If you go into this with a rather closed mind, feeling that I only wrote this article to showcase writers who, the majority of which, wrote for only my group, DC Dark Side, I suggest not reading any further. Why? Obviously because you will see me as an overly biased Editor-In-Chief neglecting to read any material from other groups (which isn't true) and, frankly, I could do without your rantings in my mailbox be it on or off the HEROES list.
Still with me? Good.
Plain and simple, I wrote about these guys because they're damn good. Some of these fellas are more established than others (such as Josh Reynolds) while others are on here only for one series which I have found massive interest in (case in point: Alexzander). I consider it nessecary to hype new writers because, two years ago I was and, in some circles, still am in their position.
Anyway, enough of my useless drivel, you clicked the link to read the list and I aim to please.
#5: Alexzander
Known Series:
HULK at Marvel Dark Design
Damn, I know most of you fellas are going to ask "Who?" when you read this and that's a crying shame. Alexzander has me hooked to the HULK miniseries he's penning over at Chris Munn's newly rejuvenated group. It's an awesome psychological drama using a premise that is very new and innovative with the green goliath and, in my humble opinion, a must read.
#4: Tug Baker
Known Series:
MOON KNIGHT at Marvel Dark Lore
WAR OF THE KINGDOMS, THE SPECTRE, and JSA at DC Dark Side
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what some of you are saying. "But he writes for you." So what? I decided to write this article to showcase, in my opinion, the best of the "new breed" and that's exactly what I'm going to do.
Tug is a very decent writer, both alone and teamed with buddy Josh Reynolds. Alone he produced MOON KNIGHT at the now dead Marvel Dark Lore group, which took Marc Spector to new levels in three issues and ranked as one of MDL's best new series. At DCDS, Tug has formed a team with Reynolds to produce some very solid stuff, from the massacre that was WAR OF THE KINGDOMS to the horror story that has become THE SPECTRE. Expect to hear some more out of Mr. Baker in the next few years.
#3: John Wick
Known Series:
MORBIUS at Unstable Molecules
GHOST RIDER at Ultimate Marvel: Startling
STARMAN at DC Dark Side
"Another one?" Yeah, yeah, I hear you groaning, but I can't help it. Look at John's list of titles, all of them are impressive in not only name, but writing as well. Wick is an up and comer in the world of horror tales, one which I believe will someday be on par with Chris Munn and Mike McGee. He already shares space with both writers at Ultimate Marvel: Startling, where he pens one of the best series about Marvel's spirit of vengeance, despte the fact that he is following the run of the aforementioned Mr. Munn (I'm not saying that Munn's run was bad, just that it's hard to follow someone like Munn's work. Kinda like closing a show after the Beatles). His MORBIUS adds intrigue to the now nearly obscure "living vampire," not to mention a look into his totured psyche. And STARMAN? Well, I couldn't believe he chose the title to write in the first place, let alone that he has so far done it justice. Let's leave it at that.
#2: Steve Seinberg
Known Series:
TRIATHLON: THREE TO GET READY and AVENGERS WEST COAST at Unstable Molecules
X-MEN at Marvel Dark Design
Steve Seinberg is a very talented writer, his first work debuted a month, at most two, before this article was written and, damn, he CAN write, and very well at that. His AVENGERS WEST COAST series has so far consisted of a prelude... A PRELUDE! In that prelude, he made me like Moondragon, which is a feat most writers have failed to do time and time again. His X-MEN at MDD successfully utilizes an unorthodox cast of Apache indians and Sunspot, which I don't know if some established writers could pull that off (not saying that no one else could, just I don't know).
But seriously folks, there's only one reason Steve Seinberg made the deuce... he made Triathlon cool. FUCKING TRIATHLON! Damn man, how do you beat that?
#1: Josh Reynolds
Known Series:
WENDIGO and WEREWOLF BY NIGHT at Marvel Dark Lore
MAN THING at Ultimate Marvel: Startling
WAR OF THE KINGDOMS, THE SPECTRE, JSA, DOCTOR OCCULT, MAN BAT and SUICIDE SQUAD at DC Dark Side
FANTASTIC FOUR at Unstable Molecules
By writing excellent stories of death destruction and comedy is how you beat making Triathlon cool. It figures that the most of established of these five would grab the number one spot, but, face it, Josh Reynolds is the Number One Stunna.
He started this streak with WENDIGO, an intruguing story about the all too obsucre first nemisis of the all too overused Wolverine and followed it up with an ongoing series about WEREWOLF BY NIGHT Jack Russell, making up at least of a quarter of the defunct MDL's best titles. He moved on to Chris Munn's UM Startling imprint with yet another man turned monster series, MAN THING, which finally piqued my interest in a character I once perceived as a Swamp Thing rip off. Josh now takes the brunt of the DCDS writing work load, producing three titles with buddy Tug Baker (WAR OF THE KINGDOMS, THE SPECTRE, and JSA) as well drilling out three more titles for the site sololy, including the horiffic DOCTOR OCCULT and MAN BAT miniseries, and the ever so bloody and popular SUICIDE SQUAD ongoing.
All of these books may sound like Josh's only a genre writer because they are, in essence, all horror tales. However, Mr. Reynolds does have one strictly superhero fare title. FANTASTIC FOUR at Unstable Molecules is not only action packed, but gut bustingly hilarious as well.
For those of you who have actually made it through this article, I hope I've said enough to give you the incentive to go read some of the stories that these talent writers produce. If not, then I have to ask, what the hell is wrong with you? C'mon people, give these fellas a chance, they're good at what they do.
In the immortal words of Alex Cook...
Go read something.