New Brevoort Formspring

Sorry, but this thing where you guys are worried because an Event series that we’re doing isn’t squarely aimed at the most storied and hardcore readers among you is worrisome–and your distress when anything tries to take in the wide world that exists beyond the dyed-in-the-wool audience is both distressing and wrong-headed.

Let’s shift the goal posts a little bit. Did you like the AVENGERS film? For most of you, I imagine that the answer is yes. Now, that film was clearly aimed at a general audience–it wouldn’t have been as successful as it was had it not been, if the average man-on-the-street with no Marvel knowledge couldn’t walk in, sit down and enjoy it on its own merits. However, there are aspects of that film that appeal more directly to you, that mean more to you because of the greater knowledge that you possess. That’s the advantage that you have.

But aiming at the widest possible audience is simply smart storytelling, and it doesn’t mean not doing anything for the hardcores. And none of it is pandering. Now, doing a story that exists solely to scratch the itch of a relatively small number of hardcore readers, THAT would be pandering.

The greatest good for the greatest number.