in your opinion, who is currently the best writer in DC? [Archive]

JulianPerez

11-06-2006, 09:45 AM

"King" Kurt Busiek. EASILY. He's got an incredible ability to get an old school comic book cool vibe down pat, and combine that with an incredible ability to do subtle characterization and worldbuilding. Even on a "quiet" page...reread it. There's so much THERE there.

Below him, there's my homegirl Gail Simone. She's able to convey how frightening villains can be, as she did with VILLAINS UNITED SPECIAL with the villains threatening mafia-style. Catman may be the coolest character ever, and he came from nowhere. And her BIRDS OF PREY is the only time that Black Canary has ever felt real to me...at least since Alan Brennert's 1986 SECRET ORIGINS.

I've never understood the appeal of Morrison's other works (I found ANIMAL MAN pretentious and nigh-unreadable, and his DOOM PATROL was weird-for-the-sake-of-weird and unpleasant) but I can see why he'd make the list on the basis of ALL-STAR SUPERMAN alone. Plus, the appearance by "King Ra-Man" in the Zatanna issue of SEVEN SOLDIERS was priceless.

Hey, I gave MANHUNTER a chance - I bought the first issue. I saw absolutely nothing in there that lets me understand why it is such an insanely popular cult hit. It has a boring female character with the fake righteous indignation about how the system doesn't work and bad dialogue right out of a Chuck Norris cop picture. This comic's popularity, such as it is, leaves me baffled and confused.

Gingold

11-06-2006, 11:23 AM

Morrison is far and away the best writer writing DCU books. I generally enjoy the work of Kurt Busiek, Paul Dini, and Mark Waid as well.

brundlefly

11-06-2006, 11:39 AM

Tough one, what with Johns, Busiek, Simone, Dini, Rucka, Waid, and Morrison all under the same roof. If I just base it on whose titles I'm currently enjoying the most, then I'd go with Simone (Secret Six), Rucka (52, Checkmate), or Morrison (52, All-Star Superman). But that's a pretty deep roster to pick a hands-down "best" from. Luckily, Vertigo/Wildstorm guys like Azzarello and Ennis are not technically eligible or it would be even more difficult.

Agent Helix

11-06-2006, 11:43 AM

Morrison for me. He's not always pumping out the best work, but he's got big ideas, and a great sense of what the genre and the medium are capable of.

Autonomy

11-06-2006, 01:03 PM

Rucka (how can you not like checkmate?)
Morrison ( In Morrison We Trust)

Bat-Mite

11-06-2006, 01:07 PM

Another vote for the bald headed fictionaut.

Also, Gail Simone and Kurt Busiek are good guys in my book.

Brack360

11-06-2006, 01:33 PM

Greg Rucka. He has written nothing that I disliked.

Ryan Day

11-06-2006, 01:36 PM

Definitely Morrison. No one else is really close.

Greg Rucka is one of the best writers working at DC, but unfortunately not one of the writers doing his best work for DC, particularly since Gotham Central ended.

shaxper

11-06-2006, 01:49 PM

Morrison would have been my top pick, but he's been spewing out a lot of crap lately (Batman, The Authority, Wildcats, etc). Even All-Star Superman is losing some of its allure. I think he's burning out, honestly. But I also know there are people in this thread who will shoot this down and swear up and down that everything I just mentioned is fantastic.

Busiek is majorly overrated too, but I won't go there (as that would take a full essay). And don't get me started on Meltzer either. I think that any time we fans make a big deal over a writer, they start overcommitting to projects and turning in lower quality work in greater bulk. That seems to be the trend for the three big names I've mentioned here, at least.

My votes for best writers go for Paul Dini (Detective Comics is amazing right now) and Greg Rucka, particularly for his work on Wonder Woman, Gotham Central, and 52. I wasn't sure about Rucka's part in 52 at first (I think Montoya was annoying all of us), but this Marvel family stuff has been incredible. Oh, and I'd also add Ross/Krueger for their work on Justice. Quintessential Justice League. You've got to love it.

I hear great things about Darwyn Cook, but I haven't read New Frontier yet and haven't seen enough of Superman Confidential to pass judgement yet.

BYC

11-06-2006, 02:47 PM

Kurt Busiek.

The man never seems to write a bad comic. Ever.

Mike Marino

11-06-2006, 03:10 PM

Grant Morrison, Gail Simone, and if Superman Confidential is even a tenth as good as New Frontier was, then Darwyn Cook as well.

dancj

11-07-2006, 04:27 AM

Morrison top.
Rucka second - which is a surprise to me as I never used to like his work at all

stelok

11-07-2006, 04:45 AM

Geoff Johns
Grant Morrison

Geoff Johns' runs on Teen Titans, Hawkman, Flash and JSA are awesome.

Joe Acro

11-07-2006, 05:33 AM

Kurt Busiek.

The man never seems to write a bad comic. Ever.
I will agree with this vote, but I won't say he never writes bad comics. I've been a little underwhelmed with his Superman stories. But I'm willing to vote for Busiek just based on the other options.

Aaron Kashtan

11-07-2006, 06:13 AM

I have to admit that I haven't been reading Kurt's current DC comics. So my answer is:

http://badelements.net/morrison.jpg

and then

http://www.topcow.com/content/profiles/large/waid_160.jpg

dupersuper

11-07-2006, 06:23 AM

All the writers voted for do kick ass...

The Shadow

11-07-2006, 07:39 AM

Mark Waid, Gail Simone, Kurt Busiek ,Geoff Johns, Paul Dini (FINALLY someone who gets Batman)

Tony Bang

11-07-2006, 11:02 AM

Morrison, Willingham, or Cooke

Jack

11-07-2006, 11:39 AM

Dammit, the thread is way too progressed now for me to say Clark Kent. Damn it all. What am I supposed to do without lame jokes? Think? Not likely.

MadroxTMMan

11-07-2006, 12:39 PM

Grant Morrison is the man. No one will ever top his JLA run. I would have voted for Johns, but he seems to be watered down now (stretched too thin?), whereas Morrison is consistent.

Stanlos

11-07-2006, 02:10 PM

Only three?

Greg Rucka
Gail Simone
Kurt Busiek

Grant of course is great but I have been waiting so long for 7 Soldiers to conclude that I actually forgot about it.

. . .

Uh, DID it conclude?

Either the minis and 0 were tops to the max. I loved every one!

Mark Waid will always be He Who Saved The Flash and has IMHO transcended to Godhood.

PastePotPete

11-08-2006, 06:56 AM

It's Mr. Kurt Busiek, Ladies and Gentlemen.

He has the old school chops and mastery of DC history that Mark Waid has.

He has the ability to craft real moments between characters and he fleshes out his characters even when they only appear for a cameo- like Gail Simone.

He pushes the envelope, pushes characters into new territory, and isn't afraid of weird ideas - like Morrison.

He strives to be true to the core of the characters, just like Geoff Johns. Better than Johns, if you ask me.

And he does all this with his own style and charm.

The only writer who has a couple skills Kurt Busiek doesn't have is Greg Rucka. That's why Rucka is my second favorite!

Agent Helix

11-08-2006, 06:58 AM

Personally, I think there's a very healthy stable of good to great writers working DC right now, so it really is hard to pick a favorite. Personal preference is probably the deciding factor for most of us. I like Grant's weird ideas and reverence for the capabilities of the medium, so naturally I chose him.

rerun

11-08-2006, 07:04 AM

Grant without a doubt.

I'd have to go with Rucka second (I wish GOtham Central would come back).

I guess Geoff Johns would be my third, even though I don't feel he's done anything very special since IC.

Budman

11-08-2006, 07:14 AM

IMHO the best writers at DC now are Kurt Busiek, Grant Morrison, Paul Dini, and Gale Simone.

geordiesteve

11-08-2006, 07:31 AM

Johns, Busiek, Rucka, Waid and recently Dini's stuff on Detective has been excellent.

Sorry, I don't like Morrison, was unimpressed by All Star Superman and other stuff by him I have read, (apart from JLA which was good) so can't rate him as one of the best in my opinion. I just find his stuff odd, not clever or interesting.

The Mirrorball Man

11-08-2006, 07:38 AM

Sorry, I don't like Morrison, was unimpressed by All Star Superman and other stuff by him I have read, (apart from JLA which was good) so can't rate him as one of the best in my opinion. I just find his stuff odd, not clever or interesting.
Then why are you sorry?

Bat-Mite

11-08-2006, 07:48 AM

He feels shame and has dishonored his samurai clan for not liking the awesomeness of Grant "My other car is a fiction suit!" Morrison, which is understandable.

Agent Helix

11-08-2006, 07:59 AM

How can you not love a guy that's even going to use the term "fiction suit"?

titanfan

11-08-2006, 09:06 AM

The Mirrorball Man

11-08-2006, 09:11 AM

He feels shame and has dishonored his samurai clan for not liking the awesomeness of Grant "My other car is a fiction suit!" Morrison, which is understandable.
Which confirms the rule: people are either Grant Morrison fans or they're on a path of self-discovery that will eventually turn them into Grant Morrison fans.

Bat-Mite

11-08-2006, 10:12 AM

Ah, but the path is full of perils... not everyone makes it through.

Guts/Batman

11-08-2006, 11:12 AM

I am a big fan of Morrison's work right now. Dini's Detective is awesome. Jonah Hex kicks all kinds of ass.

I can't say a general writer because each book offers a different quality. The only expections I make are Winick, Johns, Rucka and Metzer. I find them all to the lacking storytelling capabilities at the moment for my standards.

captain_unimpressive

11-08-2006, 04:02 PM

Man, Grant Morrison is the Chuck Norris of DC writers.
I mean, he doesn't even revise his writing, the writing... revises him.
Man, those Norris jokes are hard to write.

Ontir

11-08-2006, 04:25 PM

Grant Morrison is the best writer OF comics - period!

He just finds interesting little, often overlooked details, and spins an enthralling story out of them, regularly adding in some really interesting elements which others sadly overlook, like the Chief's Think Tank from his Doom Patrol run.

Gozwald73

11-08-2006, 06:55 PM

Wow I must be from another planet or something from the majority of posters here.

Morrison? I thought his JLA run was WAAAAAAYYY over the top stuff.

Busiek? He successfully made me DROP my favourite hero's book: Aquaman, by writing the most boring story ever.

Simone wins this one hands down due to her efforts on Birds of Prey and Secret Six (Atom is less to my liking, but these other two titles more than make up for it).

Carter Hall

11-08-2006, 10:02 PM

I say Geoff Johns, given the amount and magnitude of work he's done the past few years. He's a very capable writer who seems to understand every character he works on.

I didn't realize Grant Morrison had this big of a following! I can't say I've read enough of his work to give it a fair assesment, but I'm currently reading his Batman with Andy Kubert and I love it. So I suppose I give him honorable mention.

Babylon23

11-08-2006, 10:58 PM

Its too hard for me to choose. DC has an amazing stable of writers at the moment. Morrison, Rucka, Simone, Waid, Metzer, Dini and Johns are all producing incredible work, and Cooke has the Spirit on the way.

If I had to narrow it down, I'd probably say Johns would get my #1 vote.

geordiesteve

11-09-2006, 05:28 AM

Then why are you sorry?

Just a turn of phrase, I'm not actually sorry for my opinion at all. Just like someone else said Morrison was having a comics period, odd since I thought he was a man.

My clan will get upset with me for not carving the words "I dislike Grant Morrison" in the bodies of my victims. :)

I actually did go on a path of discovery to try and appreciate him. I read a bunch of his other stuff from a few years ago, and a friend lent me the Filth, and I bought the first trade of The Invisibles, biggest waste of my money on comics, I would go and get my money back if I could.

Back on subject, Johns has remarkable knowledge of the DC Universe and is able to take some of the long and very convoluted character histories, bring them up to date and tell interesting stories that don't take a huge dump on, or totally ignore, the back story.

For sheer story telling ability, for something like the Flash, I would said Waid is excellent too.

Oh and Meltzer is doing awesome work on JLA, but I think I've already said that.

The Mirrorball Man

11-09-2006, 05:50 AM

Just a turn of phrase, I'm not actually sorry for my opinion at all.
That's good to know. :)

MutoMikey

11-09-2006, 05:45 PM

Geoff Johns. Period. I probably wouldn't be reading Teen Titans if not for that first arc YANKING my attention. His run on Flash seriously got me into that character. (before that, I kinda just liked Impulse, 'flash-wise') And he has made my favorite superhero one of the BEST books on the stands, ladies and gentlemen, GREEN LANTERN! He's such a great character writer.

Aside from Mr. Johns, I'd have to say Judd Winnick. I hear alot of people talk bad about him but geez, I'm loving his run on Green Arrow. And of the issues of Batman he did, I loved them.

These two guys do the books I wait for most from DC. My inspirations for writing comics.

-Mikey

Stanlos

02-05-2007, 10:46 AM

Greg Rucka
Gail Simone
Kurt Busiek
Mark Waid

Four kinds of awesome.

Shellhead

02-05-2007, 11:04 AM

My answer is Grant Morrison.

And clearly, DC editors share that opinion. Right now, they've got Morrison working on solo titles starring both of their flagship characters, Batman and Superman. They've also got him working on their current major event, the weekly 52 series. And last year, they let Grant ignore the whole Infinite Crisis mess and do his own major project, Seven Soldiers. Show me any other DC writers getting that kind of love from upper management.

Morrison isn't perfect. His dialogue and pacing can sometimes be choppy, as he moves more quickly than the reader can sometimes follow. For similar reasons, the endings of his longer storylines can occasionally turn into utter chaos, as he scrambles to wrap up all the loose ends in a limited number of pages.

Yet Morrison has an unparalled gift for creativity. He cranks out all kinds of wild ideas and just runs with them, telling unique and exciting stories in the process. He often expresses more ideas than he has time to address in any given story. There are so many other comic writers who are just rehashing minor variations of previous stories, because they either lack the creativity or the courage to give us more new concepts.

Erebus

02-05-2007, 12:08 PM

A couple of months ago, Grant would have been the first person to pop into my head, but his recent run on Batman makes me question if he's starting to lose it. His AS Superman and 7 Soldiers, however, are superb.

Other then that, I'd say Johns, Buseik, Simone, and Rucka.

cactusmaac

02-05-2007, 12:15 PM

Darwyn Cooke.

Magneto_X

02-05-2007, 12:40 PM

Geoff Johns.

Others I like: Gail Simone, Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka

Ontir

02-05-2007, 12:53 PM

Grant Morrison.

Nobody else comes close.

StrikeForce Albert

02-05-2007, 01:05 PM

Morrison is the best writer at DC......no, in all of comics at this time

Scarlet Speedster

02-05-2007, 01:47 PM

Geoff Johns--for his take on the Flash and current greatness with Green Lantern and the JSA
Grant Morrison--All Star Superman is my favourite of over twenty titles on my pull list!
Mark Waid--my favourite Flash writer of all time
Kurt Busiek--Superman (despite the delays) is also at the top of my pull list
Brad Metzer--loved his Green Arrow run and am enjoying the languid pace of JLA

I miss Ed Brubaker playing in the DC Universe, but he's doing great things with Daredevil and Captain America

PastePotPete

02-05-2007, 05:17 PM

Geoff Johns has the best track record. He's been knocking it out of the park lately and has re-invigorated several franchises in the past. He's your solid pick. I think his strength is character. He redefines a lot of heroes because he's the first one to give them a great three-dimensional personality.

Morrison is equal or a very close second. He fails sometimes, but that's because he's an artiste. He crafts moments and situations that give the reader a feeling of experiencing something truly unique. That's hard to do.

There are so many great guys...I wish I had half the writing talent of ANY of DC's writers.

I guess I'll have to be satisfied with having more than twice the writing talent of both the Flash writers, Bilson and DeMeo, combined.

Did I mention I never graduated Jr. High?

Infra-Man

02-05-2007, 06:07 PM

Great group of writers at DC right now (Simone, Waid, Cooke, Johns, Rucka, Busiek), but to parrot what other people have said, Morrison is top of the pops just for his incredible imagination.

Even when Morrison misses, it's usually something spectacular. It's like Wilkins botching a windmill slam or Jordan missing a game winning jumper -- sure, it didn't work, but there was something magical in the attempt.

Guts/Batman

02-05-2007, 06:26 PM

Geoff Johns still doesn't impress me by any stretch of the imagination with his work since I posted last. Metzer makes me want to yell out loud "DO SOMETHING!!!" at the characters.

I credit my lack of comic book depression from not buying Johns, Rucka, Loeb, Metzer, and Winick. They would burn me out again quicker than someone could say "hullabaloo".

We R. Venom

02-05-2007, 07:22 PM

I think Geoff Johns. Seeing as how he has written my favorite character in a light that has made them even better than before. No one else impresses me as much as Johns.

Christopher Cross Is God

02-05-2007, 07:50 PM

Gail Simone, numbah one!

riftt

02-05-2007, 11:06 PM

Rucka
Johns
Morrison

Carter Hall

02-05-2007, 11:18 PM

I forgot to mention this, but am I the only one that wasn't impressed with Morrison's run on JLA? I thought the first arc was crap! The only reason it was so popular was because DCU fans had had the crappiest incarnation of the Justice League- the Beetle/Booster/Fire/Ice/etc one- rammed down their throats for years before that. Anyone who came in featuring the big seven, the true Justice League, in stories after that would have gotten postive reviews, IMHO.

Personally, I think Morrison is a master crafter of individual, dark heroes and artsy type stories. The post that said he was an artiste hit it on the spot. I haven't read too much of his stuff, but he doesn't seem to fit well with big team stories.

Karl O'Neill

02-06-2007, 12:54 AM

Geoff johns
Grant morrison
kurt busiek
mark waid
judd winick
brad meltzer

dancj

02-06-2007, 04:27 AM

I forgot to mention this, but am I the only one that wasn't impressed with Morrison's run on JLA? I thought the first arc was crap! The only reason it was so popular was because DCU fans had had the crappiest incarnation of the Justice League- the Beetle/Booster/Fire/Ice/etc one- rammed down their throats for years before that. Anyone who came in featuring the big seven, the true Justice League, in stories after that would have gotten postive reviews, IMHO.

So the reason that one of the most popular runs of JLA (that you happened to not like) was popular was that it followed another one of the most popular runs of JLA ever (that you happened to not like).

Ever think maybe they were perfectly good comics that weren't to your tastes? By your logic the Dan Jurgens run that came right after Giffen's run and added powerhouses like Superman to the cast would have been really popular.

Karl O'Neill

02-06-2007, 04:43 AM

a-spidey

02-06-2007, 05:20 AM

i vote for Geoff Johns. Like the new JSA book a lot. Mostly because of the story. Before that i've never read something from JSA. So i guess the credit goes to the writer and that's him :)

Corrina

02-06-2007, 07:00 AM

My clan will get upset with me for not carving the words "I dislike Grant Morrison" in the bodies of my victims. :)

I actually did go on a path of discovery to try and appreciate him. I read a bunch of his other stuff from a few years ago, and a friend lent me the Filth, and I bought the first trade of The Invisibles, biggest waste of my money on comics, I would go and get my money back if I could.

I agree with you on Morrison. I tried to grab everything I could of his to see what I was missing. And the stuff most acclaimed, like JLA, I thought was mediocre.

Probably I'm just not on whatever wavelength he channels when writing. Add the confusing plotting and it's just not for me.

Ender

02-06-2007, 07:54 AM

Paul Dini, Morrison and Simone.

Guts/Batman

02-06-2007, 09:56 AM

Paul Dini, Morrison and Simone.

This is what definitely agree with.

4thHorseman

02-06-2007, 10:10 AM

No reasons, just names:

Geoff Johns
Grant Morrison
Gail Simone
Kurt Busiek
Marv Wolfman
Paul Dini
Brad Meltzer
Joe Kelly
Jimmy Palmiotti/Justin Gray
Jim Starlin
Mark Verheiden
Chuck Dixon

I honestly don't know how you can pick just one

Dreadstar

02-06-2007, 10:17 AM

Guts/Batman

02-06-2007, 10:30 AM

Here's an interesting personal observation. With all that talent, why am I buying *LESS* DC product than I was a year ago? I mean I LOVE some of those writers. Busiek almost single-handedly dragged me back into comics via Astro City. I've known gail for 10 years. Morrison is untouchable.

So why has my interest waned?

Mine, too, has waned. My DC pull is less than 20% of what it was a year ago as well. My lack of interest comes almost squarely out of the changes that came out of Infinite Crisis and Infinite Crisis itself. The horrid and lazy storytelling, character changes, etc...

What the main group of DC writers are writing now isn't what I want in a superhero comic anymore. Same goes for Marvel. I have found myself getting a lot more independents.

Carter Hall

02-06-2007, 10:32 AM

So the reason that one of the most popular runs of JLA (that you happened to not like) was popular was that it followed another one of the most popular runs of JLA ever (that you happened to not like).

Ever think maybe they were perfectly good comics that weren't to your tastes? By your logic the Dan Jurgens run that came right after Giffen's run and added powerhouses like Superman to the cast would have been really popular.

Dan Jurgens had a run on the JLA before Morrison? Maybe I was mistaken then. I thought Morrison came right after the JLA/JLE versions of the League, which I remember NOT being popular.

In any case, of course there are good comics that aren't to my liking that are good comics, and of course you're entitled to your opinion if you like Morrison's JLA. Nevertheless, I read JLA 1-4 with the Martian invaders and thought it was trash. This was the same material that the first three episodes of "Justice League" was based off of, which I also didn't like. Personally, though, I'll take Identity Crisis/Crisis of Conscience or Alex Ross' interpretations of the League any day.

Maybe I am the only one who didn't like Morrison's JLA...

titanfan

02-06-2007, 10:48 AM

Dan Jurgens had a run on the JLA before Morrison? Maybe I was mistaken then. I thought Morrison came right after the JLA/JLE versions of the League.

Dan Jurgens had a short (but excellent) run on JLA right before Gerard Jones came onboard. Unfortunately, his run came after Giffen so it wasn't as critically received. He put together a Superman-centric JLA with Superman, Maxima, and Bloodwynd joining the core of the Giffen-JLA and told a few fantastic stories. Then, the Death of Superman came and kind of destroyed his team and his League wasn't the same since.

Frankly, so far, Jurgens JLA Classified story is the most interesting Classified arc in a loooooooong time. I'd easily give him a shot.

Guts/Batman

02-06-2007, 10:50 AM

Which arc was Jurgen's? The one before New Maps of Hell?

jessecuster3

02-06-2007, 10:51 AM

Grant Morrison and Darwyn Cooke are the only things I read out of DC.

4thHorseman

02-06-2007, 11:15 AM

Which arc was Jurgen's? The one before New Maps of Hell?

That would be the current arc where Jurgens co-writes (and illustrates) with Dan Slott. Two issues in, and I think it's supposed to come out every week, if not bi-weekly to finish this arc.

Bat-Mite

02-06-2007, 12:32 PM

The Jurgens plus Slott arc is called The 4th Parallel. So far is kinda nice, even though it is barely a JLA story, and more a story about the new villain.

Bat-Mite

02-06-2007, 12:39 PM

Dan Jurgens had a run on the JLA before Morrison? Maybe I was mistaken then. I thought Morrison came right after the JLA/JLE versions of the League

The Justice League between Giffen and Morrison had several writers. I don't know if Jurgens was one of those, but it doesn't sound improbable.

which I remember NOT being popular.

It lasted more than a hundred issues and spawned several spin off titles. You might want to reconsider your definition of popular.

Maybe I am the only one who didn't like Morrison's JLA...

One of these days I will have to investigate why certain anti-Morrison fans like to believe they are completely alone in the universe, specially since one or two persons already came forward to say they didn't like it either.

Bat-Mite

02-06-2007, 12:47 PM

Here's an interesting personal observation. With all that talent, why am I buying *LESS* DC product than I was a year ago?

Well, in the case of Morrison, it is because most of the series he is writing have been cursed with extremely slow artists. All Star Superman comes out every two months and a few weeks; Wildcats comes out whenever Lee has time to crack out a few pages, and considering he is also working in the insanely late All Star Batman & Robin, we are probably never going to see issue 2 in our life time; The Authority... God alone knows. For all technical purposes, Batman is the only book he is writing, and even that one got fill ins. Oh yeah, and 52, but the Morrison in that book is very diluted.

Busiek on the other hand doesn't have those problems and continues to publish Superman and Astro City.

So yeah, not any books.

Personally, my DCU reading list these days is basically Batman, Detective Comics, Busiek's Superman (never remember if it's Superman proper or Action), Atom, Birds of Prey, 52, and 1/2 Tales of the Unexpected... OK,, fine, I also read the Spectre story, but I don't enjoy it. Good thing there is the cracktastic Doc 13 story at the end to lift me up after being let down.

dupersuper

02-06-2007, 02:49 PM

Morrison's my fave
Waid, Simone, Cooke, Dini, Busiek, Ruka, Jones, and Kelly all kick ass
Ostrander's often very good
Meltzer has his moments
I've been meaning to check out Nightwing since Wolfman started on the book
Does Ross or the other guy script Justice?
What is Donners' role in Action?
Is Byrne still doing anything at dc?

Kintales

02-06-2007, 06:36 PM

1) Grant Morrison/ Geoff Johns
2) Kurt Busiek
3) Brad Meltzer
4) Gail Simone
5) Mark Waid/ Marv Wolfman

Guts/Batman

02-06-2007, 09:19 PM

That would be the current arc where Jurgens co-writes (and illustrates) with Dan Slott. Two issues in, and I think it's supposed to come out every week, if not bi-weekly to finish this arc.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh...

I guess I only saw the name Slott. It is kicking ass, I think. JLA: Classified outside of the arc with the Detroit League that went on way too long has been one of my favorite titles that DC puts out.

Guts/Batman

02-06-2007, 09:29 PM

Personally, my DCU reading list these days is basically Batman, Detective Comics, Busiek's Superman (never remember if it's Superman proper or Action), Atom, Birds of Prey, 52, and 1/2 Tales of the Unexpected... OK,, fine, I also read the Spectre story, but I don't enjoy it. Good thing there is the cracktastic Doc 13 story at the end to lift me up after being let down.

My current pull list isn't what it used to be. What I get from DC proper now is JLA and JSA: Classified, Batman and Detective, Superman, Firestorm, Manhunter, Jonah Hex, Tales of the Unexpected, Nightwing, Green Lantern Corps. and Birds of Prey.

Once Firestorm and Manhunter end that will be two less titles I will be buying.

I used to get almost everything.

Apathy Boy

02-07-2007, 01:32 AM

Two-three years ago, I would've had a half-dozen DCU writers I'd be ecstatic about. Now? I'm rather blah about the current crop. Which is odd, because many of them are very good. But their work seems to be a tad stifled by the current house style at DC. There's much less boundary-pushing these days.

Or maybe it's because we haven't seen many new writers come to DC in recent years. After a while, you get bored hearing the same voices. (Hurry up, Sean McKeever!)

But, I digress. Best writer? Brian Azzarello. His Dr. 13 serial in TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED is the best story I've read in the last couple years. Fun and funny, with a smorgasbord of great obscure characters. Quite frankly, I didn't think Azz had it in him. I'm glad to see him stretch as a writer.

Runners-up: Will Pfeiffer, who always puts in solid work, and Christos Gage, even though he doesn't do that much writing for the DCU proper.

Karl O'Neill

02-07-2007, 04:48 AM

Jack Zodiac

02-07-2007, 12:01 PM

Hands down, Grant Morrison is the greatest writer working for DC right now. I think he's been possessed by Julius Schwartz.

Sgt. Preston

02-07-2007, 12:43 PM

Yep, another vote for Grant Morrison here. There are plenty of others that deserve recognition, but he's put his stamp on the DC universe in so many ways over the past few years.

Carter Hall

02-07-2007, 02:06 PM

It lasted more than a hundred issues and spawned several spin off titles. You might want to reconsider your definition of popular.

I see. Well then I guess I was totally wrong. I actually was referring to the Justice League that had Bloodwynd during the Death of Superman. Shortly thereafter, you had Justice League Europe (which became International) where they're based in the UK, and the only big names on the team were Green Lantern and Flash. On the team were also Vixen, Metamorpho, etc. Simultaneously, the JLA, which had its own book had entirely B and C characters. Guy Gardner as Warrior, Dr. Light (but she might've been JLI), Fire and Ice, etc.

One of these days I will have to investigate why certain anti-Morrison fans like to believe they are completely alone in the universe, specially since one or two persons already came forward to say they didn't like it either.

I never said I was anti-Morrison. I said I didn't like his JLA. In an earlier post, I actually said that I'm loving his work on Batman with Andy Kubert, which has gotten mixed reviews.

dancj

02-08-2007, 04:32 AM

I see. Well then I guess I was totally wrong. I actually was referring to the Justice League that had Bloodwynd during the Death of Superman. Shortly thereafter, you had Justice League Europe (which became International) where they're based in the UK, and the only big names on the team were Green Lantern and Flash. On the team were also Vixen, Metamorpho, etc. Simultaneously, the JLA, which had its own book had entirely B and C characters. Guy Gardner as Warrior, Dr. Light (but she might've been JLI), Fire and Ice, etc.

Your history is a bit skewed there. Back in 1987 Giffen started the relaunched Justice League (no "America" in the title). After about a year they got UN backing and became Justice League International. About a year after that they split into two groups with a comic each called Justice League America and Justice League Europe.

This lasted several years until Giffen left, and Dan Jurgens and Gerard Jones took over the America and Europe books respectively (this was when Jurgens brought in Bloodwynd). Both books were pale shadows of their former selves and they soon merged them into one title until it was euthenased.

So yeah, the run directly before Morrison was shite, but it wasn't the small guns line-up that was the problem. The small guns line-ups had carried the book through some incredibly succesful years

TheLazy

02-08-2007, 09:32 AM

In my opinion, this era of DC is by far the best stable of DC writing talent in the history of DC ever. Their freakin' loaded with writing talent.

If you asked me who was the best at this point in time now, I'd go with Rucka and Simone.

But if you asked me in the past, my answer could easily have been Morrison, Johns, Giffen, Wolfman, etc.

If you ask me who wrote has written the most "WOW" comics for me in the past 10-15 years, I'd go with Waid and then Morrison.

That 'WOW' is exactly why Im's going with Morrison. You could ask him to make superman into a 2 year old baby with terrets, and he'd make it work.

Im following the general trend on this board because a) its safe and b) they're all right.

:)

TheLazy

02-08-2007, 09:45 AM

carabas

02-08-2007, 10:30 AM

Note: if you have certain outdates, preconceived notions about what constitutes proper X-Men stories, or you really really liked Liefeld's plotting, your mileage may vary.

TheLazy

02-08-2007, 10:38 AM

Note: if you have certain outdates, preconceived notions about what constitutes proper X-Men stories, or you really really liked Liefeld's plotting, your mileage may vary.

Is that directed at me?:confused:

carabas

02-08-2007, 11:23 AM

Shellhead

02-08-2007, 11:31 AM

Not at you, at people reading your post.
While New X-Men was very good indeed, there are numerous X-Men fanatics who hate it with a vengeance for not being more like the X-Men comics they were used to.

After 17 consecutive years of Claremont writing the X-Men, I could see where the fans might become close-minded. Personally, I disliked Claremont's solo writing efforts. Claremont did his best work in the early days, when he actively collaborated with artist/writers like Cockrum and Byrne.

Xothermic

02-08-2007, 11:34 AM

Morrison for sure. All-Star Superman is amazing.

Black Atom

02-08-2007, 11:37 AM

I'm enjoying the heck out of both Uncle Sam and Jonah Hex, so I guess I'll nod towards Palmiotti and Grey (which is odd, because I once said I'd never read another Palmiotti work after Beautiful Killer).

joint venture

02-08-2007, 11:53 AM

Or you could not, but seriously, I suggest NXM. The best the X-men has ever been (yes better than claremont).

Under no circumstance this could be aplicable in any way. Different times, situations, cultural moods and movements. Not better than Chris Claremont, ever.

Morrison is definetely one of the best, Claremont may be in there too; but you cannot deny Frank Miller or Allan Moore their place.

Moore may be above them all. Citing WATCHMEN may sound cliché, but there's no way out without acknowledging Moore his place. If you don't like Watchmen, go read his latest stuff (Promethea, Top Ten, Tomorrow Stories, the reprints of Captain Britain, Tomorrow Stories)...or go retro and look for V for Vendetta, The Killing Joke or From Hell.

Bat-Mite

02-08-2007, 12:32 PM

Morrison is definitely one of the best, Claremont may be in there too; but you cannot deny Frank Miller or Allan Moore their place.

But Moore is not a current DC writer, and Miller... he is not in his best moment right now.

Not better than Chris Claremont, ever.

Claremont was revolutionary at his time. Nobody at that time combined soap operas with superheroes like he did. But he had his problems, which still persist to this day: Awful dialog, melodrama and a tendency to get distracted with his own long long plotlines. But to say he hasn't been bested is like saying the Atari 2600 is better than the PlayStation 2 just because of "different times".

joint venture

02-08-2007, 12:40 PM

Claremont was revolutionary at his time. Nobody at that time combined soap operas with superheroes like he did. But he had his problems, which still persist to this day: Awful dialog, melodrama and a tendency to get distracted with his own long long plotlines. But to say he hasn't been bested is like saying the Atari 2600 is better than the PlayStation 2 just because of "different times".

I've played both. You too it seems, so didn't you think at the time that it was the best thing in the world?

Bat-Mite

02-08-2007, 01:18 PM

Being the best thing in the world at some point, doesn't mean you can't be bested later on.

And mind you, I would never call Claremont the best. What he was doing sure was different back then, but there are several writers active in his time I preferred. Kirby, just to name one.

And Claremont's soap opera storytelling is guilty of every moron who says "Tihs story suxx cause it has no charactor duhvulupment! LOL!" But that's just a pet peeve of mine and not something I can really blame on Claremont.

Bat-Mite

02-08-2007, 01:19 PM

Mind you, Claremont did have th most influental run in X-Men, but to say his writing ability is without peer, or, worse, the best thing ever, is simply to ignore his many faults as a writer.

TheLazy

02-08-2007, 04:16 PM

Under no circumstance this could be aplicable in any way. Different times, situations, cultural moods and movements. Not better than Chris Claremont, ever.

Morrison is definetely one of the best, Claremont may be in there too; but you cannot deny Frank Miller or Allan Moore their place.

Moore may be above them all. Citing WATCHMEN may sound cliché, but there's no way out without acknowledging Moore his place. If you don't like Watchmen, go read his latest stuff (Promethea, Top Ten, Tomorrow Stories, the reprints of Captain Britain, Tomorrow Stories)...or go retro and look for V for Vendetta, The Killing Joke or From Hell.

What does that have to do with what I said?

Sure, Morrison - as good as he - is is paled next to greats like Miller and Moore, but they didnt write the X-men. I said the best that the x-men has ever been. Miller may have had some input into the infamous Wolverine Mini too, but that wasn't dealing with the main dynamics of the X-men, such as alienation and family.

If we're including Vertigo and Wildstorm into this then this is a whole different ballgame, as most writers tend to do better on their own projects, but I assumed that this was strictly DCU writers, and their works at this moment in time.

Personally I didnt care for Claremont either.

:)

dancj

02-09-2007, 04:31 AM

Or you could not, but seriously, I suggest NXM. The best the X-men has ever been (yes better than claremont).
Personally, with the exception of Morrison's excellent Riot at Xaviour's arc, I didn't think NXM was vintage Morrison - and not as good (for me) as Mark Millar's run on Ultimat X-Men. Personally if I wanted to convert someone I'd point them at Animal Man, WE3, JLA: Earth 2, Flex Mentallo and The Filth as some of his better works

Just for the record, I've really tried to like Claremont and his X-Men run and I just haven't managed it. Paradoxically it is his tactic of writing ever issue as if it's for new readers that makes it impossible for new readers. He spends so much time bombarding you with information rather than just what you need to enjoy the issue at hand that you get bogged down.

Titan76

02-09-2007, 07:03 AM

First I just want to say that Morrison is my favorite DC writer at DC right now.

Or you could not, but seriously, I suggest NXM. The best the X-men has ever been (yes better than claremont).
Better then Claremont's Xtreme X-men I say yes, better then his second and third runs on Uncanny X-men, again I say yes. But better then Claremont's first run on Uncanny X-men, not a chance. The stories that Claremont did on his first run are legendary and are still being reused in some way or form today. IMO it goes Claremont>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Morrison.

Mind you, Claremont did have th most influental run in X-Men
Claremont's first run with Uncanny X-men was not only the most influential but it was the best run and 10 times better then Morrison's run. Even Morrison has said that his run on New X-men was a love letter to Claremont's first run.

Originally Posted by carabas
Not at you, at people reading your post.
While New X-Men was very good indeed, there are numerous X-Men fanatics who hate it with a vengeance for not being more like the X-Men comics they were used to.
Most old X-fans that I talk to overall did like Morrison's run, it was different and seem fresh from the crap we had gotten for soo long. It seems most(like me) stop liking his run after the "Riot at Xavier's" arc. Every arc after that was just bad, the most hated arc of course is "Planet X".

brundlefly

02-09-2007, 10:55 AM

First I just want to say that Morrison is my favorite DC writer at DC right now.

Better then Claremont's Xtreme X-men I say yes, better then his second and third runs on Uncanny X-men, again I say yes. But better then Claremont's first run on Uncanny X-men, not a chance. The stories that Claremont did on his first run are legendary and are still being reused in some way or form today. IMO it goes Claremont>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Morrison.

Claremont's first run with Uncanny X-men was not only the most influential but it was the best run and 10 times better then Morrison's run. Even Morrison has said that his run on New X-men was a love letter to Claremont's first run.

Most old X-fans that I talk to overall did like Morrison's run, it was different and seem fresh from the crap we had gotten for soo long. It seems most(like me) stop liking his run after the "Riot at Xavier's" arc. Every arc after that was just bad, the most hated arc of course is "Planet X".

Totally agree with your take. I thoroughly enjoy Morrison's writing, be it DC, Marvel, or Neither, and liked the first part of his NXM run, but his contribution to the X-Universe was not the 'Best X-Men Ever,' even without taking CC's legendary run into account. I find that most people who trumpet Morrison's run as 'Best X-Men Ever' are big-time Morrison fans who don't care for CC or the other writers who've been on the X-books. Hardly the most objective people to be making such a bold statement, to be sure. The first part of his NXM was some really good stuff, but the mess it turned into around the end weighs it down when looked at as one long creative run. Hence it averages out as solid, but flawed. Not his best work, and certainly not the 'Best X-Men Run Ever.' I've always thought his DC work was head-and-shoulders over his Marvel work anyway (although I loved both Marvel Boy and FF: 1234).

matt_hatyber

02-09-2007, 12:48 PM

geoff johns cuz i loved infinite crisis...i love 52 invine more and i love teen titans more than both of those:)

Bat-Mite

02-09-2007, 12:55 PM

I don't think I want to participate much in this discussion, since it is obviously turning into a "No, he is better! You nuts? He is better! No, he is better!" type of discussion, where the level never rises above "I don't like it!" instead of actually looking at the craft and faults of each writer.

But this just made me laugh:

I find that most people who trumpet Morrison's run as 'Best X-Men Ever' are big-time Morrison fans who don't care for CC or the other writers who've been on the X-books. Hardly the most objective people to be making such a bold statement

Maybe I get entertained easily with the web, but I always find the "Hmm... the people who don't agree with me are biased and not objective... hmmm" type of arguments funny, as if the pro Claremont contingent have the unbiased keen insight of Plato's philosopher kings and are measuring the facts with scientific instruments out of Star Trek to reach the only possible conclusion.

Shellhead

02-09-2007, 02:13 PM

First I just want to say that Morrison is my favorite DC writer at DC right now.

Better then Claremont's Xtreme X-men I say yes, better then his second and third runs on Uncanny X-men, again I say yes. But better then Claremont's first run on Uncanny X-men, not a chance. The stories that Claremont did on his first run are legendary and are still being reused in some way or form today. IMO it goes Claremont>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Morrison.

Claremont's first run with Uncanny X-men was not only the most influential but it was the best run and 10 times better then Morrison's run. Even Morrison has said that his run on New X-men was a love letter to Claremont's first run.

Most old X-fans that I talk to overall did like Morrison's run, it was different and seem fresh from the crap we had gotten for soo long. It seems most(like me) stop liking his run after the "Riot at Xavier's" arc. Every arc after that was just bad, the most hated arc of course is "Planet X".

Overall, I agree with your post, except that I only give Claremont partial credit for X-Men #94-143, which was indeed a legendary run. He had two great collaborators on those issues, Dave Cockrum and John Byrne. They weren't just artists, they were both clearly helping write the X-Men, because there was a big drop in quality after #143.

I realize that Cockrum came back right after that for a short run, but he didn't seem to have any creative input at that point beyond the art. I recommend that you read Cockrum's work on Futurians, as it bears an uncanny resemblance to the writing style of X-Men #94-105. Byrne isn't quite as good a writer on his own, but he did seem to have a positive influence on Claremont's working, helping moderate the excessive wordiness of Claremont's style, as well as CC's obsession with powerful women wearing dominatrix outfits.

In a general comparison of writing ability, there is simply no contest between Claremont and Morrison. Claremont has a few ideas that he uses on a very recurring basis, though he does have a certain ability to present emotions and relationships effectively. Morrison sometimes writes choppy dialogue and skimps a little on character expression and development, but he has an astounding amount of creativity and writes effectively even when using some very experimental story-telling techniques. Claremont has become boring and predictable, while Morrison is still amazing after all these years.

Bat-Mite

02-09-2007, 02:34 PM

Claremont has a few ideas that he uses on a very recurring basis

To be honest, Morrison tends to repeat his ideas once in a while too. Although, "The Future created the past!" is less creepy than "Goody two shoes girl gets brainwashed and becomes evil S&M bitch".

Carter Hall

02-09-2007, 09:45 PM

enediol

02-09-2007, 10:32 PM

Darwyn Cooke - I love his art and writing and I look forward to anything with his name on it.

brundlefly

02-09-2007, 11:07 PM

Quote:
I find that most people who trumpet Morrison's run as 'Best X-Men Ever' are big-time Morrison fans who don't care for CC or the other writers who've been on the X-books. Hardly the most objective people to be making such a bold statement

Maybe I get entertained easily with the web, but I always find the "Hmm... the people who don't agree with me are biased and not objective... hmmm" type of arguments funny, as if the pro Claremont contingent have the unbiased keen insight of Plato's philosopher kings and are measuring the facts with scientific instruments out of Star Trek to reach the only possible conclusion.

Point taken on the same holding true for a lot of CC fans not being able to be objective, either. Doesn't make the previous statement about Morrison/NXM boosters any less true, though.

Hellcow

02-10-2007, 08:15 AM

For me Morrison on All Star Superman wins hands down.

But what's interesting, is that I feel Morrison's writing on Batman sucks the big one.

joint venture

02-10-2007, 10:57 AM

Funny how this has very quickly become an X-Men post in a DC Universe category. :rolleyes:

Anyways, without knocking Morrison, Chris Claremont was just incredible. Not just with Uncanny X-Men, but when he was writing for Wolverine (see the miniseries, in which he collaborated with Frank Miller, who drew it), as well as other X-Books at the time. Plus, HE WROTE THE COMIC FOR 17 YEARS!!!! That's not even including his subsequent runs on the books that came out recently! That in itself is amazing!! That's a ton of characters in a ton of different situations which became cornerstone Marvel comics. I mean, under Claremont, that book went from crap (see pre-Giant Size X-Men) in quality and sales, and to the flagship Marvel comic all the way to today. Just as an example, he helped create the character of Wolverine with a few other writers at the time, and almost single-handedly wrote the great stories that established his character (even down to 1992 or whatever). Even the writers who succeeded him used the characters and stories that he (and admittedly, many artists) established, and rode the crest of his wave of success for years after. I mean, the man was a giant in the industry. You've just got to give him the respect.

This comment is something of proof to what i tried to say. Indeed Bat-Mite is correct when he says that ABSOLUTES are the kind of comments you add when you want to end the conversation or impose your opinion.

Claremont ate from the X-Men title for 17 years as Carter Hall noted, these days we have "star" writers, who instead of chasing a job to feed their kids and pay mortgage are some sort of neo-giggolos of the medium. Of course there are lots of mistakes in Claremont's run since he did it for a long time. No one's perfect.

Do we have another writer who has dedicated as much time to a single title, or, let's stretch it; who has dedicated as much time to DC? Just to compare, and know :)

The Lazy: Including Vertigo titles in a writer's resume is as valid as including CC in this thread, because somehow we have gone past DC since we are talking about writers and most of them have written for someone else. And we are trying to evaluate or at least say what we like from them.

TheLazy

02-10-2007, 07:41 PM

Funny how this has very quickly become an X-Men post in a DC Universe category. :rolleyes:
.

Haha, okay, okay, guilty as charged.:o

I respect what claremont did for the X-men, but in terms of sheer writing skill, I still think that Morrison is better.

The Lazy: Including Vertigo titles in a writer's resume is as valid as including CC in this thread, because somehow we have gone past DC since we are talking about writers and most of them have written for someone else. And we are trying to evaluate or at least say what we like from them.

Well getting back with the topic at hand, I think that if you included Vertigo writers then every and their aunt would vote for Moore or (Vertigos golden boy) Giaman, at least I would.

:)

joint venture

02-10-2007, 08:33 PM

Haha, okay, okay, guilty as charged.:o
Well getting back with the topic at hand, I think that if you included Vertigo writers then every and their aunt would vote for Moore or (Vertigos golden boy) Gaiman, at least I would.

:)

You're right.

Still, no one knows about a GOOD writer that has written for DC for a long period of time? And let's let everything else butt DC comics this time ncluded...no one?

Titan76

02-10-2007, 10:06 PM

You're right.

Still, no one knows about a GOOD writer that has written for DC for a long period of time? And let's let everything else butt DC comics this time ncluded...no one?
Marv Wolfman wrote the New Teen Titans/Teen Titans for about 15 straight years and during the 80's it was the only book that rival Claremont's Uncanny X-men for the #1 sells spot.

carabas

02-11-2007, 10:03 AM

Well getting back with the topic at hand, I think that if you included Vertigo writers then every and their aunt would vote for Moore or (Vertigos golden boy) Giaman, at least I would.

Both Sandman and Moore's version of Swampthing predate Vertigo and were set in the regular DCU when they started, so they are valid. Or they would be if the thread title didn't refer to current writers.

Morrison takes it easily, followed at a distance by Greg Rucka and Gail Simone

Shellhead

02-11-2007, 10:38 AM

Plus, HE WROTE THE COMIC FOR 17 YEARS!!!! That's not even including his subsequent runs on the books that came out recently! That in itself is amazing!! That's a ton of characters in a ton of different situations which became cornerstone Marvel comics. I mean, under Claremont, that book went from crap (see pre-Giant Size X-Men) in quality and sales, and to the flagship Marvel comic all the way to today. Just as an example, he helped create the character of Wolverine with a few other writers at the time...

I don't see the 17 years as a plus. After the first few years, the entertainment level of X-Men under Claremont diminished for many mainstream fans. Under E.i.C. Shooter, the X-Men practically became a separate product line, dividing Marvel fans into two camps who weren't buying the same products. Separated from the rest of the Marvel Universe and burdened with a stagnant and incestuous continuity, the X-titles became inaccessible to new readers. Only in recent years have we seen a reversal of that trend.

Keeping this relevant to DC... as Titan76 pointed out, Marv Wolfman wrote the Teen Titans for sixteen years. Like Claremont, he had some creative low points and an overall decline in quality in the latter years of that run. Between the departure of Perez and the Wildebeest arc, there was a long stretch of issues that was barely readable. There was a brief return to quality around the time that Danny Chase joined the team, even though he was an obnoxious character. Both X-Men and Teen Titans might have benefited from having fresh writers brought in sooner.

And if you think of yourself as a serious X-fan, Carter Hall, you have a duty to read the pre-Claremont/pre-reprint run by Roy Thomas and Neal Adams. Sales were low, but the quality was extremely high during that run. The artwork was breath-taking and the stories were exciting. It was also a significant influence on the rest of the Marvel Universe while the X-Men were cancelled, as characters and themes popped up in other places, like the Avengers and Captain America. When Claremont and Cockrum brought the X-Men back to life, they re-visited a lot of ideas from that Thomas/Adams run, like Sunfire, Mesmero, Polaris, Havok, Eric the Red, Sauron, etc.