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We like who we like, we hate who we hate, but we’re all so easily swayed.

April 22nd, 2008
Author Graeme McMillan

The fans at Millarworld wonder about the new guard of writers at Marvel:

Well, lately we are seen new writers taking over mostly of Marvel’s output.

Matt Fraction, Marc Guggenheim, Christos Gage, Fred Van Lente, Jason Aaron, Mike Benson, Gregg Hurwitz, Duane Swierczynski, Brian Reed.

Do you think these new guys are the future of Marvel, shaking up the Jemas era of Bendis,Millar, Ennis, Straczynski and Jenkins? Or are they just adding to the legend?

Is that the legend of the Jemas era, or of Marvel…? Nonetheless, the other posters are also feeling the love… kind of:

“I don’t think this crop will have the freedom to shake things up the way the Millar/BMB crop did, but I’d love it if they were afforded the opportunity.”

“Whether these chaps will eventually surpass Millar/ Bendis/ Jenkins/ Ellis/ JMS/ Loeb et al is a tricky question to answer. The ‘old guard’ have a pretty solid fan base, and are big names - certainly enough to sell books on their name alone. I don’t think any of the new writers have that credibility as yet, other than Fraction and Aaron arguably. Time will tell.”

“Fraction is the future of comics! Jason Aaron close behind. they’re both produced nothing by comic book excellence with alarming regularity! …Guggenheim: meh. he’s the new Jeph Loeb -only he resembled current crappy Jeph Loeb instead of old-times cool Jeph Loeb. shame.”

“Marvel ain’t crap until they hire ME! ME ME ME ME DAMMMMMN YOUUUUUU.”

8 Responses to “We like who we like, we hate who we hate, but we’re all so easily swayed.”
  1. justme Says:

    Im tired of Starlin. That guy can taste his own mortality and cannot write a series unless it is titled “The End” or “Death of”
    He seriously needs therapy.

  2. Alan Coil Says:

    “Well, lately we are seen new writers taking over mostly of Marvel’s output.”

    Damn, that’s brutal. And to have the nerve to write this on a writer’s site.

  3. Ken B. Says:

    “Damn, that’s brutal. And to have the nerve to write this on a writer’s site.”

    Should it have ended with a rhetorical and sprinkled in a “Jeezus!” or “Oh my God!” just to make it click with Millar’s style?

    I agree though, grammar never wins on the internet. Just saying that first line out loud makes me laugh because someone really thought it made sense when they wrote it.

    Outside of Fraction, Guggenheim, and Reed most haven’t done enough at Marvel to really make it a “new age.” Aaron’s work on Wolverine is stellar and I look forward to his stuff (outside of Ghost Rider being an angel), but everyone else is just starting out. There may be a few Austen’s and Way’s in that bunch yet, with the Way spot to be taken by Swierczynski if his Cable run is any indication.

  4. Paul C Says:

    Where does the likes of Brubaker & Carey fall into this? Somewhere in the middle?

    Anyways I’d say Fraction and Gage when he gets his own ongoing. Greg Pak too has quietly been going about his business.

  5. Julius Brown Says:

    First, justme I think you posted to the wrong article. Jim Starlin isn’t mentioned anywhere in this article.

    From what the comics I’ve read Swiercyznski is awful and Benson an Hurwitz are no great shakes either. Guggenheim’s work varies greatly in quality. Brian Reed is simply boring; I don’t need more mediocre comics.

    I doubt this group will replace the best of the Jemas guard and certainly not the Ellis-Ennis tag team of quality. Dan slott, Christos Gage, and Jason Aaron are already much better than Paul “Paycheck” Jenkins, Zeb Wells and the infamous Chuck Austen and Ron Zimmerman (whom even Marvel tries to forget existed).

    I’d take the best of both worlds and build my line around Bendis, Millar, Ellis, Ennis, Brubaker, Carey, Slott, Fraction, Gage and Aaron. That’s ten titles right there and that’s a great core line up for the Marvel Universe and JMS’s Thor is fine by me as is.

    In fact if you run the numbers you can get two regular series and one event mini from Bendis, one regular from Millar, one from Ennis, one from Ellis, two to three from Brubaker, two from Fraction, two from Carey, two from Slott or all of the Spidey books, two from Gage and maybe two from Aaron. How much more do you need to fill out your regular series? Toss in work from JMS, Peter David, Roger Stern and maybe Joe Casey, John Ostrander, and BKV for an occasional project and you’ve got all you really need.

  6. Ian Says:

    What’s wrong with Zeb Wells? The guy’s worst work has been pretty good at its worst.

  7. Pedro Bouça Says:

    You guys are overlooking Fred Van Lente, to me he is one of the most talented of the bunch, easily as good as Fraction or Jason Aaron! Jeff Parker is also seriously underrated.

    And to me the sooner Bendis, Millar, Ennis, Straczynski and Jenkins are replaced, the better. I’m not into their super-hero work AT ALL (though some of them are quite good on other genres). The new generation mentioned above seems to be far more into the genre than the current one.

    Best,
    Hunter (Pedro Bouça)

  8. KentL Says:

    Fred Van Lente and Jeff Parker are quickly (and quietly) becoming two favorites of mine. I just finished Modok’s 11 and it was great. After reading the three Annihilation trades recently, I wish Giffen wasn’t exclusive to DC right now.

    I also think it’s great that Joe Casey (though not by any means a rookie) is moving slowly into the Marvel Universe current continuity after residing on the fringes of the past recently. Last Defenders has been pretty good so far.

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