Comic Talk #2: Meet the artists

This week, WEEKEND Comic Talk is going to tackle six artists who have made their mark on the industry in a big and positive way. Unlike with writers, these features won’t list the artist’s “darkest hour” because artists don’t really have bad work that isn’t at least partially the fault of the writing or the fact that they aren’t good artists in the first place. In short, all six of these guys have only drawn things that are nice to look at. Behold, the artists:

Bryan Hitch: Marvel’s go-to guy for its big-name releases has established himself as the master of superhero artwork in the 21st century. While trends developed in the 1990s that imagined superheroes as steroid-fueled bulk machines or skinny “real life” vigilantes, Hitch’s artwork rectifies that disparity and creates believable yet larger than life representations of some of the Marvel Universe’s finest creations, most notably his brilliant interpretation of Captain America.
Shining moment: "The Ultimates"

Dave Gibbons: Not unlike the writing of his frequent coworker Alan Moore, many of the trends in modern comics art can be traced to the art of one Dave Gibbons. His key influences were in the blue-collar early comics art of forefathers like Jack Kirby, but he took that workaday aesthetic to an unprecedented level with his 1980s output, whose unparalleled combination of understatement and detail seemed to bridge a gap between the dated styles of yesteryear and the wave of the future that he would inadvertently spawn.
Shining moment: "Watchmen"

Mike Mignola: No one in the comics business is more modest than Mike Mignola. He claims that his style of art, which relies heavily on the interplay of shadow and light and intentionally obscures detail, came from his inability to draw well. Whatever his reasoning is, the cryptic darkness of his art is unmistakable, and arguably the best character outside of DC and Marvel (here’s a hint: there’s two movies about him that you probably saw, didn’t think sucked, and didn’t give any further thought to) exists solely within Mignola’s dark universe.
Shining moment: "Hellboy"

Tim Sale: This artist has a less distinct style than anyone else on this list, but a greater range of versatility than almost anyone in comics. He can use shadows to create dark worlds, define the musculature of superheroes, or paint pastoral Americana better than Norman Rockwell ever did. His working relationship with writer Jeph Loeb is among the best in comics history, too, and any comic with both of those names on the cover is a safe bet for greatness.
Shining moment: "Superman for All Seasons"

Adi Granov: Some purists see the rise of software-based comic book art and the overuse of photo reference as the beginning of the end for comics as an artist’s medium. In some respects, these people aren’t off base, but as anyone who has ever looked at the art of Adi Granov can attest to, the new technologies can be applied well by the right talent. His lines are sleek and surgically precise, and there’s no one in the business whose art can be described as “cleaner” than his. If we have to concede that the coming era won’t have as many distinctive artists, we shouldn’t have to settle for anything less than the best.
Shining moment: "Iron Man Extremis"

Walt Simonson: He may be an anomaly on this list; a left field choice for an admitted modern comics disciple. But he’s also the most influential comic book artist of the pre-Dave Gibbons era, and the only person who married the garish colors of the first wave of superhero comics with a more modern approach and didn’t produce complete garbage. The subtitle of his work on "Thor" is called “Visionaries,” and there couldn’t be a more accurate word to describe Walt Simonson.
Shining moment: "Manhunter"

Selected titles available this week
Wolverine Weapon X #10
Invincible Iron Man #23
Ultimate Comics X #1
Batman Confidential #41
Jonah Hex #52
Superman: World of New Krypton #12
Dante’s Inferno #3
Victorian Undead #4
Fables #93
Jack of Fables #43
Conan the Cimmerian #18