Kevin Wada is an artist who has had an almost meteoric rise in the past year or so, a fact that could not make me happier. I don’t particularly remember how I first encountered Wada’s art, probably through Tumblr if I’m honest, but I know that ever since I first found his art I knew he was an artist to keep an eye on. His style is rather unique in comics and, even by his admittance, not really conducive to interior work, but it is some of the best cover work I’ve ever seen in my time reading comics.
Wada’s use of watercolour paints and washed out markers gives his colouring a tangibility on the page and really makes his art stand out. It compliments his statuesque character work to create a style that feels like the modern equivalent of Greek marble statues. He is also among a movement of artists to incorporate a genuine sense of fashion in his work. This isn’t just slapping on a t-shirt and jeans on the dudes and low cut tops on the girls, Wada takes care to show the personality of each character through what they wear and what they were is almost also based on a real article of clothing, especially the more fancy stuff. What that leads to is him taking really out there fantastical characters like She-Hulk (she’s a lawyer who’s also a Hulk, I mean, c’mon) and grounding them in a sense of reality through what they wear. It’s a move that makes his art and his covers for “She-Hulk” unique in comics and I can only hope he continues his rise in popularity until everyone knows his name.
Kevin Wada can be found on tumblr, where are of the images below are taken from, and twitter and his work can be found on the covers of “She-Hulk”.
Captain Marvel
Wonder Woman
Cover to “She-Hulk” #5
Captains Picard & Janeway
The Maximoffs
Sketch
Joan Watson
Azealia Banks
Gundam Wing
Teen Wolf
Nightwing
Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers
Cover To “She-Hulk” #2
Lois & Clark
Kitty Pryde & Lockheed
Miles Morales
Kate Bishop
The Will & Lying Cat
Cable
Professor Munroe & Braddock
Doctor Strange
Carol Danvers
