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Comic book fans get a bad rap AND IT'S NOT FAIR!!! I've compiled this "Did you know?" list for people who DO and DON'T consider themselves comic fans (no assholes, I mean "comic fans," not "comic sans").

For people who don't read comics, remember that these nine qualities may not apply to every comic book reader out there. However, you may find that these traits have a greater presence in comic book fans when compared to other people you know.

And comic book fans, if you have someone in your life that gives you a hard time about reading comics, show them this list and see if they understand you better after reading it!

9. Comic book fans are passionate. While many people would probably opt to use the term "fanatic," I think the word "passionate" is far more accurate. For example, a comics fan gets upset when a movie does a character's origin wrong. Why? Not because they're deluded and obsessed - it's because a vast majority comic book fans have affection for the source material and they want everybody to understand why the original comics are so great.

8. Comic book fans are detail-oriented people. Again, this is where detractors would use a different word or phrase. The clearest way to represent the stereotype of detail-oriented comics fans would be to call them "obsessed with irrelevancy." But that's just wrong. To a comic book fan, details aren't irrelevant - they're important aspects that add to the story. To remove details is to remove the richness of characters and settings.

7. Comic book fans are emotionally sensitive. By "emotionally sensitive," I don't mean that comics fans are crybabies. What I mean is that comic books fans tend to have a greater degree of understanding when it comes to a range of emotions, particularly sadness and anger. Because the act of reading a comic book is often very introspective, emotional story events resonate strongly and generate extensive thought in comic fans.

6. Comic book fans are generous. While I'm sure there are some misers out there, I'll bet you there are way more generous fans than stingy fans. You just have to ask them about the right stuff: namely, comic books. Comic book fans will devote their time, words, resources, and (the greatest gift of all) their comics to help you understand why they love the stories that they love so much. If you get cornered by a comic book fan who can't stop talking about a particular body of work, it's not because they're weird or stupid - it's because they want to share something with you that's given them something special.

5. Comic book fans have a strong sense of justice. Specifically, superhero fans. Superhero comics are often psycho-dramas that play out situations through a variety of moral filters. By exploring these situations from a multiplicity of angles, comic book fans actively hone their notions of justice and fairness.

4. Comic book fans crave inspiration. Whether it's visual inspiration, artistic inspiration, emotional inspiration, or spiritual inspiration, comic book fans seek out stories of perseverance and triumph to inspire themselves. This is a quality that's particularly strong in those who follow superhero comics, because superhero protagonists often seek to improve the world around them by helping others.

3. Comic book fans have tons of imagination. Obviously, after spending your days reading stories about the improbable, you develop a finely-tuned imagination. And don't confuse imagination with detachment or delusion - imagination means the ability to envision multiple possibilities across many different situations. That can come in handy in unexpected ways - at work, in the service of others, or even in an emergency.

2. Comic book fans have a great respect for storytelling. At the core of the comic reading experience is the story. Because comics are basically separate pieces of visual art intended to be experienced over time, story is integral to the act of comic book reading. Fans develop a passion for well-told stories and for those who tell quality stories. Comic fans reward the creators who tell the most engaging tales with awards, accolades, loyalty, and adoration.

1. Comic book fans are art lovers. This is possibly the most overlooked quality of comic book fans. On the whole, they love illustration and visual art. After all, they do spend endless hours viewing diverse art styles spread across thousands of pages. Comic book fans love art so much that they devote their time and resources to pursuing it in single issues, graphic novels, t-shirts, posters, and with action figures and statues (both forms of sculpture, mind you). A love for art fuels the medium of comics and, in turn, fuels the minds and hearts of those who read comic books.

More: The Top 9 Reasons I Still Haven't Seen the New Star Trek Movie

Why the Top 9? Because 10 is too many and 9 is better. 3 X 3 = Awesome. Now that’s what I call math.