Our Favorite Comic Book Writers - Part 1

David Lapham

When I was asked to pick my favorite comic book writer for this month's article, I found myself struggling to pick just one. I like a lot of different writers for a lot of different reasons. However, I finally settled on Stray Bullets writer and artist David Lapham. The reason he stuck out in my mind is not just because he makes interesting stories; he also makes the world his characters inhabit feel real. Sometimes a character may make a stupid choice, but I always feel like I understand their perspective and why that person would make that choice. When one of the central characters, Virginia, is making her own comic book — Amy Racecar — with a friend of hers, you can almost feel the heat searing off the sidewalk. The storyline of Stray Bullets may seem as random as its namesake, but the more you read, the more payoffs you get back — and sometimes in the most surprising ways. Lapham is no stranger to superhero-based books, having written for Valiant in the 1990s, and more recently for books like Deadpool and The Punisher. He even managed to creep me out more than Garth Ennis with his work on Crossed.

Matt Dakan, CGC Grader, Modern Age Specialist

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Craig Thompson

Craig Thompson is a wizard of ink who marries his mastery of language to eye-catching art and creates beautiful graphic novel masterpieces. He is best known for his popular novel Blankets, which was my first introduction to his style, and the simple beauty of its art woven with the touching story of brothers maturing alongside one another made me search out his other works. My favorite thus far is Habibi, which brings together a story of love and oppression as well as Islamic religious tales and Arabic calligraphy in a visually beautiful and emotionally gripping fashion. Each character is so unique and compelling that I found myself almost unable to put down this 672-page tome and had to read it in two sittings to satisfy my curiosity. For those intimidated by the length of Habibi who still want a taste of Mr. Thompson’s style, I would recommend Goodbye, Chunky Rice, which deals with growing up and moving on as well as loss in a similarly visually delightful but heart-tugging fashion. Though it seems directed for a younger audience due to the characters used (a turtle and a mouse), it is quite adult in its themes and context. I am greatly anticipating his upcoming release of Space Dumplins!

Gemma Adel, CGC Grader

Peter David

For my favorite writer, I would have to go with Peter David. Some of the titles he's left his mark on are Young Justice, Captain Marvel, Aquaman and X-Factor, as well as a 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk.

While he's perhaps best known for the humor he brings to his stories, he can certainly write drama better than many other writers out there. Just check out the Spider-Man: Death of Jean DeWolff trade paperback to see how the murder of his friend brings Spider-Man to the breaking point with her killer. Or check out the Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect trade paperback to see how the Hulk deals with being in the dystopian future that his future self caused — and is in charge of!

But again, if you're looking for some awesome humor, you might want to get a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #267, where Spidey trails a criminal out to the suburbs — somewhere he finds himself way out of his element!

David is currently writing X-Factor, with a new iteration of Spider-Man 2099 coming soon, and I can't recommend his books enough.

Bradley Bradley, CGC Grader, Marvel Specialist