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Creator

Shawn Martinbrough

artistinkercover inkscover pencilswritercolorist
Shawn Martinbrough
Known forThief of Thieves
Issues credited163
Active1992–2025
Primary roleartist
Clive Barker's Book of the Damned: A Hellraiser Companion #2
Clive Barker's Book of the Damned: A Hellraiser Companion #2 (1992)

Shawn C. Martinbrough is an American comic book artist whose work spans more than three decades, from his earliest credits in 1993 through the mid-2020s. He is perhaps best recognized as the primary artist on Robert Kirkman's *Thief of Thieves*, a long-running collaboration that became closely associated with his distinctive film noir-influenced visual approach — a style built on deep shadows, stark contrasts, and a cinematic sense of atmosphere that suits crime-driven storytelling particularly well.

Static #4
Static #4 (1993)

Before *Thief of Thieves* established him in that milieu, Martinbrough built his career across a range of superhero and adventure titles. His credits include substantial runs on *Detective Comics*, *The Creeper*, *Shadow Cabinet*, and *Challengers of the Unknown*, demonstrating a versatility that extends beyond any single genre or publisher. More recently he contributed to *Anansi Boys I*, showing continued engagement with ambitious projects. Across his catalog of over 160 credited issues, he has worked as artist, colorist, inker, and writer, suggesting a thorough command of the comics-making process rather than a narrowly specialized role.

Blood Syndicate #9
Blood Syndicate #9 (1993)

No specific birth date, birthplace, or awards information is available in the current record, but Martinbrough's sustained output and his central place in one of the more critically discussed crime comics of the early twenty-first century mark him as a significant figure in contemporary American comics art.

Full bibliography · 67 series

Challengers of the Unknown (1997) · 17
Shadow Cabinet (1994) · 15
The Creeper (1997) · 12
Static (1993) · 8
Batman (2000) · 7
Red Hood: The Hill (2024) · 7
Anansi Boys I (2024) · 7
Vertigo Pop!: Bangkok (2003) · 5
Angeltown (2005) · 5
Luke Cage Noir (2009) · 5
Morlocks (2002) · 4
Promethee 13:13 (2022) · 4
The Further Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix (1996) · 3
Night Force (1996) · 3
Batman: El señor de la noche (2003) · 3
Batman: Detective Comics (2002) · 3
The Losers (2003) · 3
Manhunter (2004) · 3
DMZ (2006) · 3
Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive (2011) · 3
JSA: Classified (2005) · 2
Bullseye: Perfect Game (2011) · 2
Shadowman (2018) (2018) · 2
Red Hood (2021) · 2
Clive Barker's Book of the Damned: A Hellraiser Companion (1991) · 1
#2
Blood Syndicate (1993) · 1
#9
Tales of the Marvels: Blockbuster (1995) · 1
#1
X-Men '95 (1995) · 1
#1
Logan: Path of the Warlord (1996) · 1
#1
Man Against Time (1996) · 1
#3
Marvel (1997) · 1
#4
Cíclope y Fénix: El Origen De Mr. Siniestro (1997) · 1
Wiz (1995) · 1
#20
Superman: The Man of Steel Annual (1992) · 1
#6
Dreaming City Tales (1997) · 1
#1
Legends of the DC Universe 3-D Gallery (1998) · 1
#1
Slingers (1998) · 1
Super Sluggers (1999) · 1
#1
DCU Villains Secret Files (1999) · 1
#1
Action Comics (1938) · 1
Batman: The Hill (2000) · 1
#1
Batman: Evolution (2001) · 1
#1
Cartoon Cartoons (2001) · 1
#17
Green Arrow (2001) · 1
#33
Michael Chabon Presents the Amazing Adventures of the Escapist (2004) · 1
#5
Vertigo Book (2000) · 1
#62
Tokyo Days, Bangkok Nights (2009) · 1
Punisher Max: Hot Rods of Death (2010) · 1
#1
Hellblazer (1988) · 1
AAFES 11th Edition [Captain America: The First Avenger] (2011) · 1
#11
Angeltown: The Nate Hollis Investigations (2011) · 1
Le Maître voleur (2012) · 1
#1
Image Firsts: Thief of Thieves (2012) · 1
#1
Panthère Noire (2012) · 1
#3
DMZ: The Deluxe Edition (2014) · 1
#5
Les aventures d'Ultra-Chômeur (2016) · 1
Punisher & Bullseye: Deadliest Hits (2017) · 1
Batman: New Gotham (2017) · 1
#1
Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1955 - Secret Nature (2017) · 1
Meyer (2019) · 1
Meyer - Derniers pas dans la mafia (2019) · 1
The Visitor (2019) · 1
Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1957 - Falling Sky (2022) · 1
Charlamagne Tha God Presents: Illuminati (2025) · 1
#2
Catacomb of Torment (2025) · 1
#4

Original biography and editorial content © comicbooks.com™. Information drawn in part from Wikipedia and the Grand Comics Database. Portrait by Andy Morataya / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain). Cover thumbnails shown under fair use, each linking to its issue.