Top 50 Comic Book Writers

[caj]

CBR is currently ranking the Top 50 comic book writers based on reader votes. I'll continue to update as the articles come out. So far:

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-50-47/
50 – Keith Giffen
49 – Gerry Conway
48 – Greg Rucka
47 – Rick Remender

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-46-43/
46 – John Ostrander
45 – Jaime Hernandez
44 – Al Ewing
43 – Paul Levitz

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-42-39/
42. Chip Zdarsky
41. Carl Barks
40. Dan Slott
39. Art Spiegelman

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-38-35/
38. Gail Simone
37. Robert Kirkman
36. Tom Taylor
35. Will Eisner

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-34-31/
34. J. Michael Straczynski
33. Jeph Loeb
32. Steve Englehart
31. Walter Simonson

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-30-27/
30. Kieron Gillen
29. Mark Millar
28. Jason Aaron
27. Jeff Lemire

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-26-23/
26. Jim Starlin
25. Scott Snyder
24. Tom King
23. Jack Kirby

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-22-19/
22. J.M. DeMatteis
21. Denny O'Neil
20. Marv Wolfman
19. Roy Thomas

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-18-15/
18. Warren Ellis
17. Roger Stern
16. John Byrne
15. Garth Ennis

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-14-11/
14. Ed Brubaker
13. Peter David
12. Brian Michael Bendis
11. Brian K. Vaughan

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-10-7/
10. Geoff Johns
09. Kurt Busiek
08. Jonathan Hickman
07. Stan Lee

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-6-4/
06. Mark Waid
05. Frank Miller
04. Chris Claremont

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-3-1/
03. Neil Gaiman
02. Grant Morrison
01. ALAN MOORE

Thanks to everyone who followed along and posted on here. There are some misses and some rankings that are off but still a nice list.

[Jim Kelly]

Given their bias toward super-heroes and the current big two U.S. publishers, I don't expect much.

If we're talking about U.S. comic book writers of all time, then it should be Paul S. Newman--the most prolific writer ever.

In terms of National Allied/Detective Comics/All-American the top four should be Jerry Siegel, Bill Finger, Gardner Fox and Bob Kanigher. In terms of all the characters they created, their importance to the publisher and the volume of stories they wrote, those are the four that seem most important. After them would come, in terms of output and quality, guys like Sheldon Mayer, John Broome, Edmond Hamilton, Otto Binder, Cary Bates, Len Wein, Denny O'Neil, Arnold Drake, Leo Dorfman and Bob Haney.

[caj]

I can't believe I was unaware that Gerry Conway had created both Power Girl and Vixen. That's amazing.

[SJNeal]

Expect the top 10 to be filled with writers who've only been working professionally in the 10-15 year range.

[LifeIsILL]

John Ostrander at 46? That's too low.

[Stanlos]

Expect the top 10 to be filled with writers who've only been working professionally in the 10-15 year range.

I suspect the same and given the slots posted already I cannot even begin to take them seriously

[Captain Nostalgia]

CBR is currently ranking the Top 50 comic book writers based on reader votes. I'll continue to update as the articles come out. So far:

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-50-47/
50 – Keith Giffen
49 – Gerry Conway
48 – Greg Rucka
47 – Rick Remender

https://www.cbr.com/top-comic-book-writers-46-43/
46 – John Ostrander
45 – Jaime Hernandez
44 – Al Ewing
43 – Paul Levitz

Actually surprised that Giffen and Levitz are so low on the list. They both wrote some of the best comics in the 80s and 90s IMO.

People who vote on these things tend to usually be younger, so as someone noted, the top writers will probably be skewed to people from the last 10 to 15 years.

To have Levitz, Rucka and Giffen so low is criminal. I will laugh if Michael Bendis is on this list and ranks higher.

[JackDaw]

John Ostrander at 46? That's too low.

Agreed. For me, if restricted to writers primarily judged on super hero material he's in my top 3...purely based on amount of enjoyment his comics have given me.

[caj]

Added a new batch to OP.

[caj]

Updated 10/18/22

[SJNeal]

They already have them ranked pretty closely, but I'd definitely have Simone, Zdarsky, and Kirkman higher than Taylor...

[caj]

They already have them ranked pretty closely, but I'd definitely have Simone, Zdarsky, and Kirkman higher than Taylor...

Agree. But then, I'm not a fan of Taylor at all.

[Captain Nostalgia]

Chip Zdarsky 42, I guess people still think he needs to earn his stripes. Batman has a higher profile than Daredevil, so I imagine he'd be higher up the list in a few years time.

Gail Simone 38, that's fair I guess.

I don't recall reading anything from Tom Taylor, so I can't comment on that one.

[caj]

Updated 10.20.22

While I think he's ranked way too low, I'm just happy to see Steve Englehart made the list at all.

[Nomads1]

How about that? My favorite artist ranked 46 on the artists' list, and my favorite writer, John Ostrander, ranked 46 in this list. Well, at least I'm consistent.

Peace