Pretty easy RCBF today, as the first two things that pop up in my search of the words “comic book” are straight up comic books; one a lot and one a single issue:
Two things:
1. I hope that’s not Destro.
2. Yes, who or what IS Sunset Grace? I’ve never even HEARD of that X-character.
It’s not an easy thing to describe illustration all the time. Sometimes the answers scream out at you, and others you have to really search for what you’re seeing. Terry Dodson is the weird example where both statements above are true.
His style has both a very soft effect as well as being very smooth and defined. Perhaps its the very skilled use of differentiated line style – he makes a wonderful use of outlining bold lines to make them pop from the page. You can see this on this original art page on Emma Frost.
Early on in his career he got a shot on some pretty big books, and I was always aware and interested, but the book that has somehow still resonated is his X-Men Chronicles work. Howard Mackie wrote two excellent issues that fleshed out the world of the Age of Apocalypse. In the first issue (illustrated by Dodson) Mackie detailed the death of Wanda Maximoff, the daughter of Magneto, and, y’know, the Scarlet Witch. Dodson’s style has truly evolved, but stayed in a very interesting and soft line style that I think makes his work stand out from the pack. The second issue of the X-Men Chronicles, also part of the set below, is drawn by a near polar opposite but still very interesting artist, Ian Churchill. While I can’t necessarily say much for his proportions, I always enjoyed his detail.
List of things other people love but I am fully indifferent to:
The Descendents
Coffee
Lost
Nature
Beach Boys Inspired Indie Rock
Partying
Austin Texas
Black Metal
The Dark Knight
Natural Breasts
College Football
JIM LEE
While everyone else my age has warm feelings about Jim Lee, I’m left wondering “what’s the big deal?” Bear in mind I’m not knocking the dude. He’s put out books I really liked and has followed an altogether unique career path that is the envy of many creators. I just don’t feel him like that, you know? The noses are too small, the faces have too many lines… something. I don’t know. Everyone tells me to check out his Batman as evidence that he is one of the few artists that has grown and changed in a relevant way, but I’m stuck on this X-Men material I didn’t care for. But I suspect YOU care for it, so here’s an auction with your name on it. Actually, Jim Lee’s name is on it. Buy it. I won’t be angry.
Every time Marc Silvestri comes up I think I hate him for some reason. I don’t know why that is. Did he do something to me? It’s really irrational. I always dismiss his work offhand without reminding myself that he draws Reavers better than any man who ever lived.
When I came across this auction, I thought, “look at that shitty grimace on that stock face he somehow saw fit to shit onto the page.” I hated him. Then I looked at it more closely, and yeah, Angel does suffer from Liefeld-face, but there is a ton more artistry here than I initially gave him credit for. Under a microscope this stuff is good. Most artists, it goes the other way. At a glance they rule and upon further inspection they truly suck. For me, Silvestri has the opposite effect. Marc plays games with me, man.
Another interesting thing about this auction: This page is on Image paper. I had no idea they had their own paper. But this was probably back when they were printing their own money so there may be an Image Comics submarine or Image Comics lighthouse out there for all I know.
Cut me a break. I am desperately attempting to rid myself of this collecting affliction. I’m doing my best, but these kind of deep cuts are sucking me in to new, dangerous worlds of products. For example.
These toys echo not just cool heroes from my childhood, but weird versions. Purple, giant “M” Magneto? Fresh from the future, a future where bandanas are wildly popular, Bishop? Jubilee? Jubilee? Really? And the throw-in Wolverine, I’m not crazy about. (Nor am I banana jacket Jubilee, but the Magneto makes up for it) But these “mini-mates” are just about a reasonable enough size that I could keep them neatly arranged and also easily hidden (swept into a drawer) when other grown-ups are about.
For my adult life style, and wallet, please refrain from making anymore of these. And making them limited edition doesn’t help either – it’s like saying the cocaine is caramel flavored. Stop.
Signed,
A Fan.
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Yes, I know. I’ve been phoning it in lately, showing up pretty much just for RCBF. I make no excuses, but I do promise to try and do better. Been reading a lot of comics, plan on doing a lot of reviews. I’ll make good soon enough. In the meantime, here are this weeks selections…
The description on the signed X-men issue is pretty great, on a couple levels…
singed by matt ryan, other than that nothing special about the issue.
It’s easy to tell when a series is destined for a short lifespan. Even if it’s critically acclaimed, there’s NO way a Moon Knight series will ever make it past 50 issues. It’s just the way it is.
More recently, everyone was treated to the IRON FIST monthly and it ran it’s course in under two years. Name two better solo, mainstream super hero books from the past five years that were better – you can’t. But the numbers weren’t there. I don’t bemoan this point – just acknowledge, accept, and appreciate quality when it appears. If it’s in longevity admire that, but don’t be disappointed in something being GREAT for a short period.
#21 – Mystique 14
Mystique was NOT a great series. But it was surprisingly good. Despite my anti-reformed-villain-as-a-hero stance, this was well done. Sean McKeever did a superior job of writing an already interesting character and wisely steered away from cluttering the book with too much x-continuity. I remember vividly reading this issue, enjoying the series thoroughly, and still looking at the “Part 1 of 5″ and thinking NO WAY does this series make it to 20 issues. But it did. And though this issue stands out in my memory particularly, the entire series is worthwhile reading.
All 24 issues of it.
Wow, last quarter to go. Feel like we should get a good sprint to the end here.
Let’s start with what I wouldn’t call a classic, or even a modern classic… but somehow a ’90s classic feels right. So that’s what this qualifies as.
#25 – X-Men 25
I’m not going to lie, this issue really did surprise me. I was shocked at almost the entire circumstances. Wait, Magneto pulled the adamantium off of Wolverine’s skeleton through his pores? Jeez. And then Xavier wiped Magneto’s brain clean, basically rendering him an invalid?
PS THIS ALL TOOK PLACE ON ASTEROID M, aka the hurling space station that had been co-opted by Magneto into essentially an outer space mutant casino. Yeah, that’s right, casino. Or rather maybe Magneto’s version of the Playboy Mansion. Please see this if you are a nonbeliever.
This issue has a certain relevance, but let’s talk about the meat and bones first.
Longshot, who doesn’t like him? Well, I bet a lot of people, but most people my age are alright with him. He was the original vapid alterna-hero. He basically is the archetype for Gambit, Every Image character ever, and many spinoff Marvel characters who would make you think that head bands and long hair were HUGE in the ’90s. They weren’t. But this was the last great story featuring the Mojoverse, and had Longshot taking a slightly more heroic turn. Scott Lobdell wrote him straight, and it was a perfect story. Dazzler and Longshot struggling against the oppressive Mojo.. it was good. Real good. And then…
#26 – X-Men 11
… It was over. This was Jim Lee’s last issue of X-Men. Done. Some of the plot threads from this (pregnant Dazzler, the rebellion in the Mojoverse) were completely abandoned. Despite Lobdell’s long run on the x-books, for some reason this was never really touched on again.
That said, it’s ironic that Jim Lee’s creative influence was supposedly one of the reasons that led to Chris Claremont being ushered off of the X-Men books… and eight issues later, at the height of the X-Men’s popularity, Jim Lee leaves. And never comes back. So who knows what would have been if decisions made with regards to the formation of Image had come two, three, six months earlier? Would Claremont have left? Would Jim Lee had lasted even 11 issues? Would (self titled) X-Men even been created? And conversely, what if Lee had stayed on? Would Liefeld? There were many little promotional hints and posters put out there that had me (and many others) salivating at what storylines were to come… What could have been.
Nonetheless, this is a great read. And it exists. So find it.(And by find it, I mean, click the image and buy it.)
Sabretooth was an incredible villain.
The ’90s saw a rise of the villain-as-a-hero conversion. HATED it. Venom was never meant to be a good guy. Way too many bad guys being converted, and honestly, was it ever really cool? I say thee NAY. Let’s all be honest, it was way cooler when a hero went bad then the other way.
Sabretooth, like I said, was an incredible villain. And no amount of redemption would change that.
#35 – X-Men Unlimited 3
Basically, Sabretooth comes looking a free cot and a heaping dose of “Fix me, Xavier.” Spoiler: IT DIDN’T WORK. Even when he was assigned to an x-team they kept a collar on him – you could always see the attempts to make a popular villain into a dangerous (yet considerably more marketable) anti-hero. I hope that writers see the err of their ways because sometimes evil is popular because it IS evil. Redemption stories are easy. Give me dirt, give me grime, give me “you can’t come back from this” badness.
Sabretooth is an incredible villain. Let him eat.
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