10 Incredible Comic Book Panels That Changed Everything

All-Star Superman is an All-Star gem.

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Marvel

If you were to name any single comic creator whose impact on the medium could be considered immeasurable, it'd be Jack Kirby. He wrote the book on modern comics, and the wave of tributes left in the wake of the artist's 100th birthday have dominated the scene for over a month now. It's certainly special to see the medium bursting with so much positivity. Nazi-Cap is, after all, finally on his way out.

So, in the spirit of Kirby's 100th b-day, taking the odd moment or two to reflect on the best and brightest images to have emerged from DC, Marvel and others certainly feels like a worthwhile endeavour, particularly when it concerns an industry as iconic or as indelibly influential as comics themselves.

Indeed, artists have long been proving that comics aren't nor ever will be the funny books they once were. Granted, they can be funny, but y'know, things are decidedly more grim these days than before. Nuanced, certainly, but also grim.

But what about those panels that truly reinvented the industry? It's been home to plenty of incredible names over the years, including the likes of Kirby, Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli and more. And so naturally, it makes sense that there've been more game-changing pencils than there've been Elektra resurrections.

As for the ones that really changed the game? Well, we've collected (most) of them here, because we're nice like that.

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Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.