Sunday, February 7, 2010

Entry 81: SHIELD art

 
Hello!
 
This image is from a little book I'm working on called SHIELD. The book has recently been solicited and there have been a few promotional images. I realize that Marvel wants to let their fans know that this book will pertain to the Marvel universe and have characters they know and love, that it's a "Marvel" comic. And, yes, it does pertain and it does have Marvel characters in it, but I worry about the fan who checks this book out wanting more of the Marvel they're getting in every other Marvel book. Most of the characters are completely new and it has things that I haven't seen in any other Marvel comics. I also worry about the person who AVOIDS it because they think it will be a typical Marvel book. This could end up being something good that doesn't quite reach the right audience. So, I ask you to check it out, whether you're a Marvel comics reader or not. I think Jonathan and I are coming at this both as fans of the superhero genre but also as creators interested in doing something different. As I said three posts ago, "I'm getting to be creative in ways I wouldn't have thought possible in a Marvel comic." This is not fanfic (which is what I feel like most superhero comics are these days: officially commissioned and published fanfic).

Anyway, here are a couple more image. The first is a concept drawing and the second is from the book.
 
The series will have covers by Gerald Parel with variant covers by me. Here's Gerald's fantastic cover for the first issue. 
And as great as that is, I personally prefer this sketch version. As you can see, the difference is that the final version includes Galactus. My guess is that the sketch didn't let the fans know that this is a Marvel book. I think Gerald's original sketch has a more pleasing composition.
I think, and it's hard for me to tell, having been working on it for months now, but I think that this book is going to be pretty damn cool.

3 comments:

  1. Neat art! I especially like the guy in the combined Monk's cowl/suit of armour and the biomechanical electric fellow (demon?)is well done too. The battle scene seemingly from the POV of the tentacles beasties is an inspired touch.
    As to the cover, the hero and the guy with the shield and lance appeal to me more in the finished version, but electric guy and the Icarus image look better in the sketch, and I don't think Galactus in really required...

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  2. Cool! Jonathan is doing the best work of his career and I'm doing my best to make it as good as I can. I think it will be cool. I hope you like it.

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