Question about gatekeeping at the comic shop on Wednesday nights

I was at my local shop last Wednesday for new comic day, and this older guy saw me grab a copy of a new indie series. He straight up said "you probably won't get the references if you haven't read the 90s run." I've been reading for about 4 years now, so it kind of stung. But another regular nearby told him to chill and said everyone starts somewhere. So which side do you fall on - should fans let newcomers learn at their own pace, or is there some truth to needing background reading first? Has anyone else dealt with someone making you feel like you don't belong?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly_gonzalez6115d ago

I heard a writer say reading old issues is optional, not a test to pass.

alex_coleman15d ago

Well holy cow @holly_gonzalez61, I had the same thing happen when I first got into reading these. I used to stress about catching every single issue, thinking I'd miss some secret clue or something. What really worked for me was just picking a story arc that looked cool and jumping in blind, then going back to older stuff only if I got lost on a character or reference. That took all the pressure off and made it way more fun.