10 Comic Writers Who Need To Stop

6. Garth Ennis

DC ComicsDC ComicsPreacher is one of those stalwarts of the comic book canon, one of the most popular titles put out by DC's mature readers Vertigo line and, for many, the first "grown up" title that many fanboys read. It's still remembered fondly today for its gonzo blend of bad taste humour, violence, and heresy, along with the grotesque artwork of Steve Dillon. The real mastermind behind Preacher, however, was Garth Ennis, and it's amazing to see how little he has developed as a writer since his mid-nineties masterpiece. Let's put it this way: Garth Ennis is like the buddy you had at school that you thought was the sharpest, funniest and coolest guy around. He told you great jokes that you recall fondly to this day, he introduced you to new ways of thinking about the world, and for a while there you aspired to be everything he was. A few years down the line you bump into him, maybe when you're back in your hometown for a school reunion or something, and at first you're relieved to see he hasn't changed a bit. Then you realise that it's kinda sad than, in the intervening years, he has remained exactly the same - especially when you begin to realise his jokes are pretty homophobic, his "insight" is absolute nonsense, and maybe he's actually kind of a douche? That's where we are with Garth Ennis now. He's still peddling the exact same trite, "woah comics are for kids but these ones have boobs and swears in!!!" malarkey that he made his career on, and it's really starting to get old. Especially when the more uncomfortable aspects of his mature themes start getting pushed more to the forefront, and you realise that for all the puerile fun and games, this is actually really not okay. Also The Boys is awful and we're not fond of Crossing, either.
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Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/