Ben Morse

Freelance children’s book illustrator Marielle captures emotion and spirit in her work. She’s got a lot of cool process material you can check out at @unravelingarts.bsky.social! #drawingwhileblack

While many may fairly think of Kurt Busiek as the definitive Thunderbolts writer, Fabian Nicieza picked up the baton beautifully and seamlessly. I recall a much less seasoned Patrick Zircher on New Warriors and already dug his work there, but this is better by leaps and bounds. #MarvelBookshelf

Cute, feel good art is the order of the day from Keyonta Smith! See her traditional and digital work at linktr.ee/shellybelly95. #drawingwhileblack

The conclusion of Dark Things in Justice League of America No. 48 is an impressive outing for the amazing Mark Bagley who packs so much action and energy into every figure and moment, albeit with inconsistent inking by committee. #JSAtoZ

Fun art from the talented Iris with vibrant colors and neat details. Take a look at her work by heading to linktr.ee/outer_loss! #drawingwhileblack

Strange Academy: Amazing Spider-Man wraps the incredibly strong Solve for X trilogy from writer Carlos Hernandez. A fun, clever story with a great threat that stretched the magical corner of Marvel. #ModernMarvel

Keep an eye on Aster, a self-taught designer and concept artist. Not sure what they’re up to next, but you can see via linktr.ee/cosmicverge! #drawingwhileblack

In some ways, the prologue to Throne of Atlantis represents the worst excesses of the New 52 as far as gore and the inferiority complex insistence of how hardcore Aquaman and Black Manta are. However, it’s also Geoff Johns working his magic to make Ocean Master seem cool. #DCBookshelf

The smooth style of Thaddeus yields awesome art with a feel good vibe. See more of his work via @hippypotter.com! #drawingwhileblack

Foolkiller is one of Marvel’s more out there concept, but Roger Stern gives him due consideration and pathos in Amazing Spider-Man No. 225. Also, as with Vulture last issue, the writer finds an organic way to integrate the villain with Peter Parker’s world. #SpideyByStern

An accomplished storyboard artist on Invincible and elsewhere, Karon Clerk has much more to offer in their versatile and impressive work. Pay a visit to kclerkartwork.com! #drawingwhileblack

Dark Nights: Metal No. 2 is Scott Snyder doing the tried and true trope of Batman vs The Justice League, but tinged with his bonkers ideas and loving allusions to DC continuity. It’s just the right amount of over-the-top for my taste, with great art by Greg Capullo. #DCRebirthEraChallenge

An illustrator and performer, Elena Fowler is daring and creative in her art. See more of her work at @mismonsta.bsky.social! #drawingwhileblack

Aside from being a tremendous writer, Kurt Busiek demonstrates (with Tom Brevoort no doubt instrumental as well) great skill as a coordinator, bringing elements of Maximum Security from across the event into the main narrative with particular care. #MarvelBookshelf

Tokyo-based illustrator Darryl Smith Jr. cranks out killer art in color or grays and all points in between. Checking out his gallery is a great way to spend your day over at @darrylpyon.bsky.social. #drawingwhileblack

JSA: All-Stars No. 10 is a nice sort of Power Girl spotlight issue that gives the character love with sprinklings of Stargirl, King Chimera and others. Lilah Sturges’ writing has a lightness to it, but their ideas and concepts are also quite ambitious. #JSAtoZ

Sisters Haley and Janae comprise the potent Meraki Dynasty and have produced a wealth of impressive art. Get to know them at www.merakidynasty.com! #drawingwhileblack

Grasp over a proven voice like Moon Knight’s is one thing, but the skill which Carlos Hernandez makes the Strange Academy kids a joy speaks to their value to Marvel and his own impressive talent. Julian Shaw likewise demonstrates comfort and control in creating a fun visual adventure. #ModernMarvel

Drawing dad Splint Mantra draws a wide berth of amazing Spider-Man variations. From Miguel O’Hara to the most niche of alternatives, swing into his work via @splitmantra.bsky.social! #drawingwhileblack

My takeaway from Flash: Rebirth is this: Barry Allen can be interesting, but really only when defined by Wally and Iris, which defeats the purpose of bringing him back and probably hurt his subsequent run. 🤷🏻‍♂️ #DCBookshelf

Ari is playing with some fun techniques as they hone a consistent but exciting style. Check out their work over at @carcinobeast.bsky.social! #drawingwhileblack

The first regular issue of Amazing Spider-Man written by Roger Stern goes down easy with a buoyant hero, a potent mix of humanizing soap opera and a credible nuanced take on The Vulture as a threat. Early John Romita Jr. is less stylized but smooth while also moving quite briskly. #SpideyByStern

Zoe Walker’s art and attitude are a breath of fresh air! Take in the energy and brighten your day with linktr.ee/zoewalkerdraws. #drawingwhileblack

There are moments where I admire the bonkers pace of ideas in Dark Nights: Metal and others where it feels like a clumsy version of a better event, but on the whole it’s harmless fun. #DCRebirthEraChallenge

I’m impressed by the vibrant and energetic output of awesome artist Joao Miranda! De his colorful work and brighten your day via @shinjoao.bsky.social. #drawingwhileblack

Bishop and Deathbird’s love/hate relationship is a weird little eccentricity from a forgotten X-Men era that I have a strange affinity for. She’d be a fun regular rogue for him. #MarvelBookshelf

This is pretty neat, as Joey Mac creates original animation but also his own fantasy-inspired characters. Astounding talent and great art await at @joeydrewit.bsky.social! #drawingwhileblack

You have to be impressed by the depth of James Robinson’s knowledge and/or research when he writes the DC Universe. A deep dive into Kyle Rayner’s dating history is above and beyond. Equally inspiring is the sheer amount of awesome double page splashes cranked out by Mark Bagley. #JSAtoZ

The incredible Jalissa has abundant skill and amazing range! Pay a visit to www.jalissa.art to immerse yourself in her work and celebrate the talent that brought it to life. #drawingwhileblack

This 2023 Storm mini was a treat and a wonderful showcase for Geraldo Borges to demonstrate his power as an artist with a great colorist like Andrew Dalhouse. Ann Nocenti showed her unquestioned prowess as a writer focusing on Ororo, I’d love to see her do more projects like this. #ModernMarvel

Sample this brief gallery of beautiful work from Randi and then enrich your day by heading to @ultralovedeluxe.bsky.social for more! #drawingwhileblack

Flash: Rebirth No. 5 has all the twists and hallmarks of a better Geoff Johns, but I always found the reveal of Barry’s mother’s killer a little obvious and underwhelming. The Wally West moments and stuff with his family are way stronger. #DCBookshelf

Tanisha Cherislin is seeking work and anybody who sees her amazing art knows they’d be getting a star. Check out her efforts at @tani269.bsky.social and throw some opportunities in Tanisha’s direction! #drawingwhileblack

Spider-Man: Blue wraps up strong, on the surface because Kraven is a great classic villain to end on and Tim Sale draws him wonderfully. However, moreover, it’s Jeph Loeb absolutely selling the gravity of Gwen Stacy while also managing to give Peter and MJ the perfect poignant coda. #MarvelBookshelf

Harshita Sharma is “India’s youngest stone artist,” taking simple rocks and transforming them into elaborate displays of natural beauty. Her work deserves to be celebrated and you can join in at rockshouter.wordpress.com. #drawingwhileblack

I felt like I was drowning a bit reading Dark Days: The Casting. Credit to Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV for huge ideas, but following along can be a bit dense. The art, however, is an enjoyable all-star lineup from pencils to inks to colors. #DCRebirthEraChallenge

Iron Man No. 35 is a neat sci fi story with a fun twist from Joe Quesada and Frank Tieri. Tony Stark is a little flat, but the Fantastic Four guest appearance sings with the Reed and Ben voices particularly. Alitha Martinez continues bringing unique and vibrant energy to the art. #MarvelBookshelf

Very cool to catch up on Mya’s artistic journey over the past five years since I last took a look. Her work was amazing then and she has only grown in creativity and talent. See for yourself at vgen.co/myasymi! #drawingwhileblack

James Robinson is such an unselfish writer, as in the midst of his big JLA/JSA crossover he finds time to nod to Grant Morrison’s recent-ish Seven Soldiers saga. He also writes one of my favorite Dick Grayson Batman takes, a shockingly strong Donna Troy and here finds a fun place for Jade. #JSAtoZ

A portrait of rad video game women scratches the surface of the amazing things that RaeKwon can do. See for yourself at @groovtheartist.bsky.social! #drawingwhileblack

I’ve got no experience with the Predator franchise whatsoever, but these Marvel books featuring the character intrigued me, and Benjamin Percy understands Wolverine few others, so I figured I’d give this book a shot. Intense and well done first issue with some visceral art. #ModernMarvel

Chelsea Saunders is a skilled artist whose passion shines through in her work, be it lighthearted or heavy. See her efforts and show appreciation via www.chelseasaunders.me. #drawingwhileblack

Flash: Rebirth hits a speed bump with issue No. 4 as Professor Zoom has all the predictability of the Sinestro reveal in the Green Lantern book but none of the depth and novelty that made it work. So much of this series feels like a halfhearted attempt to replicate that story. #DCBookshelf

Terri has the patience and poise for the incredible art of background painting, but range beyond that discipline as well. Explore her awesome work at @terrichienyiart.bsky.social! #drawingwhileblack

Of all the things I dig about Tim Sale’s art on Spider-Man: Blue, the beautiful depictions of Gwen and MJ aside, I think what I appreciate most is how well he and Steve Buccellato utilize negative space to frame their scenes. #MarvelBookshelf

Here’s looking at you! Kou is a kick butt concept artist and illustrator with fun Spider-Man stuff and much more to see at koiysin.carrd.co! #drawingwhileblack

Dark Nights: Metal is an aggressively weird story, but it’s ambitious, and I applaud both the effort Scott Snyder puts in as well as how much fun he’s clearly having. The Forge one-shot features some of the strongest Jim Lee art in recent years. It feels like a big deal. #DCRebirthEraChallenge

Myles D. Goethe is a versatile artist working both traditionally and digitally who specializes in color. His work is both refined and fun. Check him out at mylesdgoethe.carrd.co! #drawingwhileblack

Incredible Hulk No. 21 can best be described as eccentric, but it does the job for a murderers’ row art team all the way to the letterer. With Kyle Kotz pencils, Eric Powell inks, Steve Buccellato colors and the legendary John Workman on letters, the pictures on this book cook. #MarvelBookshelf