First Rate Artists

[AllisterH]

Coming off another Bendis thread, I was struck by the belief that Bendis always gets paired with hot artists.

However, I despise Maleev (seriously, his namor had to be the fuglisest Namor ever and I can't see him as a top-level artist) and Maleev is the artist I most closely associate Bendis with.

So in your opinion, who are marvel's A-list artists currently highlighted every month?

(If you want, give a post with a couple of pics of there recent work that you find impressive)

[Hrungr]

I assume you mean interior artists and not just cover artists. In which case off the top of my head I can think of McNiven, Finch, Coipel, McGuinness, Cho, Adams, Hitch, Cheung & Deodato Jr.

[Gitaroo_Dude]

Bendis, over the course of NA alone, got paired with Finch, McNiven, Deodato, Yu, and Maleev, among others, and I think most people classify them as A-list.

I think, and this is just general perception, that Marvel's A-list includes: Finch (I dislike it though), Coipel, McGuiness, McNiven, Hitch, JRJR, Yu, Maleev, and Cho, with Deodato JR may be being A-list now thanks to DA. I have a feeling that Pacheco's work on Ultimate Avengers will put him on Marvel's A-list too soon. Eaglesham too if the upcoming Fantastic Four is received well.

My A-list i a lot different though, and I'd say my favorite Marvel artists currently would be : Bachalo (ASM), Marcos Martin (ASM), Casseli, Pagulayan, Pearson (well, he's doing a Punisher annual), Coipel, Lark, and a few others.

[Cloudman]

I assume you mean interior artists and not just cover artists. In which case off the top of my head I can think of McNiven, Finch, Coipel, McGuinness, Cho, Adams, Hitch, Cheung & Deodato Jr.

What he said.

[AllisterH]

Bendis, over the course of NA alone, got paired with Finch, McNiven, Deodato, Yu, and Maleev, among others, and I think most people classify them as A-list.


Yep, I did mean interior.

Ok, are they A-list BECAUSE they're paired with Bendis or A-list even without being attached to Bendis.

OF the ones you listed, Maleev is an artist I tolerate because of the writer (Bendis on his A-game) or character (Incredible Hercules) but if not either of the two, I'll skip his comics.

Finch I'm not a fan of either and Yu is realy, hit or miss. McNiven and Deodato are the only two I would pickup a comic JUST for their art.

[Deus ex Chris]

Maleev is the best artist working at Marvel.

Immonen, Coipel, Aja, and McNiven are up there too.

[Kasper Cole]

Maleev is the best artist working at Marvel.

Immonen, Coipel, Aja, and McNiven are up there too.

I agree with everyone on this list except for McNiven...these days i have to factor in an artist being on time with their work.

[striderhirryu2]

I think, and this is just general perception, that Marvel's A-list includes: Finch (I dislike it though), Coipel, McGuiness, McNiven, Hitch, JRJR, Yu, Maleev, and Cho, with Deodato JR may be being A-list now thanks to DA.


Marvel was billing Deodato as a superstar artist before DA in his ASM and Squadron Supreme with JMS.

That being said, I think that superstar artists are ones that are hyped in solicits. Whenever Jim Cheung does an issue of New Avengers, it's always guest starring the extra special return of superstar artist Jim Cheung or something to that effect. Yu wasn't really a superstar before Secret Invasion and I absolutely loathed his work up until NA 50. Now he's steadidly improving in my books. I tend to think whoever Marvel hypes as Young Guns tend to be the biggest deal. The first set included Finch, McNiven, Cheung, Granov, Coipel, and Hairsine, who really struck it big considering what they get these days. Second set... not so much. The only ones that stand out as major breakout were Yu, Bianchi and Tan. Crain does alright with X-Force while Ferry and Olivetti aren't really on anything big(but Olivetti might hit it big on Hulk with Pak).

And to the OP, Maleev did a good Namor in the CW: Illuminati.
http://media.monstersandcritics.com/articles/1136081/article_images/newavnil001020col.jpg
So badass.

[Gitaroo_Dude]

Yep, I did mean interior.

Ok, are they A-list BECAUSE they're paired with Bendis or A-list even without being attached to Bendis.

OF the ones you listed, Maleev is an artist I tolerate because of the writer (Bendis on his A-game) or character (Incredible Hercules) but if not either of the two, I'll skip his comics.

Finch I'm not a fan of either and Yu is realy, hit or miss. McNiven and Deodato are the only two I would pickup a comic JUST for their art.

Coipel was A-list on Thor, so it's not his association with Bendis. McNiven is more of a Millar partner than a Bendis one, and he's probably A-list too. Yu and Maleev are probably the two I'd associate most closely with Bendis since a lot of their work is done with him. But Yu is working with Millar next, so I think his status is now independent of Bendis.

Maybe saying Deodato wasn't A-list until DA is incorrect, but I just consider that to be his biggest assignment to date since it's basically the central title of Dark Reign.

I don't think any of these guys are Marvel's best, personally. The lineup of Finch, McNiven, and Hitch isn't my favorite, but the general comic audience puts them up there.

[Kasper Cole]

And to the OP, Maleev did a good Namor in the CW: Illuminati.
http://media.monstersandcritics.com/articles/1136081/article_images/newavnil001020col.jpg
So badass.

To me the better namor face is the one he makes when Stark tells them about the registration act and they can't agree on it. the most devilish gleeful expression ever :biggrin:

[bebopeva88]

Marvel's A-list artists (obviously not monthly guys for the most part, and I consider A-list to be an artist with a proven and dedicated fanbase, and someone who has proven that their art on something can move issues/spike sales; A-list in terms of one's perception of the quality of artwork is a different story, and is more subjective):

McNiven
Coipel
Cheung
Finch
Cho
McGuinness
Art Adams
Leinil Yu
Carlos Pacheco
Adam Kubert
Chris Bachalo
Cassaday (though his exclusive is up; hasn't committed elsewhere yet)

Hitch and JRJR are arguably there, but both have fallen off a bit of late. Jae Lee is in the mix too.

Tan and Djurdjevic have to work on something where their name is the bigger of the names on the creative team to truly see if they move books (see: Finch on Moon Knight), or if the writers they've been paired have been the cause for such strong sales.

Campbell will be there when his Spidey project actually hits *sigh*, ditto for Charest and his Marvel project, and Dell'Otto when his Wolverine/Domino mini hits.

Guys like Maleev, Deodato, and Granov are close, but none can spike a book on their name alone and/or have had a book not do the kind of numbers you'd expect from an A-list artist (Maleev on DD, Deodato on Hulk, Squadron Supreme, Origins, etc., and Granov on Iron Man Viva Las Vegas)

[Libaax]

Michael Lark
John Romita Jr
David Aja

[kalorama]

Maleev is the best artist working at Marvel.

Immonen, Coipel, Aja, and McNiven are up there too.

Immonen is one of the best working today. I esp. like the way he adjusts his style depending on the project, even when working within the mainstream arena.

[kalorama]

Ok, are they A-list BECAUSE they're paired with Bendis or A-list even without being attached to Bendis.

Six of one, half dozen of another. Artists' (and writers') profiles rise based on the profile of the project. Some of the artists Bendis has worked with were A-list before working with him, others got extra notice because they worked with him then parlayed that into a higher profile going forward. Either way, the end result was the same.

Hitch and JRJR are arguably there, but both have fallen off a bit of late.

Whether the quality of their work has fallen off is debatable. Whether they're still on the A-List or not isn't. They are.

[whiteshark]

John Romita Jr.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/3/37787/886762-prv3057_cov_1__super.jpg

Chris Bachalo.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/40/351241-2127-127108-2-amazing-spider-man_super.jpg

Marcos Martin.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/9241/632190-asm_579_page_001_non_variant_super.jpg

Steve McNiven.

http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/0/40/281685-2127-121612-1-amazing-spider-man_super.jpg

[bebopeva88]

Whether the quality of their work has fallen off is debatable. Whether they're still on the A-List or not isn't. They are.

It's debatable by default, since I said otherwise. :wink:

JRJR's The Gray Area (from Image) flopped, and that was selling on his name alone. It's one of the few cases in his career in the last number of years where he's been on a project in which his name was really the only selling point on the book, and it didn't even do well by Image standards.

Hitch's FF (even with Millar on board) was a sales disappointment compared with what the duo usually pulls in numbers-wise, and what was expected of the book once it was announced that they were prepping for a run on it.

Thus, both artists have fallen off a bit in the moving units arena, which, as I said, was what I was basing my list on.

[AllisterH]

Yeah, I don't really keep track of "hot artists" unlike "Hot writers", but to me, the only artist on whose name alone can move books is Frank Cho.

For example, if Cho was say attacked to GotG, I fully expect it to become a top 10 book.

If for example, it was JRjr, little change in sale numbers.