Is the "shared universe" concept a vital part of the Superhero genre?

[Goggindowner]

I find that a shared universe works best when you don't cram it down my throat. If your entire publishing line hinges on the idea that every book is tied together and events in one book will hit all the others, then that isn't all that interesting to me.

Certain characters and families of books DO work better when closely tied together, but I think that is largely caused by a lack of independent development. Look at Iron Man and Captain America. Both have a supporting cast and have had solo books for decades, but with the way Marvel works now, the two are almost as connected to each other as Batman and Robin. They are supporting characters to each other, and IMO that is the problem. They have been written and driven in a direction that can't work unless they are tied closely together.

The biggest issue for me, in regard to Marvel and DC, is the sheer size of their shared universes. When everything is so tied together and there are so many books, my instinct is to just bail out and read nothing. I don't want to feel like I need to read books that don't interest me, and Marvel is the number one offender in that regard. If I wanted to read one Avengers title, I could, but I wouldn't be getting the entire story because little pieces play out across other titles that might not be interesting to me.

A shared universe works best when it is small. Like Ultimate Marvel, the MCU, Valient, or the Mignola-verse. Small shared universes make it possible to have a cohesive vision, while conversely, massive ones create continuity and story telling nightmares.

[Turn the Page]

I think it really depends on the character. I think Batman works way better off in his own world, and while the Avengers are fun to see team up I mostly prefer their solo stories. A shared universe is fun, but both DC and Marvel need to cut the shit with the excessive amount of event stories.

[Mister Mets]

It's not essential for every series, but it has a strong appeal.

There is a primal element of wanting to see characters competing against one another. Who is faster: Superman or the Flash? Can the Avengers defeat the X-Men?

I think we also view iconic characters in a similar way that we view celebrities. So, just as a movie or play is often sold on the strength of several stars (Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Matthew McConaughey! Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep! Sandra Bullock and George Clooney!), there's an appeal to a comic book story that has multiple notable super-characters.

[Prisoner 6655321]

not really, shared universes, like continuity, were an interesting concept back in the silver age, now they are just a burden for writers that often gets in the way for good stories.(how do you write Green Arrow when Star city is so close to Metroplis, how neccesary is Oliver Queen in a shared world with Superman ?talking about low self steem....

I was under the impression that Star City was on the(north) west coast while Metropolis was on the east coast but this is spilling hairs. And the thing is with Superman, he might seem to make many others seem irrelevant but there's only one of him.... But I'd say it's important enough. I mostly get Dark Horse / image books but a little less than half of my list will be DC or Marvel because I want a shared universe and continuity.

[Arundel Armor Hunter]

Valiant has a neat little shared universe that is less time consuming.

[Jeremi]

Is it vital? No, but it sure is fun and I'm a sucker for crossovers.

[The Darknight Detective]

It's not vital, but I have loved the shared universe concept ever since watching the old Filmation JLA animated shorts from the late '60s.

[Goggindowner]

Is it vital? No, but it sure is fun and I'm a sucker for crossovers.

See, and I think that is where I just differ. Crossovers, especially in the modern market, mean absolutely nothing. Events happen so often that seeing them work all together is spoiled. It isn't even really a crossover anymore, it just that these characters have all become supporting cast for each other. That creates a problem, IMO, and it's why I always liked the fact that, back in the day, most of the Avengers and Justice League members didn't have their own book. Yeah, the biggest names did, but most of them didn't, so they weren't over exposed. Now, especially with how Avengers has been built, there is nothing special about seeing all these characters in one book anymore.