The novelists who are now writing superhero comics

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This week's question: Why are many prominent novelists now working in the world of superheroes and comics?

Margaret Atwood made waves last month when she announced she was working on a superhero story with Dark Horse Comics. Atwood is well-known for her speculative fiction and dystopic classics like "Oryx and Crake" and "The Handmaid's Tale," but this marks a new foray for the literary icon.

Her superhero graphic novel, "Angel Catbird," will be released this fall.

"I have concocted a superhero who is part cat, part bird. Due to some spilled genetic Super-Splicer, our hero got tangled up with both a cat and an owl; hence his fur and feathers, and his identity problems," Atwood said, in a press release from Dark Horse.

Atwood is not alone. Literary horror novelist Benjamin Percy has brought his dark visions to DC Comics's "Green Arrow." Ta-Nehisi Coates, who won the 2015 National Book Award for his nonfiction book "Between the World and Me," is rebooting Marvel's "Black Panther" series.

The list goes on: Jonathan Lethem, Michael Chabon, Jodi Picoult, James Patterson and Stephen King have all dipped a hand-drawn toe into the world of comics and superheroes.

What's behind the shift?

Some authors are driven by a lifelong love of the form: Coates cited his own comics obsessions, and anyone who has read "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay" knows how Chabon feels about them.

Even Atwood isn't new to comics. Despite the fact that she claims she can't draw, she had a recurring comic called "Kanadian Kulture Comics" in the 1970s, which was published under a pseudonym. She occasionally still illustrates her adventures on the road in her "BookTour Comix" on her website.

The shift now is in the reception of graphic novels and superhero fare. Graphic novels are undergoing a transformation from niche products to mainstream bestsellers, as any bookseller or casual reader can tell you. Material that was once dismissed as childish or nerdy is now being accepted on its literary merits.

What's also shifting is how superheroes and comics look. Storylines are going darker. More diverse characters are being drawn. As the industry works to shed its stereotypes of white, male heroes, more authors are willing to experiment and push boundaries. Readers snapped up "Ms. Marvel, Volume 1" when it was published in 2014; the series features a young Muslim girl from Jersey City as the titular hero.

This flood of acclaimed writers sweeping into the comics world is just another installment in the genre's journey. In the 40s and 50s, comics were painted as the villain by Congress. Now, comics are getting the key to the city — and they're making some new and powerful friends.