Kurt Busiek

Kurt Busiek, honestly, the guy’s pretty much a legend in comics circles. Born and raised right here in the States, Busiek’s been cranking out stories for Marvel and DC since, what, the mid-80s? But if you ask any die-hard comic nerd, they’ll probably point to Marvels as his real breakout. Teaming up with Alex Ross—who paints like his brush is dipped in pure nostalgia—they dropped this four-issue series in ‘93 that just blew everybody’s minds. Marvels wasn’t just another superhero punch-fest; it basically stopped time and said, “Hey, what if regular people saw all this crazy superhero stuff happening?” Suddenly, Spidey swinging through the city and the Human Torch lighting up the sky felt brand new again. And then there’s Astro City, Busiek’s own baby. It’s not just another capes-and-tights thing. The stories zoom in on ordinary folks living in a city packed with heroes, villains, and everything in between. Superpowers are almost beside the point—it’s all about heart, everyday struggles, and weirdly relatable moral dilemmas. People genuinely love it for that. On top of all that, Busiek did a four-year stint writing The Avengers, and honestly, he crushed it. He brought back a classic vibe but with a modern twist, juggling a massive cast without losing the spark. The guy just gets what makes superhero stories tick. A lot of writers try to copy his formula, but there’s only one Busiek.