Coloring has come a long way in comics. From pastels to the incredibly detailed, shaded pages we browse through today, coloring plays an integral part in making comics look their best. Not to mention one slip up can throw die-hard fans into a frenzy.

Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien: The Drowning, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse); Body Bags (Image); Captain America: White (Marvel)

Coloring can be vital to a comic’s success, and it’s easy to overlook just how much work goes into making them look just right. In the world of comics, stories need to be matched with artwork on a meticulous level. Panels must function according to the flow of an issue, and art and dialogue must speak volumes both together and separately.

Dave Stewart knows how to match colors to mood. From his work on Dark Horse comics like Hellboy and The Umbrella Academy to Image’s Body Bags and Marvel’s Captain America: White, Stewart masters beautiful colors that fit the story at hand. He knows when to tone down the vibrancy or use different tactics accordingly. The illustrations in Captain America: White were old-timey and patriotic, while Stewart’s stance on the paranormal shone dark, moody, and sometimes eerie. Stewart understands the meaning of colors as expression, and his comics are all the better because of it. Somebody make this guy paint a chameleon. –WITA

Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #19 (Drawn & Quarterly)

When you regularly take in the coloring work of Christina Strain or Peter Steigerwald, it might be easy to skim by Chris Ware’s effort in Acme Novelty Library #19. But upon closer inspection, Ware’s work on Rusty Brown’s continued adventure is nothing less than spectacular.

Acme Novelty Library #19 unfolds through several short stories ranging from a man and his dog dealing with isolation on Mars to the tribulations of becoming middle-aged and even dealing with nonreciprocal love and adoration. The color pallets—generally limited to analogous colors in various tints and shades—are entirely appropriate for each situation. Brown, burnt orange and the occasional deep blue flesh out the adventure on Mars. Cyan, magenta and yellow burst from the page when pulp comics come into play back on Earth, and a slew of desaturated colors act as a metaphor for the monotony of life in another scenario. The occasional splash of something out of the ordinary, such as the dress of the heartbreaking lady in red, acts as a focal point—allowing the reader to see the world through the lens of the besotted protagonist. The flat colors printed on heavy cardstock paper feel tangible, intentional—and from a graphic designer’s perspective—nearly edible. If the fantastically nonsensical stories in Acme Novelty Library #19 don’t draw you in, Chris Ware’s colors will. –VirtualGirl

Steve Hamaker, Bone: Ghost Circles, Bone: Treasure Hunters (Scholastic Graphix)

Bone the character may be white as a ghost, but that doesn’t stop the rest of his books from bursting at the seams with every color under the rainbow. In case you weren’t aware, back in the day Bone wasn’t colored at all. His volumes have just recently been granted the more than four-color treatment by Steve Hamaker thanks to Scholastic’s Graphix imprint.

It’s safe to say that in this instance it was the best thing that could have happened to good ol’ Boneville and its surrounding areas. “Ghost Circles,” originally published in 2001, has been rejuvenated with a score of earth tones and a good amount of darkness—which is appropriate considering a volcano has blacked out the sun. Originally from 2002, Hamaker’s colored edition of “Treasure Hunters” released last year shares his earthy palate from “Ghost Circles” but throws in many more vibrant shades this time around. The ancient city of Atheia is more alive thanks to the varying colors of dress and product in the market. Of course, the treasure itself shines like the sun. Kudos to Hamaker for making Bone even more exciting than before. –Jill aka TheNerdyBird

Trish Mulvihill, Joker (DC), 100 Bullets (Vertigo/DC)

Trish Mulvihill is infamous for her enticingly dark and foreboding color schemes. Her work on 100 Bullets and Joker both exemplify her range of talent on a grand scale. Notable for her dark, atmospheric art, Mulvihill accentuates each story’s ambiance with vibrant darks and brilliant shadows. Even her dull lights and greys appropriately complement Risso’s (Joker) sketchy line-work.

Both Joker and 100 Bullets are rich in visuals and work on such a grand scheme thanks to Mulvihill’s coloring talents. She has a fantastic ability to really understand a writer’s tone and properly integrate that into the story so that it further enhances the mood instead of hindering it. She switches from the blackest of blacks to the funkiest of funks with ease; her range is highly impressive as well as successful. The graphic novels are incredibly more engrossing as well as appealing because of her use (or lack) of color. Mulvihill does what a colorist does best: enhance the story and make the writers look good. –Melissa Kay

Val Staples, Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)

Val Staples has been working in comics in various capacities for over fifteen years, but it’s primarily his graphic skills in coloring with Marvel that gave him his reputation.

Staples’ long resume includes fan-favorite titles like X-Men: First Class, Incognito and Criminal. Staples can smoothly transition the panels on the page from clear, natural lighting to overlays of cherry red during seedy nighttime action to lime green hues of an mundane office’s fluorescent lights. Both Incognito and Criminal have the same teams under the writing leadership of Ed Brubaker and artwork by Sean Phillips, and with that comes a distinct style evident in every issue. The inking by Phillips is so drastic that one might expect these noir dramas to be colorless—or in the Frank Miller style of highlighting, only periodic elements in color. But Staples makes each panel’s color choice appropriate for the environment being conveyed. This is Staples’ first Eisner nomination. –Amber Love

Related Posts:

• Best Cover Artist
• Best Penciller/Inker
• Best Continuing Series
• Best Writer
• Best New Series