Best Writer of 2010...Gail Simone

Geoff Johns may be the grafting agent of DC, but Gail Simone is it's heart.  DC landed on a gold mine when they first hired her to write for the company, and very few regrets and complaints come from fan reviews on the internet.

Simone takes advantage of every aspect of the human condition known to human kind as she leads the charge in Women comics for DC.  She changed the way comic book fans look at Wonder Woman, and has changed the meaning of being a bad guy with her work on Secret Six, and consistently produces quality work unmatched by any other writer in the genre.

There have been a few titles I've read by her that I haven't been particularly fond of, but that doesn't mean she wasn't writing it well.  Birds of Prey has been written exceptionally well, but it hasn't really "grabbed" me yet.  I wasn't quite sure what would happen in Birds of Prey and the White Canary, but I think Simone has finally put this title in a place where I can hop on board and enjoy the ride!

To be honest, however, there isn't anything Simone has done yet that I haven't enjoyed.  While she's at her best when delving into the much more serious side of her stories, there's never a lack of humor and the right amount of campiness to give her arcs enough balance to keep from being too overwhelming.  If you haven't discovered Gail Simone yet, don't wait any longer!  You'll thank me, I promise.

Comic Book Review: Welcome To Tranquility #1

Book Information

Written by Gail Simone

Art by Horacio Domingues
Colored by Jonny Rench
Lettered by Travis Lanham
Cover by Neil Googe & Rench

My Awe-Inspiring Opinion
Years ago, Gail Simone took charge of “Welcome to Tranquility” and gave it a personality that had not been achieved by any comic of the time. Today, very few titles have come close to meeting that standard set by Simone. Now Wildstorm Comics has brought the popular title back with Simone helming the literary wheel for fans to enjoy once again.

Tranquility seems to have grown into a much larger society for retired heroes with many life changing events occur all at the same time. Mayor is being let out of prison, his wife Suzy anxiously awaits his return, fellow comrades are trying to figure out the reason for the Mayor’s framing, and someone goes out of their way bring Mayor closer to some answers.

This first issue in WTT is just like I remember it; funny, witty, and very different from every other comic book. Its strange sense of humor along with the twisted world created by Simone is a fantastic display of creativity and intelligence. The human side of the story, one of Simone’s more compelling literary attributes, is one of reconciliation and reunion. This issue gets us off to a great start in introducing new characters, bringing back old ones, and building up this mystery surrounding Mayor and the rest of this retired clan of superheroes.

Horacio Domingues brought an interesting artistic flavor to the pages of WTT #1. I can’t say I’m a fan, but I also won’t say I hate it either. His unique brand of art does actually compliment this weird world, which in case makes his art more appealing than should be. It just goes to show you, as long as it fits in the story, the art can be mediocre, yet still be compelling. I think the main problem lies with the inking job; if it wasn’t so heavy and overbearing, I think it could have worked quite well.

My Profoundly Climactic Conclusion
A very great start to a revived popular title. I’ve never been a huge fan of the type of comics Wildstorm publishes, but Welcome to Tranquility defies everything that comics have been made out to be. As long as Simone stays on this book, I’ll stick to reading it.

Ratings
Writing: 10
Themes: 10
Art: 8
Overall: 9.33 out of 10