Before it became Venom, Spider-Man’s black costume was already one of the most iconic images in Marvel history. Rick Leonardi helped bring it to life and, years later, would go on to create another design destined to become legendary: Spider-Man 2099.

An American illustrator born in Philadelphia, Leonardi began his professional career at Marvel Comics in 1980 and quickly became one of the industry’s most respected artists thanks to his dynamic storytelling, bold page compositions, and instantly recognisable visual style.

Over more than four decades, he has worked on some of the most important titles in American comics, including runs on The Uncanny X-Men, The New Mutants, Cloak & Dagger, Nightwing, Batgirl, and Green Lantern Versus Aliens. His ability to convey movement, action, and emotion has made his work a reference point for generations of readers and artists alike.

His name holds a special place in Spider-Man history. In addition to contributing to the design of Spider-Man’s iconic black costume alongside Mike Zeck during Secret Wars, Leonardi was also responsible for creating the visual identity of Spider-Man 2099, one of Marvel’s most popular and enduring characters of the 1990s and a key figure in the Spider-Verse to this day.

More recently, Leonardi served as both penciller and inker on the first issues of Watson and Holmes, a series nominated for the Eisner Award for Best New Series in 2014. He has also completed the original graphic novel Blue Angel as well as a new sketchbook scheduled for release this year.

With a career defined by unforgettable characters and fundamental contributions to the history of modern comics, Rick Leonardi remains one of the medium’s most admired and influential artists.

At San Diego Comic-Con Málaga 2026, you’ll have the opportunity to meet one of the creators who helped shape the visual identity of some of the most iconic heroes in comic book history.