Finally, 2020 is coming to an end. The artists have made the year much better through their gorgeous sequentials. Here are our picks for 2020’s best artists.
Marcus Orchard – Mirka Andolfo
Mirka Andolfo is a talent that started making waves in the US with the release of Unnatural last year. This year is her breakout year, with Mercy leading the way. The art in Mercy has a unique style that is bold, gorgeous, and terrifying. Every panel feels rewarding when it is drawn by Andolfo. What’s more impressive than her work in Mercy is her flexibility. UnSacred has a fun cartoonish style that perfectly complements the script. Punchline #1 seems to bring everything together with humor and tension throughout the panels. When you consider that Andolfo usually handles her own (brilliant) colors too, this is an easy pick for the best artist of 2020.
Danilo Téo – Marco Checchetto
Checchetto’s work is always one hundred percent gold. Whatever comic I pick and I see his name on it, I know I’ll get panels with ridiculously well-drawn human anatomy and yet exciting action. The artist knows exactly what lines to add or remove in order to give the characters convincing expression and makes it feel like you’re watching a movie, except better cause you’ve got all the time in the world to stare at the frames.
Ethan Maddux – Humberto Ramos
I’ve always been a big fan of Humberto Ramos. His style is unique, energetic, and fantastic storytelling. Yet, he’s never blown me away like he has this year on Strange Academy. Edgar Delgado’s colors do wonders for Ramos’ pencils, giving them a different texture than I’m used to. Ramos has done a wonderful job at differentiating between the multitude of new characters we’ve had thrown our way, and he’s done so in a way that seems effortless (though it definitely isn’t.) The way he draws dialogue between characters is just as exciting and dynamic as his fantastical magic battles. The book is gorgeous, and there’s not a single artist who would have been a better fit for the job.
Geoff Luu – Joe Bennett
Joe Bennett’s work on The Immortal Hulk continues to be some of the most twisted and disgusting in mainstream comics, and it couldn’t be more satisfying. Body horror is nothing new to Bennett or to Immortal Hulk, a series which in its first year alone featured multiple dismemberments and a literal human absorption. However, with Hulk’s most recent issues, Bennett has continued to push the limits of the macabre. His imagery rarely fails to be disturbingly memorable especially when it comes to depicting The Leader. In tandem with the series’ usual end-of-issue splash/credits pages, it’s undeniable that Bennett’s Hulk has left some horrific impacts.
Pashtrik Maloki – Joe Bennett
Dunno if you’ve heard, but Immortal Hulk is fantastic and one of my favourite books right now. Ewing’s writing on the book has been consistently great and I can’t remember seeing someone handle mental illnesses in comics as well as Ewing’s been doing it.
But, lest we forget, the book wouldn’t be what it is without Bennett’s masterfully gruesome artwork. There’s this old-timey feel to his pencils, something that gives a sort of classic flair to the book. It’s instantly recognisable and grabs my attention like nothing else on the market right now. A genius I tell you, a genius!
Alexander Cole – Maria Llovet
If you’ve read my reviews then it won’t shock you to know that I enjoy “Faithless” by Azzarello and Llovet. Maria’s art is utterly incredible. A unique mix of cartoonish and realistic. She’s shown herself to be capable of doing incredible horror art throughout the series too. I adore her expressive characters and the backgrounds of each panel tend to be stunning too. I wish I could see her art more in other genres. She may mainly be known for that one title but she’s utterly brilliant.
Brandon Carlisle – Doc Shaner and Mitch Gerads
Alright, I know I’m kinda cheating here, but these two have both been doing the art for Tom King’s “Strange Adventures” and their styles clash in a fantastic way. Doc Shaner gives Adam Strange’s story a smooth, solid look. Mitch Gerads uses harsher lines and heavy lens flares, which looks great in its own right. Together, they give both storylines their own identities and elevate the storytelling that much further.
Ryan Easby- Jorge Jimenez
Jorge Jimenez has always been one of my favourite artists. His Supersons sits proudly among my omnibuses as one of my most-read books, and this year Jimenez went to new heights with his art on James Tynion IV’s Batman book. Every page is gorgeous, and Jimenez has proven that he deserves a spot amongst the great artists of all time. This year he also finished up on Scott Snyder’s Justice League run, which is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in years.
