DC Hardcover Collected Editions Part 3

[Captain Planet]

The proportions are indeed off in the second panel, but it's not too bad (by that reasoning you must really hate Kirby and especially Steranko, btw). But I can in general understand that Cooke's art can be divisive. I wasn't his biggest fan either - until I read NF (and then of course the Parker GNs he does for IDW, in which his style perfectly matches the stories).

I don't know, seems like in your argument you're switching bad proportions with stylization. Humberto Ramirez doesn't have bad anatomy, he has a specific style. Same with Kirby and Steranko. The problem with the middle panel is that it is not consistent in it's perspective/anatomy with the other panels.

I just want to make sure that people understand that I liked most of the artwork. I just personally find that Cooke 1. needs to be penciling the right material for his style to work and that 2. when he is off, it really bothers me and takes me out of the comic. I understand it's not the same for everyone.

[MykeHavoc]

The complaints over the panel are hilarious. Cooke is a master, and New Frontier is his masterpiece.

Simonson has a big beef with the omnibus, that being that the backups are collected at the end of the book instead of at the end of each issue where they belong. DC has said they can only fix it once it gets reprinted in softcover, so as a heads up to those who've ordered it, be aware of this.

[Captain Planet]

The complaints over the panel are hilarious. Cooke is a master, and New Frontier is his masterpiece.

Simonson has a big beef with the omnibus, that being that the backups are collected at the end of the book instead of at the end of each issue where they belong. DC has said they can only fix it once it gets reprinted in softcover, so as a heads up to those who've ordered it, be aware of this.

Phew, glad someone could settle this definitively. I was worried no one would swoop in with the right answer about Cooke's art!

[GenericUserName12]

I sold Parker Martini edition pretty quickly because I couldn't handle how bad I personally, thought the artwork was without the help of coloring.

The complaints over the panel are hilarious. Cooke is a master, and New Frontier is his masterpiece.

I think CP was in his right to discuss his personal opinion on the art, but MH is so knowledgable about comics, his blanket opinion trumps all discussion. That being said, I'm a huge fan of Darwyn's art. His art work can be considered too cartoony or simple, but I think it is nuanced and is a great storytelling technique. True, the color work enhances his style, but surely that's why the great Dave Stewart is often paired with Cooke, they know what works. Much like how Allred works with his wife, they combine their skills to bring out their best. Coloring is our modern day inkers.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

I think CP was in his right to discuss his personal opinion on the art, but MH is so knowledgable about comics, his blanket opinion trumps all discussion. That being said, I'm a huge fan of Darwyn's art. His art work can be considered too cartoony or simple, but I think it is nuanced and is a great storytelling technique. True, the color work enhances his style, but surely that's why the great Dave Stewart is often paired with Cooke, they know what works. Much like how Allred works with his wife, they combine their skills to bring out their best. Coloring is our modern day inkers.

Very good points.

New Frontier is probably my favourite DC story. I love the art by Darwyn Cooke but I can accept that that panel may look off though it doesn't bother me. Another factor to consider, as Generic pointed out, is the colouring. Dave Stewart's work on New Frontier is fantastic and coulped with Cooke's storytelling and art is what makes NF a visual masterpiece.

[titansupes]

I'm still yet to rip into NF. I've had the deluxe sitting there since release, but I still don't know when I'm going to get to it... I might be the only DC fan who hasn't read it.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

asked this in another topic but probably I have better chance getting an answer here:
Does Simonson's Orion tell a proper story with a neat ending or is it interrupted by crossovers/events and/or the ending is left open for a new writer to pick up?

Walter Simonson just replied to this question on the "Latest Orders" Thread:

The Orion series is relatively self-contained. I tried writing it so that if the reader wasn't familiar with the New Gods, the comic would cover everything they needed to know. There was a cross-over with the Joker Last Laugh business, but I found a story I liked enough to do it in two issues that I think work pretty well. I wrote a series of backup stories for a number of friends of mine to draw. Those stories were generally related to the lead story, sometimes as a matter of atmosphere, sometimes as a connected story to enlarge the reader's understanding of what was happening. DC made the decision to separate all the short stories from their context and put them in the back of the book, along with several stand alone short stories that appeared in other comics. I wasn't consulted about any of this, and it's going to make the material more difficult to read in the way in which I had intended. But the volume does contain pretty much everything I'd drawn or written about the Fourth World material.

[Balakin]

Walter Simonson just replied to this question on the "Latest Orders" Thread:

yeah, almost pooped myself

[ShooCat]

The middle panel is just a little bit off but he makes up for it with the lights and the shadows.

No, he doesn't, since many of us still find it off.

And the only thing that doesn't really work on that panel are the upper arms, everything else is at the right place.

Which is what makes it look off in the first place, duh. ;-)

Don't misunderstand me©, like I said, I adore Cooke's art and love NF. But even masters can occasionally make a minor slip. Even though some find it hilarious to even make a comment about it. (Eyeroll)

[Balakin]

No, he doesn't, since many of us still find it off.



Which is what makes it look off in the first place, duh. ;-)

Don't misunderstand me©, like I said, I adore Cooke's art and love NF. But even masters can occasionally make a minor slip. Even though some find it hilarious to even make a comment about it. (Eyeroll)

The whole thing starts to get a little funny, especially since the original poster even said that he liked the book and the art overall And we just keep pushing the matter.

[aleksivic]

Finally got my IST Haul last night! I'm so looking forward to reading this cover to cover since I haven't read any pre-Diggle/new 52 GA.

[The_Dark_Knight]

^

Looks good. Mine should be coming in soon. I adore the story, but, from an art perspective, I didn't anticipate Phil Hester's art making the "Absolute" cut. I think his art worked well for the story, but it doesn't seem like it would benefit from the Abslute size as much as other art styles.

[FanboyStranger]

asked this in another topic but probably I have better chance getting an answer here:
Does Simonson's Orion tell a proper story with a neat ending or is it interrupted by crossovers/events and/or the ending is left open for a new writer to pick up?

Complete story, and an excellent one at that. The only crossover is with Joker's Last Laugh, but the Orion issue is by far the best issue of that crossover.

[victorxd1999]

Finally got my IST Haul last night! I'm so looking forward to reading this cover to cover since I haven't read any pre-Diggle/new 52 GA.

Then you should really consider getting Longbow Hunters and the other Grell stories. You're really missing out.

[TomSlick]

Finally got my IST Haul last night! I'm so looking forward to reading this cover to cover since I haven't read any pre-Diggle/new 52 GA.

^

Looks good. Mine should be coming in soon. I adore the story, but, from an art perspective, I didn't anticipate Phil Hester's art making the "Absolute" cut. I think his art worked well for the story, but it doesn't seem like it would benefit from the Abslute size as much as other art styles.

Then you should really consider getting Longbow Hunters and the other Grell stories. You're really missing out.

As a long-time fan and someone who was reading Green Arrow since forever, I can't tell you how excited GA fans were when it was announced that Ollie was returning. For the longest time, since he "died," the writers, like Chuck Dixon, at the time dropped hints that he wasn't really dead or that he was poised for a return at least.

Then the announcement came that Kevin Smith would be writing the new series. Now, Smith was just coming off the Marvel Knights Daredevil, which was really well-received because, quite frankly, DD had sucked for years. (Granted that DD story doesn't stand the test of time as much as I'd like it to, but it was a pretty good arc.)

Now, it gets better. DC had the super rare - almost unheard of foresight - to require that not only did Smith have the story completely laid out, they didn't even release the first issue until about 4 or 5 of them were already in the bag. That way, Smith actually made deadline.

More surprising? After he wrapped up the run (on time), Smith stuck around for one more short arc because he said he was having so much fun. Now, granted those final three or so issues aren't as good as the rest, but still.

I've read the Smith run a bunch of times over the years and love it. I was set to get the Deluxe, but just don't know if I want to lay down the coin - even 50 percent off - for an Absolute copy. It's still tempting.