Readers Select Best Comics Writer of 2016

Error message

Deprecated function: Using ${var} in strings is deprecated, use {$var} instead in require_once() (line 132 of sites/all/libraries/bad-behavior/bad-behavior/core.inc.php).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $type declared before required parameter $key is implicitly treated as a required parameter in include_once() (line 1442 of includes/bootstrap.inc).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $data declared before required parameter $name is implicitly treated as a required parameter in require_once() (line 342 of includes/module.inc).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $data declared before required parameter $name is implicitly treated as a required parameter in require_once() (line 342 of includes/module.inc).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $file declared before required parameter $entity_type is implicitly treated as a required parameter in require_once() (line 342 of includes/module.inc).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $account declared before required parameter $entity_type is implicitly treated as a required parameter in require_once() (line 342 of includes/module.inc).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $entity declared before required parameter $entity_type is implicitly treated as a required parameter in require_once() (line 342 of includes/module.inc).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $account declared before required parameter $entity_type is implicitly treated as a required parameter in require_once() (line 342 of includes/module.inc).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $values declared before required parameter $entity_type is implicitly treated as a required parameter in require_once() (line 342 of includes/module.inc).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $view_mode declared before required parameter $entity_type is implicitly treated as a required parameter in require_once() (line 342 of includes/module.inc).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $langcode declared before required parameter $entity_type is implicitly treated as a required parameter in require_once() (line 342 of includes/module.inc).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $view_mode declared before required parameter $langcode is implicitly treated as a required parameter in include_once() (line 1442 of includes/bootstrap.inc).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $terms declared before required parameter $node is implicitly treated as a required parameter in include_once() (line 1442 of includes/bootstrap.inc).
Deprecated function: Optional parameter $args declared before required parameter $node is implicitly treated as a required parameter in include_once() (line 1442 of includes/bootstrap.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityStructureWrapper::getIterator() should either be compatible with IteratorAggregate::getIterator(): Traversable, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 292 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityListWrapper::getIterator() should either be compatible with IteratorAggregate::getIterator(): Traversable, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 991 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityListWrapper::offsetExists($delta) should either be compatible with ArrayAccess::offsetExists(mixed $offset): bool, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 991 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityListWrapper::offsetGet($delta) should either be compatible with ArrayAccess::offsetGet(mixed $offset): mixed, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 991 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityListWrapper::offsetSet($delta, $value) should either be compatible with ArrayAccess::offsetSet(mixed $offset, mixed $value): void, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 991 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityListWrapper::offsetUnset($delta) should either be compatible with ArrayAccess::offsetUnset(mixed $offset): void, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 991 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityListWrapper::count() should either be compatible with Countable::count(): int, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 991 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataWrapperIterator::hasChildren() should either be compatible with RecursiveIterator::hasChildren(): bool, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1192 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataWrapperIterator::getChildren() should either be compatible with RecursiveIterator::getChildren(): ?RecursiveIterator, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1192 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataWrapperIterator::current() should either be compatible with Iterator::current(): mixed, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1192 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataWrapperIterator::next() should either be compatible with Iterator::next(): void, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1192 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataWrapperIterator::key() should either be compatible with Iterator::key(): mixed, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1192 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataWrapperIterator::valid() should either be compatible with Iterator::valid(): bool, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1192 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataWrapperIterator::rewind() should either be compatible with Iterator::rewind(): void, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1192 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataArrayObject::offsetExists($delta) should either be compatible with ArrayAccess::offsetExists(mixed $offset): bool, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1235 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataArrayObject::offsetGet($delta) should either be compatible with ArrayAccess::offsetGet(mixed $offset): mixed, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1235 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataArrayObject::offsetSet($delta, $value) should either be compatible with ArrayAccess::offsetSet(mixed $offset, mixed $value): void, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1235 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataArrayObject::offsetUnset($delta) should either be compatible with ArrayAccess::offsetUnset(mixed $offset): void, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1235 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataArrayObject::count() should either be compatible with Countable::count(): int, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1235 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).
Deprecated function: Return type of EntityMetadataArrayObject::getIterator() should either be compatible with IteratorAggregate::getIterator(): Traversable, or the #[\ReturnTypeWillChange] attribute should be used to temporarily suppress the notice in include_once() (line 1235 of sites/all/modules/entity/includes/entity.wrapper.inc).

FTC Statement: Reviewers are frequently provided by the publisher/production company with a copy of the material being reviewed.The opinions published are solely those of the respective reviewers and may not reflect the opinions of CriticalBlast.com or its management.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. (This is a legal requirement, as apparently some sites advertise for Amazon for free. Yes, that's sarcasm.)

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!