Brian Augustyn, the comic book writer and editor who wrote Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, has died at the age of 67.
Best known for his work on The Flash in the 1990s, Augustyn died on February 1, 2022, after suffering from a stroke. Fellow writer Mark Waid announced his death via Facebook, at the wishes of Augustyn’s family.
“This one hurts unimaginably,” he said. “Brian Augustyn, rest in peace.”
“The Augustyn family has asked me to let Brian’s friends and fans know that Brian left us today after suffering a sudden, severe stroke over the weekend. I have spent a lot of time these last few hours writing a great deal about Brian, and I’ll share those thoughts soon, but for now I simply wanted to let everyone know. Comics has lost a very kind, very talented man who has been my big brother and one of my very best friends for nearly 35 years.”
After becoming editor of The Flash comic book series in 1989, Augustyn hired wired as a writer, which led to a highly acclaimed eight-year run for the duo.
Augustyn himself co-wrote the story in The Flash #142 in which Wally West married television reporter, Linda Park.
He also wrote the acclaimed DC one-shot, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, which reimagined Bruce Wayne as a 19th-century crime-fighter, emerging at the same time as Jack the Ripper arrived in Gotham.
The success of the graphic novel led to a sequel, Batman: Master of the Future, and it’s widely thought to be the first Elseworlds story, in which DC Comics characters appear in stories that take place in alternate time periods or realities.
IGN also ranked Gotham by Gaslight as #11 in our rundown of the 25 best Batman comics and graphic novels.
Already, fans and fellow comic book creators have begun paying tribute to Augustyn.
“We mourn the passing of Brian Augustyn,” said the official DC Twitter. “From his shepherding of talent to his editing on THE FLASH and masterful writing on essentially the first ELSEWORLDS title: BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT, his contributions to DC and the comic industry are immense, influential, and lasting.”
“Still processing the news that Brian Augustyn passed away,” said President of Archie Comics, Mike Pellerito. “Wonderfully talented, skilled editor and writer and honestly an even better person. We worked together, along with his co-writer and best friend Mark Waid, on Archie: 1941 and Archie: 1955, both fantastic experiences.”
All of us at IGN offer our condolences to Augustyn’s family and friends.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
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Best known for his work on The Flash in the 1990s, Augustyn died on February 1, 2022, after suffering from a stroke. Fellow writer Mark Waid announced his death via Facebook, at the wishes of Augustyn’s family.
“This one hurts unimaginably,” he said. “Brian Augustyn, rest in peace.”
“The Augustyn family has asked me to let Brian’s friends and fans know that Brian left us today after suffering a sudden, severe stroke over the weekend. I have spent a lot of time these last few hours writing a great deal about Brian, and I’ll share those thoughts soon, but for now I simply wanted to let everyone know. Comics has lost a very kind, very talented man who has been my big brother and one of my very best friends for nearly 35 years.”
After becoming editor of The Flash comic book series in 1989, Augustyn hired wired as a writer, which led to a highly acclaimed eight-year run for the duo.
Augustyn himself co-wrote the story in The Flash #142 in which Wally West married television reporter, Linda Park.
He also wrote the acclaimed DC one-shot, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, which reimagined Bruce Wayne as a 19th-century crime-fighter, emerging at the same time as Jack the Ripper arrived in Gotham.
The success of the graphic novel led to a sequel, Batman: Master of the Future, and it’s widely thought to be the first Elseworlds story, in which DC Comics characters appear in stories that take place in alternate time periods or realities.
IGN also ranked Gotham by Gaslight as #11 in our rundown of the 25 best Batman comics and graphic novels.
Already, fans and fellow comic book creators have begun paying tribute to Augustyn.
“We mourn the passing of Brian Augustyn,” said the official DC Twitter. “From his shepherding of talent to his editing on THE FLASH and masterful writing on essentially the first ELSEWORLDS title: BATMAN: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT, his contributions to DC and the comic industry are immense, influential, and lasting.”
“Still processing the news that Brian Augustyn passed away,” said President of Archie Comics, Mike Pellerito. “Wonderfully talented, skilled editor and writer and honestly an even better person. We worked together, along with his co-writer and best friend Mark Waid, on Archie: 1941 and Archie: 1955, both fantastic experiences.”
All of us at IGN offer our condolences to Augustyn’s family and friends.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Continue reading...