5.2 Reasons Brian Azzarello is One of the Best Writers in Comics

Welcome DC Entertainment fans to a brand new weekly feature where we list off 5.2 Reasons of varying subjects of greatness from across our line of books, collectibles, and more!
 
Wednesday marked the launch of BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN, and while old Eddie Blake might see the world as a dark and twisted place, we personally like to take a look at the positives—namely the existence of totally awesome comic creators like Comedian writer Brian Azzarello.
 
Already a huge fan of Azzarello, his involvement in Before Watchmen got us more pumped than Schwarzenegger—especially considering the characters he'd be working on. We took a look at the comic catalog to give you 5.2 Reasons Brian Azzarello is One of the Best Writers in Comics.

1. Wonder Woman
WONDER WOMAN #10 is out this week, but with the first issue alone, Azzarello solidified his spot in the pantheon of brilliant WW writers—embracing instead of shying away from the Amazon Princess's mythological roots. Coupled with the insanely gifted artist Cliff Chiang—who perfectly captures and balances Diana's might and beauty—Wonder Woman is like a gift from the gods.
 
2. 100 Bullets
Loaded with intrigue and blasting a non-stop barrage of action-filled slugs, Azzarello and artist Eduardo Risso's 100 Bullets hits the mark as one of Vertigo's quintessential reads. Get the new Deluxe Edition trades or go digital with all 100 issues. And for more awesome collaborations from these two creators, check out BATMAN: KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE and SPACEMAN.
 
3. First Wave
Batman, Doc Savage, The Spirit—classic characters, all interacting and adventuring in the same world along with Black Canary, Rima the Jungle Girl and more. If you love pulp (the style of storytelling, not necessarily the stuff in juice, but sure, that, too) grab the softcover collection, which hit stores this week.
 
4. Joker
This comes as part of a one-two punch with the next entry, but whenever Azzarello teams with artist Lee Bermejo, the only joke is that this collaboration doesn't happen all the time. Insanely beautiful images pair with a darkly disturbing story that explores the criminal side of Gotham and features grisly realistic interpretations of Batman's famous foes.
 
5. Luthor
BATMAN/DEATHBLOW marked the first collaboration between Azzarello and Bermejo, but LUTHOR is the one that put the team on the veritable map. Originally a five-issue limited series, the graphic novel collection includes 10 new pages of material! The title takes a look at the inner workings and motivations behind humanity's self-proclaimed "savior."

 

5.1 He'll Be Teaming With Bermejo Once More On:


 

 

5.2 He May or May Not Be the God of War

 

 

Those are the reasons we're big fans of Brian Azzarello. What are yours? Feel free to sound off below, and we'll see you again in a week with another edition of 5.2 Reasons!

From the Editor’s Desk: Will Dennis

Blame The Killer Inside Me.

It’s spring of 1991 -- well, really winter since I was living in Ithaca, NY where it’s warm likes two weeks out of the year -- there was a big recession on, a war in Iraq, I was only working part-time (some things never change, right? jk) and I’m standing in an independent bookstore and this scary-ass face is staring back at me. It’s the cover to The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson. Never heard of him. But loved the jacket design (Day-Glo orange stripes with black type and a creepy black lizard on it) and so I picked it up.

Now, I’d read my share of Chandler, Hammett, Conan Doyle and even James M. Cain, and considered myself a mystery fan...but this book was CRIME. This was a twisted book about a deputy sheriff who had some serious problems. I read half the book standing in the store and the rest that afternoon. I read it again the next day and knew I needed more...

And holy hell, there was more...Willeford, Goodis, Williams, MacDonald, Himes and on and on. It was grimy, sexy, visceral, mind-blowing work and I felt like a poseur cuz I’d never heard of any of them. But I trusted whoever these Vintage Black Lizard geniuses were and I was never the same. The one time in my life when you really could judge a book by its cover.

Which brings us to VERTIGO CRIME...where we’re trying to capture that same flavor. A line of books by some of today’s best crime writers – IAN RANKIN, BRIAN AZZARELLO, JASON STARR, PETER MILLIGAN, CHRISTOS GAGE, DENISE MINA, MAX ALLAN COLLINS and many more – that we believe can proudly sit alongside the best “regular” crime fiction out there.

The first two – DARK ENTRIES by Rankin & Dell’Edera and FILTHY RICH by Azzarello & Santos – drop today in comic shops and next Tuesday in bookstores. They’ve got eye-popping covers (from Lee Bermejo of JOKER fame) and I really hope you’ll take a taste.

Cuz who knows...maybe in twenty years, you’ll be blogging about how VERTIGO CRIME changed your life forever.

God help you.

will dennis

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