New Brevoort Formspring

You don’t have to post this publicly. This is meant just for you.

Do you want to know, what disappoints me, Tom? The fact that you choose to ignore questions from a certain group of fans. A big group of fans.

I’ll use the question if Thor can lift the Earth as an example. That is a question you didn’t bother answering properly. You instead gave a snarky answer. And you have all the rights in the world to do that. Everyone should be thankful, that you answer fan questions at all. Very often you also provide good answers.
It still stings a little bit, since when someone asks you such a question and sees it again in your Tumblr feed, that person is probably excited about the answer and then… there is the harsh reality of Tom Brevoort mocking that person.

Sometimes it feels like you don’t really understand, what you are to some of us. To some of us you’re not Tom Brevoort. You’re Marvel. To us it feels like you’re one of the highest authorities in Marvel and when a Marvel spokesman like you, says that Thor can probably lift the Earth, then that becomes a definite answer. That gives us the proof, that Marvel views Thor as capable of lifting the Earth, if the story demands it. I know that a lot can happen, if the story demands it, but no one would ever ask you if Spider-Man can lift the Earth. We just ask questions, we can’t quite figure out the answers to.

Let me describe you the thoughts I sometimes have, when I read your Tumblr feed:
Oh nice, Tom has answered new questions! Let’s see… There is someone complaining about muslims, I guess? No to black Johnny Storm, aha… Tom handled it quite nicely. Ha, Spider-Gwen seems to be doing well, that’s nice. Oh, someone wants to know if Blue Marvel could destroy the Earth, if he went rogue. That’s interesting. Oh no, nevermind, Tom mocked the inquirer and moved on. A pity.

I would prefer if you didn’t answer such questions at all, if you’re not willing to share your vast character / story knowledge and your own, personal opinions and deep insight with us.

Sometimes your Tumblr feed is a real downer. You rather school people, who complain that Ms. Marvel is muslim for the sake of it, than answer a passionate fan’s questions, who would like to know if Ms. Marvel could shapeshift into a building, if she had to. You rather call people about for complaining that Iceman is homosexual, than answer a passionate fan’s questions, who would like to know if Iceman could freeze the Human Torch, if he had to.
The majority of us read comics, because they feature worlds and beings we want to know more of. And you choose to ignore the majority of these questions. It a pity.

First off, I’m sorry that you feel that way. That said, I can tell you of a certainty that absolutely nobody’s mind would be changed by me saying yes or no to whether Thor can lift the Earth. What would happen is that a few people would come out to emphatically argue their belief if it differed from mine. I’m sorry, but I cannot be all things to all people. There are over 17,000 questions queued up right now, and that’s atop however many questions I’ve already answered here. So sure, not every question is going to be answered. I answer the questions that interest me, the ones I have an actual answer for, and the ones that amuse me. I suspect that if people approached this forum with a little bit less seriousness, they might enjoy it more. I’m not looking to mock anyone (except maybe the bigots, or those folks who are abusively self-entitled) but I’m also not running a sober and scholarly page here. This to me us closer to a convention panel. And I’ll almost always go for a cheap joke. I think I talk to you a lot, more than any other two editors you could name. But I’m gonna say what I’m gonna say, sorry.