Readers Select Best Comics Writer of 2016

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Submitted by Critical Blast Staff on Wed, 02/15/2017 - 07:03

We've had competitions that were squeakers before, but this is probably the closest it has ever come.

In the running for BEST COMICS WRITER of 2016, we had several nominations from our staff and our readers, covering several different publishers and titles. From Mark Millar for his work on EMPRESS to David Walker on SHAFT, from Tom King's VISION to Marjorie Liu's MONSTRESS. James Robinson got in there for his work on THUNDERBOLTS, as did Charles Soule for DAREDEVIL. And, of course, there's always a showing by Other.

But the main event came down to two huge names in the industry right now, both of which are turning their respective titles on their heads in new ways. Over at DC, Greg Rucka is once again at the helm of WONDER WOMAN, and his work there earned him a whopping 25.33% of all our votes. But it just wasn't enough to topple the man behind Avengers Idea Mechanics, the group behind Marvel's NEW AVENGERS!

Of course I'm talking about Al Ewing, Al comes from the venerable grounds of 2000 AD and JUDGE DREDD, before he moved on to Dynamite's serial killer housewife series, JENNIFER BLOOD.

As he shifted to Marvel comics, Al continued to deliver quirky takes on recognizable characters in books like MIGHTY AVENGERS and LOKI: AGENT OF ASGARD.

But it's his work on NEW AVENGERS that has earned him the title of Critical Blast's Best Comics Writer of 2016. For my money, any guy who can make Hulkling, Wicca and Squirrel Girl work has got to have some serious chops in the writing department, and our collective hats are off to him for that!