Spoiler alert: comics have been really, really great for the last five years. Now that Multiversity has been around for a while, our Editorial staff of Matthew Meylikhov, David Harper and Brian Salvatore decided to put together a look at who and what made those five years so great, as they share their five favorite artists, writers and comics over that span.
Today, we’re starting with the artists, and as it was with all three categories, it was tremendously difficult to boil it down to just five names. But boil it down they did, and these lists provide you insight into who excelled the most in bringing comic book stories to life. Take a look below, and please, share your thoughts as to how stood out the most for you in the comments.
Matt’s Picks
1. Frank Quitely
Why He Made the List: While he might not be the most prolific artist around, I think it’s undeniable to look at Frank Quitely’s work and not see him as one of the biggest names in comics consistently. Frank Quitely is the type of artist whose name alone sells the book even beyond the writer, and in an ostensibly writer-driven industry that’s a big deal. But through various re-prints (“WE3” Deluxe, Absolute “All-Star Superman” and the return of “Flex Mentallo”), his continued work with Grant Morrison as well as his new series “Jupiter’s Legacy,” it’s been made perfectly clear that Quitely is one of the few artists who actively challenge the scope and space within the medium, re-defining what it is that can be done in comics — let alone pin-ups and covers. Quitely is a master of the medium and someone who we could all stand to learn a thing or two from about storytelling and art.
2. Chris Burnham
Why He Made the List: Traveling in similar footsteps as Quitely, Burnham is an artist who really came into his own over the past five years. While some new his work based on his collaboration with Joe Casey or his work at BOOM!, he really made a sizable impression when being scooped up by DC Comics for the final act in Grant Morrison’s Batman Epic. What makes Burnham so noteworthy, though, is that he very quickly began revising his own style and pushing himself further and further in his work. It was one of the most noticeable transformations; not just a gradual growth in skill but rather a sharp turn in overall talent, jumping high into the upper echelon of rockstar artists we all follow and love in this medium. Burnham’s work on “Batman Incorporated” was nothing short of incredible, and I can only imagine what kind of highs he’ll go to in his upcoming Image series.
3. JH Williams III
Why He Made the List: JH Williams III being one of the best artists around is probably no surprise to anyone who has ever read a comic. His work in “Promethea,” for example, is absolutely stunning. And yet, even with that, JH Williams III continues to surprise with his work. “Detective Comics” showed a little bit of it, but when he took on full writer/artist duties of the New 52’s “Batwoman,” we began to see a completely different side of Williams, someone that had grown more accustomed to balancing the story being told with his sprawling and intricate artwork. Perhaps it was stepping into the writers chair as well that allowed his work to grow even stronger, but looking at his pages in “Sandman: Overture” show a completely different JH Williams III — and it makes every late issue very much worth the wait.
4. Emma Rios
Why She Made the List: Emma Rios is one of those talents that very much just blew up in comics. Honestly, it literally feels like yesterday when I was buying “Strange” by her and Waid and thinking that there was great character work there, to later picking up “Doctor Strange: Season One” and being greeted by almost entirely new artwork — a new style, a more intimate relationship between the lines and the artist. Rios is an artist that completely redefined herself over the past five years, and the results in the recent collaboration with Kelly Sue DeConnick in “Pretty Deadly” only go to show how far she has come over the last few years. Rios displays a set of skills and talent for understanding both storytelling and artwork as separate but intricate entities that makes her work repeatedly stand-out, and if “Pretty Deadly” is an example of what she’s capable now, I can’t even begin to imagine what wonders she’ll be creating five years from now.
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5. James Stokoe
Why He Made the List: James Stokoe is decidedly one of the best artists in comics that just does not do enough. It’s understandable why, of course; Stokoe’s artwork is so layered, so detailed and visceral that it would be a shame for him to rush out an issue of “Orc Stain” before it’s ready. Even so, though, some of the work that he’s turned out in the past five years — his “Godzilla” mini, or even “Sullivan’s Sluggers” and all the weird circumstance around that — has proven that Stokoe is always worth the wait. Stokoe brings with him an unbelievable eye towards detail and world-building, something that many other artists tend to ignore. Yet for Stokoe’s work, every single minute element in the art is something to explore, something worth slaving over and bringing to life in a different and unique way. Life is never as simple as a wash of color here or a set of lines there; it’s messy and sophisticated and tangled up in parts and structure — and this is exactly what Stokoe puts into his art that makes him stand-out like none other.
David’s Picks
1. Fiona Staples
Why She Made the List: The reigning Eisner winner and Queen of all thing comic art right now, Fiona Staples would be the choice for many fans of comic art as the best comic artist over the past five years if only because of her work on “Saga”. It’s a career defining work that is maybe the hottest thing in comics right now, and Staples deserves all of the credit in the world for the work she’s done on it.
But shortly after Multiversity started, I had my first experience with Staples work on a little book called “North 40”. This Wildstorm title was missed by many, and within that book, you could see the emotional complexity and unparalleled storytelling she could bring to the page, but in its early stages. It was incredible, also Eisner nominated work, and it was a book that easily could have been forgettable if not for her stunning abilities. After that, her work “Mystery Society” and “DV8: Gods and Monsters” covers kept building her star, until that star went supernova with “Saga”, and it has been well deserved. Her work on that book, from marvelous covers to the so-real-it-hurts character work to the big moments and small, has turned that book from something great into something iconic. And that, my friends, is absolutely magic.
2. Sean Murphy
Why He Made the List: Another artist whose work I discovered during this five year span, Murphy set my mind ablaze with his work on “Joe the Barbarian” with Grant Morrison and made me (occasionally) wish for an “American Vampire” world without Rafael Albuquerque on “Survival of the Fittest”, but let’s all face facts: it was “Punk Rock Jesus” that made him rank here.
His work on “PRJ”, the Vertigo series he both wrote and illustrated, was a raw, powerful and thoughtful journey into a story that’s so believable you kind of wonder when – not if – it will happen, and it was his black-and-white art, so potent with its heavy inks and jagged lines, that made this world real right now. No stone was left unturned as he built this world straight from his mind, and there were some scenes in it – like when Thomas McKael eventually got his just revenge against Slate – that were so filled with energy it was like you could feel it emitting from the page.
He’s continued that work on with the sci-fi madness of “The Wake”, as gloriously colored by Matt Hollingsworth, and with a road map that apparently includes work at Image, I expect the next five years to be more of the same for Murphy.
3. Jerome Opeña
Why He Made the List: I don’t have any cool stories about when I first discovered Opeña’s art, but I can say this: when I did, I was in. There aren’t a lot of creators I’ll just straight up buy anything they do, but Opeña is, as he has the rare ability to make literally anything seem like the grandest and most incredible adventure we’ve ever taken in comics. Granted, he worked on books like “Uncanny X-Force” and “Infinity”, two titles that were epics even for the comic book medium, but I think his rare gift is pushed even further in that he can make the large moments he is tasked with rendering feel small and important in the most personal of ways.
Continued belowI could make a pretty good argument that the single greatest floppy comic I read over the past five years was “Uncanny X-Force” #18, the final chapter of the “Dark Angel Saga”, and a big reason why was because Opeña made heartfelt goodbyes between characters as momentous as final battles. I don’t know what he’s doing next, to be honest, but whatever it is, I will be buying it.
4. Craig Thompson
Why He Made the List: How do you even describe Thompson’s art? It’s so ornate and involving that it transcends the comic book art form, with his work on something like “Habibi” – from the outside in – being such a complex and dream-like read that you almost can’t compare him to anyone else. In many ways, when you read a book by Thompson, it’s like you are literally being transported into his mind, seeing what he sees as he brings the stories he can’t help but tell to life.
Reading a Craig Thompson book is an experience, and it’s one that is defined by how completely he involves the written word into the visual story beats. They’re one and the same with Thompson in a way few can match, and even with only one book released over the span, I couldn’t help but include him on my list.
5. James Harren
Why He Made the List: I’m a big basketball fan, and my favorite writer to read is Zach Lowe over at Grantland. His ability to mesh analytics and scout like tendencies into well written and entertaining pieces is unparalleled, and one of my favorite things he did was simply writing in all caps and including an exclamation point at the end of LARRY SANDERS! name. He loved the guy’s game so much, the enthusiasm he had was impossible not to include in the piece, and when I realized JAMES HARREN! was my LARRY SANDERS!, I couldn’t help but start dropping that in pieces.
After all, the oft “B.P.R.D.” artist is one of the most brilliant artists in comics, bringing so much energy and power to the page that he makes big moments Earth-shattering, and his character work is so strong, when a visual is meant to deliver something to us, we feel it. Harren’s gifts as a creator of monsters and a deliverer of story are amongst the best in the business, and the amazing thing is, he’s still new to comics in a lot of ways. Some day, Marvel or DC will write a blank check to give him, and you’ll all know what I mean. Until then though, I will keep leading the JAMES HARREN! parade until there are more of you with me.
Brian’s Picks:
1. Francis Manapul
The first piece of commissioned art I ever purchased was a Manapul Hal Jordan, in full color. Manapul is an artist instantly identifiable, whether watercoloring his own work, or in collaboration with his “Detective Comics” co-writer Brian Buccelatto, and his work stands out even more in the Jim Lee clone bullpen of DC Comics. Expressive and lean, dynamic and fun, with the best layouts in the business, his work has an energy and an optimism that reminds me of reading comics as a kid, but with a finesse and an edge that is purely of this era.
2. Ben Oliver
One of my first reviews for Multiversity was of “Batwing” #1, and it went from a book I was sure to dismiss to a book I made sure to pick up for one reason: Ben Oliver’s art. He took a clunky costumer and gave it grace and gravitas, and brought to life a character that many were writing off. Since then, he has handled fill-ins, one shots and covers, and each time has elevated what should have been forgettable to a something really special. His detailed style blurs close to photo-realistic at times, but never lets that make his art sterile or static. Why this guy isn’t on a monthly book right now is beyond me.
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3. James Harren
James Harren’s batshit, kinetic style is the antidote for boring comics. His pages never lack humanity, and yet his pages frequently have dudes with swords going nuts. One of the true rising stars in comics, Harren’s art explodes off the page and practically roars in your face. But it is when he zooms in, and focuses on the small, human moments in these frequently cacophonous stories, that he really earns his stripes. It has been years since there has been a scene half as sad as his recent Prospect Park sequence in “B.P.R.D.” #115.” If this isn’t a name you know yet, just wait – you will soon.
4. Tom Scioli
I usually despise when an artist is referred to by his/her influences above everything else, and Tom Scioli is rarely discussed without mentioning Jack Kirby. However, read that sentence again – Scioli gets compared to Jack Kirby. That alone should get your attention – add to it the fascinatingly old school mentality and new school way of making comics, and you start to understand who Scioli is. His webcomics have been alternately classically put together, day-glo colored, un-inked, unscripted, funhouse mirror-y, sad, hilarious, and charming. With his new “Transformers Vs. G.I. Joe” assignment, Scioli’s plate just got a lot more full, but it also means he’s going to reach a ton of new readers.
5. Laurence Campbell
The second “B.P.R.D.” artist on my list, Campbell’s haunting, heavy line has produced some of the most intense comics I’ve read over the past half decade. There is something about his work, especially when tackling the more crime and horror-focused work, that adds a sense of dread to the proceedings; at times his work is reminiscent of Jae Lee but, you know, with backgrounds and less angular faces. Of all of the artists on this list (besides Manapul, who is already a superstar), Campbell is the one whose style seems most poised for a breakout. Given the right Big 2 book, he could be the next big thing. But me? I’m happy with him hanging out in the Mignolaverse for the longterm.
