- Born
- Died
- Birth nameDennis Joseph O'Neil
- Nicknames
- Jim Dennis
- Sergius O'Shaugnessy
- Dennis O'Neil began as Stan Lee's editorial assistant in the mid-1960s. He wrote comic stories for Batman starting in the 1970s, and was one of the guiding forces behind returning the Batman character to its dark roots from the campiness of the '60s. He's written several novels, comics, short stories, reviews and teleplays, including the novelization of the movie Batman Begins.
- IMDb mini biography by: Mark
- SpousesMarifran McFarland(2009 - November 8, 2017) (her death)Anne Heaney (divorced, 1 child)
- Socially relevant stories.
- Grounded heroes.
- His stories were tight and efficient.
- Is commonly credited with reviving interest in Batman and making him a serious figure again.
- Served in the U.S. Navy, including a stint on the aircraft carrier Champlain during the perilous US blockade of Soviet Union ships during the Cuban missile crisis, October 1962.
- Came up with the name of the Transformers' iconic leader Optimus Prime.
- Was in a severe car accident in Pennsylvania before finishing the novel "Batman: Knightfall." In the foreword, he credited his doctors and medical staff with mending him quickly so that he could resume writing after only 2 weeks.
- Died a few days before Joel Schumacher, who directed two of the "Batman" movies.
- [on recasting Joker] He had been watered down, and it works if he is a maniac and is totally unpredictable. It does work if he...steals groceries!
- [on recasting Batman's character] As with Superman, there's a tragedy at the center of his character. He is human, and that's what attracted me as a writer.
- [Of first Marvel assignments] My job was to imitate Stan Lee. It was very clear-cut. And I succeeded in that my work was indistinguishable from his.
- [on writing Batman] My brilliant idea was to simply take it back to where it all started. I went to the DC library and read some of the early stories. I tried to get a sense of what Kane and Finger were after.
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