OK, this just screams to me that it belongs on this list. It's this style of artwork that is the worst thing to happen to comics, ever! It's so incestuous that it reminds me of a royal family from the 17th century. And what kills me is that it still has fans. There is so much great stuff out there and I imaging this artist and fans of this work turning their collective noses up at the works of Moebius, Toth, Toppi, Bernet or Kirby because their work isn't filled money shots every page. It makes me sad.
This is on here because the execution of the idea that Batman is a string puppet fails. One reason, the hand shadow behind him will be obliterated by the logo, OOPS! Not to mention the shadow of the strings don't match the strings themselves. It feels like the artist had the idea of Batman as a puppet but realized the only way to pull it off was to have Batman small on the cover. And that would not do because the artist really wanted to draw Batman's very intense crotch! I mean, I love how his face is in shadow but his crotch has it's own light source. With all those lines converging to it, I'd say that ol' Bats is having quite a "pucker factor" moment going on down there.
Beyond the horrible type treatment on the side, the over all composition of this is kind of "blah". But really kills me is the color. It's so milk toast! Light browns and baby blues, with some sedate purples just screams BORING!
Speaking of color. I'm so confused by what the colorist was going for on this cover. Maybe I just don't get it. If somebody knows, feel free to tell me.
And here's a case of tonal problems. The ax murder's (I assume he's a murder. Maybe he just hates this guy's strawberry jam collection) legs get lost against the background. Also, just a thought, having the wood floor slats going in perspective towards our hero is just one of those design things that are subtile but works.
This cover is a case for a bit less is more. Just too much detail going on here. Compounded by the fact that the coloring is so dark. It starts to turn to mush. Not giving the reader's eye a starting place, or a break from everything going on here. All those clouds in the BG aren't THAT important. Take a page from Toth/Mignola and simplify some stuff in order to make other elements stand out.
One of the main beefs I have with DC comics is color palettes some of their colorists insist on using. Weird blue-greens, purples, boring skin tones just don't seem real to me. I sometimes wonder if there is some kind of medical condition, like being color blind that effects some of these colorists that tricks them into thinking this style of coloring is great. It's one of the main reasons I taught myself to color my own stuff.
Wow! My brain just exploded!!!! If the title "Things to come" is telling me anything, it's that the interior pages that are to come will be awful. And filled with a guy rocking a sweet Ape-drape!
If I talked about your cover in this section and you're really angry about what I said. Just know it wasn't personal. I'm sure you're a fine person unlike myself. A sad, sad little man with a tiny dick.
My main issue with the "Crossed" cover, is the composition that makes it look like the axe is resting on the guys head. Which obviously it isn't, since he's behind the axe guy, hiding under a bed or something.. I agree with your perspective lines, that would really have helped. The "Things to come" cover... Wow. I mean, really. That is just wrong in som many ways.
ReplyDeleteThumbs up for your thumbs down, Mr. Johnson. Hope I never get to be on the receiving end of your sharp stick :-)
The thing that really kills the Batman cover for me is that EVERY..MUSCLE...IS STRAINING! Not very puppety. To really sell the concept he should be sort of hanging there limply, implying the lack of agency characteristic of a string puppet.
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