Comic Book Brain | Archive Page 33

Blog by Erik Weems, graphic artist, website designer and sometimes cartoonist. His design business site is here. All pages site map.

THINGS TO CLICK

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ONLINE COMICS

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Friday, July 13, 2007

Batman Ego Cover

Darwyn Cooke "Batman Ego"
DC Comics has published a 200 page collection of Darwyn Cooke's Batman comics, including material from his solo (DC Comics Solo #5) comic from 2005, also Gotham Knights, Selina's Big Score, plus Tim Sale's Solo book (DC Comics Solo #1) where Sale and Cooke shared story chores (which they are doing currently on the Superman Confidential book - - though, in that book, it looks like Sales' art style has dominance.)

The specific story Batman Ego has Cooke wrestling with the Batman premise from the character's oft' told origin, especially the dilemma of whether to kill or not. Included is the obligatory retelling of Bruce Wayne's parents demise (which Cooke handles with some deftness, though contributing nothing new that is not already written in stone at DC Comics since Frank MIller's Dark Knight Returns. I wish Wayne's mother could wear some other jewelry for a change, since as soon as the origin story begins to be recounted, you know those pearls are going to get slapped on, along with the mention of Zorro).

In the tale, the main issue is a Batman, weak and delirious from blood-loss, having a period of psychosis in which Bruce Wayne and a grim (and extra-large) Batman figure do a Charles Dicken's Christmas Carole journey into the past, and also mount a monumental argument about how to continue their mission to fight criminal kind. Killing the Joker is bandied about, with the question of whether it would be better to kill off a mass-murdering crazy man, or if there is a moral issue more important than the body count. Or, I would guess, DC Comics sales figures.)

Cooke's design sense is so strong, and the stripped-down, simplified artwork communicates so directly his story points, the book is a marvel of comic book style. Since the stories cover a number of years, on display is Cooke's development and experiments with looser linework.

Below are two pages from the aforementioned "Ego" - click to view larger versions.

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[Below] A bronze sculpture by Myra Weisgold that I saw in the current (July 2007) issue of American Art Collector.

I can Fly Myra Weisgold

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[Below] A page from Detective Comics #437, with artwork by Jim Aparo.
Click to view a larger version, or go here.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Spirit Summer Issue
Darwyn Cooke has completed six issues of the retooled The Spirit series, and for this DC Comics "Summer Special" of the Spirit (#7) he contributes the cheesecake/beefcake cover artwork (hey, where are his nipples?) Inside, though, is Jordi Bernet, Chris Sprouse, Karl Story, and Kyle Baker handling the art chores. Three brief Spirit tales are packed into this 36-page comic, written by Walt Simonson ("Harder than Diamonds"), Jimmy Palmiotti ("Synchronicity"), and Kyle Baker scripting his own tale ("Hard Cell").

Darwyn Cooke SPirit 7 Cover

Baker has the strongest story, and though laced with humor it is darker than the usual Darwyn Cooke fare. His kinetic artwork is slabbed with large blacks, and this helps create the mood, and also obscures a little bit the grisly nature of his tale.

The Jodi Bernet/Jimmy Palmiotti tale suffers from the unevenness of Bernet's artwork. The story is Spirit "lite' and Bernet's straightforward cartoon approach fits the tale, but the action element is missing. It's the Spirit halfway to camp.

The Simonson scripted "Harder Than Diamonds" has meticulous artwork from Chris Sprouse and Karl Story. It looks pretty stiff compared to the other artists in this issue, but the artwork has some fine moments, and the coloring by Dave Stewart goes a long way toward filling in a more detailed visual world than either Bernet or Baker bother with in their stories.

The Spirit #7
$2.99 Cover Price
Cover dated August 2007 (Purchased June 2007)

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[Below] Another page from my comic book story "Dream." This is page eleven.

Dream Page 11

To see additional Erik Weems artwork, go here.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Robert Lawson
[Below] A careful pen and ink artist from the classic era of book illustration, Lawson did numerous projects, beginning in 1922 with The Adventures of Little Prince Toofat, written by George Chester, and ending with The Tough Winter from 1954. Robert Lawson also did the illustrations for Leaf Munro's 1936 book Ferdinand.