This article comes fromDen of Geek UK.

I can easily pinpoint the comic book that made me love comics.

I was about 12 or 13 and a hardcore Marvel Comics nerd.

It has the same dangerous appeal to young teenage me that Quentin Tarantino movies or Eminem albums had.

It definitely didnt disappoint in terms of adult content.

But thats not what stuck with me.

Theres a scene where Jesse and his estranged girlfriend Tulip are in bed together, talking.

Its not essential to the plot or anything, but its a vital character moment.

It was something Id never seen in a comic before.

It was just a few pages of a couple talking.

Of course, part of it is Garth Ennis masterful dialogue.

I knew comics could do explosions and superheroes and aliens, but I didnt know they could do that.

It was like seeingLost In Translationwhen all youve seen are Michael Bay movies.

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Steve Dillon passed away over the weekend, at the disgracefully young age of 54.

Even beforePreacher, his place in comics history was assured.

He defined Constantine, turning from a mouthpiece for the books anti-Thatcher politics into a fully three-dimensional tragic figure.

And Dillons art was essential to conveying that emotion.

After leavingHellblazer, Dillon and Ennis would re-team for their masterpiece:Preacher.

It was also where Dillon truly proved himself to be a superstar.

Most comic book artists seem to want to emulate Stanley Kubrick or Ridley Scott or even Michael Bay.

Steve Dillon was different.

As was most appropriate toPreachers Western aesthetic, the director he was most like was Clint Eastwood.

No flash for the sake of it, but a complete master storyteller.

It was all about character.

One of the most famous scenes he drew was when he and Ennis ended up doingThe Punisherfor Marvel.

One of the most famous scenes fromWelcome Back Frankshows Dillon at his very best.

The Punisher is being chased through Central Park Zoo by mobsters, and finds himself cornered.

He has no bullets left, and he is also trapped in the polar bear enclosure.

Again, its a wonderful concept from writer Ennis.

But Dillon is the one to make this farcical scene work.

First The Punisher and the bear stare at each other really awkwardly.

That face is possibly the best facial expression in the history of comics.

He looks like the reader does Oh my god, did this really just happen!?!?.

Then when you flip the page, theres the bear and his two mates, starring down the gangsters.

Its as good a payoff as any joke in cinema you’re able to think of.

The Punisher would become probably the character Dillon was most associated with, even more than the cast ofPreacher.

He was even working on the currentPunishercomic, written by Becky Cloonan, at the time of his death.

Id like to point out one page in particular.

Theres one bit in the arc with Bullseye, where hes trapped behind sound-proof glass.

Bullseye is an insane killer, whos trying to get into The Punishers head.

Unable to be heard, he scrawls on a bit of paper Whats your favourite colour?

Red, right?.

Theres an awkward pause.

Then he puts a bomb on the glass.

Bullseye thinks, then shows him a note that says Blue?.

That description might not sound that great.

But Dillon was such a master at pacing, and at facial expressions, that its perfect.

Bullseye goes from optimistic to disappointed to scared to quizzical to blindly hopeful in just four panels.

It also completely conveys the madness of his character.

It is both hilarious and terrifying.

Dillon was the single greatest comics artist at character acting.

Dillon on the other hand knew how to use stillness and repetition to incredible effect.

Starrs reacting to this once he gets back to his base is another masterclass set-piece from Dillon.

Starr stares into a mirror, and the image doesnt change.

His disgruntled expression is enough to carry it for a full nine panel gird page.

Finally in the last panel, he just utters Shit.

Its the perfect punchline.

It gets even better though.

Nothing changes, apart his lip curls up from a frown into a smile.

The subtly is earthshaking.

That is the power of sequential comic book panels.

A lot of comic book criticism puts the writer over the artist.

Im not going to say thats right or wrong, but Dillon was a true auteur.

He was my favorite comic book artist of all time.

There are loads more panels and issues I could point out to highlight his genius.

You wont be disappointed.