Best of 2010. The Artists

There’s no such thing as a best artist in comic books, in my humblest of opinions, so I’ll use this space to write about some of the artists that caught my attention in 2010, whether they were on new projects or a part of new creative teams. Let's get started:

From Hulk #27.

Gabriel Hardman on Hulk. Talk about a thankless task—having to follow fan-favorite Ed McGuiness after his popular run with series creator Jeph Loeb ended this year. But I’ll be honest, I prefer Hardman’s work on the character. Hardman has a wonderfully 60’s retro style to his artwork that feels modern nonetheless. His Hulk is a muscle-bound monster who is more than formidable, but Hardman draws his face as the confident, courageous soldier he is. This is important because we have to believe the guy is a hero. Add Bettie Breitweiser’s astounding palette to the mix and Hulk is one of the most stunning books of the year.

Hardman draws fantastic action and series writer Jeff Parker has given the artist plenty of fisticuffs to fit into the pages of Hulk. Iron Man, Thor, and Namor have all guest-starred in the title and Hardman has gotten to create some fantastically splashy fight scenes.



From Batman and Robin #13.

Frazer Irving on Batman and Robin and Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne. If someone had shown me something Irving had drawn outside of superhero comics, I would have never thought his style appropriate for mainstream work. This is why I don’t edit comic books. Irving’s work on Batman and Robin (issues #13 through #16) and The Return of Bruce Wayne #2 has been a wonderful departure from more standard comic book art. His Joker is as creepy a version of the character that I have ever seen.

How do you describe Frazer’s haunting work? It almost looks as though you are looking into a person’s nightmare. Apropos for a Batman book for certain. Everything in the foreground is clear while the details of the background are scarce or often washed out. Irving handles the inks and colors on his own work which might seem obvious since the finishing perfectly compliments the pencils.




From New Avengers #2.

Stuart Immonen on New Avengers. If pressed to choose an artist who can draw any character in the Marvel or DC Universes, I would be surprised if many comic book enthusiasts would select a name other than Immonen. This year came one of the artist’s biggest gigs—the relaunch of New Avengers with writer Brian Michael Bendis. While I have not always been a fan of Bendis’ storytelling on the title, Immonen has killed, killed, killed on every page of this book.

Immonen can do talking heads, he can do characters sitting around a table, but most important, Immonen can do world-in-knee-deep-danger-style action. And Bendis has thrown a lot of end-of-the-world scripting at Immonen and the artist never fails to deliver (and the book is always on time). Look out in 2011 when Immonen gets what may be his biggest project to date: Fear Itself.

From Thor: The Mighty Avenger #7.

Chris Samnee on Thor: The Mighty Avenger. Samnee deservedly got a lot of buzz for his work on 2010’s new all-ages (until issue 7 at least) Thor title. The art may appear deceivingly simple, but look closer and see how much life and character Samnee brings to his character-work. Samnee makes sure to use the right body language and expressions to ensure the reader understands what Thor and Jane Foster, his Earthly lady love, are thinking.

Samnee’s version of Thor was also an intentional departure from what readers have been accustomed to for over 40 years. He’s a big guy, but not the steroid-induced hulk that he has become in the in-continuity comics. Thor: TMA was my introduction to Samnee and I’m eager to see what he moves onto after the book ends with issue #8. The first Thor: TMA trade is currently available with a second scheduled to be released in 2011.

From Superior #1.

Leinil Yu on Superior. Yu’s work has never been more… superior (I had to). Yu’s panels are filled with wonderful detail. In the past issue alone Yu drew some amazingly cinematic moments: a satellite landing in Time Square, a submarine pulled off of the coast of Long Island, and a reactor meltdown. Yu brings series-creator Mark Millar’s imagination to life, giving the book a big-screen feel the entire time.

Yu is also adept at creating the quieter more touching moments of the series in which Young Simon Pooni’s challenges with multiple sclerosis are explored. Yu has grown and grown as an artist over the last decade, but I’ve found his work on Superior to be his best.

From The Flash #4.

Francis Manapul on The Flash. Where do you begin with a guy who was born to draw splash pages? Manapul’s work on Geoff Johns’ Flash relaunch has been beyond spectacular. While the book tends to run late—if it’s going to look like this—then fine with me.

In the first issue, there’s a two-page splash of Barry pulling apart the Trickster car that is astounding. In the third issue, there’s a fantastic sequence in which Barry saves the inhabitants of a burning building then proceeds to put the entire thing back together. But Manapul may long be remembered for a breathtaking scene that has Barry rescuing two helicopter pilots in issue #4 of the series (above). Barry runs up the side of a building, runs across the propeller, into the helicopter to pull out the pilots, and onto the building beside it in a split second. Month in and out, Manapul always brings his best to Johns’ pages.

There are plenty of others to mention: Sami Basri on Power Girl, Kenneth Rocafort on Velocity, Eddy Barrows on Superman, Carlos Pacheco on Ultimate Thor, Adam Kubert on Astonishing Spider-Man and Wolverine, most everyone involved with Strange Tales II, and so many more. There was no lack of great artwork in 2010.