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ManofTheAtom said:Where are they?

Where are all of these hundreds of people that don't care about continuity?



All my real life friends that like comics and most of the online ones don't give a shit about continuity.

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I have new for you, continuity or not, those people aren't buying comics.



Well, DUH! Because up until recently they were, at least in DC, ruled by continuity. It's hard to shake that anal retentive image of comics off one's head. I've told people about DiDio's speech and they say "We'll see."

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People that like continuity LEFT comics the moment the publishers stopped using it and NO ONE came out to replace them.



No, they left the moment it started becoming a problem. During the first years of the post Crisis DCU there wasn't enough continuity to make it a problem for writers and readers. Once that continuity started getting old (mid-90's), guess what, most of the shit started sucking and people started leaving.

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You do understand that the only reason to a story in the main comic is for continuity, right?



NO. A story in any comic is for the sake of a good story. It can be a one issue story, it can be a twelve year story, whatever. The purpose is to produce good stories. If it was all about continuity 22 pages of Bat-Man sitting in a couch would be enough to make a good comic. Continuity for the sake of continuity is a waste of paper. Making a story follow continuity isn't enough to make a good comic. On the other hand, a good story that doesn't follow continuity is still a good story.
Maybe you buy comics to see a story continued for eternity, not caring if it's good or bad, but I think that's pointless and a waste of money. You can have your continuity following "stories" for all I care, but don't expect everyone to accept that every main comic should be like that.
I insist, and this is my main point: AS LONG AS THERE ARE WRITERS WILLING TO TELL STORIES YOUR WAY, THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL GET. If there are no writers willing to do that... or just a bunch of them... then, bad luck for you. You can't force writers to follow your rules.

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Mxy, I really think that you're loosing perspective of this.

You're argueing that writers should be able to tell out of continuity stories in the main titles so that people that don't like continuity can buy them.



Sigh... That's not what I mean. It's all about the stories. A story can be produced with or without continuity. Forcing a writer who doesn't want to use continuity to use it is as stupid as forcing a writer who WANTS to use continuity not to use it. What I'm against is forcing writers to use something they don't want to use, so that we get good stories. My opinion is that lame stories come from forcing writers to do things. So you think continuity is the best way to go... whatever. If the writer doesn't, that's his right, and there's nothing you can do about it.

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Do you see how illogical that is?

I mean, what kind of random reader would pick up a comic with three-digit numbering?



Uh... That's a weak argument. I would pick a comic with a seven digit numbering if there was something about it that attracted me. The first issue of Superman I picked up was Action #687. Around that same time I picked up issues of X-Men, Spider-Man and Bat-Man. I can't remember the exact numbers, but htey were pretty high. And I enjoyed most of those issues.

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Doesn't it make more sense to tell out of continuity stories in separately titled one shots so that random readers can just pick them up without having to be overwhelmed by the high numbering of the ongoing series?



If there's something good going on in the in-continuity main series, then yeah. But what if it's a low selling lame comic? Or, it's a good comic, but the writer that made it good just left? And then a writer comes in with a brilliant idea for the comic, that happens to contradict something that happened some time ago in that same comic. I say give him the main comic and don't worry about continuity. Those that do worry about it and don't care wether it's a good story or not, can just skip it. Buy something else. Read an old issue. Go have an ice cream. Give the money to charity. Whatever.

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Leave the ongoing series to those of us that are gonna go out of their way to buy the comics month in and month out, and make separate one shots for the random readers that just want something to read to kill time.



What do you mean, "to kill time"? What does that mean? So they -we- are less of a reader because we don't follow a comic not caring if it's good or bad? I'd say we're more of a reader, because we actually read, we actually care about the quality of the story and not just wether it contradicts anything from the past 17 years or not.
Going out of your way to buy the comic every month doesn't make you special. It may make you loyal to the character (a loyalty I don't understand -- by buying lame stuff you're only encouraging the editorial to publish it), but it doesn't give you the right to chose what happens in the comic. I may not buy all the comics every month, but Superman is as mine as it is yours. We're both fans with opposing points of view. There's no reason why DC should listen to you and ignore me.

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The odds of a reader that isn't interested in continuity buying a three-digit numbered comic are pretty slim to begin with (why do you think Marvel keeps relaunching their titles?)



I disagree. I think most new readers to a character start buying comics that have already started. A long time ago or last year, it doesn't matter.
And let's sey you're right... so that comic is ONLY for old readers? That would mean people can't join, they can only leave.

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I don't see why continuity fans and non-continuity fans can't get what they both want.



Right! Monthly ongoing comics for all.

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Ongoing series for continuity fans (those that are sure to buy the comic every month), and one shots and three-four issue minis for the non-continuity fans, those of us that only buy a comic every three months.



If a selective reader buys only once every three months it's because there's nothing good in between. As I said, a story can take one issue or ten years. If an ongoing series keeps producing good stories I'll buy it for as long as it lasts. If I don't have money, I'll make money.
I like to think that if everyone was a selective reader we would get nothing but good stories every month. By not buying a lame run you're making an statement: HEY, DC, I DON'T LIKE LAME RUNS!