Separated At Birth: J Michael Straczynski’s Patriot And Sgt Flag

The other day, Bleeding Cool highlighted that Rik Offenberger of First Comics News had a new comic book of his own, Sgt Flag #1 and wss launching it via Kickstarter. And just like all comic book reporters worth their salt, he has gotten Rob Liefeld to draw a cover.

The Agent is the story of FBI Agent Simon N. Kirby and the world of G-Man Comics. In his world, all superheroes are registered with the government. Under the Super Hero Registration Act, the FBI presses superheroes into service as needed to protect their country. Simon N. Kirby is the man in charge of the FBI’s superhero team, the G-Men. It operates in a “Mission Impossible” style, where he selects the right agents for the right mission.

The comic is by Offenberger, Jim Burrows and Eric N. Bennett, and it is one of five comics, part of a universe of characters, being Kickstarted., But with the new publicity Bleeding Cool brought to the project, someone out there saw a similarity. Babylon 5 creator J M Straczynski tweeted regarding his own take on Captain America, Patriot from Rising Stars. He tweeted “Hmm…so on one side we have Patriot, the character I created for RISING STARS, and on the other, a character called “Sgt. Flag” “created” by G-Man comics about to unleash a kickstarter. What do you think?”

After, let’s call it “considerable” discussion in the internet, Straczynski followed up, saying “Regarding the Patriot/Sgt. Flag situation, the creators and I have been in contact, and they will take appropriate steps to revise the artwork to move it away from what was done in Rising Stars. Hanging fire to make sure all goes as it should, but for now the story ends amicably.” We look forward to a new-look Sgt Flag. Time to shift those stars and stripes around…

Separated At Birth used to be called Swipe File, in which we presented two or more images that resemble each other to some degree. They may be homages, parodies, ironic appropriations, coincidences, or works of the lightbox. We trusted you, the reader, to make that judgment yourself. If you were are unable to do so, we asked that you please return your eyes to their maker before any further damage is done. The Swipe File didn’t judge; it was interested more in the process of creation, how work influences other work, how new work comes from old, and sometimes how the same ideas emerge simultaneously as if their time has just come. The Swipe File was named after the advertising industry habit where writers and artist collect images and lines they admire to inspire them in their work. It was swiped from the Comic Journal, who originally ran this column and the now-defunct Swipe Of The Week website.