A very lovely page.  I really like the "cheat" of those first three "telescoped" / inset panels, as it makes it feel like the runner is approaching you at the same time as the camera is zooming in.  Really fun technique!  The fourth panel is a beautiful rendering of a classic sci-fi city - a nice slice of life - and then the final panel's extreme close-up gives us another fine burst of Dan's emotive brushwork.  Just a really sweet page, F M - great post!

Beautiful sketch!  Jason's design of Spider-Gwen / Ghost Spider is -SO- strong (beautiful, elegant, and exciting all at once), it's no surprise that the character resonates as well as she does.  As you say, getting a sketch of the character by her co-creator is fantastic, and the splash of color (along with the highly stylized cityscape "doodle" at the bottom) really make this one very special.  Great pick up, Fred!  Congrats!

This is fantastic, Fred - a beautiful capping page (the summit, if you will) of the full-issue journey that you've been on, sharing page after lovely page from this issue with us.  I am a -huge- fan of pages that (through excellent storytelling and the artist's sheer force of will and imagination) fly against the natural reading flow of a page, and Steve's use of stepped vertical panels, Wally's upward glance in panel 2 (and even the stack of text boxes in "panel 3") have us moving from bottom left to upper right before we realize anything's amiss.  SO cool.  The speed force crackle adds a terrific kineticism and launches everything upwards.  GREAT page, FM!  A fun way to put a bow on the book and a fitting tribute to Steve and his talent.

BEAUTIFUL page, Gaurav, and you are spot-on in your observation that Stuart perfectly captured the joy of first-time flight here.  This project was another Immonen "self-reinvention", wasn't it?  There was a richness and density to his pencils on this series - a bit more of a grounding and realism that (of course) fit the tone and overall intent of the story perfectly.  All the panels are strikingly lovely, but I'm really enthralled by the bottom one, with its sense of unrestricted space and freedom, and the fine touch of Stuart's pencils.  Really, really great work!  Congrats on this super cool pick up, Gaurav!

A super cool sci-fi page in general, but add Dredd and you have a total winner!  Ron's style is beautifully layered and quite illustrative, giving the breakneck pacing here some real weight and substance.  I especially like the textures on the bottom half of the page, and that beat up car crashing through the window in panel 3 (the model of the vehicle spelled out along the driver's side is a brilliantly timeless, 2000 A.D. retro-future touch) is just superb (gnarled grille and all).  And, of course, the irony of the Solar Sniper being launched into the sun...?  Chef's kiss.  Beautiful and fun page, Paul - great pick up!

Such a cool,splash!  Definitely giving of a "you can check in, but never check out" kind of vibe. :)  And I like Berry's inks here for the exercise of seeing just how much you can strip out and still have it be unmistakably Kirby.  What's left is almost a wireframe, but there's no escaping those vines, is there. :) Classic and fun, and (as one who lives in a vacation destination) a recognizable truth in the line "BECAUSE THE TOURISTS STILL COME!!" :) Great add, Paul!

Good to see you're locking down my Best of CAF 2026 vote early, Bill! :)  Another simply -unbelievable- add to your world-class collection, and your write up is absolutely, perfectly spot on.  This is a monster of an add, and even in the context of the dizzying percentage of indisputable "museum-worthy" pieces you already own, this is something very, very special.  An absolute treat to see Royer inking Kirby's Surfer here, right?  Sublime! :)  This is timeless, classic magic, pure and simple; a firework launched years ago that will not fail to help guide and inspire -ALL- future generations.  As long as there are humans, there will be people to kneel before this piece for what it represents and for the Giant at its source (and no, it's not Galactus :) ).  BRAVO, Bill.  Unbelievable (in the best possible sense)!! :)

AWESOME piece, K!  You know how much I love BV (especially in his Sorcerer Supreme digs) and this take on him is spectacular.  Lots of Tradd Moore here, of course, but I also feel a rich vein of Matt Lesniewski running through this, with all of the gradient visual textures (rather than Moore's striking and stark black and white) mixing an intoxicating blend that feels more like a Doctor Voodoo dimensional peek "Into The Mouth Of Madness"...  Those floating skulls are absolute fire, along with the shrunken heads and skulls around his belt, and the small brooch-like, stylized Eye of Agamotto clasping the Cloak of Levitation together.  Beautiful piece, K!  Great pick up!

SENSATIONAL New Avengers page, Adam!  A fantastic and kinetic layout that is completely driven by Danny Miki's inking.  The top tier is great fun, dripping with ninjas (both close up and pushing further into the frame...and off the roof!) and the cloth details and lighting are absolutely sublime.  And then the bottom tier, veering between the electifying rooftop battle and Luke's plummet towards the street (with great, thin-lined details on the background buildings to fill out - but not upstage - the panels)... just superb.  Huge congrats, Adam - what a pickup!

Sensational!  That fantastic mix of Sienkiewicz exacting detail and abstract feel; you're not sure if the Hulk is in repose here or just about to explode into terrible, violent action.  Enormous congrats at adding a fantastic piece by a true master, Michael.  Wow - this is amazing.

Oh, wow, Michael!  Jim Cheung is, of course, spectacular, but when paired with a powerhouse inker like Mark Morales or John Dell, well, he's simply unstoppable.  You have Exhibit A right here!  The backgrounds are just as gorgeously refined as our heroes in their formal wear (John Dell's  cross-hatching is unbelievable!  I especially love panel 2, with the nighttime city behind Ben and Peter...), and the shading given to Ben's face and eyes here subtly convey his present state of mind.  Superb storytelling, impeccable rendering, and beloved characters: an unbeatable comic cocktail that is an absolute gem.  Amazing grab, Michael - huge congrats!

Wow - yeah, that water lizard form of Evo ("he is not man - he is Evo!") is super duper cool, and you're not jopking about those slick, sharp inks.  I really love the waves in panel 4, and the different textures used to denote the churning ocean surface.  The fine hatching / netting on the costume (along with the detailing of the metal buttons, etc.) is just really, really sharp.  Fun page, F M, and I'm glad you finally relented and took it in.  It is worthy! :) Hope you had a great new year's celebration, pal, and all the best to you and the fam in 2026! 

Beautiful, beautiful page, a_a.  Wow - you can hear the crunch of the feet on the snow in panel 2.  I love the woods at the top of panel 1, and panel 3 is absolutely sensational.  Perfect use of both black and white paint splash for the snow, all depending on the backdrop (lovely touch).  This page is a meal in and of itself and is fulfilling as an experience at every level, to every viewer, regardless of what they're looking for or how deep they wish to delve.  From a surface evaluation of "pretty pictures"; as a complete and standalone narrative moment; as a deeper dive into technical aspects of lighting, staging, and execution... it works perfectly as all those things.  Incredible add, a_a!  Huge congrats!

Good heavens, Yo - what a monster!  A positively ~unbelievable~ spread from Master Samnee.  That cityscape has to be one of the most amazing ever committed to paper, and feels like it is drawing from many different eras of work by many different masters, showcasing them all in a unified (yet patchwork) display - just like a real city!  You can see AND feel the Toth, Kirby, Eisner, Miller (even S.G. Murphy) pulsing through this thing... with the Sale-like puddle splashes in the bottom left adding a brilliant splash of visual dissonance to really make the whole thing sizzle.  Is Chris creating the rain effects via razor cuts?  Or ink...?  Whatever the method, imposing that on top of the already overpoweringly vertical thrust of the page amps up the vertiginous qualities to 11... and then setting up Catwoman and Batman as completely horizontal figures on top of all that...?!?  So, so, so, so SO masterfully composed.  An incredible, incredible feat of artistic engineering and execution.  Just... yeah.  Two thumbs up. :)

(Happy New Year, Yo!  May your entire 2026 be as awesome and majestic as this piece!)

Another -beautiful- Cheung for your awesome collection, George! Jim really leverages the lessons he picked up from his fantastic Scion run to present some really cool designs for Wiccan / "Asgardian" here.  What a great pick up!  Jim obviously invested so much time and detail into this fully-rendered design drawing... It's not at all surprising, as it is so plain to see how invested he was in this series at every step (which is an enormous reason it still resonates so vividly)!  Knowing your penchant for both character design pieces and the mighty Mr. Cheung, this is a perfect fit and a rocking way to start out 2026 - huge congrats, George!

BEAUTIFUL, Kirby-infused layout, with Big John puttin' his thang down and landing a solid blow for overpowered, immortally-charged hate monsters everywhere (as Thor finds out).  This thing fairly crackles with life and energy, Paul, with that last panel of the dour and stately elder gods (perfectly stacked to account for both the gravity of the situation and seamless word balloon placement!) being my favorite.  SO cool!  What an add, Paul!  Great start to 2026 (and I hope you have a fantastic one :) )!

A crackling, fun vertical layout, just dripping with shadows on that right side!  Very cool and striking page, Rick!  Congrats!

ACK!  I really gotta read this whole series!  New Year's Resolution (thanks, Rick! :) )!  Great work by William here - love the white space at the top, and how the panels (and design of the bottom of the page) is stacked to lead the reader's eye gracefully and gently to the prospector's finger pointing you to the page turn.  A really lovely and well-engineered page, plucked right from the era that your mighty collection specializes in.  Fantastic grab, Rick!  Happy New Year!

The -perfect- New Year's post to remind us all to look back in joy and be thankful for how far we've been able to come on the winding journey along the way! :) That is one early Mignola!  Special in and of itself for that reason, but getting to see his take on Swampy (even at this primordial stage) is a real treat - one of the mainstream heroes you'd most want to see his version of, right?  Congrats, Rick, and happy new year (sorry I'm late :) )! 

Great page, Mike!  All the characters are beautifully rendered, of course, but I really love the fine details all over this thing: the towers and plane in panel 1, the computer bank behind Hulk in panel 3... too cool.  But the framing of panel 2, with Hulk backlit by the sun, and the shuttle popped out due to the engine burst - just fantastic.  A non-digital Maleev page is its own brand of special treasure, and you landed a lovely one, Mike!  Huge congrats!

SUCH a cool page.  Fantastic storytelling to underscore the weight of this moment - which might work better as a silent page, without any words - letting the POV of the hands and gems underscore the gravity of the responsibility these heroes are undertaking; choices which will ultimately (in the brain-melting Hickman run) break these characters down and force them to re-examine themselves (and us as readers to re-examine them!) in ways we had never seen before.  Beautiful storytelling and raw illustrative muscle on display here from JR, Jr and Janson!  Great pick up, Mike - congrats!

Too, too cool, Mike!  I think for Bryan, "FF" stands for "future forward", right?  With the Ultimate U's recasting of all characters as far more young than their 616 counterparts, this reboot allowed for a complete rebuild of the central players, and who would be better to execute the main images and costumes for that assignment than Bryan Hitch?  I love the practicality and real-world functionality that Bryan roots his futuristic designs in; it's those touches that allow readers to immediately and intuitively latch on and smoothly integrate into the story. The thick, insulated gloves here, as well as the reinforced, supportive boots... all capped off with that super stylized "4".  Just so cool (and, like you mention, a fun piece of history with Ultimate Reed being the springboard for The Maker). :) Congrats, Mike!  Great pick up!

So very, very cool!  All these Ultimate FF design pieces were great (and allowed for a nice glimpse into creative process), but I think you got the best one, showcasing a youthful Sue and a really compelling character and costume design - perfect for the Ultimate U. I love how the concept drawing itself is a sleek and futuristic, fun presentation (rather than a straightforward, OHOTMU-style rotation) with different zoom levels and lovely composition over a really smooth layout: Bryan's design sense even takes over the pitch page itself. :) Great grab, Eric (and happy new year)!

-SWEET- cover, Eric, with some masterful inking by Joe here!  Really nice touch on all the faces in the background (and especially on planet Earth), but darkening Supes' figure is sure to draw the eye into the center of the page (as intended) so the viewer can marvel at the great figure work and hatching going on there.  (Love the lighting on the "S" shield, too!)  Great pick up, Eric (and happy new year! :) ).  Congrats!

LOVE IT, M L!  Again, you take it all to a new level with your approach to "commission as high concept"! :) Such a wicked fun idea, and it is -easy- to see how much joy it gave Jeremy to, um, execute.  After your sequential Manix Galactus framing job, I can't help but think how you'll do this one...  Will each card get its own frame in a lattice-work mounting that allows them to be individually turned over?  (More importantly, will you require the viewer to say, "I'll be back!" every time they flip over a card from front side to back side?).  Another scorcher of a commission idea,  M L - great pick up!

YES.  THIS.  A spectacular take on Stingray, with those vibrant and  explosive colors being the essential cherry on top of the glorious cake.  Your collection is overflowing with iron (lung) clad proof that artists love the chance to sink themselves into a subject so different from their regular requests, and although you have so many incredible examples of that, I think this one has GOT to take the prize.  As overflowing with charm, style, and depth as the mighty Atlantic herself.  What a gorgeous and incredibly unique piece, Newell - HUGE congrats!

Fantastic Manix, Newell!  The colors on that flowing cape (set off so beautifully by the background blues) make this special, but the fact that it's such a unique character choice distinguishes it even further (something I'd wager you could say about any of the Stingray commissions you request). :)  Superb piece, Newell - congrats! 

(Plus the fact that Stingray's helmet "arrow" is pointing downwards when all the motion of everything else on the page is flowing upwards tickles me, too.  I know that's just the character design (meant to be a stylized barb on a ray's tail? I've always wondered about that...), but it's good for a chuckle (and allows Ian a chance to infuse a bit more white / negative space into the top third of the composition).)

Gorgeous piece, Newell (and fantastic write up)!  Stingray looks like a million bucks here (love the effect that "reversing" the colors on the underside of his wings achieves), but it's the rays in the background that really captivate me.  Just as their muted colors push Stingray to the front, Stingray's brash and bold colors allow us to isolate the rays to study them more closely, too, to really revel in the effort and detail Ian so obviously invested into them.  GREAT call on the biology textbook!  :) I love the density of the fever of rays, too, packing them heavily into the bottom of the page (so much texture!!) and then thinning them out as your eye travels up the page to add white space and really make the composition sizzle (and those tails also act as motion or velocity lines to propel the viewer's eye up the page, giving a sense of soaring motion to the piece and to Stingray himself).  And another shout-out to the colors on the piece: because Stingray's colors are so bold dominant, it plays a fun POV trick on us, too, as what initially appears to be a straight-on OHOTMU-like look at a stretching hero is actually a shot from below, underwater, as Stingray shoots past (and leaves the viewer in a fever)! :) Brilliant commission, Newell!  Love this one!

I strongly suspect that I'll run out of superlatives before running out of things to say about this one, Newell. :) This piece may very well be the crown jewel of the frankly -astonishing- batch of commissions Nick just completed.  The level of subtle touch Nick achieves with his watercolors here rivals the level of execution he has with those blessed color pencils of his, and it stymies the senses just as effectively; the lighting on Stingray's costume is phenomenal, but no less impressive is the pallete given to the coral reef and sea life.  I'm bowled over by how Nick simultaneously puts us into (and then deliberately draws us out of) the setting here.  Rather than using a wavy or "current-y" backdrop behind Stingray, if you stand back or blur your eyes a bit, the mottled style Nick employs for the watery background gives a sense of space and infinite horizon, like staring into the night sky, with the phosphorescent algae the stars, and the manta ray the crescent moon.  It draws an immediate and direct parallel (and equivalent) to other cowled protectors who stand (or crouch dramatically) as sentries over their domain.  It is -STUNNING-.  It's obviously a commission request that Nick sunk his all into (so to speak) to produce something incredibly special and unique.  Just BRAVO, Newell!  This is spectacular!

Beautiful, haunting image, set in a perfect time of year (and inked to perfection) to elicit the intended feelings of loss and emotion.  Powerful piece, James - beautiful add!

Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL renderings at -ALL- levels on this incredible piece, James!!  From SUPER cool "pen-skritch" skyline in the background, to the blazing portal (which is Cheung-level electrifying - especially on the published page!) to the awesome crescent-shaped lens flare in the foreground, Sta. Maria is all-in on this baby.  Cable is an enormous and imposing figure (just as he should be, of course), but in a more down-to-earth, less "hyper-stylized" / over-proportioned way, and I really like it.  Everything about him feels like functionality is prioritized over every other concern, which is a perfect take on our far-future fighter, in my opinion.  Also, the rendering of his weapon is simply incredible.  It has mass and weight and is truly frightening.  Cold, metallic, death ray FTW, baby.  Michael sets Cable up as the heaviest of all heavy metal death-dealing bad-asses here... Perfect!  GREAT add, James (and I hope you had a fantastic holiday)!

So cool!!  A really fun holiday page from Sanford that features two Marvel favorites (which I suppose means that the jolly old elf is owned by Disney now, but, well, yeah, I suppose that tracks...).  Love the stylized takes on 'Pool here (like his throttled face in panel 2 and shy/sheepish body language in panel 5), and these have -gotta- be the only published Sanford examples of these communist "cuties", right?

I'm late with my holiday wishes, Michael (sorry!), but I sincerely hope you had a terrific Christmas (and that your family has all bounced back from the Yuletide from the Ol' St. Ick!).

McKone really brought the goods here, and Alquiza made sure that no fine details were left behind!  Lovely work at all levels of this thing, starting with the great character renderings and costume details and extending back to the bridge full of Perez-worthy individualized onlookers (which may actually be my favorite part)! :) Really nice add, Miki!  A great Legion lineup - congrats!

Great piece, Miki!  Duncan's page composition is fantastic here, and his style is really exciting and interesting to behold!  The inking is top notch here, too, as it easily switches between smooth metallic and jagged earth (with a few other stylistic stops in between, like battle-worn costume and wind-blown hair).  This one is really, really fun to look at - that top panel is really commanding, but XS explodes out of panel 2 to prevent her from being upstaged!  GREAT page, Miki!  Hope you had a terrific holidays!

Ah, yes!  The perfect holiday-themed Hembeck sketch card add! Really fun grab, Rick.  Hembeck's superheroes are always great (duh), but his really special pieces, I think, are the ones that deviate from that (delightful!) norm: when he takes on characters from other media or pop culture, and allows us to see familiar (or previously un-drawn subjects) through his warm and familiar lens.  Especially awesome are real life figures, like (say) The Beatles or your Mr. King here.  My only question is that with the bloodied axe here, is Fred saying Stephen is a hack? ;) Congrats, Rick!

Great Smith piece!  His compositions have such a great mass to them - really substantive - and his line and look is so classic.  I also love all the texture Paul added to this; between DM's scales and the leather-like "stretch marks" of his skin and wings (to say nothing of the beautifully drawn head), well, I'd imagine it makes you a right jolly old elf, with a giggle in your belly like a bowl full of jelly. :)  Hope you had a great holidays, pal!

YES.  Just YES.  Fantastic write up, and you're not at all mistaken about the feelings of fun, camaraderie, and genuine warmth (from creators to characters to audience) this one stirs up.  A really special (and beautifully drawn) strip, and you -gotta- know that Batman's One True Christmas Wish was granted the instant he saw Superman don the ol' sleigh bells in order to pull the sled, right?  Happiest of all Christmases to you and your family, Rubén, and to all of CAF, a good night! 

Always a treat to see an Aragones take on established maninstream characters...  but odds are probably good that the whole thing may turn into a bit of a trick, too...? (unintentionally, of course! ;) )  Leave it to Cain and Abel to put the Halloween into Christmas!  Sergio's beautiful details are particularly resplendent in Santa's holiday workshop (I love the fact that the piece of wood cut out of the board being held by the vice to the left of Cain is right below it on the workbench), but most especially the MAD blimp ("To: SANTA!  Love, Bill") with the 'What Me Worry?' sail, wheels, and anchor (showing much more versatility than Santa's sleigh)!  Beautiful holiday post, Paul!  Happy Christmas to you (and all on CAF)! :)

Sensational page, Paul!  Soooo cool and special to have an example of these two artistic titans teaming up, and that bottom panel image could be (should be?) a widescreen poster (it looks like even the saguaro cactus is recoiling in fear as the Hulk springs on by :) ).  Yup - right with you in being transfixed by the truly Frankensteinian brow Everett gave to old Green Genes (such a unique look), and as much as panel 5 is the obvious money shot, I'm really drawn to panel 3 and its excellent balance and draftsmanship; a beautifully-rendered army panel, with the personnel, vehicle, building, and backgrounds just looking -great-.  A fantastic comic panel on a fantastic comic page!  Congrats on this one, Paul - a real beauty!

Fantastic page, Derek!!  Wow - I remember when I first read this (and was -much- younger ;) ), I was a bit disappointed that so much of that delicious Art Adams detail had been ironed out in the inking, but it's really cool to see Giordano's work on this, and the meshing of their styles.  Some great images of Superman here, to say nothing of the vampire (and her jean shorts :) ).  Panels 2 and 5 are just WONDERFUL and an early indicatior of the deep passion Art obviously holds for the monsters.  Besties with the beasties!  What a special example: an early AA take on the Man of Steel!  A brilliant add to (and fit with) your collection, Derek!  Big congrats!

Absolutely spectacular add, Mikail!  Your fantastic write up captures the spirit of this beauty perfectly, especially of the vibrancy of the colors (warm above ground vs. the coolness below, indeed).  And the reflections in the water of that final panel?  Unbelievable. The finesse and precision of Alex's execution here is dizzying.  Superb storytelling (the floating Superman is brilliant), and you never need to see Clark's face to understand the emotions going through his head at this moment.  A phenomenal, wondrous score, ML, at home in the perfect collection for it.  Scatchamagowza!  Enormous congrats!!

Wow!  There's -amazing- warmth and obvious charm to the piece, but don't be fooled - Katie's packing some serious heat, too: these are BEAUTIFUL colors here, ML, not only in the choices (green and brown with their organic, living vibe, of course) but in their fine gradations all along the piece.  Wow!  And the textures and hatching in Death's hair?  Showstopping.  I love the subtle, cyclical, balance-to-all-things touch of the small, confetti-like skulls over both the white and black backgrounds surrounding Death, and Katie's withering wit locks down the bottom left corner of the piece.  Wow!!  Another terrific commission in your mighty collection, Mikail; a fine testament to waiting patiently (or putting it out of your mind completely :) ) and being rewarded by a cool artist who recognizes the importance of such traits.  Congrats!

BEAUTIFUL Canete, Justin!  Eric's highly-stylized and intensely unique figure work is always a joy to behold, but the buildings in the background here add -so- much to the piece!  I was lucky enough to grab one of Eric's Spidey pieces with a similar background and I never tire of looking at it.  I have no doubt you feel the same with this one!  What an artist!  Great grab, Justin - congrats!

My mom wasn't terribly supportive of video games, so I never really had a system growing up (yup, I was "that kid" with "those parents"... ;) ), so I'm afraid I can only smile and nod and pretend to know what you're talking about, but I do love Dexter's color choices here, as well as Rygar's face and hair.  A fun choice of commission that I can tell gets you fired up... which makes this one a winner!  Congrats, K!

Never underestimate Mr. Breathed's ability to elicit a guffaw!  Had a pretty big outburst at the "initial fitting" line... :) Even to this day, Berke's set ups and timing feel smooth and flawlessly executed, his wit still has bite and edge, and the whole thing just feels... COOL.  Dang, man - you got a Bill the Cat strip!  Serious congrats!  Another killer add to your fantastic collection, Rick!  Huge congrats!

Such a fun and highly stylized, densely-packed layout!  So much going on and the John Workman letters propel this one over the top.  Love panel 5's perfect balance of art and letters; black and white.  SUPER cool!  Great grab, Chris!

Wow - the visual texture just drips off of this one!  I know the Michael Golden influence is often cited (and with good reason), but it feels like there's some Steve Rude (or even Zot-era Scott McCloud?) here...  Fun to see Jason's raw talent and influences on display on a really interesting page.  Great bundle of pages here, Chris, fittingly posted on the sad anniversary of Jason's passing.  Great rememberance. R.I.P., Jason.

Another really interesting showcase of black and white with some fine storytelling.  I may be projecting too much here, but it feels like he really had a design-centered approach to these early pages...  I really like how he grounds panels 4, 5, and 7 with those strong blacks at the bottom; a nice foundation that pre-supposes the placement and "mass" of the word balloons and the part they'll play in the overall design and composition of the page.  Another cool post, Chris!  Congrats!

Sweet!  Yeah, the Giffen influence/layouts are unmistakable, right?  That nine-panel block grid of densely packed panels feels almost like a signature in itself...  A strong (and pleasing) black and white balance here (especially in those beautifully staged last three panels), and I love seeing the room Jason left for the word balloons (so everything could just perfectly snap right into place).  Neophyte he may have been, but Jason had some truly core essentials down, even at this stage...!  Cool pick up, Chris!  Congrats!