Hickman spent a decade in independent comics before getting his break with Top Cow where he wrote Common Grounds, a series that looked at superheroes gathered in a coffee shop.

It was revealed at the 2009 Comicon International that Common Grounds had been picked up by Starz Media for a television series.

He wrote issues 4-6 of the Top Cow run of the City of Heroes comic book. The story for these issues would prove popular enough to later become playable content in the City of Heroes MMORPG in Issue 11, and he scripted this as well. Hickman is also an active member of the City of Heroes forums.

Hickman entered the second Top Cow Pilot Season competition with "Twilight Guardian," a story which was one of the two winners and will be worked up into a series.

Hickman is known for doing stories that are equal parts comedy and drama, and his stories tend to be very rich in characterization. Much of his work has dealt with unconventional takes on superheroes, such as Common Grounds and Twilight Guardian.

In addition to his comic book work, he is a teacher of Creative Writing and English.

Comics work includes:

• Narcoleptic Man (with co-author Shane Simmons and art by Tony Furtado, Magnetic Ink, 2000)
• Turok: Adon's Curse (art by Ryan Benjamin, Acclaim Comics, 1998)
• Common Grounds (with pencils by Dan Jurgens and inks by Al Vey, 6-issue limited series, 2004, Top Cow, tpb, ISBN 1-58240-436-4)
• Witchblade #76-77 (with art by Michael Choi, Top Cow, 2004)
• City of Heroes #4-6 (with pencils by Wilson Tortosa and inks by Sonia Oback, Top Cow, 2006)
• ACTOR Comics Presents (Incredible Hulk story, with William Messner-Loebs and Armando Gil, Marvel Comics, 2006)
• Pilot Season: "Twilight Guardian" (with art by Reza, Top Cow, 2008)
• A Little Night Music (City of Heroes MMORPG guest author arc, 2010)

2005: Nominated for Eisner Awards, Common Grounds (Best Short Story and Best Anthology)

Interviews

• Interview, at Sequential Tart
• Exclusive GEN interview with Twilight Guardian’s Troy Hickman, Girls Entertainment Network, September 22, 2008