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Who is your favorite Batman artist?

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View Poll Results: Who is your favorite Batman artist?
Neal Adams
10
20.83%
Jim Aparo (The Brave and the Bold)
10
20.83%
Simone Bianchi
0
0%
Brian Bolland (The Killing Joke)
2
4.17%
Bob Brown
0
0%
Gene Colan
0
0%
Alan Davis
0
0%
Carmine Infantino
0
0%
Kelley Jones
2
4.17%
Bob Kane (original creator)
1
2.08%
Jim Lee
3
6.25%
Dave McKean
0
0%
David Mazzuchelli (Year One)
2
4.17%
Frank Miller (The Dark Knight Returns)
1
2.08%
Sheldon Moldoff
1
2.08%
Don Newton
0
0%
Jerry Robinson
0
0%
Marshall Rogers
3
6.25%
Alex Ross
1
2.08%
Tim Sale (The Long Halloween)
1
2.08%
Dick Sprang
1
2.08%
Bruce Timm
3
6.25%
Other
7
14.58%
Voters: 48. You may not vote on this poll

Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Old 04-14-12, 01:41 AM
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Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Pretty simple poll inspired by the new artist-centric trades, and I tried to collect the major figures (omissions most likely to come from the newer artists). My preference is Aparo since I grew up with The Brave and the Bold.

Neal Adams:



Jim Aparo:



Bob Kane:



Sheldon Moldoff:



Bruce Timm:


Last edited by davidh777; 04-14-12 at 01:54 AM.
Old 04-14-12, 03:48 AM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Norm Breyfogle

Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle in the late 80s and early 90s was the best thing ever. I liked Aparo as well, but Breyfogle was better in my opinion.

I never read the early 80s Brave and the Bold stuff with Aparo, so I only know his later 80s work on the main Batman title after COIE.
Old 04-14-12, 07:14 AM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Hard to pick just one. I think I prefer variety in all of the comics I follow, appreciating the frequent changes and different interpretations.

But if I was forced to pick just one, it would probably be Jim Aparo.
Old 04-14-12, 08:40 AM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Originally Posted by Trevor
Hard to pick just one. I think I prefer variety in all of the comics I follow, appreciating the frequent changes and different interpretations.

But if I was forced to pick just one, it would probably be Jim Aparo.
I agree with this.

In addition to the Brave and the Bold, Aparo had a run on the main book in the 80s.

Irv Novick was very underrated, IMO.

Neal Adams' stuff was definitive.

Alan Davis did a great Batman.

Dick Sprang was awesome.

I loved Marshall Rogers' too-short run on the character.

Greg Capullo is killing it these days.
Old 04-14-12, 04:09 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Originally Posted by kgrogers1979
Norm Breyfogle

Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle in the late 80s and early 90s was the best thing ever.
Holy Shit. I thought I was the only one. He was who I came in here to post.

He has always been my favorite Batman artist. I have even thought about getting him to do a commissioned piece for me but just have never gotten around to it. The last time I thought about it, he was behind and not taking an requests at that time.
Old 04-14-12, 07:53 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Anyone BUT Kelly Jones. I hate his artwork. He was the reason I stopped reading Batman comics. Stupid hunched over, teeth gritted, 60 ft cape, 300 bumps representing his ribs artwork. I'd take a Liefields's artwork over his.
Old 04-14-12, 09:19 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Jim Lee, but then again i'm a mainstream flashy kind of guy and I love his stuff.
Old 04-14-12, 11:14 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Francesco Francavilla quickly became one of my favorites after The Black Mirror
Old 04-15-12, 12:30 AM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

I met Neal Adams at C2E2 today!! It was so cool. I got to tell him he drew my first Batman story -- a story called Robin meets Man-Bat. It actually didn't appear in a DC comic, but in one of those old Power Records (children of the 70s like me will remember those). Neal remembered the story, and told me he had originally done it for a Man-Bat book that never got off the ground, so they repurposed the story for the record.

Anyway, while I was waiting in line for Neal, a couple of kids (probably about 12-13 years old) asked me "Is that the guy who drew Batman," and I realized that if anybody was "the guy" who drew Batman, it was Neal. I tried to explain to the kids how Neal came along 40 years ago and completely changed the way people draw Batman and everyone ever since has been following in his footsteps. I think they got it -- they seemed impressed.
Old 04-15-12, 12:36 AM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

There is only one Batman and he is drawn by Neal Adams. He re-defined how the character moved and most artists following him either consciously or subconsciously were influenced by his style.
Old 04-15-12, 11:14 AM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Originally Posted by PhantomStranger
There is only one Batman and he is drawn by Neal Adams. He re-defined how the character moved and most artists following him either consciously or subconsciously were influenced by his style.
Agreed. Jim Aparo and Marshall Rogers do come in a close second for me, though. Jim's art in the 70's on B&B was awesome.

I remember reading an article how after Adam's redefined the Batman; quite a few artists who worked on the character admitted that they were more than influenced by Adams' Batman. Something you can still see today even if they say they aren't.

Why isn't Irv Novick on that list? He worked on Batman the same time as Adams and his work was pretty good; especially with Dick Giordano doing the inks.
Old 04-15-12, 03:49 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Adams merited all the hype he got then and in retrospect. I was a kid just entering elementary school, buying Batman comics off the spinner rack at the drugstore, and even I could tell there was a big difference in the artwork in a Neal Adams book versus something like Dick Dillans World's Finest/JLA, or even Curt Swans Superman. He also had the good fortune to illustrate some of the best written Batman stories of that era. That helps too.

Two other artists of the character that I've always loved, but who never get any attention are Sal Amendola and Jose Garcia Lopez.
Amendola only illustrated one issue (that I've seen), but it was a mindblower to me at the time. Doing a fill in issue in an era when the slicker styles of Novick, Rogers and even Arparo were the norm, Amendolas freer, scratchier style was very refreshing and suited that particular story (with the Scarecrow as villain) well. And his cover to it remains a knockout.

Garcia Lopez, for my money, is one of, if not THE best draftsmen/storytellers the business has ever seen. He is criminally glossed over time and time again yet to my eyes, no one can touch him.
His work is always sound, dynamic, and free of false notes and gimmicks (which is probably one reason the Image-age fans never got excited about him).
In the late 70's/early 80' he did an excellent run of covers for Batman, and I know of at least two full issues he did with the character, both of which even at the time struck me as something very special.
One was the DC/Marvel crossover featuring The Hulk.
Old 04-15-12, 06:25 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

I picked Brian Bolland because he draws the definitive Batman in my opinion, as well as the defintive Joker.

I grew up with Norm Breyfogle drawing Detective in '89. Very stylish and sharp.

Don Newton is another favorite, but I discovered his art via black and whit printings in a Batman anniversary book. Since then I always felt his art would be viewed better without color due to his strong use of shadows. I loved the way he drew Nocturna.

I didn't discover Marshall Rogers till DARK DETECTIVE. Amazing artist. I really enjoy the way he drew the panels, actions scenes as well as expressions.

Jim Lee of course.

Kelley Jones was the reason I started reading Batman again in the 90s. It felt just like reading the original Batman stories from '39, compelte with the old fashioned Batmobile and they heavy, creepy atmosphere. He really add the grotesque to Batman's rogue gallery.

Alan Davis is another artist I didn't discover until recently. His work on Batman was too clean. It was like watching an animated film in motion somehow.

Lastly, Dick Sprang draws the definitive CLASSIC Batman in my opinion. My favorite golden age artist of all time.
Old 04-15-12, 10:03 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Jim Aparo
Old 04-16-12, 12:48 AM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Neal Adams is the only answer.



Jim Aparo is second.
Old 04-16-12, 02:20 AM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Originally Posted by Paul_SD
Garcia Lopez, for my money, is one of, if not THE best draftsmen/storytellers the business has ever seen. He is criminally glossed over time and time again yet to my eyes, no one can touch him.
His work is always sound, dynamic, and free of false notes and gimmicks (which is probably one reason the Image-age fans never got excited about him).
In the late 70's/early 80' he did an excellent run of covers for Batman, and I know of at least two full issues he did with the character, both of which even at the time struck me as something very special.
One was the DC/Marvel crossover featuring The Hulk.
He was a criminally underrated artist at DC. He did the in-house style guide for most DC characters in the early 80s and it is no coincidence that those drawings are still used today by Warner's merchandising and licensing division. I really see Garcia Lopez as the forerunner to George Perez. You can tell Perez was heavily influenced by him.
Old 04-16-12, 10:34 AM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Mine would be Kelley Jones.
His version is filled with symbolism and expressionism,as well as the mystery to the world Batman inhabits.His influence is still felt,and beyond the comics.His work has been cited as influential by Nolan in his recent Batman films.
He really brought something special to the books. Check it out,or rediscover it.
Old 04-16-12, 02:17 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Originally Posted by Khamul
Mine would be Kelley Jones.
His version is filled with symbolism and expressionism,as well as the mystery to the world Batman inhabits.His influence is still felt,and beyond the comics.His work has been cited as influential by Nolan in his recent Batman films.
He really brought something special to the books. Check it out,or rediscover it.
He definitely does the best vampiric version of Batman. Even his normal version of Batman looks supernatural.
Old 04-16-12, 02:36 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Voted for Marshall Rogers, but would have voted for Kevin Nowlan if he was an option. Nowlan hasn't done too much Batman, but he's easily my favorite.

Unrelated to Nowlan, I also really liked Graham Nolan's run on the Batman books in the 1990s.
Old 04-16-12, 02:36 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Originally Posted by resinrats
Anyone BUT Kelly Jones. I hate his artwork. He was the reason I stopped reading Batman comics. Stupid hunched over, teeth gritted, 60 ft cape, 300 bumps representing his ribs artwork. I'd take a Liefields's artwork over his.
Old 04-16-12, 02:46 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Me.

But Brian Bolland is listed, so I picked him.
Old 04-16-12, 03:12 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Originally Posted by resinrats
Anyone BUT Kelly Jones. I hate his artwork. He was the reason I stopped reading Batman comics. Stupid hunched over, teeth gritted, 60 ft cape, 300 bumps representing his ribs artwork.


And I know this opinion won't be popular but I don't like Jim Lee's Batman either. He damn near draws him with a skull cap on. The cowl need ears damnit. Not rediculously long ala Kelly Jones, but they need to have some length to them.
Old 04-16-12, 03:33 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

First time I saw Kelly Jones take on Batman I thought to myself "Hey Kelly, I like Bernie Wrightson too!"
Old 04-16-12, 03:40 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Originally Posted by DonnachaOne
Me.

But Brian Bolland is listed, so I picked him.
Pics?
Old 04-16-12, 03:51 PM
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Re: Who is your favorite Batman artist?

Originally Posted by madcougar
Pics?


Nah, I'm not an artist, but Batman always feels easy to draw. The top half of his head has only three or four distinct features you need to get right.

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