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One comic I ran across is the Trigan Empire, by Don Lawrence. This is a super-science, alternate-universe setting with excellent art and good characterization.
The reason I bring this up here is that the universe is fascinating - super science and barbarism coexist in the best tradition of the Barsoom novels, but with better art.
You can have totally different styles of dress, couture and environments on the same page, even the same panel. This gives a freedom that's lacking in many current comics, where the genre is pretty much consistent - unless your heroes are traveling.
I am connected in no way with Don Lawrence or the Trigan Empire, and cannot profit by anyone's purchases - unless you bring down the prices so I can afford them!
Now, I love Trigan Empire: gorgeous, richly-painted artwork, and stories with a Fifties SF magazine flavour (oddly, since it started in a Fifties SF magazine, sort of). Don Lawrence is also the artist on Storm, which I've mentioned here in one of these threads. Yes, you can buy his work in collections, and yes, they're expensive.
IMP. _________________ RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com
Just read, from the library, the Hellions miniseries. Efficient TV-style teen storytelling, certainly the kind of thing ongoing superhero comics for the mainstream ought to be doing. Odd that the one thing Diamondback's current costume doesn't have... is a diamond on the back.
Only thing I don't understand is why it was necessary to create new characters. This felt very like Generation X did, and before that New Mutants, and there's nothing really original about the people.
IMP. _________________ RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com
That Trigan site looks as though it might have had some of the artwork at one time, but for me, none of the image links works.
Also from the library, just read a Beast Boy collection - okay, features some of Geoff Johns's first scripting, I think, and it reads like it, and some dodgy novice artwork - and a Superman one about Parasite twins.
It was rubbish.
Actually that's not fair. The first artist looks very influenced by Gil Kane, and there's no harm in that; the second is clearly using photo-reference of Christopher Reeve and Tom Whatsisname from Smallville, and using it more closely than I'd like, but it's interesting how roughly he's inked - especially interesting to me, because I'm using some very rough finishes at the moment.
It was the writing. It was partly by the writer of Identity Crisis, I believe, and like IC, it was inappropriately "adult": sexual remarks, and X-Files-level unpleasantness, don't belong in the mainstream Superman titles. I get tired of saying it, and of course I'm nobody, but the people allowing this to be done with the most famous character in comics, one who could be marketed to the entire world and, marketed competently, could restore the industry on his own (after all, he established it), are idiots.
The other thing was that the collection initiated a storyline and, although it's obvious who the secret traitor is, doesn't conclude it. The story just stops: buy the next collection to find out what happens next.
Am I stupid? Monthly comics: ongoing storylines. Collections: self-contained stories. There's a possibility that a reader of this might think, "I've just got to get the next one to find out"; there's just as large a possibility, especially with the villain's identity being so obvious (and Superman being so stupid in not seeing it), that they'll think, "What was the point in that?" and never bother again. Leave 'em wanting more, fine, but don't leave 'em feeling cheated. If I'd paid ten quid for this, I'd feel ripped off.
While I'm ranting: I'm now reading Essental Spider-Woman. Not much to recommend it, I know, but it's cheap comics and you never know (I've had some pleasant surprises reading Essentials). But remember me moaning about American comics misrepresenting Britain? Nobody here is called Chauncey - let alone two different characters - and we do not have a currency called poundshillings. It was a British character who said we did, so that excuse isn't there. Additionally, a storyline which features someone hiding banknote printing plates in WWII, living in Britain since then and then recovering the plates without having noticed that the banknotes in circulation had changed since the war is intellectually insulting, even for a superhero comic. Was it that American readers wouldn't know, and British ones didn't count? I thought Marvel UK was contributing something to the group at this time, which was why they'd created Captain Britain.
IMP. _________________ RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com
It wasn't Meltzer, it was Rucka: careless of me. That suggests the consistent adult-ing is editorial. Is it, as some have claimed, that editors are so in awe of writers from books and TV that they let them do what they like, or is it - as I think is more likely - that the industry currently believes that the way forward for superhero comics is chasing cult TV?
It's mildly irritating that some of the "adult" content is superfluous. We now have in place of Maggie Sawyer (butch, unstatedly-gay Metropolis cop) a hot Hispanic female cop who looks like Michelle from 24: that's enough. We don't need her telling a priest how promiscuous she is. It's only there because it's cool, and the writer should have been asked to change the character's remarks.
IMP. _________________ RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:49 am Post subject: Re: Current Reading.
I am not sure what books you are talking about but, in general, I prefer some more adult books and stuff that isn't dumbed down or so pulled away from currnt society. It could be too added on, and if that is the case, it is bad but it could be part of a larger picture. As far as the self contained thing, that probably had nothing to do with the writer, since it was a compelation, and probably has everything to do with some person in marketing trying to improve something.
Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:58 am Post subject: Re: Current Reading.
I just thought of a book that ties into your criticisms. There used to be a book called Harley Quinn that was originally drawn by Terry Dodgson, I think the writer was Karl Kesel but I am not sure. I had the perfect spirit of Harley, it was fun, pretty, sometimes dark but in a perfect way that fit with the slightly derranged main character. After a while the team left and it just went to hell. It became this noir pulp, gritty crime drama about revenge. I might like this in a normal book but it didn't fit Harley. I waited a while to see if it would turn around or if new folk would come on but after a bit I stopped picking it up. Everyone else did as well, it just didn't fit the character, and was canceled.
You can write more adult, such as Terra Oscura, Tome Strong, etc. without hitting the dark spot and while remaining in character. Some people are just not able to reign in their whatever it is.
Judd Winick (sp) can sometimes be a good writer but often he gets into this little personal whatever and makes things not fun, but sometiems he slides along it without thrusting it in our faces and it works okay.
You're exactly right, reining in is what it's about. Your first draft might follow any old impulse you had as you went along; your second draft brings those under control.
Perhaps a lot of recent comics are first drafts.
It is a subject I go on about at length and frequently, because it annoys me seeing the industry thrown away.
Anyway, just bought and read the first volume of The Goon. Actually it was yesterday, but I've only just stopped grinning.
It's funny, with a largeish Mignola influence. Also, it improves very rapidly between the first and second issues, which is encouraging for all us amateurs.
IMP. _________________ RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com
Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2006 9:19 am Post subject: Re: Current Reading.
Thought you might like the Goon I have just finished reading a few 1 year later things and they are written a bit better than most, but are a bit "talky" and leave me wondering what they heck happened. I know the first issues would be talky though I also picked up Legends of the Dark Knight 202 because I liked the cover artist. I am not sure who it is though LOL But it is pretty. I think I missed the first of his covers for the run (since it is part 2 of 3) but it looked good. The story wasn't bad, the interior art was sort of okay at times but fell short a lot.
Just finished Essential Spider-Woman. I really wouldn't bother. The only part I liked particularly was around issue 20, when a new writer - Michael Fleischer - comes in and launches a new direction straight away, and for an issue or so it feels like a '40s classic.
I don't know why they're picking so much mediocre '70s stuff for these reprints and not catching up on Captain America, Daredevil and so on.
IMP. _________________ RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com
Latest issue of All-Star Superman is nice. Grant Morrison's writing classic Superman stories - I mean the type which became typical of the title in the Fifties - with a modern sensibility. I thought the last issue was underwritten, but I'm enjoying this comic.
IMP. _________________ RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com
Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 6:41 pm Post subject: Re: Current Reading.
Haven't read any of them. Not totally sure why, though superman isn't big favorite of mine in general. If it is well done I still would appreciate it all around
Well, as you've probably seen by now, it's nice stuff. I keep saying I don't like the way Greg uses Poser, but I do like his work, if you see what I mean. Always have, since before Poser.
This week I've read Essential Nova. Expected another Spider-Woman, but actually quite enjoyed it. As with Tomb of Dracula, Marv Wolfman gets a few issues in and then starts building a long-running and fairly complex storyline. He also previews his Crisis storyline and characters, which I read somewhere he had with him since before he started work in comics.
I'm developing an appreciation of Carmine Infantino's drawing, which is loose but sometimes quite suggestive. His sketchy drawings of technology have inspired two new models I've just submitted to the marketplace at Renderosity.
I'm now on Showcase Presents Metamorpho, which is brilliant. It's like 500 pages of Splash Brannigan.
IMP. _________________ RIVER: skin on the outside. First chapter FREE from www.ianmpalmer.com
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I have just finished reading a few 1 year later things and they are written a bit better than most, but are a bit "talky" and leave me wondering what they heck happened. I know the first issues would be talky though