What's wrong with comics? Continuity?

[Dale Roberts]

I somewhat agree with the argument that continuity over the span of 70 years where characters don't age doesn't work. Instead of throwing out continuity, I say age the characters. If you read a thousand page novel and page 891 contradicts page 26, it's probably going to be considered a book. If you can't do long term continuity, make it a series of minis. And of course, give the damn story an ending. Ideally Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and all the GA super heroes should have aged and retired some time in the 50's or 60's. And I'm not saying "retire" as in their identical twin protege puts on their costume and continues to fight crime under their name either. I mean they should have written a conclusion for these characters, ended the stories, and started new stories with new characters. That ship has sailed though. Just one more example of what I don't like about super hero comics. Nobody is asking if continuity is important in any Vertigo series, because that would be a ridiculously stupid question. Of course continuity is important in those comics.

 

You can age the characters a day at a time per comic. Or even have multiple comics span a day, in the case of a big battle event. In this situation, Spider-man would be about 900 days older than he was when the series began. And continuity should run through all titles, just as Marvel Team-Up and Amazing Spider-man, and eventually Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-man did.

 

This would allow the characters to stay young, aging very slowly, while allowing the writing to remain relevant, as styles of speech, manners of clothes, changes in society can be addressed a little at a time. Basically keeping the characters aging very slowly, while the world around them transforms as time goes by.

[dupont2005]

This would allow the characters to stay young, aging very slowly, while allowing the writing to remain relevant, as styles of speech, manners of clothes, changes in society can be addressed a little at a time. Basically keeping the characters aging very slowly, while the world around them transforms as time goes by.

This is exactly what I think doesn't work. And I think shared universes are another huge problem. All 50+ titles offered by a publisher looking the same is not a good thing in my opinion.

[Prince Namor]

I have complained for years that in the hey day of Marvel, almost all of their books looked and felt the same. Mostly due to 1 main editor, and the house style of art.

Now you can read consecutive issues of a Spider-man title, and you can tell who is Peter Parker and who is Mary Jane unless someone speaks to them directly.

 

Stories jump all over, and then they pretend that they just never happened. In Spider-man the other, Spidey develops stingers (bones that come out of his arms) and then, they are never seen again. His daughter is stolen by Norman Osborne in issue some issue of Peter Parker, they tell him and MJ that she dies, and nothing ever comes of it. Don't even get me started again about the Gwen Stacy/Norman Osborne ridiculousness that goes so much against the essence of the character that it is just crazy.

 

I can't imagine that they could ever fix the continuity of the character at this point.

 

It made it almost impossible to continue reading, and made it very easy to just stop buying the title.

 

This is the truth.

 

+100

It's the character that got me to start reading comics, and the continuity and history that hooked me. Now I can't even look at it.

[Prince Namor]

Marvel should go back to a shared universe where everything was co-ordinated to work together, have a cover that ties all Marvel Comics as a publisher, and a voice within the comics that makes fans feel connected to it (ala SA Stan Lee or EC).

Right now it feels like they're just throwing crud at the wall to see what sticks.

 

Oh, and Wonder Woman should go back to being magically born from a clay statue.

[bababooey]

I'm sure it's because I'm biased since this was when I started buying but I still say the best handled "run" from a universe continuity perspective was the Claremont/Byrne Marvel Team Up run - each guest star and villain came in "from a story" and "moved on" to their next story in the greater universe.

 

Lots of those little editorial boxes too that made you want to get the other issues.

 

 

[ChrisInBaltimore]

I think there is two issues with comics:

 

1) People don't read like they used to. The loyal fan base and readership of the books is older now and new readers are hard to hook in. This makes continuity difficult when the readers you do hook just pick up a trade off the rack in a book store. Thus continuity actually makes it more difficult.

 

2) Because of the above, books are being written for trades. Thus the continuity from issue to issue is difficult to follow. You have things like a thrice monthly format of Spider-Man where every three issues feels totally different.

 

The only way to fix continuity and the confusion is to restart the universe. That can be difficult and with the internet everyone just freaks out. We have a goal minority that makes their voice heard.

 

Marvel should go back to a shared universe where everything was co-ordinated to work together, have a cover that ties all Marvel Comics as a publisher, and a voice within the comics that makes fans feel connected to it (ala SA Stan Lee or EC).

 

How would something like this be possible when it is expected for the company to put out 52 issues or so?

[Speedy-D]

So, all this complaining about the lack of continuity ... is this not what the quote in the OP was talking about? Not that the problem is the lack of continuity ... that it's our desire (need!) to have comics stick to continuity as tightly as possible.

[Prince Namor]

I think there is two issues with comics:

 

1) People don't read like they used to. The loyal fan base and readership of the books is older now and new readers are hard to hook in. This makes continuity difficult when the readers you do hook just pick up a trade off the rack in a book store. Thus continuity actually makes it more difficult.

 

2) Because of the above, books are being written for trades. Thus the continuity from issue to issue is difficult to follow. You have things like a thrice monthly format of Spider-Man where every three issues feels totally different.

 

The only way to fix continuity and the confusion is to restart the universe. That can be difficult and with the internet everyone just freaks out. We have a goal minority that makes their voice heard.

 

Marvel should go back to a shared universe where everything was co-ordinated to work together, have a cover that ties all Marvel Comics as a publisher, and a voice within the comics that makes fans feel connected to it (ala SA Stan Lee or EC).

 

How would something like this be possible when it is expected for the company to put out 52 issues or so?

 

Back in the day they hung up a big poster board in the Editors office and kept track of it all.

[HotJuicyBurgers]

I don't think that "Stamp" would be a good business move, and I feel like it would never actually happen.

Superman titles used to sport an additional 'triangle' continuity number, Legion books an 'L' number.

 

 

How long did this last though? I was saying that (at least in my mind) clearly marking some books almost elevates them over other books.

 

Basically, Why should I buy action comics, if only superman is "canon" kind of think might exist.

[Radj4ck]

Basically, Why should I buy action comics, if only superman is "canon" kind of think might exist.

 

For us fans it would be all about the team working on the book so It wouldn't really matter if it's in continuity or out of...

For the rest of the peoples If I never read a comic, entered in a comic shop and the nice gentleman at the counter said "take this one, you have all you need to know about this story/character inside the first issue" I would gladly take it. On other note this would only work on mini series so it would be better for both buyer and seller because of the low number on the cover without infuriating us long term fans...

[bababooey]

So, all this complaining about the lack of continuity ... is this not what the quote in the OP was talking about? Not that the problem is the lack of continuity ... that it's our desire (need!) to have comics stick to continuity as tightly as possible.

 

Need is too strong a word, it's a preference and in my own opinion, the subtle editorial box referencing other current issues was far more effective on me as a reader/buyer than the "event logo" facing today's reader.

 

I also think acknowledging and respecting continuity is what helped create the interest in a back issue market.

[Senormac]

For us fans it would be all about the team working on the book so It wouldn't really matter if it's in continuity or out of...

 

I think this is a very good point. Nowadays so many people are interested in what the artist and writer are doing and want to see/read more of their work, no matter what they were writing and drawing about

[Maccai3]

they generally release a few books out of continuity so it never bothers me, especially with Batman

[Dale Roberts]

This would allow the characters to stay young, aging very slowly, while allowing the writing to remain relevant, as styles of speech, manners of clothes, changes in society can be addressed a little at a time. Basically keeping the characters aging very slowly, while the world around them transforms as time goes by.

This is exactly what I think doesn't work. And I think shared universes are another huge problem. All 50+ titles offered by a publisher looking the same is not a good thing in my opinion.

 

 

I know Marvel Comics (the publishing entity)was never more successful than in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, when they employed this strategy. It is what got almost everyone here hooked on comics.

 

There is plenty of room for alternate styles in comics, whether it be by independent publishers or by the big companies. But the fact is, most people don't want it. They want to see a Spider-man that looks like Spider-man. Perhaps there could be an alternate line, not in continuity, where some of these stories could be written, while leaving the main titles "Marvelized".

 

At least that is how I would do it.

[Comicopolis]

This would allow the characters to stay young, aging very slowly, while allowing the writing to remain relevant, as styles of speech, manners of clothes, changes in society can be addressed a little at a time. Basically keeping the characters aging very slowly, while the world around them transforms as time goes by.

This is exactly what I think doesn't work. And I think shared universes are another huge problem. All 50+ titles offered by a publisher looking the same is not a good thing in my opinion.

 

I disagree - shared universes are great. Makes everything feel more connected.

[Comicopolis]

Marvel should go back to a shared universe where everything was co-ordinated to work together, have a cover that ties all Marvel Comics as a publisher, and a voice within the comics that makes fans feel connected to it (ala SA Stan Lee or EC).

Right now it feels like they're just throwing crud at the wall to see what sticks.

 

Oh, and Wonder Woman should go back to being magically born from a clay statue.

 

Yes.

 

And yes.

[Jeffro.]

This would allow the characters to stay young, aging very slowly, while allowing the writing to remain relevant, as styles of speech, manners of clothes, changes in society can be addressed a little at a time. Basically keeping the characters aging very slowly, while the world around them transforms as time goes by.

This is exactly what I think doesn't work. And I think shared universes are another huge problem. All 50+ titles offered by a publisher looking the same is not a good thing in my opinion.

 

Saying it can't work is incorrect. It worked for Marvel from the early 60's into the 90s. Why can't it work now?

 

[Mister_Comics]

Someone call me when they publish Detective Comics #882. Until then you won't be seeing me in any LCS.

[Jeffro.]

I know Marvel Comics (the publishing entity)was never more successful than in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, when they employed this strategy. It is what got almost everyone here hooked on comics.

 

It is absolutely one of the reasons I got hooked. I used to love those little blurbs at the bottoms of some panels that referred you to an previous issue (of any series, not just the one you were currently reading) for further details. Knowing that everything was intertwined was a huge plus for me as a reader.

[Comicopolis]

I know Marvel Comics (the publishing entity)was never more successful than in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, when they employed this strategy. It is what got almost everyone here hooked on comics.

 

It is absolutely one of the reasons I got hooked. I used to love those little blurbs at the bottoms of some panels that referred you to an previous issue (of any series, not just the one you were currently reading) for further details. Knowing that everything was intertwined was a huge plus for me as a reader.

 

+1000