JMS Comics Tier List

I've enjoyed nearly everything that JMS (J. Michael Straczynski) has created: Babylon 5 is my favorite TV show, Midnight Nation is my favorite comic, etc.  Since JMS has written a number of comics, and I haven't read all of them, I decided to make a tier list and add some mini-reviews below! 

The rules: 1) All views are my own.  2) I'm only rating the comics I can actually get ahold of.  (JMS has written some one-shots that I can't find anywhere, so they'll never be in the tier list.)  3) The "Unread" category below includes some comics that I've actually read - it's just been so long that I have no opinion about them.  So rereading them before putting them in my tier list seems in order.  4) The rank order goes from top to bottom (with S tier as the highest) and from left to right.

Mini Reviews:

S Tier: 

(Must-Reads)

Midnight Nation: As mentioned above, this is not only my favorite JMS comic but my favorite comic of all time across all the thousands that I've read.  Its message of hope has gotten me through some dark times and its story is exquisite!  S+++++++++∞  tier!! 

Twilight Zone: One of the things that I like about JMS is how he plots out stories before he even begins writing.  That talent is on full display here with his interlocking 12-issue story; it plays out perfectly.  (Well, as perfectly as anything goes in the Twilight Zone!)  He nails the "tone" of the Twilight Zone superbly, the art is amazing, and the philosophical topics he addresses will resonate with all thoughtful persons.

A Tier: 

(Great Reads)

Dream Police: I understand that getting this series completed was a great challenge, but I'm so glad it finally was finished.  The entire series is JMS' love letter to Dragnet and focuses on the "dream police": Cops who keep us safe while we dream every night.  "God is in the details.  Or is that the devil?  I can never remember..." indeed!

Sidekick: What happens to a sidekick after the hero dies?  That's a profoundly interesting question... and this series exists to answer it.  For my money, this series is the most Garth Ennis-esque work that JMS has done (perhaps most like Ennis in his Punisher MAX run).  It's dark and depressing but heartfelt series exploring themes about loss, villainy, and free choice.  It's rated M, so keep the kiddos away from this one.  

Supreme Power: What if Superman were raised by the government and everything he was ever told was just a tool of controlling him?  Intriguing premise, and it has some genuinely great panels.  I didn't think this benefitted very much from being a Marvel MAX line (it had lots of gratuitous nudity and language, but none that really seemed artistically important; contrast with Garth Ennis' Punisher MAX run).  It ran for 18 issues and I personally thought that issues 1-12 were above-average and issues 13-end were great.  For someone who enjoyed Ellis' The Authority this would be an easy recommendation.

B Tier: 

(Good Reads)

Book of Lost Souls: This book oozes with unfulfilled possibility.  A mere six issues were made before the series ended prematurely, so the story is forever unfinished.  This series was clearly headed in a strong direction...before it crashed to its untimely halt.  Colleen Doran's illustration pairs perfectly with JMS' words; issue 2 in particular is one of the most beautiful comics that I've ever read ever.  But I know that everything in these six issues is all we're likely to get, and that's why it's in the B tier.  A true pity.  "Besides, all love is unrequited.  Haven't you heard?"

Ultimate Power: This one is weird: A nine-comic crossover series where JMS wrote the middle three issues.  (The other issues were written by Brian Michael Bendis and Jeph Loeb, and all were illustrated by Greg Land.  I know everyone loves to hate on Greg Land, but I liked his illustrations...)  What makes reviewing this difficult is that I'm only reviewing JMS' three issues, and I don't know if all three writers developed the overall plot, or if Bendis came up with the overall plot and the other two just had to execute Bendis' plan.  Either way, JMS' three issues were solid and he did a good job revealing the twist.  The dialogue was in-character and it was fun to see JMS returning to the characters from Supreme Power.  I'd recommend this for someone who wants a fun superhero romp, but not to someone who wants to get a feel for JMS' writing.

C Tier: 

(Probably Skip)

Supreme Power: Hyperion: It's an important spin-off (and the best spin-off of the Supreme Power series), but just didn't do anything for me.  The storytelling isn't as good and the change in artist (from Gary Frank to Dan Jurgens) makes this one look worse.  I enjoyed the final twist, though. A romp to an alternative universe can be a tasty snack but definitely didn't leave me feeling like it was a full meal.

Squadron Supreme: The man himself has said that this that he he was floundering, faltering, and that this run wasn't really working.  I...agree.  Every once in awhile I could see pieces of a good story, but those pieces never really got put together.  Ends on a cliffhanger just as it was starting to get good, but...feel free to skip this one.

D Tier: 

(Skip)

The Adventures of Apocalypse Al:  This is the first JMS series that I felt genuinely "meh" about.  It's okay, it's fine, but it's nothing special - and I've never felt that about any of JMS' other works.  The high part of this four-issue series, for me, was Issue 3 where Definitely-Not-Walt-Disney gets eaten by Definitely-Not-Mickey-Mouse.  But aside from that and a couple of other nifty ideas (like Al having a ghost boyfriend and the character Ultimate Darkness), it just seemed pointlessly crass, plodding, and uninteresting.  Of course a middling JMS comic is still better than 80% of the dreck that's out there, but this is far from his best work.  I'd recommend skipping this one entirely.