Bill Maher: I don’t understand adult comic book fans

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"I posted a blog that in no way was an attack on Mr. Lee, but took the occasion of his death to express my dismay at people who think comic books are literature and superhero movies are great cinema and who, in general, are stuck in an everlasting childhood," Maher explained to his audience. "Bragging that you’re all about the Marvel Universe is like boasting that your mother still pins your mittens to your sleeves."

Maher further ranted that fans ultimately need to "grow up," which was the true intent of his blog post.

"You can, if you want, like the exact same things you liked when you were ten but if you do, you need to grow up. That was the point of my blog. I’m not glad Stan Lee is dead, I’m sad you’re alive."

Maher further quipped: "By the way, if someone says you’re being childish and you react by throwing a tantrum, you’re not Iron Man — you’re Irony Man."

After realizing how many "people were pissed about this post," Maher joked that he "wasn’t even aware I ruffled so many capes until I saw that forty thousand Twitter followers unfollowed me like that." His response to losing so many followers? “I say 'Good riddance, follow Yogi Bear.' "

Following Maher’s controversial comments after Lee’s death, director Kevin Smith called out Maher for "taking a shot when no shots are fricking necessary," something Maher found comical. "My shot wasn’t at Stan Lee. It was at, you know, grown men who still dress like kids," he said as he proceeded to show a photo of Smith wearing a branded hockey jersey.

He continued: "Can we stop pretending that the writing in comic books is so good? Oh please! Every superhero movie is the same thing — a person who doesn’t have powers, gets them, has to figure out how they work, and then has to find a glowy thing. Justice League, glowy thing. Iron Man, glowy thing. Spider-Man, glory thing. Captain America, glowy thing. Glowy thing, glowy thing, glowy thing!"

He then commented on Pow! Entertainment’s open letter to him stating that Maher has a right to his opinion as "many said the same about Dickens, Steinbeck, Melville and even Shakespeare."

"No, they didn’t! No one ever said that. No one said King Lear or Moby Dick was sophisticated. If you ever read a book without pictures, you’d know that!"

Maher then advised fans to embrace "adulting." "I’m sorry, but if you’re an adult playing with superhero dolls, I’m sorry — I mean collectible action figures — why not go all the way and drive to work on a Big Wheel?"

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