Best Artist of 2010...Francis Manapul

Sometimes it's hard for me to pick who I think made the top spot for best artist for the entire year.  There's so many good ones out there and they all do there part in giving stories life and gusto.  Amanda Conner and Gary Frank were close contenders, followed closely by Frank Quietly.  But there is no doubt in my mind as to who wins the title for this year.

In 2009 I picked Ed Benes, but he only worked on very few comics that year; it made me feel the need to alter my requirements for being the Heretic's Blog pick for best artist.  Well this year I think I got it right!  Say hello to the best artist of 2010, Mr. Francis Manapul! (applause!)

He hasn't been working in comics that long based on the information I was able to scrounge up on him, (that's right Manapul, I'm your personal stalker!)  but in 2007 he signed a contract with DC comics and has worked on some very popular titles like Legion of Superheroes, Superman/Batman and Adventure Comics.  While his career with DC is very short, he's definitely made a mark for himself within the comic book world and is progressively rising.

I should note that he has a resume with some very well-to-do comic book companies such as Aspen, Top Cow and Image Comics.  All of which truly help him boost into the artist spotlight today.

I've chosen Manapul as 2010's best artist mainly for his work in the 3rd volume of the Flash title.  For those familiar with his work, Manapul's style is unique and edgy, always pronouncing that "sketched out" look.  Most other artists out there take time to make everything they do exceptionally clean with extra smooth lines.  This isn't bad by any means, it's the way I draw for pete's sake!  But Manapul gives us something fresh and different to look at while enjoying our comic reading experience.  I hope to be at a comic book convention where he attends so I can shake his hand and tell him how much I enjoy his artwork.

Below are a few of his pieces, enjoy!

R.I.P. Frank Frazetta

Heretical Jargon: Palmiotti, Grey and Conner Leave "Power Girl"

If you weren't heart broken over hearing the news that Gail Simone is leaving Wonder Woman very soon, you might as well skip reading this bit of comic book news.  The team of Justin Gray,. Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner have announced they will be leaving Power Girl by issue #10.

It was Amanda Conner that started the domino effect as she has become increasingly busy with her art endeavors.  What followed was a discussion from Palmiotti and Gray about whether or not they could keep their creative juices flowing as freshly without Conner behind the artistic wheel.  Sadly, the decision was made to hand off the exceptionally popular title to a new writing and artistic team.

"We set out to give Power Girl an interesting supporting cast, a new job and a new life and give her the personality that we felt would stick with the character for a long time after us," said Palmiotti. "This book has a certain magic that the entire team brought to it that we couldn't be happier for.

"But Amanda always said she could just commit to the book for a year, and as we got into the series we realized that we just couldn't do the same type of book with another artist at this point and decided it was a good idea to leave with her and give another team a shot."

However, even with the sad news of this team's departure, He and Gray still have stories they intend to flesh out concerning Power Girl.  Who knows, this may lead to a telling of her origin!

One thing I do hope for is that the new writing and artistic team can bring their own new flavor to the title, while keeping the same luxurious, sexy and fun feel.  It's always scary to hand off a comic to a new writer, and right now I'm terrified!