Farewell to Keith Giffen

[SouprMatt]

His comic book writing is what got me interested in comics as a kid. Justice League International, Lobo, Ambush Bug, Rocket Raccoon, and more. He made comics truly fun, and made the characters seem like real people, with goofy quirks anybody could appreciate.

His final message to the world:

“I told them I was sick, Anything not to go to New York Comic Con. Thanx. Keith Giffen 1952-2023. Bwah ha ha ha.”

 

[Pumbaa]

Rest in peace and thanks for the laughs.

 

[Thomas Veil]

Oh, man.

I was well into adulthood and had gotten away from comics. The kinds of stories they were telling just didn't do it for me.

Then I came upon an issue of Justice League Europe, where the action scenes were mixed with character interaction and silly jokes, and I was hooked.

I started searching out back issues of the whole JLI oeuvre: Justice League, Justice League International and Justice League Europe. Even bought some of the collections, including the reunion books Formerly Known As the Justice League and I Can't Believe It's Not the Justice League.

(I did ditch out on the New 52 and other versions, because without Giffen and DeMatteis, they just weren't anywhere near the same.)

If you were lucky enough to read those issues, surely you'll remember such ridiculousness as The Beefeater (Basil Fawlty in an absurd superhero costume), the pseudo-Disney World from Hell, Batman's "one punch" decking of Guy Gardner, "Club Justice League", Martian Manhunter's Oreo habit, Power Girl threatening to break Flash in half for his sexist remarks...oh, and that cat.

It's depressing to hear of Mr. Giffen's passing. Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Rest in peace.

And bwah-ha-ha yourself. 🤭

 

[SouprMatt]

I have a bunch of Justice League comics from his era. I haven’t read them in a long time; I’m going to dig them out, along with my Ambush Bug issues.

 

[Jay Mysteri0]

Don’t forget Giffen’s ( along with Paul Levitz ) Great Darkness Saga. At the time it came out, before the internet gave away stories ahead of time, it was pretty surprising. It still remains a classic .