Line #10 Creator/JoshuaWilliamson


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joshua_williamson_bw.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:250:DC's ''other'' Mr. Fix-It. (Besides good ol' [[Creator/GeoffJohns Geoff]])]]
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4	Joshua Williamson is a comic book writer, known primarily for his work at Creator/ImageComics and Creator/DCComics.
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6	Williamson became known for the murder mystery series ''ComicBook/{{Nailbiter}}'', which followed a town that was infamous for creating an inordinately large number of serial killers. He would also launch the fantasy series ''ComicBook/{{Birthright}}'', which took the ChosenOne KidHero TrappedInAnotherWorld concept and made it DarkerAndEdgier.
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8	He worked at Marvel for a bit, but got his big break when he began writing at DC. A big fan of ''ComicBook/TheFlash'', Williamson became the main writer of ''ComicBook/{{The Flash\|2016}}'' for almost three years, surpassing the length of the ComicBook/DCRebirth branding itself. During that time, he was also positioned as one of the main architects of the DCU alongside Creator/ScottSnyder and Creator/BrianMichaelBendis (as Creator/GeoffJohns' own role as that was consistently overridden and diminished by notorious [[DaEditor Editor-in-Chief]] Creator/DanDiDio). With the advent of ComicBook/DCInfiniteFrontier, Williamson began the "Infinite Frontier Saga", a storyline that tackles the various reboots of the DCU directly. He also began simultaneously writing more smaller-scale series, such as ''ComicBook/Robin2021'' and ''ComicBook/DeathstrokeInc'', before being put onto the main ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' series as its main writer.
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10	His style is reminiscent of Creator/GeoffJohns, in that Williamson has a deep love of prior stories that is apparent in his work. He often utilises past stories and continuity (or ''continuities'' sometimes) to add to his own stories, and much of his work directly deals with reboots and retcons themselves. He and Johns have also had similar career trajectories in comics, both of them having had long runs writing ''The Flash'' and going on to write big event comics.
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13	!!Notable works written by Williamson:
14	[[index]]
15	* ''ComicBook/Batman2016''
16	** ''ComicBook/BatmanJoshuaWilliamson''
17	* ''ComicBook/BatmanAndRobin2023''
18	* ''[[ComicBook/SupermanBatman Batman/Superman]]''
19	* ''ComicBook/{{Birthright}}''
20	* ''ComicBook/CobraCommander''
21	* ''ComicBook/DarkCrisis''
22	* ''ComicBook/DeathstrokeInc''
23	* ''ComicBook/{{Duke}}''
24	* ''ComicBook/{{The Flash\|2016}}''
25	** ''ComicBook/FlashWar''
26	* ''ComicBook/GreenArrow2023''
27	* ''ComicBook/TheIlluminati''
28	* ''ComicBook/InfiniteFrontier''
29	* ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueIncarnate''
30	* ''ComicBook/{{Nailbiter}}''
31	* ''ComicBook/NecessaryEvil''
32	* ''ComicBook/Robin2021''
33	* ''ComicBook/{{Rogues\|DCComics}}''
34	* ''ComicBook/ShadowWar''
35	* ''ComicBook/Superman2023''
36	** ''ComicBook/HouseOfBrainiac''
37	* ''ComicBook/{{Uncharted}}'' (prequel miniseries to the [[VideoGame/{{Uncharted}}the video game franchise]])
38	[[/index]]
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40	!!His work includes examples of:
41	* ArmedWithCanon: If there is a development he doesn't like or thinks he can fix, he'll do it within a story itself, such as retconning Wally West's murderer cover-up into being not of his own will and moving Flashpoint Batman away from the villainous route that Tom King put him on. In fact, due to those two examples, some have joked that he likes to retcon King's stuff ''specifically''. Obviously this is just in jest since another notorious example retconning the fact that Lian was alive the whole time but was unable to reconnect with her family.
42	* ContinuityPorn: His DC work loves to use past continuity or at least make nods to it. His ''Flash'' runs entire point was bringing back lost continuity, so Williamson constantly alluded to it or showed it outright.
43	* CreatorsFavourite: With the Flashes, Williamson has said his favourite varies: When he was a kid, he liked Bart; when he was a young adult, it was Wally; now that he's older, it's Barry. However, it's Wally specifically who he tends to treat well where he can, since the character was editor-in-chief Creator/DanDidio's CreatorsPest and all.
44	* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: If he can get away with it, Williamson likes to kind of pepper in messages to the audience. For example, the entirety of one issue of ''The Flash'' was a tribute to Wally wherein Iris fawns over how Wally West inspires people and that, for an entire generation, he was the Flash -- even if they've forgotten. It makes sense ''in-universe'' but is very apparent in how it's talking about real life as well.
45	* MysteryEpisode: He likes to employ these, which makes sense given he made his name with a story about serial killers. ''The Flash'' had two arcs involving discovering a murderous supervillain's secret identity, and a big part of ''Robin'' is the mystery of Respawn's identity. His ''Batman'' run also opened with a murder mystery.
46	* TookALevelInJerkass: Williamson's villains tend to be unabashedly villainous, with very few exceptions, even if they weren't that way prior. The Rogues under his pen became more murderous and vengeful, whereas prior they were almost entirely OnlyInItForTheMoney. Similarly, Hunter Zolomon went from a tragic mentally unstable man to a maniacal hoarder of power.

Context Creator / JoshuaWilliamson