5 Creators who fixed bad comics

t’s a simple fact of life, not all comics are created equal. Of course a bad initial run doesn’t doom a series neither does a bad subsequent run. There are many examples of writers taking a good series and destroying it but we’re here today to celebrate when creators do the exact opposite, those who shine a turd only for it to turn out to be coal which they turn into a diamond.

Deadpool

Joe Kelly is the true creator of Deadpool. Yes Rob Liefeld designed the character and Fabian Niceza wrote his earliest stories but Kelly created the Deadpool you recognise. Deadpool was originally a villain for the New Mutants to fight shortly before rebranding themselves in a paramilitary group led by Cable called X-Force. Wade Wilson was an uninspired tribute to DC’s Deathstroke (real name Slade Wilson), and that was it, he made a couple of wisecracks and he had a design meant to be “kewl” but thats all he was, a design. 

Joe Kelly enters with Deadpool’s first ongoing series and within the first few pages the Deadpool we know and love was born. Monologuing in the bushes to himself and getting mad that somebody heard him. This is what people like about Deadpool and this trait can be pin-pointed to that exact moment.   

Gen 13

Gen 13 is trash it really is, I’m ashamed to have so many of their back issues in my longbox. I used to in my teen years think that the self awareness to it basically being a T&A comic was ok. The self awareness usually took the form of Fairchild comment “Why does this keep happening to me” when her shirt gets ripped. 

DC in 2006 relaunched all the Wildstorm series, and knowing it wasn’t the 90’s an age where this low-art would flourish they had Gail Simone take over the book and her 13 issue run are the only issues of Gen 13 I will publicly defend. Under Simone the ritualistic disrobing of the characters ended and they were characters now. This run was more nuanced with a storyline about the fetishisation of adolescents and the demonisation of the same group. It also has one of my favourite lesser known villains in Dr Cross, a scientist with a massive infantilisation fetish and severe germaphobia.  

X-men

This is probably the best known example of a writer doing this (and I haven’t featured every time a writer fixed a series). I mostly included this one to have a nicer balance of Marvel and DC because anyone who knows about Superhero comics knows Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s worst work together was on the X-men. Even a change of creative teams to Roy Thomas and Neal Adams didn’t fix the X-men. Len Wein and Dave Cockrun fixed the X-men by changing almost the entire cast. A baffling trend in the history of X-men is writers wanting to reunite the least loved line up. 

Wein didn’t realise what he had done but Claremont had and Claremont stuck with the series for decades. Claremont actually begged Wein to let him take over the book because he loved the characters to which Wein replied “sure the books doomed anyway”. But under Claremont the X-men went on to be Marvel’s best selling team but why is it that only once have Marvel tried reuniting; Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Shadowcat and Cyclops when they’re the best selling team.

Green Lantern

All hail Geoff Johns king of retcons. I could leave it there but Geoff Johns almost entirely rewrote Green Lantern lore all because he didn’t like Kyle Reiner. in fact does anyone like Kyle Reiner? 

Changes Johns introduced; Green Lantern rings can’t do anything, Arisa was not a child who aged herself up to be with Hal. She was from a planet where you reached adulthood by the time you where 5. Hal wasn’t a serial killer he was possessed by a demonic entity that would also be the cause of the yellow weakness (killing all the jokes about Green Lantern losing to bananas or canaries) and most importantly Hal is a jerk. Before Hal had been a jerk but now the series was aware that he was one and better yet Hal worked on being a better person. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

IDW fixed the TMNT comics. The original series of comics has its earliest stories by it creators (Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird) and then ends up being inconsistent due to constant changing creative teams, so inconsistent which Turtle has which weapon changes story to story and with the book being in black and white you can’t go by bandana colour. After this we have the Image comics era of TMNT which could only have come out during the 90’s with the Turtles as cyborgs now (because another word would fit so nicely into the name). After the cancellation of the Image the series Eastman and Laird parted ways with Laird being sole owner of the Turtles and he was overly protective of them. The Turtles stories from his pre IDW era are safe, they’re not bad but they’re safe. Laird’s never liked the original cartoon series so almost any element unique to that series was not allowed to be referenced. But post Laird both the TMNT comics and cartoon could meld anything from the cartoons or comics together, IDW’s version is an eclectic mix of all things Ninja Turtles and with a consistent creative team its easier to follow and more enjoyable than any other Turtles comic.

The Superheroes Journey

Banner by James Dawson

In 1949 Joseph Campbell created the theory of the monomyth, the theory is based on a study of various cultures stories of Heroism. He found recurring trends in every cultures’ great mythical stories, realising that all heroes are the same he wrote the book “the Hero with a thousand faces”. But cultures moved, so has the Monmouth, how do 20th and 21st century heroes fit the mould, and where better to look for modern heroes than Superhero comics, I mean theres a clue in the name. So I’ve decided to take 7 seemingly random (chosen for diversity) and test them against David Adams Leeming definition of the Monomyth (as Campbells originally had 17 criteria) and check how well they keep to the 8.

The 8 being:

1. Hero must have special circumstances around their birth

2. A Call to Adventure (something happens as a catalyst for change)

3. Hero must leave their normal world for a new one

4. Hero must go through some trial to prove they are worthy

5. The Hero or someone they know must die (usually mentor figure)

6. Hero goes into an evil place

7. The Hero is reborn with a new identity

8. The Hero atones for their past 

This Formulae has been found in a lot of fiction since it’s creation, George Lucas even modelled Luke Skywalker’s story in Star Wars on this after reading The Hero with a Thousand faces.

Wonder Woman

First Appearance of Origin Story All Star Comics 8 (William Moulton Marsden and Harry G Peter).

Created by Hera the Amazons where made to to be champions for women who where maligned by patriarchy. After realising the Amazons where a threat to his order, the Tyrant Zeus ordered his son Heracles to enslave them using the metal from his shield. The Amazons were saved from their enslavement by their queen Hypolita’s cunning plan to choke out their enslave with her own chains. On the run from man’s world, Hera guided the Amazons to their new home, Themyscira where they lived in peace for centuries entirely separate from men and man’s cruelty.

Hypolita’s life started to feel empty, filled with a cosmic longing to be a mother (Marsden had strange theories just go with it), she crafted a doll out of clay. Hera decided to breathe life into the doll and the doll was named Diana and became princess of the Amazons.

The peaceful man free life could not last forever, and washed up on the shores of Themyscira was an American spy called Steve Trevor. Diana filled with compassion decided to heal this stranger back to health, but being a man he was not allowed to stay. Hypolita declared that a champion from the Amazons must accompany him, and this would be decided with a contest for the strongest Amazon to take up the mantle of “WONDER WOMAN”. Diana entered the contest in disguise so that her mother would not know it was her and won the contest. Now with all the tools of the Amazons Diana became Wonder Woman and started punching Nazi’s. 

So How does this fair against the Monomyth, well being made of clay and brought to life by the goddess of women and motherhood qualifies as a special birth. Steve Trevor’s injured body is a call to adventure, the order becomes skewed by her trial coming before she leaves home so does her new identity. in some retellings she is betrayed by Hypolita who casts her out for lying to her. No form of atonement is made but that is the end of the story and this origin is the beginning of the story so its nearly a perfect Monomyth. 6/8

Robin the Boy Wonder

First Appearance of Origin Story Detective Comics 38 (Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson)

The youngest of a group of Circus acrobats called “the Flying Graysons”, Dick was skilled acrobat. But the Circus they worked for wasn’t doing so well and it’s owner Mr Haly was heavily in debt to a mobster called Tony Zucco. When Haly refuses to pay Zucco he sabotages his star attraction the Flying Grayson, with his parents dying Dick Grayson is left orphaned. Bruce Wayne happened to be watching the Circus that night and changed into Batman to hunt down the criminals who escaped. Bruce Wayne adopted Dick and trained him to be his sidekick, they then team up for the first time to hunt down the extortioners and well superhero comics the good guys win the bad guys lose.

This isn’t really a heroes story, Robin was introduced a sidekick but it was worth a look. This one doesn’t score as well as Wonder Woman’s, Dick doesn’t have a special birth, theres no real call to Adventure, although other tellings of Robin’s origins he choses to be Batman’s sidekick this one seems more like he’s just told to be his sidekick. Theres no atonement as in the early part of the story Dick doesn’t do anything, theres no trial he’s just given his position. 4/8

Green Lantern

First Appearance of Origin Story Showcase 22 (John Broome and Gil Kane)

An Alien crashes his spaceship on earth, dying he needs somebody to carry on his legacy as the Green Lantern of 2814. The Ring chooses Test Pilot Hal Jordan to become the Green Lantern. Abin Sur (aforementioned alien) instructs Hal on how to use his ring.

This one is complicated as the actual origin strip is very short and barely a story, later retellings of this (like Secret origin by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis) expand it with things like a trial and full lantern training from the Guardians of Oa and Kilowog and a mentor relationship with Sinestro, as well as a subplot around his father and redemption for his teenage rebellion.

So actual strip 3/8 and Secret Origin 6/8

Fantastic Four

First Appearance of Origin Story Fantastic Four 1 (Jack Kirby and Stan Lee)

At the height of the Space Race a private company set up their own shuttle to go into space. But this being a space race, the Russians had made further advancements, and not wanting to be left behind 4 intrepid adventures took the shuttle out before it had been tested. Without proper safety tests, the shuttle was vulnerable to Cosmic rays, this altered the giving them superpowers. Reed Richard the lead scientist was given the ability to stretch, his lab assistant Susan gained the ability to turn invisible, Ben the test pilot (who had the biggest doubts about taking the shuttle out) was transformed into an orange rock monster and Johnny who is there for some reason was able to burst into flames and fly.

After crashing to earth the four declared they would use their new powers for the betterment of all mankind and dubbed themselves the FANTASTIC FOUR.

So how does this fit in well, Call to Adventure, leaving home for a new world, there is a trial in plotting the shuttle, and a rebirth. 4/8

Daredevil

First Appearance of Origin Story Daredevil 1 (Stan Lee and Bill Everrett) 

One day crossing the street Matt Murdoch was almost hit by a truck which spilled chemicals into his eyes, this blinded him but also gave him amazing other powers. His father who was the boxer Battling Jack Murdoch was having trouble making ends meet and agreed to take a fall in a Boxing match to pay his sons medical bills. However Jack refused to take the fall deciding he’d be a better father to Matt if he was a good example. But the Fixer and his goons did not like his change of heart and killed him.

Matt Grew up to become a criminal defence lawyer, but he also secretly fought crime. One day finding the Fixer and tries to catch up to put him on trial, but the Fixer being an older man now when being chased suffers a heart attack.

You wouldn’t think it but… 6/8 

Dr Strange

First Appearance of Origin Strange Tales 115 (Steve Ditko)

Important note unlike all the other character Dr Strange first appeared full formed in Strange Tales 110. This origin was some what of a revision and Dr Strange was made to be less asian. He was also only Master of the Mystic Arts and still under the tutelage of the Ancient One until Marvel Premiere 5.

The Brilliant and selfish surgeon Stephen Strange gets into a car crash. This causes his hands to no longer work properly, and he cannot continue as a surgeon. Seeking a cure for his hands he travels to india (later retelling make it tibet) where he meets the Sorcerer Supreme The Ancient One who refuses to heal him for his selfish actions. Instead Stephen trains in the mystic arts, but the other student Mordo has made a deal with Dormammu to try and kill the Ancient One. Stephen tries to warn him, but has a spell cast on him by Mordo to prevent him from doing so, Strange learns more Mystic Arts to defend his teacher, thus proving himself to the Ancient One. The Ancient One also tells Stephen he was destined to be a Sorcerer.

7/8

HellBoy

First Appearance of Origin HellBoy 1-4/Seed of Destruction (Mike Mignola and John Byrne)

in 1944 The Nazi’s where losing the war and they called upon the help of Rasputin the former advisor to the Czar. Rasputin’s actually had an ulterior motive, that was not to let the Germans win World War 2 but to summon a Demon who would be the destroyer of the earth. The Allies intercepted the Demon who was far less impressive than you’d expect (in fact he was just a baby Demon). The Allies raised him in the BPRD (the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence), he grew especially close to Dr Trevor Bruttenholm who he’d even refer to as Father.

Then in 1991 Bruttenholm is killed by a frog monster, Hellboy finds his dead father and declares revenge and confronts Rasputin in the catacombs of Cavendish Hall. The 2 Battle and Hellboy is the victor, Rasputin tells Hellboy he can’t escape his destiny of being the destroyer of earth. HellBoy refuse to accept this.

Now I really oversimplified the story but with this one being about 20 times longer than the rest of them (most of them didn’t fill a full comic book and this is 4 issues). But this is just for analysis of a specific thing so you’re just here for the number.  4.5/8 he only gets half for leaving his home-world as he summoned as a demon.

Conclusion

The Monomyth formulae clearly exists to some degree as non of them got 0/8 but due to the nature of these just being origin stories certain elements end up getting used in later stories. Also the longer a version of the origin the more elements from the Monomyth get incorporated, Green Lantern is a good example of this, his original version of his origin is really short and later version like First Flight and Secret Origin (First Flight not mentioned earlier because it’s an animated movie and not a comic but it would score 7/8) which are both longer get more Monomyth elements. That said many writers are aware of the Monomyth and will be using it as template for their Heroic stories.