Once again another famed comic book writer is sadly facing health struggles. I've talked before about the health struggles of Len Kaminski and of course many know the ongoing fight Peter David has been dealing with which also got an update. Now we must sadly add Mike W. Barr to that list.
Having began work as a writer he later took on editorial duties until 1987Barr is most famous for his DC work including Batman and the Outsiders, Green Arrow, Camelot 3000, Doc Savage and more. He also wrote for Marvel including Marvel Team-Up, Amazing Spider-Man, Captain America, Star Wars, Star Trek and more.
Probably his most famous Batman work though is Batman: Year Two and Batman: Son of the Demon which in turn led to his ongoing Batman and Detective Comics run with Alan Davis has been cited as inspiring many writers including Grant Morrison. Barr's stories have also been adapted many times including for Batman the Animated Series.
Characters he helped create during his runs include Katana, Looker, Geo-Force (The Outsiders team should probably be counted), Arisia Rrab, Gallius Zed, Nekron and more but perhaps the most current is the child in Son of the Demon that would become Damian Wayne.
Mike currently has a GoFundMe set up which reads:
Mike W. Barr has been a writer of comics, science fiction novels and mystery novels over his 50 year career. Well known for his work on Batman (Batman and the Outsiders, Batman:Son of the Demon, among many other titles) and Star Trek titles spanning over the first 4 incarnations of the show--as well as his own creator-owned titles like Camelot 3000 and the Maze Agency, Mike has penned hundreds of memorable stories for us all to enjoy. When Mike was an editor he helped other talent bring their stories to publication. Now, Mike needs our help. Over the past few years, Mike has suffered some catastrophic medical setbacks; starting with multiple knee replacement surgeries. While in the hospital recovering, he was infected with COVID and is still suffering the effects of Long COVID. After he was discharged from the hospital in March of 2024, he returned home. Unfortunately, his condition left Mike unsteady on his feet and caused him to fall, striking his head. Mike lay unconscious on the floor for four days until he was finally found, badly dehydrated and suffering from a serious concussion. Following that, Mike spent several months hospitalized and underwent more surgeries. After being discharged again from the hospital, Mike continues to struggle with his health and needs additional physical therapy. Mike’s medical bills are mounting, far surpassing insurance limits, causing the shut down of further therapy. Without more therapy treatments his overall health is in question. Mike now needs financial help to continue to fund his recovery and to secure his treatment. We are asking for Mike’s many friends and fans to help support him in his future treatment and recovery. Every dollar will go towards living expenses and medical bills that are not covered by insurance. Your generosity, no matter how big or small, will make a tremendous difference in helping Mike to regain his health. Thank you.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/rally-for-mike-w-barrs-medical-care
Sending love to Mike and his loved ones in this difficult time