Every day this month I'm going to feature a current comic book writing "star," someone who I think is a very good writer.
I'm mostly going to try to keep from the biggest names as much as possible, because, really, do I need to talk more about the awesomeness of Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis?
Here is the archive of previously featured writers.
Today we look at a writer who is soon going to be a really big name (he might be too big already!)
Enjoy!
I've avoided using Hickman to this point because I wondered if he was too big, but ultimately, he's probably JUST on the cusp of being like a Jason Aaron or a Matt Fraction. Once his new book that he is co-writing with Brian Michael Bendis comes out, Secret Warriors, I imagine we will see more and more of him, which is great, as he is a good writer. Not only is he a good writer, but like quite a few writers that I have mentioned this month, Hickman is a CHALLENGING writer, which I may admire more than I do he actual skills as a writer.
Hickman first came to prominence when he came in second in the first Comic Book Idol competition. At the time, Hickman was "my guy" in the competition, but I also really liked the guy who beat him, Patrick Scherberger. The idea that we got those two guys in the same competition is truly awesome to me.
And as an artist, Hickman might actually be even better than he is an artist - his intricate lines and evocative use of negative space is absolutely stunning.
As a writer, though, Hickman is also great. His main style, so far, has been to tell intensely dense stories where he looks at society through fairly recognizable genre tropes that are, of course, never as simple as they might sound from the first description...
The Nightly News
A man ruined by the media joins a group devoted to "fighting" the media.
Pax Romana
A group of soldiers sent back in time to affect the end of the Catholic Roman Empire.
Red Mass for Mars
Can a small group of people actually save an entire planet?
Transhuman
The politics of becoming more than human.
All simple enough ideas that are never really that simple once Hickman gets through with them.
He's also done short story work in Comic Book Tattoo...
Legion of Monsters...
and just recently, he joined forces with Brian Michael Bendis to launch a new group of (third? fourth?) generation heroes led by Nick Fury.
They had a short story here...
and the series begins in its own book soon.
Expect it to be complicated as all hell, and yet be absolutely awesome.
Here's his website (which may or may not be working right now).