shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,860
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Post by shaxper on Dec 20, 2020 9:13:53 GMT -5
On the Eighth Day of Christmas, a hero brought to me
Batman and the death of Gwen Stacey...5. Gerry Conway
Primarily selected for Batman, Spider-Man, and Firestorm (1972-1983) Conway is my fifth favorite writer of all time for (1) being my favorite writer for a character I don't care about, and (2) not being my favorite writer for a character I deeply care about. Let's talk Spider-Man. I'm not a fan. I get the appeal; I really do, and I've tried to read the Lee/Ditko run three times now and always get too bored to push through it. I also read the issues that were coming out when I was an adolescent in the late '80s and early '90s. I liked the wise-cracking and frequent guest appearances well enough, but none of it wowed me, especially once McFarlane got control. But the Death of Gwen Stacey, and the Death of Green Goblin – those were stories I truly felt. Those were moments where Peter Parker came alive for me and became a character for whom I truly cared and empathized. I've read probably a hundred Spidey stories in my life (I know that isn't much), and Amazing Spider-man #121-122 (as well as Marvel Two in One Annual #2) are the only ones that have truly stuck with me. And then there's Conway's run on Batman from 1981-1983. While I consider the run that immediately followed Conway's to be superior (and that writer is coming later on my list), Conway had this magical sense of pacing while he was effectively running the Batman office. A plots, and B, plots, and C plots OH MY! It felt like watching a boxer in the ring, dancing back and forth and striking at the exact right moment each time, never giving you time to prepare for the next punch, and each one connecting expertly. His run included two of my favorite Batman story arcs (the Monk/Vampire storyline in Batman #349-351 and Detective #517, and especially the Haunting of Boss Thorne in Detective #520, Batman #354) as well as one of my favorite stand-alone Batman stories of all time, the death of The Squid in Detective Comics #524. Conway was an uneven writer, for sure. Even in that Batman run, there were some truly abysmal stories, and his initial concept for Jason Todd was lacking at best, but he gave us so much good. Oh, and Firestorm—why isn't that character a bigger deal today? It's time for him to get a TV show or Movie. Loved that internal struggle between Ronnie and the Professor mirroring our own conflicts between Id and Superego.
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Post by coke & comics on Dec 20, 2020 9:19:04 GMT -5
5. Ed Brubaker
Jack Herriman: She was exactly my type... right down to the quiet sadness in her eyes that most people would overlook. I was always attracted to the things people tried to hide, but couldn't.
--"A Little Piece of Goodnight Part 1", Scene of the Crime #1, DC, 1999
Sophie's journal: Later, whether it's months or years from now, this will be remembered as one of the best days in Sector 5 history. I'm certain of it. It will be one of those days when everyone remembers exactly where they were and they'll talk about it over beers, or on cold nights when the rain stings. The day when the morning was like magic, when you could taste a warmth in the air, when total strangers acted like they were best friends for a few hours. The day when all the walls came down. And in our crowd we will remember it as the day when a boy didn't know how to let go of his best friend, so he made all hell break loose instead.
--"Stealing the Sun, part 3", Deadenders #3, DC, 2000
Captain America: And as for Captain America, the part of it that is bigger than me-- Don't let it die, Tony. America needs a Captain, maybe now more than ever. Don't let that dream die.
--"The Death of the Dream part 6", Captain America #30, Marvel, 2007
Also recommended: The Fall, Batman, Sandman Presents: Deadboy Detectives, Catwoman, Gotham Central, Sleeper, Daredevil, Immortal Iron Fist, Criminal, Incognito
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 20, 2020 9:30:23 GMT -5
On the Eighth Day of Classic Comics Christmas I give unto thee... Ed Brubaker I said earlier I could have done a count down consisting only of Batman scribes and have been happy with declaring them the best comic book writers around...and my list ultimately did include several Batman writers so far(with more yet to come) but even if I was to decide for some crazy ass reason to exclude anyone who had ever worked on Batman I would have found a way to include Brubaker because he's just too damn good to exclude from any best of comics list. Like Rucka, what I love about Brubaker is his ability to bring a grounded sense of realness to his superhero work. He makes stories about Batman feel like they have a real weight to them by bringing out those down to earth personal connections to the rest of the cast and situations at hand. Yeah, the threat is a bomb with a smiley face painted on it but you care anyway because the people feel real. Why does he rate above Rucka though? I think he edges out Rucka in my book because despite the grounded feel Brubaker embraces that colorful Saturday morning vibe just a little bit more and when we're talking about writers this good it comes down to a game of inches and so Brubaker edges Rucka out just by that much.
From superhero books like his run on Batman, Detective Comics, Gotham Central, Captain America and Catwoman ( a personal favorite!) to gritty crime stories like Scene of the Crime(and Fatale which doesn't count for these purposes) Brubaker never fails to satisfy.
Edit: And it looks like Coke beat me to the punch while I was writing this so you all have to put up with two in a row. Mea Culpa. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2020 9:52:01 GMT -5
#5 - Len WeinSee my post about Denny O’Neil.  When I first became acquainted with Len Wein’s work, there was something dark and very credible about it. As with O’Neil, I felt I had to track down his work. And I did my very best to track down all and Batman tales written by Len Wein. But it went beyond that. In an era long before you could get Wikipedia or Google up on a smartphone, I did my very best to find out as much as I could about Len Wein. In those days, you had to hope there was a book or bibliography somewhere. Sometimes there was, sometimes there wasn’t. When you couldn’t find it - people today are so lucky to have Google - you just picked up comics hoping that there was a 50/50 chance a writer’s name was listed. Another reason for his inclusion, though, is that I do feel he could write for a wide range of characters. He probably excelled more with the darker more street-level heroes, but I definitely think he was a man that wore many hats. Plus, he wrote the best Batman Christmas tale ever: “Have Yourself A Deadly Little Christmas” ( Batman #309). I read that EVERY Christmas. 
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Post by wildfire2099 on Dec 20, 2020 9:57:20 GMT -5
5. Richard Pini  I discovered Elfquest quite by accident... I had no idea it existed, until I found the Marvel Epic reprints in a $1 bin one slow Wednesday early in my weekly pull list life and figured it was worth a read. It's now one of my go-to recommendations (along with the previous mentioned Fables) for people to read that are not comic book people to let know what the medium is capable of. What impresses me looking back is the vision Pini had of the world... this was not just a medium to show off the art (though Wendy Pini might well make my top 12 artists list as well), but he clearly had a long term plan worthy of an epic fantasy novel.. just told over many years with great art in comic form. Pini is also one of the few creators that was later able to share his creation with other writers, and not miss a beat... I suspect that comes from a strong overall vision of where the story was heading. This is probably my last unique entry (though my next one hasn't appeared yet, I suspect he will)... my top 3 are definitely on plenty of lists.
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Post by coke & comics on Dec 20, 2020 10:16:03 GMT -5
On the Eighth Day of Classic Comics Christmas I give unto thee... Ed Brubaker
Edit: And it looks like Coke beat me to the punch while I was writing this so you all have to put up with two in a row. Mea Culpa.
I'll forgive you... this time. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Dec 20, 2020 10:16:49 GMT -5
5. Jim Shooter
Comics resume : What if #3, Avengers 156 to 177, 211 to 230, Broadway comics , Valiant books and More
I have never hidden that I am a big Jim Shooter fan and it’s been mainly for his writing work. I understand he was a 14 year old phenom that wrote for Dc comics on their Legion and Superman books. I first saw his work in his first Avengers run. The Count Nefaria three parter and the Korvac saga won me over. I enjoyed the subplot involving Captain America’s growing resentment over Iron Man’s leadership and it was those type of extra elements that made the book special. On his second Avengers run he wrote the Fall of Hank Pym saga which is one of my all time favorite stories. It was recently covered by me and Crimebuster Here
He wrote my favorite What If ? story. It was # 3 where the Original Avengers disbanded and Iron Man fashioned Iron Suits for the remaining members to take on Namor and the Hulk. When he was dismissed by Marvel he wrote most of the early Valiant books the highlights being Harbinger, X-O and Eternal Warrior. I followed him to his other companies where I enjoyed his Broadway comics. All of them highlighted real world type reactions to amazing situations. Too bad these companies all were canceled. I wish he wrote more books these days. Avengers # 166   {Broadway comics} Fatale   Space Seed 
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Post by DubipR on Dec 20, 2020 10:18:33 GMT -5
#5- Karl KeselSelected Works: Superboy, Harley Quinn, Adventures of Superman, Section Zero  Karl Kesel is one of the unsung DC writers in the 90s. His work was extremely prolific and all great and fun reading. The Triangle Era of Superman had some of the best writers in the biz and Kesel's run on Adventures with Tom Grummett was one of the best, then teaming with Stuart Immonen. With the death of Superman in 1992, the rise of Superboy another other mantle holders came out. Spinning Superboy into a monthly, Kesel and Grummett made one of the best teen hero comics and most fun reads. They both left to start their own creator own comic, Section Zero (which finally got finished in 2019). Coming back with issue 50, Kesel upped his game and tied in all these great Kirby ideas; Superboy as Kamandi. Death Race. The return of the Guardian. It was if Kirby give him permission from beyond to make fun stories using his works. Then in 2000, Kesel was given the opportunity to take Harley Quinn to the center stage, after her first official appearance in Batman. With Terrry and Rachel Dodson, the fun and light Harley was adventure, comedy and yes... a Harlequin romance comic. In my opinion, after Paul Dini, Karl Kesel's take is the closest to the animated feel that made his 25 issues collecting joy. Kesel's Marvel work, albeit small was memorable. His short lived run on Daredevil with Cary Nord, was a great Mr Hyde arc. His 12 issues of Human Torch with superstar Skottie Young were hip and fun with a loose Johnny Storm feel. If you can find his Section Zero mini-series, please read it. It's so much fun. 
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Post by Icctrombone on Dec 20, 2020 10:34:31 GMT -5
I had all of those early Harley Quinn books and sold them off years ago for a profit. I'm sure they would fetch a much bigger price today. I never think of Kessel as a writer, usually only as an inker. I'm sure he has many good books as a writer, but I was mostly a Marvel guy and never really read much of his stuff, and when I did, it never jumped out at me .
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Post by brutalis on Dec 20, 2020 11:01:56 GMT -5
#5-Mike Baron
My brudder Icc got here before me but I am a follower of Baron from his premiere alongside his partner Steve Rude. NEXUS is superbly written, daring to delve headlong into exploding superhero tropes, shining a light into the dark recesses of the inner workings of our minds and emotions. Touches the heart and soul, reveals the truths for family, friendship and self.
Mike Baron goes places with his writings in ways other wish they could. Wondrous worlds are created, filled with even more glorious characters. Nexus, Sundra, Dave, Judah, Mez Clonzezone and so many others. A true science fiction fantasy superhero exploration of what it means to be human.
AND he created Badger, gave the Punisher his start in solo series and started Wally West down his path growing into a Flash, no longer the Kid sidekick. What else need I say?
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Dec 20, 2020 11:09:24 GMT -5
5. Neil Gaiman
I was wrong about many things in my life, and rarely felt proud about it... Except when I read Sandman #1 and thought "this book is great but way too intelligent for today's market. It's going to last 6 issues, tops".
Rarely have I been so happy to be proven wrong, and then how.
Black Orchid, The Books of Magic, Sandman... when Gaiman started writing comics, he showed dthat he understoof what made American comic-books click, and that it was entirely possible to write intelligent and mature stories about people dressing up in tights. Alan Moore had done a similar thing a bit earlier, but Gaiman was no Moore imitator; he had his distinct voice, and one that was hard to imitate at that.
I'm not a fan of Neil's prose work, but his comic-book work consistently wowed me. His voice was original, witty, charming, entertaining, moving and gripping all at once.
I'm still a bit sore at the last Endless being "Destruction", though. That always struck me as redundant since we already had Death, and there are so many more basic aspects of existence that would warrant a personification. Oh, well.
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Post by Icctrombone on Dec 20, 2020 11:16:37 GMT -5
I have some Sandman trades but haven’t read the entire thing. I really enjoyed his Books of Magic series. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Dec 20, 2020 11:25:55 GMT -5
#5 Matt Wagner
He's been covered but, I will say, there is nobody in comics who understands pulp fiction better. His own work of Mage and Grendel are a mixture of pulp, superheroes, mythology and philosophy, especially Grendel. Hunter Rose, the original Grendel, is steeped in classic French pulp literature, borrowing aspects from super criminals Fantomas and gentleman thief Arsene Lupin. Mage is, literally, King Arthur, but in a superhero fashion, with some supernatural pulp tossed in. He drew all of Mage; but, he did surprisingly little of Grendel, after the initial Hunter Rose story (Devil by the Deed), turning up for a couple of issues after Bernie Mirault, then the final Orion Asante storyline, after the gloriously pulpy Eppie Thatcher storyline, with John K Snyder on art.
Sandman Mystery Theater was pure pulp detective, with dashes of the great pulp heroes. Wagner took the third string JSA hero, little more than a Green Hornet and Shadow knockoff, and turned him into a bit of Nick Charles (with Dian Belmont as Nora), a little of Manly Wade Wellman's Judge Pursuivant, a little Nero Wolfe, more than a bit of the Shadow and a whole lot of excellent.
If that weren't enough, Wagner eventually got to write The Shadow for Dynamite and did a bang up job.
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Post by Icctrombone on Dec 20, 2020 12:19:49 GMT -5
shaxper said, Let's talk Spider-Man. I'm not a fan. I get the appeal; I really do, and I've tried to read the Lee/Ditko run three times now and always get too bored to push through it. I also read the issues that were coming out when I was an adolescent in the late '80s and early '90s. I liked the wise-cracking and frequent guest appearances well enough, but none of it wowed me, especially once McFarlane got control.It's like you totally read my mind. I get bored reading the early Spider-man books. The only Ditko issue I liked was #8 where Peter punches out Flash Thompson. I did like the 80's issues with Hobgoblin and the PPSS issues, but that's about it.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,197 
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Post by Confessor on Dec 20, 2020 12:32:53 GMT -5
#5 - Neil Gaiman ( The Sandman #1-75, Miracleman)  My initial exposure to Neil Gaiman's writing was via his continuation of Alan Moore's Miracleman, which focused less on Miracleman himself and more on the ordinary people who live in his new "Golden Age". But as entertaining and as satisfying a read as that was, it didn't prepare me for how good Gaiman's magnum opus The Sandman would be. I only came to the series for the first time last year, but I was impressed enough with his writing to easily put him on my list. Trying to explain The Sandman and why it's so good in a couple of paragraphs is a hard task, not least because it doesn't follow any one character, story or genre. I mean, sure, the titular Sandman is Morpheus, the Lord of Dream, who rules over the realm of dreaming and sleep. But the series is more about the intricately interwoven lives of various ordinary people and magical beings, and how their lives are effected by Dream himself and by the act of dreaming. It's a wonderfully imaginative and well told saga involving gods, demons, witches, faerie folk, dragons, actors, magicians, artists, eccentrics, immortals, literature, myths, history, legends, anthropomorphic cats and ravens, and even dear old William Shakespeare! Ultimately, The Sandman is a story about stories. The characters Gaiman conjures are all thoroughly three-dimensional and, as a result, the reader comes to really care about them. The ideas and concepts he presents are big and lofty, but never pretentious and always easily digested. The Sandman is at turns thrilling, tragic, and full of wonder and horror. It's a mind-expanding read (in the best sense of the phrase), and one that reveals Gaiman as a writer of uncommon ability. From The Sandman, issue #62 (1994)... 
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