Gary Frank's Superman Art: Yay or Nay?

[Gothamite]

I have really mixed feelings about Gary Frank's work on the various Superman titles. I'm reading the 'Brainiac' story for the first time now, and I'm loving the look of it. Superman obviously looks like Christopher Reeve and it's great seeing the rest of the Daily Planet for once (we rarely ever get to see them in comic books, anymore). Also, Brainiac looks superbly creepy.

On the other hand though, I read his recent Legion of Superheroes arc a while back and it wasn't up to par at all. Superman looked like Reeve, but the rest of the characters just looked shaky, messy and as if he hadn't really put much thought into their facial designs.

Secret Origins is sort of in between the two in terms of quality, for me. Unlike the previous two titles, it's the design of Clark that drags it down. Not only is the ambiguous age of the character a problem, but so is the general creepiness of Frank trying to make him look like what he imagined Christopher Reeve looked like, as a boy. The rest of the characters are better than before (Lex Luthor, especially) and the environments are all quite great.

What does anyone else think?

 

[E]

I don't care for his art on any book. I haven't seen any interior work on Superman, just some covers. Not my thing.

 

[bluebeast]

I think he can flub on faces sometimes, but he's got a really crisp way of drawing action and the characters as a whole. His redesigns for all of his characters have been awesome as well.

 

[Planet-man]

From Googling him I really like what I see. Reeve is HARD to draw without looking weird for some reason, but he does it very well.

Good stuff.

 

[mike3717]

I voted indifferent because sometimes I really like his art. But other times, like with young Clark in S.O., he kinda makes people look creepy.

 

[Gothamite]

I think judging him based on covers is not a good idea. He tends to draw really epic covers that often look amazing (like the one Planet-Man just listed). It's some of the more interior stuff that just looks rushed over.

I also wholly disagree about the action thing. I couldn't understand what was going on at all in the first issue of the Brainiac thing, where Superman was fighting one of the Brainiac ships.

 

[bluebeast]

I think judging him based on covers is not a good idea. He tends to draw really epic covers that often look amazing (like the one Planet-Man just listed). It's some of the more interior stuff that just looks rushed over.

I also wholly disagree about the action thing. I couldn't understand what was going on at all in the first issue of the Brainiac thing, where Superman was fighting one of the Brainiac ships.

I dunno, all of the Legion stuff flowed pretty well to me.

 

[Joe Kalicki]

It's great. One of my favorite artists since Hulk.

 

[mike3717]

It's great. One of my favorite artists since Hulk.

Yeah Hulk is a pretty good artist also. :lol:

 

[Friday]

I have really mixed feelings about Gary Frank's work on the various Superman titles. I'm reading the 'Brainiac' story for the first time now, and I'm loving the look of it. Superman obviously looks like Christopher Reeve and it's great seeing the rest of the Daily Planet for once (we rarely ever get to see them in comic books, anymore). Also, Brainiac looks superbly creepy.

most of the time I think he's great. Then we get a few panels where things look really, really creepy. Not purposfully creepy like brainiac. Just off. But overall I really like him.

On the other hand though, I read his recent Legion of Superheroes arc a while back and it wasn't up to par at all. Superman looked like Reeve, but the rest of the characters just looked shaky, messy and as if he hadn't really put much thought into their facial designs.

Oddly enough in the back of the SatLoSH hardcover theres a few pages of concept art, including notations about how he wants all the future characters to have a high cheek boned taut face. Really not a decision I agree with, but he did plan it out.

Secret Origins is sort of in between the two in terms of quality, for me. Unlike the previous two titles, it's the design of Clark that drags it down. Not only is the ambiguous age of the character a problem, but so is the general creepiness of Frank trying to make him look like what he imagined Christopher Reeve looked like, as a boy. The rest of the characters are better than before (Lex Luthor, especially) and the environments are all quite great.

What does anyone else think?

Perfect example of his creepy factor IMO is young Lex Luthor and his high riding gumline. He looks like an evil, red headed Butthead.

 

[Planet-man]

People should most more examples.... I've found a lot of stuff on Google that looks like it could be the creepy stuff you're talking about, but some of it looks so different from the stuff I like that I can't even tell if it's actually him.

 

[Friday]

People should most more examples.... I've found a lot of stuff on Google that looks like it could be the creepy stuff you're talking about, but some of it looks so different from the stuff I like that I can't even tell if it's actually him.

This page is great.

That page, the next page, is freaky. Especially Lex in the top panel.

 

[Zombipanda]

I liked Adam Kubert's Superman art....

 

[Planet-man]

This page is great.

That page, the next page, is freaky. Especially Lex in the top panel.

Those are excellent.

 

[ProjectX2]

I didn't really like him on Supreme Power (he was decent but wasn't one of my favourites) but he just seems to suit Superman incredibly well. His Parasite on an upcoming cover is disturbing and awesome.

 

[E]

That looks terrible to me. The mouth...why does he have no lips?

 

[ProjectX2]

His Clark Kent freaks me out:

 

[E]

His Clark Kent freaks me out:

Where are his lips? That's hideous.