Good writing plays an important role in a comic's success, but without its art, a comic book would just be a book. Art in comics features a broad variety of style, from cartoonish depictions to realistic paintings. When the art fits the style of the book just right, it can be absolute magic.

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Fantasy comics are prime territory for epic art. The fantastical worlds and creatures created by fantasy writers and artists lend themselves amazingly well to especially vibrant art styles. Instead of being constrained by real-world physics or realistic portrayals of the world, artists can let their imaginations run wild, and the results are spectacular.

10 Fables Brings Fairy Tales To Life

A panel from Fables featuring the big bad wolf

Fables, written by Bill Willingham, is one of the older fantasy titles still being published today. Many fans thought the series had ended with its "Farewell" storyline in 2015, however, the title was revived in 2022. Delivering its first new issue in seven years, Fables' art was as beautiful as ever.

Most Fables volumes feature art by Mark Buckingham, whose style gracefully compliments the fairy-tale landscape of the story. Whether the panels feature beautiful princesses or shadowy, threatening witches and wolves, each is meticulously rendered and easily recognizable. Buckingham's larger panels are especially impressive, creating the diverse settings for the series.

9 Sandman Was As Varied And Unpredictable As A Dream

Dream & Death Sitting In Washington Square Park

A saga concerning the machinations of "The Endless" — personifications of concepts such as Dream or Destiny — is most likely Neil Gaiman's best known comic book. The series undoubtedly garnered even more fans after the first season of the Sandman TV show on Netflix.

Most Sandman volumes feature different artists, creating a separate look and feel for each storyline. Some, such as "The Kindly Ones," primarily drawn by Mark Hempel, used a very stylized approach. Others, like "The Wake," mostly drawn by Michael Zulli, had a more realistic, sketchy quality. All the issues highlight cover art by Dave McKean, which perfectly set the tone for the series.

8 DIE Was The Perfect Comic For TTRPG Fans

Characters from the comic DIE after transporting to the game realm

Written by Kieron Gillen, DIE follows the adventures of a group of friends who got pulled into the world of the table-top role-playing game they played together. Bridging the genres of horror and fantasy, the books won a slew of awards and, in a fitting twist, are now being adapted into a table-top role-playing game themselves.

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DIE features breathtaking art by French artist Stephanie Hans, whose paintings take a day per page to make, on average. Hans' use of color and her lush painting style create an engrossing and sometimes terrifying world for readers to immerse themselves in.

7 Twig Took Readers On An Epic Adventure

Twig sits on a blanket next to a purple river with creatures jumping from it

Writer Skottie Young has been open about the fact that the Image Comics limited series Twig is heavily influenced by fantasy stories from the 1980s such as Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. This 5-issue series follows the adventures of the fuzzy blue titular Twig, as he sets off on his first day of work as a Placeling, a role that takes him all over the diverse landscapes of the fantasy world he lives in.

The art featured in Twig, drawn by Kyle Strahm and colored by Jean-Francois Beaulieu, is a dream to look at. Strahm creates a dazzling array of fantastical creatures and landscapes, which are enhanced by Beaulieu's bold, rich colors.

6 Monstress Creates A Gorgeous But Terrifying World

Monstress with a young girl and her cat.

If there were a prize for the most beautiful art in a comic book, Monstress would definitely be in the running. This is hardly a surprise given the Hugo, Eisner, and other awards the books have received. Written by Marjorie Liu, Monstress takes place in a matriarchal world where magic and monsters are an everyday part of life and are often used for horrific, terrifying purposes.

Monstress' dark aspects have drawn parallels to the Elden Ring video game. Japanese artist Sana Takeda, who previously collaborated with Liu on the Marvel series X-23, renders the alluring world within Monstress' pages. Takeda's rich, detailed art brings the fantasy world to life in a truly vibrant way, which only makes the story's horrific elements that much more terrifying.

5 The Books Of Magic Presented The DC Universe In A New Way

An image of comic art from Books of Magic, featuring a young boy sitting on a rock as an owl flies in front of him.

The Books of Magic began life as a four-issue miniseries written by Neil Gaiman for DC Comics. In the series, a 12 year-old boy received a tour of the DC Universe's magical elements in order to decide whether he wanted to become the world's greatest magician.

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Each issue of The Books of Magic featured a different artist, with fully painted pages from John Bolton, Scott Hampton, Charles Vess, and Paul Johnson. The result was visually stunning, as well as a nice primer on DC Comics' magical side. The miniseries proved so popular that it returned as an ongoing title several years later.

4 Coda Made The Apocalypse Beautiful

Image from Coda comic featuring the hero and a mutant unicorn

Coda, from Boom! Studios, follows the reluctant adventures of a former bard named Hum who's trying to save his wife's soul with the help of a surly mutant unicorn. Written by Simon Spurrier, the books feature a fantasy world where new magic has disappeared, and any remaining magic has become incredibly rare and precious.

Coda is drawn by Matias Bergara, with colors by Michael Doig, and the art is spectacular. The settings for the story are rendered in such detail, and the colors are so vibrant that readers can spend ages appreciating each panel. These aspects truly shine during action sequences or large scene-setting shots that truly immerse the reader in this fantasy world.

3 Nonplayer Ended Far Too Soon

People on futuristic scooters ride in front of a graffiti sprayed wall, robots, dinosaurs, and trees

When the first issue of Image Comics' Nonplayer was published in 2011, readers were in for a treat. Written and drawn by Nate Simpson, the series featured a near-future world where Dana, a tamale delivery person who lived at home with her mother, became deeply involved with an online role-playing game.

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Simpson created an incredible world, with an impressive amount of detail. Art of that caliber took time, and this series was a side project for Simpson (drawn from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays, according to the artist). Four years passed between the first and second issues, and seven years later, there is sadly no sign of a third.

2 Promethea Brings A Goddess To New York

A woman sits on top of a giant toppled statue with ruins in the background

Alan Moore's Promethea follows Sophie, a journalism student in New York City, who ends up being a vessel for an ancient entity known as Promethea. Over the course of the story, Sophie delves into family mysteries, encounters villainous creatures such as demons, and ends up on the run from the FBI.

Promethea received some criticism for some of the philosophical views it portrayed, however, the art by J.H. Williams III is beautiful and diverse. The covers for the series all reference other comics or artists, adding to its eclectic style. Williams' art especially shines in his large-scale panels, which are truly a visual feast.

1 Saga Lives Up To Its Name

Ghus and Marco in Saga brandishing their weapons

Saga is one of Image Comics' most popular titles, and for good reason. This sprawling tale defies genres, with aspects of fantasy, sci-fi, political intrigue, and more. Brian K. Vaughan's writing keeps readers constantly guessing about what will happen next, with a stunning array of settings and characters, who he's not afraid to kill off.

Vaughn's writing perfectly matches by the art of Fiona Staples. The perfect medium for Saga's world, Staples' digital paintings bring the eclectic cast and scenery to life. Staples uses brushwork and color to create visuals that appear deceptively simple, but feature incredible depth. Saga is without a doubt one of the most stunning ongoing comics today.

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