Favorite Comic Book Writers of 2010
As 2010 comes to a close we take a look back at some of our favorites from the year; there will be many more categories to come, each author getting one pick. And after reading our favorites from the last year we want to hear yours!
Favorite Comic Book Writers of 2010
Kieron Gillen: Thor Geoff Arbuckle
Gillen might be best known for his indie work on books like Phonograph, but when he was tapped to take over for Straczynski on Thor I don’t think anyone expected to get what he gave us. Whereas Straczynski worked on the possibilities of bringing the Asgardians back and the pros and cons of such a move, Gillen took that one step further and gave the characters a weight they hadn’t experienced in years. No one seemed to understand the characters and the mythology like Gillen, and for that, Marvel kept him around longer than his original shelf life proving the powers that be really liked what he was doing. And you know what? So did the rest of Thor’s fans.
Grant Morrison: Batman, Batman and Robin, ROBW John Barringer
No one made me more excited about my comics each month than Grant Morrison. He made reading the comics just one part of the experience; I was pouring over older issues or books and was researching online for old characters and storylines trying to piece together all the clues and hints. His work on Batman this year was some of the most fun I’ve ever had reading the character, incorporating older stories and ideas into a fresh and original story. Not only was he able to keep Bruce Wayne grounded as he time traveled he also gave Dick Grayson the Batman story he’s always deserved. Not to mention that Damian went from likable to lovable, being embraced by more Bat-fans than ever before.
Grant Morrison: Batman, Batman and Robin, ROBW Phillip Carson
As controversial as he can be among fans for his unique writing style, there is no other writer that had me so hooked on his work. The combination of Batman and Robin and the Return of Bruce Wayne had me picking through old issues of Batman comics, looking for clues. No writer has made me enjoy collecting comics as much as Grant Morrison, and no other writer has made me think so hard or for so long about what I’ve read.
Peter David: X-Factor Victor Kutsenok
If you want a book that is constantly filled with witty banter, real life issues, diverse stories, and intense battles, this is the book for you and Mr. David makes it happen perfectly every month. With his amazing tales of the future, Thor and Hela, and X-Factor goes to Vegas with humor and action every issue, Mr. David always keeps the story interesting and complex. His characters feel real and tend to always jump off the page. An amazing overall writer.
J. Michael Straczynski: Wonder Woman/Superman Paul Mallory
J. Michael Straczynski-Took a revamped Wonder Woman and made sure everyone liked her just as much as before, and kept everyone interested in Superman after the epic New Krypton.
James Robinson: Cry For Justice Tom Parry
Part of me really wants to say JT Krul, as his work with Team Arrow has been phenomenal this year, but I truly have to give this one to James Robinson for Cry For Justice. He did two very important things in Cry for Justice that give him this honor. The first is the obvious rail. He pushed Team Arrow to the breaking point and effectively set JT Krul up to fix the problems Green Arrow ran into after his marriage to Black Canary. But second, and far more impressive, he brought back Hal Jordan. I know, I know, Geoff Johns did that in Rebirth, blah blah blah. No. Geoff Johns brought the character back but he never really wrote Hal Jordan the way Hal Jordan actually was. Jame Robinson, in the first handful of pages in Cry for Justice, better wrote the actual character that I once loved so dearly than Mr. Geoffcon has managed to do in his entire tenure with the character, and he continued to push it throughout the series’ entirety. For this remarkable feat alone, James Robinson is absolutely my favorite writer of the year.
Bryan Q. Miller: Batgirl Claire Smith
I’m going with Bryan Q. Miller on this one. Originally, I wanted to pick Paul Dini and if I had to choose outside of 2010, I would have. But in terms of greatest 2010 accomplishments, Miller knocked it out of the park on Batgirl. I started to feel overwhelmed by my pull list about halfway through the year but I always looked forward to Miller’s stories and dialogue.
Gail Simone: Secret Six/Birds of Prey Wayland
For best writer, no real choice for me here- hands down Gail Simone. Her current body of work is just astounding. She does a tremendous job with the wonderfully twisted Secret Six, taking a mix of third and fourth stringers and new characters and making them interesting to read about, if always unpredictable. Secret Six is my favorite book on the market at present. She also writes Birds of Prey, the ongoing adventures of the mostly female team led by Barbara Gordon, which is a phenomenal title. And presently, she is also writing a follow up limited series, Welcome To Tranquility, about a small town that’s essentially a retirement community for heroes, and a few former villains. All of those are fantastic books. She is particularly good at intricate plots, good characterization, and unlike many writers these days, knows the backgrounds of her characters, as well as inserting good, if often warped, humor into her tales.
Other Favorites of 2010:
Favorite Comic Book Writers
Favorite Independent Comic Books
3 Comments
Interesting omission of Jonathan Hickman. I personally agree, but it seems most of the Internet is in love with him.
are you kidding me Cry for Justice is one of the worst comic books miniseries i have ever read. Roy Harper getting his hand cut off his Daughter who was one of the sweetest characters in the DC universe dies and everyone was out of character
Where’s Geoff Johns? He should be in the list.