Scott Beatty
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scott Beatty | |
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| Other names | Scott M. Beatty, Scott Matthew Beatty, and Scotty Beatty |
| Occupations | author, comic book writer, superhero historian, and creative writing teacher |
Scott Beatty is an American author, comic book writer, superhero historian, and creative writing teacher actively published since the late 1990s. He is an alumnus of Juniata College (B.A. English/Creative Writing), Iowa State University (M.A. English/Creative Writing), and DeSales University (M.Ed. Secondary Education).[1]
Scott Beatty (also credited as Scott M. Beatty, Scott Matthew Beatty, and Scotty Beatty) has authored hundreds of adventures for many of comics' most iconic characters, including Batman & Robin tales for DC Comics, as well as The Phantom, Buck Rogers, and Sherlock Holmes for Dynamite Entertainment.
Beatty has also contributed comic book stories to Antarctic Press, CrossGen Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, and Marvel Entertainment.
Beatty co-wrote the acclaimed Robin: Year One, Batgirl: Year One, Nightwing: Year One, and Joker: Last Laugh miniseries for DC Comics with Chuck Dixon. Beatty's and Dixon's Batgirl: Year One—the middle arc of their Batman "Sidekick Trifecta" at DC—was named Best Miniseries of 2003 by Wizard: The Comics Magazine. In 2009, Batgirl Year One was adapted into a nine-episode motion comic featuring voice actress Kate Higgins as Barbara Gordon. It was later made available as a DVD with a motion comic of The Batman Adventures: Mad Love featuring Harley Quinn, as well as on YouTube and streaming platforms. On its 20th anniversary, DC Comics published a softcover collection of Batgirl: Year One on September 26, 2023. It remains at the top of many "Best Batgirl Stories of All Time" lists.
Beatty's "Regnum Defende"—a two-part *Year One* styled origin of Batman's valet Alfred Pennyworth as an agent of the British Secret Service—was one of the stories which inspired DC Entertainment's Pennyworth streaming television series that lasted three seasons beginning on Hulu and concluding its run on HBO Max.
In addition to his comics work, Beatty has authored more than a dozen encyclopedic books about superheroes including DC Comics' Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Catwoman, and Justice League, as well as Marvel's Avengers. Beatty's *Ultimate Guides* for UK publisher Dorling Kindersley in the early 2000s defined the standard for all genre character and movie guidebooks to follow. Beatty's The Batman Handbook, a literal how-to guide on how to be the Dark Knight, was a top-selling title for Quirk Books.
Outside of comic books, Beatty has written G.I. Joe and Transformers animation for Hasbro, Inc.
Before he became a full-time freelance writer, Beatty launched ToyFare magazine as its founding Editor for Wizard Entertainment, publisher of Wizard: The Comics Magazine and other best-selling pop culture periodicals, and guided it through its first two years of publication. Prior to ToyFare's launch, Beatty contributed to various Wizard publications as content and copy editor, as well as writer of many features.
Beatty's novels have included prose adaptations of his own Sherlock Holmes: Year One (Dynamite), in addition to the young readers hardcover Batman: Scarecrow's Panic Plot (DC/Capstone) and Tron Uprising: The Junior Novel (Disney).
More recently, Beatty's Loot Crate exclusive Star Wars Adventures: Destroyer Down graphic novel was the top selling comic book title of 2017 with nearly a half-million copies shipped to LC subscribers.
In his role as superhero and pop culture scholar, Beatty has appeared on E! Entertainment Television and Prism Films documentaries, and is a regular guest on comic book, graphic novel, and superhero podcasts. He is frequently called upon to contribute introductions and essays for superhero books and collected editions. Beatty wrote the forewords for DC Comics' The Brave and the Bold – The Bronze Age Omnibus Volume 3 and Batman in the Silver Age Omnibus Volume 1.
DC Comics released Beatty's Nightwing: Year One - The 20th Anniversary Edition slipcase hardcover on August 6, 2024.
On September 3, 2024, DC published Beatty's Robin: Year One, Batgirl: Year One, and Nightwing: Year One in The Batman Family Year One Box Set, collecting all three popular graphic novels in a single set for the first time.
On March 11, 2025 DC Comics collected two of Beatty's Green Arrow stories (from Green Arrow vol. 3 #22 and #33) in the Green Arrow: Archer's Quest Omnibus Volume 1 hardcover. Both were commissioned as fill-in issues during writer/director Kevin Smith's run on the title and are being reprinted for the first time.
Beginning on November 26, 2025, DC adapted Beatty's Nightwing: Year One as a weekly 6-part audio drama (Episodes 34-39) in its DC High Volume: Batman podcast series with Will Friedle (Boy Meets World) in the role of Dick Grayson/Nightwing.
Beatty's 2026 writing credits include several upcoming DC Comics releases: DC Encyclopedia New Edition (March 3, 2026), Nightwing: A Knight in Bludhaven Compendium Three (May 5, 2026), and new trade paperback editions of Robin: Year One (June 30, 2026) and Nightwing: Year One (November 17, 2026).
Personal life
Beatty is married to English professor and fellow writer Jennifer Myskowski They have two children.
Animation
Beatty's writing credits include the following animated webisode shorts first aired on Hasbro internet sites, including "The Hub.":
Hasbro Inc.
- G.I. Joe: Operations H.I.S.S. Episodes 1-9 (2010 Kunoichi/Steelehouse)
- G.I. Joe: Operations H.I.S.S. Spotlight Episodes 1-4 (2010 Kunoichi/Steelehouse – Duke & Ripcord, Scarlett, Zartan, and The Baroness)
- Transformers: Cyber Missions Episodes 1-13 (2010 TG Studios)
Bibliography
Beatty's writing credits include a variety of superhero encyclopedias, children's books, and young adult fiction offerings:
Capstone
- Batman: Scarecrow's Panic Plot (2015)
- Batman: Le Terrible Projet de L'épouvantail (2016 French Edition)
Chronicle Books
- The DC Comics Action Figure Archive (2007 – Photographs by Marc Witz)
Disney Press
- Tron Uprising: The Junior Novel (2012)
Dorling Kindersley (DK)
- Avengers: The Ultimate Guide to Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2012)
- Avengers: The Essential Guide (2018 Loot Crate Exclusive Special Edition)
- Batman: The Animated Series Guide (2003)
- Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight (2001)
- Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight – Updated Edition (2005)
- Batman Begins: The Visual Guide (2005)
- Batman Beyond: The Animated Series Guide (2004)
- Catwoman: The Visual Guide to the Feline Fatale (2004)
- The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe (2004)
- The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe – Updated and Expanded (2008)
- The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe – All-New Edition (2016)
- The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe – New Edition (2021)
- The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe (2022)
- DC Comics Universe Guide (2014)
- DC Encyclopedia New Edition (2026)
- JLA: The Ultimate Guide to the Justice League of America (2002)
- Superman: The Animated Series Guide (2003)
- Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel (2002)
- Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel – Updated Edition (2006)
- Wonder Woman: The Ultimate Guide to the Amazon Princess (2003)
Dorling Kindersley Foreign Editions
- Avengers: Die Grossten Superhelden Aller Zeiten (2018 – German Edition)
- Avengers: Le Guide Ultime (French Edition)
- Batman Begins: Le Guide du Film (2005 – Semic French Edition)
- Batman: Die Welt Des Dunklen Ritters (2002 German Edition)
- Batman: La Guia Definitiva del Senor de la Noche (2004 SelectaVision – Spanish Edition)
- Batman: Le Guide Officiel (2004 Hachette – French Edition)
- Batman: Perfect Guide バットマン:パーフェクト・ガイド (2005 ShoPro World Comics – Japanese Edition)
- Catwoman: Guia Visual De La Felina Fatal (2004 SelectaVision – Spanish Edition)
- DC Comics Enciclopedia: La Guia Definitiva de los Personajes del Universo DC (2004 SelectaVision – Spanish Edition)
- The DC Comics Encyclopedia (2011 ShoPro Books – Japanese Edition)
- JLA: Die Gerechtigkeitsliga (German Edition)
- Superman: La Guia Definitiva del Hombre de Acero (2004 SelectaVision – Spanish Edition)
- Superman: L'Encyclopédie de l'Homme d'acier (2003 – Semic French Edition)
- Superman: Perfect Guide スーパーマン パーフェクト・ガイド (限定版) (2006 ShoPro World Comics – Japanese Edition)
- Wonder Woman: L'Encyclopédie de la Princesse Amazone (2004 – Semic French Edition)
Dynamite Entertainment
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes: Year One (2012)
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes: Year One / Year Two Two-Pack (2014 w/ Brandon Jerwa)
Insight Editions
- Incredibuilds – Marvel's Captain America: Civil War – Iron Man Signature Series Book and Model Set (2016)
- Marvel Comics: Mini Book of Heroes (2021)
- Marvel Comics: Mini Book of Villains (2021)
Insight Editions Foreign Editions
- Marvel Comics: Les Heros (2023 Huginn & Muginn – French Edition)
- Marvel Comics: Les Villains (2023 Huginn & Muginn – French Edition)
Quirk Books
- The Batman Handbook: The Ultimate Training Manual (2005)
- The Batman Handbook: The Ultimate Training Manual - バットマンハンドブック (2005 Japanese Edition)
- The Superman Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Saving the Day (2006)
