Grist has a kinetic fluency to his writing and Robinson pieces a meticulous patchwork together, yet Cooke interprets them equally well. The first evokes the spirit of Jack London, set in the Canadian wilds during winter, and is heavy on shading to contrast the vast amounts of snow, while the second is European ligne claire style.Ĭooke’s versatility is further represented by working with writers whose approach is as different as Paul Grist and James Robinson. Each of two consecutive Jonah Hex tales is drawn differently, yet each is a form of cartooning. This, though, is homage, never swiping, and the influences are absorbed into Cooke’s broader style. The Green Lantern tale ‘Flight’ opens with a sequence not too far removed from the graphic realism of Neal Adams, there’s almost a Jack Kirby woman on the cover, a Doctor Fate tale mimics the primitive style and layouts 1940s artist Howard Sherman, and other examples occur throughout. There’s a tendency to consider Cooke a cartoonist, and in broad terms he is, but this collection clarifies his expertise at filtering other influences into that style. It spans multiple genres, numerous styles and there’s nothing poorly drawn. With the proviso that you have to like Cooke’s work in the first place (and if you don’t, what’s wrong with you?), it’s a magnificent collection. As with other titles in the Graphic Ink series, Darwyn Cooke’s collection gathers his work from assorted DC titles where his contributions have been the single issue or part of an anthology, some not otherwise found except for their original comic printing.
0 kommentar(er)
