BBC Audio: The Superhero Genius Of Dirk Maggs
When I was a teenager my love of comic books met my love of audio drama in the BBC Shop in London. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw three double cassette tape sets with Batman, Superman and Spider-Man on the cover. The exploits of these three iconic heroes were adapted, written and directed for the radio by a genius named Dirk Maggs and aired on BBC Radio 1. His mixture of sound effects, orchestral score with a great cast and punchy screen play were perfect for turning a largely visual experience into a thrilling action adventure radio series. I had to buy these tapes. There was no question. I had moved on to CDs but still brought my Walkman everywhere and my adolescent need for instant gratification meant that these would be the last cassettes I ever bought. During a recent purge of the attic, I unearthed them and had to listen to them again and share my opinions of these gems. While it would’ve been more convenient to download them, I listened to them the way God intended. On tape.
The first one I listened to was Batman-Knightfall. A masked terrorist called Bane releases all the inmates in Arkham Asylum. Batman tries to recapture them but his fatigue catches up with him and Bane uses this opportunity to literally cripple him and take over Gotham. I remember tearing through the Knightfall comics so it was still fresh in my mind when I listened to the radio adaptation. While the dialogue is pretty much lifted verbatim from the comics, the various side stories of both the heroes and villains are beautifully intertwined and none of the momentum is lost. Bob Sessions does a wonderful job as Batman and totally delivers the vulnerability needed for this story. Michael Gough reprises his role as Alfred and Kerry Shale also does an admirable job as both Jean Paul Velly and The Joker, multiple roles being the best advantage of audio dramas. One aspect I enjoyed the most, though, was that it bridges the gap between Knightfall Volume 2 and Knight’s End, something which was left out of the collected volumes in the 90s. This really irked my young mind as Bruce Wayne suddenly learned to walk between volumes. I never knew how he actually got cured until I heard the radio series and I was delighted to finally have that void in my life filled.
Up next, The Adventures of Superman. While Clark Kent gets to grips with being Superman, billionaire Lex Luthor will stop at nothing to control him. But Luthor’s plans come back to haunt him when Metallo seeks revenge. Dirk Maggs adapted this origin story from John Byrne‘s Man of Steel comic book series in the 80s. There is 
certainly a lot of material to be covered but it zips along at a jolly pace and manages to include all we know and love about Superman. His dual identity is tenderly portrayed by Stuart Milligan. This Clark Kent is no brooding loner. He has a warm nature and an inquisitive mind which serves him as both a journalist and as a super hero.
While it may lack the drama of Knightfall it certainly makes up for it by the tried and true technique of power casting. William Hootkins as Lex Luthor is authoritative, sardonic and spiteful. Burt Kwouk plays Dr. Teng, a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist who attempts to clone Superman (with bizarre consequences) and The Third Doctor Jon Pertwee is his usual batty self as Scwartz, an ex employee of Luthor’s who implants Metallo with his Kryptonite heart. The great cast and triumphant score by Mark Russell ensure the story is not smothered by the weight of its own importance. It’s Superman. How serious does it need to be?
Third on the list is my absolute favourite. The Amazing Spider-Man retells the famous origin story of Peter Parker, a high school student who gains the proportional strength and agility of a spider. In many ways, adapting Spider-Man was the most difficult job as there was no film, radio or TV series to refer to, aside from a handful of mediocre animated shows. Also, in comic books, the hero can muse and have inner monologues in between or even during the action. This is much harder to convey on film. The moving image certainly makes up for any 
shortcomings of a single panel but, without the musings, one can’t help but feel like the character is missing something. This is especially true of Spider-Man.
Radio has no such obstacles. Dirk Maggs clearly knows this and uses it to its full advantage. His flair for fast paced drama and sense of immediacy captures the spirit of Spider-Man and the quality of Stan Lee‘s 1960s comics exquisitely. William Dufris as Spider-Man narrates the series and has the requisite wit and confidence which only anonymity can bring to a shy and awkward teenager. Another reason why I love the Spider-Man series is that Peter Parker is living in a city that already has super heroes. The Fantastic Four and their issues with Prince Namor and Doctor Doom parallel Peter Parker’s predicaments perfectly and climax in a dramatic confrontation between Spider-Man and Doom in the Baxter Building. This truly is a remarkable series. The interpretations of the characters are spot on, the script and acting are first rate and the whiz-bang sound effects are complemented by the great musical contributions of Queen’s Brian May. It’s something no Spider-Man fan should be without.
Dirk Maggs has since adapted and directed Judge Dredd, the last three Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy books and, most recently, collaborated with Neil Gaiman on the radio series Neverwhere. His status as an audio drama icon is absolute. But, if I’m honest, my favourite work of his is still his super hero adaptations. I wholeheartedly recommend you give them a listen. They have everything any comic book fan could want. Except the art, but sure who needs that?
