By Matt Fraction, Lee Allred, Mike Allred, Laura Allred; Marvel Comics
This short post will have *SPOILERS* for a single page of FF #12. I think it's one of the best moments and you should read it in context. That said, I doubt seeing it here will ruin the entire issue.
The defining characteristics of what makes a Geek a Geek is something I find kind of interesting. I mean, if you want to be cynical about it, Geekery, with all its various sub domains, is just a specialized kind of consumerism where Geeks' most tribalistic feelings get hijacked by the products they are buying. Or if you are feeling more charitable we could define Geekyness as an unusual enthusiasm for a particular kind of media. Or if you are a fantastic jerk you might believe that being a Geek requires perfect knowledge of an elaborate canon and a ceremonial penis. Or maybe you think something else.
There is however one really great, really positive way of defining Geekdom and this page in FF #12 is the perfect embodiment of it.
Because the perfect ideal of being a Geek doesn't stop with enjoying or buying or knowing about a thing, it requires sharing these things we love with friends and finding new friends based on our common love of a particular media. It is a definition of Geekiness that is inclusive and social and improving each others Geeky lives by providing something beloved and new. It's about friends as much as it is about consumption.
So when people ask what I think a Geek is, I'm probably just going to send them a jpg of this page, because it makes this point perfectly.
(And in doing so, this page and this issue of FF have managed to ease my worries about The Fraction Departure and the ongoing viability of FF. Phew.)
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