tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387347.post3128278975682968849..comments2024-03-19T06:14:23.325-04:00Comments on Kleefeld on Comics: When World-Building FailsSean Kleefeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10492399469370737192noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19387347.post-4394051698339649262011-12-18T18:50:40.838-05:002011-12-18T18:50:40.838-05:00Good post. This, particularly the Star Wars exampl...Good post. This, particularly the Star Wars example, is something I always think of when comics fans/punditry get started hand-wringing about "the burden of continuity" for potential new readers.<br /><br />Star Wars, as you point out, effectively began halfway through a six-film cycle. And yet it was a big hit, right from the first.<br /><br />Which is why I've taken to rolling my eyes at the idea that depth of backstory is inherently an obstacle to new readers. It can be but, as you point out, it's also possible for an implied backstory to enrich a work. I think that back in the day when Marvel comics would include footnotes citing the source of some previous event referenced it did no harm at all; just like The Clone Wars I generally found these intriguing rather than vexing.<br /><br />(And of course I'm particularly mystified when this obsession with "clean continuity" leads to retelling the origin of Batman or Superman for the 87th time, given that nearly everyone knows these stories already even if they know nothing else about the characters, but I digresss...)Matt Khttp://edgeofspace.net/alchemynoreply@blogger.com