11 Fantastic Pieces of Comic Book Art By analise.dubner [231 more lists]

I tried to keep it to 10, but in the end, I couldn't whittle it down further than this. And I left some amazing stuff on the cutting room floor. Also, because art styles vary wildly, and many artists excel in their own style (like Frank Quitely and Dave McKean) I had to try to keep it to my favorite types, the heavily stylized, high-contrast, ultra-dramatic. Art is entirely subjective, obviously... but I think even fans of hacks like Michael Turner will have a hard time arguing that these single page (and a couple of spreads) compositions represent some of the best visual storytelling in the field.

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1

Hellboy

Artist: Mike Mignola

I love almost every single panel of every single thing that Mignola has ever drawn. Some of his covers are things I would frame and hang in my house. His line quality and his absolute mastery of light and dark composition make everything he draws into visual wonderment.
2

Batman: Year 100

Artist: Paul Pope
Colorist: Jose Villarrubia

This 4 part Paul Pope series is not only one of my favorite Batman stories, but it's also one of my favorite in terms of the illustration. I know it's not everyone's style - as people tend to favor realism and pretty people - but the sheer drama... the intense, balls-to-the-wall drama/atmosphere of this is exactly what I want in Batman. And everything I want in a comic.
3

Arkham Asylum

Artist: Dave McKean

In a way, this feels like cheating... putting a fine artist like McKean on here. It is almost too easy to go ahead and say art of this caliber and skill level isn't going to be beautiful. All of "Arkham Asylum" is gorgeous and it was hard to just pick one page... but you have to hand to this guy, he knows how to create atmosphere. And he understands how to use contrast and color like a mad genius.
4

Sandman: The Kindly Ones

Artist: Marc Hempel

Another artist I LOVE, but which I am aware is not for everyone. Again, the hardcore stylization, the black, black line work and the complete commitment to each and every stroke of the brush... how can you not love it? I loooovvved every page of the Kindly Ones, but the emotional impact of the end was just perfect for the series, and the artwork was glorious. Love.
5

Broken City

Artist: Eduardo Risso

This was another one I had a hard time picking just one page. Risso is not as famous as some of the other artists on this list, but he's got my heart with his love of contrast and drama. This would look glorious in just black and white, which is the mark of a real storytelling artist. And, as Frank Miller will tell you - is a great way to tell a Batman story.
6

Powers: Legends

Artist: Mike Oeming

These books are all so great... again, hard to pick just one page. But I picked this one because there were no words on it and that's kind of...well, no offense Bendis, but you're kind of talky. When you can find a page that's not covered in word balloons, it really lets the spectacular art shine. And this is a great example of just how good Oeming is.
7

Elektra: Assassin

Artist: Bill Sienkiewicz

A classic. And one of the greatest comic illustrators ever. Bill is a classic artist extraordinaire and he's never afraid to do whatever he needs to do to tell a visual story. He will scribble, he will paint, he will use crayon. Every panel is fantastic. Elektra is gorgeous through and through.
8

The Long Halloween

Artist: Tim Sale

Sale's artwork (I know I turn to Batman a lot, but its probably because the character practically begs for the kinds of style I love to see) is perfect for the Dark Knight. And again, hard to pick just one page from all his works... but I do think this page is exemplary. Not only representative, but pretty effing awesome.
9

WE3

Artist: Frank Quitely

Quitely is a superstar in the comic world. Well, derserved. Whats funny is that he's an anomaly on this list because I normally tend for the dramatics and Quitely is not a dramatic artist, but more of a whimsical one. Talented beyond words, he can tell an emotional, nuanced story with his clean, non-dramatic lines. I chose WE3 instead of, say, All-Star Superman, simply because of the emotional impact of this spread. Sorry, I was totally crying at this point.
10

The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot

Artist: Geoff Darrow

You could probably put Darrow in the same kind of category as Quitely. He's a spectacular artist, and his attention to detail and his sheer commitment to a panel can't help but keep you staring at his work for hours. It can almost eclipse the story its trying to tell, just from the power of how much impact he can fit in a page.
11

The Dark Knight Returns

Artist: Frank Miller

Gotta include the master of light/dark composition. I could have chosen something from Sin City, and perhaps I should have... but I thought that I might as well go full-Batman on this list. Plus, I kind of hate Sin City (despite how much I love the artwork)... so I didn't want to put something up here that I wasn't fully behind. And while I do dislike a lot of Miller's writing, there's no getting away from this particular book -- which did change comics (and Batman) forever. And for the better.