When is comes to the constant;y shifting industry of comic books, there’s a lot of factors that go in to getting a single issue created and published. Be it editorial mandating decisions (I’m looking at you Nick Lowe), or line wide initiatives like DC’s All In, a lot has to be considered when balancing all these factors while also telling a unique story for any given character. That’s where the creative team comes in. The writer and artist are the lifeblood of a comic book, each with their own distinct style and voice that help the stories resonate with readers. Since each creative has their own style, naturally readaers develop their own likes and dislikes as they would in any other medium. So with that said, I decided that today I’d go through some of my favorite creatives and what I like about their work, along with a story or two I’d recommend from them.
Chip Zdarsky, Writer/Artist
Chip Zdarsky is hands down my favorite creative in the space. There’s something magical about how he’s able to balance humor and a grounded seriousness that just works for me. The first work of his that I read was his critically acclaimed Daredevil run, and from then on, I’ve tried to pick up everything he’s worked on. Not only is Zdarsky an outstanding writer, but the guy has a background as a cartoonist, which he’s gone on record about how it’s helped him work alongside different artists across his projects. The only book I’ve read of his that he’s also drawn was his creator owned Public Domain, which is a great look in to how the industry itself works in the age of superhero movies.
Recommended Work: Daredevil (2019), Public Domain
Bruno Redondo, Artist
Tom Taylor’s run on Nightwing is an all time great for me, and while I do really like Taylor’s work on the book and things like DCeased, the Nightwing run is definitely elevated by Bruno Redondo’s gorgeous art. I’m a huge fan of the simple yet detailed style Redondo’s developed that lends itself so well to superheros. There’s not a single character I’ve seen him draw that didn’t work for me. In my eyes, this is the style almost all comics should be aiming for, but then again if everything looked like this, it wouldn’t be nearly as special. I’ve been craving Redondo on a new ongoing since Nightwing ended. Please DC, give me Redondo on the Flash or Green Arrow, I’m begging you!
Recommended Work: Nightwing (2016)
Ryan Parrot, Writer
Look, I’ve talked a lot on this blog about how the BOOM! Studios Power Rangers run is my all time favorite comic book, so it really shouldn’t be a surprise that the guy who wrote my favorite section of that run, is also one of my favorite creatives. Similar to how Zdarsky balances humor and seriousness, Parrot is a natural at balancing the camp that naturally comes with comic books and superheroes alongside the grounded reality that helps make emotional punches hit so much harder. Although I haven’t read a whole lot of his individiual work, between Power Rangers and Rogue Sun, there’s no way I was leaving him off this grouping.
Recommended Work: Rogue Sun
Jeff Lemire, Writer/Artist
Jeff Lemire has very quickly shot up my list of favorite creatives in the past year or two. It’s hard to pinpoint specifically what makes his work click with me as much as it does, but I can say that I Have yet to read a Jeff Lemire comic where I left feeling disappointed. The book that really put him on the map for me was, like many others, Sweet Tooth. It’s such a beautifully written book where you can tell Lemire really poured his heart and soul into the story. Couple that with his unnatural looking art, and boom, you have a masterclass comic book. He’s one of the few writers out, in my eyes, who can consitently put out multiple great comic books a month without sacrificing any quality. His current DC ongoings in The Fury of Firestorm and Absolute Flash are 2 of my most anticipated books every month. I just can’t stress how good he is at his job. And he’s a good canadian boy who’s very clearly proud of his roots, which is a plus.
Recommended Work: Sweet Tooth
Mark Waid & Dan Mora
For my last entry, I wanted to spice things up and add a complete creative team where if I see both of these names on the same book, I know I’m in for a good time. Individually, I really like both of these creatives, especially Dan Mora, but when they’re paired together, they make magic every time. There’s something special to be said about how well Mora’s art compliments Waid’s writing, and I think that, similar to Redondo, Mora’s art just screams quintessential comic book, and Waid’s writing evokes that Silver Age spirit and wackiness. The fun I had reading the first few volumes of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest by these two is extremely hard to match, and so when they also created DC’s Absolute Power event? Yea, that’s one way to get me to buy in.
Recommended Work: Batman/Superman: World’s Finest.
So that’s all I have for this installement! What do you think, are you fans of these creatives? Is there someone I need to put on my radar?
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