Terminology Time: One-Shots and Stand-Alones

Much like any traditional book series, the stories told in most comics are not entirely self-contained. Most story arcs build upon each other, with some being a little more dependent on previously established events than others. 

There are, of course, several exceptions to this trend, the most notable of which are one-shots and stand-alones. Let's break it down.

One-Shots

A one-shot is a story that is meant to be contained within a single issue, rather than a series of comics. While it may exist within the context of an ongoing arc (for example, X-Factor Special: Layla Miller references X-Men event comic Messiah Complex), the story is self-sustaining. The beginning, middle, and end will all be found within the issue.

Basically, if you're a Whovian, it's kind of like Blink. Watching everything that came before it gives you a little bit more to work off contextually, but you could also watch it on its own and be fine.

Typically, one-shots are presented as, "specials," or are given a #1, even though there will be no succeeding issues. Some companies will even include, "one-shot," under the number. However, they will occasionally pop up within an ongoing series. For example, The Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 2, #36 was published in November, 2001 as a tribute issue in the wake of the events of September 11.

If you miss out on a one-shot, don't worry. They seldom, if ever, affect the continuity of a series.

Stand-Alones

Stand-alones are exactly what the name implies: stories that, in short, can stand alone. Sound familiar? It should, but it's worth noting that while pretty much all one-shots are stand-alones, all stand-alones are not necessarily one-shots. If you're a casual reader and don't want to invest the money in following a title, the stand-alone is your best friend.

In almost all cases, stand-alones have absolutely no affect on the continuity of an ongoing series, even if mutual characters are used. For example, Alan Moore's stand-alone Batman graphic novel The Killing Joke provides an origin story for the Joker, a character whose origins are famously murky (a fact that was played up most effectively on the big screen in The Dark Knight). Though elements of that origin were absorbed into continuity, it did not technically become a part of the established canon. Rather, it was used purely for the purposes of the story Moore was telling.

Again, the rules here are not absolute. In The Killing Joke, the character of Barbara Gordon suffers a profound trauma that would become a part of the DC universe's canon. It was a controversial move, in part because the event took place in a stand-alone and in part because it was widely regarded as anti-feminist, but that's a discussion for another day.