‘Becoming Superman’ Reveals Origin Story for ‘Babylon 5’ Creator

Into the foreword to “Becoming Superman” by J. Michael Straczynski, Neil Gaiman explains that Straczynski “works harder than anyone i have met in TV and film.”

While I’m admittedly not a Hollywood insider, this description rings true in my situation. Since 1984, Straczynski has been writing for television — anything from campy animation to high-minded sci-fi. He also spent six years writing Marvel’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” flagship comic book, and then he wrote a BAFTA-nominated film starring Angelina Jolie and directed by Clint Eastwood. Other things you may think of Straczynski, you can never accuse the man to be idle.

Even before reading “Becoming Superman” (HarperCollins, July 2019), I always had the impression that Straczynski wrote so prolifically not because he absolutely had to because he wanted to but. The guy simply has a lot of stories to tell and feels compelled to put pen to paper, because if he doesn’t tell these tales, then no body else will.

Now, having read “Becoming Superman,” I finally realize why that is the case — plus the story prior to it’s not entirely a happy one. In this memoir (or autobiography — it’s a bit of both), Straczynski details a life of hardship, abuse and trauma, culminating into the secret that is darkest his family’s past: an honest-to-goodness murder mystery.

“Becoming Superman” is half family drama, half showbiz that is behind-the-scenes, with some writing advice and some life lessons sprinkled in. Like Straczynski’s television shows and comics, the writing within the book is earnest, straightforward, incisive, often funny and occasionally very bitter. I don’t know I imagine that’s still a pretty sizable niche if it will have massive appeal beyond Straczynski’s existing fan base — but given how many millions of fans he’s entranced over the years.

The foundation story

Reading the very first 50 % of Straczynski’s memoir, i really couldn’t help but recall the opening lines of Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina”: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

To express that Straczynski originated from an unhappy family would be an understatement. The initial few chapters of this written book are not concerning the author at all, but instead, his grandfather Kazimir along with his father, Charles. There’s deception, violence, bigotry, war and incest — and that’s all well before the writer was even born.

Without going into great detail, Charles was something of a Nazi sympathizer, having tagged along side a squadron that is small essay writer of soldiers while trapped in Poland during World War II. Again and again, throughout the book, Charles along with his relatives allude to Vishnevo, a Belarusian town where an family that is unrepeatable must stay buried.

Because the mystery of Vishnevo is among the primary threads that keeps the plot of “Becoming Superman” moving, i will not spoil it here. However, it’s worth pointing out that Straczynski does an admirable job of sharing information regarding the storyline in dribs and drabs at a fairly regular pace throughout the book. Similar to with a good detective novel, the reader must hunt for clues, content into the knowledge that everything can come together in a satisfying (albeit horrific) conclusion eventually.

What is a little harder to stomach could be the incredible violence that the author and his two younger sisters endured at Charles’ hands. Straczynski will not shy far from describing his father’s continual verbal, psychological and physical abuse. Some of the scenes in “Becoming Superman” are so devastating, it feels like a miracle that Straczynski made it out alive — much less with a modicum of sanity intact from broken teeth, to sexual assault, to attempted murder.

In reality, if “Becoming Superman” has a major weakness, it is that the first half of the book is grueling in its depictions of poverty, callousness and viciousness. In the event that events described were not true, the writing might feel lurid that is downright. For Straczynski, I imagine that finally breaking the silence about his childhood that is traumatic was. For young readers that are currently in similar situations, it might be instructive. But there isn’t any denying that the second half regarding the book is a lot more enjoyable to learn.

Sci-fi and superheroes

Straczynski spent his childhood moving around the world every couple of months, usually whenever Charles necessary to dodge creditors after a failed get-rich-quick scheme. But just as things settled down for the author after college, the book settles into an infinitely more comfortable pattern in its last half. This is where the material will get really interesting if you’re interested in Straczynski primarily as a creator.

After kicking off his writing career as a freelance journalist, Straczynski moved through the worlds of TV, comic books and have films, where his credits include “the zone that is twilight (1986), “Murder, She Wrote,” “Rising Stars,” “Spider-Man,” “Changeling” and “World War Z.”

Each chapter tells the storyline of a different show, and the behind-the-scenes tales are amusing and informative for anyone who was ever interested in the way the entertainment industry sausage gets made. The Wachowskis and a veritable “who’s who” of genre film and television over the past three decades, Straczynski has crossed paths with George R.R. Martin, Angela Lansbury, Ron Howard.

If those names mean anything to you, “Becoming Superman” is an sell that is easy or even, you may still enjoy a glimpse into Straczynski’s creative process. He discusses the fine points of writing for animation, live-action TV, comic books and have films, in addition to how he faced the challenges inherent in each genre. Despite the fact that shows like “The Real Ghostbusters” and “Captain Power and also the Soldiers for the future” were just a little before my time, the chapters about them were probably my personal favorite when you look at the book.

Straczynski and his writing crews took “Ghosbusters” and “Captain Power” extremely seriously, even though the series were ostensibly just tie-ins to sell toys. Each program had character depth, setting consistency and narrative continuity, and Straczynski staked his reputation on keeping these demonstrates that way.

Of course, most readers that would go out of their method to read a Straczynski memoir are likely acquainted with one (or both) associated with TV that is major that he created: “Babylon 5” and “Sense8.” Those shows get loads of attention, particularly toward the end regarding the book.

“Becoming Superman” isn’t exactly a tell-all; you aren’t going to learn any juicy information which you did not already know just, or suspect, as to what went on behind the scenes. However you will get a comprehensive explanation of how each show stumbled on be — and how network that is powerful almost stopped “Babylon 5” dead with its tracks. (Netflix seemed a tad bit more creator-friendly, at least up to it canceled “Sense8,” despite fans’ vociferous objections.)

Truth be told, I expected “Babylon 5” and “Sense8” to use up a big chunk of the book — and, even about them, I’m glad that they didn’t though I would have been happy to read more. There is certainly a propensity to concentrate on a creator’s wins and minimize his or her losses. But, as Straczynski himself points call at the written book, every section of his career shaped who he could be as a writer, and as an individual.

Walking out of a dream gig on “the Ghostbusters that is real just like important as watching “Jeremiah” crumble, which paved how you can writing the story when it comes to “Thor” film. If Straczynski seems like a success that is massive it’s only because he is been happy to endure so much failure as you go along.

If I had to guess (and I also could be delighted to be wrong), i really don’t think that “Becoming Superman” is going to end up being the next “hardscrabble-child-becomes-celebrated-adult” bestseller, а la Tara Westover’s “Educated” (Random House, 2018). Straczynski’s book is a tad too self-effacing, a little too fun and perhaps a little too niche to attract an enormous mainstream crowd.

For fans of Straczynski’s work, though, that’s a thing that is good. There’s an awareness in “Becoming Superman” that you’ren’t just listening to a stranger rattle off his life story. It’s a lot more like a casual acquaintance opening for you to decide over a couple of beers, and after that you realize there was clearly a good reason you liked this guy right away.

So come for the favorite sci-fi characters, stay for the intriguing family mystery, and learn a thing or two about how exactly great writers may come from unlikely origins.