The superhero genre often features heroes who deal with different threat levels. The Avengers and the Justice League battle world-ending threats. The Fantastic Four travel to different universes. Doctor Strange, John Constantine, and Hellboy face threats that lurk in our deepest nightmares. But what about the “street-level” heroes? You know the ones: Daredevil, the Punisher, and others whose conflicts are emotionally and literally grounded. Fan Expo Denver dedicated a panel to what makes a street-level superhero endure, with a trio of talented writers who’ve tackled these kinds of heroes. This trio includes Erica Schultz (Rat City, Rogue), Charles Soule (Daredevil, Star Wars: Legacy of Vader), and Frank Tieri (Sabretooth: The Dead Don’t Talk).
First was a discussion of what makes a street-level hero. Soule pointed out that a street-level hero’s occupation often reflects their activities. “Daredevil’s a lawyer. Jessica Jones is a P.I. Luke Cage is a hero for hire.” Schultz also discussed how her time living in New York City and an experience shaped a scene she wrote for the Blood Hunters miniseries, as well as her work on Laura Kinney: Wolverine. She also discussed how certain street heroes never forget their roots, using Moon Knight as an example.
“Moon Knight’s been rebooted six ways to Sunday, but at the end of the day, he’s just punching and kicking people.” Soule also discussed how he previously worked as a lawyer before getting into comics, which helped shape his Daredevil run.
Street-level heroes also tend to be a bit more personal with their stories, with Tieri and Soule discussing how Daredevil would feel out of place in a big universe-spanning event. It also helps the audience relate more, as Schultz pointed out that reading about this kind of heroism genuinely feels inspiring. When it comes to keeping characters fresh, Schultz prefers to do research; she read up on Soule’s and Chip Zdarsky’s Daredevil before doing her own Daredevil series. Tieri agreed, saying, “You don’t want to repeat what people have done before. People want a fresh take.”
When working with major characters in Marvel and DC’s libraries, there’s a balancing act you have to pull off, and Schultz discussed this in her first Marvel work, a graphic novel based on ABC’s 2011 series Revenge. “I was basically middle management,” she said about the experience. “My philosophy, and I realize that I’m in a privileged place saying this, is that my name is on the cover, so the blame is going to go to me,” Soule said. “I always let it be known. ‘Ok, I’m gonna make a change, but it’s going to be my change,’ Tieri added.
Other discussions included the writing process, which in Soule’s case involves going to the bar and having a good drink. Schultz also reveals the frustration of pitching for certain characters only to be told they’re “off-limits.” There’s also the double-edged sword that is the crossover event, with Soule discussing how it was part of the job. He brought up his experience writing Star Wars comics and how he’s dealt with the Lucasfilm Story Group, which plans out Star Wars continuity to a T.
Finally, the floor opened up to questions. When I asked the trio which street-level heroes I’d want to tackle, the response was almost immediate. “I don’t think I’ve done Daredevil,” Tieri said. “I’d love to write Frank Castle,” Schultz said. Soule admitted he’d done “the whole roster” of Marvel’s street-level heroes, saying he’d want to do Moon Knight or potentially Ghost Rider. I’d definitely read all of those runs if they ever came to pass.
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