Fans at San Diego Comic-Con 2023 had the chance to sit on a few panels that celebrated legendary comic creators. One of the first panels was “Spotlight on John Romita, Jr.” which explored his long-lasting comic history and his current return to the Amazing Spider-Man title that has helped define his career over the years.
John Romita, Jr.’s unique art style and storytelling ability has made him a household name in the comic industry, much like his legendary father. Celebrated runs on titles like Daredevil and Uncanny X-Men laid the foundation for hit series like Kick-Ass, all of which stand out as some of John Romita, Jr.’s best comic runs.
10 “Demon in a Bottle”
Invincible Iron Man #120 (March 1979) with David Michelinie, Bob Layton, Ben Sean, and John Costanza
Some of John Romita, Jr.’s earliest work with Marvel Comics appeared in one of Invincible Iron Man’s most well-known and hard-hitting storylines. The “Demon in a Bottle” storyline explored Tony Stark’s dark battle with alcoholism that almost grounded the high-flying Iron Man for good.
John Romita, Jr. provided art breakdowns for almost every issue of the “Demon in a Bottle” storyline, which Bob Layton finished. While “Demon in a Bottle” didn’t quite feature JRJR’s usual distinctive style, his incredible storytelling ability was already evident to long-time comic readers.
9 “Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut”
Amazing Spider-Man #229 (June 1982) with Roger Stern, Jim Mooney, Glynis Wein, and Joe Rosen
Spider-Man faced one of his strongest villains when the Unstoppable Juggernaut arrived in New York City. In the iconic two-part encounter, Spider-Man did everything in his power to stop Juggernaut’s rampage while also trying to keep his newfound ally Madame Web safe from harm.
John Romita, Jr. co-created the Madame Web character during an earlier run on Amazing Spider-Man with Denny O’Neil. While JRJR would spend a lot of time with the wall-crawler over the years, fans still hold “Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut” in high regard due to its outstanding action and expressive characterizations.
8 X-Men
Uncanny X-Men #175 (November 1983) with Chris Claremont, Paul Smith, Bob Wiacek, Glynis Wein, and Tom Orzechowski
While the X-Men are now some of the most popular Marvel characters, the team struggled to find a fanbase. However, John Romita Jr. teamed up with writer Chris Claremont and helped build the team’s popularity up over the ‘80s until the team reached new heights in the ‘90s.
“Phoenix” was one of JRJR’s first issues in his run with Claremont, which introduced a new edge for the team. Events like the “Mutant Massacre” further highlighted a dark new age carried by Romita, Jr.’s pencils. He co-created Forge during his time with the X-Men in the ‘80s, and he returned to add his unique style to mini-series like Cable: Blood and Metal over the years as well.
7 Daredevil
Daredevil #250 (January 1988) with Ann Nocenti, Al Williamson, Max Scheele, and Joe Rosen
John Romita, Jr. launched his iconic run with writer Ann Nocenti in 1988’s Daredevil #250, though the best was yet to come. Nocenti and JRJR worked very well together and carried Matt Murdock through an iconic chapter of his life that is painfully underappreciated.
Fans will likely remember Nocenti and JRJR’s run for the introduction of Typhoid Mary as well as the extreme levels of punishment Murdock went through as Daredevil. Fans of JRJR’s run with the character will also want to check out his artful reimagining of Murdock’s origin in Frank Miller’s Daredevil: Man Without Fear mini-series.
6 “Only The Dead Know Brooklyn”
The Punisher War Zone #1 (March 1992) with Chuck Dixon, Klaus Janson, Gregory Wright, and Jim Novak
While the first volume of The Punisher War Zone may have suffered from the excesses of the’90s, it still stands out with fans due to the celebrated artwork of John Romita, Jr. His art style had developed quite a bit during his run on Daredevil, and his close scripting with Ann Nocenti further improved his visual storytelling as well.
New publishing demands may have directed the story more than fans wanted, but there was no denying that new printing techniques made JRJR’s work in Punisher War Zone pop like never before. His dynamic linework and action-packed storytelling worked well for Frank Castle’s mission of revenge and helped make Punisher War Zone a hit amid a sea of failures in the ‘90s.
5 “Coming Home”
Amazing Spider-Man #34 (October 2001) with J. Michael Straczynski, Scott Hanna, Dan Kemp, Avalon Studios, Richard Starkings, and Wes Abbott
Sci-fi author J. Michael Straczynski joined John Romita, Jr. as the new creative team on Amazing Spider-Man in 2001. The initial “Coming Home” storyline introduced new characters like Ezekiel Zims who redefined Spider-Man’s understanding of his powers and origins. This totemic understanding of his abilities would play a large role in later events like Spider-Verse.
However, one of John Romita, Jr.’s biggest influences from this era was the character Morlun. As one of Spider-Man’s most iconic enemies, Morlun quickly proved himself worthy of the title by nearly killing the web-slinger in their first encounter. No artist has managed to capture the brutality of Spider-Man’s battle-damaged look quite like JRJR, making his fight with Morlun stand out.
4 ‘Nuff Said
Amazing Spider-Man #39 (May 2002) with J. Michael Straczynski, Scott Hanna, Dan Kemp, Avalon Studios, Richard Starkings, and Wes Abbott
John Romita, Jr.’s iconic run on Amazing Spider-Man with J. Michael Straczynski heavily impacted the character’s mythology. However, one issue stood out to fans due to the incredible storytelling ability of JRJR. During the ‘Nuff Said event, participating comic creators took up the challenge to release an issue without any dialogue or narration.
Romita, Jr. explored an emotional moment in the lives of Spider-Man’s closest, as Aunt May struggled with her newfound discovery of Peter Parker’s secret identity. Spider-Man’s costumed heroics also appeared without dialogue, allowing the character’s action and Romita’s dynamic pencils to tell the whole story.
3 Eternals
Eternals #1 (August 2006) with Neil Gaiman, Danny Miki, Tim Townsend, Matt Hollingsworth, Dean White, Paul Mounts, and Todd Klein
Fans have seen a few different takes on Marvel’s immortal heroes, the Eternals. Neil Gaiman teamed up with John Romita, Jr. for a beautifully scripted and designed Eternals story that reimagined the heroes for a modern generation. During Marvel’s Superhuman Civil War, a group of seemingly unconnected citizens started to have strange and vivid dreams of alternate lives.
The Eternals slowly awoke from their civilian lives to rediscover their place in the modern Marvel continuity. Gaiman is a legendary writer whose focus on character paired perfectly with John Romita, Jr.’s unique and detailed art style. JRJR was able to capture the bright and vibrant art style and action-packed scenes of Eternals’ creator Jack Kirby and update it for a new generation.
2 Kick-Ass
Kick-Ass #1 (April 2008) with Mark Millar, Tom Palmer, Dean White, and Chris Eliopoulos
Coinciding with an online trend of real-world “superheroes,” Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr. teamed up for the hit series Kick-Ass. It followed young Dave Lizewski as he became a costumed vigilante, which almost immediately went badly for him. However, the titular hero soon found his calling as well as allies to help him fight organized crime and the rise of costumed supervillains.
Kick-Ass featured visceral action and inspired costume designs that made JRJR the best choice for Millar’s exploration into “real-world” superheroes and over-exaggerated comic heroes. Millar and Romita, Jr. later returned for a new volume that introduced a new masked hero in the titular role that continued the lasting legacy of Kick-Ass.
1 “Men Of Tomorrow”
Superman #32 (August 2014) with Geoff Johns, Klaus Janson, Laura Martin, and Sal Cipriano
While John Romita, Jr. spent years with Marvel Comics, he also took on some high-profile work with DC Comics following the New 52 reboot. JRJR worked with Geoff Johns as the new Superman creative team for the “Men of Tomorrow” arc. The storyline introduced one of Superman's most brutal villains, the powerful character known as Ulysses.
JRJR’s pencils perfectly captured the raw strength and uncontrollable power of Superman as he unlocked a new dynamically-visual ability. The city of Metropolis took on a new life in Superman’s adventures due to the detailed linework of Romita, Jr. He also joined Frank Miller for a new take on the iconic origin in Superman: Year One if fans want more of JRJR’s Man of Steel.