shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 14, 2020 8:15:03 GMT -5
On the second day of Christmas, my true love and I read "V"... 11. Alan Moore
Primarily selected for V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, "Mortal Clay", and Watchmen (1982-1987) My relationship with the work of Alan Moore is complicated. Whenever I'm in a conversation where someone praises Moore too much, my brain simply turns off. I'm not a Moore zealot at all. I find The Killing Joke more insulting than entertaining, am utterly annoyed by The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and "For The Man Who Has Everything", and would only be ready to call Watchmen a brilliant work if everyone stopped calling it THE BEST work for five minutes. And yet, there is definitely something about Moore. V for Vendetta is one of the finest stand-alone works I have ever read, Moore's run on Swamp Thing is nearly equally divine, and the stand alone "Mortal Clay" story he penned in Detective Comics Annual #11 is an absolute favorite of mine too. There is a depth and a soul to what he writes when he does it right—and he doesn't always do it right—combining deep characterization with immense darkness, immense cynicism, immense idealism, and immense hope all in one unforgettable place. He has left an impressive mark upon me as a result, and there is no disputing the transformative quality his work has had upon the industry, both for better and (often) worse. |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Dec 14, 2020 8:32:42 GMT -5
#11 - Bill Mantlo ( Marvel Team-Up [various issues 1975-1977], Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man [various issues 1977-1984], Amazing Spider-Man #237, Cloak & Dagger 1984 mini-series)  Today's pick is poor old Bill Mantlo.  The hit-and-run accident he was involved in robbed us of a talent that had already delivered some fantastic comics and likely would've gone on to even greater things. His run on Marvel Team-Up featured some really fun, if slightly frivolous, stories, but it's his tenure on Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man that was his crowning glory IMHO. During this run he co-created two of my all-time favourite Marvel characters, Cloak & Dagger, gave Peter's long-suffering girlfriend Debra Whitman a mental breakdown, and brought Professor Miles Warren (a.k.a. The Jackel) back in clone form to menace Peter as Carrion. For me though, Mantlo's most memorable moment on PP:SSM was in issues #72-79, which featured an epic, sprawling battle royale between Dr. Octopus, the Owl, and Spider-Man, with the Black Cat (a.k.a. Felicia Hardy) getting mixed up in the middle. This confrontation resulted in Felicia getting shot and almost dying, which, in turn, prompted her to bargain with the Kingpin in return for laboratory created "bad luck" powers. Oh, and let's not forget that Peter actually unmasked to Felicia and revealed that he was Spider-Man during Mantlo's run too. I've long been of the opinion that PP:SSM was actually a better comic than the flagship Amazing Spider-Man during Mantlo's run. Still, one of the rare issues of ASM that Mantlo did write during this time was #237, which saw the return of Stilt-Man as a washed up, down on his luck super-villain and was a favourite of mine as a kid. Yep, for me, Mantlo is the very definition of an underrated Bronze Age comic writer. From Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, issue #69 (1982)... 
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Post by wildfire2099 on Dec 14, 2020 8:37:49 GMT -5
That's just about my exact opinion of Moore as well (though I haven't read much Swamp Thing.... I probably will some day). He's in my 'honorable Mention' section, but not on the list. I mean, you have to include him if you're talking 'greatest' writers I think, but favorite? Nah. I do love V for Vendetta though.
11. Mark Waid
Mark Waid has written alot of comics, and quite a few of them are good. Kingdom Come, imo, is brilliant. Sure, it's not a revolutionary concept, but he did it best. He writes Flash better than anyone, IMO. His late 90s X-O Manowar made me really want an Iron Man run from him. Even recently, he re-boot of the Champions did a great job spotlighting Marvel's newest heroes. I even liked his Cap stories when he was de-powering him.
Then there's the indy stuff.. good, but that never quite made it.. Gatecrasher was a fun concept that never got off the ground. And Empire... another great concept... but never really got going. Irredeemable is decent, but really just an expansion of Kingdom Come.. it just never rose to that level, IMO.
So why #11? There was a time that Mark Waid's name on a comic made it an autobuy for me, but he's really written quite a few stinkers, too. Underworld Unleashed... his last Avengers run.. he just seems to be not as entertaining to me anymore. Not sure why.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2020 8:41:18 GMT -5
On the second day of Christmas Santa brought to me the works of Brian K. Vaughan...  Works garnering him favorite status: Dr. Strange: The Oath, Pride of Baghdad, Y: The Last Man, Runaways, Mystique, Ex Machina Why I like his work: BKV writes great character driven stories. It's not that plot is secondary or irrelevant as it becomes in the writings of some character-focused writers, but his characters drive the plot and the conflicts cause his characters to grow and change. They are not plot puppets dancing on whatever string he needs to pull to make the plot work, nor cardboard thin accessories there only to give the plot a vehicle to be executed with. His characters are integral parts of his stories, they are who the stories are about and revolve around, and the stories reveal those characters to the reader, yet there is still a deeper level of thematic underpinnings to make his stories have a more universal appeal and something more to say. You can engross yourself in the journey of his characters. And on top of that, he builds a rich immersive world around those characters. Even better, this is a trait he doesn't lose when he is playing in a shared sandbox rather than one of his own creation, and his work-for-hire stuff is just as strong in these areas as his creator-owned material. Single work I would try if I were unfamiliar with BKV's work-Dr. Strange: The Oath with Marcos Martin  -M Ps if we go past the cut-off for classics vs, modern comics, there are more works by BKV I would add to the list of those making him a favorite |
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Post by brutalis on Dec 14, 2020 9:10:32 GMT -5
#11-Arnold Drake
Doom Patrol. That says it all for me. As a wee little tyke v visiting my grandparents up in Po Payson I bought a grab bag of comic books at their local thrift store. In that pack was 2 issues of Doom Patrol. I was captivated by the characters and their quirky oddball status as freaks outside of the regular world. They were friends, more true and real than I had seen in comics.
They argued, teased and complained but they ALWAYS came through in the end, supporting one another and saving the day if not the world. They were FAMILY. Drake hit a nerve in me that made me a DP lover. And this was years after the series was cancelled! They were an instant cult classic for me and I seldom saw or found the series! For years I had just those 2 issues, then might find a singularly beaten up used cheap copy. Then Teen Titans brings them once more into the spotlight and a golden age is reborn. DC reprints a few stories and back issues are appearing once more.
The group of freaks were stupendous, funny, silly, unique and a favorite. Now I have a pair of Showcase and color Omnibus collecting ALL the kitschy goodness. And I can read their series over again and again while still enjoying it. That is quite an accomplishment I would say!
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 14, 2020 9:10:45 GMT -5
#11 - Bill Mantlo ( Marvel Team-Up [various issues 1975-1977], Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man [various issues 1977-1984], Amazing Spider-Man #237, Cloak & Dagger 1984 mini-series) Sadly, I have only stumbled upon Mantlo's worst output. The Champions, a few issues of Spectacular Spidey, a fill-in story in X-Men, all horrendous. Micronauts was okay enough, I guess, but I clearly need to read more good Mantlo and wash that bad taste out of my mouth. |
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Post by MDG on Dec 14, 2020 9:24:27 GMT -5
Steve Skeates
I first became aware of Skeates' work at Warren (especially when they had recurring characters in Eerie), but I came to like what he did on Aquaman and how well he meshed with Ditko on Hawk & Dove. He handled humor well in PLOP, one of the few writers who made the transition effectively. |
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Post by DubipR on Dec 14, 2020 9:53:19 GMT -5
#11- Dwayne McDuffieSelected Works: Icon, Static, Hardware, Damage Control, Deathlok, Worlds Collide  The 1990s were a great time for comics, especially for DC. Karen Berger was running a well oiled machine with the DCU, having Shelly Bond handle Vertigo to new heights and their small press stuff (Paradox, Piranha Press, Tangent, Helix, etc) were bringing out new concepts. But it was Dwayne McDuffie, Denis Cowan, and Michael Davis to bring a new universe onto the comic racks. Creating a world and showcasing minority characters and creators, the Dakota-verse was born. McDuffie's skills as an editor, kept the books on time but his pen created the first steps into making something truly special. Icon. Static. Hardware. Three comics that were outsiders on the comic racks, but I ate it up with great fervor. I loved the characters, especially Static. As a young teenager, I loved all the teen books. He was great; smart and resilient. Icon was a Superman copy but having a person of color was great. Hardware, an Iron Man pastiche, was the best of the books. McDuffie nailed these books with great stories, diverse characters and what makes comics great... fun and inclusion. McDuffie did a great run of Deathlok for Marvel in the 90s, as McDuffie also made DC animation into a juggernaut with Justice League in the 2000s. His life cut short at 49, but his work in his late 20s were some of my favorite 90s comics. 
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 14, 2020 10:09:43 GMT -5
McDuffie did a great run of Deathlok for Marvel in the 90s He sure did! I've been meaning to read Static for a while now. I appreciate this reminder! |
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Crimebuster
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Post by Crimebuster on Dec 14, 2020 10:20:58 GMT -5
11. Roger SternI don't think I've ever read a bad comic by Roger Stern. Maybe it helps that I don't read Superman! But his Marvel work, which is what I'm most familiar with, ranges from good to awesome. I'm a big fan of his run on Doctor Strange, but primarily I love his run on Avengers, which was formative for me. Any time I see Stern's name on a book, I feel confident that I'm not going to be let down. 
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 14, 2020 10:39:22 GMT -5
And on the second day of Classic Comics Christmas I give unto thee... Two great Batman runs by Steve Englehart  This is the beginning of something close to a theme in my holiday picks this year as nearly all my favorite writes share one thing in common: they write Batman really, really well. And Englehart has that quality down pat, he wrote stories that not only brought back old villains that were sadly missed but he found a way to balance an almost pulp style, action oriented approach to comics with the character focused feel that would be all the rage just a short time after his run concluded. On top of that, he's one of those writers that can come back years later and do it all again with out missing a step as his 2005 miniseries Batman: Dark Detective was every bit as good as his original run on Detective in the 70's. But all that aside Englehart would have made this list based on the strength of a single short story in one issue alone: Detective Comics #439's "Night of the Stalker" which is hands down my favorite Batman story of all time. It's a simple story of Batman essentially avenging a murder that is nearly identical the death of his own parents. It's a relentless pursuit that ranges from the streets of Gotham to hunting the criminals down at their log cabin hide out. It's fast, powerful, raw and feels very real making it a stunning Batman tale.
So why only eleventh place? Well, like Slott, these two runs are all I really enjoy from Englehart. He definitely wrote some other solid stories but nothing really connected with me the way his Batman did. |
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Post by coke & comics on Dec 14, 2020 10:51:40 GMT -5
11. Roger Stern
Captain America: You need but to look within yourselves to find the people you need to keep this nation strong... and, God willing, to help make the dream come true!
--"Cap for President!", Captain America #250, Marvel, 1980
Spider-Man: Maybe you should have picked someone else to start a scrapbook about, Tim.
Tim Harrison: Jeez, do ya have to be so hard on yourself? I know you messed up... but at least you've tried to make up for it.
Spider-Man: I'll be making up for it for a long, long time.
Tim: Hey, come on! I've got lots more stuff to show you!
--"The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man", Amazing Spider-Man #248, Marvel, 1984
Dr. Doom: I will bear any ordeal, Strange... but Doctor Doom does not beg.
--Dr. Strange and Dr. Doom: Triumph and Torment, Marvel, 1989
Also recommended: Spectacular Spider-Man, Avengers
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Post by coke & comics on Dec 14, 2020 10:56:12 GMT -5
Uh oh. I picked the same writer for today. Is that a faux pas? Is it like ordering the same item on the menu? |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 14, 2020 11:00:00 GMT -5
So why only eleventh place? Well, like Slott, these two runs are all I really enjoy from Englehart. He definitely wrote some other solid stories but nothing really connected with me the way his Batman did. [/div] [/div][/div][/quote] Ironically, Englehart will be appearing on my list quite soon, and I've yet to even read his work on Batman/'Tec! |
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Post by coke & comics on Dec 14, 2020 11:11:56 GMT -5
And on the second day of Classic Comics Christmas I give unto thee...
So why only eleventh place? Well, like Slott, these two runs are all I really enjoy from Englehart. He definitely wrote some other solid stories but nothing really connected with me the way his Batman did.
Englehart didn't make my cut, but he was strongly considered... on the strength of his Marvel work. Mostly Avengers but also Silver Surfer. |
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The hit-and-run accident he was involved in robbed us of a talent that had already delivered some fantastic comics and likely would've gone on to even greater things. His run on Marvel Team-Up featured some really fun, if slightly frivolous, stories, but it's his tenure on Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man that was his crowning glory IMHO. During this run he co-created two of my all-time favourite Marvel characters, Cloak & Dagger, gave Peter's long-suffering girlfriend Debra Whitman a mental breakdown, and brought Professor Miles Warren (a.k.a. The Jackel) back in clone form to menace Peter as Carrion.
