Reports have come in that Brian Augustyn, long-time writer and editor, has died after suffering a stroke.
Augustyn had a hand in shaping The Flash into one of the greatest and most influential comics of the 1990s. Working as editor for writer Mark Waid, the title explored concepts of legacy and heroism, fashioning Wally West into a hero of his own while still paying tribute to the legacy established by his predecessor Barry Allen. The concept of the Speed Force was also introduced during this era, with characters like Max Mercury and Johnny Quick getting a second life after years of dormancy, and Bart “Impulse” Allen was introduced as just one of the new speedsters in the DC Comics stable.
Perhaps his most noteworthy written work was Batman: Gotham by Gaslight, which has become one of the most acclaimed Batman stories to ever be published. The 1989 one-shot came from Augustyn, artist Mike Mignola, inker P. Craig Russell, and– funny enough– editor Mark Waid, and told an out of continuity tale of Batman during the late 19th Century, wherein the Dark Knight is on the hunt for Jack the Ripper. It has since been established as the first official Elseworlds story, leading other creators to tell alternate universe stories about DC’s characters. Gotham by Gaslight inspired a sequel, 1991’s Master of the Future, which Augustyn also wrote, with Eduardo Barreto providing the art this time around. The story is a mainstay on lists of best Batman comics, and inspired an animated film of the same name in 2018.
In recent years, Augustyn worked as an editor for Red Giant Entertainment. He was 67.
