3. Will Eisner

There are likely a million reasons Eisner should be on my list, but one funny quirk about my reading habits remains that, once I read an absolute masterpiece from an author, I'm usually hesitant to read anything else by the same author for fear it won't hold up. Thus my limited exposure to Will Eisner because I adore "A Contract With God".

Forget the historical significance of this work for a moment -- it being the first attempt to tell an adult-oriented story via graphic novel format, tackling seriously taboo subjects while also conveying a subtle message that kids who grew up on Eisner would neither appreciate nor understand.

No, what blows me away about this work is that it truly and absolutely captures the souls of an entire Jewish immigrant tenement from decades past, treating each person's plight with utter reality, avoiding the tendency to paint some as saints and some as demons. These people feel REAL, their trials, tribulations, concerns, and loyalties alike, whether in the main story:



or in the three stories that follow, the final ("Cookalein") being the most powerful in my opinion.

These characters feel so complex and real, as if Eisner has a deep understanding of who each character in this neighborhood is and what each is about



And he narrows the focus of that lens tightly on a few such characters, turning up moments sometimes tragic, prophetic, divine, or monstrous, especially in this unforgettable scene at the culmination of Cookalein:



He doesn't just reject her. He decides this justifies his brutally raping her and then just leaving her there, broken and ruined. It's horrific, and the rescue and resolution that comes out of this moment is both sweet and yet not sweet enough to counter the ugliness of what we have just witnessed -- a true testament to the world Eisner was paying tribute to, often filled with sweetness while struggling to overcome the tragedy.

That's power.

That's truly truly artistic power.

I've always known I need to get around to The Rocketeer, but after this event, I'm convinced it needs to happen soon.

Love Sakai more as a person.

Love Usagi more as a protagonist.

But Dave Sim still kicks Stan Sakai's butt for sheer artistry in my book.


And I'm not proud that I feel this way.

#3. Keith Giffen



The merits of Giffen's work as a cartoonist can be hotly debated as to how much of what made it to print was actually his input. Was his highly celebrated run on JLI more the efforts of DeMatteis and Maguire? Would L.E.G.I.O.N. have been as great as it was without Grant and Kitson? However, nobody can deny that the 5YL Legion of Super-heroes (V4) was ostensibly the work of Giffen, combining a dark sense of humor and world weary cynicism with masterful worldbuilding. Though he had input from junior fan turned writers Tom and Mary Bierbaum, Giffen was the captain of the ship, imbuing the series with his offbeat sense of humor which contrasted with the darker world the characters found themselves in. His pencilling style had also radically changed in the late 80's, following a more Kirby-esque style of blocky figures and heavily stylized linework.



Ultra Boy's face in the second to last panel shows so many emotions without using any dialogue or narration. It's visual storytelling at its finest, letting the reader experience the emotions viscerally and without guidance. Giffen may have many faults as a writer, but his ability to hit you in the gut without a single word places him in an elite class of comic cartoonists.

3. Jim Starlin
...for his work on Warlock

When I was a child, less than two years into my comics reading, I fell in love with Infinity Gauntlet. The story of a supervillain with the power of a god defeating every superhero and deity who opposed him. I continued on with the saga, enjoying Warlock & The Infinity Watch, as well as terrible sequels. At some point, I noticed what my elders already knew, that Infinity Gauntlet was largely a rehash of a story the same creator had already told— in fact, a story he had told twice. But it was good enough to tell three times. (But not 4. And certainly not 10! I still haven’t read his latest one, Infinity Revelation or whatever)

I still love Infinity Gauntlet, but have come to appreciate the masterpiece that is the original work.

It begins simply enough. Back in 1973, he does some fill-in work for Iron Man. And in a story scripted by Mike Friedrich introduces a couple characters, Thanos of Titan, and Drax the Destroyer. (As well as the Blood Brothers, who won’t go on to as much fame.) A little later, he and Mike collaborate together again on Captain Marvel, bringing the characters of Thanos and Drax back.

And then, in November of 1973, Jim Starlin becomes eligible for this here shindig by taking over the full reins, and taking us and the Captain on a metaphysical journey where he learns to put aside the soldier and become a protector.




He also becomes blonde.

Anyways, other scripters come along to help out. The story ties into Avengers, Marvel Feature, and Daredevil, Thanos becomes a god, and Captain Marvel stops him.

It’s a really good story, but rough around the edges.

Jump forward a year or so, and Jim is back to full-creator duties telling the adventures of Warlock in Strange Tales. It begins an epic battle against the Magus which I will hold up as one of the greatest superhero stories of all time. The story continues in Warlock’s own book. Thanos comes back. We meet Pip and Gamora and get to know Eros of Titan a little better.

The final issue leaves us with some unresolved threads. Which will get cleaned up in Avengers annual 7, which I will hold up as one of the greatest single issues in all of comics. The Avengers team up with Captain Marvel and Warlock to battle Thanos who has assembled the 6 soul gems into a weapon capable of wiping out the stars. It begins with such great mood-setting…



continues with such great adventure…



And finally ties back into the Magus Saga, in one of my most beloved and most mind-blowing scenes in comics…



Some loose ends get tidied up in Marvel Two-in-One #2. The whole saga begun way back in Iron Man comes to a final conclusion is Marvel Graphic Novel #1, in which Jim gives a heartfelt goodbye to his only major character he hadn’t yet killed…



Meanwhile, in the pages of Epic Illustrated, Jim Starlin got to work on what I will name the second greatest cosmic adventure in the history of comics, in which Vanth Dreadstar joins a small crew dedicated to “saving” the universe from evil aliens…

Giffen almost made my list, and part of the reason is that things like JLA or Legionnaires 3 are still unmistakeably his work even if he didn't write the words or draw the pictures.

3. Mike Mignola

Hellboy bitches...