Periodically, The Junior Senator and I will collaborate on our own Comic Writer Power Rankings for the prior month. While he and I agree on a great many things (as the Emperor would say), there are some differences of opinion and, while we will collaborate monthly on the rankings, we’ll include our distinctive comments! In the process of building the list, we’re taking into account sales data as well. Some of these dudes move a lot of comics!
And here … we … go.
Honorable Mentions
Greg Pak
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: I really cannot get into Batman/Superman. It’s not just that the story is bad (which it is), but it doesn’t feel like Pak has a feel for what is interesting about these two heroes interacting. Strangely, his new run on Action Comics is actually much better, which makes it hard to understand the sub-par Batman/Superman.
I SAY: Finally someone is putting the ʺactionʺ in Action. Easy pun. Clearly hard to do. Pak is giving us the Superman we should have had throughout the New 52. I will echo The Junior Senator on the confusion of Batman/Superman, but I am still reading.
Brian K. Vaughn
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: Saga is, yet again, the best thing I read this month. Why aren’t you reading this yet?
I SAY: Back off, Junior Senator. Loan me the next trade.
Mike Allred
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: I can see why FF is going to be ending its run soon, but I hope Mike Allred gets another chance somewhere. This is still right up there with Hawkeye and Saga as the best union of writing and art.
I SAY: I am sorry to see FF end. I never picked up Allred’s X-Factor, but I can see why people raved about its tone. This comic has a terrific tone. It puts the “comic” in “comic book” in all the right ways.
Kieron Gillen
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: The second issue of this new series was good enough to keep me reading. Then again, I’m a sucker for the whole premise, so I’m an easy sell. So far, it’s much better than Gillen’s Iron Man, which I dropped very quickly.
I SAY: I am sure he’s very good. I got nothing here, though…
Brian Wood
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: I’m really not enjoying this ʺX-Womenʺ title as much as I did at the start, but it’s still good. I’m also hoping to pick up the TPB of Wood’s Star Wars run soon, about which I’ve heard good things.
I SAY: X-Men really didn’t work for me, but I bet his Star Wars swan song for Dark Horse is very good.
TEN: Dan Slott
TITLES: Superior Spider-Man #22
DIAMOND DISTRIBUTORS SALES DATA:
Superior Spider-Man #8; Superior Spider-Man #10
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: Because My Friend wouldn’t stop bugging me, I returned to Superior Spider-Man. It’s good, but I still don’t love it. I’m hoping that Slott really takes this character he’s created into some new direction.
I SAY: What Slott is doing in this title is really impressive. I won’t say that I don’t miss Peter Parker, I will say that I don’t think about him that much because I am loving following Octo-Spidey. This is often the first book I read. That says something.
NINE: Peter Tomasi
TITLES: Batman and Two-Face #25
DIAMOND DISTRIBUTORS SALES DATA:
Batman and … #26
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: Sounds like there’s another Batman book I should try out.
I SAY: I love Snyder and I love what he’s doing in Batman. But Tomasi’s Batman and … which has become something of a spiritual successor to The Brave and the Bold, might be the most exciting Bat-book out there.
EIGHT: Matt Fraction
TITLES: Sex Criminals #3, Hawkeye #14
DIAMOND DISTRIBUTORS SALES DATA:
Hawkeye #42; Sex Criminals #109
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: What if instead of Agents of SHIELD, there were a TV show with the same tone as the Hawkeye comic? I imagine it’d be much more successful. It’s telling that my wife reads three comics, and Matt Fraction writes two of them.
I SAY: Fraction continues his anti-superhero superhero comic with Hawkeye and, monthly, it makes me sad that he’s not writing ALL the superhero comics. I want his take on Green Lantern. I want his take on Superman. Wait, it seems like I just want DC to steal him. Oh, and I read Sex Criminals #1… not exactly my cup of tea, but unlike anything I’d ever read before.
SEVEN: Jason Aaron
TITLES: Thor #15; Amazing X-Men #1; Wolverine & the X-Men #38;vWolverine & the X-Men Annual #1
DIAMOND DISTRIBUTORS SALES DATA:
Amazing X-Men #3; Thor #39; Wolverine & X-Men #46; Annual #51
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: Amazing X-Men #1 was a great debut, and I can see why it is going to take the place of Wolverine & the X-Men in the near future. Still, both the Wolverine & the X-Men titles this month were very good, showing the wit and plotting that makes Aaron such a fun read.
I SAY: Aaron is really very, very good. His plotting is tight and his stories always have a payoff for the reader. That’s something that good comic writers remember: each issue needs a payoff. Aaron gets that and I often find myself resisting turning (digitally) right to the last page.
SIX: Mark Waid
TITLES: Daredevil #33; Indestructible Hulk #15; Indestructible Hulk #16
DIAMOND DISTRIBUTORS SALES DATA: Hulk #50; Hulk #55; Daredevil #62
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: Daredevil is as strong as ever, but Hulk hasn’t grabbed me as much lately–the conclusion of the time travel story was unsatisfying. My hope is that the upcoming reboot of Daredevil gets Waid the readership he deserves.
I SAY: Waid remains at the top of his game in Daredevil. The stakes feel high here and there is not a comic on the market which has writing better suited to its art (no matter who the artist might be).The Junior Senator is right on Hulk, which feels to me like there is too much editorial oversight in the last few issues. They left it to Waid to salvage something – anything – from Age of Ultron. Even Waid couldn’t do it.
FIVE: Robert Kirkman
TITLES: Walking Dead #116; Walking Dead #117
DIAMOND DISTRIBUTORS SALES DATA: Walking Dead #14; Walking Dead #15
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: The big double-shipping event “All Out War” has begun, and it’s off to a good start. It’s early, but I hope the action that is surely coming doesn’t take away from the character moments that make this series so good.
I SAY: I know, I know, I know. I gotta be reading this. I oughta be.
FOUR: Brian Michael Bendis
TITLES: All-New X-Men #18; Uncanny X-Men #14; All-New X-Men #19
DIAMOND DISTRIBUTORS SALES DATA:
All-New X-Men #7; All-New X-Men #11; Uncanny X-Men #16
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: With the Battle of the Atom event over, Uncanny and All-New X-Men are more similar than ever. Bendis is good, and they’re both entertaining enough, but I can’t help but wonder how the quality would be improved if he weren’t writing so many titles/issues each month. Of course, as long as suckers like me buy them, there’s no reason for that to change.
I SAY: Ah, can we get to some developments? Some propulsion? Some forward motion? I love Bendis-Talk, but there has been so much – too much – of it lately. The Junior Senator has asked if there is now a difference between Uncanny and All New. I don’t readily see one. And the new costumes? They make me miss Quitely’s leathers.
THREE: Geoff Johns
TITLES: Forever Evil #3; Aquaman #25
DIAMOND DISTRIBUTORS SALES DATA: Forever Evil #5; Aquaman #38
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: If I’d won the Mega Millions, I would’ve added Johns’ work to my pull list. But since I didn’t…
I SAY: I care about Aquaman. I really do. That’s all due to Johns. Forever Evil is a company-wide cross-over that doesn’t feature the company’s heroes and is exciting and keeping me guessing. What Johns is doing mining DC’s history and turning concepts on their ears is really cool.
TWO: Johnathan Hickman
TITLES: East of West #7; Avengers #23; Infinity #6; New Avengers #12
DIAMOND DISTRIBUTORS SALES DATA: Infinity #6; Avengers #15; New Avengers #10; East of West #63
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: Infinity (what a perfect name for a Marvel event) finally ended, and Hickman did his best to tie them all together. There are some good points for him to build off of for the future, but I was still left scratching my head at a couple points in that last issue. As My Friend likes to say, I may simply not be smart enough.
I SAY: With Infinity over, I look forward to, perhaps, a less sprawling and more accessible Avengers. I am not at all sure I’ll get that, but I can say that, when these titles slow down and the focus is on character, I see the Avengers I want to read. When it’s all wide-screen action, I get lost in the details. But I keep buying. And I keep thinking this is all very cool.
ONE: Scott Snyder
TITLES: Superman Unchained #4; Batman #25; The Wake #5
DIAMOND DISTRIBUTORS SALES DATA: Batman #1; Superman Unchained #4;
THE JUNIOR SENATOR SAYS: Snyder is always strong, but this was a very good month for his titles. In particular, the huge turn in The Wake makes me very excited for the second half of that series.
I SAY: I am in love with The Wake. Though I may not understand everything that’s going on, I can sense the board strokes, I can make out the forest through the trees in a way that I never can with Hickman. Snyder knows how to engage in comics! Oh, and did I not mention Superman Unchained and Batman? Simply put: they are the best comics DC is currently publishing. These are the best comics anyone is publishing in my opinion. I’ve said it before, and I stand by it: Snyder is my number one guy.
That’s it for now! See you next time!
And There Came a Day... 