Al Ewing on new 'Mighty Avengers' title

[Greg M.]

As announced over on CBR:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=45933

Quite a cool team line-up. Whilst I do have issues with Marvel's frustrating inability to launch a title without labelling it 'Avengers' these days - the oversaturation of the line is ridiculous - the presence of Mr. Ewing makes this a clear buy for me, and I do like some of the oddball choices for the team.

[Colin YNWA]

Arh now damn I'm torn here. I really want to give this a go as Al Ewing is a hell of a writer and I'd love to see what he'd do with an ongoing mainstream Marvel title BUT and its a pretty big but I'm not sure this is a title I can make myself interested in. Its an okay line-up, no real favs of mine there, its just it seems to be heavily tied into this Infinite event and these sort of tie-ins at Marvel leave me so cold.

This goes firmly into we'll see territory.

[Colin YNWA]

Bollocks and its just clicked that Greg Land is on art, which I think counts it out for me unless I hear wonderful things about it.

[Greg M.]

Yeah, I probably should have mentioned that bit. Then again, Kieron Gillen managed some excellent 'Uncanny X-Men' comics with Land on art duties, so it's not a deal-breaker for me, though I totally understand it may well be for others. I do share your concerns about comics launching out of Marvel events, Colin, though for me the idea of Al Ewing on a high profile, mainstream, Marvel ongoing outweighs any other concerns. I will be absolutely fascinated to see what he can do with it – I'm particularly curious to see if his wildly eccentric streak and his absolutely sparkling dialogue make a sound transition. Plus I really like some of the line-up: Falcon's an old favourite, Otto Octavius is the star of my favourite comic of the moment, and some of the out-there choices like Blue Marvel and the new non-Cage Power Man really appeal.

[Professor Bear]

I get the impression that the character line-up is editorially-mandated, and that would be more of a concern for me than Greg Land drawing it* - I'm sure Al will do well with anyone, but if they can give him characters they can take them away, which tends to happen if/when characters break out.  Otherwise I'm good to go on this: Al Ewing writing an Avengers-brand title.  Well done, that man.


*Never really got the hate.  A bit static or cheesecakey here and there, but otherwise a solid and reliable artist.

[Bat King]

I don't read much US stuff these days so no idea who the artist is. I'll get issue 1 and see what I think.

Line up wise... Luke Cage plus Power Man!!! That sounds very interesting. Will need to see that.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

*Never really got the hate.  A bit static or cheesecakey here and there, but otherwise a solid and reliable artist.

He has blatantly traced a lot of his work, and not just from comics. I think it's pretty clear where he's tracing the cheesecake stuff from.

[Bat King]

Maybe working with Al will be a good thing for him then...

Though I assume Al's woking relationship on this won't be like with Henry on Zombo.

[Professor Bear]

He has blatantly traced a lot of his work, and not just from comics. I think it's pretty clear where he's tracing the cheesecake stuff from.

Any artist who uses Poser or Sketchup or whatever has traced in their work (Mike Deodato Jr uses both heavily), as has any artist who's utilised photo reference (like Clint Langley or Edmund Bagwell) via photoshop or Manga Studio or whatever - this is also tracing, just in a more futuristic fashion.
Granted Land maybe uses too much porn as reference, but you try typing anything at all into Google Images and not get porn in the results.

[Colin YNWA]

The intention of this thread isn't to turn into a Greg Land bash I'm sure BUT (isn't there always) its not that he uses photo-reference but that he does so with such a lack of skill (to my eyes) in terms of character, expression and design. He's art seems determined by the source, rather than his source being termed by the art and the stories need.

[Professor Bear]

That's an inevitability of using photoreference - you can spend all your time looking for a picture that is exactly like your pencil roughs/thumbnail layouts (the same pose, same angle, etc), or you can use the first thing that vaguely fits the bill of what the script requires and just get on with it.  The former results in pages that tell a story much closer to the artists' vision than the latter, but the latter results in you actually getting your work finished on time and getting paid.

[Bat King]

Using photo reference isn't naughty. Many artists use mirrors and their own body of course.

[Colin YNWA]

That's an inevitability of using photoreference

Nonsense there a lot of people photo-referencing out there with out any of the problems that Land has. heck as far back as Frank Hampson if I'm not mistaken?

[Professor Bear]

I am pretty sure Frank Hampson didn't use photoshop and/or porn images he found on the web, but Wake might be a more reliable information source there.

[Professor Bear]

Actually, now I think of it I am vaguely curious to see how Dan Dare would have turned out if Hampson had made the strip using only a lightbox and old copies of razzle he found in a hedge.