Oct 18, 20233 min read

Keith Giffen and the Last Bwah-ha-ha

A dedication to one of my comic book artist/writer heroes.

Keith Giffen and the cover to DC's "Justice League" #1

The following article is a dedication to a legendary comic book creator who recently passed away. If this isn't your cup of tea, please turn to another channel. I hear TLC is running a 90-Second Fiancé marathon. Also, there's a crud-load of links for the those who find comic books damaging to the today's youth but want more information to harm their own brains. You know, so the zombies don't eat them.

In the fall of 1982, I wandered into my local luncheonette to peruse the latest comic books. In the prehistoric era of Back in the Day, stores sold comics on a spinning rack or, if it was a classy establishment, in the magazine section in-between Starlog and the porn mags covered in brown paper. As I scanned across issues of Superman, Avengers, and The Incredible Caterpillar and his Trusty Sidekick Cocoon, my eyes halted on an intriguing cover.

Cover to Legion of Super-Heroes 294 — Copyright 1982 DC Comics

It was for DC Comics' Legion of Super-Heroes #294, which starred a plethora of young adult superheroes in the 30th century. The cover featured the Legionnaires, including someone with a yellow S on their red cape named Superboy, praising a stony-faced head I would later learn was connected to a mega-villain named Darkseid. Apparently, he was the protagonist of what the cover’s banner titled "The Great Darkness Saga."

The cover artist was Keith Giffen.

I was hooked.

Keith passed away on October 9, 2023. His death has left a gaping hole in the comic book world and my creative heart. You see, he's one of the talented folks who encouraged me to go full throttle with comedy writing.

Rocket Raccoon, Lobo, Justice League

Panels from "Marvel Preview" #7 — Copyright 1976 Marvel Comics

Keith wasn't any comic book artist/plotter/writer. He was instrumental in creating several iconic characters who continue to live on printed pages and in films. Starting at Marvel Comics in the mid-1970s, Keith co-created Rocket Raccoon with writer Bill Mantlo in Marvel Preview #7 and drew several episodes of The Defenders.

He grew tired of the industry by the late 1970s and left to pursue other money-making endeavors. Yet, the creativity called from his soul. So, he jumped over to DC Comics, where he became the artist and eventual co-plotter on Legion of Super-Heroes with writer Paul Levitz. Along with inker Larry Mahlstedt, he helped make radical changes to make the Legion's future truly futuristic. In the coming years, he would co-plot and draw the first few issues of two new LSH series.

"One Punch" panel from "Justice League" #5 — Copyright 1987 DC Comics

A few years later, Giffen, along with writer J.M. DeMatteis and artists Kevin Maguire, Ty Templeton, and Adam Hughes, changed the Justice League's group's dynamic. Instead of a stoic, action-filled drama featuring DC's heavy hitters, the book became a dramedy. Heroes like Ted Kord's Blue Beetle and Booster Gold became the Martin and Lewis comedy duo to deeper heroes like Martian Manhunter and Batman.

Keith injected large humor helpings to Justice League while other creators, like Alan Moore and Frank Miller, decided to take a darker look at heroes in their books. Adding characters like Shazam and the acerbic Green Lantern Guy Gardner made the Leaguers more diverse and human. It also allowed for iconic scenes like one in Justice League #5 where, to the delight of other teammates, Batman knocks Gardner out with one punch.

To the 90s, and Beyond

Keith didn't retire after his runs on Legion and Justice League ended. In the 90s and 2000s, he jumped between the DC, Marvel, Valiant, and Image imprints as mostly a writer/plotter and occasional penciller. In 2005, during one of DC's many Crisis events (Infinite Crisis), Keith joined writer John Writers and artist Cully Hammer to introduce teenager Jaime Reyes as the newest incarnation of Blue Beetle. In August 2023, the character became the latest movie star in the DC Entertainment Universe.

Keith was active almost to the very end. In 2021, he plotted and drew the Inferior Five mini-series, a reboot of the DC Comics team introduced in the 1960s. In the end, according to Mike's Amazing World, Keith was responsible for 1015 story credits.