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2014 in Review: Breakout Writer

By | December 7th, 2014
Posted in Columns | 5 Comments

What does breaking out in comics really mean? After all, someone could release their first work and blow people’s minds or they could go from doing good work to mind blowing work, and they’d still be a breakout, just in a different way. Today on 2014 in Review, we’re going to break down who in our mind were the biggest breakout writers of the year, and share who really took their game to the next level.

So who were they? Multiversity’s staff voted on the subject, and our top five is below. Share your picks in the comments, and look for the next category to drop tomorrow.

Note: All of Multiversity’s 2014 in Review awards are based off of all of the contributing writing team voting to decide each rank. Every list is combined with equal points for every voter, and the results are what you find below.

Cover to Dead Letters #1

5. Chris Sebela

Why he made the list (Vince Ostrowski): If the only long term legacy that Christopher Sebela leaves on the comics world were to be “High Crimes”, it would be enough. Dayenu. “High Crimes” is the story of a flawed protagonist and a literal high stakes caper taking place on and around Mt. Everest. It’s the smartest thing that Sebela has done and is as equally thrilling as it is technically precise. But Sebela has plenty of tools left under his belt, continuing Dark Horse Comics’ noir adventure “Ghost” after the departure of Kelly Sue DeConnick. He also introduced “Dead Letters”, a mind trip from Boom! Studios with ballsy art from Chris Visions that is far less technically precise, showing a greater knack for the experimental and high concept. In other words, although “High Crimes” remains the most impressive thing he’s done, and one of the essential reads of the decade so far, 2014 was the year that Sebela proved that he’s got range to spare. He’s also one of the best Twitter follows (@xtop) in comics, as his self-deprecation, acerbic wit, and ability to pull references is as boundless as his genre-spanning work in the medium.

Cover to Lumberjanes #1

4. Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis

Why they made the list (Vince Ostrowski): The “Lumberjanes” duo took the comic world by storm with a book that, in my estimation, is impossible to dislike. We’re talking about writing that seems wholly irreverent and blissful on the surface, but packs quite the punch beneath the surface. “Lumberjanes” is a book where seemingly anything can happen – like the girls happening upon a group of mystical foxes while sneaking out of their cabin one night. But that very fact is an insight into the power that this duo wields with their writing – they do whatever they want to do with their story, and do it with conviction. They opened the first issue of their breakout series with a startlingly complex cast entirely made up of non-male characters and a mission statement right there in the “Lumberjanes” oath: “question everything” and “be interested.” These girls embrace the full spectrum of identity, never conforming to some stereotype. Imagine that. Oh, did I forget to mention what a potent example of feminism in comics and they and their work are? Stevenson and Ellis are wonderful examples of why we need more of it. Like, far more than we need more buff dudes in tights, if you can believe it.

Cover to D4VE #1

2 (tie). Ryan Ferrier

Why he made the list (Matthew Meylikhov): The following is 100% true: on the first night of NYCC 2014, I stayed out bar hopping with people until 3 AM. During the course of this evening, at one point we began talking about Ryan Ferrier; I don’t remember why, but just the fact that he was a point of conversation should be telling enough. And I won’t forget this conversation because it is the first time I can remember everyone in attendance literally only having nice things to say — there was no snark, no remarks about “that one time…” or anyone shrugging about how his work just “doesn’t do it for them”. No, everyone there genuinely were fans of his work and believed in him as a writer, and more importantly as a person.

Continued below

I feel like that’s important set-up when talking about Ryan being a break-out this year because, perhaps more than almost any other creator who has made a stamp this year I feel like Ryan honestly deserves this. Coming to his work myself a few years ago when he (very politely) sent a comic over for us to review, I’ve been unapologetically on the Ferrier Hype Train ever since. Ryan’s a talented writer and letterer, someone who can be hilarious (“Tiger Lawyer”), wild (“Brothers James”), intense (“Ultranova”) and most importantly very human and personable in his writing, taking all of these great qualities about himself and putting his all into his work — as everyone got to see when “D4VE” debuted to various well-deserved rave reviews.

Ryan Ferrier has worked incredibly hard to make and put out quality comics, and I don’t see him slowing down at all. He clearly cares a lot about his work and it shows in every way, from the content on the page, the way he talks about it or his collaborators, or simply to the way he is in person. With “D4VE” coming out in print next year alongside a few other books, I can’t wait to see how he continues to make comics better next year.

Cover to Gotham Academy #1

2 (tie). Brenden Fletcher

Why he made the list (David Harper): As a reader, it’s hard to discern what role co-writers play in the development and execution of a given issue. How did the two writers split the task? Did one write half the issue and the other work on the other half? Is one plotting and the other scripting? That’s something we can’t really tell as a reader without reading interviews or talking to the creators at the con, but one thing we know is this: whatever Brenden Fletcher is doing is working very, very well.

Both “Gotham Academy” and “Batgirl” – two books Fletcher co-writes with Becky Cloonan and Cameron Stewart, respectively – are breaths of fresh air in the increasingly dark and violent worlds of superhero comics. While elsewhere, you find wars that are secrets and games that are certainly final but don’t seem like very much fun, Fletcher’s helping craft a world that we’d want to live in and adventures we want to be a part of. Ghost hunting? Twin motorcycle villains? These are the types of things we read comics for. They’re the spins on real life that we like to escape to, and in a world that’s often dark and unforgiving, something that we enjoy and that makes us smile is worth its weight in gold.

So I can’t tell you exactly what Brenden Fletcher does when he co-writes those books. But I can tell you that the books he co-writes make me smile wider than anything else I read, and that, my friends, is a rare gift indeed.

Cover to POP #1

1. Curt Pires

Why he made the list (Alice W. Castle): I feel like it might be somewhat of a compliment, but mostly just an overused comparison when I say that Curt Pires writing reminds me of early Veritgo-era Grant Morrison. I mean, I used that to describe Ales Kot last year, I think. But that’s the comparison that immediately springs to mind when I discover a newer writer coming to the medium of comics with a tangible energy and love for the medium and whose stories eschews the limitations of the medium to really get to the heart of the stories they are trying to tell and I think Pires definitely qualifies for that. His writing on “Theremin”, even standing at only four issues currently, simply blew me away in its inventiveness and ability to juggle grand ideas with small, human moments. I could throw similar compliments to “Pop!” too as Pires use of characters in there plants him firmly as one of my favourite writers of dialogue currently in comics. I really hope Pires gets a lot of work going forward as from “Theremin” and “Pop!”, I cannot wait to see where he goes next with his writing. Someone at Image better snap this guy up for their next big hit.


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