Going back to my ongoing plea that today's comic creators spend less time on flatlining 'events' and more on creating new characters and concepts, who are the writers and artists looking to the future rather than constantly raiding the past? I don't know much beyond Marvel and DC, but from those companies I'd give credit to Gail Simone for her surprising work with the storylines on Secret Six and Wonder Woman and creation of such characters as Misfit, Junior and Jeanette; and Paul Cornell for the likes of Faiza and Captain Midlands in Captain Britain and MI13, and the new kids in Dark Reign: Young Avengers. Storywise, his Vampire State has been a terrific read.