[Black Panther #55] Black and White: A Crime Novel, Chapter 5: Glass House of the Last Righteous Man

[superboyprime]

"Editors Michael Marts, Mike Raicht and I commenced marathon sessions trying to re-create the wheel, looking at a variety of directions (including a really cool one where T'Challa became a villain and another, Raicht's idea, where Queen Divine Justice became The Black Panther). Much as we liked some of these ideas, even the best of them relied too heavily on established continuity. We were all reluctant to put someone else in the Panther costume because for us, that diminished the weight of the work we have all (including JoeQ, the series' original editor and co-creator) worked so hard to establish. But we had to lighten up: lose a lot of the weight of the continuity that, while serving the series, was not efficient for storytelling." - Christopher Priest

Comments

[captainbellman]

God, how I do not miss Calafiore sameface.

[caivu]

If you find "the weight of the continuity" to be "not efficient for storytelling"... maybe don't write stories for a big, interconnected universe?

[laughing_tree]

Why, when they can just tell stories that aren't too dependent on or mired in said weight? Like this one here.

There's that old saying dating back to Stan Lee's day: Every issue is someone's first, so write accordingly.

[locuatico]

Because, as a different Priest quote explains, he went overboard with Black Panther continuity to the point he made things harder for himself.
I think what Priest means here is a middle-of-the-ground approach. Not completely ignore continuity and try to use it to enchance your story, but to not limit yourself to continuity.