Whether you were reading the best from Marvel Comics, the fine offerings from DC Comics, or any of the countless independent labels and books, there’s no denying 2019 was a fantastic year for the medium. Some great books came out this year, with some incredible creators to thank for them. So which creators stood out most in 2019?
Before getting into this list, it’s important to mention that just because someone didn’t make it onto our list of favorites, that doesn’t mean their achievements weren’t noteworthy. For reasons that continue to get better and better with every year, distinguishing just ten exceptional creators was extremely difficult. So acknowledging that some of the best writers, artists, colorists and more will take another run at next year’s list, here are 10 of the best comic creators in 2019 (in no particular order).
Mark Russell
Coming off the GLAAD Award-winning Exit, Stage Left!: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, Russell’s 2019 was equally as impressive. Between Red Sonja, The Wonder Twins and the controversial Second Coming, Russell released quality book after quality book. His Harley Quinn: Villain of the Year #1 one-shot awards spectacular had no business being as good as it was. Russell’s work stood out thanks to his humor mixed with a heavy dose of heart, and for those very reasons, is poised for a big 2020.
Matt Wilson
Matt Wilson might be the most underrated creator working in comics. If you’ve read a lot of comics this year, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Wilson’s colors. His work in 2019 includes some of the heaviest hitters, coloring The Wicked + The Divine, War of the Realms, White Trees, Paper Girls, Conan, Excalibur, and Undiscovered Country, just to name a few. In 2020, he’ll be coloring Donny Cates and Nic Klein’s Thor, AND Robert Kirkman and Chris Samnee’s Fire Power. Whether it’s vibrant and bombastic colors, or rendering a story far more reserved, Wilson’s ability to elevate art is unparalleled.
Saladin Ahmed
Ahmed had the difficult job of continuing the incredibly popular Ms. Marvel series from G. Willow Wilson, and has done a wonderful job in taking the character to interesting new places. His Magnificent Ms. Marvel run (with Minkyu Jung) has been a worthy continuation of a beloved series. Meanwhile, Ahmed has also written a wicked Miles Morales: Spider-Man. It might seem daunting to take on such important characters, but Ahmed has written them in new and exciting ways.
Jonathan Hickman
Hickman’s 2019 was frankly incredible. The longtime industry vet got the chance to do a fresh take on The X-Men and managed to redefine what the book could be. His House of X and Powers of X series were among the most captivating, intricate books on the shelves. Meanwhile, his X-Men spinoffs, from New Mutants, to X-Force, and Fallen Angels have taken what Hickman built and thrown a variety of fresh comic voices into the mix, creating the best relaunch Marvel’s pulled off in years. Hickman made the X-Men more relevant than they’ve been in decades.
Al Ewing
Speaking of taking old characters to new and different places, Al Ewing’s reinvention of the Hulk has been a fascinating ride. After getting killed in Civil War II, it seemed Marvel wasn’t quite sure what to do with Bruce Banner. However, Ewing unexpectedly turning the Hulk into a full-blown horror series has given new life to the character. The Immortal Hulk will already be remembered along the lines of Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing as one of the best horror titles ever, and there wasn’t much better in 2019 than Ewing’s Magnum Opus.
Jamal Campbell
Campbell’s rise in 2019 might be the biggest from any new creator. After doing predominantly cover work, Campbell teamed up with Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker for the Wonder Comics title Naomi. No book looked like Naomi, proving her potential as much as writing ever could. As if that weren’t enough, Campbell teamed with award-winning sci-fi author N. K. Jemisin for an entirely unique Green Lantern story, in Far Sector from DC’s Young Animal. Campbell’s work is lush while being extremely clean and detailed. It’s hard not to be blown away by every page he draws.
Mariko Tamaki
Tamaki is an absolute master of the Young Adult genre, so when DC announced she was teaming up with Steve Pugh for a young Harley Quinn graphic novel, it seemed like a perfect fit. It turns out, it was. Tamaki’s Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass was the best among a series of great DC Ink titles. It was a new, refreshing origin that was accessible for new and old readers. Meanwhile, Tamaki’s queer coming of age story, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, was released to critical acclaim and should win (or at the very least be nominated for) an Eisner Award.
Tradd Moore
As anyone familiar with his work already knows, there isn’t another artist like Tradd Moore. His trippy, unconventional work features some of the most interesting shapes and colors out of any mainstream artist working today. When it was announced that he would be drawing a mindbending Silver Surfer: Black series with writer Donny Cates, it was extremely promising news. The result was a match made in heaven, proving Moore working on a cosmic book is outrageous in the best way possible. Silver Surfer: Black was one of the best books to look at, almost an instant classic, thanks to Moore.
Donny Cates
Donny Cates doesn’t follow convention. When handed the reins to a major character series, Cates has consistently flipped things on their heads, and paved his own unpredictable unique path to worthwhile results. Cates’ Venom arc (with Ryan Stegman) might be the best ongoing series the character has ever had, and only looking to grow in impact and spectacle. Silver Surfer: Black was a cosmic blast that changed the history of Marvel’s Universe. Cates has also done interesting work with Guardians of the Galaxy and the Inhumans, setting the stage for 2020, when he will tackle what, again, looks to be a fresh take on Thor, the Asgardian God-King. Cates is a bonafide star at Marvel.
Kelly Thompson
Despite the odds, quantity doesn’t always affect quality. Thompson has been among the busiest creators in comics, writing everything from Jessica Jones, Sabrina: The Teenage Witch, Captain Marvel, Deadpool, and the West Coast Avengers. Despite the heavy workload, Thompson’s releases have all remained universally fresh. No comic creator has provided heartfelt humor in equal measure in 2019, and while West Coast Avengers ended far too soon, it allowed Thompson to entirely refresh Captain Marvel and take on Deadpool. Thompson is finally getting the recognition she deserves as one of the industry’s best.
