Welcome to the Multiversity Year in Review for 2020! While this has been, by many accounts, a terrible year, there were a number of fantastic comics released in 2020, and over the next ten days, we’ll be highlighting our favorites across 25 categories. If you want to give your thoughts on our picks or share your own, feel free to do so in the comments!
Best Writer
There are lots of people out there who love comics, but have a lot to learn about everything an inker or letterer does. Writers tend not to need an introduction. But that doesn’t mean that comic book writing is the same as other kinds of writing! Sometimes the writer is the one coming up with ideas, sure, but lots of times that’s done in collaboration with the creative team. A comic writer is unique in that they have to put together a script- the document that guides the whole team through the comic creation process. Some of our favorite writers work on very imaginative books, some of them are brilliant with a turn of phrase, but one thing the best comic writers have in common is that they are good at writing a script that lets every member of the team tell the story. That’s something all of our picks have in common, but you will find a lot of different talents represented on our list of the best comic writers of 2020.
10. Al Ewing
Despite all the other work he did this year, Al Ewing earned a spot on the 2020 in Review: Best Writer list, solely, for continuing to deliver on “Immortal Hulk.”
Since the launch of the “Immortal Hulk” in 2018 Ewing has consistently conveyed tales that embrace the horror, the chills, and the macabre that has led the reader, Bruce Banner’s fractured psyche, and a multitude of typically jade alternate personas on a redefining path of discovery.\
Ewing, with “Immortal Hulk,” has propelled the character to new heights by weaving the disparate elements of the Hulk’s mythos into a coherent tapestry that triggers reaction after visceral reaction, beyond simple shock value.
Ewing took the best of what came before, and some of the more obscure (Xmenu), to show that the tremors of Hulk’s impact are felt long after any craters left behind are paved over.
From the chill of the grave to the last shattered remnants of the Marvel Universe, Ewing has redefined nearly every character of significance to the Hulk – from Betty Ross to Jennifer Walters. Never before has the terrifying toil of being the Hulk, or even being anywhere near the Hulk’s orbit, has been showcased with ghastly clarity. – Marc Gibson
9. Donny Cates
There are few writers today like Donny Cates. Having his hands in so many series, major, and independent, it still seems like his name is one that wider audiences are still discovering. He is all over the board with new material, but being that he is quite particular about what he picks up, that may be the case that he isn’t as big a name outside of more avid reading fanbases. Working simultaneously with various publishers, within multiple genres, creating myriad possibilities for storytelling. Cates has been pulling together more than a few series within the Marvel Universe creating major shifts with compelling plots to turn what fans know on its head without pissing (too many) people off. His work on “Thor” has been heralded as one of the best runs that has ever graced the character. Cates knows comics, inside and out, and he uses that knowledge to the best of his ability to make for wildly interesting tales. Even with so many titles delayed or on hold this year, he still graced us with some outstanding issues of “Thor,” “Venom,” and more.
When he isn’t reinvigorating heroes, or anti-heroes, like everyone’s favorite Symbiote, Cates also tackles the horror and sci-fi genres. His country-fried vampire saga “Redneck,” published by Image Comics, is one of the best gore-filled series going right now. It has even seen a few of its best issues yet released this year. And his insanely ambitious ‘all the things in comics ever’ series “Crossover” just kicked off under the same roof. I have never put down a Cates book and been underwhelmed or dissatisfied. He finds a way to take any character or story and spin it in a way that is appealing to the greater masses.
Continued belowI normally don’t read books featuring most of the characters he’s taken over for, but guess what, I’ve given most a try under his name and I have loved every single one. Sure, there is a long-lasting power to these Marvel characters, but without the right author, they can fall flat, and they have many times. HIs talent for playing things fast and loose while still driving stories in an excellent and intelligent direction is just one of the best things about his bibliography. Plenty of humor and action can be found in most of his works, but the captivating world building and attention to detail are what keep fans coming back.
In the last couple years Donny Cates has come up on more than one of our Best Of lists, some of which written by yours truly, but if he didn’t earn it, he wouldn’t be there. 2020 is no different. We can only imagine how much material we would have gotten from him this year if it weren’t for the pandemic. -Chris Egan
8. N. K. Jemisin
We say this every year when we put a writer who’s come from another medium here but many writers do not make the transition to comics smoothly, despite their talent and experience elsewhere. Some take a while to find their footing. Some never do. Others blast down the gates, showing a talent that is as versatile as it is excellent. N. K. Jemisin is one of those writers (duh.)
While she only has one series under her belt thus far, that series has been firing on all cylinders since day one. The final remaining title from Young Animal, “Far Sector” has brought timely discussions of power, police, race, and challenging “the way things are” when that way harms more than it helps. Her writing is sharp and balanced, allowing artist Jamal Campbell to shine without allowing the script to be overshadowed.
Jemisin is a modern writer who understands that stories, specifically Green Lantern stories, are at their best when they have a strong sense of character which propels the narrative. The unique nature of Jo Mullein is important, yes, but what makes her compelling are the flaws and contradictions that drive her. Moreover, Jemisin’s scripts have teeth, forcing uncomfortable questions to the surface and daring the reader to engage with them, using the sci-fi concepts to abstract some and bring into sharp relief others.
Rather than obfuscating real problems of police escalation of peaceful protests and abuse of power, specifically against Black Americans, by making it a veiled analog, she creates the analog and then explicitly links it to that problem through Jo’s perspective all while sustaining multiple mysteries that feel exciting and a number of wild sci-fi concepts and an unfamiliar political structure and history without it getting confusing.
No wonder she’s a 4-time Hugo award winning writer. – Elias Rosner
7. David F. Walker
Online and in print, David F. Walker delivered two of the most vital and compelling series of the year. On DavidFWalker.com, he publishes a wry, self-referential, ongoing webcomic appropriately titled “Discombobulated.” With self-described “exaggeration, hyperbole and a certain amount of bullshit,” Walker explores mental health issues like depression and anxiety, past failed relationships and the catastrophic effects of COVID-19 and systemic racism. With searing wit and a surprising amount of nuance, Walker gives voice to The ‘Rona, the year 2020, Mrs. Butterworth and Systemic Racism itself, who claims “Obama created COVID-19 back in 2016 with money he got from a secret tax on rich people.” Which could very well be gospel truth amongst members of the Boogaloo Boys or QAnon. Meanwhile, Walker’s print series “Bitter Root,” written with co-creators Chuck Browne & Sanford Greene, dropped five more brilliant issues to complete its second full arc. Combining history, horror, steampunk and action-packed battles with supernatural monsters, Walker dissects themes of racial violence, hatred, intergenerational trauma and the burning desire for retribution. Each issue is a visual feast that drops some serious truth. Next year, keep an eye out for “Bitter Root” #11, which kicks off the third arc, as well as Walker’s new book, “The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History.” Longform, serial, webcomic – whatever you’re looking for David F. Walker delivers. -John Schaidler
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6. (tie) Ram V
On top of crafting great indie comics, Ram V has played a huge role in DC this year. Ram V took over the thankless job of filling in for writer James Tynion IV on “Justice League Dark.” Stepping into someone else’s shoes is never easy and this title ranked among one of my favorites at DC Comics. Somehow, Ram V is able to retain the same level of quality on “Justice League Dark.” This book is winding down a legendary multi-year conflict and it is an absolutely crucial part of the plot. I can’t say enough about the fact there is no dip in quality. The writing and tone of this title remain just right. Elsewhere, Ram V stepped in for Joelle Jones on “Catwoman” which has proven to be another great feat of tone. The interesting writing and artistic choices have carried on the tone of Jones’ work well. Ram V has even been exploring more monster-themed projects at DC with his portion of “Legend of the Swamp Thing: Halloween Spectacular” #1. Ram V’s contribution to the issue was an important framing device that had a heartwarming bookend sequence. “Blue in Green” was another fascinating supplement from Ram V to the world of comics this year that I was glad to read. There was a massive quantity of great Ram V comic books in 2020. -Alexander Jones
6. (tie) Matt Fraction
Matt Fraction has an impressive resume underneath him, from Superman’s best friend to Iron Fist to Thor. But it’s the story of two lost souls and their strange supernatural connection that I think will define his legacy. Naturally, I am talking about the recently concluded “Sex Criminals,” the take of Jon and Suzie, a bank, a woman called Kegelface, and the ups and downs of human connection.
Fraction loves the absurd, and that’s peppered throughout “Sex Criminals.” What else would you expect from a series with a character named Kegelface? But, woven into that absurdity is a lot of heart. Over the 30 main issues of “Sex Criminals” you watched a relationship blossom, wither and die, and then blossom again, at a measured, thoughtful pace. You the reader fell in love with Jon and Suzie just as they fell in love with each other. And even when there isn’t a happily ever after, you’re still happy. You don’t cry because it’s over, you smile because it happened in the first place.
He can create sweeping worlds, but he also doesn’t get caught up in them. The supporting characters of “Sex Criminals” are indeed worth of their own tales. Sexual Gary received his own one show this year, and no doubt many of us want to see Dewey and Bud in their own spinoff after the series finale. But at the right time and in the right place, he drives the action back to Jon and Suzie, back to the anchor that brings the motley crew together.
No matter what happens to Fraction post-”Sex Criminals,” I have strong conviction his career will be more than pretty okay in 2021 and beyond. -Kate Kosturski
5. Tom Taylor
This feels wrong to say, but somehow Tom Taylor still seems underrated after all these years. He constantly juggles a half a dozen projects at once, to the point where nary a week goes by that you can’t pick up something new with his name on it, whether digital-first or at the comics rack. He’s only just this year getting into the creator-owned comics sphere of influence (with artist Daniele Di Nicuolo on “Seven Secrets” at Boom! Studios), and he’s never been given a long run on a flagship title or a massive event book at DC Comics or Marvel, though with the rousing success of both “Injustice” and “DCeased”, you may as well call those flagship titles. I can’t imagine these companies aren’t offering him bigger things. Perhaps he’s just happy being exactly where he is, writing mini-universes of his own where he gets to move the pieces around pretty much however he wants. Perhaps we need to adjust our idea of what the Big Two’s most important titles are.
Whatever the case, he’s in the top 5 here at Multiversity Comics, so clearly you can’t call him underrated. Still, the uncanny emotional strength of his work, the ability to fully define a character and distill them to their most important traits in a single moment, and the consistent efforts to surprise readers in books like “Suicide Squad” in a superhero comics climate that seems entirely allergic to surprising readers, are all Tom Taylor traits that make his work look effortless. When you read books like “DCeased”, you can expect that at least one character is going to die over the course of an issue. You might even be able to guess who that character is. And yet somehow, that gut punch still connects. So it’s not that he’s underrated, it’s just that we’re so used to every issue of his work being as engrossing as can be. -Vince Ostrowski
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4. Ed Brubaker
It’s such a strong instinct, I’ve bought the work of other Brubakers, non-Edward, so fast that I was walking out of the store before I realized what I did.
It’s a good instinct. I have no plans to stop. Ed Brubaker is one of the best comic writers working today, and the best crime and noir writer that comics has ever had.
Some writers adapt themselves to the comic they’ve been hired to write. Ed Brubaker adapts the comic to him. Every story is filtered through his noir-infused brain, and the result is continually some of the best comics in the medium. I don’t think anyone else has such a strong catalog of work; there’s not a weak piece among it.
In 2020, Ed Brubaker established an early dominance in January with the last issue of the relaunched “Criminal,” an ambitious series with four cross-cutting narratives that all added up to the long-hinted at death of Teeg Lawless. To follow up that triumph, he published the graphic novel “Pulp,” which is about a pulp writer who experiences a pulp life. Both were drawn by his constant collaborator Sean Philips, whose deep mild-meld with Brubaker is undoubtedly why their comics are so successful.
Brubaker has mostly flitted from raw noir to superhero noir, with occasionally stopovers in autobiography and (incredibly) Archie-inspired noir. It’s not the broad range that makes me return to him year after year, it’s the depth of his singular obsession into the dark pathos of crime, and all the criminals that bring ruin to everything they touch. – Justin McGuire
3. James Tynion IV
It is rare that you see a creator, in real time, ascend to the next level. These types of things are usually only noticeable in retrospect, but if you were paying attention, James Tynion IV leveled up in front of our very eyes. He also did so in an incredibly unique way, which is that both his creator owned titles and his corporate owned work both improved at the same time as well. On the creator owned side, “Something Is Killing the Children” and “Department of Truth” may be Tynion’s most acclaimed work of his career, and that’s discounting “Wynd,” which may be my favorite of the bunch.
Equally impressive is how his “Batman” run has taken all the things I didn’t think I wanted in my Bat-books anymore, mainly the Joker, and proved that he actually had a fresh, interesting take on a character that has been quite played out as of late. And his role as one of the three-headed writing beast behind DC’s “Death Metal” event has allowed that event to be far better than it probably has any right being, specifically the “Multiverse’s End” one-shot with Juan Gedeon.
Tynion keeps taking risks, and they keep paying off. I cannot wait to see what he does next. – Brian Salvatore
2. Tini Howard
A self-described North Carolina woods witch, Tini Howard is everything the future of comics should be. Every time she mentions her time writing fanfic, or why she feels compelled to write “thicc dads,” you can see that she’s a lifelong comics fanatic given the chance to write some of her favorite characters. And while this isn’t the first time the lunatics have run the asylum, Howard’s sensibilities feel of the moment. She came up in an online fandom, and an industry just starting to reconcile with its own bad behavior. Not only is she an excellent writer, she’s a wonderful presence who by all accounts, makes comics a nicer field to work in. But buddy, she also a hell of a writer. You can see it when she’s doing mainstream superhero books like all her “X-Men” work which not only includes fan-favorite fantasy series “Excalibur” but also the wildly successful “X of Swords” event. You can also see her putting her mark on more obscure characters, as she does in another Marvel book, “Strikeforce.” It comes across when she is writing off-the-beaten path licensed comics, like the superlative “Vampire: The Masquerade” series. No matter the job, Howard puts her whole self into her comics. None of them feel phoned in. You can hire her to do a miniseries, a one shot, an ongoing, or a gigantic event. All of them will have Howard’s excellent sensitive character work and her Byzantine commitment to complicated mythology. Tini Howard is among the best writers working in comics today but more importantly, she’s laying down the blueprint of what comics could look like in the future. -Jake Hill
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1. (tie) Jonathan Hickman
Another year, another victory lap for the mad scientist of modern comics (albeit, with some pretty nice company). In a year where every other creator, publisher, reader and distributor had to slow down and re-evaluate, Hickman hardly skipped a beat. That’s what you have to admire from him, the sheer momentum of what he’s creating.
He brought “East of West” to a perfect, elevated climax; while his new books “Decorum” and “Giant-Size X-Men” were just a matter of giving his incredible artistic companions the creative space to flourish. This freneticism extends to his role as the ‘Head of X,’where he’s built up this collection of stalwart supporters like Tom Muller, Jordan D White, Annalise Bissa and a legion of talented creators who have helped expand his signature style into the philosophy of a collective.
Despite the impressiveness of that, it’s logistics. What determines the quality of a writer is, y’know, their writing. Believe it or not, quality is not a problem for Hickman. “X-Men” #4 turned an economic conference into something unforgettable, “X-Men” #6 was the catharsis after 40 years of subtext, and “X-Men #7 literally sparked one of the deepest literary dialogues around religion I’ve ever seen in comics. It’s all such an achievement, and that doesn’t even cover the show-stopping wizard-war that is ‘X of Swords.’ It even managed to expand in the Pandemic, how many other writers can say that of their titles?
Practically no one has this kind of long game in comics. After every single issue of ‘Dawn of X’ I’m thinking about the Moira factor, I’m thinking about how this reflects what we saw in X^2 or X^3, I’m thinking about how this ripples into ‘Cable’ or ‘Marauders’ or ‘Hellions.’ Everything has these connections, like some tropical, polyamorous spider’s web.
Hickman’s modern crown jewel has so much longevity, this era of ‘X-Men’ could continue on into crossover eternity, or it could be over in some quick flash of techno-organics. It almost doesn’t matter because I can say with utter confidence that he would find a way to make it perfect regardless. Jonathan Hickman is our best writer of 2020, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he keeps that title for a while longer. -James Dowling
1. (tie) Gene Luen Yang
No one planned 2020 this way. Surely not Gene Luen Yang. Yet somehow, Yang’s writing this year struck the chords we all needed. That’s why he’s tied atop our Best Writers of 2020.
Think of his titles this year: Triumphing with high school basketball OGN “Dragon Hoops” from First Second. Concluding DC’s prescient “Superman Smashes the Klan.” Launching a new “Shang Chi” with Marvel in advance of the MCU Phase 4 film. Wrapping up DC’s “The Terrifics” with inventive playfulness. And given the quarantine back catalog bingeing of 2020, let’s also give him belated credit for new readers of his Dark Horse “Avatar: The Last Airbender” books after summer’s Netflix revival.
Weren’t these just the comics we needed in 2020?
Distanced from our schools and sports, we found solace in Yang’s new graphic novel, five years in the making, where Yang the gangly, awkward computer science teacher followed a diverse and destiny-bound Bishop O’Dowd Dragons men’s hoops team. As of this writing, B.O.D. students and their many counterparts around the country are still remote from their beloved campuses and courts, but Yang’s sincere and enthralling book captured the adventurous and uncanny in everyday athletics and academics that none of us take for granted anymore.
Meanwhile, “Superman Smashes the Klan,” another Yang and Gurihiru joint, recaptured the best of the young vibrancy, social courage, and crusading wonder of the earliest Man of Steel comics and other media, reviving a counter-KKK storyline from Superman’s radio days that visibilized Asian American solidarity in early 20th century strivings against White Supremacy. While 2020’s movement for Black Lives after Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and others rightfully centered the long Black freedom struggle, Americans young and old searched for antiracist stories that educated and entertained, and “Smashes” served up the combination of conscience and exuberance our best superhero stories (and their writers) have always provided.
In the stirring start of “Shang Chi” and the bombastic closure of “Terrifics,” Yang continued to redefine heroism with his characteristic wit, careful cultural revisioning, and enthusiastic embrace of comic book mirth. Who better embodies the graphic novel’s rise while honoring the comic book’s staying power?
In real life, Yang also turned his book tour virtual with vigor, promoted literacy and supported retailers in trying times, proceeded with integrity and public accountability as a board member through the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s reckoning, snagged some nifty awards, and continued as a warm and wonderful ambassador for the medium.
And all of this, for the most part, from the confines of that busy family home we peep in “Dragon Hoops.” Remarkable. -Paul Lai
