Series like Spawn and The Savage Dragon under Image Comic have both dated themselves to certain points in the 1990s. It’s kind of expected that things just go forward and characters have experienced life changes. That said, the timeline is a lot more ambiguous.

Ultimately, it’s up to the writer or what the publisher wants. If they say “Hey, we want a safety net for writers down the line. Lay the ground work” we’re getting a floating timeline. Having that tool in place creatively and commercially is a good idea. It’s just a matter of does will it hold writers back with really introducing series changing characters going forward.