40. Greg Capullo – 274 points (2 first-place votes)
Greg Capullo broke into the mainstream comic book industry in the early 1990s. He worked on a Quasar series with writer Mark Gruenwald. Capullo redesigned the hero's costume. This design became iconic. Comic book companies often revert to original costumes. A 1991 design becoming standard is a major achievement. His work on Quasar led to a quick selection for an X-title. He worked on X-Force with writer Fabian Nicieza. Capullo later left Marvel to take over the Spawn series from Todd McFarlane. He worked on Spawn for years. He also worked on his own series, Creech. After a period away from mainstream comics, he returned with impact. He worked on Haunt at Image. He then worked on Batman at DC with Scott Snyder. Capullo's distinct mark is dynamism. His work is among the most kinetic in the industry. He collaborated with Snyder on Dark Nights: Metal.
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39. Gene Colan – 276 points (3 first-place votes)
Gene Colan became famous at Marvel for his energetic work. He used unique panel arrangements. He worked on Iron Man in Tales of Suspense. Colan initially drew for Marvel under a pseudonym. This was amusing. Few artists were more distinctive in page layout. It was nearly impossible for Colan to hide his identity stylistically. Colan was a major artist at Marvel. He worked on Daredevil and other series. I believe his strongest work is the less frenetic Tomb of Dracula. He worked with writer Marv Wolfman and inker Tom Palmer. In the classic 25th issue, a woman hires a stereotypical private detective. The detective investigates who killed her husband. The clue points to Dracula. But who is this detective really? It is a magnificent revelation. Colan was also excellent at using shadows. His comics often resembled noir films. Colan moved to DC in the 1980s.
He worked on Batman, Night Force, and Wonder Woman. Colan remained a top artist until his death in 2011.
38. Marc Silvestri – 281 points (2 first-place votes)
Marc Silvestri entered the comic book world working for First and DC Comics in the early 1980s. He then moved to Marvel Comics. He worked on Web of Spider-Man. This was an appreciated series. He worked with writer David Michelinie and inker Kyle Baker. When Silvestri was promoted to regular artist on Uncanny X-Men, the X-books were truly „X-books”. It was not just a comic book, but a FRANCHISE. Silvestri had the chance to draw the flagship book. He used a different style then. This differed from his Image work in the early 90s. On Uncanny, his art seemed more experimental. It resembled David Mazzucchelli's work on Daredevil. This was the era of the fall of the Mutants. The world believed X-Men were dead. In fact, they went to Australia and lived for a period. Then Inferno happened. X-Men were disbanded. The group gradually regrouped.
37. Steve Rude – 282 points (6 first-place votes)
At that time, Silvestri left the book to start a popular Wolverine series with Larry Hama. He later co-founded Image Comics with his series, Cyberforce. Silvestri debuted a new artistic style around that time. He maintained it in subsequent decades. It is not dramatically different from earlier work. He sought a tighter look than his previous freer work. As head of Top Cow Studios at Image Comics, Silvestri continues major projects. These include the end of Grant Morrison's New X-Men series. He also worked on an Incredible Hulk series with Jason Aaron. He has returned to Cyberforce in recent years. He wrote and drew a significant Batman miniseries a few years ago.
In the early 1980s, the growth of the direct market meant a chance for almost anyone to launch their own series. Two twenty-year-olds, Mike Baron and Steve Rude, launched a sci-fi series called Nexus. From the first issue, Rude impressed everyone. He had remarkable design skills. All the aliens he created for the series are truly impressive. When he introduced color to his work, Rude