[ArsGratiaArtis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBlueMarvel

@Von
I feel like I should elaborate on my comments regarding modern comic art. I can appreciate the talent of many of the artists you've named, but stylistically, they don't move me to the point of following their work. When I shared my feelings about the lack of separation between styles, I'm referring more so to the rut that the industry seems to be in, rather than any artist(s) in particular. While I recognize and respect the quality of art contemporary illustrators produce, it doesn't draw me in. Classic artists like Byrne and Perez compelled me to follow them from title to title. Not only that, their work inspired me to draw and create...to imagine. I have yet to find a modern penciler that has elicited that kind of response from me. I want to experience that again, it simply hasn't happened in quite some time.

Regardless of aesthetic tastes, I'd say contemporary art as a whole has an advantage over classic simply because it's allowed to actually differentiate itself to suit a story. Byrne and Perez and Buscema are fantastic technicians, but they were still limited to working within the "Marvel Style." Artists now have the freedom to tailor the art to the story rather than some blanket house style. This lets you have something like the painterly Mike Del Mundo art on something like Weirdworld recalling Boris Vallejo or Frank Frazetta sitting on a shelf next to the manic, cartoonish energy of a Skottie Young Rocket and Groot next to brooding, almost monochromatic noir art by Ron Garney on Daredevil. You can't really define a house style for Marvel anymore. There were always exceptions even when everyone was shifting towards XTREME Image-immitation in the 90's, but the sheer diversity of style within the mainstream is an all-time high.