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June 16, 2005
Subway Reading: Ex Machina and Manhunter
Ex Machina #12 - This issue featured a typically crackling script by Brian K. Vaughan and the usual tight art by Tony Harris and Tom Feister. To me, the thing that really made this book stand out was the stunning coloring job by J.D. Mettler. Check out the rooftop meeting between Mayor Hundred and his lawyer, for example. In one panel, Mettler colors Hundred's face with subtle gradations and beautiful little painterly highlights. The fiery orange palette of those pages really sells the setting, just like the muted grayish-blues of the morning rainstorm scenes and the drab, greenish hues in the scene with the squatter-junkies. I also like the way Mettler subtly colors Feister's ink lines; check out the scene in the mayor's office and compare the outlines of each character. Another nice example is the large panel where The Great Machine is shot with the flare gun. The shoreline in the background shifts from black to red. Not only does this help convey the depth of field (without it, I think the picture would flatten out), but it also draws attention to the fiery impact of the flare. While Vaughan and Harris deserve all the praise that they get for this exceptional title, Mettler's contributions are an invaluable part of the overall package.
Manhunter #11 - Completing our trip from one end of the visual-appeal spectrum to the other, we have the latest issue of DC's Manhunter. The art in this issue was a fill-in job, with two penciller/inker teams handling various pages. I think they were going for some visual continuity by trying to ape the styles of usual series artists Jesus Saiz and Jimmy Palmiotti, but quite frankly, the result was an eyesore. In an attempt to protect them from Google-based slander that would haunt them for years, I'm not going to name the artist's names. It's entirely possible, in fact probable, that this was an emergency fill-in rush job. Honestly, I'd just as soon see the issue get delayed by a couple weeks rather than get this amateurish, ugly mess in exchange for my $2.50. The pages were littered with awkward poses, generic backgrounds, painful compositions, and inking that looks like it was applied with a dull rock. The uninspired, flat coloring was the sour icing on this rancid cake.
Posted by jdonelson_nyc at June 16, 2005 11:45 AM