ABC Podcast, Episode #49 and visual aids

This episode of Awesomed By Comics is brought to you by barely functioning automobiles, and a behind-the-scenes look at the work of one of the industry's biggest artists at the climax of his career. School's in session for a new hilarious cohort of X-Men First Class, and Beta Ray Bill space-gallops away with big prizes. Be sure to start getting psyched now for next week's 50th Episode/One-Year-Anniversary Spectacular. We don't know how spectacular it will be, but by calling it that a lot we hope to make it so.

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Cover(s) of the Week

Evie's pick, from Beta Ray Bill: Godhunter #1, cover by Patrick Zircher:


Aaron's pick, from Sherlock Holmes #2, cover by John Cassaday:


Panel(s) of the Week

Aaron's pick, from Deadpool #11 by Daniel Way and Paco Medina:


Evie's pick, from Uncanny X-Men First Class Giant Size #1 by Jeff Parker, Scott Gray, Roger Langridge, Craig Rousseau, David Williams, Dennis Calero, Sean Galloway, Joe Infurnari, Cameron Stewart and Jeff Parker (click to enlarge):

ABC Podcast, Episode #11 and visual aid

This episode of Awesomed By Comics is sponsored by knock-knock jokes, because we are in the pocket of Big Fun. Aaron and Evie actually agree on most of this week's winners, and Aaron accidentally gets some of Greg Land's e-mail, which explains a *lot*. Li'l Leaguers and Layla Miller win big.

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Cover and Panel (actually Page) of the Week, both from Superman Batman #51:

Who is the Question? The X-Women, apparently.

Not being in San Diego to talk about goings on and announcements and parties and giant Pikachu balloons, I'll just sit over here and talk about comic books. If that's ok with you.

When it comes to comic book art, I'm pretty much in the camp that would be cool with stick figures as long as the story is good. I mean I guess if all my comics actually had stick figures, I'd be like "ok, I appreciate that all the monthlies are coming out on time and stuff but this is getting a little old"--but my general point is that I don't scrutinize the art the way I do the plot, dialog and characterization. Part of this is because I can't draw a straight line unless I'm trying to make it wiggly, so I'm duly impressed with anyone who's talented enough to make a living at it, whether they blow me away or not. I appreciate it when I am blown away, and I complain a little bit if the art is hard to follow, but you won't hear me saying things like "the shading on Wonder Woman's cheek was off."

So given my generally relaxed perspective vis a vis cartoonists, I'm wondering if I could get some corroborating opinions that this panel from Uncanny X-Men #500 is suckfully incompetent:


I'm sure if asked, Greg Land would mumble some bullshit about deliberate abstraction. But I'm fairly convinced that if pressed with threats and mindgames and truth serums, he might eventually say "ok, actually I really can't be arsed to, uh, draw small things. It takes a long time and makes my fingers cramp, and they don't come out so good anyway."

Another astounding example, from the same issue:


Now, obviously the script here said "turn page to breathtaking two-page spread of San Francisco skyline," right? Instead, the next page is still more conversations inside the building, with nary a Bay Bridge in sight. So either this is a joke that didn't go over so well, or Greg Land said "Uh, that sounds pretty hard. Can we just have the reader picture it in his mind instead?" And I say "his," because that's probably what Greg Land said. Given that women don't have faces and therefore no eyes for reading comic books.

Anyway, this was a fairly interesting issue with some intriguing points for going forward, but this lazy-ass art, it was quite distracting, to my incredibly tolerant eyes. Which I do have. I'm sure Marvel wanted to get this landmark 500th issue out in time for Comic Con, but there's gotta be someone who could have made this happen in a marginally quality way. I'm just sayin.