Silkcuts top 5 Overrated and Underrated (Writers edtion)

Top 5 Overrated

1. Brian Michael Bendis  - Loved and Hated by many at the same time.  I wonder how many would still love him if he was no a Marvel writer?  I feel his only level of success as a writer was work on Marvel.  Sure he did have his Image work, but when it boils down to it, would you save "Fire" for a fire?  I would of linked "Fire" to help with my pun but that was killed when I noticed that there was no page to it.  I guess people only care about Bendis' Marvel work after all, who cares about his indie work after powers. 
   
2. Judd Winick - I admit this maybe harsh without reading Pedro and Me, but its because of Pedro and me I placed him at number two.  Maybe I can't find it, but do we even have Pedro and me as a page on the vine? He is a reality star who still won't stop acting like we still care.  She his Power Girl hasn't gotten the series canceled yet, but look how many people dropped it because of him. He is maybe DC comics weakest writer.
3. Mark Millar - I am not saying I am not a fan of him.  I am just saying he is overrated.  The dude is on the top of many peoples list and all he is really good at is self promoting. I enjoy a lot of his work, but he is Grant Morrison's student and I still don't think he can touch his master in creation comparison.  At a Con in Toronto I even heard Barry Kitson say "Mark, yeah he is special, he just wants to be famous".  Millar is a great writer, but his heart is in it for the wrong reasons.
4. Neil Gaiman - This is strictly talking comics.  Like my argument with Millar, Gaiman was the student of Alan Moore.  Sure Gaiman has the Sandman Universe, but how many of us really know how much Moore influcend that world.  Even "Gaiman's Cain and Abel" are Moore's version from Swamp Thing.  It was Alan Moore who created the constant killing of Able in the DCU. I do love Neil Gaiman, but his name on comics sell because he is a Rock Star.  A friend of mine was only interested in Wednesday comics because of the Gaiman story, which was great but not the reason to read Wednesday comics alone.
5. Garth Ennis - I know I'll get flack for this, but if you think about it it is true.  After Preacher Ennis has become formulated.  You can see the difference in his writing drastically between Hellblazer and Preacher.  Hellblazer had a heart to it I think Ennis lost, in which Ennis used John Constantine to preach his " true faith" and push his creative writing talent.  With Preacher, most people read it because it was cool.  I am still convince Preacher is in Hellblazer's universe and " Genesis" is Ellie's baby.  Ennis is all about shock, which he still pumps out fun great tales, but what really new is he doing?  Even his war books get ignored by his fans if there is not enough gore.  How many of his fans have read Enemy Ace?  Honestly.

Top 5 Underrated

1. Alan Moore - It is easy to say Alan Moore is your fave writer if that is all you know and then many of those people change their minds to other writers because they stop after being introduced to comics because of a Moore book (like Watchmen) and then go on to something different.  There are people who hate Alan Moore because he refuses to work in superheros anymore.  There are people who hate Alan Moore because they believe the negative publicity DC feeds us, that idea Alan Moore is a bitter old man who hates everything.  I don't know all the reasons why there is beef between the two, but its between them. Part of the reason Alan Moore is the most celebrated writer in comics is because of his importance to comics.  If he is not your honest favorite writer, odds are he is your favorite writer's favorite writer.  Warren Ellis and Grant Morrison are too other Vertigo vets that have found influence on their writing besides the mentioned above Neil Gaiman.
2. Peter Milligan - I was talking to Aztek one day because we both are reading Hellblazer right now.  Aztek said "Peter Milligan is the invisible backbone of Vertigo", no words have ever been so true.  Many people still don't know who Peter Milligan is because he'll appear and disappear just as quickly either way when dealing with mainstream comics.  Not everyone has read Shade or X-Statix and you all should!  From the British Invasion he hasn't blown up to the level many of his peers has.  His writing is just as brilliant and layered as Grant Morrison, but Morrison had the Invisibles which solidified his rep.  Peter Milligan can be as perverted as Ennis, but because Extremist or Minx was not Preacher, he is overlooked again.  There is so much great Milligan work, yet not enough love for the man.
3. Kyle Baker - A man I hope you have read something from.  Gifted with both ability to write and create wonder images, Kyle Baker is master of the graphic narration.  Most of his famous works were at Vertigo and that fact that most of them only saw one printing means not enough people have read his work.  He has created for Marvel, DC and Image comics and has had fun work like the short lived Plastic Man to powerful researched literature pieces like King David.  In honesty I loved Wednesday Comics and from all the stories Hawkman was my favorite.  It was exciting, it made me laugh, it was a solid read.
   
4. Joshua Dysart - Why does he keep going Vertigo if they won't let him do anything past 25 issues.  The boy can write, yet he gets no love or respect.  Unknown Soldier should of not be canceled so quickly when it was winning awards.  If you haven't read a Dysart Vertigo book, you should try it out. Heck Dysart is so unloved that on Comicvine he still doesn't have a picture displayed on his page.
5. Eddie Campbell - Famous as one of Alan Moore's go to artist, Eddie Campbell knows how to create comics.  After From Hell odds are you haven't read anything else by him... that is assuming you read From Hell of course.  Eddie Campbell has written a little bit of Captain American and Batman, but how many people really read those short work.  Eddie Campbell's flaw is he is too Independent and only fans of graphic narration, which should not be confused to just comics, would follow his work.  In the Alec omnibus Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis are quoted to praise the Alec series in which many comicviners I am sure haven't read, since I have slowly been adding there pages.

You think Alan Moore is underrated? He's so highly rated. Kyle Baker is awesome, though.

maybe, I'll test out how this one went.
@emerald lamp 2814:  So how was the list? agreeable. Disagreeable. fun idea?

" You think Alan Moore is underrated? He's so highly rated. Kyle Baker is awesome, though. "

" I agreed for the most part "

" @Caligula:  :D I didn't take you as a Moore fan.   I just not on comicvine his page and the related pages are not up kept as much as something like a Grant Morrison page. I had to add the Maxwell the magic cat, birth caul, snakes & Ladders and even the fictional character.  I didn't see as much love on the Vine like you guys are telling me he has.  I love Alan Moore and so much of this stuff related on the vine is not maintained.  So I am glad you guys are telling me different.  I may omit him for the future top 10... lol Top Ten...  list. "

" @Silkcuts: I do agree that Millar is overrated everything he is doing is being made into movies and in my opinion those storys are just being edgie for the sake of being edgie  "

" @Caligula:  So I got you guys saying Moore is loved.  I want to see the Bendis fans tell me where Moore places in their list. "

" @Silkcuts said:

" @Caligula:  So I got you guys saying Moore is loved.  I want to see the Bendis fans tell me where Moore places in their list. "

Bendis fans don't deserve to breathe. lol. jk "

" @Caligula said:

" @Silkcuts said:

" @Caligula:  So I got you guys saying Moore is loved.  I want to see the Bendis fans tell me where Moore places in their list. "

Bendis fans don't deserve to breathe. lol. jk "

I think that is why we get along.  We both are huge Moore fans.  Heck if it wasn't for Alan Moore there would be no John Constantine.  And we agree Bendis is the most overrated writer. "

" @Silkcuts said:

" @Caligula:  :D I didn't take you as a Moore fan.   I just not on comicvine his page and the related pages are not up kept as much as something like a Grant Morrison page. I had to add the Maxwell the magic cat, birth caul, snakes & Ladders and even the fictional character.  I didn't see as much love on the Vine like you guys are telling me he has.  I love Alan Moore and so much of this stuff related on the vine is not maintained.  So I am glad you guys are telling me different.  I may omit him for the future top 10... lol Top Ten...  list. "

yep biggest Moore fan here. and like i said it's not just me that will say that. just ask Aztek.  Swamp Thing, Watchmen, and From Hell are my favorites in that order. but i have liked everything he has done. I actually recommended Promethea to Aztek. "

" @Caligula said:

" @Silkcuts said:

" @Caligula:  :D I didn't take you as a Moore fan.   I just not on comicvine his page and the related pages are not up kept as much as something like a Grant Morrison page. I had to add the Maxwell the magic cat, birth caul, snakes & Ladders and even the fictional character.  I didn't see as much love on the Vine like you guys are telling me he has.  I love Alan Moore and so much of this stuff related on the vine is not maintained.  So I am glad you guys are telling me different.  I may omit him for the future top 10... lol Top Ten...  list. "

yep biggest Moore fan here. and like i said it's not just me that will say that. just ask Aztek.  Swamp Thing, Watchmen, and From Hell are my favorites in that order. but i have liked everything he has done. I actually recommended Promethea to Aztek. "

I know now you read the main Moore books and that is why you love him like me.  Aztek has never read his Swamp Thing and that is an example of why Moore is underrated.  Everyone gets to Neil Gaiman's Sandman, but no one reads Swamp Thing.  Swamp Thing is the roots to my namesake on comicvine. No one reads Rick Veitch or Jamie Delano, too guys I was tempted to up on the underrated list.  Those two are Moore influenced.  Moore is your favorite writer's favorite writer if he is not your favorite writer already.  So that is why I think he is underrated, everyone should have him in there tops list and have him there for the right reasons.  Like reading his Superman/Supreme stories and books like WORM. "

" @Silkcuts said:

" @Caligula said:

" @Silkcuts said:

" @Caligula:  :D I didn't take you as a Moore fan.   I just not on comicvine his page and the related pages are not up kept as much as something like a Grant Morrison page. I had to add the Maxwell the magic cat, birth caul, snakes & Ladders and even the fictional character.  I didn't see as much love on the Vine like you guys are telling me he has.  I love Alan Moore and so much of this stuff related on the vine is not maintained.  So I am glad you guys are telling me different.  I may omit him for the future top 10... lol Top Ten...  list. "

yep biggest Moore fan here. and like i said it's not just me that will say that. just ask Aztek.  Swamp Thing, Watchmen, and From Hell are my favorites in that order. but i have liked everything he has done. I actually recommended Promethea to Aztek. "

I know now you read the main Moore books and that is why you love him like me.  Aztek has never read his Swamp Thing and that is an example of why Moore is underrated.  Everyone gets to Neil Gaiman's Sandman, but no one reads Swamp Thing.  Swamp Thing is the roots to my namesake on comicvine. No one reads Rick Veitch or Jamie Delano, too guys I was tempted to up on the underrated list.  Those two are Moore influenced.  Moore is your favorite writer's favorite writer if he is not your favorite writer already.  So that is why I think he is underrated, everyone should have him in there tops list and have him there for the right reasons.  Like reading his Superman/Supreme stories and books like WORM. "

actually, my sole reason for not reading Swamp Thing is this (and believe me you'll think it's a stupid reason when you here it)...I can't stand jumping into a series at the middle even if the publisher themself tells me to disregard the first 19 issues I can't do that...so since those aren't collected or acclaimed I'm going to have to find a time and desire when I feel up to getting them  I forced myself to plough through the 18 issues of Doom Patrol pre-Morrison before I read the collected trades of his work because I wanted to know exactly what he was revolutionizing...and let me assure you, what he had to work with was not much so I can now appreciate his run all the more...but yeah, I don't not read Swamp Thing because it's Moore...it's because I like to start at the beginning "

" Well I can't think of too many your missing off the top of my head...though I think Matthew Sturges is underrated only in that I feel his co-writing with the great Willingham has just made everyone write off his good stuff as being Bill's but the guy has been the sole writer of House of Mystery for a while now and I've liked the new stuff moreso then I did the old (though I loved that too)...I just wish I knew who wrote what aspects of Jack of Fables because there are some I like better then others
 
as for things I disagree with on your list...
 
but Judd Winick overrated? Does anyone even know who he is? I certainly don't...apart from Blood + Water (which had three of the best issues I've ever read to begin with and then two of the most cliche and predictable to conclude)
 
then Neil Gaiman and Garth Ennis I wouldn't call overrated (or underrated) because everything I've read from them I've loved thus far and until that changes their respect seems well-deserved...until I read something of there's that I don't like I'll feel that way
 
and then Alan Moore in my opinion is the most overrated writer in comics and I will argue it until my dying day...I do read his stuff...but I think he's overrated entirely...he's famous because he was in the right place at the right time...he's a great writer in the way Stan Lee is...not because of the actual caliber of the stories but because he was their in the early stages revolutionizing things...do I think he made a great impact and is responsible for the emergence of many of my favorite writers? yes. do I think he's a better writer then all the writers he paved the way for? Not even slightly. his writing is fine and he had a few hits but overall not so much...the most recent thing of his I read was Black Dossier...slow, predictable and gimmicky...that sums up the entire story in a nutshell...my favorite part was the comic history of Orlando which in all reality had nothing to do with the comic itself...I don't feel that's a good thing...I think people should read his comics so they can judge him for themselves which is why I intend to read everything of his I can get my hands on but I don't like when people say (like Babs did in that video for people new to comics and hundreds of others do) that everything by Alan Moore is pure gold and should be treasured, that's a complete load...even his biggest fan (Caligula) doesn't absolutely love everything he does but reviewers continue to proclaim everything of his the best around "

" @Silkcuts: also, I don't think you should gauge popularity on ComicVine by the wiki...most of the people around here sing their praises on the forums rather then prove it in the wiki
 
and here's your link for Fire
"

" @Caligula said:

" @aztek the lost: yeah Promethea is out there, and i think you'll like it.  i also think you'd like From Hell, it seems like your taste. "

I'm going into Promethea pretty open-minded and trying not to read too much on it so it's fresh and pure Moore as for From Hell, I expect I'll enjoy it too...I mean I definitely enjoy Jack the Ripper mythos (my main alternate account happens to be named such) so that alone may be enough for me :P "

" @Silkcuts said:

"Matthew Sturges is a great suggestion for a future list.  But your right, him being Willingham's jedi knight to the jedi master hurts him.
 
Judd Winick has his fans and Under the hood DVD is an example on how they can sell him.
 
I love Gaiman and Ennis too, but Gaiman hasn't has anything of Sandman level outside the sandman uni.  Ennis is a formula....
 
I respect your view on Moore, it is also reflective on the time.  At the Time Moore did his most celebrated work, it was what other writers couldn't imagine.  The CCA for example was first scraped because of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing.  Vertigo and pushing narration wouldn't be where it is, if it wasn't for Moore's mind.  Moore's comics now are written for him, hence not for everyone.  Most of Alan's work I adore.  Maybe Maxwell I felt was a waste of my money.  Swamp Thing is I think the turning point.  Both Caligula and I read it and are Moore fans.  The narration, the themes, the story, it is timeless.  So my point I think is still valid and you helped me with that, Most people love Alan for the wrong reasons and not enough people love him for the right reasons.  So "underrated" is the conflicting word, but for sure he is not loved properly.
 
My views of magic was taught to me by Moore in a Disease of Language. Alan Moore is not a simple writer and I think that is where he looses people. "

I think something most people don't know who love Willingham is that he broke into comics writing the comic equivalent of Lord of the G-Strings (Ironwood) which I find to be hilarious... well, I guess in my opinion he's not overrated because I don't know of him having a significant enough fanbase but have you read his Blood + Water? do you agree with my thoughts on it?  I see your point that Sandman is basically Gaiman's only contribution to the comic world, most of his other credits are for consulting and his written works being adapted into comic format...I guess the thing is I just love him as a writer in general and love the comic adaptions of his work as well so by combining that with Sandman/Black Orchid/Books of Magic (and what I hope to one day read, Miracleman) he's just a great comic writer IMO  as for Ennis, I do agree he can be somewhat formulaic...but I support where he's coming from with those formulas...but yes I will agree Crossed was almost a sleepfest at times though it was funny at points...I guess come to think of it I can see him being overrated...I mean you either have to love all of his stuff or none of it...there's very little middle ground...so I can support him being where he was I suppose though I do like him as a writer and still read The Boys religiously :P  well I'm giving Moore a chance but I think we're saying the same things only you interpret it as him needing more praise and I interpret it as him needing less :P my reasons for him being overrated are the same as yours for him being underrated "

" @Silkcuts said:

"Matthew Sturges is a great suggestion for a future list.  But your right, him being Willingham's jedi knight to the jedi master hurts him.
 
Judd Winick has his fans and Under the hood DVD is an example on how they can sell him.
 
I love Gaiman and Ennis too, but Gaiman hasn't has anything of Sandman level outside the sandman uni.  Ennis is a formula....
 
I respect your view on Moore, it is also reflective on the time.  At the Time Moore did his most celebrated work, it was what other writers couldn't imagine.  The CCA for example was first scraped because of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing.  Vertigo and pushing narration wouldn't be where it is, if it wasn't for Moore's mind.  Moore's comics now are written for him, hence not for everyone.  Most of Alan's work I adore.  Maybe Maxwell I felt was a waste of my money.  Swamp Thing is I think the turning point.  Both Caligula and I read it and are Moore fans.  The narration, the themes, the story, it is timeless.  So my point I think is still valid and you helped me with that, Most people love Alan for the wrong reasons and not enough people love him for the right reasons.  So "underrated" is the conflicting word, but for sure he is not loved properly.
 
My views of magic was taught to me by Moore in a Disease of Language. Alan Moore is not a simple writer and I think that is where he looses people. "

I think something most people don't know who love Willingham is that he broke into comics writing the comic equivalent of Lord of the G-Strings (Ironwood) which I find to be hilarious... well, I guess in my opinion he's not overrated because I don't know of him having a significant enough fanbase but have you read his Blood + Water? do you agree with my thoughts on it?  I see your point that Sandman is basically Gaiman's only contribution to the comic world, most of his other credits are for consulting and his written works being adapted into comic format...I guess the thing is I just love him as a writer in general and love the comic adaptions of his work as well so by combining that with Sandman/Black Orchid/Books of Magic (and what I hope to one day read, Miracleman) he's just a great comic writer IMO  as for Ennis, I do agree he can be somewhat formulaic...but I support where he's coming from with those formulas...but yes I will agree Crossed was almost a sleepfest at times though it was funny at points...I guess come to think of it I can see him being overrated...I mean you either have to love all of his stuff or none of it...there's very little middle ground...so I can support him being where he was I suppose though I do like him as a writer and still read The Boys religiously :P  well I'm giving Moore a chance but I think we're saying the same things only you interpret it as him needing more praise and I interpret it as him needing less :P my reasons for him being overrated are the same as yours for him being underrated "

Milligan is super underrated.

" Milligan is super underrated. "

" @geraldthesloth said:

" Milligan is super underrated. "

yeah!  the real reason for the post!  We all got side talking about Moore.  But yes Milligan is Super Underrated.  Maybe I should of place Alan at 5 and make PM the new #1. "

" @Silkcuts said:

" @geraldthesloth said:

" Milligan is super underrated. "

yeah!  the real reason for the post!  We all got side talking about Moore.  But yes Milligan is Super Underrated.  Maybe I should of place Alan at 5 and make PM the new #1. "

Yeah! he had the best run on Hellblazer i've read so far. "

I too think Mark Millar is over rated. its also cause of him we had marvel civil war.... grrr.

"It seems like a reasonable list to me, obviously there's a few I disagree with personally but that's from personal preference, everyone's list will be different. I can see why you chose what you did but that doesn't mean I'd choose the same. "

" I too think Mark Millar is over rated. its also cause of him we had marvel civil war.... grrr. "

I don't even think Bendis has any loyal fans anymore, and if they are they're only latching onto the success that was ultimate spider-man and daredevil.

" I too think Mark Millar is over rated. its also cause of him we had marvel civil war.... grrr. "

" I don't even think Bendis has any loyal fans anymore, and if they are they're only latching onto the success that was ultimate spider-man and daredevil. "

" I don't even think Bendis has any loyal fans anymore, and if they are they're only latching onto the success that was ultimate spider-man and daredevil. "