Tried telling new readers to start with a specific Spider-Man run and got roasted for it

Was at a local con last Saturday and this kid asks me where to jump into Spider-Man. I told him to start with Ultimate Spider-Man by Bendis since it's a clean start and self-contained. Some guy behind me in a Deadpool hoodie goes "nah that's not even canon bro, tell him to read Amazing Fantasy #15 like a real fan." Kid looked confused and walked off. Both of us just stood there awkwardly. I get there's old school purists but why make it hard for new people? Anyone else run into this gatekeeping nonsense at cons?

2 comments

2 Comments

seana146d ago

My local shop had a "jump start" shelf for this exact reason, curated runs that are new reader friendly. I pointed a buddy to Ultimate Spider-Man and he's now reading 60s Lee/Ditko stuff on his own, he just needed a foothold first. Gatekeepers like that guy just scare off potential fans, best to just ignore them and keep recommending what actually works.

juliam404d ago

Did the jump start shelf actually get used much by new readers @seana14?