The Best of 2002, Part Two Join Don MacPherson and Randy Lander as they share their picks for the Best of creative forces in 2002. Don: There are plenty of readers out there who follow specific characters or titles every month. Those favorite names in comic fiction is what drives them. But for me, it's the creators. A favored writer's new project always gets a look, and it's always exciting to check out a new artist's big debut in the industry. So here, Randy and I take a look at the folks we've deemed as the Best Creators of 2002. Randy: We covered their creations back in Part One, published yesterday. Of course, this is another case where we can't possibly name everyone, and the best way to get a sense of who we like is to read all our reviews for the year. But if you don't have that kind of time, this feature will give you a sense of who Don and I thought were the best of the best in 2002. Best Writer Don: For me, this is the most important category, as the writer is, in my opinion, the most important key in the creative process. Without the writer, there's no story. Without the story, there's no art. And without them, there's no marketable product that can be licensed for billions in revenue. Kidding. There's no denying that 2002 was a breakthrough year for Brian K. Vaughan. Y: The Last Man was an instant critical success, and that praise seems to be translating into a fiscal success story as well. Vaughan is also notable for writing what is arguably the best in Marvel's X-Men: Icons line thus far: Chamber. In terms of sheer volume of consistently entertaining super-hero storytelling, one cannot overlook Geoff Johns. JSA, Hawkman, The Flash, Avengers, The Thing: Freakshow, Avengers Icons: The Vision and various Superman titles... he had his hand in these and I'm sure a few other books that have slipped my mind. Johns is the new heir apparent to Kurt Busiek in terms of combining love and nostalgia for the comics of yesteryear with a more modern sensibility. Warren Ellis remained on the cutting edge of subject matter and characterization in 2002. He brought his Transmetropolitan to a satisfying conclusion and launched an interesting and entertaining experiment in Global Frequency. Mek has been an intriguing social commentary thus far, and Atmospherics was one of my favorite graphic novels of the year. Greg Rucka had a great year as well. Not only was it a big marketing year for the Batman books with crossovers and The 10-Cent Adventure, but creatively, those titles saw some real high points, often thanks to Rucka. Queen & Country -- and the spinoff limited series, Declassified -- continue to stand out as Rucka's finest current efforts, and his branching out to Marvel characters -- as in Black Widow: Pale Little Spider and a story in X-Men Unlimited -- point to great things to come in 2003. Randy: Bill Willingham, like Vaughan, is another guy who has been long overdue for a shot at the big-time with Vertigo, and I was pleased that this year he had another strong mini-series (Sandman Presents: The Thessaliad) and followed up with Fables, which sits alongside Y: The Last Man as a reason for Vertigo folks to smile when they remember 2002. In addition, Mike Carey is definitely a guy to watch; Lucifer was great as always, Sandman Presents: The Furies was an unusual and impressive look at one of the continuity-challenged supporting cast from Sandman and Hellblazer, while not my cup of tea necessarily, is absolutely the book its fans want it to be. Randy & Don's Best Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Don: My pick for Best Writer will come as no surprise to anyone who read Part One of this Best of 2002 feature: Brian Michael Bendis. Daredevil, Alias, Ultimate Spider-Man and Powers... there's no denying that these books represent the very best in super-hero storytelling in 2002. Bendis continues to raise the bar in what we can expect from super-heroes. Randy: We're in agreement again. I loved Rucka's work this year, but I think he'll be even stronger in 2003, and when it comes to combining both quality and quantity, you can't beat Bendis's track record in this year or the one previous. Best Artist/Art Team Randy: Like Don, I'm very much a writer-driven reader, but if good writing was all I wanted, I'd just read novels and short stories. Comics is a collaborative medium, and the art side of the equation is just as important as the scripts that drive the stories. Also, while there seems to be a relatively small pool of A-list writers, the pool of A-list artists is enormous, and I had a real hard time picking just a few favorites for this category. Some of my favorite artists frustrate me, because they're working largely on characters or books that don't grab my interest. I don't have a lot of interest in DC's current Doom Patrol, but I absolutely love Tan Eng Huat's work, and hope that he'll find a bigger and better assignment that will interest me more. The same is true for Igor Kordey, who has worked on books I like including New X-Men and Black Widow: Pale Little Spider, but who still hasn't really been given the ongoing assignment that will make people sit up and realize what a talent he is. And while I enjoyed Crossgen's Crux at the beginning, overall the story has taken directions I don't find all that interesting, a shame since Steve Epting and Rick Magyar are doing career-best artwork for the book. Then there are the artists who make the books I enjoy into books I absolutely can't wait for. Hawkman wouldn't be anywhere near as powerful if it weren't for the amazing action sequences and spectacular character work of Rags Morales & Michael Bair. Jeff Johnson & Tom Ryder are probably more responsible for the hooks that Way of the Rat has in me than Chuck Dixon, and I know that's true of Greg Land & Drew Geraci's work on Sojourn. Don: Well, CrossGen artists are certainly well represented on Randy's list, and I've got a couple of them on mine as well. Steve McNiven and Tom Simmons deliver stunning visuals every month in Meridian, making the fantasy seem quite real and capturing the touching, emotional side of the story as well. Randy mentions Igor Kordey as well, and I think he merits recognition just for being the most productive and consistently strong artist Marvel has in their corner at the moment. Randy's Best Artist: John Romita Jr. There's no denying that 2002 was a great year for Brian Hurtt. Whether teamed with Arthur Dela Cruz on Skinwalker, with Christine Norrie on Queen & Country or flying solo on Queen & Country: Declassified, Hurtt proved himself as one of the greatest creative assets in the Oni Press stable right now. I'm a major John Cassaday fan, so it was disappointing that there were no new issues of Planetary last year. Fortunately, folks like me got their fix through Captain America. His richly detailed artwork was not to be missed. The same can be said for another Marvel creative team: the guys from Ultimates. Mark Millar's realistic and political approach to super-heroes would never have been as strong if Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie and Paul Mounts didn't reinforce that sense of realism with some meticulous visuals. Don's Best Artist: Darwyn Cooke Randy: My pick for best artist of 2002, however, goes not to the flashiest artist but to one who blends solid skills, tradition, a great work ethic and plenty of experience into work that is some of the best in his distinguished career. Whether it's with Scott Hanna on Amazing Spider-Man or Tom Palmer on Incredible Hulk, John Romita Jr. had an amazing year in 2002. Don: We're on a different page here. My nod goes to Darwyn Cooke. His work on the Catwoman ongoing series was only eclipsed by his Catwoman graphic novel, Selina's Big Score, and his Spider-Man's Tangled Web contribution, along with J. Bone, marks the high point of that series to date, outshining even 2001's brilliant "Severance Package" from #4. Best Colorist Don: With developments in computer coloring techniques, the contributions of colorists have never been as obvious or important. Sometimes, an exceptional coloring job isn't even readily apparent, as the tones merge seamlessly with the line artwork, and a poor coloring job can mar the artwork and the story. Meriting a mention in this category is a group effort. CrossGen Comics has an in-house coloring staff, and while responsibilities for different titles is split up, it's clear that CrossGen's house style has resulted in strong coloring performances across the board. Nathan Eyring also deserves mention, as his work on the stark Transmetropolian was as nuanced as the story and art on the title. Trish Mulvihill managed to use dayglo-like colors to reinforce the modern noir tone of 100 Bullets to excellent effect. She has a proven track record with more traditional approaches, as called for in such titles as Wonder Woman and Generations II, but it's impressive to see that she's not limited to just a conventional approach. Speaking of unconventional, there's Matt Hollingsworth. He's one of the most in-demand colorists in the industry, and it's easy to see why. His dark, muted tones on such books as Daredevil, Catwoman and Batman/Deathblow: After the Fire really contributed to the moods of those stories. Randy: Once again, a lot of names crossed both our lists. Mulvihill has a lot of versatility, and Matt Hollingsworth is bar none the guy to get if you want a dark but readable style for your book. I'll also mention that Laura Allred's bright pop colors are the perfect match for Mike Allred's work on X-Statix, and that Peter Pantazis continues to be a crucial part of the Powers team. Also, Studio F continues to blow me away, specifically with their work on Incredible Hulk but generally on every job that they take. Randy and Don's Best Colorist: Paul Mounts Don: Ultimately, though, I have to select Paul Mounts as the top colorist of 2002. His stark colors in Ultimates still boasted a lot of energy and overcame some printing challenges, and he brought some crisp, bright tones that worked quite effectively in darker stories like Just a Pilgrim: Garden of Eden and The Pro. Mounts has also proven to provide integral creative input to Fantastic Four. Randy: You know, I'm sort of getting tired of agreeing with you, but you're right again. Paul Mounts had a fantastic year, and his work on The Ultimates in particular stands out as some of the best coloring work of 2002. Best Cover Artist Randy: Ah, the cover. It's more than just a work of art, it's a marketing tool, and can be the make-or-break point for a book, as it's the first thing a reader sees. While it's not a hard and fast rule for me, I've come to realize that I generally enjoy books where the cover artist is different from the interior artist, and my choices this year mostly reflect that. Christopher Moeller has done amazing, tone-setting covers for Vertigo's Lucifer. I was particularly enamored of his work on Lucifer #27, revealing the charge of the Lilim, but all of his work sets the stage for the story inside without revealing too much. A more iconic approach is to be found with Andrew Robinson, who has done some interior-specific work on Hawkman but who has just as often revelled in the joys of the character's flight and weapon mastery, reminding readers why they might seek out a book about a guy whose only power is flight anyway. And Mike Avon Oeming's covers, whether it's on Noble Causes: Family Secrets or his pop-culture-inspired riffs on Powers, are always pretty impressive as well. Don: Kieron Dwyer's interiors on Avengers were always a lot of fun, but they were nothing compared to his covers for the book. Dwyer made excellent use of white space to catch the eye, bringing an unconventional design sense to a title with a long history of traditional covers. J.G. Jones offered some stunning covers on Y: The Last Man and captured the noir tone of the interiors of Catwoman with his frontispieces. Dave Johnson has been doing such a consistently amazing job with the covers for 100 Bullets, he should really be considered part of the book's core creative team. Randy and Don's Best Cover Artist: Kaare Andrews Randy: I'm with you on J.G. Jones, especially considering the latter's recent work on Captain Marvel, and I also greatly enjoyed Phil Noto's work on Birds of Prey and Beautiful Killer. But when picking best cover artists this year, even my long-time favorite Dave Johnson couldn't compare to Kaare Andrews. His covers on Incredible Hulk have really made that book stand out, and they are an outward expression of the edgier and more interesting change that the book has gone through on the inside. That he also did some solid covers for Amazing Spider-Man earlier in the year is icing on the cake. Don: Andrews's computer-enhanced artwork and inventive designs on Hulk riffed on everything from cereal boxes to Norman Rockwell paintings, and I'm amazed Marvel decided to take him off of the Amazing cover gig. And I'm with Randy... Kaare Andrews was the cover artist of the year in 2002. Best New Creative Team Don: This category is reserved not only for creative teams on new books, but for creative teams that take over from a previous one on an ongoing title. If there's one constant in comics, it's change, so there are plenty of creative teams to consider here. Y: The Last Man was a new book that was the focus of a great deal of well-earned attention, and it was not only thanks to the premise, but to the synergy among Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra and Jose Marzan. The excitement among readers for this book can be traced back to the enthusiasm and skill of the creative team. Another new grouping of creators was to be found on Fantastic Four. Writer Mark Waid and penciller Mike Wieringo worked together on The Flash before, but by throwing inker Karl Kesel and colorist Paul Mounts into the mix, readers were treated to an even sharper look. Randy: All three of these teams made my Best Of list as well. In fact, if we were picking runners-up, Fantastic Four's new team would be it, because they are doing amazing work and making one of my least-favorite Marvel super-hero teams into must-reading for me lately. I also must give the nod to Chuck Dixon, Jeff Johnson and Tom Ryder over on Crossgen's Way of the Rat, who created a fun and fantastic martial arts story that has some of the best fight sequences ever done in comics. Also, though he's a one-man band, Kerry Callen of Halo & Sprocket has impressed me as one of the shining new talents of the indy scene. Don: A couple of DC's better super-hero titles saw some shifts in terms of art, and the results were consistent strength or even an improvement. Penciller Leonard Kirk joined writers David Goyer and Geoff Johns and inker Keith Champagne on JSA, and together, they continued to make that title DC's best team book. And over on Catwoman, Cameron Stewart took over from Brad Rader as the book's regular artist, and suddenly, Stewart, writer Ed Brubaker and colorist Matt Hollingsworth had captured the same film-noir quality that drew in readers when the title began. Randy and Don's Best New Creative Team: Mark Millar, Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie & Paul Mounts All those creative teams are great, but my pick for Best New Creative Team of 2002 is the guys behind Ultimates: Mark Millar, Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie and Paul Mounts. Sure, the book's shipping schedule was inconsistent, but when an issue did hit the stands, it was a sure-fire winner every time. Randy: In my heart, I want to take them to task more for the incredibly erratic schedule, but you're right. The Ultimates provides a nice balm for those still stinging from the open wounds left by The Authority's demise, and it's a damn good action/super-hero book thanks to collaborators who really seem to be in synch. Best Ongoing Creative Team Randy: There's something fun about the shock of the new, but just as impressive is seeing a team continue to deliver greatness even when they've been around a while. This year brought a whole lot of books that didn't need revamping or new creative teams, but just a hearty clap on the shoulder and a "job well done" to all involved. Coming as no surprise to those of you who have read this far, two of my favorites this year were Bendis books. Bendis is a great writer, but part of the reason he is so well-respected is that he has been blessed with great collaborators, and it's his synergy with the rest of the creative team, whether it's Oeming and Pantazis on Powers or Alex Maleev and Matt Hollingsworth on Daredevil, that makes those books continuing favorites. And though the heat on their books was sometimes dimmed because people took them for granted, I must note the continuing strength of the Geoff Johns/Scott Kolins/Doug Hazlewood/James Sinclair Flash and the Peter Milligan/Mike and Laura Allred collaboration on X-Force/X-Statix. Then there were the ongoing creative teams that, sadly enough, ended their strong collaborations in 2002. Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Olivier Coipel brought a new era of interesting storytelling and style to The Legion, and while I've enjoyed almost all of Incredible Hulk this year, it didn't get much better than when it was Bruce Jones, John Romita Jr. and Tom Palmer. Randy's Best Ongoing Creative Team: Brian Bendis, Mark Bagley & Art Thibert In the end, though, I've got to go with another Bendis book, and it's once again the strength of collaboration that makes all the parts work as a seamless whole. While Mark Bagley and Art Thibert wouldn't make my list of standalone best artists, they are absolutely ideal for Ultimate Spider-Man, and Bendis turned in probably my favorite story arc on that book so far this year. It's worth noting that this team hasn't missed an issue together, and indeed they have even stepped up to a bi-weekly schedule at times without losing the strength of the book. Don: The Ultimate Spider-Man crew made my list as well, but wasn't my pick for the top ongoing creative team. Of course, like Randy, that wasn't the only Bendis-led creative team to make the list. Bendis, Michael Gaydos and Matt Hollingsworth shone on Alias. Don's Best Ongoing Creative Team: Alan Moore, J.H. Williams III, Mick Gray, Jeromy Cox & Todd Klein A couple of other strong creative forces were to be found working on Vertigo titles for DC Comics. Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson, Rodney Ramos and Nathan Eyring wrapped up a deserved lauded run on Transmetropolitan in 2002, and though the story was stronger for having had an ending, I'm sure I won't be the only one who misses the monthly madness of Spider Jerusalem and company. And though 2002 wasn't as strong a year for 100 Bullets, it nevertheless remains one of the most consistently entertaining and challenging books out there. For that reason, Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso make my list as well. My pick for the Best Ongoing Creative Team of 2002, though, is one that didn't appear on Randy's list. Alan Moore, J.H. Williams III, Mick Gray, Jeromy Cox and Todd Klein took readers on a magical, informative and provocative journey in Promethea in 2002. If you missed it, be sure to check it out in hardcover or the inevitable softcover collected edition. Best Publisher or Imprint Don: The list of candidates for this one is the shortest, obviously. Marvel had another good year, and I'm not just talking about the success of the Spider-Man movie. Though the vast majority of their output is in the realm of super-heroes, there's still a willingness to experiment, and they continue to draw in the industry's top talent, including the best that the world of small-press comics has to offer. Over at DC, 2002 will go down as the year that the publisher's Vertigo imprint was rejuvenated. Transmetropolitan was arguably the anchor of the line, and with its conclusion, Vertigo might not have been as strong. But then Fables and Y: The Last Man came along. There was a time when a throng of readers would check out anything Vertigo produced, and I think that sentiment has returned. Randy: In addition to a pretty decent year for the big two, there was plenty of gold to be found amongst the smaller publishers. IDW made some noise with 30 Days of Night, but they also had some quieter successes with the surprisingly down-to-earth Lurid or the outrageous Invasion '55, not to mention several other impressive projects. With big-name licenses like Mage Knight and C.S.I. onboard in 2003, look for IDW to get even bigger and better in 2003. Also, Top Shelf continued to deliver some of the strongest graphic novels to be found in the market, hitting a terrific balance between artsy and mainstream to provide great books for the direct and bookstore market alike. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Image, whose attempts to expand and find a book for every reader are to be commended, especially when they provide such off-beat and interesting fare as Rex Mundi or Hawaiian Dick. Don: The best publisher of the year, though, is the one that offered both the greatest consistency in quality and the greatest diversity of material, and that was Oni Press. Slice-of-life, science fiction, pulp adventure, fantasy, espionage, horror... even a little pinch of the super-hero genre was to be found with the Oni Press logo on it. Jamie S. Rich, Joe Nozemack and James Lucas Jones are to commended for assembling just as wide an array of talent and for always trying something new. Don and Randy's Best Publisher: Oni Press Randy: And we end 2002 with one last agreement. Oni has impressed me pretty much from the start, but you've nailed what really makes them great: their impressive consistent level of quality and diverse offerings. Though they had a couple of misfires for me this year, almost everything they published was what I would consider good, and a pretty good chunk of that falls into the category of great. That they've managed to maintain a standard of excellence even as they increase the number of books they publish is a testament to all the work and love the guys at Oni put into their books. That wraps up our review of the Best of 2002. Just about everyone mentioned is still quite active in comics, so we expect great things from 2003 as well. Email Randy and Don comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.