The Definitive Comic Book Authors
In my time spenting writing for fun and professionally, my projects have always had a serial quality to them: Experience one part, then another, then another. This can be one song at a time in a large concept album, or one chapter of a podcast. I love writing this way.
I love comic books for much the same reason. Or sometimes I do. Yet it seems there is some confusion over the Definitive Authors of any particular title. Allow me to help.
- Spider-Man: Lee, Ditko, Kirby
- Captain America: Joe Simon, Jack Kirby
- Superman: Shuster, Siegel
- Batman: Bob Kane, Bill Finger
Everyone who has written since then has been given the power to add to the mythos, but the stories written can never be taken away.
Batman is an interesting case among the there heroes mentioned. He was a common style hero of the day, drawing influences from similar heroes in all forms of media. The authors used what they liked to create a new hero, with which they told their own stories.
Right now everyone is excited about Watchmen. The graphic novel, by all accounts, was based on an existing set of Super Heroes. The author was not allowed to murder and mutilate these existing characters. I consider this to be the last great act of any Comic Book editor. The author reportedly was happier to have his own cast of characters to work with as he pleased, and the comic book readers got to immerse themselves in a new and wonderful world.
My point here is that you can be inspired by old characters to build new properties in exciting new ways.
I’m just a guy who has had one freelancing gig, not even in comics, and now barely has time to update his fiction podcast. I am also a reader of comic books. Watchmen is about to make a lot of people a lot of money, and did so exactly because it did not destroy or rewrite old properties.
As I write this, Captain America has died. Batman has just apparently died. Spider-Man has gone through some convoluted change that I don’t want to think about. All of this is happening to tell the kinds of stories the authors want to tell if only those pesky decades of back history did not exist. It’s all happening in defiance of their own roots and the current success of Watchmen
I do understand that the authors want to tell compelling stories. They want to tell the kinds of stories that they would like to read. Excellent, and great. However, the only title left untouched by cancellation, death or bizarre supernatural mutilation in my “want” list is Ghost Rider. Now that I have committed this to written word, I fear for this comic as well. (Yes, there is bizarre supernatural mutilation of the plot. That just happens to be a fun part of reading Ghost Rider.)
But this is just simple logic: there is a medium for engaging stories that fall outside of established character histories. There is a way to tell engaging stories that expand on the histories of these characters. I really hope to see a clear division made, and a return to the time when you could read a title for two years running without some drastic “redefining moment” happening.
It can happen, artistically and financially.