A console generation jump in graphics and the story dealing with different parts of the city helps me reconcile those pretty easily - plus the fact that Metropolis-ish buildings from Halo 2 can actually be seen in the distant shots of ODST.

: Distinctly different but close enough to be identifiable.

: If it helps, the old UNSC logo is displayed prominently on the side. At least
: they didn't retcon that.

True. :)

: I'm a lot more comfortable with their more "holistic" changes like
: the "new" Forward Unto Dawn after seeing that they aren't
: ditching all the old stuff. (see Halo: Initiation #1 and Halo: Spartan
: Assault which both pull a lot from Halo 3 aesthetics, and Halo Wars for
: the latter).

: I guess the main point is the hardcore fan investment is not being thrown
: under the bus e as far as secondary and ancillary media goes. We're also
: getting main game plotlines that tie into expanded fiction as well (see
: Halo 4) and what differences there are between Halo 4 aesthetics and
: original trilogy aesthetics are being continuously smoothed over.

Personally, I'm not sure if they are smoothing the differences over (at least in what I've seen, which isn't that much these days), or the artists still don't really know their subject matter like much of the Marvel comics days. But I guess I've really lost all interest in the recent EU since I have a hard time viewing Halo 4 as part of the bigger universe. Once I finished Glasslands, donated it to the used book store, and chose not to pick up the next one, all my EU momentum slowly crumbled and grounded to a halt. I still want to read Silentium one of these days because Greg Bear is awesome and I loved the first two Forerunner novels, but it's going to have to wait till I can get H4's Vampire Didact out of my brain.

If Halo 5 turns the art direction and my interest-level around, I'm sure stuff like this Strident class will help ease Halo 4 into my personal canon as a one-off kind of thing. But right now I have no motivation to try to integrate Bungie and 343i's contributions into the same universe. I guess that's why I can accept any changes in the Mombasa in ODST so easily: because I WANT to. :)