The Best of 2001, Part Two Join Don MacPherson and Randy Lander as they take a look at their picks for the Best of 2001, starting with notable writers and artists for the year. Don: Well, Randy and I have looked back on the best comics of 2001 in the first part of look back at last year, and now it's time to focus on the people who created those comics. There are people working in the comics industry today that boast remarkable visions. They're people who are dedicated to the craft simply because they love it, and it shines through in their work. They're people... people who love people... Randy: Seems like it's not a New Year without Don bursting into Barbra Streisand-inspired song. And then, it's all downhill from there. At any rate, though anything with an "X" or a Superman symbol on it still inspires sales, the market has shifted considerably from where it had been, and creator-driven comics were the order of the day in 2001. Let's take a look at some of the creators who had us anticipating new comics every Wednesday. Best Writer of 2001 Don: This category is fairly self-explanatory. One of the first writers who shone in 2001 that comes to mind is Geoff Johns. He took over the writing reins on DC's JSA on his own last year, and he's delivered some great stories in the process. But the real reason he makes my list is his work on The Flash. Mark Waid breathed new life into the title character and the series in the early 1990s, and Johns has done the same in the first decade of the 21st century. Judd Winick also turned out some great stuff with Barry Ween, Exiles and the "Josie Mac" backup feature in Detective Comics. However, my interest in his work on DC's Green Lantern quickly waned as the year went on. Randy: We're pretty much in agreement here. I love everything Winick did, with the exception of his work on Green Lantern, and it says a lot about the quality of writing in 2001 that he wasn't my pick for the year. I have also grown to appreciate Geoff Johns quite a bit, although I think 2002 will be even more his year to shine. I'm surprised you didn't mention Priest, who continues to serve an example of what great writing in comics can be with only one book a month, Black Panther, to his credit. Don: Greg Rucka didn't disappoint with his various Batman stories (most of them in Detective), and he delivered less conventional but just as brilliant work on Queen & Country and Elektra & Wolverine: The Redeemer. Randy: That's not even mentioning his work on single issues this year, such as the first issue of Felon or the incredible story he wrote in Spider-Man's Tangled Web. 2001 definitely cemented Rucka as one of my favorite writers as well. And Brian Azzarello, who in 2001 turned in Banner and El Diablo as well as his ongoing work in Hellblazer and 100 Bullets, continued to be one of my favorites as well. Don: Warren Ellis continued to blow me away with Transmetropolitan, and his imagined world in which Britain won the Space Race -- in Ministry of Space -- entertained with its convincing look at a history that never was. And then there's Garth Ennis. His Punisher still entertains, but it was his work on World War II tales -- like Enemy Ace: War in Heaven and the four War Story specials -- that showed where his true passion for writing lies. However, it seems to me that one writer stood out from the crowd a little more. Brian Michael Bendis, my pick for Best Writer of 2001, consistently entertained, and he did so by redefining super-hero comics. Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate Marvel Team Up turned super-powered paragons into just people, and Powers and Alias explored costumed crusaders from darker and different points of view. Don & Randy's Best Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Randy: Once again, we're in agreement. Brian Michael Bendis rose to prominence in 2000 with his work on Fortune & Glory and the launch of Powers and Ultimate Spider-Man, but he topped himself in 2001, turning in an astounding amount of work, almost all of which was top-notch quality. For these reasons as well as the ones Don mentioned, he's my pick for Best Writer of 2001 as well. Best Artist or Art Team of 2001 Randy: While Don and I are both writer-driven in our focus, that doesn't mean we can't appreciate great artwork, and 2001 brought a lot of it. Whether it's the noir-tinged work of 100 Bullets or Powers, the epic scope of New X-Men or the realism of War Story, this was a great year for comics art. Don: This category is a much tougher one to narrow down to just a few candidates. I find writers can stand out more because they can be working on four or even five monthly titles, whereas pencillers tend to be limited to just one. Eduardo Risso comes to mind for his always fascinating work on 100 Bullets, and for bringing his noir art to the world of Spider-Man in Marvel's Tangled Web #4. One must not overlook the amazing detail that penciller Darick Robertson and inker Rodney Ramos bring to Vertigo's Transmetropolitan every month. Randy: Both of these teams make my list as well, for continuing a high standard of excellence on the titles that they have become associated with. Along the same lines, Mike Avon Oeming deserves credit for his impressive work on Powers in the last year, delivering distinctive and very readable work that brings the dark world of the Powers cops to life. Darwyn Cooke also deserves a lot of credit for a similar dark and distinctive look for his work on "The Hunt for Catwoman" and the first two issues of the Catwoman ongoing series. Don: Jimmy Cheung and Don Hillsman II never disappoint with their sleek and unique depiction of a magical but stark world in CrossGen's Scion every month. Scott Kolins, teamed with inker Doug Hazlewood, has redefined his style to bring industry and sci-fi to life in the pages of The Flash every month as well. And then there's Stuart Immonen and Scott Koblish, whose sketchy collaboration has brought a much-needed human tone to the world of the Asgardian God of Thunder in Marvel's Thor. J.H. Williams and Mick Gray, working on Alan Moore's Promethea, never fail to astound with their stunning realism and meticulous art. Don's Best Artist or Artist Team: Chris Weston Randy: Also in the Marvel camp we have John Romita Jr., who with inkers Scott Hanna and Tom Palmer has served up some of his career best artwork on Incredible Hulk and Amazing Spider-Man. The successful artistic revamp of a pair of floundering flagship characters rested on Romita's shoulders this year, as well as the responsibility of conveying a response to the events of 9-11, and he came through with flying colors. Don: In the end, though, my pick for Best Artist or Art Team of 2001 has to go to Chris Weston. Not only did he astound readers with a stunning level of detail and realism in Ministry of Space from Image Comics, but he brought the humanity and horror of World War II to life in Garth Ennis's War Story: Johann's Tiger and Enemy Ace: War In Heaven. Randy's Best Artist or Artist Team: Scott Kolins & Doug Hazlewood Randy: Whereas my pick goes to folks that Don had already mentioned, the creative team on the revitalized Flash. Every month, they deliver art that is not only leaps and bounds ahead of their past work, but work that stands out amongst the rest of the super-hero books out there and redefines the Flash and his world in a way not seen since Mike Wieringo worked on the title. That's why my pick for Best Artist or Art Team of 2001 goes to Scott Kolins and Doug Hazlewood. Best Colorist of 2001 Don: The importance of the right colorist for a particular comic book has never been more apparently than it is today. Computer-coloring effects have become an integral part of the art, and the colorist's contribution can make or break a comic book. Randy: It's true, while there are a lot of black and white comics out there that I enjoy, the coloring work is always an important element of most of the larger publishers' works. Pat Garrahy and Peter Fantasiz deserve a nod for their always excellent work on Powers this year, and Lee Loughridge is great wherever he goes, whether it's on Batman: Gotham Adventures or one of the non-animated projects at DC. Don: Patricia Mulvihill adds to the foreboding atmosphere of 100 Bullets eveyr month with her glowing background colors. She works with the darkness of the book, often acknowledging that less can be more. Laura Depuy, as always, merits mention for her rich colors on such books as JLA, Ruse, Universe X and Ministry of Space. There's a reason that so many creators -- writers and artists -- seek her out for projects. Randy's Best Colorist: Studio F Speaking of Depuy, I think CrossGen Comics as a whole deserves some attention in this category. Though the quality of their books varies, the colors are always vibrant and exciting, regardless of the title. It's in the colors that the publisher's in-house approach has had the most success. Nathan Eyring's work on such titles as Transmetropolitan and Elektra also comes to mind as some of the best coloring work of 2001. Randy: While I don't disagree with your estimation of Mulvihill, Depuy or Eyring, I think that the colorists who made the most impact on me this year were Edgar Delgado and the guys at Studio F, who colored everything from Battlegods: Warriors of the Chaak to Out There to Incredible Hulk with a bright and colorful palette while maintaining an incredible level of detail and layered subtlety to their work. These guys are my pick for Best Colorist of 2001. Don's Best Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth The Best Colorist of 2001, in my estimation, has to go to Matt Hollingsworth. When it comes to comics with more mature themes, he is the most sought-after coloring professional in the industry. The comics he worked on in 2001 stand out as some of the best of the year: Alias, Catwoman, Detective Comics, Enemy Ace: War In Heaven, Obergeist: Ragnarok Highway and Daredevil. Not bad... not bad at all. Best Cover Artist of 2001 Randy: There's an old saying that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but that happens every day in the field of comics. Fortunately, 2001 provided us with a bevy of talented painters and artists who created beautiful works of art to draw the eye and engage the mind... and, of course, to sell the issue to the wary fan. Don: One name that invariably comes to mind is Alex Ross. His paintings -- which could be found on such 2001 comics as Universe X, Paradise X: Heralds and the Heroes benefit book -- are always eye-catching. Given the detail he brings to his work, it's surprising just how much of it he's able to produce in the course of a year. Dave (various The Sandman Presents limited series) McKean is another artist whose instantly recognizable multimedia style stands out as unique, and that's important is a comic book is to be noticed on the shelf alongside hundreds of other titles. Randy: Ross is amongst those artists who do mostly cover work, and I've found that I like the idea of a different artist doing the covers than the interiors, as cover artists often have different strengths that work perfectly for the single page illustration. That's certainly true of Brian Bolland, who hasn't done interior work in many years but whose covers on The Flash were an incredible treat the whole year through. I was also quite impressed by the work of Matt Wagner on Green Arrow and JG Jones on Transmetropolitan and Wildcats. Which is not to say that I don't enjoy cover art by the regular creative team. Tim Sale did fantastic covers for his own Daredevil: Yellow as well as for Oni's Queen & Country, and Sean Phillips delivered some provocative and distinctive covers for the final year of Wildcats. Don: I must confess that I have a soft spot for Mike Norton's simple cover-design motif for The Waiting Place from Slave Labor Graphics; it helps to set the small-press title apart from the throng of other comics as well. David Mack's work on the covers for Alias and Daredevil remind me a great deal of the powerful work of McKean and artits Bill Sienkiewicz. Randy & Don's Best Cover Artist: Dave Johnson For me, though, the Best Cover Artist of 2001 has to be Dave Johnson. His work on 100 Bullets captures the feel of the title perfectly, and his covers for Detective Comics were thoroughly eye-catching as well. Randy: Yep, this one's pretty much a no-brainer. Dave Johnson has a design sense and style that is absolutely breath-taking, and his covers practically leap off the shelf at readers. Best New Creative Team of 2001 Randy: This was a year for turnover, whether it was new creative teams on Spider-Man and X-Men books or simply one of the many creative teams that turned up on a variety of new titles this year. In this category, we'll examine the best new teams of 2001. Don: My pick for Best New Series of 2001 was Marvel's Alias, and that's why the creative team of Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos and Matt Hollingsworth makes my list of picks for best new creative team. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely transformed one of Marvel's mutant titles -- New X-Men -- into something I actually wanted to read every month, and writer David Tischman and artist Igor Kordey did the same for Cable. Greg Rucka is one of my favorite comics writers, and the artist that seems to click with him the best is Rick Burchett, so their collaborations on the various Batman titles earns them a spot on my list as well. Randy: Agreed on all counts, pretty much, though I think you're giving artists Igor Kordey and Ethan Van Sciver short shrift by failing to mention the work they've done on Grant Morrison's New X-Men as well. And we've already mentioned them numerous times, but it seems only fair to once again point out that Geoff Johns, Scott Kolins & Doug Hazlewood started doing some incredible work on the Flash in 2001. However, I had a few picks in mind that you didn't mention as well. Judd Winick, Mike McKone & Mark McKenna have done terrific work with The Exiles, a fun book that is just beginning to show its darker and more serious side in recent months. Kevin Smith, Phil Hester & Ande Parks delivered a tour-de-force performance on Green Arrow, which was met with critical and sales success. And the same is true of Amazing Spider-Man, which reached new heights this year under the reins of J. Michael Straczynski, John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna. Also, though there have only been two months to judge on so far, I have to mention my appreciation for the new Incredible Hulk team of Bruce Jones, John Romita Jr. & Scott Hanna. Randy & Don's Best New Creative Team: Peter Milligan & Mike Allred Don: My pick for Best New Creative Team of 2001 takes us back to the revamps of Marvel's mutant titles. Peter Milligan and Mike Allred have done amazing things on X-Force in the past few months. The pop culture and corporate satire of the script makes for an interesting contrast with the more simple tone of the art. Randy: Milligan and Allred are my pick for Best New Creative Team as well. While I had a period of time where I enjoyed the X-Force characters, I never thought it would be one of my favorite books, and Milligan and Allred have turned the book into something completely different, and oh-so-much better, than I ever thought it would be. Best Ongoing Creative Team of 2001 Randy: While the attraction of the new is not to be underestimated, that doesn't mean one should overlook the folks who have already clicked and are continuing to turn out some of the best comics out there. There's something to be said for the shock of the new, but perhaps even more for folks who year-in and year-out turn in some of the best work in comics. Don: Not surprisingly, Bendis's name turns up yet again in another category. His work with Mike Avon Oeming on Image's Powers easily make the pair of creators one of the most in-synch creative teams of 2001. Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson and Rodney Ramos continue to produce cutting-edge work in Transmetropolitan after more than four years, and I'll be sorry to see the series go when it comes to its conclusion later in 2002. And then there's the Black Panther creative team: Priest, Sal Velluto and Bob Almond. I'm thrilled that crew has stayed together for two years now. Randy: I'm in full agreement on all of these creative teams, particularly the team of Priest, Velluto and Almond, who have brought artistic stability to a book that lacked it in the first year. And though they rode the book into cancellation to prepare for a mature readers relaunch this year, I have to mention Joe Casey and Sean Phillips as a terrific creative team on Wildstorm's Wildcats series. They took a bunch of X-clones and turned them into a fascinating bunch of individuals, with a style that was quite different from their previous interpretations. Don: Of course, one must also keep in mind that some creative teams consist of only one person bringing a solitary vision to the printed page. Andi Watson is one such person. He brought is wonderful Breakfast After Noon to a close in January 2001, and later on, the collected edition hit the stands. He also began his newest slice-of-life series: Slow News Day, which was just as strong an effort as BAN, if not moreso. My appreciation for Scott Morse 's work also grew in 2001. His Magic Pickle series from Oni Press was a hoot, and his Ancient Joe from Dark Horse Comics stands out as perhaps my favorite sample of his storytelling to date. Randy: If you define "creative team" as a solitary vision, you must also look to a few other faces in the Oni Press stable of talent, including Chynna Clugston-Major's work on Blue Monday or Judd Winick's Adventures of Barry Ween, both of which are consistently hilarious and fun to look at as well. Randy & Don's Best Ongoing Creative Team: Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso & Patricia Mulvihill Don: Those who read the first part of this "Best of 2001" feature won't be surprised by my pick for Best Ongoing Creative Team of 2001. Hell, it won't be a surprise to those reading this part. Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso and Patricia Mulvihill never fail to amaze me month after month with every new issue of 100 Bullets. That was my pick for Best Ongoing Series of 2001, and those responsible snag the ongoing creative team honors as well. Randy: Yep, once again we're in total agreement. Though I enjoy what Brian Azzarello and Marcelo Frusin did this year in Hellblazer, when it comes to Best Ongoing Creative Team, my nod also has to go to Azzarello, Risso and Mulvihill for their work on 100 Bullets. Email Randy and Don comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.