Every year, we send out a survey to some of our favorite creators and ask them questions about the year in comics. We had an incredible response this year, and got creators from all corners of the comics world to weigh in one what they loved about comics in 2016. Every day this week, we will be sharing a different question from our questionnaire.
Hopefully these inspire you to check out some new books, and to give some other books a second look.
Our second question: who, to you, were among the best writers this past year?
Brian Hurtt (Artist, “The Sixth Gun,” “Poppy”) – Jason Aaron is always the easy answer. This is a guy who always delivers for me. Whether it’s “Scalped,” “Wolverine and the X-Men,” “Southern Bastards,” “Thor,” or “The Goddamned,” he just nails it. And he does so without repeating himself. hat is, each book has its own voice and the only thing that really tells you that it’s a Jason Aaron book is the level of his storytelling.
James Harren (Artist, “Rumble,” “B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth”) – Jason Aaron, John Arcudi, Rick Remender.
Fabian Rangel Jr (Writer, “Space Riders,” “Doc Unknown”) – John Arcudi for “BPRD” and “Rumble,” Jason Aaron on “Southern Bastards,” Brian K Vaughn for “Saga” and “Paper Girls,” and Eric Powell for “Hillbilly.”
Donny Cates (Writer, “The Paybacks,” “Interceptor”) – Jason Aaron just continues to be the one writer that makes me want to quit my job entirely with every issue that he writes. That’s a compliment, by the way, haha!
Caspar Wijngaard (Artist, “Limbo, “Assassin’s Creed: Locus”) – Oh, so many, to name a few, Steve Orlando, Becky Cloonan, Si Spurrier, Kelly Thompson, Sina Grace and Matthew Rosenberg, who are really raising the creative bars in comics. As an artist I’m really drawn to writers that have a knack for rich world building story telling.
B. Clay Moore (Writer, “Savage,” “Aloha, Hawaiian Dick”) – Tom King sort of towered over everyone. Between “The Vision” and “Sheriff of Babylon,” his work was a revelation. Anything Fred Van Lente does is worth reading. Really got a kick out of “War Mother,” but “Generation Zero” is great, too. The same goes for Matt Kindt, whose versatility blows me away. G. Willow Wilson’s work on MS. “Ms. Marvel” is always pretty great. And Jason Aaron proves he can handle about anything well every year.
Michael Moreci (Writer, “Roche Limit,” “ReincarNATE”) – You know, it’s really hard to say as so many people are doing great work, oftentimes without notice. Tom King is, of course, having a great run. Matt Rosenberg is getting better and better. Cullen Bunn, Scott Snyder, Greg Rucka, and Rick Remender are stars that I, personally, always steer by. Ryan Ferrier. Curt Pires is a writer I wish more would emulate–he’s bold and fresh and trying to do smart, unconventional, and challenging things. Same with Brian Wood. Tim Daniel continues to be an under-the-radar force of nature, who is poised for bing things very soon.
Sanford Greene (Artist, “Power Man and Iron Fist,” “Wonder Girl”) – David Walker (of course), Tom King, Rick Remender
Rob Williams (Writer, “2000 AD,” “Suicide Squad”) – I thought what Geoff Johns did with the “DC Universe: Rebirth” launch issue was pretty impressive. Tying all those threads together, starting off a whole new era and giving it an emotional core with the Wally/Barry hug. I’ve enjoyed Pete Tomasi’s work. Tom King’s been very impressive. Si Spurrier and Al Ewing are mates but, regardless, I’m always taken aback by how good they both are. Brian K, Vaughan’s “Private Eye” and “The Barrier” were amazing.
Sonny Liew (Artist, “Doctor Fate,” Writer/Artist, “The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye”) – I really liked Asano’s “Goodnight Pun Pun” for both its writing and art.
Steve Orlando (Writer, “Supergirl,” “Virgil”) – Again, a ton of great people came up and coming up in 2016. I already mentioned (yesterday) Ryan Ferrier – but also have loved work from Tini Howard, Tom King, Christopher Priest, Peter Tomasi, Chelsea Cain, and Gene Yang.
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Alex Paknadel (Writer, “Turncoat,” “Arcadia”) – Too many writers have impressed me this past year, but in terms of who really blew what’s left of my hair back I’m gonna have to go with Simon Spurrier, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Dan Watters, Tini Howard, Matthew Rosenberg, Christopher Sebela, Alex de Campi, Tillie Walden, Rob Williams, Al Ewing, Rob Davis, Tony Patrick, Liam Cobb, Jon Chandler, David Baillie, Adam Knave, DJ Kirkbride, Ryan Ferrier, Rachael Smith, Tini Howard, Ram V, Ryan O’Sullivan and oh God I suppose I should end this somewhere.
Ollie Masters (Writer, “Sons of Anarchy: Redwood Original,” “The Kitchen”) – Rob Williams is doing great work on “Unfollow.” I think Becky Cloonan is writing the hell out of “The Punisher” right now (and not forgetting “Gotham Academy”). Si Spurrier was doing insanely clever things with “Cry Havoc” this year and I really need to go back and reread it.
Joshua Hale Fialkov (Writer, “Exodus: The Life After,” “Punks”) – Zander Cannon, obviously killed it. I’m also immensely happy for my old pal Joshua Williamson finally getting his due over on “The Flash” for DC. That book has been his dream for a long time, and he’s positively slaying it.
Ryan Browne (Artist, “Curse Words,” “God Hates Astronauts”) – Zander Cannon continues to blow me away. Also Charles Soule (who always delivers) continued to deliver great stuff in 2016, most notable to me were “Daredevil” and “Letter 44.”
Brian Schirmer (Writer, “Black Jack Ketchum”) – Al Ewing. He’s been at this a good while, but he still seems so much of an unknown in the US. His work on “Ultimates”, “New Avengers”, and especially “Contest of Champions” lit me up in the best way. I still call him “Marvel’s Secret Weapon.” Watching Tom King stick the landings on “Omega Men”, “Vision” and “Sheriff of Babylon” was amazing. Greg Rucka doing the pendulum swing between the optimism of “Wonder Woman” and the dystopia of “Lazarus” was a masterclass. Unlike others who’ve attempted the transition from journalism or prose, Ta-Nehisi Coates arrived on the scene as a fully-formed comics writer, blowing everyone away with “Black Panther.” And I love “The Wicked + The Divine” as much as anyone, but Kieron Gillen wrote possibly the best run on a Star Wars comic to date with “Darth Vader.” I’ll be shocked if his “Doctor Aphra” doesn’t make this list next year.
Matthew Rosenberg (“4 Kids Walk Into a Bank,” “Civil War II: Kingpin”) – Tom King is obviously a front runner. I think Chris Sebela was impressive on everything he did. Ryan Ferrier too. Tini Howard did great work and you get the feeling she is just getting started. Curt Pires is a mad genius. Frank Barbiere always does work that I consistently love.
Tom Scioli (Writer/Artist, “Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe,” “Super Powers” backup in “Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye”) – Alan Moore has been doing career best work for the past 10 years to little fanfare.
Dan Watters (Writer, “Limbo,” “Dark Souls: Legends of the Flame”) – I have to agree with what may be a general if not somewhat dull consensus that Alan Moore is going to be one of the best writers of any year he releases a comic – and “Providence” is no exception, particularly for a Lovecraft nerd. My pal Alex Paknadel’s “Turncoat” for Boom! (drawn by Artyom Trakhanov) is an astoundingly succinct examination of collapsing infrastructures and power vacuums that was handled with a depth and nuance that I think we need in comics, now more than ever.
Sina Grace (Writer, “Iceman,” Artist, “Lil’ Depressed Boy) – Jeff Lemire. Also, doesn’t it seem like Matt Kindt kind of level”d up?
Rafer Roberts (Writer, “Harbinger Renegade,” “A+A: The Adventures of Archer and Armstrong”) – Well, Tom King, of course. I thought Ryan Ferrier’s work on “Hot Damn” was brilliant. And I’ve enjoyed everything my Valiant co-worker Jody Houser has put out this year, including the new “Mother Panic” book. I admire her versatility and ability to go from a book like “Faith” to “Mother Panic.”
I also admire Amy Chu and her ability to write entire comics from behind a convention table.
Ryan Ferrier (Writer, “Hot Damn,” “D4VE”) – Matthew Rosenberg, Steve Orlando, Jody Houser, Chris Sebela, Alex Paknadel, Frank Barbiere, Curt Pires, John Lees, Ed Brisson, Tini Howard, Paul Allor, Fabian Rangel Jr., Vita Wong, Scott Snyder, Ta-Nehisi Coates, David F. Walker, Chelsea Cain.
Moritat (Artist, “The Hellblazer,” “All-Star Western”) – I can’t read.
