Alan Grant, Legendary Comic Writer For Batman And Judge Dredd, Has Died At 73

The world of comics just got a lot grimmer and sadder. Alan Grant, the legendary Scottish comic book writer known for his influential work on "Judge Dredd" and "Batman," has passed away at 73 years old. The news was first shared by Grant's wife Susan announced his passing on Facebook (via Comicbook.com).

Born in 1949, Grant started working in the comics industry as an editor for D.C. Thomson in 1967, before ultimately joining 2000 AD magazine where he served as an editor and main writer on "Judge Dredd" for much of the '80s, turning him into one of the U.K.'s most popular comic book characters throughout the decade with lengthy storylines like "The Apocalypse War." 

Grant was also part of the so-called British Invasion of American comics in the 1980s alongside writers like Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Dave Gibbons, and Grant Morrison, who helped revolutionize superhero comics in the '80s and '90s. Grant made his debut with DC Comics in 1987 with the miniseries "The Outcasts" before being given the mantle of main writer on "Detective Comics" where he and artist Norm Breyfogle helped introduce such iconic villains as Ratcatcher (who made his live-action debut last year in "The Suicide Squad"), Ventriloquist (portrayed by Andrew Sellon in the fantastic "Gotham"), Anarky, and Victor Zsasz (played by Chris Messina in "Birds of Prey" and played incredibly by Anthony Carrigan in "Gotham").

Grant's lengthy run on "Batman" included the 96-issue long series "Batman: Shadow of the Bat," a series of crossovers between Batman and Judge Dredd, and more. He also worked on a popular "Lobo" miniseries centering on the fan-favorite antihero alien bounty hunter, and helped reinvent the Legion of Super-Heroes with "L.E.G.I.O.N."

Tributes pouring on social media, like acclaimed writer Tom King writing that Grant's work "questioned what super hero comics could be and do: they were sharply, cooly cynical and yet oddly — and wonderfully — they contained a powerful, warm undercurrent of hope." Magazine 2000 AD posted a lovely tribute to Alan's life and the work he did for the magazine, writing, "His impact on comics and standing in the industry simply cannot be understated. But he was more than just a giant in his field — he was a fascinating man whose sharp wit and boundless warmth touched all those who met him."

His work was beloved my millions, and his influence can be felt in generations of writers and artists to this day. Alan Grant will live on in the joy he continues to bring fans worldwide. May he rest in peace.