These Artists Brought Some Of The Most Iconic Superheroes To Life
Where would Marvel and DC be without the amazing artists who bring the storylines and characters to life? Before superhero movies, all we had were the 2-D graphics on the pages of comic books. Characters like Superman, Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman were developed from descriptions in writing to images, with each artist adding their own distinct style and flair. Here are 20 comics with the most amazing graphics.
1. Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come was one of the most significant superhero comics of the 90s. The storyline was grandiose so, naturally, the graphics had to match. Every frame is a detailed and realistic masterpiece.
2. Batman: Arkham Asylum
The dark storyline of Batman: Arkham Asylum sees him navigate the twisted corridors of a notorious psychiatric hospital at the behest of the Joker. The graphics which were created by Dave McKean are as dark and demented as the plot.
3. Hellboy
The Hellboy comics, created by Mike Mignola, are celebrated for their unique graphics, characterized by high contrast, dramatic shadows, and the use of primary colors like black and red. The art style creates a dark, atmospheric tone.
4. Spider-Man: Blue
Spider-Man: Blue immediately stands out among the other Spider-Man comics for its graphics by Tim Sale. The comic is highly stylized, making use of a more subdued color palette than most other superhero comics with blue and yellow being the stars.
5. Green Lantern: Rebirth
Green Lantern: Rebirth, illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver, is immediately recognizable for its striking graphics. Each page contains so much detail you could get lost in and bright colors make the images pop off the page.
6. Doctor Strange: The Oath
Doctor Strange: The Oath is unique for its illustrations, reminiscent of Japanese manga, by Marcos Martín. The imaginative graphics match the mystical plotline and stand out among other Doctor Strange comics.
7. Darth Vader
The Darth Vader comic book series from 2015 and 2016 is known for its dark and realistic illustrations by Salvador Larroca. The eye-catching graphics are pristinely clean and stunningly detailed.
8. The Sandman
It took many great artists to capture the surreal elements apparent in The Sandman comics. The art direction has taken many turns throughout the 30-plus year-long running time, with each edition being as stunning as the last, but always dark and surreal.
9. Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi – The Sith War
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi – The Sith War which ran from 1995 to 1996 continues to be memorable for its detailed and spectacular graphics. As opposed to the usual comic book style, artist Dario Carrasco Jr. took a classic, painterly approach to the illustrations.
10. The Vision
About a synthezoid Avenger's attempt at creating a normal suburban life, The Vision is as remarkable for its unconventional storyline as its illustrations. Artist Gabriel Hernández Walta's eerie, understated graphics greatly enhance the plot.
11. Watchmen
Watchmen has long been celebrated as one of the superhero comics with the most stylized graphics. Artist Dave Gibbons' use of sharply contrasting colors, visual motifs, and vivid panelwork create an immersive reading experience
12. Batman: Hush
Batman: Hush with art by Jim Lee is renowned for its graphics as well as its storyline. Lee's style is highly detailed and dark with many pages featuring epic illustrations.
13. Elektra: Assassin
This eight-issue limited series is known for its surreal storylines, perfectly captured by Bill Sienkiewicz's strikingly beautiful artwork. Released in the 80s, many fans feel this series brought the comic medium to new heights.
14. Loki: Agent of Asgard
Loki: Agent of Asgard is about Loki's quest to redeem himself. The graphics by Lee Garbett are known for their unique, cartoonish-style in keeping with the more lighthearted tone of the comic.
15. Daredevil: Yellow
Daredevil: Yellow has received mixed opinions from the comic book community, with some saying it's too stylized. We would argue, there's no such thing. Tim Sale, who also did the illustrations for Spider-Man: Blue, once again masterfully uses shadows, contrast, and primary colors to create atmosphere.
Marvel Studios / Netflix on Wikimedia
16. Batman: Year One
The comic chronicling Bruce Wayne's first year as Batman was released to high expectations in 1987. Those expectations were met thanks to the amazing graphics by David Mazzucchelli which were dark and highly contrasted, influenced by stylish film noirs of the 1940s.
17. Black Panther
When National Book Award-winning writer Ta-Nehisi Coates teams up with celebrated artist Brian Stelfreeze, you know it's going to be good. This 2016 edition of Black Panther was brought to life like never before by Stelfreeze's bold and futuristic aesthetic.
18. Hawkeye
The illustrations in Hawkeye stand out for their minimalism, with artist David Aja using a lot of negative space, unique in the comic book world. A cooler, more subdued color scheme utilizing colors like mauve and lilac also set the graphics apart.
19. Superman: Red Son
For Superman: Red Son, artist Dave Johnson was influenced by Soviet propaganda art, in keeping with the comic's alternate universe plot which sees Superman in Soviet Russia. The striking illustrations feature plenty of reds, straight lines, and boxy fonts, creating an exceptionally bold aesthetic.
Manuel Molinero Martín on Wikimedia
20. Wonder Woman: Historia
Artist Phil Jimenez brought Wonder Woman: Historia comics to the next level with his gorgeous and intricate artwork. Taking a more painterly approach, each individual frame stands alone as a masterpiece.
