Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Christopher Priest

[Jody Garland]

For Dc, I'd put Morrison at top, then Moore then Priest. Moore is only second because of quantity, not quality. Deathstroke is fantastic, but it's only one project Priest has done that's truly exemplery at DC. If this were Marvel, though, Priest would go on top no question.

[C_Miller]

When it comes to actual writing, I don't think there is a better comic book writer in their prime than Alan Moore. There is some work that I didn't enjoy (especially now), but you can't say that there are many comic book writers who have a better control of words than Moore. Morrison, I think is the writer who has utilized the massive and tremendously strange scope of the DC Universe the best. Unlike Marvel, DC was created in a much less cohesive manner and I think Morrison uses that better than anyone.

Priest? He's a good writer, the question definitely feels a bit like "One of these is not like the others." Very good working writer, but I don't think he's written anything transcendent, especially not for DC.

[Lee Stone]

I'd personally replace Priest with Gaiman.

[dancj]

Moore and Morrison when they're on form are easily two of the best writers in the medium.

James Owsley is a writer who's work I disliked. Then he changed his name to Christopher Priest (apparently unaware that there was already an excellent Scottish writer with that name) and I carried on disliking his work. I've given him plenty of chances, but he's a writer I actively avoid.

[JackDaw]

Based purely on enjoyment I'd put John Ostrander on top...with Alan Moore being a bit behind just because John O did more long runs.

[KC]

I'm not sure Priest is mid-tier. He's a talented writer who has been producing quality work for decades. While he's not on the level of Moore or Morrison, he's definitely pretty well above average.

I personally don't think Priest has done enough to warrant being above mid-tier.

[CaptCleghorn]

I personally don't think Priest has done enough to warrant being above mid-tier.

We can disagree, then. I'm cool with that. He has had stuff going back to his Power man / Iron Fist days in the eighties. Perhaps his DC output hasn't been that prolific, though.

[JackDaw]

We can disagree, then. I'm cool with that. He has had stuff going back to his Power man / Iron Fist days in the eighties. Perhaps his DC output hasn't been that prolific, though.

And Black Panther was very good, of course.

[iron chimp]

Every time I think of that Russian assassin chimp character rolling up beside an electric fire in the front room of a terrace house (from The Filth) it always makes me laugh - very few people can write a chimp as well as grant

[Robotman]

Priest is good but he’s not on Moore and Morrison’s levels el. Moore’s Swamp Thing run is one of the greatest comics ever written. And I don’t think Priest has or will ever do anything as significant as All Star Superman. Plus the Doom Patrol, WE3, JLA, and Batman. Deathstroke has been enjoyable but no where near those comics.
I’d probably put Warren Ellis near the top since he wrote Planetary.

[Random4]

Priest is good but he’s not on Moore and Morrison’s levels el. Moore’s Swamp Thing run is one of the greatest comics ever written. And I don’t think Priest has or will ever do anything as significant as All Star Superman. Plus the Doom Patrol, WE3, JLA, and Batman. Deathstroke has been enjoyable but no where near those comics.
I’d probably put Warren Ellis near the top since he wrote Planetary.

that's fair

[Daniel22]

Moore and Morrison would go at or very near the top DC writers imo. Priest isn't close to them, especially if you're talking just DC output. If you include all works, that distances Moore and Morrison even further from him, but helps Priest's standing at DC overall. I think Priest is a good, solid B writer at DC and a B+ if you include all work.

To be fair, Moore and Morrison are on most people's short lists (very short) lists for top comic writers ever. Falling short of them isn't anything to be ashamed of. When I think of comparable DC writers to Priest, I think of Seeley, McDuffie, Rucka (Rucka has done more, but I enjoy their DC stuff about the same ((outside of Gotham Central, which he co wrote))), Devin Grayson, ...

[Random4]

Moore and Morrison would go at or very near the top DC writers imo. Priest isn't close to them, especially if you're talking just DC output. If you include all works, that distances Moore and Morrison even further from him, but helps Priest's standing at DC overall. I think Priest is a good, solid B writer at DC and a B+ if you include all work.

To be fair, Moore and Morrison are on most people's short lists (very short) lists for top comic writers ever. Falling short of them isn't anything to be ashamed of. When I think of comparable DC writers to Priest, I think of Seeley, McDuffie, Rucka (Rucka has done more, but I enjoy their DC stuff about the same ((outside of Gotham Central, which he co wrote))), Devin Grayson, ...

It's crazy to think that both Moore and Morrison are British, obsessed with magic and mythology and yet despise each other

[Daniel22]

It's crazy to think that both Moore and Morrison are British, obsessed with magic and mythology and yet despise each other

Yeah you'd think they'd make great friends! But maybe familiarity (or similarity in this case) bred contempt? They also might have chafed at the fact they are so often compared to each other, even though the reasons are valid and make sense.

Side note if you are interested in Morrison and haven't read his book "SuperGods" I can't recommend it enough. One of the most interesting comics related books I've ever read.

[Zero Hunter]

Priest is not even in this conversation. There are dozens of other writers who have done better work for DC than Priest.