Saturday, June 18, 2005
Comic Art
What else can I post in this space on the week a new Batman movie comes out than on the art of Batman. Few comic characters have had more variations of artistic interpretation than Batman. This site gives you a pretty good idea. When you visit that link, be sure and click on the facial images to see the full rendering.
When it comes to drawing Batman there is always the original -- Bob Kane creator of the character.
In the beginning Batman was a dark, and simplistic character. Parents killed by crook -- stop all crooks. He really was pretty vengeful. But then along came the Comics Code and vengeance could no longer sell comic books. The Code, and the awful 60's TV show really turned the character so silly as to be ridiculous. Lots of guys drew him during this period, but the one I remember the most was Carmine Infantino.
Eventually the Code became less and less respected. Though the Batman character could never cross the line into actually killing his protagonists. This has become the place where his various creators have chosen to draw the line between justice and vengeance, right up until now and even in the latest movie -- more on that in a minute. The artist/writer that finally put Batman firmly back in the dark was Frank Miller.
Miller's influence on the character as he currently exists and on comics in general as they are now cannot be underestimated. So much has been written about him and Batman that there is little I can add to the conversation other than I much prefer him as a writer than as an artist. I think other people draw the Bat much better. Most notably is today's hottest Batman artist, Jim Lee
In my never to be humble opinion, Lee may now be the definitive renderer of Batman -- I cannot think of anyone that better captures the character.
Batman strides over comics books in a certain stratosphere occupied by the very few -- Superman and Spiderman may be the only others in that category. There is so much to like about him, but I currently find him unsatisfying. He is not blessed with great power, so he has no responsibility. His sacrifice is not heroic, it is inflected. He is obsessed, it's as simple as that. I simply cannot buy a character that would be as obsessed as he is that would be able to draw the very careful lines between justice and vengeance that this character strides. I find myself now whenever I read a Batman comic wanting him to either go ahead and kill the bad guy, or to hang up his cape and find some sort of personal peace. So much I feel this way that in the only foray into fiction I have ever taken in my adult life I have written a rather lengthy treatment for a Batman story in which he finally finds peace. Alas DC Comics is not accepting any submissions for the character so the story is destined to remain electrons on my computer.
My frustration with the character's current depiction is; however, only temporary. Comic characters this well loved will always change and be reinterpreted. Some day a Batman I can love unreservedly will once again emerge and that will be a happy day indeed. In the meantime, I can always look at Jim Lee renderings of him and enjoy them immensely.
When it comes to drawing Batman there is always the original -- Bob Kane creator of the character.
In the beginning Batman was a dark, and simplistic character. Parents killed by crook -- stop all crooks. He really was pretty vengeful. But then along came the Comics Code and vengeance could no longer sell comic books. The Code, and the awful 60's TV show really turned the character so silly as to be ridiculous. Lots of guys drew him during this period, but the one I remember the most was Carmine Infantino.
Eventually the Code became less and less respected. Though the Batman character could never cross the line into actually killing his protagonists. This has become the place where his various creators have chosen to draw the line between justice and vengeance, right up until now and even in the latest movie -- more on that in a minute. The artist/writer that finally put Batman firmly back in the dark was Frank Miller.
Miller's influence on the character as he currently exists and on comics in general as they are now cannot be underestimated. So much has been written about him and Batman that there is little I can add to the conversation other than I much prefer him as a writer than as an artist. I think other people draw the Bat much better. Most notably is today's hottest Batman artist, Jim Lee
In my never to be humble opinion, Lee may now be the definitive renderer of Batman -- I cannot think of anyone that better captures the character.
Batman strides over comics books in a certain stratosphere occupied by the very few -- Superman and Spiderman may be the only others in that category. There is so much to like about him, but I currently find him unsatisfying. He is not blessed with great power, so he has no responsibility. His sacrifice is not heroic, it is inflected. He is obsessed, it's as simple as that. I simply cannot buy a character that would be as obsessed as he is that would be able to draw the very careful lines between justice and vengeance that this character strides. I find myself now whenever I read a Batman comic wanting him to either go ahead and kill the bad guy, or to hang up his cape and find some sort of personal peace. So much I feel this way that in the only foray into fiction I have ever taken in my adult life I have written a rather lengthy treatment for a Batman story in which he finally finds peace. Alas DC Comics is not accepting any submissions for the character so the story is destined to remain electrons on my computer.
My frustration with the character's current depiction is; however, only temporary. Comic characters this well loved will always change and be reinterpreted. Some day a Batman I can love unreservedly will once again emerge and that will be a happy day indeed. In the meantime, I can always look at Jim Lee renderings of him and enjoy them immensely.
