Veteran comic book writer Ron Marz, best known for his long runs on Witchblade and Green Lantern, and for creating the ’90s Green Lantern Kyle Rayner with artist Darryl Banks, turns 51 years old today.
Marz came into comics in 1990, working primarily on Marvel titles early in his career including Silver Surfer and has been one of the busiest writers in comics since.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Marz has worked with Marvel, DC, CrossGen, Top Cow, Dark Horse, Valiant, Virgin, Amazon, the Estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and more.
Marz, a longtime friend and collaborator of famed sci-fi writer/artist Jim Starlin, was well-known for his work on Silver Surfer when Green Lantern opened up at DC in 1993. Hot on the heels of the Death of Superman and Knightfall events, it seemed a shake-up of the Green Lantern status quo would be the best way to get the struggling title back on its feet. The advertised “Emerald Twilight” storyline, which would culminate in Green Lantern #50, has turned into a sticking point between editorial and then-writer Gerard Jones, who left the book.
Marz came on and wrote the story, which transformed longtime Green Lantern star Hal Jordan into the villain Parallax and introduced Kyle Rayner, a new Green Lantern who would have to learn the ropes without the benefit of the Green Lantern Corps and their training (most of the Corps had been either killed or de-powered by Jordan during his fall from grace). The story was controversial with fans, but sold well and created a solid following for Kyle Rayner. Marz would go on to be one of the most sought-after comic book writers of the ’90s.
Marz co-wrote the DC vs. Marvel/Marvel vs. DC miniseries that crossed over both companies, as well as DC/Marvel: All Access, a short-lived monthly title that centered on a new character created for the crossover.
In that same period of time, he also created Samurai: Heaven and Earth with Luke Ross at Dark Horse Comics (where he also dabbled in some Star Wars writing), which he considers to be one of his favorite of his own works.
In the last ten years or so, Marz has been a journeyman, working on titles that interest him around comics and rarely staying too tied down to one publisher. In 2008, working on Broken Trinity and with Artifacts and Witchblade on the horizon, he signed an exclusive deal with Top Cow, but by 2011, he was doing work for both Top Cow and DC, where he briefly wrote Voodoo as part of the publisher’s New 52 imprint.
His run on Witchblade ran from #80 to #150, and then he returned to the series for a while after #170. Between that series, Broken Trinity, and Artifacts (which started as a miniseries but became a monthly due to robust sales), Marz helped to shape much of the mythology and architecture of the Top Cow Universe.
In the very recent past, Marz has spent a lot of time working with the Estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs, creating new Tarzan and John Carter content, among other things. In 2015, he worked on a pair of Convergence miniseries for DC Comics: Justice League International and Batman and Robin. He also wrote some Skylanders projects for IDW Publishing.
Currently, Marz is working on a relaunch of Ominous Press along with his longtime friend and collaborator Bart Sears. Marz, Sears and former NFL player Israel Idonije also worked together on The Protectors from Athlita Comics.
Next:
Artifacts #26: Ron Marz and Stjepan Seijic’s Exit Interview
Ron Marz Reflects On “Emerald Twilight,” 20 Years Later
Ron Marz Bids Farewell to John Carter: Warlord of Mars
Ron Marz and Mike Manley Return to Zero Hour With Convergence: Justice League International
