Writer: Scott Snyder, Artist: Greg Capullo
IANN ROBINSON: When writer Scott Snyder took over Detective Comics, he was on the fast track to becoming a premiere Batman writer. Now, this far into his post-New 52 Batman run, Snyder is the premiere Batman writer. “Court of Owls,” “Death of the Family,” and now “Zero Year,” his incredible retooling of Batman’s origin, have all combined to push Snyder to the absolute top of the Batman writers pile. I’ll go ahead and throw the gauntlet down; Snyder has surpassed any other writer on Batman, period. His contributions to Batman will survive as canon long after we are all gone. A great scribe cannot craft a perfect comic run without a true artist. Greg Capullo is a talent that walks with giants in the industry. With a completely unique style and a passion for the Dark Knight, Capullo delivers his art with the same fire Snyder does the story. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, they are the Lennon/McCartney of the Batman mythos.
Writer: Eric Stephenson, Artist: Nate Bellegarde
ANDY HUNSAKER: Stephenson may disagree with the notion that this is a superhero book, as it’s really just about people stranded on a space station with strange, unexpected powers manifesting in oft-disgusting ways thanks to World Corp experimentation, and there’s no guarantee that any of them will wind up doing anything heroic. Yet I say that still counts. Springing from the catchphrase “science is the new rock ‘n’ roll” and bringing us a Fab Four of celebrity scientists who formed World Corp to great fanfare only to dissolve into bitterness over ethical quandaries, this series has fascinated me from the get-go with its non-linear storytelling, compelling world-building elements, and a unique perspective that remains unpredictable – so much so that I didn’t realize this would qualify as a super-book until about three issues in. Bellegarde’s artwork is striking – particularly when he gets into gruesome body horror that makes your skin crawl, be it a woman exploding into black goo or a guy coughing up part of a lung on an airplane. It’s absolutely atypical of the genre, but it’s engrossing nonetheless.
