Debate: (3) Avengers-Related Artist

[The Night Phantom]

I thought it would be nice to discuss the candidates in each Jarvis category. Since there are a lot of categories, some of which have a lot of candidates, it might make sense to discuss each category in its own thread.

3. BEST AVENGERS-RELATED ARTIST of 2006
+ Jim Cheung (Young Avengers)
+ Steve Epting (Captain America)
+ Tom Grummett (Thunderbolts)
+ Bryan Hitch (Ultimates 2)

I haven’t been reading CA or Ultimates 2, and so I doubt I’ll vote for those artists. I nominated Jim Cheung, but I also enjoyed Tom Grummett’s work in T’bolts.

What do you think?

[dlw66]

While I've not seen Epting's work on CA, I was fond of his work on Avengers way back when. I did feel at the time like Tom Palmer heavily influenced the finished work, and I've really not seen Epting's pencils in any other place. Grummett has also been solid, and from what I've seen of Cheung (although he seems heavily influenced by Jim Lee and other Image guys from the 90's) he is very good as well.

But, again, I don't buy any of these books besides Ultimates 2, and since virtually all of I've ever seen from Hitch (including his DC work) is outstanding, I will vote for him.

[redstatecap]

I vote Epting. Hitch is too d**n slow and his work strikes me as much too static.

RSC

[dlw66]

Hitch IS slow... But man, he's good.

I wonder if, given that Ultimate Thor appeared in an arc of Ultimate FF, that I could have nominated Greg Land. He's very good as well.

[Van Plexico]

Greg Land's art is gorgeous, yeah (I've argued before that his rendition of Ultimate Susan Storm is possibly the most beautiful creature ever to appear in comics-- and I'm not even an FF fan!).

Aside: I like Land's work so much, I'm having Mitch Foust (whose work is similar) do a painting of my Pulsar character for the Sentinels hardcover. Here's a detail from the preliminary sketch:
www.whiterocketbooks.com/lyn_mitch_smallest.jpg

That being said, if Hitch's work is "static," Land's is positively in stasis!

Having seen Hitch's giant-sized pencilled pages, I'm in awe of his skills. You really have to see them in all their full-size glory to appreciate them.

But for Avengers-style art, I will go with Jim Cheung. Hands down. Look at any of his issues of YOUNG AVENGERS and soak up that goodness.