Brad Meltzer

AGE 34
MUSTWORTHINESS He's writing the season's biggest event in superherodom: ''Identity Crisis,'' a seven-issue comic-book series involving every major DC character from Batman to the Elongated Man. ''I want to explore the emotional cost of putting on a cape,'' says Meltzer, whom you may also know from one of his five best-selling thrillers.
ON HIS MUST LIST ''[Muppet creator] Jim Henson -- a visionary who didn't care about money, only his unique concept of entertaining.''
WORST JOB Scooping Haagen-Dazs. ''If people were mean to me I'd break off the bottom of the cone so the ice cream would leak out after they walked away.''
NEXT The WB drama ''Jack & Bobby,'' which he cocreated.