Some of this is intentionally stated as concisely as possible. Don't be afraid to ask, if you don't understand what we mean.
We'll start with an appearance key:
The above key contains every possible element to an appearance.APPEARANCE STYLE:
[{TITLECODE ISSUE/STORY (PAGE&PAGE:PANELpanelinset:WORDBALLOON:SENTENCE:WORD:LETTER - PAGE&PAGE:PANELpanelinset:WORDBALLOON:WORD:LETTER)-FB...-VO|OP|BTS} | cf TITLECODE ISSUE/STORY] ~/= ...
1. TITLECODE is the only required element.
2. If it's a one-shot with an issue number 1 or with no issue number, ISSUE is not used.
3. /STORY is only used if the story is not the first story in the book.
In the case of flip books, STORY 1 is the story closest to the indicia. Count the stories until the book flips, then flip the book and resume counting the stories from the "back" cover.
4. Use &PAGE for multi-page spreads. In the case of a triptych, use PAGE&PAGE&PAGE.
5. Don't go any deeper into these partitions than you have to. Application of this rule: When a sequence begins with the first panel of a page, do not include a panel number, UNLESS the sequence ends before the last panel of that same page. Likewise, when a sequence ends with the last panel of a page, do not include the panel number, UNLESS the sequence begins after the first panel of that same page.
Let's say that page 3 of Avengers 1 has 6 panels.
Proper: A 1 (3:1 - 3:5)
Proper: A 1 (3:2 - 3:6)
Improper: A 1 (2:2 - 3:6) / Should be A 1 (2:2 - 3)
Improper: A 1 (3:1 - 4:2) / Should be A 1 (3 - 4:2) (assuming page 4 has more than 2 panels)
Improper: A 1 (2:1 - 3:6) / Should be A 1 (2 - 3)
Improper: A 1 (3:1 - 3:6) / Should be A 1 (3)
6. Between VO, OP and BTS, we do not foresee the need to use more than one in any given appearance. OP trumps BTS, and VO trumps both.
7. The ellipses after -FB and after ~ in the stylesheet above indicates the sequence can be repeated as often as needed.
8. If the appearance is the first published appearance, and is NOT the first appearance in a chronology, enclose the entire appearance--with the exception of items #9 & 10 below--in curly braces. Do not give any weight to where the appearance occurs in an issue. For instance, if a character appears in two stories in one book, and the second story occurs chronologically before the first story, it is the appearance in the SECOND story that receives the curly braces.
9. If the "segment" (and here we mean STORY/PAGE/PANEL/etc range) has NOT yet been entirely analyzed and every character included in the MCP, enclose the entire segment in square brackets.
10. If the BTS appearance is not immediately apparent from a reading of the appearance itself, the appearance is followed by "| cf" and the story that reveals the nature of the BTS appearance. It is NOT necessary to detail the page/panel references where this information is revealed.
11. The ~ is used in two instances:
a. Concurrent appearances. The same scene is shown in multiple books, published at the same time. For our purposes, "at the same time" means books that are intended to be current on the stands at the same time.
b. The exception to instance "a" would be time travel stories. The classic example is the FF 19/WCA/DS/ROA sequence.
12. The = is the same as the ~, with one further stipulation: It is the EXACT same scene: same art, same dialog. The panels are exactly the same, as if they've been lifted from one book and dropped into another. These could also be backup stories that are published concurrently in more than one title. All other restrictions are the same as those applied to the ~.
13. panelinset
Rarely, a single panel can show more than one flashback scene. This is most commonly encountered when a panel displays multiple television or computer monitors, each showing a scene from a different time. These "mini-scenes" can be notated, if necessary, by lower-case letters, starting with a. The monitors are counted left to right, top to bottom, the same as panels in a comic book.