Tom Lyle
-Best remembered for his work during the “Maximum Carnage”
storyline, Tom Lyle even managed to make Eddie Brock’s mullet look good. Lyle
had a distinct, clean style that fit very well with the ’90s-era Spider-Man
stories, and his symbiotes and goblins were top-notch. |
| If you didn't grow up playing the "Maximum Carnage" video game . . . I pity you more than you can imagine. |
John Romita, Sr.
-John Romita, Sr. had to pick up where Steve Ditko left off.
Nobody had seen Ditko’s departure coming, and Romita thought he’d just be the
fill-in guy for a while. Instead, he actually ended up penciling more issues
than Ditko, and introduced classic characters like the Shocker and the Rhino.
 |
| He also got to draw this, which counts for a lot. |
Mike Zeck
-Three words: “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” Although Zeck’s work is
often a bit cartoony for my tastes, his illustrations of Kraven’s
spider-covered acid trips and Vermin's feeding times were disturbing and visceral. Watching Kraven don the
black Spider-Man costume and dispense his own brand of “justice” was equally
unsettling, and Zeck nailed it.
 |
| The original title was "Kraven's Last Pants," but it was deemed too icky. |
Ron Frenz
-During the height of the ’80s “Gang War” story, Ron Frenz
was the regular penciler on The Amazing
Spider-Man. His work was dynamite, especially the skyline battles between
Jack O’Lantern and the Hobgoblin. His rendition of the Hobgoblin was so good,
it was he who got to pencil the (absolutely terrible) miniseries “Hobgoblin
Lives,” and he got to revisit the (mediocre) character of Roderick Kingsley
again in Spider-Girl. Frenz’s
Spider-Man was classic and cool, and Sal Buscema’s inks in Spider-Girl only made a good thing better.
 |
| At least the art was good . . . |
Erik Larsen
-The man who, in my opinion, draws THE definitive Venom,
Erik Larsen had big shoes to fill when he took over Amazing Spider-Man from Todd McFarlane. Surprise-surprise, Larsen
turned out to be even better. His work was edgier and less cartoony, and he
drew a heck of a Sinister Six—in two great storylines, one of which had the
Incredible Hulk getting his butt kicked by Doc Ock.
 |
| And how can you not love this cover? |
Steve Ditko
-Without Steve Ditko, we would not have Spider-Man—at least
not the Spider-Man we know and love. Ditko’s style was gritty and realistic,
exposing the ugliness of Spider-Man’s urban environment but also spellbinding
in its intricacy. Ditko’s design work, too, is timeless, and even though
Spider-Man has gone through his share of costume changes over the years, he
always winds up back in the Ditko original. |
| Ditko also drew the most iconic, triumphant image of Spider-Man . . . ever. |
Sal Buscema
-Fast, talented and reliable, Sal Buscema was one of the
best in the industry, and his unparalleled run on The Spectacular Spider-Man was absolutely gorgeous. His sharp,
angular style was perfectly suited for Gerry Conway and Steven Grant’s crime
stories, and when inker Bill Sienkiewicz came onboard for a few issues,
Buscema’s already-stellar art was made even better than ever. These days,
Buscema mostly does ink work, but his pencils were by far his greatest contribution to Spider-Man's 50 years of publication. |
| From "Spectacular Spider-Man" #221, my very first Marvel. |
John Romita, Jr.
-Nobody draws a better Spider-Man than John Romita, Jr.
Nobody. From the ’80s onward, his style has evolved and grown and has become
the definitive rendition of Spider-Man. Although his work was best complemented
by the inks of the late Al Williamson, Romita, Jr. nevertheless turned out
incredible work during J. Michael Straczynski’s epic run on The Amazing Spider-Man. Unfortunately,
he’s paired up with Klaus Janson a lot nowadays, and although Janson is a great
artist in his own right, his inking style does not gel well with Romita’s.  |
| Romita + Williamson = WIN |
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