#8 - David Michelinie (Jonah Hex #13-15, Star Wars [1981-1983], The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones [1983-1985], Web of Spider-Man [various issues 1985-1995], Amazing Spider-Man [1987-1994])



I believe that the earliest work that I have read of David Michelinie's are a trio of early issues of DC's Jonah Hex, which are all cracking little Western tales. While he's arguably best known as the writer of the famous Iron Man arc "Demon in a Bottle" (which I've never read BTW), it's primarily for his early '80s tenure on Marvel's Star Wars comic that I'm choosing him as my number 9 pick for.

Obviously, my love of that title is well known in the forum, and what I particularly love about Micheline's stories are that they really nail the feel of the Star Wars universe and the "voices" of the central cast in a way that earlier writers on the series hadn't done quite as well. Michelinie gave the series such memorable story arcs as the Tarkin saga, Lando's return to Bespin, and Golrath Never Forgets, as well as introducing such key original characters as Plif and the Hoojibs, and love interest/Imperial spy Shira Brie, the latter of which culminated in the fantastic and unforgettable Pariah story arc.

I also really dug Michelinie's writing on another Lucasfilm spin-off series, The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, on which he wrote more issues than anybody else. This is actually a really underrated gem of a series and that's almost entirely due to Michelinie.

I'm also citing his on-and-off run on Web of Spider-Man and his time as the main writer on Amazing Spider-Man, the latter of which was bookended by having to tackle the editorially-mandated marriage of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson at the start of his run, and paving the way for the infamous '90s clone saga at the end of it. But between those two events, Michelinie produced some really enjoyable stories; of particular note would be the introduction of Venom, who has been massively overused since then, but was originally a truly scary adversary for Spidey. I also love how he developed the newly married Peter and MJ's domestic life.

For my money, Michelinie was easily one of the greatest comics writers Marvel had in the Bronze and Copper Ages.

From Star Wars, issue #62 (1982)...

Robert Loren Fleming

Fleming is here for one reason, and that's his work with Keith Giffen on Ambush Bug. If it wasn't for that, I might've given up on DC a lot earlier than I did. Admittedly, DC was doing good stuff in the early 80s, but comics were getting way too serious and I needed some fun.


I'm not quite sure where Fleming lived, but he appeared at a few local shows, as well as in NYC, so I had a bit of a nodding acquaintance w/ him. When I showed him an Ambush Bug pAGE I'd just bought, he pointed out how in the middle tier, Giffen had given Superman, in Ambush Bug's body (due to Red K, of course) four distinct expressions, and he wanted to come up with thought bubbles that matched each one.

8. Harvey Kurtzman (Mad, Two-Fisted Tales, Frontline Combat, Humbug, Trump)



For Mad alone, Kurtzman would belong both in my personal pantheon and in the Hall of Greats.  But he also wrote many of the great tales from his EC edited books.  I don't feel the need to rehash what Dubip already went over.  I do think it's important to point out that there are certain Mad stories that cultural and comic touchstones with influences that reverberate through our popular culture.  Superduperman and Starchie are two of them.  And his writing on Frontline Combat and, to a lesser extent, Two-fisted Tales set the bar for war comics that would not come close to being matched for decades.  

#8 - Peter David

I came to Peter David’s Hulk after it had been published. Sort of. I started reading it in the mid-90s until his run ended (1998, right?). I found it so compelling, that I did my best to track down - and succeeded - in getting all of his run thanks to a rather generous back issue bin at my LCS.

I like Greg Pak’s Hulk. I like Al Ewing’s Hulk. I like so much classic Hulk. But Peter David’s Hulk may be my favourite.

He never repeated himself. And a 12-year run is quite stellar. Once I got all the back issues, I must have read them in a matter of weeks as I caught up with with the then-concurrent ones. I just *had* to do so.

My inclusion of Peter David isn’t just about the Hulk, though. He’s innovative, but recognisable. He took the likes of the Hulk in some interesting directions while still giving us plenty of “Hulk Smash” that we’d grown to love. With all due respect to the Hulk, issue after issue of New Mexico shenanigans against aliens, the Rhino and so many others might get old hat after a bit. From “Joe Fixet” to the merging of the various personalities, I would say David is my favourite Hulk writer ever.

And, another reason for his inclusion: like others on my list, his name had me tracking down his work, no matter what it is. If I ever learn that Peter David is writing a graphic novel about the history of breakfast cereals, I’ll be there.

8. Jim Starlin

Thing: This is it, Benjy. Time for the big decision. Of course we want Banner and me changed back to human. But what'll be the second wish? I gotta be careful with that one. That wish's for mankind. I gotta be smart about this and think out all the ramifications. There'll be no second chances.
Stamben Malelet: Well, what'll it be?
Hulk: We want food and want to go home.
--Marvel Graphic Novel: The Big Change, Marvel, 1987


Captain America: As long as one man stands against you, you'll never be able to claim victory.
Thanos: Noble sentiments from one who is about to die.
Silver Surfer: Thanos is going to kill him!
Adam Warlock: Wait!!
Captain America: I've lived my life by those sentiments. They're well worth dying for.
--"Cosmic Battle on the Edge of the Universe!", Infinity Gauntlet #4, Marvel, 1991


The Great One: You are an outsider to my universe. Only you could have done this to me. This universe is mine and... it is my mind. During our battle your might destroyed a small... insignifcant and uninhabited satellite. No one but an outsider... could do this... could destroy me. I am dying...
Silver Surfer: Such a waste. All you had to do was ask. I would have accepted paradise on your terms. I could have returned to reality and been converted properly. So that this would not have happened. And if you could not accept me, I would have left peacefully... for Zenn-La's sake. But you never gave me the chance. Why did you just up and attack me? Why!
The Great One: Panic.
-- Silver Surfer: Homecoming, Marvel, 1991

Also recommended: The Weird

--

I'll make a note that Starlin was the most impacted by the "stuff they didn't draw rule". When I started to make my list, I tossed Starlin at #3 out of force of habit. But as I thought about my favorite works, he drew most of them. Infinity Gauntlet was good enough to leave him on the list, but several spots down from where I'd normally put him as a writer.

8. David Michelinie
Some time in January 1979, I pulled this issue off of the spinner rack (together with X-men #120, but that’s another story):

Before that, I had probably only bought one or two issues of Iron Man at random and they apparently didn’t impress me very much (he fought the Blizzard in one of them, that much I remember). But this cover just grabbed me for some reason, and heck, it had Namor, too. It was the conclusion of a two-part story, but I didn’t care – I was immediately taken in by the story and its cast of characters (including Rhodey and Bethany Cabe, who are so much more interesting that Happy Hogan and Pepper Potts), to say nothing of the slick art by JR Jr. and Bob Layton.
After that, I knew I *had* to get this every month. And it didn’t disappoint for the next thirty or so issues. The ‘Demon in a Bottle’ story arc – which initially began as a sub-plot right around the beginning of Michelinie’s tenure as main writer and concluded with issue #128 – is, of course, the strongest, and one I’ve read a number of times, both back in the day and more recently. It sees Iron Man experience some highs, and some devastating lows.

But the series didn’t flag after that peak; Tony got back on his feet and kept going strong as both Iron Man and successful industrialist. Michelinie was really good at balancing the superheroing with the goings-on in Tony’s business and private life, and he also gave us the best love interest for Tony (Bethany – it’s really a pity that he wrote her out of the series just before he stepped away from the book).
At around the same time, Michelinie was also the main writer on Avengers during my personal sweet-spot for the series from #181 to about #200. That alone is more than enough to include him in my list of personal favorites, but he has other writing credits of note, as mentioned by others here.