Posted By Dan Greenfield on Mar 27, 2025 | 4 comments

The Bronze Age Batman scribe and co-creator of Camelot 3000 is having serious health issues…

Mike W. Barr, one of the most highly regarded Batman writers of the 1980s, the co-creator with artist Brian Bolland of Camelot 3000, and a former DC editor, is facing serious health issues and a GoFundMe has been started to offset his medical bills.

As former DC chief and Barr colleague Paul Levitz wrote on Facebook: “There are many worthy causes on GoFundMe and I rarely link to them here. But Mike Barr is an old poker buddy, the editor who talked me into returning to the Legion for what became my most popular body of work, and a writer who gave comic readers lots of pleasure. Please consider whether you can be kind to him in his time of need.”

Here’s the link to the GoFundMe, which has a $35,000 goal.

Barr’s too-brief run on Detective Comics in 1986-87, with Alan Davis, then Todd McFarlane, gave us a superb slate of Batman and Robin stories, as well as Batman: Year Two. He also wrote The Brave and the Bold, Batman and the Outsiders, the classic 1984 Batman Special #1 (“…The Player on the Other Side!” with art by Michael Golden) and 1982’s Batman Annual #8, (“The Messiah of the Crimson Sun” with art by Trevor Von Eeden and Lynn Varley).

There’s even more but some would say his best Batman work was on the 1987 hardcover graphic novel, Son of the Demon (with art by Jerry Bingham), which first conceptualized the idea of Damian Wayne.

(Click here for the TOP 13 MIKE W. BARR BATMAN STORIES — RANKED and click here for 13 GREAT TEAM-UP COMICS BY MIKE W. BARR.)

Barr, of course spent a lot of time outside of Gotham too, working on a variety of titles from DC, Comico, Dark Horse, Marvel, IDW and Innovation, among others.

The GoFundMe, organized by Dave Kellogg, reads:

Barr in 2015

“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.”

Again, here’s the GoFundMe link.

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MORE

— The TOP 13 MIKE W. BARR BATMAN STORIES — RANKED. Click here.

— 13 GREAT TEAM-UP COMICS BY MIKE W. BARR. Click here.