Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels

(vip2019) #1

W


WAID, MARK (1962–). Born in Hueytown, Alabama, Waid’s fi rst connection to the


comic book industry was freelance reporting for comics trade publications Comics Buy-
er’s Guide and Amazing Heroes. Th is led to a brief stint as editor of Amazing Heroes in



  1. In 1985 and 1986, Waid began the transition from writing about comic books to
    writing comics books themselves, with two backup stories about his favorite character,
    Superman , in DC’s Action Comics. In 1987, DC hired Waid to edit Legion of Super-
    Heroes , Secret Origins , Doom Patrol and a number of one-shot titles. He also worked
    closely with writer Brain Augustyn and artist Mike Mignola to create the fi rst of DC’s
    Elseworlds tales, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight.
    In 1989, Waid left the editorial position to pursue a freelance writing career. He
    wrote two titles, Th e Comet (co-written with artist Tom Lyle for half the run) and Leg-
    end of the Shield (co-written with Grant Miehm), in DC’s Impact imprint. Waid’s rise
    to prominence began in 1992 with Flash , a revamp of the title in which former Kid
    Flash, Wally West, assumed the mantle of the Flash. Waid felt an emotional connec-
    tion with the Wally West character and his eight-year run on Flash resonated with fans.
    Along with Mike Wieringo, Waid gave the fans a new character, Impulse, in the pages
    of Flash and then wrote most of the fi rst 27 issues of the Impulse comic. His status as
    fan favorite writer was cemented in 1996 when he worked with Alex Ross on the King-
    dom Come limited series, an entertaining polemic about the true heroism of DC’s icons
    contrasted with the type of troubled and violent heroes prevalent in Image and Marvel
    books. Waid was voted Best Writer by Comics Buyer’s Guide readers in 1997.
    Waid used his new fame to pursue opportunities outside DC. At Marvel he had
    two brief, but well received, runs on Captain America , and, a few years later, redefi ned
    the Fantastic Four as a family of adventurers (“imaginauts”) during a nearly three-year

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