Nate Powell, Fall Through page 55

I’ve had the privilege of meeting Nate Powell several times over the past 15 years—usually at SDCC signings with Andrew Aydin and Congressman John Lewis, his line always stretching long. But it wasn’t until OAX3 that I finally had the chance to talk with him about his work.

His art lingers with you. It’s haunting—not in a dark way, but in how deeply it reaches. Nate’s stories move beyond genre; they feel alive, grounded in real people, real places, and real emotion. They’re thoughtful, human, and unforgettable.

So why this page?

To answer that, I think back to Swallow Me Whole from 2008. I started reading it just before my mother passed away (2009), and a year later, my father died from complications of Alzheimer’s—one of the book’s central themes. That connection cut deep. Even now, I can’t finish it without feeling those memories surface. It was rough seeing the pages with my own eyes. Nate even took the time to show me a key story page that had just sold before it went off to its new home. Hard to relive but grateful I was able to see it.

But this page from Fall Through feels different. It’s warm and hopeful—illustrated with a quiet sense of possibility. It still haunts me, but gently, in a way that makes me smile.

Nate has a rare gift for bringing his thoughts straight to the page. His layouts flow in ways that feel organic, like music, breaking through traditional panel boundaries with the same energy I see in Sienkiewicz or J.H. Williams. His pages pull you in and don’t let go.

If you haven’t explored Nate’s work, visit athenaeumcomicart.com. And if you haven’t read his books, you’re in for something special—each one speaks to the soul in its own way. Follow Nate online at www.instagram.com/seemybrotherdance