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Critiquing the Fanfiction Critique

Critiquing the Fanfiction Critique

I mentioned this in one of my 20 Questions earlier today, and I figured it was worth a further look. I think "It was like fan fiction" is not a good critique of a comic book writers performance.

My main (heck, I think it may actually be my ONLY) reason is that it is just too nebulous of a definition. Can anyone pin-point what it means to be writing comics like fan-fiction, with the inference being that it is a BAD thing? The way I have often seen it read has been more like "I just dont like this writers writing, so I am calling it fan-fiction, because it sounds really dismissive."

I dont deny the impact of fan-fiction upon criticism. In fact, one of the most popular terms that I like to use COMES from fan-fiction criticism, namely, Mary Sue, which has evolved from its original fan-fiction definition, which was when a writer literally wrote themselves (or a avatar of themself) into a fan-fiction, to a broader definition in writing when a writer uses a "pet" character in much the same way that fan-fiction writers used characters based on themselves (and, of course, this doesnt preclude the inclusion of a character based on the writer/writers significant other in the comic, either).

However, as a descriptive term, "fan-fiction" seems about as descriptive to me as "super-hero." In other words, it is not very descriptive at all.

Especially in the post Roy Thomas era, where basically every comic book writer working was first a comic book FAN, so how could they NOT be influenced by their own fan experiences?

How is that a bad thing, per se?

I mean, to say New Excalibur is "fan-fiction" seems odd to me, as writing about the characters that he wants to write about was basically how Chris Claremont wrote the Uncanny X-Men for seventeen years. So how is it "fan-fiction" now?

Unless, of course, fan-fiction is just supposed to be universally reviled, so that just by using the term, a critic can express his/her displeasure with a writers work.

I guess I can see that.

But thats not all that good of a critique, is it?

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