Mike W. Barr

Last updated

Mike W. Barr
Mike W. Barr 2015.jpg
Barr in 2015
Born (1952-05-30) May 30, 1952 (age 71)
Akron, Ohio, U.S. [1]
Area(s)Writer
Pseudonym(s)Mike Barr
Notable works
 Batman and the Outsiders
Batman: Son of the Demon
Camelot 3000
Detective Comics
Maze Agency
Awards Inkpot Award (2008) [2]

Mike W. Barr (born May 30, 1952) [3] is an American writer of comic books, mystery novels, and science fiction novels. Barr has written for every one of the first four incarnations of Star Trek: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager , in either comic book or other media. [4]

Contents

Career

Comics

Barr's debut as a comics professional came in DC Comics' Detective Comics #444 (Dec. 1974–Jan. 1975), for which he wrote an eight-page back-up mystery feature starring the Elongated Man. Another Elongated Man story followed in Detective Comics #453 (Nov. 1975). [5] He wrote text articles and editorial replies in letter columns for the next few years. By mid-1980 he was writing regularly for both DC and Marvel, including stories for Mystery in Space , Green Lantern , The Brave and the Bold , Marvel Team-Up , and a Spider-Man/Scarlet Witch team-up in Marvel Fanfare #6. [6]

Legion of Super-Heroes #277 (July 1981) saw him take on editorial duties at DC, a position he would hold until 1987. [7] In December 1982, he and artist Brian Bolland began Camelot 3000 , [8] a 12 issue limited series that was one of DC Comics' first direct market projects. Barr and artist Trevor Von Eeden produced the first Green Arrow limited series in 1983. [9] When the long running The Brave and the Bold series came to its conclusion with issue #200 (July 1983), it featured a preview of a new Batman series, Batman and the Outsiders by Barr and artist Jim Aparo, [10] which would be described by DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz as being "a team series more fashionable to 1980s audiences." [11] The Masters of Disaster were among the supervillains created by Barr and Aparo for the series. [12] Barr wrote every issue of the original series, and its Baxter paper spinoff, The Outsiders [13] [14] that did not include Batman and introduced Looker. [15] After the series' cancellation in February 1988, it was revived in November 1993 by Barr and artist Paul Pelletier. [16]

He was one of the contributors to the DC Challenge limited series in 1986 [17] and wrote the "Batman: Year Two" storyline in Detective Comics #575–578 (June–Sept. 1987) which followed up on Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One". [18] Barr introduced the Reaper in Detective Comics #575 (June 1987) and returned to the character in the Batman: Full Circle one-shot in 1991. [19] Another project from 1987 was the Batman: Son of the Demon graphic novel which was drawn by Jerry Bingham, [20] proceeds from which reputedly "restored DC Comics to first place in sales after fifteen years." [4] This title, and Barr's work on Batman with artist Alan Davis have been cited by Grant Morrison as key inspirations for his own run on the Batman title. [21] Barr's sequel, Batman: Bride of The Demon, was published in 1991. [22] Barr's Batman stories and scripts have been adapted into several mediums, including episodes of Batman: The Animated Series . [4]

From 1989 to 1990, he took over DC's Doc Savage series from Dennis O'Neil, which saw the 1930s super-scientist taken to the present day. It was also notable as featuring Doc Savage's first-ever team-up with The Shadow, another popular hero of the pulp magazine era and inspiration for Batman. The two characters appeared together in a four-issue story, The Conflagration Man, that crossed back and forth between each character's DC comic book series.

In 2007, he wrote a two-part story for the pages of DC's JLA: Classified (#47–48, Jan–Feb 2008), returned to the Outsiders with Outsiders: Five of a Kind — Katana/Shazam #1 (Oct. 2007), contributed to Tokyopop's Star Trek: The Manga, and relaunched Maze Agency at IDW Publishing. He has scripted many of Bongo Comics' The Simpsons titles, including a Christmas story for 2010. [5] His other comics work includes Mantra for Malibu Comics and Maze Agency for Comico Comics and Innovation Publishing. [5]

Prose

In May 2010, the Invisible College Press published Barr's science fiction/fantasy novel, Majician/51 , about the discoveries of a scientist working at Area 51. [23]

Barr contributed to the Silver Age Sentinels short story anthologies from Guardians of Order. [24]

Bibliography

Comics

Comico Comics

Dark Horse Comics

DC Comics

Egmont

First Comics

IDW Publishing

  • Maze Agency #1–2 (2005)

Innovation Publishing

  • Maze Agency #8–23, Special #1 (1989–1991)

Malibu Comics

  • Break-Thru #1–2 (1993–1994)
  • Godwheel #3 (1995)
  • Lord Pumpkin/Necromantra #1–4 (1995)
  • Mantra #1–24, Giant-Size #1 (1993–1995)
  • Mantra: Spear of Destiny #1–2 (1995)
  • Sludge #4, 12 (1994)
  • Ultraverse Zero: The Death of the Squad #1 (1995)
  • Wrath #1–6, 8–9, Giant-Size #1 (1994)

Marvel Comics

Television

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References

  1. ↑ Barr, Mike W. (1997). Batman: Dark Knight Dynasty. New York: DC Comics. p. cover. ISBN   1563893843.
  2. ↑ Inkpot Award
  3. ↑ Miller, John Jackson (June 10, 2005). "Comics Industry Birthdays". Comics Buyer's Guide . Iola, Wisconsin. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 "Mike W. Barr". FantasticFiction. 2012. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 Mike Barr at the Grand Comics Database and Mike W. Barr at the Grand Comics Database
  6. ↑ Manning, Matthew K. (2012). "1980s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.). Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 132. ISBN   978-0756692360. Behind an impressive cover by artist P. Craig Russell was a single-issue tale by writer Mike W. Barr and co-plotter and penciler Sandy Plunkett. Encountering a vacant-eyed Scarlet Witch on a Manhattan rooftop, Spider-Man was shocked when she attacked him.
  7. ↑ Mike W. Barr (editor) at the Grand Comics Database
  8. ↑ Manning, Matthew K. (2010). "1980s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.). DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 199. ISBN   978-0-7566-6742-9. Writer Mike W. Barr and artist Brian Bolland pushed the limits of the conventional comic book with Camelot 3000. DC Comics' first foray into the realm of the maxiseries, Camelot 3000 was a twelve-issue story printed on vibrant Baxter paper that showcased Bolland's realistic artwork.
  9. ↑ Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 201: "The Battling Bowman fought his way into his own four-issue miniseries at long last, thanks to writer Mike W. Barr and artist Trevor Von Eeden."
  10. ↑ Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 202: "Despite being the final issue of this particular series, the book wasn't closed on Batman's team-ups. Although Batman was through working with partners, it was time to think bigger, and in a special sixteen-page preview insert written by Barr and with art by Jim Aparo, the Outsiders debuted. A super-hero team of Batman's own creation, the Outsiders would soon star alongside Batman in the new monthly series Batman and the Outsiders.
  11. ↑ Levitz, Paul (2010). "The Bronze Age 1970-1984". 75 Years of DC Comics The Art of Modern Mythmaking. Cologne, Germany: Taschen America. p. 462. ISBN   978-3-8365-1981-6.
  12. ↑ Manning, Matthew K. (2014). "1980s". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.). Batman: A Visual History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 149. ISBN   978-1465424563. Batman and the Outsiders #9 (April 1984) The Masters of Disaster sealed their reputation as the Outsiders' greatest foes in this two-part tale by Mike W. Barr and Jim Aparo.
  13. ↑ Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 215: "[The Outsiders] saw the popular team given the enhanced quality of a Baxter-format series...written by Mike W. Barr and drawn by Jim Aparo."
  14. ↑ Trumbull, John (July 2014). "Watching the Detective (Comics)". Back Issue! . Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing (73): 50–58.
  15. ↑ Manning "1980s" in Dougall, p. 155: The Outsiders #1 (Nov. 1985) "Written by Mike W. Barr and drawn by Jim Aparo, this issue debuted Looker in full costume."
  16. ↑ Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 261: "The Outsiders made their return in a new series courtesy of writer Mike W. Barr and artist Paul Pelletier."
  17. ↑ Greenberger, Robert (August 2017). "It Sounded Like a Good Idea at the Time: A Look at the DC Challenge!". Back Issue!. Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing (98): 38–39.
  18. ↑ Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 229: "In 'Year Two', a four-part sequel [to "Batman: Year One"] set in Batman's second year as a crime fighter, writer Mike W. Barr and artists Alan Davis and Todd McFarlane challenged the Caped Crusader with the threat of the Reaper."
  19. ↑ Manning "1990s" in Dougall, p. 192
  20. ↑ Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 229: "In an over-sized hardcover graphic novel one-shot, writer Mike W. Barr and artist Jerry Bingham introduced a monumental new character into the life of the Dark Knight - Damian Wayne."
  21. ↑ "Morrison in the Cave: Grant Morrison talks Batman". Newsarama. August 23, 2006. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved February 20, 2012. I was influenced by the animated series portrayal of Batman, by Christian Bale's definitive performance in Batman Begins and by Mike Barr's '80s Batman stories with Alan Davis, which swam bravely against the prevailing trends at a time when the grim 'n' gritty current was at its strongest.
  22. ↑ Manning "1990s" in Dougall, p. 189: ""With art by Tom Grindberg, writer Mike W. Barr returned to chronicle a new Ra's al Ghul story in this sequel.
  23. ↑ Barr, Mike W. (2010). Majician / 51. Invisible College Press, LLC. p. 246. ISBN   978-1931468299.
  24. ↑ Appelcline, Shannon (2011). Designers & Dragons. Swindon, England: Mongoose Publishing. p. 337. ISBN   978-1-907702-58-7.
  25. ↑ Paur, Frank (director); Barr, Mike W. and Bright, Laren (story); Rogel, Randy and Pasko, Martin (teleplay) (September 17, 1993). "Paging the Crime Doctor". Batman: The Animated Series. Season 1. Episode 53. Fox Broadcasting Company.
Preceded by Legion of Super-Heroes editor
1981–1982		Succeeded by
Preceded by The Flash editor
1981–1982		Succeeded by
Len Wein
Preceded by
Len Wein
 Unknown Soldier editor
1981–1982		Succeeded by
Len Wein
Preceded by
Len Wein
 World's Finest Comics editor
1982		Succeeded by
Preceded by Detective Comics writer
1986–1987		Succeeded by
Preceded by JLA: Classified writer
2008		Succeeded by
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