ABSTRACT
Until the 1970s, the visual aesthetic of mainstream comics was defined by the “King,” Jack Kirby. His kinetic action, simple lines, and maximum impact with minimal effort shaped what the superhero comic book should look like to readers and fans for two generations. By the 1970s and 1980s, comics were infused with a neo-realistic (used loosely here), illustrative quality thanks to the pens of artists like Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Berni Wrightson, and Barry Windsor-Smith.
