ELITE EIGHT
The FINAL FOUR starts on Saturday for the NCAA tournament—but today, we decide who earns their spot in our final four. And now…it gets tough. Let’s get into the matchups.
We start on the Marvel side of things with two men truly responsible for shaping the Marvel Universe as we know it. The creators behind icons like the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Hulk, Captain America, and Doctor Strange. That’s right—our first matchup features the fathers of Marvel: Jack “The King” Kirby vs. Steve “Mr. A” Ditko. A battle that feels like it should be drawn and scripted by the two masters themselves.
Kirby, the visionary behind Marvel’s First Family, brought us characters like Doctor Doom, Galactus, and even Darkseid over at DC. Ditko, meanwhile, gave the world Spider-Man & Dr. strange and crafted one of the greatest rogues’ galleries in comics, including Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and the Vulture. Between the two of them, the influence is immeasurable. Two incredible legends—one spot in the Final Four.
Next up, from the EC bracket, we have a clash of styles: the master of fantasy vs. the maestro of sci-fi. Frank Frazetta goes head-to-head with Wallace Wood.
Frazetta, responsible for some of the most iconic fantasy and horror imagery ever created, gave us unforgettable covers like Weird Science-Fantasy #29, his legendary Creepy magazine work, and the stunning Famous Funnies Buck Rogers covers. Wood, on the other hand, dominated the sci-fi space at EC Comics with classics like Weird Science #9, #19, and #20, and even left his mark on superheroes by designing the modern Daredevil costume in Daredevil #7. Two artistic titans—only one advances.
From DC, we get another heavyweight showdown between two absolute legends: Neal Adams vs. Berni Wrightson.
Neal Adams helped redefine characters like Batman and Green Lantern, transitioning them from the Silver Age into the darker, more grounded Bronze Age. His work on Batman #227, #237, and Green Lantern #76—including the groundbreaking anti-drug storyline—changed the tone of superhero comics forever. Standing opposite him is Bernie Wrightson, the man who made horror cool again. Creator of Swamp Thing, Wrightson’s work on House of Mystery, House of Secrets, and his legendary illustrated edition of Frankenstein remains unmatched. Two masters of mood and storytelling—fighting for one Final Four spot.
Finally, our last matchup features two true pioneers: Alex Schomburg vs. Will Eisner.
Schomburg, known for his dynamic and patriotic Timely Comics war covers, helped define the Golden Age look of superheroes in action. And then there’s Will Eisner—the man so influential that the comic industry’s highest honor, the Eisner Awards, bears his name. A pioneer of visual storytelling and widely regarded as the father of the graphic novel, Eisner’s impact on the medium is profound and everlasting.
Four matchups. Eight legends. But only four can move on.
Who makes your Final Four?
