By almost any measure - exposure, esteem, money - writing for comic books is a big step down for authors who are enjoying success in TV, films or fiction.
But try telling that to the big-name scribes - including horror-meister Steven King, Joss Whedon (creator of TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and writer/director Reggie (House Party) Hudlin, now head of entertainment at BET - who are taking the plunge into the pulpy world of muscle-bound superheroes. They all think they've died and gone to heaven.