I’m not one to get excited about a new Superman comic. But this upcoming comic – written and laid out by Scott McCloud – looks like it could be fun.
It’s a shame that the finished drawings are so mediocre. Worse, judging from a page for which both Scott’s layout and the finished art are available to be seen, the artist seems to miss the point. On the page before this one, a bad guy has just blown some smoke from his cigarette into Superman’s face.
In Scott’s layout, check out Superman’s expression in panel three. Superman is pretty serene; some guy blowing smoke into his face isn’t enough to ruffle his feathers, because he’s, you know, Superman. He’s too big to let his feathers ruffle so easily. This fits in with Scott’s interpretation of the character:
“If you can lift an elephant, if you can fly through steel walls, if you can do all this amazing stuff, in a lot of ways you’re going to be a calm guy. That strength is going to manifest itself in an unflappable character.”
Now look at how the finishing artist, Aluir Amancio, has rendered the same panel. Superman in the finished art is anything but unflappable; every muscle on his face is tense. It’s the face of a man who is either severly pissed off or suffering mild constipation, and in either case it’s failing to communicate what Scott’s layout called for.
It’s too bad, because Scott’s vision – that true strength actually reduces the need to strike a macho pose – is a pretty interesting counterpoint, not only to the usual superhero writing, but also to contemporary politics.
(Via Kip).
I particularly like the slightly raised eyebrow in the original concept. A definitely superior reaction.
Superman smokes? Isn’t he aware that there are significant trace levels of kryptonite in the materials that make the paper on his smokes? Cool art though.
i don’t like to art rendition of superman. i hate the idea that his holding a smoke in his hand, maybe without it i might like.
superman is the only superhero who have no vice and is a role model. let’s preserve that.
I don’t think you have to worry about that.
from the context, most likely, the cigarette belongs to someone who blew smoke at supes, thus raising his ire (or, well, not, in the original storyboard, which I think is a more effective image)
and besides, it’s etablished superman ain’t that good a role model
me? I wanna be the Green Arrow when I grow up. or maybe Ozymandias.
Scott McCloud’s version is definitely portraying a Superman who is a lot older than the new “Superman Returns”. I kind of like his older, darker version!