# Who is the best comic book artist living today? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 13, 2015, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011 "2015-09-13T01:24:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/21 "2015-09-14T23:04:43Z")
Alex Ross - When looking at his work you get the feeling that this story is EPIC! Take a look at [Captain Marvel](https://www.google.com/search?q=alex+ross+captain+marvel&biw=1920&bih=955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIk8SNiNH3xwIVAYQNCh0RUADs#imgrc=jBYkwwwwTwLq5M%3A) from Kingdom Come, looking at that and you think “yeah, that person can save the world. Everything’s going to be all right!” Obviously, taken out of context. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/22 "2015-09-15T00:10:12Z")
Does John Byrne still do any drawing? Say what you will about the guy, his loud mouth, his crazy retcons when he’s writing, the guy can draw a superhero comic real good. Preferably inked by Terry Austin (or himself). ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/23 "2015-09-15T02:37:01Z")
I don’t know if Byrne is drawing much these days. It sounds like he and certain parts of the industry got sick of each other. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/24 "2015-09-15T02:54:07Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Does John Byrne still do any drawing? No. [He’s doing terrible photoshopping instead.](http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Visions-John-Byrne/dp/1631400398) (Sad thing is, it’s actually not badly written, but the art is so goddamn amateurish.) To answer the question from the OP (rather than the one from the title line, which is very different, and harder to answer), I’d choose Sophie Campbell. Her art is clean and dynamic, which are my primary criteria. She can keep to a monthly schedule, so that puts her ahead of Amanda Conner. She beats out Karl Kerschl (the other one I considered), because of the more varied body types she draws. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/25 "2015-09-15T05:33:03Z")
I don’t know what this says about me, but 2 of my favorite artists are Clayton Crain and Chris Bachalo. They are the only artists that I will pick up a book solely because they’ve done the art. Most of the time I want the story. For the OP, I guess which one I pick depends on my story (serious or quirky). ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/26 "2015-09-15T06:20:13Z")
Mike Mignola hands down. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/27 "2015-09-15T07:07:59Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > I would pick Jaime Hernandez as one of the best auteurs in my lifetime, but I don’t expect him to draw for Marvel or DC. He has, in fact, drawn for both. It wasn’t his best work, but he’s done it. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/28 "2015-09-15T09:25:13Z")
There is no such thing. I can rattle of a litany of world class talent but because there are so many excellent, 10/10 artists in the business, it becomes a discussion not of quality, but of suitability. Different artists have different strengths and weaknesses. Some artists’ styles suit particular tones and moods better than others. Here’s the basic formula: **Character + Concept + Creator** So until we know the first two, there’s little point of discussing the last one beyond a subjective exercise of personal favorites. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/30 "2015-09-15T09:35:15Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > No. [He’s doing terrible photoshopping instead.](http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Visions-John-Byrne/dp/1631400398) (Sad thing is, it’s actually not badly written, but the art is so goddamn amateurish.) Throw shade if you like, but he’s just homaging the pre-existing [photonovel](http://www.1701news.com/node/723/photonovels-recapture-star-trek-magic.html) technique. It’s not like he’s above drawing anymore (see his recent _Triple Helix_ book). ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Bragg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Stealth\_Bragg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Bragg)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/31 "2015-09-15T11:45:02Z")
[Simon Bisley](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c9/b0/e7/c9b0e796a835be7ff4dd2b3ec7737a2a.jpg) [Kevin O’Neill](http://www.paulgravett.com/pg_blog/oneill_loeg1.jpg) Yes, I’m stuck in the 90s 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/32 "2015-09-15T13:32:54Z")
I’m a big fan of Francis Manapul and Jason Fabok. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/33 "2015-09-15T13:40:20Z")
But if you work with Steranko you have to _work with Steranko_. I met him once. He told me he can see in the dark. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/34 "2015-09-15T23:08:25Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > Throw shade if you like, but he’s just homaging the pre-existing [photonovel](http://www.1701news.com/node/723/photonovels-recapture-star-trek-magic.html) technique. I take it you haven’t seen New Voyages. The criticism isn’t for doing a photonovel, it’s for being absolutely shit at it. Characters missing body parts. Completely shot perspective. Chosing screenshots that are completely inappropriate for the scene he’s trying to portray. Badly integrating hand-drawn characters. (He’s actually done less of that lately, going for badly integrating CG characters.) Recoloured characters that are obviously just a colour filter applied over them. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/35 "2015-09-15T23:43:01Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > But if you work with Steranko you have to _work with Steranko_. I met him once. He told me he can see in the dark. Yeah, he’d do crazy shit like show up at the Marvel offices in a fencing outfit. Ken Bruzenak, the great letterer, apprenticed under him and said he’d “make a great slave owner.” You really have to separate the man from the work, and that goes double for Steve Rude (The documentary film about him, _Rude Dude_, has to be seen to be believed!). ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/36 "2015-09-16T00:04:47Z")
I had no clue that this documentary existed, so thanks! I was a huge fan. I sold many a Claremont/Byrne _X-Men_ to pay for the original black and white issues of _Nexus_ (I even had the flexi-disc!). ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011/37 "2015-09-16T02:14:25Z")
I’m still a big fan of the guy’s work. **Rude Dude** spelled out why he disappeared from **X-Men: Children of the Atom** after two issues (Hint: If deadlines are unimportant to you, don’t commit to a monthly book). Of course, Paul Smith didn’t last any longer, and Esad Ribic–wonderful as he is now–was not yet the great artist he would eventually become. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-comic-book-artist-living-today/731011.md?page=1)