15 Best X-Men Artists Of All Time
The X-Men have been shattering sales records for decades. Their books are always among Marvel’s hottest, and X-Men fans are known for being both a discerning and demanding lot. They want the best talent on their books, and Marvel has obliged them over the years, putting their best writing and artistic talent on the various X-Men titles.
The X-Men books’ art has long been top-notch, with some of the greatest artists of all time working on the team’s adventures. These amazing visuals have been very important to the franchise’s success, grabbing readers’ attention and never letting go.
Updated On May 3, 2024, by David Harth: The X-Men have often been the most high-profile at Marvel, meaning the biggest comic industry creators have worked on their books. The X-Men have had many of the greatest artists on their books, giving their adventures the visual oomph they needed to become bestsellers.
John Cassaday’s Pencils Made Astonishing X-Men A Must-Read
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Astonishing X-Men had a tough job in front of it. Grant Morrison had left New X-Men with little warning, and Marvel gave the X-Men line a mini reboot. Instead of Uncanny or New X-Men/X-Men becoming the flagship book, Astonishing was launched with writer Joss Whedon and artist John Cassaday. Cassaday’s art would be a double-edged sword for the book; it looked gorgeous and made everyone love it, but he was also a very slow artist, forcing delays.
However, the wait was usually worth it. Cassaday brought a retro style to his art. It looked simple but was as detailed as they came. Astonishing X-Men was a surefire hit, and Cassaday played a pivotal role. His art perfectly complements Whedon’s stories, creating a book that is still beloved twenty years later.
Joe Madureira Brought A Manga-Inspired Style To The X-Men
Uncanny X-Men wasn’t as lucky as X-Men (Vol. 2) was when it came to finding a replacement artist after Whilce Potracio left for Image. There were some good artists around this time, with John Romita Jr.’s return to the book being a highlight, but there was no one to pick up the superstar artist mantle. Then Joe Madureira came around.
Madureira’s big break came from working on Deadpool miniseries. Madureira’s art had a manga/anime sensibility before manga was the biggest thing in the comic world, and fans loved it. Madureira’s unique style made Uncanny X-Men stand out on the shelves. While he wasn’t the fastest artist in the world, his issues always looked amazing.
Leinil Francis Yu Brought His Unique Style To The X-Men Several Times
Leinil Francis Yu got his job after his art appeared in Wizard magazine. He was soon drawing Wolverine (Vol. 2), which was the bestselling Marvel solo book not starring Spider-Man at the time. Yu’s art caught on with the audience, and he got to do a few fill-in issues of Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 1), putting his art out there for an even larger fandom.
Yu got tapped as the regular artist of X-Men (Vol. 2) when writer Chris Claremont returned to write the X-Men books in 2000. While this run’s writing disappointed a lot of fans, Yu’s art was a highlight. He came back to draw New X-Men Annual during Grant Morrison’s run. He wouldn’t draw a regular book again until 2019 when he was tapped as the regular artist for Jonathan Hickman’s X-Men (Vol. 5). Yu’s art style was always evolving and his X-Men books were always unique.
Pepe Larraz Has Played A Huge Role In The Modern X-Men
Pepe Larraz moved up through the ranks at Marvel, working on books like Uncanny Avengers (Vol. 3). He eventually got tapped to supply art for Extermination, the book that took the original time-lost X-Men back to their own time. Larraz’s style caught on, and He became an artist on the stellar House Of X, his art making an amazing book even bigger. He’d draw the X Of Swords bookends, earning his reputation as the X-Men artist du jour.
Planet-Size X-Men #1 would come next, and then Larraz would become a regular artist on X-Men (Vol. 6). Larraz made the book so much better than it was when he was drawing it, giving readers visuals that blew the writing out of the water. Larraz has also supplied amazing covers for multiple Krakoa Era X-Men books. Because of his time on the X-Men books, he’s reached the next level in the industry.
Carlos Pacheco Supplied Brilliant Art For Several Eras Of X-Men Books
Carlos Pacheco made a splash on Excalibur and got to draw the last two issues of Fantastic Four (Vol 1) before Heroes Reborn rebooted the series. He next went to X-Men (Vol. 2), where he began to refine his style into what it became later in his career. Pacheco’s simple, detailed linework was always gorgeous, and his first run with the X-Men was enough to raise his star considerably.
Pacheco returned to the X-office after years of amazing work for DC and Marvel with X-Men: Schism #1 and launched Uncanny X-Men (Vol. 2) with writer Kieron Gillen. Pacheco had a knack for the X-Men like few other artists, bringing their adventures to life with a beautiful, clean style. Pachecho recently passed away, but his legacy lives on with some amazing X-Men stories.
Dave Cockrum Created Iconic Looks For The Greatest X-Men
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There are few artists more important to X-Men history than Dave Cockrum. As the artist on Giant-Size X-Men #1, his visuals made people interested in the team again. He designed characters like Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Thunderbird, but his mistake of drawing Wolverine’s mask led to a change that would stick.
His art was a huge part of the team’s early successes, working well with writers Len Wein and Chris Claremont. Cockrum was the most dependable artist of the early X-Men years, always stepping up and supplying great art. Cockrum may not be the flashiest artist, but his style and eye for design set the stage for the future.
John Romita Jr. Had Several Runs On Uncanny X-Men
As the son of Marvel legend John Romita, John Romita Jr. grew up around the Marvel offices, with his first published work coming at the age of 13. He’d work on multiple titles for Marvel in the ’80s, with a run on Uncanny X-Men showing just how great he was. He’d return to the book in the early ’90s, showing off his unique style.
Romita Jr.’s unique style never followed any trends but still supplied top-notch action and character acting. He is responsible for several landmark issues of Uncanny X-Men, wowing readers when it mattered most. Romita Jr., a Marvel legend in his own right, always had a distinctive style that worked very well with the X-Men, and his action penciling is among the best.
Marc Silvestri’s Clean Pencils Graced Uncanny X-Men In The Late ’80s
Marc Silvestri is an icon in the comic industry, largely thanks to his work on the X-Men. The eventual Image co-founder joined Uncanny X-Men during its most fertile period in the late ’80s. Silvestri impressed everyone, his clean-line work gracing stories like “Inferno” and defining the team’s Outback era.
His art set the standard for the coming artistic revolution overtaking the X-Men books and stands up wonderfully even today. Silvestri’s run began the superstar artist era of Uncanny X-Men, when the artist reigned supreme on the book, drawing readers like flies to honey. Silvestri was one of the Image Seven but has returned several times to the X-Men, giving readers some marvelous stories.
Chris Bachalo Brought A Quirky Sensibility To The X-Men
Chris Bachalo made a name for himself working at DC on books like The Sandman, Shade: The Changing Man, and the two Death miniseries. He moved to Marvel to co-create Generation X and eventually got a job on the main X-Men books, supplying amazing stories and penciling multiple X-Men series.
Bachalo worked with the best X-Men writers ever, and his quirky style wows audiences. He became one of those artists that everyone associated with the X-Men, and as long as he was working at Marvel, he always found his way back to the X-Men. Bachalo was picked for several X-Men relaunches because Marvel knew his art was always a draw.
Andy Kubert Filled Some Massive Shoes
The ’90s were the decade of the X-Men. The team was defined by superstar artists in the early years of the decade, all of whom would leave and form Image Comics. Marvel had to replace them, and Andy Kubert got the nod on X-Men after some promising fill-in work on Uncanny X-Men in 1991. As the son of comics legend Joe Kubert, Andy would impress everyone with his run on the mutants.
Kubert had some big shoes to fill but knocked it out of the park. His art on X-Men kept readers used to Jim Lee’s engagement with the book, which is saying something. Kubert’s pencils were distinct from Lee’s but perfectly fit the pin-up style of comics of the day.
Paul Smith’s Simple Elegant Pencils Graced Uncanny X-Men For A Short Run
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Chris Claremont is Marvel’s longest-tenured writer and worked with many amazing artists during his many years writing The X-Men. One of the most underrated, yet one of the best, is Paul Smith. Smith didn’t have a long run on Uncanny X-Men, drawing issues 165-170, 172-175, and 278, but it was enough to make an impression on X-Men fans.
Smith’s pencils aren’t flashy but don’t need to be. Their simplicity is their greatest strength, with Smith’s eye for detail and character acting selling every panel he drew. He’s responsible for some iconic X-Men imagery, his elegant pencils melding well with the stories.
Adam Kubert Is An X-Men Expert
Adam Kubert’s family pedigree is impeccable. Son of the legend Joe Kubert and older brother of Andy Kubert, Adam hit it big penciling Wolverine, a job that would eventually lead to stints on multiple X-Men books. His art was a highlight of ’90s Marvel. Kubert is one of the industry’s best, his style mixing the classic and modern, and he always experiments with his pencils.
Kubert’s style blended perfectly with the X-Men, and his time on the book helped build his legend. His runs on Wolverine and The Incredible Hulk prepared him well for taking over X-Men and Uncanny X-Men; every issue he drew was breathtaking. Kubert then helped launch Ultimate X-Men, giving the book the perfect visuals it needed to kick off the book.
John Byrne Supplied Visuals For Iconic X-Men Tales
The X-Men have some amazing runs for fans to read, full of dynamic writer/artist teams. One of the most important events in X-Men history came when writer Chris Claremont teamed up with artist/co-plotter John Byrne. Claremont and Byrne created timeless stories, elevating Uncanny X-Men into one of the greatest comics ever.
Byrne drew and co-plotted Uncanny X-Men #108, 109, and 111-143, which included “The Dark Phoenix Saga” and “Days Of Future Past,” among other masterpieces. Byrne’s dynamic artwork and plotting ability helped create stories that defined the X-Men for years.
Frank Quitely’s Unconventional Style Was Brilliant On New X-Men
Grant Morrison’s New X-Men was revolutionary. However, without the work of Morrison’s frequent artistic collaborator, Frank Quitely, it would likely be perceived very differently. Quitely’s style was unlike anyone who had drawn the team before, and his pencils and character designs helped define what Morrison’s bold new era would look like.
Quitely could always bring Morrison’s scripts to life. His imagery succeeded where a more conventional artist’s might have failed, and his work is stronger because of its differences. New X-Men didn’t look like anything else on the shelves during Quitely’s run, which was great.
Jim Lee Redefined The X-Men For The ’90s
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After working on The Punisher War Journal, Jim Lee got his job on the X-Men. His time on Uncanny X-Men made him one of the most popular artists in the industry, if not the most popular, of the ’90s. His stylistic pencils combined amazing character acting, brilliant detail, and dynamic action. He designed some of the X-Men’s most iconic costumes and contributed to the best X-Men stories ever.
Lee drew Uncanny X-Men #248, 256-258, 267-277, and X-Men #1-11. His stardom got X-Men launched, as he’d take over co-plotting duties after Claremont left the book. Lee became a superstar with the X-Men, parlaying that into co-founding Image, eventually moving his WildStorm Studios to DC, and becoming one of the most powerful people in the industry in his current role at DC.
X-Men Pepe Larraz Comic Book Cover
X-Men
Since their debut in 1963, Marvel’s X-Men have been more than just another superhero team. While the team really hit its stride as the All New, All Different X-Men in 1975, Marvel’s heroic mutants have always operated as super-outcasts, protecting a world that hates and fears them for their powers.
Key members of the X-Men include Professor X, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Wolverine, Iceman, Beast, Rogue, and Storm. Often framed as the world’s second strongest superheroes, after the Avengers, they are nonetheless one of Marvel’s most popular and important franchises.
Created byStan Lee, Jack KirbyFirst FilmX-MenLatest FilmThe New MutantsUpcoming FilmsDeadpool & WolverineFirst TV ShowX-Men: Pryde of the X-Men (1989)Latest TV ShowX-Men ’97First Episode Air DateSeptember 16, 1989CastPatrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James Marsden, Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Ryan Reynolds, Halle BerryCurrent SeriesX-Men ’97