Legendary writer Alan Grant has passed away today. His wife, Sue Grant, confirmed the news.
Grant was an influential and highly talented writer in the comic book industry with a career that spans decades. He created many known characters of the Batman rogues gallery such as the Ventriloquist, Anarky and the Ratcatcher. Along with his work at the British comic magazine “2000 AD” where he worked on the infamous “Judge Dredd” and the lesser known “Strontium Dog“.
As this sad news hits the comic book world, tributes have come in support of Alan and his work across the board. The 2000 AD publisher statement lamented, “Everyone at 2000 AD and Rebellion is devastated to hear of the passing of Alan Grant. Grant was one of his generation’s finest writers, combining a sharp eye for dialogue and political satire with a deep empathy that made his characters seem incredibly human and rounded. Through his work, he had a profound and enduring influence on 2000 AD and on the comics industry.”
DC Comics writer Tom King also wrote out a statement. “Horribly saddened to hear of the passing of Alan Grant. Lobo, LEGION, Batman—these books questioned what superhero comics could be and do: they were sharply, cooly cynical and yet oddly—and wonderfully—they contained a powerful, warm undercurrent of hope. Hell of a writer. RIP.”
With an impressive body of work, Alan grants style of writing captivated readers for years. He will be remembered for his memorable stories and roles in various comic books. Personally, I grew up reading some of his work on the Batman Knightfall series in the early 1990’s. Even then I was inspired by his work and I will say that now more than ever is a great time to read it. It is a sad day in comic books when another legend has fallen. Alan Grant will be missed.
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