The other new Ozymandias series

[Earth 2 Chris]

I really wish DC had accepted his Shazam proposal. It looked and sounded really cool. He managed to inject some modern "coolness" into the character without destroying him. Crying shame DC went with that awful Winnick "Trial" series. And now this new one looks even further removed from the classic example.

Chris

[thunderbolt]

I would hope he has the ability to do something original and creative, but anytime he does it seems kind of lame like some of his Marvel redesigns and the ones that were rejected.

[kingdom warrior]

I never said groundbreaking, but given all the designs he's generated for the Ming series alone if you did click on the link, I'd say that is an area beyond what Alex Raymond or the movie covered. You can't say someone putting n that much detail ondesign work alone is lazy can you? That looks like a work ethic to me in terms of volume alone. It's about as different as Kingdom Come designs are from the Superfriends. I'm really not sure what you guys are expecting from him... Alex Ross does what Alex Ross does. One could say Adam Hughes or Brian Bolland are stuck in a rut too... But you pretty much know what you're getting from them in terms of their cover work month in month out.

It's a double edged sword... Folks say they want something different from Ross, but they stayed away in droves when he decided to do something completely different than Kingdom Come with Uncle Sam. So what is it you really want from Ross? Something really new or more Marvel and DC Retreads on Kingdom Come and Marvels?

I'd like him to come up with something of his own a mini series and put the camera down ......make it up.

[kingdom warrior]

I actually did dig his Bulletman, From Kingdom come I liked that a lot I wouldn't mind seeing him do that since he does like to paint shiny stuff....

Hey Ed...you have any images of that in a higher resolution???


Steve.

[samurainoir]

well your post a few back made it sound like he was doing some groundbreaking design work for Dynamite and all I see are retreads after I have to right click on your red X's to get the url's of the pics.

I never said groundbreaking, but given all the designs he's generated for the Ming series alone if you did click on the link, I'd say that is an area beyond what Alex Raymond or the movie covered. You can't say someone putting n that much detail ondesign work alone is lazy can you? That looks like a work ethic to me in terms of volume alone. It's about as different as Kingdom Come designs are from the Superfriends. I'm really not sure what you guys are expecting from him... Alex Ross does what Alex Ross does. One could say Adam Hughes or Brian Bolland are stuck in a rut too... But you pretty much know what you're getting from them in terms of their cover work month in month out.

It's a double edged sword... Folks say they want something different from Ross, but they stayed away in droves when he decided to do something completely different than Kingdom Come with Uncle Sam. So what is it you really want from Ross? Something really new or more Marvel and DC Retreads on Kingdom Come and Marvels?

[ctc]

>I do feel like he's kind of "phoning stuff in" lately.

I suspect the problem is that he's doing exactly what he's always done. We've seen his whole bag of tricks, and he's not doing anything new or different so the thrill has worn. Happens to a lot of comic artists; they get into a rut. (We always referred to it as "Byrning out.")

Don C.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I am/was a huge Ross fan, but I do feel like he's kind of "phoning stuff in" lately. And I do agree that his reliance on photography is somewhat to blame. I always think back to that Comicology interview with Bruce Timm where he hesitantly admits his friend Ross should "throw that damn camera away."

Chris

[thunderbolt]

well your post a few back made it sound like he was doing some groundbreaking design work for Dynamite and all I see are retreads after I have to right click on your red X's to get the url's of the pics.

[samurainoir]

You guys do realize this is Alex Ross? All he ever does is riffs and freshening up old looks! kingdom Come, earth x, justice, justice society etc. Nothing original there. I can't think much in the way of any original characters he's designed... Maybe a few background dudes in Kingdom come? Like the nazi guy or the Geiger alien character (again, goes without saying... Geiger alien character)

[The Toyroom]

^ Agreed, all Ross is doing lately is freshening up old looks.

[thunderbolt]

All those designs are just riffs on Raymond's stuff and the Movie. I really don't see anything all that original.

[samurainoir]

I think we often forget how much work designing elements for comic book universes and characters really entails.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/06/23/alex-ross-designs-for-flash-gordon-and-ming-the-merciless/

So much world building can happen behind the scenes even before the assigned penciller starts on the first page.

I don't think Ross is resting on his laurels with his work for Dynamite doing art direction... It's just that so much of it remains unseen until they compile those big hardcover artwork retrospectives of his work. But it would be nice if he got back to the nuts and bolts of interior sequential art, but i'd guess the labour intensity economics of it doesn't work for him over much more lucrative work like covers?

[kingdom warrior]

I think he needs a challenge again....He's gotten too complacent working at Dynamite "redesigning" old pulp characters. I really wish DC had let him run with some of the series proposals he had put together a few years ago instead of the direction(s) they chose instead.

True, but with 52 does he really want to do all that stuff.....Honestly I'd love to see him do more of those oversize type treasury editions...those were great to collect

[The Toyroom]

I think he needs a challenge again....He's gotten too complacent working at Dynamite "redesigning" old pulp characters. I really wish DC had let him run with some of the series proposals he had put together a few years ago instead of the direction(s) they chose instead.

[kingdom warrior]

The way he's cranking out some of these covers for Dynamite he's riffing on his own past work so does he really need new photography each and every time?

So it's not me that sees the sameness to his work?.....hmmmmm and I swear all his costumes look too shiny.....