View Full Version : Who's the Best Spidey writer
From this short list, who do you think is the best Spidey writer??
In the interests of disclosure: I'm definitely a reader of old-school Spidey. Aside from picking up the recent J. Michael Stracynski TPBs, I haven't kept up with the recent writers and storylines.
So, if someone would like to do a poll featuring other writers who I omitted, particularly the more recent ones, by all means do so.
I picked Gerry Conway, probably for sentimental reasons, because he was the writer when I began reading Amazing Spider-Man with issue #140 in 1974, when the original "clone saga" was unfolding.
So, start voting! :D
nubly
03-23-2005, 05:40 PM
from the list you have up there, i'll say its michelinie. his work with mcfarlane, larsen and bagley are excellent.
but stracinsky's work has just been amazing
AlanScott606
03-23-2005, 05:53 PM
I would have to go with Stan the Man Lee but David Michelinie comes in a close second.
hangmanjury
03-23-2005, 05:55 PM
At his best - at his absolute best - J.M. DeMatteis wrote the best Spider-Man.
But at his worst - at his absolute worst - J.M. DeMatteis also wrote some of the worst Spider-Man.
Um, I'll go with Roger Stern. I always found HIS stories to be reliably entertaining and I was never disappointed in any of them.
Neolucifer
03-23-2005, 06:21 PM
I'll go with Michelinie !!
I voted for Stan. He created the essence of the Spidey mythos, and I have to give him credit for that.
After his run, I would probably pick JMS as my favorite writer. Today. Tomorrow, it might be Roger Stern; he really put together some fun stories.
Taltos
03-23-2005, 07:46 PM
David Michelinie Bitches who brought back spidey's parents only to have them killed off and turnout to be imposters? Oh yeah that was DM. Although Bagley's inability to draw a titty sometimes took you out of the story, same is happening in MK with terry Dodson.
Mister Mets
03-23-2005, 09:08 PM
Stan Lee....
Amazing Fantasy #15
Amazing Spider-MAn #31-33
Amazing Spider-MAn #53-59
And a lot of other consistently great stories.
And I've read stories by everyone on the list.
cosmicspidey
03-23-2005, 09:21 PM
They don't call him "The Man" for nothing. The first and the best. And the last, I guess, as he's scheduled to write Spider-man: The End.
Maestro
03-23-2005, 09:29 PM
Creatively, Stan is the best, but I'm a bigger fan of Straczynski's writing. Though what from I've read from DeMatteis I would have to say he's my favorite.
chicainery
03-23-2005, 10:49 PM
I voted for Stan. He created the essence of the Spidey mythos, and I have to give him credit for that.
Stan Lee....
Amazing Fantasy #15
Amazing Spider-MAn #31-33
Amazing Spider-MAn #53-59
And a lot of other consistently great stories.
And I've read stories by everyone on the list.
They don't call him "The Man" for nothing. The first and the best. And the last, I guess, as he's scheduled to write Spider-man: The End.
I agree with all of you.
Sir Tim Drake
03-23-2005, 10:54 PM
Stan Lee. Absolutely no contest.
Taltos
03-24-2005, 03:54 AM
They don't call him "The Man" for nothing. The first and the best. And the last, I guess, as he's scheduled to write Spider-man: The End.
Thats laughable, as long as he is selling books, spiderman will never die.
Dark Soul # 7
03-24-2005, 06:31 AM
Stan "The Man" Lee all the way.
He created Spider-man, most of his classic villains and supporting cast, that most authors don´t use nowadays. Most of his classic stories beat the hell out of alot of the stuff that comes out today. *coughorganicwebcough*
onizuka
03-24-2005, 07:40 AM
well i voted for JMS, not that i think he's that much better than a lot of the others.
basically he pulled Spidey out of a real stagnant era. he writes a tale the way he wants to write it. to me, i really think he's a lot like the Stan of today.
he writes a great Spidey that always remains true to himself and to us as our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. he doesn't try to be anything he's not, he's just your average joe who's trying to do what he thinks is right. and somehow, things always seem to go pair-shaped for the poor guy. problems and villains seem to pop up around him and it's his job to take em down.
what can i say, i love it.
Master Darque
03-24-2005, 09:34 AM
What about McFarlane ?
* is pelted with rotten produce ...*
Ok , I deserved that . I'm a Stan fan all the way , altho all the above mentioned have added greatness to a great 20th century mythology .
Calamas
03-24-2005, 12:09 PM
From everything I've read about Marvel, Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four were Stan Lee at his best. Unfortunately, I haven't read many of those issues. And I do love most of JMS’s Spidey. But for just absolutely nailing it, I have to go with Roger Stern, followed closely by Marv Wolfman.
UncleBob
03-24-2005, 12:30 PM
They don't call him "The Man" for nothing. The first and the best. And the last, I guess, as he's scheduled to write Spider-man: The End.
Didn't we see that in #500? :D
Artemis1
03-24-2005, 12:46 PM
No contest. Lee's unbeatable with Spiderman. Though his Avengers were not all that great, his Spiderman stories reshaped Marvel for good.
What about McFarlane ?
Personally, I tend to think of McFarlane in the "artist" category moreso. He had his greatest impact as a Spidey artist, which he did very well. Very stylized and it revitalized the book for a time.
His writing wasn't bad, but I think even he realized his limitations, because after launching Spawn as writer and artist, he had several guest writers step in to do the scripting chores while he was still drawing the book.
I was thinking about doing a series of these polls according to time period and then taking the winners from those polls and putting them in a final poll to determine the ultimate winner. I would have to research the Spider-writers of the last four decades encompassing the numerous Spider-titles or perhaps I could prevail upon some of you for some help???
I'm just thinking about it at this stage, but let me know what you guys think.
Poll results are getting interesting: Gerry Conway dropped behind JMS. But I'm not surprised, as he's the current writer and is more fresh in readers' minds.
Faust451
03-24-2005, 04:05 PM
I would have to go with Stan the Man Lee but David Michelinie comes in a close second.
My thoughts exactly.
chicainery
03-24-2005, 05:57 PM
I'm just thinking about it at this stage, but let me know what you guys think.
I think Stan Lee would win, natch.
Alex Dragon
03-24-2005, 07:07 PM
Where's Bendis' name? He's written more Spidey stories than some of the names on that list.
From a creative standpoint Stan Lee is tops because he came up with most of the concepts that the others have built off of. From a strictly entertainment level I give the top spot to Bendis. Next would be JMS or Stern. I haven't read the Stern stuff in quite a while so I don't know if it hold up as well as I remember or not. Most times when I go back and look at or read the old stuff it's never anywhere as good as I remember.
Brad Curran
03-24-2005, 09:08 PM
I can't choose anyone other than Stan, although to be fair, I haven't read a lot of most of the people on the list's Spidey work, other than a few reprints or back issues. Certainly not as much as I have of Stan's run via Essential trades. Second for me would be Bendis or J.M. DeMatties, with Stern (on the strength of what little I've read of his work) and Michelliene (sentimental choice; he wrote the first Spidey comics I read) rounding out my top five. I'd put Kurt Busiek and Paul Jenkins up there, too.
olympichero62
03-24-2005, 10:59 PM
Stan Lee. I would have gone for JMS for 2nd place if it wasn't for sins past.
Artemis1
03-25-2005, 04:09 AM
Yeah. JMS lost it when he did Sins Past.
SUPERMAN PRIME
03-25-2005, 09:45 AM
shouldnt Howard Mackie at least exist in this poll?
shouldnt Howard Mackie at least exist in this poll?
Not in my opinion. His disregard for continuity and the sins he (among many others) committed during the "clone saga" put him the hall of infamy.
But I respect your opinion of Mackie.
Mister Mets
03-25-2005, 03:57 PM
Not in my opinion. His disregard for continuity and the sins he (among many others) committed during the "clone saga" put him the hall of infamy.
But I respect your opinion of Mackie.
I don't think Superman Prime ever said that Mackie was a good writer. ;)
Where's Bendis' name? He's written more Spidey stories than some of the names on that list.
From a creative standpoint Stan Lee is tops because he came up with most of the concepts that the others have built off of. From a strictly entertainment level I give the top spot to Bendis. Next would be JMS or Stern. I haven't read the Stern stuff in quite a while so I don't know if it hold up as well as I remember or not. Most times when I go back and look at or read the old stuff it's never anywhere as good as I remember.
I just realized now that Bendis wasn't on the list. He's not Stan Lee, but he's pretty damn close in my book.
The other suspicious absence: Peter David (Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110, 134-136, Amazing Spider-MAn #267)
Stephane Garrelie
03-25-2005, 07:19 PM
1 stan lee
2 David Michelinie and Roger Stern ex equo
4 Bill Mantlo, he did great stuff on Marvel Team Up and on Spectacular. :)
StarsAndGarters
03-26-2005, 03:30 PM
Of what I've read (JMS, Jenkins, and Millar) I'd pick Jenkins (minus the organic webbing). I should go back and read some earlier stuff though. I hear Stern is awesome.
Mister Mets
03-26-2005, 06:09 PM
Of what I've read (JMS, Jenkins, and Millar) I'd pick Jenkins (minus the organic webbing). I should go back and read some earlier stuff though. I hear Stern is awesome.
He is. Check out Wizard's Best of Spider-Man hardcover for his best work.
Grant
03-26-2005, 06:55 PM
I say Stern and Stan Lee. People kind of knock Stan Lee for being dated and kind of corny but he knew how to tell a story. Roger Stern needs to make a comeback. I would love to see him write more comics again.
BuccaneerBruce
03-27-2005, 06:03 AM
I say Stern and Stan Lee. People kind of knock Stan Lee for being dated and kind of corny but he knew how to tell a story. Roger Stern needs to make a comeback. I would love to see him write more comics again.
Yeah, I voted for Roger Stern. I'd like to see him writing comics again too.
Like ACK , Conway was the writer when I first started collecting the book with issue during the death of Gwen Stacy storyline. I gave him a lot of consideration, but Stern wrote some great Spidey stories back in the 80's.
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