Comicon’s Best Letterers Of 2024

The following are Comicon’s Best Letterers of 2024.

6. Joe Sabino

Lettering a book set in Asgard isn’t an easy task. The anachronistic language, unusual fonts, the spells that start entering the picture. Sabino’s work on the Immortal Thor was excellent this year, making him worthy of addition alone, taking a dialogue and caption heavy story and turning it into a visual novel. The narration stood out in the best ways, the dialogue fit together, and Sabino proved himself as vital a part of the creative team as the writer and artists.

— Tony Thornley

5. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

If you’ve read a good number of comics in the last few years, there is little doubt you’ve seen lettering from Otsmane-Elhaou. From books at the “big two” to a wide swath of creator owned and licensed books. When they say that lettering is an art form, this is the type of lettering that is clearly meant. Otsmane-Elhaou brings all the emotion, color, volume, and more into every letter on the page. Then goes an extra mile by blowing up the bubble, font, and other styles into something bigger and far more unique for each particular story. Capturing the precise tone or overall feeling that belongs with the book in question. Nailing the voices of the character and the world while doing something grander at the same time.

— Scott Redmond

4. Wes Abbott

There is little doubt that 2024 was likely a very solid year for Abbott, with books like Nightwing and Titans under his (bat) belt. Bringing characters voices to life in some huge books, no matter what writer is involved. Lettering is not just about putting the words of the script onto the page. It includes visual flairs and making sure it all flows both as dialogue and as visual elements on the page. There are numerous instances where Abbott’s skill has been abundantly clear by how the words sing even more because of what he’s done to them. Who knows what is ahead for Abbott in the future? But whatever it is things will be bright.

— Scott Redmond

3. Joe Caramagna

Joe Caramagna has forever made his mark on the Spider-Man titles, and most people don’t even know his name. Month after month, he has taken one of the snappiest and dialogue-heavy lines in comics, and translated jokes, patter, and quips into a visual on the page that fits right in with the art and elevates the story. No matter what’s happening, you know it’s going to flow perfectly, and that’s the best thing a letterer can do.

— Tony Thornley

2. Ariana Maher

Want to see lettering that goes beyond the normal and does way more with the artform? Just look for any of the myriad of books that Maher is routinely working on across the spectrum of publishers, giving every character a clear and loud voice (or softer sometimes) with the greatest flair. Fonts that shift and change at the drop of a hat, matching the tonal energy and volume of a character. Bold colorful bubbles, in-your-face, accurately placed SFX, and so much more. Efficient and clean are great ways to also describe how Maher approaches lettering, without losing an ounce of the fun energy.

— Scott Redmond

1. Clayton Cowles

There’s a reason Cowles is lettering the top comics in the industry. Month after month, he doesn’t just put out quality comics. He takes the story and incorporates the balloons and bubbles with it, capturing the feel in the best way possible. He enhances everything he letters, whether it’s straightforward or there’s a lot of flair to go with it.

— Tony Thornley