Peter David passes away at 68

The UK Independent reports veteran scribe Peter David, who wrote the Hulk's series for nearly a dozen years, along with notable runs on X-Factor, Aquaman and Supergirl, has died at 68 years old:

Legendary comic book creator Peter David, best known for his 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, has died.

He was 68.

His death was announced on Sunday by friend and fellow author Keith R.A. DeCandido.

“Just got the news that Peter David finally lost his rather lengthy battle with his failing physical form last night,” DeCandido wrote on Facebook. [...]

Over the course of David’s tenured run on The Incredible Hulk in the 1980s, he regularly explored themes of the Marvel superhero’s multiple personality disorder. He is also credited with creating new Hulk universe characters the Riot Squad and the Pantheon.

Besides The Incredible Hulk, David also wrote for Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.

As the NJ Star-Ledger notes, he also had his share of novels and TV programs:

He wrote many “Star Trek” novels, including the “Star Trek: New Frontier” series, as well as “Babylon 5″ novels.

David also novelized films including the “Spider-Man” movies, “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk” “Batman Forever” and “Fantastic Four.”

His other books include his original “Sir Apropos of Nothing” fantasy series, which debuted in 2001, and the Peter Pan story “Tigerheart” (2009).

I think there were plenty of impressive comics he'd written years before, but, he did have his share of bad stuff too, and almost 15 years ago, he wrote a X-Factor storyline that amounted to apologia for Islam, was insulting to 911 Families, and his politics were unsurprisingly very left-wing. That said, a shame he had suffer illnesses and a stroke, because there was a time when he did demonstrate creativity, and his run on the Hulk did have the best sense of humor, a theme he also put to use in comics like Young Justice years later. As a result of the stroke he'd suffered in the past decade, he wrote far less.

So, let me offer my condolences to him and his family, and there are plenty of stories he'd written that I do appreciate from the 80s and 90s that we likely won't see emulated today.