I gotta say, whenever I find Tom Peyer, he is usually in a collaborative project with other notable creators. Almost everybody knows Mark Waid, who is friends with this guy. But after reading Legends of Tomorrow: The Atom, I got to know this creator. Whenever I find some of his solo works (with artists) it usually borders on being weird to in-depth. From what I can tell, he mainly works as an editor; but as a storyteller he is no slouch either.
Tom Peyer: A Syracuse Joy Man
A resident of Syracuse, New York, his career in comics begins much like how the medium develops. With political cartooning, Peyer develops himself through the underground student papers. I wonder if they work with any kind of scandals? From the look of things, Peyer is in the newspaper business for a long time. That is until he meets fellow Syracuse creator, Roger Stern. With his career in DC already in the works, Stern recruits Peyer for the new wave of DC comics. With the success of Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns, the company needed people to oversee comparable work. Peyer and some of his coworkers including Waid assist in the publications.
So Peyer works with several creative teams including; Animal Man (post-Grant Morrison), Black Orchid (post-Neil Gaiman), and Swamp Thing (post-Alan Moore). Yeah not the best resume, but… circumstances. He does work with Grant for their time with Doom Patrol along with Waid. Grant Morrison as it turns out is Peyer’s biggest influence. Hourman is a character not many people know about. So Grant gives his helper a chance to work with the character.
How to Make Escapism Compelling
Hourman is a character not many people remember from the Golden Age. So, Morrison has to introduce a new version in the JSA. Within it comes an absurdity that permeates from the mundane. Tyler wishes to have a normal life thanks to his friend Carr encouraging him to give up his MacGuffin. This allows the stakes to rise with Hourman living up to his name with his base power-set. The balance between octane action and the desire for self-discovery is what makes this such a good run. Only for more trailblazing events like WildStorm’s acquisition by DC to overshadow the series.
Peyer goes on to explain how comics are more of an escape for him. Comics for him are anti-status quo by nature; it’s a universal truth see any World Comics post for further details. So rather than stick to the somber nature of the iron age, fun is always important. Unfortunately that’s also what holds Peyer back with some characters. His Atom story has Ray Palmer wish to go back on his adventures but his past haunts him. That is until it’s all revealed to be a plot by his archenemy Chronos. At the very least it does tie some loose ends Ray has with his friends.
Tom Peyer on Balancing Drama with Enthusiasm
Peyer has a lot on his plate when it comes to legacy characters. His time with Waid and the Flash certainly give him a perspective. It’s like Waid and Peyer serve as Flash and Green Lantern in real life. His time with Marvel’s speedster Quicksilver is practically a wake-up call for less executive meddling. The Legion and DC as a whole offer him a whole host worth of content to work with. Not to say Marvel isn’t any place for enjoyment, it is what leads to Marvel Apes. Unfortunately, none of these are all that memorable.
Back on the Atom, it looks as though most of DC’s characters and concepts outgrow Peyer. In Convergence: Atom for example, a similar story to The Atom Special comes up, but lacks any staying power. Even his Marvel runs seem to come up short and be put in the backseat of their primary writers. The best actually comes in ironically The Punisher with a situation so crazy it’s impossible not to look away. A war of taxis and only Frank Castle can stop it! Another is in a comic with the ’66 Batman show as a base. This series meanwhile goes on to inspire a concept that evolves.
Ahoy There!
Ahoy Comics is a new publisher that takes the world by storm. Peyer works with several veterans to create this company for ideas without the constant solicitation problem. For his debut comes The Wrong Earth. The idea might look like a Batman ’66 clashing with edgelord Batman, but it’s much more. It’s essentially trying to fit into a new world and adjusting to it.
Dragonflyman is the essential old school hero, embodying the optimism that most modern comics lack. Even the bad looking world of Earth Omega doesn’t get him down. His wacky gadgets and keen intelligence actually make Dragonflyman the hero this Fortune City really needs. The edgelord Dragonfly meanwhile finds the Fortune City he really wants in Earth Alpha. He mellows out a bit from all this… while subtilely retaining his killer’s edge. But even all of this is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s so successful that the series gets a prequel and a sequel.
Let’s Set Sail
Peyer’s collaborative works in Ahoy Comics meanwhile are less successful. In High Heaven is a satirical take on the good afterlife; turns out it’s as divisive as regular life. Only problem is the POV character in this scenario comes across as a whiny man-child. Meanwhile Hashtag Danger is essentially what would happen if the Fantastic Four/Challengers of the Unknown were millennial caricatures. The segments with 60s style comic strip artwork are by far the worst, with jokes that aren’t funny. One of the characters finds the poop she eats to be irresistible despite the fact it kills her. I’m not even sure who’s responsible for some of these. But I could at least get some enjoyment out of Edgar Allen Poe’s Snifter of Terror. Not much but satire isn’t easy to balance.
Put all of that in comparison to Penultiman a take on how Superman represents humanity at its finest. Unfortunately, the title character actually comes from a future where he’s a step behind humanity’s last stage of evolution. Coming to our present is his way of trying to get some acceptance. Only for all of his hardships from the future to still affect him, leading to his self-loathing. In his attempts to be a paragon, Penultiman ultimately finds no fulfillment. This practically embodies Peyer’s need for balance in his work.
Tom Peyer: Finding the Balance
Balance, that’s probably the best word for what Tom Peyer tries to do. It’s not an easy thing that’s for sure. Some of his collaborations with other writers like Waid try to invoke the more fun times in comics. Captain Kid for example is an inversion on Shazam where an older man becomes a teenage superhero. It perfectly embodies the need to escape the mundane. Unfortunately when it comes to finding the right artist and pace, it’s kind of a problem.
But I guess having fun is only half as good as when there are more compelling aspects. Not to mention it’s all about meeting the right people to display your message. Humor seems to be important to Peyer, per his work on the Bart Simpson comics. But, Peyer might not be where he is without some very important people. He might go on record to say he’s a little lazy; but that doesn’t mean that he can’t motivate himself towards some very important decisions. He does give fans an opportunity to choose what path he and his collaborators will take with Steel Cage. At least until the votes no longer matter.
Thanks for coming and as always, remember to look between the panels.