DC and Continuity

[Vakanai]

The only continuity that has or ever will matter is the story, aka whatever story the current writer is trying to tell with the character. Books the writer isn't writing don't have to be consistent with each other ie Superman in JL and Superman in his solo title need not share the same continuity. What happened in the book before the writer took over doesn't matter. Just as long as the continuity is consistent within that title and within that run it's all good. Now, when a writer can't keep the continuity he or she has established straight? That's just awful.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Brad Meltzer recounted Paul Levitz explaining how DC continuity worked for him once. He said there were various levels of continuity, and not all of it was of the same value. Some was immutable, like Krypton exploding, and Bruce Wayne watching his parents get murdered while other stuff was more malleable and subject to change depending upon the prevailing winds of editorial, such as the founding members of the Justice League.

He told Meltzer to not worry too much about the malleable stuff, because that stuff would never be set in stone. The story was was was most important.

[BohemiaDrinker]

Making a tight continuity work requires someone like a Roy Thomas or Jim Shooter in charge, with broad editorial powers. That was back in the 80s when editors actually had power over writers. Today, no editor has that much control, nor do they demonstrate a Thomas or Shooter-like interest in maintaining a tight continuity.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I believe it's less of question of power and more a question of interesting.

Even if I also believe that editorial tugs-of-war are more of an issue today than they used to be.

[Buried Alien]

Brad Meltzer recounted Paul Levitz explaining how DC continuity worked for him once. He said there were various levels of continuity, and not all of it was of the same value. Some was immutable, like Krypton exploding, and Bruce Wayne watching his parents get murdered while other stuff was more malleable and subject to change depending upon the prevailing winds of editorial, such as the founding members of the Justice League.

He told Meltzer to not worry too much about the malleable stuff, because that stuff would never be set in stone. The story was was was most important.

Even with Krypton exploding and the Waynes dying, there would be circumstantial changes. Different reasons would be introduced to explain *why* Krypton exploded, and the identity of the Waynes' killer has changed a few times over the years.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[BruceWayneJr.]

I used to enjoy the notion of a Grand Unifying Narrative. The illusion that it's all connected really added weight to the storytelling and my favorite runs are connected to eras that contain other favorite runs. Continuity and the enduring legacy aspect of DC were my favorite features. Even though the books weren't in the best shape at the time, Flashpoint and New 52 rolled through and I knew all that **** I held onto was over.

[RickWJ324]

I love stories that have a tight continuity and enjoy when things I read years ago are referenced. However, expecting continuity with a comic publisher dealing with characters that have been around for 80 years is nearly impossible. Things change. As long as a good story is being told I'm happy!!
Heck... even watching a tv show that's only been on for several years you will find discrepancies in continuity. Sometimes you can chalk it up to writers not knowing everything there is to know about the character and sometimes it's them wanting to alter things to tell their story. Either way...I'm fine with. Now if someone could please explain to me what happened to the kid sister on FAMILY MATTERS!! (Haha!)

[NexusTenebrare]

I love stories that have a tight continuity and enjoy when things I read years ago are referenced. However, expecting continuity with a comic publisher dealing with characters that have been around for 80 years is nearly impossible. Things change. As long as a good story is being told I'm happy!!
Heck... even watching a tv show that's only been on for several years you will find discrepancies in continuity. Sometimes you can chalk it up to writers not knowing everything there is to know about the character and sometimes it's them wanting to alter things to tell their story. Either way...I'm fine with. Now if someone could please explain to me what happened to the kid sister on FAMILY MATTERS!! (Haha!)

It's not about keeping continuity straight with things that happened 80 years ago.
The problem at DC right now is storylines and characters don't correspond with things from as little as less than a year ago.

[Zero Hunter]

The big thing is it is easier now than it has ever been to keep things straight with the internet at your fingertips. Not sure if a character is alive or dead a quick search can tell. To have sloppy continuety these days is just lazy writing.

[kjn]

Found the following marvellous quote:

Speaking generally, it is because of the desire of the tragic poets for the marvelous that so varied and inconsistent an account of Medea has been given out

Written by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus sometime between 60 and 30 BC. Complaints about continuity is apparently as old as the old Greeks!

[LordUltimus]

Found the following marvellous quote:



Written by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus sometime between 60 and 30 BC. Complaints about continuity is apparently as old as the old Greeks!

The difference between then and now is that the ancient Greeks didn't have Wikipedia.

[Vakanai]

The difference between then and now is that the ancient Greeks didn't have Wikipedia.

Do you really think it would have mattered if they did? Writers are always going to treat continuity as optional to good storytelling.

[LordUltimus]

Do you really think it would have mattered if they did? Writers are always going to treat continuity as optional to good storytelling.

I've rarely seen any stories that justify bad continuity. (And reboots don't count.)

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I must admit, my inner continuity cop is set off by the confusion over whether Perseus was the son of Poseidon or Zeus.

[Raijin]

I think I’m in the minority but I really like the loose continuity. If it makes for a better story, then it happened.

It’s better that way and besides DC’s current continuity isn’t really that hard to grasp. People just lack comprehension skills.

[BatmanJones]

So with creators like Tom King and Brian Bendis freely picking and discarding stories as they please, I'm wondering how people around here think about continuity. How do you think creators should handle it? And how do you feel about how DC is handling it currently?

I couldn't care less about continuity. Give me great stories by great creators and I'm happy. And I'm passing happy that King and Bendis are taking an "it-all-happened" approach. It makes for a much richer mythology.