Sadly, this role is increasingly digital with less and less human input over time. Which is truly a shame, considering a really great letterer controls the pace and tone of a story almost as much as the penciller and inker.

Take a look at this climactic scene from The Watchmen lettered by Dave Gibbons…

Look at how much work the letters are actually doing. From Rorschach’s droning rise in intensity to Doctor Manhattan’s attempt at humanity to the final cry in the last panel.

The penciller, inker, colorist and writer are all contributing to that scene in definite ways, but Gibbons is really carrying the pace and intensity of that scene.

This scene from Doctor Strange #171 lettered by Artie Simek shows the broad range of tools in a letter’s toolbox.

This page simply could not be digitally lettered. So much iconic Marvel style would have been lost in the process.

Imagine “Dormammu!” and “Next: The Prize Is…. Earth!” in stock digital lettering. That would just be wrong.

Anyway, hand lettering is slowly becoming a lost art. When I see a properly hand lettered comic these days, I think it just adds so much.