Last night’s MKE Comicbook meet-up at Gravity Connect was a good art-centric one, as we discussed the favorite sequences or splash-page moments in our collections. It was fun discussing the nuances of pacing, panel-size variations, and the distinction between merely illustrating a script and creating images that move the readers’ eyes from one panel to the next. Some people brought the printed versions of their comics to share, and for others, we viewed them projected on a screen.
Interesting too, was seeing the different opinions that these comicbook fans brought to the discussion – some agreeing, some not (Mark Millar, Alex Maleev – second-rate work? YOU DECIDE!). Peter David was strongly agreed upon for his ability to script surprising, “gasp-inducing” moments for his artist-collaborators to illustrate (in this discussion, a scene by Valentine DeLandro, in the book “X-Factor”). Joe Hill was also singled out for his and Gabriel Rodriguez‘s ability to create surprising moments (Locke and Key). Receiving multiple mentions were the scripts of Alan Moore (Captain Britain, Big Numbers, Promethea), Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible), Matt Fraction (Hawkeye), and Brian Michael Bendis (Daredevil, Ultimate Spider-Man).
Stand-out artists were David Aja (Iron Fist), Stefano Caselli (Avengers Assemble, The Initiative), Steve McNiven (Wolverine, Civil War) and Frank Miller (Daredevil, The Dark Knight Returns). There were also the artists whose work swung back and forth between “sequential-” and “fine-” art were Chris Ware (Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth), J.H.Williams III (Batwoman), and Bill Sienkiewicz (New Mutants).
Personally, I singled out scenes from the work of Alan Davis, Frank Miller, Darick Robertson (Punisher: BORN), and Alex Maleev (Daredevil), David Aja, Bryan Hitch (The Ultimates), and John Romita Jr. (Starbrand) as some of my favorites!
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