Comic Art Is Like Cake Frosting
The art style, whether it’s in a video game or a comic, is very important. It can determine your overall enjoyment of the piece, and in this article I plan to explore a few different comic books and how the art styles in each one create a different experience for the reader.
Now, personally, I enjoy to read comic books for their story. However since the art is also such a large element, a bad art style can detract from the overall enjoyment. A few examples that come to mind are Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, and V for Vendetta. Both of these comics are done with watercolor artwork by Frank Miller and David Lloyd respectively. Please note that I am not saying the artwork is bad, it’s beyond anything I or most other people could ever do, it’s just that I’m not a fan, and that is what really takes away from it.
After reading The Watchmen, the graphic novel that got me started, I picked up another one of Alan Moore’s classics, V for Vendetta. Having only read the first 50 pages or so, I found the art style to be so much of a turn off that I put it aside (I am looking to finish it soon).
As I began reading The Dark Knight Returns I found it tough to get into the comic. The writing at first was confusing, but it began to transition into a more enjoyable experience as Bruce Wayne decided to become Batman again. Although the initial blame could just be my confusion, the fact that I wasn’t really a fan of the art style seemed to degenerate my interest. After completing The Dark Knight Returns, I picked up Batman: The Long Halloween. Tim Sale’s interpretation of the Dark Knight is amazing, in fact each of the characters look great. I enjoyed the artwork in The Long Halloween more, and thus was able to enjoy the overall comic to it’s fullest.
The art style in the first volume of The Walking Dead, illustrated by Tony Moore is some of the best comic book artwork I have ever seen. Not only is the story in The Walking Dead good, but as I began to read the first volume I found myself loving it more and more because of the art. However, as fans of the series know, in the second volume Charlie Adlard took over for Moore, and although the art is still good, it just doesn’t compare to Moore’s work. Adlard’s style uses more blacks, and shadows to illustrate a darker tone, which in The Walking Dead, makes perfect sense. The only thing I am not a fan of is the lack of detail. Every character, even every panel contained so much detail when illustrated by Moore, but now large portions of each panel are filled with shadow. The toughest part about this switch is that it actually happens directly in the middle of the first hardcover book of The Walking Dead. You’ll be reading the book, and suddenly when you flip a page the art style has changed. You’ll think to yourself “Hmm, does Rick look a little different?” and the answer is yes.
It’s funny when you look at it, an art style doesn’t really make a comic book bad, but great art can make a comic book amazing. When it comes to art, it’s not really a two way street with comic books. Video games are also the same, having lush, well-animated backgrounds or amazingly detailed textures can improve the overall aesthetic of the game and your experience with it. Art is like cake frosting, if it's good it makes everything that much better, but if it's bad it can ruin the entire experience.
