What comic book writer wouldn’t want to take on Superman? He’s the original superhero and one of the archetypes that drive the whole superhero genre. That is the launching point for Steven Seagle’s It’s a Bird
Steven Seagle is a fairly successful comic book writer and after he turns in his latest project to his editor, the editor offers him a new gig, writing for a Superman monthly comic. Now, Superman isn’t the top seller that it used to be, but still, it’s Superman. One of the highest profile books even though it isn’t the high seller. Seagle isn’t sure and his editor gives him a few days to think it over and come up with a few story ideas.
The sudden thinking about Superman takes Seagle back to his first Superman comic and the secrecy that was surrounding the family at the time. For, you see, his family carries the genes for Huntington’s Chorea (aka Huntington’s Disease) a neurodegenerative disorder that slowly destroys the brain and muscles. When Steven and his brother were young, a family member was in the hospital and his parents gave him and his brother a Superman comic to read while the elders dealt with everything. The disease is believed to skips generations and leave all parents in affected families wondering if they have damned their children to a horrible early death. The disease is also part of a silent conspiracy. No one talks about it in the families and if someone has it, then no one mentions it to others. The secrecy is part of a family shame about the disease.
As the memories and struggles with coming up with ideas for Superman keep putting pressure on Seagle, he starts pushing away his girlfriend (who is starting to think marriage and family) and friends until it boils over when he finds his father (who had been missing for a few days). A way out of the struggle comes from an old friend who has the same disease in his family and has written a play about it.
The story is not about Superman, but he is ever present in the plot. Seagle struggles, not only with ideas for stories, but determining what Superman really is and what he represents. The pressure from the disease memories (and possible future) merge with the pressure from the Superman assignment to create a huge stress point. The story revolves around these issues, but Seagle doesn’t let the story focus too much on either. It deals more with Seagle and his family having to deal with the disease and the wondering if their children have inherited it.
Teddy Kristiansen provides some wonderful painted and minimalist art. It’s is mostly devoid of backgrounds to focus on the people. This is a great choice, since this forces the reader to focus on the people and their feelings and thoughts. The people are drawn more expressionist than realist, which makes it easier to become more expressionistic when the story calls for it (such as when Seagle gets in a fight with his father).
If you’ve avoided this story because you’re not interested in superheros, then you’re missing out. This is a wonderful biographical story about a horrible disease and how a family deals with it. It also covers ground about how writers bring their life into their stories. Highly recommended.