This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2004, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
When comic book fans hear "caped crusader," they usually think of Batman - except for the growing number who are thinking of Nephi.
The Book of Mormon hero is now a comic-book hero, too, as "The Golden Plates" comic by Mike Allred sells by the thousands.
"It's been crazy, and that's putting it mildly," said Mimi Cruz, manager of Night Flight comics, which has two Salt Lake Valley stores. Night Flight has sold "hundreds and hundreds; I've lost count."
The book introduces comic-book fans to the Book of Mormon - and vice-versa. "There are people who have been buying them who don't normally shop in our stores, who don't normally read comics, who just love it," Cruz said.
Allred created comic-book characters for 15 years - working for comics giants Marvel and DC Comics on everything from Spider-Man to the X-Men series - before taking time off to self-publish what he considers his most important life's work. "I had no idea it would take off like this," he said from his home near the Oregon coast.
Only three weeks after the initial publication, he has sold 12,000 copies of "The Golden Plates." The book is mostly available through comic-book outlets, though church-owned Deseret Book has picked it up - a sign of church approval.
A devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Allred was a little apprehensive about church reaction and sent them some samples of his work early on. "I received a reply simply saying they didn't endorse any project, but that it's important to remember it's a sacred book," he said.
Allred had long wanted to do an illustrated book about the life of founder Joseph Smith. He decided no one would understand the significance of Smith's translation of the Book of Mormon until they knew the importance of the book itself.
With the success of this volume, he plans to cover the rest of the Book of Mormon, a project he estimates will take about two years and 12 editions. After that, he wants to draw the Joseph Smith story and possibly even the Bible.
Allred said he has heard from many people who didn't know anything about the Book of Mormon but were drawn in by the story. "I think they were caught by the beauty of it, the largeness of it, the all-encompassing aspect of it. That's so much bigger than anything they'd imagined it could be," said Allred, who believes the book to be "the key to the universe."
Making a living from "The Golden Plates" series, he is refusing all offers of commercial work, except for pre-existing contracts - including one with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, who plans to shoot a movie version of Allred's "Madman" character next summer.
Allred tried to stay faithful to the tone and meaning of the Book of Mormon, though of necessity he has had to condense. "There's a lot of doctrine I'll be summarizing," he said, "But the events, I know what I want everything to look like."
Outlets outside Utah have also sold a few copies of "The Golden Plates," mostly to Mormons or Allred's fans. "I think there are quite a few people who bought it because it was Mike Allred and they're familiar with his work," said Nancy McCann, owner of Comics Unlimited in Southern California. Her store has sold about 20 of the books.
Cruz agrees that the quality of Allred's illustrations has no doubt helped sales. "It's a style the public has always liked, and he has a big following."
As for church members, "I would hope that people could put aside any bias they have against the comic book medium," he said. "It's not just 'Pow! Bam! Socko!' For me, it's the best medium of communication there is."