Colan's style, characterized by fluid figure drawing and extensive use of shadow, was unusual among Silver Age comic artists, and became more pronounced as his career progressed. He usually worked as a penciller, with Frank Giacoia and Tom Palmer as his most frequent inkers. Colan broke from the mass-market comic book penciller/inker/colorist assembly-line system by creating finished drawings in graphite and watercolor on such projects as the DC Comics miniseries "Nathaniel Dusk" (1984) and "Nathaniel Dusk II" (1985–86), and the feature "Ragamuffins" in the Eclipse Comics umbrella series "Eclipse" #3, 5, and 8 (1981–83), with frequent collaborator Don McGregor.