Your favorite comic book writers

[Macbeth]

The thread on worst comic ideas ever happened to mention Grant Morrison (sp?) as one of the worst comic book writers (at least in implementation). I think of him as one of the best from his run one JLA. So, my question to ENWorld is thus: who are YOUR favorite comic writers?

And, to start us off, here are mine:

Alan Moore: Watchmen. V for Vendetta. Top Ten. League of Extraodinary Gentlemen. Need I say more?

Mark Waid: I love his knowledge of the DC continuity and his story telling capability. Its hard to point out single property that makes him good, but just a very solid all around writer.

Warren Ellis: Planetary and The Authority. I have reread all the issues I have of these series countless times, and they still shine as exelent examples of comic writing.

Grant Morrison: I have only read his JLA stuff, but I loved it. Maggedon is SO awesome, my current D&D campaign has its roots in the Maggedon story. (But not superhero creating purple rays for me, thanks)

Michael J. Strazynsky: Rising Stars. I love the idea of a world where there are only so many superheros, and no more are being created, but EVERY action by the supers has repercussions throughout the world. The large cast jumbles things a bit, but still a great series. I also like the scientific approach to powers. Why should a hero who cant feel a knife cutting him be able to feel a human's touch?

So, thos are mine, who are your favorite writers?

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

JMS: His current run on Amazing Spider-Man has helped recapture the essense of Spider-Man. Not since the late 80's very early 90's has Spider-Man truely felt like Spider-Man. With JMS at the helm, everything just feels right.

Peter David: His lengthy run on the Hulk was spectacular. A wonderful mix of drama, humor and the down right strange. I'd love to see him get a stab at a Spidey comic. I think he has the right mix of humor and serious to work quite well.

Chris Claremont: His lengthy run on X-Men during the 80's defined the team. He told some wonderful and touching stories during his time on the comic. Not everything was perfect, but I can still read those issues and enjoy them.

I'm sure there are others, but I can't think of them now.

 

[Krug]

Neil Gaiman: Sandman, of course. Though I'm quite disappointed in Endless Nights.

Adrian Tomine: The genre's Raymond Carver.

Paul Chadwick: Concrete is one of the most complex superheroes.. ever.

 

[Alzrius]

Fred Perry - Gold Digger is a comic that just gets better and better with every issue. If I could only buy one comic book, this would be it. It's amazing to look back at some of his earliest work compared to today's and see how much he's improved.

Bevard/Bair - These two took over Ninja High School when Ben Dunn finally left his creation at issue 100. Although they had a lot working against them (the comic returning to black and white, most of the cast no longer being featured, etc) they managed to turn this comic back around from the huge tangled mess that it had become, and get it back to its roots. No more time-travelling parallel universe alter egos et al, but just good old high school antics with martial arts mayhem thrown in.

Jolly Blackburn - I know there are plenty of other people involved with KoDT, but Jolly is the heart and soul of it. I don't think I've ever read an issue of KoDT without laughing out loud. It's amazing that a comic with not only no color, but almost no action frames (the characters are amazingly static in terms of motion) can continue to be top of the line so often. You have to have a wellspring of talent to be able to do that, and Jolly has it.

Manny Vega - Recently having left Everknights, Manny was as great at what he did as Jolly was. His work on Everknights (in all its incarnations) was a true joy to read. The visual gags are subtle and many. I can still go reread old back issues of the series and see things now that I didn't notice the first few times around!

Aaron Williams - Nodwick, Floyd, PS238, this man's accomplishments speak for themselves. No other comic artist that I know of can blend humor in so seemlessly with a progressing plot that still keeps you hooked. I've never regretted buying a comic that he's worked on, and I'm sure I never will.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

In no certain order and only trying to add new ones as I agree with all of Psychotic Dreamer additions.

Greg Rucka, his run on Detective Comics was awesome and his Queen and Country is very good also. I'm not up to speed on his WW or Wolverine though.

Geoff Johns, he almost writes more books than I can read in a month, and they’re all wonderful.

Jeph Loeb, Daredevil: Yellow, Spiderman: Blue, the recent run on Batman

And one from my wife

Gail Simone, nice run on Birds of Pray so far and my wife actually fights me for the comic.


As for Waid is rather simple, he took a punk kid and turned him into the Flash, and his JLA story "Tower of Babel" is awesome and was an instant classic.

 

[Richards]

Originally posted by Macbeth:

Alan Moore: Watchmen. V for Vendetta. Top Ten. League of Extraodinary Gentlemen. Need I say more?

Perhaps not, but I do: Swamp Thing. I loved Alan's run on Swamp Thing; it's what first hooked me on his work.

I'll also add Kurt Busiek to the list. I was first aware of his writing from his Astro City book, but I've also enjoyed his run on The Avengers and Iron Man, plus there's that JLA/Avengers title he just did.

Johnathan

 

[Samnell]

Chris Claremont, for the 80s X-Men run. I'm especially fond of the period from #150 or so onward and the New Mutants. His recent stuff in the awfully-titled X-Treme X-Men is pretty good too. I don't know any other comic writer that makes me care so much about his characters.

 

[Piratecat]

Echoing Kurt Busiek, Neil Gaiman (Books of Magic!), Alan Moore (at least most of the time.)

Garth Ennis. He hooked me with the Dangerous Habits storyline for Hellblazer, and then proceeded to capture me for 60-issue runs of both Preacher and Hitman.

Brian Bendis. His writing on Ultimate Spiderman has turned it into my favorite monthly book.

 

[Macbeth]

Brian Bendis. His writing on Ultimate Spiderman has turned it into my favorite monthly book.

Ditto. Last night as I was falling asleep I realized I had forgot to put him in my initial list. D'OH!

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Alan Moore, Brian Bendis, Neil Gaiman, Kurt Busiek are at the top of my list. I also like what Bill Willingham is doing on Fables and Brian Vaughan is doing on Y: The Last Man.