Tweet I really didn't know writer Dwayne McDuffie well. He was just one of those familiar faces I'd say "what's up" at the local Detroit comic book shops. I knew his work – his creative genius very well. Dwayne was one of those few imaginative guys who went big time, writing for Marvel and DC comics. And the tragic news of his sudden death on February 22, hit me like one of his super-powered creations. (At the time of this post, I could not find any information about the cause of his death.)

Over the years, Dwayne has written for well-known characters like Batman and the Fantastic Four. I most admired him as co-founder of Milestone Media. Under DC comics, Milestone launched several comics with minority superheroes, including Xombi (Asian), Blood Syndicate (African American and Latino) and Static, who eventually expanded into his own Saturday morning cartoon series "Static Shock" for four seasons from 2000-2004.

So at the Detroit comic shops, he was an icon. In fact, the character Icon was even an African American superman on the Milestone roster.


In recent years, he pursued both animation and comics. His latest DVD film "All Star Superman," about a dying Superman, ironically went on sale the day of his death.

A gifted writer, Dwayne McDuffie showed the world that a hero could look like anyone of us.