30 Days Of Comics: Day 11: A comic you bought because of the writer

Caper # 1

Similar to my last post, this was one of those comics I bought when money wasn't an issue.

A series that really caught my fancy when I came back was called "Exiles". It was sort of a "Quantum Leap" meets "What If" using a bunch of versions of different X-Men characters. I absolutely loved it and hunted down all the issues and added it to my monthly pull list.

At first I just recognized that I liked the stories. I eventually made note of the writer and poked around a little bit.

Judd Winick, as I would come to learn, was once a cast member on MTV's "The Real World: San Fransisco". From what little I know, this was a season that had both a virulent homophobic anti-Semite with poor hygiene as well as an HIV-positive individual. Winick, who is Jewish, ended up rooming with the HIV-positive Pedro Zamora. Both had run-ins with the "difficult" roommate (who was later evicted) and bonded. The story was chronicled in a comic entitled "Pedro and Me" which I subsequently read and does a MUCH better job explaining all of this!

So, long story short ("Too late!") I liked Winick's writing and was looking to expand my horizons as a comic fan. The premise of the series was intriguing and something I am glad I bought.

“Caper is a 12-issue creator owned maxi series that follows a thin familial line over three time periods,” Winick has said. “These are three separate stories, four issues a piece, each set in a different time period and each revolving around a particular crime oriented adventure.”

For some reason, Winick has become a divisive figure in comics. I like his stuff and am not sure why he is often ridiculed. I don't search him out anymore, but then again I don't search anyone out like I was once able to do.