Art or Story Line?

[AJ Collector]

Occasionally we are lucky enough to enjoy an on going series that is both appealing to the eye and also well written, but I was wondering if you had to choose between the two would you prefer a strong story line with weak art or amazing art with layer upon layer of Photoshop effects and a so-so story line?

[torgospizza]

I buy books based solely on the penciller. Occasionally whenever a superb inker saves the day (Tom Palmer could salvage anything). Seriously, it's 90% artist-based for me, and their sense of realistic proportions mean a lot; I'm more apt to buy Gary Frank than Ed McGuiness or Hitch over someone like Bagley or J. Scott Campbell, f.ex. The more cartoony it is, the less the chance of my purchase. If I want bad art with great writing, I'll read Pearls Before Swine.

[Sandman9580]

If I want bad art with great writing, I'll read Pearls Before Swine.

I don't know that I'd call the art in Pearls Before Swine "bad". It's cartoony, yeah, but that's an essential ingredient to making that humor work. Super-realistic renditions of rats and pigs would make it a very different comic strip.

Whenever this debate comes up, I always think of The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. The writing was always strong, but sometimes the art just bothered me to no end. Bad art is one thing, pretentiously bad art is another.

[madmarva]

I'm a character first guy. There's certain characters I enjoy or have an affinity or nostalgia for and that's my first consideration.

I will check out certain books based on the creator and that's for various artists and writers.

But I think it's easier for a good artist to lift a mediocre to poor script than a great writer to lift up a mediocre to poor art job.

One thing I've found with modern comics, it that there are fewer hack jobs than there were in the 70s and 80s. I define hack job as a job that's inferior because it's rushed.

Even when more than one penciler or inker is brought onto a job today, the work looks better to me than when books were thrown together in the 70s and 80s.

Part of that is because the big two wouldn't delay an issue in the 70s and because fewer artists work on multiple titles.

[BlackKnight]

I impulse Buy with Artists I like ...., I go there 1st. However If I seriously don't like the writes, I bail ... it may take a few issues. But thats far between I believe.

[fallensaviour]

It's that cover that pulls me in then I flip through and if the art is decent I'll grab it.Exactly as I'm sure they have always wanted.
Bad art just annoys me.When I think of bad art it always brings me back to Keith giffens work during the Hex run.

[johnmiic]

Art. They keep screwing around with continuity on most titles so I can't get invested in stories anymore. Big name writers think they are so talented and suck the fun out of most titles. Only on Hellboy & The Weird World of Jack Staff do I go in for stories now.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

Story. Same as why I don't care about the effects for movies so much; if it looks nice it'll draw the eye, but then I still gotta slog through 20+ pages.

Don C.

[thunderbolt]

Story, I can overlook lower quality artwork if the story is good and advances the characters in some way.

[Riffster]

I buy books by the character, I will begrudgingly buy titles even when i hate the artist cause I don't want to break a run

[The Toyroom]

It all depends...I follow writers and to a lesser degree some artists...And occassionally characters

Case in point, I just picked up "Secret Seven" because it had George Perez art, looked interesting visually with Shade the Chagning Man and the Enchantress...the fact that it was written by Peter Milligan was inconsequential to me

On the other hand I've followed quite a bit of Geoff Johns work as a writer without even thinking of the artist on his books...But recently when he's paired with Scott Kolins I don't even give it a 2nd glance because Kolins' art is horrible IMO

I was following Millar and Hitch's runs on The Ultimates with great anticipation...but when they stepped off the book and Leob and Maduiera jumped on, I dropped the book.

I was enjoying Booster Gold's book, no matter who wrote/drew it, be it Johns, Jurgens, whoever was following in the format that was established...until Giffen & DeMatteis came on board...Dropped it like a hot potato.

[kingdom warrior]

Character first, then Story. art does play a part but as long as the art fits the character I can deal with it.

Image was perfect proof in the 90's that bad stories with bad art makes for great paper for your bird cage......

I was the same with the Ultimates, when Millar and Hitch were on it...it totally worked soon as they left so did I.

Eeeeeeew Kolins wanna be Geof Darrow his art is so dependent on the digital coloring....actually it looks like artwork that belongs in a coloring book......

[enyawd72]

ART. Comics are a visual medium. If I want a great story, I'll pick up a novel.

The most important thing for me is to have my comics be FUN. That's why I stick with the silver and bronze age stuff.

Today's comic writers act like they're writing friggin' Shakespeare or something...I don't get it. I miss one-two issue stories that weren't so involved.

[VintageMike]

I'll drop a book for bad art before bad story. Reason being even the best story can overshadowed by horrible artwork. A sub par story can be get by with beautiful art though.

[madmarva]

This question's really interesting with DC bringing in more artist/writers. I mean if Neal Adams wasn't a legendary artist, would DC ever have printed a story as poorly written as Adams' recent Batman title.

Tony Daniel's an OK writer. Battle for the Cowl storyline was his worst writing but that story was so editorially driven, it's really unfair to judge him solely on those books. His subsequent arcs have been much better, but nothing spectacular.

Francis Manupal on Flash as co-writer with his colorist and artist is interesting. Like Scott Kollins, some like his work and some don't. I don't think either Manupal or Kollins are "poor or bad artists" but I do think their styles are polarizing. Kollins has written some stories, but nothing that has stood out to me.

It's obvious that art is more important than script in the mind of DC, because DC isn't hiring great writers who are marginal draftsmen to pencil or ink books that they are writing.