As we prepare to put another year of comic books behind us, we look back at some of the creators and contributors to the medium we favor the most. Here are ten crucial comic book talents from the year 2017.
Rick Remender
Rick Remender had one hell of a year in 2017. Black Science continues to be one of the strongest sci-fi comics in the industry, ramping things up this year heading towards the finale. Seven To Eternity emerged as another powerhouse as well as Low. Not only did Deadly Class see major changes and deliver some of the strongest issues, but Rick also found himself busy on-set for the Deadly Class TV pilot for SyFy.
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Donny Cates
This was the year of Donny, he burst onto the scene in a major way. First, he hand cranked our hearts in God Country. Then, he put his personal spin on horror comics with Redneck and Babyteeth. He finished out the year making his Marvel debut in spectacular fashion with both Doctor Strange and Thanos. Cates is one of the most exciting names heading into 2018.
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Jordie Bellaire
Jordie is one of the top colorists in comic books, she’s always one of the hardest working women in the industry. She drove our imaginations on such titles as Batman, All-Star Batman, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Punisher MAX: The Platoon, Spectacular Spider-Man, Head Lopper, and tons more. She also flexed her writing muscle in a major way with her series Redlands, which was one of the best books of the year.
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Charles Soule
The Soule-Man had another year as a top talent for Marvel. He’s consistently delivered on big Marvel titles such as Daredevil, Astonishing X-Men, and Uncanny Inhumans. He’s also one of the Star Wars torch-bearers, writing Darth Vader and Star Wars: Poe Dameron. His Image series, Curse Words, was one of the best new series this year.
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Scott Snyder
Scott Snyder was nowhere near done with Batman after his historic New 52 run ended. All-Star Batman was a Bat-Book truly worthy of the title. He also hammered out Batman/The Shadow and the monumental A.D.: After Death outside of DC Comics. Dark Knights: Metal is easily the best comic book event of 2017, which Snyder wrote and orchestrated.
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Kelly Thompson
One of the most predominant women in comics this year flew under the radar a bit. Kelly Thompson turned Kate Bishop into one of the most lovable and charismatic Marvel heroes in Hawkeye. She took women of the 80s to new places in Jem and the Holograms and Jem: The Misfits. Kelly also delivered the best Star Wars mini-series of the year with Journey To Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Captain Phasma.
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Tom King
What hasn’t been said about the year Tom King had? His Batman series dominated the news cycle seemingly every month (in a good way). He and Mitch Gerads delivered one of the best books of the year with Mister Miracle. We also can’t forget about the Batman/Elmer Fudd Special one-shot that caught everybody off-guard.
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Gail Simone
Gail finished up her monumental horror comic book, Clean Room, this year. She also debuted her Image series, Crosswind, which is one of the most highly rated books for the publisher in 2017. Her Wonder Woman/Conan mini-series finishes out a strong year for the creator.
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Jeff Lemire
Jeff Lemire ended his comic book tenure at Marvel, ending his brilliant runs on Moon Knight and Old Man Logan. He continued to captivate readers elsewhere with Royal City, Descender, A.D.: After Death, Bloodshot Salvation, Black Hammer, and it’s spin-off, Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil. With another spin-off planned for 2018, Lemire has struck gold with the universe of Black Hammer.
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Daniel Warren Johnson
DWJ is the creator, writer, and artist of Extremity. This was one of the best new series of the year, an iconic and brutal masterpiece. You may also have noticed his name attached to some of the best variant covers of the year. Daniel Warren Johnson is a creator to keep your eye on going forward. There’s only three issues of Extremity left, hopefully we get to see him again more often in 2018.
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