Warren Ellis/Alan Moore: who characters are better

[Superboy Sr]

First of all I am a big fan of both writers but I have a hard time deciding who created the best character out of the two I mean it's not easy between Top Ten,Planetary,Watchmen,and the Authority alone you got some great if not awesome reads (no pun intended). I just can't decide imho,when Jim Lee had Warren Ellis & Alan Moore writing for Wildstorm (not DC) they put out the best books of the early 21st century.

[Sourcerer Soupreme]

Warren Ellis writes better Characters. Alan Moore writes better Ideas.

[dancj]

Outside of John Constantine I'm struggling to think of a notable Alan Moore character who he actually created rather than using a existing character or (as in the case of Watchmen) adapted from an existing character.

I guess Tom Strong at a push. Maybe Halo Jones.

That said, John Constantine probably single-handedly beats all of Ellis's characters.

[Omar Karindu]

Outside of John Constantine I'm struggling to think of a notable Alan Moore character who he actually created rather than using a existing character or (as in the case of Watchmen) adapted from an existing character.


Well, there's V, right there above your comment. And I'd argue for Promethea. And D.R. and Quinch. (They're notable in the UK, at least, where their TPB has been a perennial seller for decades.)

[Nitz the Bloody]

Also, plenty of Warren Ellis characters wear their influences on their sleeves; Apollo and the Midnighter are Gay Superman and Gay Batman, and John Horus and Tom Noir of Black Summer use similar iconography. While the main three in Planetary are pretty unique, the vast majority of the characters they talk to are transparent analogues of various superhero/sci-fi/pulp fiction characters. And Spider Jerusalem doesn't even try to hide his Hunter S. Thompson influence.

[dancj]

Well, there's V, right there above your comment. And I'd argue for Promethea. And D.R. and Quinch. (They're notable in the UK, at least, where their TPB has been a perennial seller for decades.)

I left V out because he seems like more of a plot device than a character to me (not that that's a bad thing).

I wouldn't quite qualify Promethea or DR and Quinch as notable.

[dancj]

Also, plenty of Warren Ellis characters wear their influences on their sleeves; Apollo and the Midnighter are Gay Superman and Gay Batman, and John Horus and Tom Noir of Black Summer use similar iconography. While the main three in Planetary are pretty unique, the vast majority of the characters they talk to are transparent analogues of various superhero/sci-fi/pulp fiction characters. And Spider Jerusalem doesn't even try to hide his Hunter S. Thompson influence.

I'm sure I read somewhere the other day that Spider was based on some other journalist.

Either way he qualifies for me. I agree with you on Apollo and Midnighter though.

Offhand the list of ones I'd consider to be notable original characters are:

MOORE:
John Constantine
Halo Jones (at a push)
Tom Strong (at a push)
Promethea (at a push)
V (at a push)

ELLIS:
Spider Jerusalem
Jack Hawksmoore
Jenny Sparks
Elijah Snow (at a push)
William Gravel (at a push)

There's not a lot in it really. (and that's just my list. I'm sure someone else's would differ greatly)

[jesse_custer]

Wait, so Top 10 has zero original characters? I'm not being sarcastic, just thought that series had a lot of original characters.

Also, the main character in A Small Killing is original.

Lastly, if you're not going to give Moore any of the Watchmen characters, you can't give Ellis Jerusalem. It's obvious he's based on Thompson. Read Thompson's work if you don't think so. There's even a book in issue 1 of Transmetropolitan called "Fear and Loathing."

[dancj]

Wait, so Top 10 has zero original characters? I'm not being sarcastic, just thought that series had a lot of original characters.

Also, the main character in A Small Killing is original.

They are, but I was specifically talking about notable characters.

Lastly, if you're not going to give Moore any of the Watchmen characters, you can't give Ellis Jerusalem. It's obvious he's based on Thompson. Read Thompson's work if you don't think so. There's even a book in issue 1 of Transmetropolitan called "Fear and Loathing."

Pretty much every character is inspired by someone else, and it is a fine line that divides the ones that you could consider original characters from the ones you couldn't. If youd up refer to draw the line somewhere different that's fine. I daresay I would have done on a different day.

[jesse_custer]

Top 10 had plenty of "notable" characters, but it sounds like you didn't like the comic that much.

And I was directing my question at everyone, by the way.

[Superboy Sr]

Top 10 had plenty of "notable" characters, but it sounds like you didn't like the comic that much.

And I was directing my question at everyone, by the way.

Top Ten was a great read but Warren Ellis' books were awesome I waited with baited breath for Planetary & the Authority.

[dancj]

Top 10 had plenty of "notable" characters, but it sounds like you didn't like the comic that much.

I loved Top 10 - but when I was talking about "notable" characters I was talking about the really big iconic ones. I don't think Top 10 has produced any of those.

[Eumenides]

For me the answer can only be Alan Moore:
- Rorschach
- Ozymandias
- The Comedian
- Dr. Manhattan
- Tom Strong
- John Constantine
- Splash Branagan
- Everyone in Top Ten
- Halo Jones
- V
- D.R. & Quinch
- The Bojjefries family

[Lord Bravery]

Spider Jerusalem may have been inspired by Thompson, but Ellis still wrote 60 odd issues of the character. It's safe to say he's pretty unique and the only similarities are that they are both drug fuelled gonzo journalists.

It's a close call between the two, both Ellis and Moore are awesome. But i'll give the edge to Ellis. Spider Jerusalem, Jenny Sparks, Jack Hawksmore, Dirk Anger, Elijah Snow. I think Ellis just has a better knack for comedy, which is very important to me, especially with satire. Transmet, Nextwave and to a lesser extent Authority have tons of genuine laugh out loud moments. Moore is a bit more "comics are serious bizness!" with his work. Not that i'm dissing his work, i just prefer a bit more self awareness and humour.

[Nitz the Bloody]

Spider Jerusalem may have been inspired by Thompson, but Ellis still wrote 60 odd issues of the character. It's safe to say he's pretty unique and the only similarities are that they are both drug fuelled gonzo journalists.

I think the whole debate here is just splitting hairs, because no matter which of the two genius authors had more characters that came from existing starting points, both of them took those analogues and made them into unique, compelling, original entities.