Blog

In this week’s edition of Marvel Snapshot I want to discuss Marvel’s current writing staff. Now, first I’ll just speak of the writers on the books I read, then turn my attention to some of the other writers that I have heard about. I’m sure I’ll ruffle some feathers with this one, so strap on your seat belts.
First up, I’d like to sing the praises of two teams that have been blowing up the pages in their respective books from day numero uno. Dan Abnettt and Andy Lanning are pure genius on paper. They have been writing Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova from the get-go, and are still pounding out winners every month. These two have been collaborating since the early 90s and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. If you are not a “cosmic” fan, then you might not know these guys, but believe me you’re missing out. They have such a great style and their characters never get stale. They have also shown to be able to switch characters in the same book from one month to the next and not lose one step with their brisk pace.
Next we have Craig Kyle and Chris Yost. Once more you have a duo that knows their characters inside and out, but also know how to keep things fresh. They’ve been doing X-Force vol. 3 since its inception, and tear it up every month. This is a title that could easily turn into a senseless bloodbath with no plot, but they are too clever a writing tandem for that. I’ll admit, sometimes the book seems a little excessive with the blood and violence, but it does always match the tone and story perfectly.

Thirdly, I’d like to say a few good words about Brian Michael Bendis. Now, I know some people got turned off by Secret Invasion, and his name was practically tattooed all over it because it was his baby, but hear me out. He has done some seriously good things with New Avengers, and don’t forget about Daredevil a few years back. He was also one of the main architects behind the Ultimate universe as well. I mean come on, the guy has won 5 Eisner awards; that’s got to say something for his writing prowess. Once Secret Invasion ended it was pretty apparent there were going to be wholesale changes in the Marvel U. There were, and most of them were for the better and he’s responsible for most of these changes. I’ve been enjoying Dark Reign for the most part, and he pretty much has orchestrated it from top to bottom.
Next we have Christos Gage. He has been writing Avengers: The Initiative and is now the main man on Mighty Avengers as well. I’ve been buying both of these titles from day one, and although I feel he’s a pretty good writer, I think I’m going to be dropping Initiative soon. The book has lost a lot of steam since Secret Invasion ended, and hasn’t really been interesting to me since then.
I do have a couple of other guys that I feel are pretty good also. Ed Brubaker has been doing an awesome job on Captain America. He seems to just have a way with this book that I haven’t seen in a long time. Daniel Way keeps me following Wolverine Origins every month, but I will say that the whole “Romulus” thing fell a little flat for me personally. I’m in and out with X-Men and Incredible Hercules, so Matt Fraction, Mike Carey and Greg Pak are three guys that I feel can get it done as well. Once in a while I pick up Fantastic Four, and usually Jonathan Hickman does a pretty good job on that title. It just seems to be every other story line that piques my interest for some weird reason. Usually three or four issues are all I buy, then take a break. I think it’s the characters more than the writing, but I also think a top notch writer can make me like sub par characters that I wouldn’t normally care for.

Now here’s my honorable mention list. If I didn’t talk about one of your favorites it’s probably because I think they stink or don’t read their books.

1. Rick Remender (Thunderbolts, Dr. Voodoo, Punisher)
2. Jason Aaron (Deadpool, Wolverine: Weapon X)
3. Marc Guggenheim (Amazing Spider-Man)
4. Peter David (X-Factor)
I do read Jason Aaron’s Wolverine: Weapon X title, and I have Doctor Voodoo in my read pile as well, so I’ll be chiming in on the latter in my reviews. The other two guys are writers on books I don’t read but I put them on the list because I hear mostly positive things about them through the grapevine.
I’ll do a poll this week, but only with my top 5, so vote other and please leave a comment stating your favorite and why if they aren’t on the list. In last week’s poll, X-Men Forever got the nod as the top title that should get the proverbial axe. Captain Britain and the MI13 and She-Hulk seem to be missed most among the titles that are no longer with us. Well that’s all folks, see you next week, and don’t forget to vote and leave a comment!