Originally Posted by
Ascended
I agree that even the bad stories shouldn't be written off, if you truly want an actual continuity and a character history that matters. As it is, what we really have are characters built by the "greatest hits" and the highlight stories of their careers. Which is honestly the only way to manage it, because no one has the time to read through a century's worth of material.
However, the big bad stories, stuff like Superman's Grounded or this Ric stuff.....those low points shouldn't be forgotten. You find out who and what you are when you're at rock bottom and even terrible stories can, later on, be used to make something beautiful. I often say that "bad stories may be total sh*t, but that's what makes the best fertilizer." Grounded, for example, still gave us insight into how Lois Lane feels about her marriage and life, it introduced new characters with potential as well as the Super Squadron; an army of Supermen and women from across time and space. Good stuff.
But you don't always have to directly reference those low points, and as Pohzee says, it can actually turn fans off to be reminded of a bad story. But you can still let those bad stories inform your character, even without drawing attention to it. In Dick's case, at some future point you might have Dick in a car chase, and someone asks him where he learned to drive, he could reply "Oh, I used to drive a taxi." That's kinda humorous, comparing a taxi to a high speed chase, so it speaks a bit to Dick's sense of humor, it avoids the obvious to-go of "The Batcave" which inadvertently helps keep Dick under Bruce's shadow, and it's sly enough a lot of people will miss it. Or perhaps Dick is in a bar and orders a club soda. When someone asks why he isn't drinking a martini, he can say that he lost the taste for it after going through a rough patch. That enhances Dick's character and adds a new facet to him. And it wouldn't have happened without Ric.
You dont even have to reference the bad stories at all, but a writer should keep them in mind to help develop the characters, just as the writer should remember the highlights.