What happened to the surprise?

I've been reading comics for the better part of ten years, and there's been a trend going on that, well... really upsets me.

Any series that becomes a potential "game-changer" becomes so popular, it leaves people dying to know what comes next. That's fine and dandy, but then there's that one guy who does some digging where he/she shouldn't, and finds out what that game-changing event is, whether it's the death of a character or anything like that. Then, that person blogs about it, takes a photo, etc., puts it up on a website like CBR, CV, or anywhere like that, and, in the span of a few hours, everyone gets the game-changer spoiled for them, whether they wanted it or not! It's happened countless of times, the most recent one concerning a certain character in a certain Batman series. What makes the problem worse is, instead of ignoring it, the publisher acknowledges it, and makes it public themselves! Are spoilers no longer sacred?

Anyway, that's something that's been bugging me, and I know I'm not the only one alone. What happened to the value of a good surprise?

A fair point. It's incredibly difficult for secrets to exist in an age of technology like we have today. Which is funny, given how much people value seclusion and privacy. The things that drive us further away from one another also bring us closer than we'd ever have been comfortable being before.

The alternative to embracing spoilers, of course, is to outright lie about it, and then that just pisses people off for different reasons. Happens a lot in the gaming industry -- people working on new consoles or IP for years and whenever they're asked, they're obligated to just plain deny things that are blatantly true. So up until the day before the Playstation 4 is announced, Sony says it doesn't exist. It's dumb. And with comics, where you wait so long for so little, and when those things have already been planned and passed off months in advance, it seems almost inevitable.

The best you can do is to worry less about what happens and more about seeing how it happens, or why. Not as satisfying, but if you can't stop spoilers, at least you can try to find the silver lining.

@akbogert said:

The best you can do is to worry less about what happens and more about seeing how it happens, or why. Not as satisfying, but if you can't stop spoilers, at least you can try to find the silver lining.

Yeah there's actually arguments that the knowledge of spoilers can enhance the enjoyment of a story as foreshadowing becomes clearer and you're anticipating it happening at any moment. Kind of like how in a mystery story where you find out who killed the person or who dies ahead of time and now you're left to anticipate it happening within the story. I personally don't mind spoilers but I can see how people would be generally upset about it.

That said, there's something obscenely dumb about spoilers so close to launch. It's like a commercial for an upcoming season finale in which they tell you what happens right before the episode starts. Killjoy, right there.

I HATE spoilers with an intense ferocity.

Read indie, no one cares enough to spoil that stuff.

@Decoy Elite said:

Read indie, no one cares enough to spoil that stuff.

Yeah, but Daredevil and Superman aren't there, and I love them the mostest :(

@Gambit1024 said:

@Decoy Elite said:

Read indie, no one cares enough to spoil that stuff.

Yeah, but Daredevil and Superman aren't there, and I love them the mostest :(

Then you have no hope, enjoy watching every story being ruined so some site can have a cheap quick article.

I'm not bitter or anything....

@Gambit1024: I think it's clear that I completely agree with you....it's just plain rude and inconsiderate

I actually think spoilers can be good sometimes. If it wasn't for spoilers I would have wasted 8 bucks on the garbage that is ASM 700.

@Decoy Elite said:

@Gambit1024 said:

@Decoy Elite said:

Read indie, no one cares enough to spoil that stuff.

Yeah, but Daredevil and Superman aren't there, and I love them the mostest :(

Then you have no hope, enjoy watching every story being ruined so some site can have a cheap quick article.

I'm not bitter or anything....

Decoy Elite of earth. You have great rage in your heart.

@Gambit1024: Gotta go vomit acid on the sites that ran articles with spoiler titles.

@danhimself said:

@Gambit1024: I think it's clear that I completely agree with you....it's just plain rude and inconsiderate

I also don't have a problem for people who'd want to discuss said spoilers, but at least have the decency to not ruin it for people in the thread title, ya know?

@Dark_Guyver said:

I actually think spoilers can be good sometimes. If it wasn't for spoilers I would have wasted 8 bucks on the garbage that is ASM 700.

Did you read the issue?

@Decoy Elite said:

@Gambit1024: Gotta go vomit acid on the sites that ran articles with spoiler titles.

Good to know your powers are being used for good. God speed.

Yea, I read it at my comic book store. Only the actual story itself. Didn't read any if the side stories

@Gambit1024 said:

@danhimself said:

@Gambit1024: I think it's clear that I completely agree with you....it's just plain rude and inconsiderate

I also don't have a problem for people who'd want to discuss said spoilers, but at least have the decency to not ruin it for people in the thread title, ya know?

completely agreed...I just said the same thing in my thread