It's a Bird...
A graphic novel intertwining Superman with Huntington's disease.
In 2004, DC Comics' Vertigo imprint released It's a Bird..., an autobiographical graphic novel. Steven T. Seagle wrote it, with art by Teddy Kristiansen. The book details Seagle's attempt to find a fresh angle on Superman while grappling with a resurfacing family secret.
Quick Facts
- Format
- Graphic novel
- Publisher
- Vertigo Comics; DC Comics
- Date
- May 2004
- Writers
- Steven T. Seagle
- Artists
- Teddy Kristiansen
- Letterers
- Todd Klein
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In a flashback, five-year-old Steven and his younger brother Dave are in a hospital where their grandmother dies. Adult Steven recalls that time, the remarks about his grandmother, and the whispered references to a family secret between his parents and doctors. He remembers being puzzled by a Superman logo on a doctor's examination sheet. He first read a Superman comic to his brother then, setting him on a path to becoming a comic book writer, though he is not a fan of the character. In the present, Steven finishes a comic project and his agent offers him a Superman writing job. He refuses, saying he does not understand the character. He reflects on the costume, which reminds him of a bullied schoolmate who wore it after Halloween. His girlfriend Lisa says his mother called her worried. Steven calls his mother but avoids discussing the family secret: Huntington's disease. The disease has made him afraid to have children, though he has been told his father does not have it, so he and his brother are safe. He discusses the concept of an outsider. His mother later reveals that his father is missing.
Overview
Steven T. Seagle wrote the Superman title from issue #190 to #200, including Superman 10-Cent Adventure #1, as a fill-in writer until Jim Lee took over for Superman: For Tomorrow. The book primarily addresses Huntington's disease in Seagle's family and its effects on family dynamics, as well as how someone with a mysterious family disease might respond to health changes. It also examines contradictions in Superman's character, such as his role as protector, which Seagle views as imposing a lifestyle akin to fascism. Other meditations include Superman's approach to power, justice, alienation, and escape. Parallels are drawn between the alien nature of Huntington's and Superman's alien origins. The book ultimately depicts the need to accept something regardless of understanding, and advances a fresh understanding of what being super means. Teddy Kristiansen won an Eisner Award in 2005 for his work on the book.
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