How does a character having multiple comics at the same time in the same continuity work?

[Zontar]

This is something which has always bugged me, but how does a character who is in multiple titles in the same continuity actually work? I'm looking at you Spider-Man. Right now he's in The Amazing Spider-Man, The Avengers and The Superior Foes of Spider-Man. And that's putting aside other comic lines he's been in, sometimes as many as 4 or 5 at the same time.

And that's not even that unusual for a comic, just looking across the isle at DC we can see that, apart from Cyborg, every hero in the Justice League has their own ongoing series (unless half of them have been cancelled. Again). So how does that work continuity wise if all these stories are part of either the Marvel 616 or main Earth (or whatever the hell DC is calling their non-elseworld universe these days) yet at the same time are supposed to be taking place at around the same time?

And did that thing in Amazing Spider-Man which angered most readers actually effect him in The Avengers?

 

[Ranorak]

It takes place on different days?
Time flow is an odd thing in comics, and thus it's not really hard to assume that while the current events happen at roughly the same time. They could be days in between.

 

[Scarim Coral]

They just never establist a coherence timeline as in the order of event it happens. I mean sure some comic had the time and day written on it but not for all of them.
I think there was gag somewhere in the Avengers comic which Wolvering make a remark about managing his time on the Avergers and X-Men team.
This does lead to some problems when there is a story arc that doesn't fit in too well on the bigger arc like I think Superman: War of the Supermen and Cry for Justice had a problem on when it supposed to happened).

 

[Queen Michael]

Right now he's in [...] The Superior Foes of Spider-Man.

I've followed that one from the start, and Spider-Man shows up extremely seldom. Most issues don't feature him at all. Right now I can only recall one appearance by him, and that was in a flashback in the opening pages of the first issue.

 

[Vault101]

I guess its a bit like star trek

episode doesn't take place one day after the next (that would be insane) we can assume they happen months/weeks at a time, there is a constant state of "status quo" so any story can pick up from the end of another

 

[Nimzabaat]

It used to be done by referencing the other comics. For example Spider-man might say something and there'd be a little asterix beside it with a note that says "as seen in The Avengers #whatever". It might be that they've stopped doing that.

 

[Andysweden]

This is something which has always bugged me, but how does a character who is in multiple titles in the same continuity actually work?

Because they are comics.. it's not real.

*Serious answer, Multiverse

 

[LobsterFeng]

Choose your favorite universe/timeline/series and pay attention to it and ignore the others. Trying to make sense of it all can hurt your brain.

 

[Zontar]

Right now he's in [...] The Superior Foes of Spider-Man.

I've followed that one from the start, and Spider-Man shows up extremely seldom. Most issues don't feature him at all. Right now I can only recall one appearance by him, and that was in a flashback in the opening pages of the first issue.

Oh, well I don't follow it that much (only have 1 issue, and it didn't really interest me), but that still leaves 2 ongoing series he's in with this question.

This is something which has always bugged me, but how does a character who is in multiple titles in the same continuity actually work?

Because they are comics.. it's not real.

*Serious answer, Multiverse

I was talking about comic series which are explicitly set in the same universe and using the same characters.

 

[Eamar]

Comics don't chronicle every day of a superhero's life. As Vault said, think of it like Star Trek - there's a whole bunch of uneventful "downtime" between adventures, into which other storylines can be slotted. Unless it's explicitly stated, I've never got the impression that just because, say, an Avengers comic and an X-Men comic were published in the same week the events contained in them necessarily happened in that same timeframe.

 

[Lieju]

Comics don't chronicle every day of a superhero's life. As Vault said, think of it like Star Trek - there's a whole bunch of uneventful "downtime" between adventures, into which other storylines can be slotted. Unless it's explicitly stated, I've never got the impression that just because, say, an Avengers comic and an X-Men comic were published in the same week the events contained in them necessarily happened in that same timeframe.

Yes, but I think the problem is with the things happening possibly contradicting one another.

Especially when it comes to characterization.
Like, if you have something really horrible happen to Spider-Man in one book, and him being an emotional wreck, but being okay in the other book. Or him getting together with say MJ but flirting with Black Cat in the other.

But that's why you have editors, and editorial mandates, like 'these two characters are now a couple', or 'you can't use this character because this other writer has plans for her' or 'change the tone of the book to reflect these events.'

Of course this doesn't always work out for the best, and writers have a habit of ignoring things or rewriting them.
For example I've heard the Wonderwoman's own book in the New 52 ignores the relationship she is having with Superman in Superman/Wonderwoman, but I don't follow either of those comics so I don't know.

 

[Akiraking]

Comics are random, I have always wondered how they can keep them all in line the way they do. I do know that certain series are set in different time periods like I am pretty sure the Justice League is set five years in the past from the main continuity and beyond that they do usually set the stories in vague time points so they don't conflict. I don't pay attention to many series but Batman is able to do multiple series at once. He just conveniently hangs out with one guy in one comic and a different one in the next comic.

In the end the whole status quo of comic story lines generally makes sure nothing truly messes things up. Though I agree it is weird to see Green Arrow hanging out with the JLA and then by himself doing his own thing.