question' strikes me as an exclusionary tactic, which can be self-defeating. I'm mapping my outsider experiences as a secular American Jew and a big fucking nerd onto this, and while questions asked directly of me have a similar alienating and sometimes infuriating result (actual quote: "why are Jews weird?"), and it requires a whole series of internal calculations to know how to respond in the moment. 

Only thing I know for sure is that anger - again, while sometimes valid and often wonderfully cathartic in the moment - is never a HELPFUL response.

In the same field as creators that definitely had some "controversial" takes like Frank Miller (hard to justify but it's his opinions, will always worship him as an artist), Alan Moore (I actually tend to agree with most of it, but obviously hugely controversial in a number of topics), Dave Sim (let's not even go there), and so many others.

Yet there's clearly a segment of the comics crowd willing to make you their antichrist (and young fans too, for what I've seen/read).

But when you look into it... nothingburger.

It should be studied.

Absolutely.

But what puzzles me the most are not these older fans with ludicrous "grudges", but what I feel are younger, well after our times fans.

They rank Superman runs and almost always put yours near the bottom because they say they don't agree with your opinions or whatever.

And when you confront them, it all gets vague... they have nothing.

It's just weird.

And your Superman run is at the top for me, even if you don't like it yourself, JB!