Brian Michael Bendis

There seems to be no such thing as a lukewarm reaction to Brian Michael Bendis' work. Readers either swoon for his sharp dialogue and offbeat action, or they condemn him for his decompressed storytelling and dismantling of the beloved superhero icons the Avengers.

Regardless, the old adage that there's no such thing as bad publicity must apply, because for all the moaning that Bendis' detractors engage in on message boards across the internet, the guy's still an incredibly successful writer, and someone who has become a key architect of the modern Marvel Universe.

The truth is that for all the flack he takes for his precocious dialogue quirks and talking heads, the guy still knows how to write fun superhero action comics. While his New Avengers may have radically reinvented the team's lineup, in some ways it retains the book's familial feeling, adding a welcome dose of humor in the characters' interactions. And while Bendis may have become the poster boy for decompressed talking-heads comics, he can also write effective action sequences--read the first arc in New Avengers for a few of his better action sequences.

Where his talents come into full synthesis is on Ultimate Spider-Man, his reinvention of the character for the modern age. Currently well past 100 issues, the book displays all of Bendis' trademarks, married together with classic superhero storylines and a return to basics for Peter Parker and his web-slinging alter ego. The solution for those frustrated with the direction of the mainstream Marvel Spidey books has long been to retreat to Bendis' Ultimate incarnation, and with good reason; he has recaptured the essence of the character while losing none of his own authorial voice, which is no mean feat considering Spidey's place in the pop culture pantheon.

Even if you find his superhero comics off-putting, you may enjoy some of his early creator-owned work, including the crime tale Jinx and the autobiographical comedy Box Office Poison. Whether you're a Bendis fanboy or a Bendis hater, no one can deny the man's impact on mainstream comics, in both form and content.