NOTE: Eric Esquivel has been accused of sexual assault by a former co-worker. While this story is in its early stages, Multiversity Comics in no way condones this behavior. The voting for this Year-in-Review category ended almost a month ago, before any of this information surfaced. This type of behavior, from anyone, only harms the comics community and besmirches the medium we love.
Because of the seriousness of this accusation, we are removing Esquivel from the top spot. If such a time comes that Esquivel is found to be cleared of all charges, we will gladly reinstate him to our list. We believe those who are brave enough to come forward, and would gladly err on the side of the allegedly victimized.
Thanks for reading,
Brian + Matt, Editors
One of the more debated topics around the Multiversity Slack this time of year is ‘what exactly defines a breakout?’ Is it someone who has done consistent work, but broke through into the mainstream this year? Is it someone who had their first major work? Would an increase in overall quality count?
We didn’t really come to a satisfying conclusion, but our staff did choose some pretty remarkable choices for Breakout Writer. Let’s take a look.
3. Kelly Thompson (tie)
Kelly Thompson is not widely known yet, but her work on recent “X-Men” titles and her re-imagining of “Jem and the Holograms” at IDW is the right way to get her there. Having only worked in the industry for a few years, Thompson is quickly making a name for herself, with 2018 being her biggest year yet. She was given an exclusive contract at Marvel after wrapping up successful stints with “Captain Marvel,” “Hawkeye,” and two separate “Star Wars” titles at the end of 2017. She has a knack for characters, and thankfully, she has been bringing strong female characters to the forefront. She gave more backstory to the criminally under-used Captain Phasma in her own “Star Wars” miniseries, rebooted “Nancy Drew” over at Dynamite Comics, and successfully re-launched “Jessica Jones” as a digital series as part of her Marvel contract.
This year’s “Mr. & Mrs. X” and “West Coast Avengers were some of Marvel’s best reviewed books and it is easy to see why. Thompson captures the voice of every character she writes. Whether it is a long-standing beloved character or someone relatively new. Her writing is exciting, sharp, and at times, hilarious. She makes things interesting and fun while keeping the reader comfortable. She can take the right mixture of styles and whip up something wonderfully new. It is a natural talent and one that will hopefully lead her to many more projects. She is my pick for 2018’s Breakout Writer and I look forward to what she has in store for us. – Christopher Egan
3. Rainbow Rowell (tie)
One of the best writers of the year is also one of the newest to comic books. YA author Rainbow Rowell has managed to co-create the best iteration of “Runaways” since the original, which is no small feat considering the property has been taken on by several all-star comic creators. With her YA background, Rowell proved to have just the right amount of reverence for the original series while also taking the characters in new and interesting directions. She also threaded the fine line between giving longtime readers what they wanted, and completely turning everything on its head. “Runways” is the perfect spiritual successor to the first series.
Rowell gives each character meaningful things to do and it never feels like anyone on the fairly large team is left out. The interpersonal relationships in a team book are crucial and Rowell finds ways to explore new territory and new character pairings with each issue. I don’t know how long “Runaways” will last with Marvel’s reboot-happy publishing, but I’m going to cherish it will it’s here. I look forward to whatever Rowell takes on after. – Justin Beeson
2. Ram V (tie)
I spoke with Ram V at the end of 2017, when he’d just released the first issue of “Paradiso.” If you’ve heard Ram talk about his writing, or had the pleasure of meeting him even, you’re struck with a modest confidence that, combined with his work, leaves you feeling that this is a writer destined for great things. I certainly felt that when we first talked.
Continued belowFast forward to the end of 2018, and that prediction I had a year ago has come true, or at least, these last 12 months have proven the rocket-like upward thrust of his career trajectory. “Paradiso” is embedded as one of the best science-fiction comics on the stands right now, with its dizzying surreality and enigmatic cast. “These Savage Shores” came onto the scene with the best debut issue of 2018, drawing you into its dark and dangerous world of exotic threat and ever-prescient colonialist undertones. Ram’s second graphic novel, “Grafity’s Wall” with artist Anand RK was a coming-of-age tour de force filled with humor, heart and unique, personal experiences, and on top of all this, he wrote a short story in DC’s “Batman: Secret Files” called ‘The Nature of Fear,’ with artist Jorge Fornes.
How he found the time this year to do all of this I don’t know (and more. I’ve not even mentioned “Quake Champions” or contributing to the “24 Panels” anthology to support the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire in London). While the definition of a Breakout Writer isn’t the quantity of the work but the quality (he ticks both of those boxes either way), it’s safe to say that Ram’s career has exploded in 2018, and I very much looking forward to seeing where the next 12 months takes him. – Matt Lune
2. Alex Paknadel (tie)
Alex Paknadel is a great writer. But “great” writer doesn’t always translate into “successful” writer. In 2018, Paknadel made a seamless transition from the indie realm into the superhero comics of Lion Forge and Valiant by crafting undeniable, compelling yarns. His work on “Doctor Who” at the beginning of the year was just a preamble for the astounding finale he was preparing to close 2018 with. The UK-based author spent the latter half of the year racking up accolades for “Friendo.” He manages to take the kinds of heady, cerebral sci-fi Philip K. Dick or Harlan Ellison specialized in and keep it palatable for mainstream audiences.
His praises have been sung across the internet and the cacophony can drone on and eventually become monotonous. Let me add one more voice to the chorus: Paknadel is a real talent. “Friendo” gives his gifts their brightest opportunity to shine yet. His voice is unique because it is simultaneously misanthropic and optimistic, as if John Carpenter’s They Live didn’t have an egalitarian approach to the disdain it leveled toward consumer/sheeple and the corporations herding them. Even as Paknadel’s satire exaggerates modern preoccupations with social media and contrived attempts at “benevolent” marketing in ways that make State Street Global’s “Fearless Girl” seem subtle, he never loses his focus. The sincere, deeply human desires at the core of each story he is telling remain front-and-center. His nascent run on Lion Forge’s “Kino” translates his thematic preoccupations into the realm of superheroes. Protagonists gifted with abilities beyond the average man often confound writers. What challenges are left when your physical safety can never be jeopardized? By making character’s foibles existential, and turning the focus of their conflict inward, Paknadel manages to leap into the world of metahumans without diluting the sympathy he generates in stories concerning mere mortals. He might not be the most prolific comics writer, but what he has written has true depth, uncommon in funnybooks.
Paknadel’s abilities are clearly owed to his affinity for other great writers. “Friendo” samples T.S. Eliot, and like Eliot, Paknadel manages to mine the profound from the mundane. This skill is surely one amongst the many aptitudes that brought him to the attention of Valiant. He is co-writing their next major crossover, and I am excited to see how his ability to bring distinct, neurotic characters into high-concept worlds is realized with such larger-than-life archetypes.
Alex Paknadel had a phenomenal 2018. I can’t wait to see where 2019 takes him. – Jeremiah Bailey
Editors’ Notes:
Brian: This year’s choices are interesting for a number of reasons, but the most important, to me, is that they are all working on projects that feel true to themselves. It’s hard enough to get work in comics, let alone work that feels personal in a way that a lot of these titles do. None of these folks are in the position of being labeled as a clone or knock off of someone else, and that’s an encouraging sign for this industry, which can often rely too heavily on what has worked well in the past.
Matt: What I like about our staff’s choices is the wide swath of backgrounds these people came from. Thompson got her start on CBR, if I recall correctly. As Justin mentioned, Rowell made her name on YA novels. Part of me wonders what makes someone a breakout, you know what I mean? Clearly, Marvel was banking on Rowell’s name to help sell the new “Runaways,” which has to be an established brand or whatever to work. These peeps are all strong in their own right and definitely made an impact on the Direct Market scene. I hope they’re given the chance to continue influencing the medium.
