Admittedly, I'm UNfamiliar with dozens, hundreds, thousands(?) of remarkable artists currently working in the comic book industry. I happened across Simone Bianchi as I perused auction listings for this Sunday at HA.com. Two original art pieces soon to be sold featured the X-Men and Spider-Man by Bianchi. If Marvel editors think he's good enough to carry their grade-A characters, then he's worth a look from me. So, let's put a spotlight on Simone Bianchi, because maybe this Italian illustrator can be called a 21st Century Da Vinci!
The two-page splash from Wolverine #312 by Bianchi fetched $3,346 in 2013. GoCollect FMV for the 2012 issue co-starring Remus is $30.
Simone Bianchi Spotlight (Maybe this background is for my benefit?)
You may already be familiar with Bianchi's work in Italy or his American comic cover art. I was not, so I started at The official website of Simone Bianchi | Italian illustrator. How people (or their web designers) describe themselves tells what they think is important.
Born in Italy, Simone is an illustrator, painter, and former visual arts teacher. He is best known for his work in the North American comics industry. Simone’s style is a combination of rich textures and detailed images - making his work instantly recognizable. He has worked for DC Comics, and exclusively for MARVEL Comics; producing covers and sequential art for fan-favourites like: Wolverine, The X-Men, Thor, Thanos, The Avengers, Spider-Man and Star Wars.
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #513 cover art by Simone Bianchi sold for $2,211 in 2013. Aptly described, his art delivers on the promise of "rich textures and detailed images" from his website. Even a person unfamiliar with Black Panther and Daredevil can appreciate Bianchi's timeless style.
Simone Bianchi: The Shining Knight
Simone Bianchi flew into American sequential story-telling in Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight series. I remember the Shining Knight from Justice League of America #100, my first introduction to the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Perhaps the television series Stargirl introduced you to the Shining Knight (in a much less heroic form). However, Bianchi and Morrison returned the Shining Knight to glory, probably exceeding his past heroism.
A shrewd buyer can nab the full mini-series of Shining Knight on eBay for under ten bucks. Fans wanting older tales can look for high-grade Justice League of America #100 CGC copies for $240. While those uninterested in modern art may pursue Leading Comics #1, starring the Seven Soldiers of Victory. A copy sold for $2,700 last July. Finally, the smart investor may consider putting the spotlight on Simone Bianchi art. For example, the Shining Knight page to the right sold for $576 in 2020.
Other Notables by Bianchi
As I implied before, key characters like the X-Men, Wolverine, and Spider-Man stand out in an artist portfolio. Fewer comic enthusiasts read the Shining Knight compared to Thor or Spider-Man. As a result, creating a broad fanbase requires working on popular characters. Bianchi illustrated a short run on Astonishing X-Men, like the example from issue #27. Also, he also worked on covers for X-titles including Uncanny X-Men and Dark X-Men. Further, Bianchi credits include numerous Wolverine appearances, such as Origins and Dark Wolverine.
Astonishing X-Men #27 Page 6 by Simon Bianchi. The richly detailed work sold for $717 in 2013.
21st Century Da Vinci?
Finally, is Simone Bianchi a 21st Century Da Vinci? The 48-year-old artist wields in his sword (pencil) all the skills. Being Italian doesn't hurt :) Overall, I would love to see more work by Bianchi in an ongoing series. Especially featuring major characters, both Marvel and DC. Many of his American pieces focus on covers, mini-series, and one-shots.
After reading my spotlight on Simone Bianchi, check out my Greg Capullo and Rags Morales articles.
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