Carlos Pacheco

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Carlos Pacheco
Born November 14, 1961 (age 45)
San Roque, Cádiz
Nationality
Spanish
Area(s) Penciller

Carlos Pacheco (born November 14, 1961) is a Spanish comic book artist and penciller. He is best known in the United States for his work on titles such as Avengers Forever, X-Men and Green Lantern.

Pacheco's art has a clean, dynamic and animated look. His early work was clearly inspired by (and strongly resembled) the style of artist Alan Davis, though the look of his art has since evolved to a more unique one. He usually works with inker Jesus Merino.

[edit] Biography

Cover artwork for Justice Society of America #50 by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino.
Cover artwork for Justice Society of America #50 by Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino.

Pacheco was born in San Roque, Cádiz.

In his early career, Carlos Pacheco did some work for Planeta Comics, an imprint of pan-European publisher Planeta De Agostini, mainly covers and pin-ups for Spanish translated editions of Marvel comics, published at the time by Planeta. He later teamed up with writer Rafael Marin to create the Spanish superheroes "Iberia Inc" and "Tríada Vértice" for the same publisher.

Pacheco first got attention in the United States for his work as penciller on Dark Guard, a 4 issue Marvel UK title where he worked with writer Dan Abnett and inker Oscar Jimenez.

This led to him being offered work by American comic editors leading to Marvel Comics' 1994 Bishop four issue limited series where he worked with writer John Ostrander and inker Cam Smith. Later that year Pacheco did his first work for DC Comics on The Flash #93, 94 and 99, with writer Mark Waid and inker Jose Marzan Jr..

Pacheco's cover for Bishop Vol.1 #1
Pacheco's cover for Bishop Vol.1 #1

After that Pacheco's next stateside work came in 1995's X-Universe two part limited series (a part of the Age of Apocalypse event), published by Marvel. Pacheco was joined by writer Terry Kavanagh and was again inked by Cam Smith.

At the end of 1995 and the beginning of 1996 Pacheco and Smith collaborated with writer Warren Ellis on a Starjammers limited series. This series was successful enough that the creative team was reunited on Marvel's Excalibur ongoing series for a brief run in 1996. Shortly after this Pacheco became penciller on Marvel's Fantastic Four Vol.1 for two issues (#415-416), where he worked with writer Tom DeFalco as the title wrapped up in preparation for Heroes Reborn.

By that point Pacheco's art had become a fan favorite, with his work regularly getting coverage in magazines such as Wizard. In early 1997 Marvel acknowledged this by assigning Pacheco to one of its flagship titles, X-Men, with #62 (March, 1997). On that title he worked with writers Scott Lobdell and Joe Kelly and inker Art Thibert. He left the title at #75 in May, 1998.

After X-Men Pacheco began work on Avengers Forever a 12 issue limited series, where Pacheco worked with writer Kurt Busiek and (for the first time in the U.S.) inker Jesus Merino, who from that point on became Pacheco's regular inker. This series, which drew together many strands from various Avengers storylines to tell an epic adventure, was a critical, fan and commercial success.

Pacheco's cover for Avengers Forever #3.
Pacheco's cover for Avengers Forever #3.

Pacheco's next regular assignment was in 2000, a return to the Fantastic Four though it was by now Vol. 3 of the title, with #35. This time he took on the co-writing chores (initially with Rafael Marin, later joined by Jeph Loeb) as well as pencilling duties. However Pacheco's pencilling contributions where shorter than expected, with his last art contribution coming in #50, and him leaving the book entirely by #54.

While he was doing Fantastic Four Pacheco also wrote, again with co-writer Rafael Marin, a four issue Inhumans Vol.3 limited series, with pencils by Jose Ladronn and Jorge Lucas.

His next substantial work after Fantastic Four was for DC Comics: JLA/JSA: Virtue and Vice, with writers David S. Goyer and Geoff Johns. This 100 page graphic novel united the Justice League and Justice Society against common foes in the style of what once had been an annual tradition.

In 2003 Pacheco reunited with his Avengers Forever collaborator Kurt Busiek for the creator-owned fantasy war series Arrowsmith published by Wildstorm Comics. This series envisioned a world where magic is real and the First World War was fought with dragons, spells, vampires etc. used as weapons by both sides. The series ran for six issues and there are plans for future series set in that world which would again by written by Busiek and drawn by Pacheco.

In 2004 Pacheco returned to super-heroes and DC Comics to pencil a five issue stint on the Superman/Batman title ("Absolute Power" #14-18), where he was again joined by writer Jeph Loeb. The two told a tale in which, due to the time-traveling machinations of the Legion of Super-Villains Batman and Superman took over the world and a group of Freedom Fighters has to rise up against them.

Later that year at DC, Pacheco went on to share alternate monthly pencilling duties with Ethan Van Sciver on the new Green Lantern series written by Geoff Johns.

As of July 2006, he is once again working with Kurt Busiek on DC comics' Superman title. Busiek told readers of the Comic Bloc internet forum that Pacheco cannot draw 12 issues a year, and there will be fill-in artists.

Preceded by
John Francis Moore
Fantastic Four writer
2000–2002
(with Rafael Marin)
(with Rafael Marin & Jeph Loeb in 2001-2002)
(with Rafael Marin & Karl Kesel in 2002)
Succeeded by
Karl Kesel
In other languages