How do you feel about AUs in general?

In any fandom, really.

Can be sort of interesting sometimes if they're based on something specific from the canon happening in a different way and the repercussions of that.

Less interesting when the entire premise of the AU is "what if ALL these things were different" because for me there's a point where it eventually no longer even feels like the same characters. And I guess maybe that's the point, but still.

One problem with a lot of AUs is that some of them are so similar to canon you wonder why they bothered making it an AU, and some of them are so different you wonder why they bothered making it an AU rather than it's own thing.

I like it more as a source of interesting art. The more serious it takes itself, the less I can tolerate it so I guess that means I like Alternate Themes more than Alternate Universes

My two favorite AUs are Ghost AUs and Circus AUs. I don't know what that says about me.

What do you mean by alternate theme?

That you're into ghosts and circuses

They usually stem from a dissatisfaction with whatever direction a show is going and basically just fanfiction wank

Well, that fits with some of the AUs I've come up with

I'm using the concepts in Reverse Pines to build a story.

Really because I'm of the strong impression they're about the fans' fetishes.

While I agree, if they're something a lot of fans work on, I understand as a jumping off point more and more people contribute to until it gets far away from the original but people still enjoy it as some collaborative setting they're making. By that point maybe people outside the group who didn't see how it evolved can't enjoy it but the people in the group who made it can like they enjoy an RPG universe they made up and whatever the original thing was was just some inspiration or catalyst or jumping off point. I see less the appeal of one creator who makes an AU totally different from something at least as a fan but obviously a lot of people do enjoy them so what do I know there.

Yeah, that makes sense

That would explain a lot

It does.

They're okay. It's fun to postulate fan concepts.

Reverse Mabel usually seems to be drawn as older

I think AUs are fun to imagine characters in a different setting.
But they have a limited appeal because they are so niche to what the creator wants.
I don't like when they completely change the characters personalities.
Why bother have it as an AU?
Just make your own story if you are going to make something thats only superficially similar to the original.

Her outfit and "assets" on a 12-year-old raise a couple more questions.

Autistic Universes.

I think they're pretty AUtistic.

didn't Zatana start helping her Dad in his stage show when she was that age?

This is often true.