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[Commander Shockwav]

[Denyer]

[Commander Shockwav]

[Denyer]

[Grimlock79]

US collected trades: Matrix Quest, Primal Scream, End of the Road and whatever came before it since I'm drawing a total blank on that one (though i've read and re-read it a million and one times now)
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Tell my tale to those who ask it. Tell it truly, the evil deeds along with the good, and let me be judged accordingly. The rest...is silence.

[Silverdeck]

I like all of the UK stuff, even the hokier entries, I do love Time Wars though as it really caught my attention.

Excellent stuff.



Denyer I appreciate where you are coming from with the analysis of the art but sometimes I like the more unrealistic but more dynamic aspects of comic art.

[Denyer]

Oh, I love Senior, and he's almost all style over realism. He's also generally consistent and careful with limb proportions and shading/crosshatch, particularly within a story from panel-to-panel.

In his earliest stuff, such as the first time he shows up to draw Target: 2006, there's a lot of exaggeration of the same type Roche tends towards, but he's settled down by the time it gets to the Magnus/Galvatron fight. Even in the more throwaway of the black-and-white stories, things rarely leap out at you as too large or small for a character.
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[Commander Shockwav]

[Denyer]

[AndyTurnbull]

To second Denyer - Miracleman is probably the best of the much lauded material of the 80's and worth finding.

I would still say that I enjoyed the Johnson/Baker combo above all else, but that's my personal taste. But there are flaws in the work - have a look at the differences between Warrior School and Repeat Performance. Warrior School is pretty consistent all the way through, the latter pages of Repeat Performance look rushed, whether it's deadline pressures or Kyle Baker looking to embellish the last few pages as opposed to just inking them but they are not as good as earlier on.

Geoff Senior is one of the definitive artists on Transformers but he has the advantage in terms of his body of work as opposed to Johnson/Baker. There is definitely a consistency to his work - Senior's work is recognisably Senior even on the rare occasions that he is being inked by someone else. Bizarrely enough I think his best work was his first full unassisted job on Crisis of Command Part 2 (Kev Hopgood helped out on inks on Part 1).

Andy

[Commander Shockwav]

[Denyer]

Snarl fares particularly badly in all three panels of art he's in here.



Of them all, the shot from Warrior School shows far more proficient use of depth and spatial awareness, and the panel a page before of Megs leaning over Ratchet is one I'd consider a classic, even if he does have a stunted back leg.



Dreamwave weren't the first to ignore the extent to which perspective can be compressed...
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[Commander Shockwav]

Damn, you're good.

How the hell you get these things, in the time you get it, is really something to be marvelled at. All TF websites could use a Denyer.

Anyway, back to the discussion. Here's what I'm talking about. Look at that third page on the second row above, the one where Ratchet is thinking. See how Johnson captures each emotion without sacrificing the metallic nature of Ratchet? Genius. He shows Ratchet thinking to himself, somewhat distant from the unfolding events, by having him look down and away. Most artists would have had him look straight head, aghast at Megatron with the same thought bubble. Just that small detail is enough to tell you the story, without the exposition and dialogue. Then, look at the same size panel just below it, with the same Ratchet head, but exuding a totally different emotion: that of resolve, like he's made up his mind and is going full speed ahead with it. Again, no words necessary, the art tells the story. Beautiful.

Then, the next panel with Ratchet ramming into Megs, you can feel the impact. Most artists would have had Megatron standing absolutely erect, but see how Johnson adds some realism to it by actually having Megatron slightly bent forward bracing himself. I mean, it may not seem like a big deal, but that fine detail adds a lot, IMO.

Another case in point. That fourth panel on the second page above, where Megs is punching Grimlock. See how Johnson has Megs leaning with the punch? Again, may not seem like much, but that slight stance really adds impact to the punch, like you know Grims must have gotten hit hard because Megs puts his body into it. That's what I mean about movment in Johnson's work. Definitely not nostalgia, as it holds up better than any TF work artistically to date.

And that last panel on the first page. You want cool perspective? Johnson gets clever by giving us a shot of Megs and Grimlock from the ground up surrounded by a ring of fire. Damn! How cool is that! (Sorry, I get so excited about these two issues).

Johnson knows best use of body posture to convey action. That first panel on the second row, see how the Bots are looking over a shocked Megatron? Notice the slight head turn to the side of Ratchet, sort of mocking in a way, like he's confidently got the upper hand.

These aren't accidental. These little details are fully purposeful, and in my book, pure artistic genius.

Thanks for the links. Again, i would love to hear Don or Nick critique this.

[Denyer]

[Commander Shockwav]