[Jason Abbadon]

Yes, totally true.
That's why writers get away with recycling stories over and over (that's you Brubaker!).
Readers generally only read comics for like a five year window and new readers come on board as old ones leave...so they keep making #1 issues to lure in new readers intimidated by a book in the #500-600 range.
When I met Tony Bedard, we got to BSing about Green Lantern (he's writing the New Guardians book starring Kyle Rayner).

I asked him a question that has bugged me- can Kyle's ring still make light constructs in any color or even full color interactive holograms?
Blew. Him. Away.
He had no idea that Kyle's ring could do that back when he was the only GL left.

Bedard's a GREAT guy and I can certainly see how a writer cant read a decade of issues before starting a book, but with villians, it's a LOT easier to research, as their appearances are few and far between (except Doom or the Skull or whatever).