Who are your favorite comic book authors and why?

[vark]

Alan Moore, Pat Mills and Frank Miller remain for the time being my favorites writers since more than 20 years.

With Moore, Miller and Mills I have discovered that with a brilliant script, the art is not important (I am talking about the look of the art, not the construction/narrative aspect of the art). Back then in the late eighties I was into "pretty" drawings (I have Byrne in mind), and I had to force myself to buy French adaptation of Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen and Marshal Law because of the art, especially Kevin O'Neill's art that I found disgraceful with a lot of imperfections. Now Miller, Gibbons and O'Neill are in my top 10 artists of all time, Kevin O'Neill being my all time favourite (before Sienkiewicz!).

With Moore and Miller (but especially Moore) I have also discovered comic as a media, and what are its specific strengths (i.e. something that can be done only with this media). For me a great author is not only someone that comes with an interesting story/concept, but also someone that says "ok, here is what I want to tell, now how can I use this media the best way possible to tell it". Of what I have read recently (but I don't know much), only Joe Hill with his Locke and Key have managed in my opinion both level.

With Mills, things are more heart related. His humor, his (over the top) ideas, his universes always get me. And I deeply respect the fact that after a 40 years career, he still remembers that comic shops should be populated by kids mostly.

After them Mignola and Whedon comes to my mind. Mignola because he has became a great storyteller, and Whedon because he is in my opinion the best dialogue writer I know (and he is not bad either in term of character development and plotting).

[victorxd1999]

Alan Moore, Pat Mills and Frank Miller remain for the time being my favorites writers since more than 20 years.

With Moore, Miller and Mills I have discovered that with a brilliant script, the art is not important (I am talking about the look of the art, not the construction/narrative aspect of the art). Back then in the late eighties I was into "pretty" drawings (I have Byrne in mind), and I had to force myself to buy French adaptation of Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen and Marshal Law because of the art, especially Kevin O'Neill's art that I found disgraceful with a lot of imperfections. Now Miller, Gibbons and O'Neill are in my top 10 artists of all time, Kevin O'Neill being my all time favourite (before Sienkiewicz!).

With Moore and Miller (but especially Moore) I have also discovered comic as a media, and what are his specific strengths (i.e. something that can be done only with this media). For me a great author is not only someone that comes with an interesting story/concept, but also someone that says "ok, here is what I want to tell, now how can I use this media the best way possible to tell it". Of what I have read recently (but I don't know much), only Joe Hill with his Locke and Key have managed in my opinion both level.

With Mills, things are more heart related. His humor, his (over the top) ideas, his universes always get me. And I deeply respect the fact that after a 40 years career, he still remembers that comic shops should be populated by kids mostly.

After them Mignola and Whedon comes to my mind. Mignola because he has became a great storyteller, and Whedon because he is in my opinion the best dialogue writer I know (and he is not bad either in term of character development and plotting).

Could you give me some Pat Mills recommendations? I never read anything by him.

[Billy Batson]

Could you give me some Pat Mills recommendations? I never read anything by him.

Charley's War, Marshal Law, Nemesis the Warlock and Slaine: The Horned God are some of his work to check out.

[lvizzz]

Slaine: The Horned God is awesome book, I was very suprised while reading it how many stories and ideas I can find there - I've expected just gore and lots of fighting to be honest. Can't recommend more, get it, read it!

[vark]

Charley's War, Marshal Law, Nemesis the Warlock and Slaine: The Horned God are some of his work to check out.

I (of course) second this list with the addition of the ABC Warriors (my favorite 2000 AD strip). For more recent productions I will recommend Sláine's stories by Clint Langley (Book of Invasion and the Wanderer), and Defoe (Pat Mill's own league of extraordinary Gentlemen Vs Zombie apocalypse). But keep in mind that most of his work for 2000 AD are aimed to appeal at both kids and grown ups. And you won't find subtle subtexts in his work because as he has once said, "if you have something to say, just say it".

My personal favorite is Marshal Law because what's not to love about a right wing almost fascist cop written by a radical left wing author?

http://whatisahero.over-blog.com/#

[Sparko]

Stan Lee - For starting Spider-Man the way he did, going strong for years, along with a slew of other stuff... 'nuff said
Dan Slott - For all his work on Spider-Man
Brian Michael Bendis - Mainly for Daredevil
Ed Brubaker - Daredevil/Fatale
Jim Starlin - Cosmic Marvel
Brian Cevinger - Atomic Robo
Brian K Vaughn - Y The Last Man
JMS - Spider-Man
David Michelinie - Spider-Man
Rick Remender - Venom/Black Science

[day_walker]

I was more into super-heroes as a kid so I only had a couple issues of MoKF. I'd like to read more now, though.

Not sure if I've read his Thor.

I was only into super-heroes as a kid (depending on what you consider the Micronauts) but I started picking up MoKF in the past few years. They're not the easiest things to find, and of course not available in TPB, but I've been able to pick up about 15 issues in the dollar bins, and some that cost me a bit more than a dollar.

[Demonhead]

Neil Gaiman; Obvious choice but the Sandman altered my view of comics, writing and art permanently. All his other work like Black Orchid and Only the End of the World Again too. I actually preferred his time on Miracleman to Moore's.. it's that bad.
Matt Fraction; Mostly for Hawkeye but Sex Criminals and his run on Iron Man are great reads. Lots of humor and great characters.
Warren Ellis; Transmetropolitan and his time on Astonishing X men that's kinda overshadowed by Whedon was brilliant too I think.
Frank Miller; Wrote some of the best Batman stories I've ever had the fortune to read. That and my addiction to all things noir.
Brian K Vaughan; Y the Last Man turned out to be a lot more interesting than I thought was possible at the time. An d the Runaways was a refreshing approach to super hero stories. Even Saga, which isn't exactly my thing, is wonderfully written.

There's a tonne of others who for the most part would be considered obvious choices(Alan Moore, Garth Ennis, Jim Starlin et al ) but who's got that time?

[poundofbull]

Alan Moore: Swamp Thing and Miracleman. Death of Kid Miracleman had me weeping.
Neil Gaiman: Sandman
Frank Miller: Daredevil, Batman
Jim Starlin: Warlock, Captain Marvel
Mark Waid: Flash, Daredevil, Hulk

[ksouthcomb]

my all-time favs:

Mark Waid: Kingdom Come, Empire
Brian Bendis: Daredevil, New Avengers
Geoff Johns: JSA
Grant Morrison: WE3, All-Star Superman

and some newer but still awesome..
Scott Snyder: New 52 Batman, Batman: The Black Mirror
Jason Aaron: Scalped, Southern Bastards

[Ultimates]

Garth Ennis: His Punisher and Nick Fury stories poke the right primal parts of my brain. Its great reading alpha's act alpha. None of the typically naive stories about how people with power act and think of others.
Jonathan Hickman: His New Avengers work has me buying monthly instead of trade waiting like I do for everything else. It did start to drag and get some filler though.
Rick Remender: Rick's writing makes the strange and convoluted nature of comic heroes fun. Fear Agent, Uncanny X-Force, and Deadly Class are my favorites by him.

There are a few other authors I follow but those three get most of my attention and money.

[djkinsaul]

J. Michael Straczynski for Rising Stars and Midnight Nation. The writing was awesome in both.

I am not a fan of Morrison. However, I cannot praise him enough for All-Star Superman.

[Hellboydce]

Warren Ellis > everyone else

[Samurai Jack]

Jim Zub and G. Willow Wilson are the two comic writers who got me back into actively reading comics on a monthly basis, and both IDW's Samurai Jack and Marvel's Ms. Marvel are among the best comics that I've read. Before that, I was a very casual comic reader and only really bought comics based off the Batman and Justice League animated series. Those were both pretty good too though.

[MegaManChiefFan]

Jeff Lemire-Animal Man, Sweet Tooth, Essex County
Brian K Vaughan- Y The Last Man, Saga
Alan Moore- Watchmen, Swamp Thing
Scott Snyder- His Batman works
Kieron Gillen- The Wicked + The Divine, Young Avengers
Neil Gaiman- Sandman