Comments on: Brave and the Bold: Review I Agree With

By: Chris G.

Chris G. — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:16:56 +0000

Your point about this volume’s conclusion is a good one — I wish the standard for collected editions of comics was thicker, not faster. I’d much rather read a collection of 8 or 9 or, dare I hope, 12 issues than 6. There’s something vaguely depressing about these beautifully produced hardcovers that take less than an hour to read. And I say this as someone who mostly reads collected editions via the library; I can’t imagine what I’d think if I were paying for them.

By: John Jakala

John Jakala — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:05:33 +0000

Don, interesting to hear that you read the comic a second time to soak in Perez’s detail. That was a potential upside to Perez’s art that I mentioned in my review — that comic fans enjoy examining the art in detail, and they feel like they’re getting their money’s worth with so much packed in.

I tried to “pull back” and gloss over the detail as well when I read it, but I still found the storytelling flow choppy. Maybe another part of it for me is the murky coloring. Everything is so “modeled” and bleeds together that it’s hard for me to pick out what the focal point of each panel & page composition is supposed to be.

Anyway, interesting to hear another perspective. Thanks!

By: Don MacPherson

Don MacPherson — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:17:10 +0000

I completely see Jakala’s point about Perez’s artwork. He does occasionally drop backgrounds to drive home the impact of a particular moment, but I don’t think we’ve seen much of that in his work on B&B.

I remain a fan of Perez’s work in general. I find the detail in his work mesmerizing. As for its effect on the flow of the story, I find I gloss over the detail to a certain degree the first time I read the story. Then I peruse the pages again, with an eye toward drinking in the meticulous linework.

On another note, thanks for the link, Johanna!