There’s a new round of Frank Miller Marvel variant covers out that have thrown the whole comics art world into a fit (again) because people like having opinions. I too have an opinion, and since this is my substack - I figured I’d share it - seeing as how Miller has been an important influence of mine.
The covers in question:
To me - there’s something iconic about them, he’s simplified these characters and forms down to only what’s necessary to communicate who they are. And there’s something pleasing about that. I don’t think they work as covers - they’re simply character drawings with some poorly considered logos thrown behind them. The colors don’t fit (for me) they ought to be flat with maybe some mild texture or just keep them black & white. This seems to be the biggest sin of those who have colored Miller’s more recent output - they keep putting a modern sheen on them that doesn’t vibe with the style he’s working in (although I thought the colored pages in Cursed that were done by Tula Latoy worked well - but she went wild with texture).
Additionally if these images were drawn by someone that wasn’t Frank Miller - there’s no way they’d be published, which is something of a shame in its own right. These images are cartooning - they’re what’s missing in so much of modern comics art. There’s a rough energy to them that I think, if they were applied to sequential could really work. So much of what’s being done today feels static and lifeless - just chasing the faux realism with none of the energy of the drawing hitting your eyeballs. I want to say a lot of this is down to the shift to digital - the infinite zoom, easy use of reference/traced off reference and the inevitable cleanliness of the whole affair - it just doesn’t quite work.
There were a few books that Sean Phillips did digitally (Fade Out, Kill or Be Killed) and while they looked super sharp and clean and HEAVILY detailed, there was a liveliness that was missing from them that he regained when he went back to inking on paper. His work is not as sharp as it was digitally - but there’s an impressionistic quality to it that makes the whole thing more alive. I like that.
I think the shunning of style is what’s driving the monthly comic off the cliff - when you look at the level artists are trying to chase in a monthly comic - there’s no question why they’re only 20 pages now and costing $5, but I’d much rather get something that’s looser and more cartooned that isn’t killing the person to make.
There’s a huge amount of confidence that it takes to simplify art down to that minimum - you could see Pratt’s evolution through Corto and now we’re seeing Miller finish out his arc too. I’m here for it - just hoping he gets around to doing some more comics in this style - and for all that’s good and holy - PLEASE KEEP THE COLORISTS AWAY FROM IT.
Well said! I've said it elsewhere, but I think it's fine that Miller's latest isn't everyone's cup. I do think his style has pushed more into a very niche, Picasso direction that only other artists can really appreciate, and I'd be willing to bet that the "withered" appearance of some of his figures is something of a biographical choice that people are missing.
My big problem with TEH DISCOURSE is just the overall shittyness of the attitudes of people criticizing him. These are people who have never accomplished anything, and all they've got is snarky tweets. I don't know why we must endure them.