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Veteran comics author and artist Keith Giffen breathed his last on October 9, 2023. Aged 70, his family announced his death on Facebook via a sardonic post pre-written by the writer himself, where he bade a hearty farewell to the world. Many industry professionals like Colleen Doran, Paul Levitz, and J.M. DeMatteis took to the internet to pay their respects to the stalwart artist.
Giffen broke into the comic book industry in the mid-1970s before he was twenty years old, and shortly after he arrived on the scene, he created Rocket Raccoon for Marvel Comics in collaboration with Bill Mantlo. Since then, the legendary comic artist has given us numerous beloved characters.
On the occasion of his sad demise, let us revisit some of the iconic characters created by Keith Giffen.
5 iconic characters that Keith Giffen has given us during his lifetime
Rocket Racoon
Keith Giffen and Bill Mantlo's Rocket Raccoon first appeared in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Named after the Beatles' 1968 song Rocky Raccoon, the anthropomorphic raccoon is an expert marksman, weapon specialist, and master tactician. The character appeared as a prominent member of the 2008 superhero movie Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequels, Avengers franchise, and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). The character is voiced by Bradley Cooper, with motion capture provided by Sean Gunn, in the movies.
Blue Beetle
Keith Giffen is also known for creating the Mexican-American superhero Jaime Reyes, the third character to assume the mantle of Blue Beetle. The character first appeared in American comic books published by DC Comics. Giffen created the character along with John Rogers and Cully Hamner. Still, Jaime Reyes is substantially different from its predecessor Blue Beetle characters.
The scarab bonds with Reyes, providing him with a suit of extraterrestrial armor shortly after Kord's death. Reyes soon forms a working relationship with Kord's former teammate, Booster Gold, and is inducted into the Teen Titans and the Justice League. A live-action Blue Beetle movie has been released this year as part of the DC Extended Universe.
Lobo
First appearing in Omega Men #3, published by DC Comics, Lobo was created by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen. He is an alien from the planet of Czarnia and is an interstellar mercenary and bounty hunter. Originally, Lobo was introduced as a hardened villain in the 1980s, but this version did not do well, and he was revived as a bounty hunter with his own comic in the early 1990s.
While he was initially used as a parody, fans enthusiastically accepted the character, which led to him having a much higher profile in DC Comics stories. Lobo made his live-action debut in the television series Krypton in 2019, where Emmett J. Scanlan portrayed him.
Batwoman
Another iconic character created by Keith Giffen is Kate Kane's version of Batwoman. Kane is a former West Point Academy cadet and Batman’s cousin. However, she works independently, fighting against injustices in Gotham City.
Kate Kane was an heiress trained by the military, and she was inspired to fight crime after the Dark Knight rescued her from a mugger. Kate is a unique character and one of the few openly gay superheroes in the comics world.
L.E.G.I.O.N.
Aside from his beloved superhero characters, the science fiction comic book L.E.G.I.O.N., which Keith Giffen created in collaboration with Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane, deserves a special mention. DC Comics publishes the comics, and its principal subject is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes. The characters of L.E.G.I.O.N. made their first appearance in Invasion! #1 and the original series chronicles the formation and activity of an interplanetary police force entrusted to protect their galaxy.
Keith Giffen's demise has left the world of comics shaken. However, his evergreen characters will remain iconic and live on in our hearts.
