All Star: BATMAN & ROBIN#5...Ugh!

[The Bat]

I can't believe I'm about to defend Jim Lee... I've never been a huge fan, i don't drool over Jim Lee's work, but I can in no way say that he's just punching the clock and collecting a paycheck.

Lee's work (and I stress the word work) is painstakingly exicuted. I can't find fault in his ability or effort. It's not as if his work has suffured over time. If anything you have to say he's been one of the most consistant artists in the last umpteen years. I can't even pin the "dated" badge on him too harshly. If I have a criticism it's that his work lacks soul and emotion, but his ability is to be commended.

WELL SAID! I don't want Jim Lee to change his style ONE BIT! How can You improve upon PERFECTION????

[thunderbolt]

Hey, what's the XMen's Blackbird doing in the Batcave?

[The Bat]

Hey, what's the XMen's Blackbird doing in the Batcave?

Yeah...that's funnny! I noticed that too...I wonder if Lee did that on purpose?

[ctc]

>Lee's work (and I stress the word work) is painstakingly exicuted. I can't find fault in his ability or effort. It's not as if his work has suffured over time. If anything you have to say he's been one of the most consistant artists in the last umpteen years.

Very true; but mostly 'cos everything looks exactly the same.

>I can't even pin the "dated" badge on him too harshly. If I have a criticism it's that his work lacks soul and emotion, but his ability is to be commended.

I dunno. Lee commited what I personally consider to be the biggest sin in comic art: all his characters look the same. I HATE that! Detracts from a character's personality when they all wear the same face.

Other than that; he's a decent draftsman, but he has no composition. Everyone looks like they're posing for a fashion shoot.... all the time! No action, no throughline between panels, rigid looking characters. The digital colouring doesn't help either; makes everything look like it's made out of plastic.

Don C.

[Comic Book Geek]

>Lee's work (and I stress the word work) is painstakingly exicuted. I can't find fault in his ability or effort. It's not as if his work has suffured over time. If anything you have to say he's been one of the most consistant artists in the last umpteen years.

Very true; but mostly 'cos everything looks exactly the same.

>I can't even pin the "dated" badge on him too harshly. If I have a criticism it's that his work lacks soul and emotion, but his ability is to be commended.

I dunno. Lee commited what I personally consider to be the biggest sin in comic art: all his characters look the same. I HATE that! Detracts from a character's personality when they all wear the same face.

Other than that; he's a decent draftsman, but he has no composition. Everyone looks like they're posing for a fashion shoot.... all the time! No action, no throughline between panels, rigid looking characters. The digital colouring doesn't help either; makes everything look like it's made out of plastic.

Don C.

I'll agree that everything looks like a poster, and he's not the greatest storyteller. I sort of illuded to this with the lack of emotion shown in his work. Someone that I've never been taken with, but realized recently is a fantastic storyteller is Mark Bagley. No one will ever buy posters of his work but he tells the tale better than the majority. You know how the characters feel, and you're never confused about what's going on.

I guess my argument was against the idea that he's phoning it in recently. I don't think that is a valid criticism. this is what he's always done, and there's no cutting corners to it. Do I like it? No, I would hire mark Bagley a hundred times over before Lee, and I've never drooled over Bagley's stuff once.

I think people that aren't Lee's biggest fans care more about story and mood than fantastic art. I think someone mentioned somewhere in this post that they'll keep buying All Star Bats just for the art. Nothing wrong with that but it's not me.

[kingdom warrior]

Not a real fan of reading this book either.
I am more upset that Lee is trying to draw this book, & his Wildcat's relaunch at the same time. So, Both of these books are delayed months, & months after they are suppost to be out. I wish Lee would drop this crap & just go draw the Cats.. The first issue was great & I have been waiting 4or5 months for the second.

I feel the same way too! I've been a fan of Jim Lee since he was drawing the Punisher and through the x-men. I was into his WildCats.I always liked Lee's draftsmanship although yes at times it looks all posed... IMO I think he was the standout of the Image artist.

As for this book it's just an allstar book to sell to the fanboys....Frank Miller is doing a hack job on this book... I don't think Miller is a Hack. Miller should stick to creating original stuff more than just doing Batman again. Seriously what can he bring to it that he hasn't already covered.

It would have been more interesting had they done something with a character like Red Tornado than just another Batman storyline.

[boynightwing]

Its a terrible book. I actually tossed Issue 3 in the garbage and stopped right there. Its bad. The art is pretty but I can see Jim Lee stuff in other places.

Its on Issue 5? now? And already they are using the Justice League from what I saw on the cover. Why not just focus on Batman and Robin instead of all these other characters? Unless he really doesn't know what to do with them.

Meh...its just not worth the effort. Its not the B & R I know and love.

[BlackKnight]

Said it before, and I'll say it again. I really wish Jim Lee would grow a bit stylistically. His stuff looks like it was frozen in 1992. Lee is really just punching the clock on his stuff and not taking any sort of chance with his art.

I think thats a bold Statement Bolt. I have almost every Jim Lee Book since 92, & he has seriously grown into a more accurate artist. His Body's & Faces are more detailed than ever, as well as his female body,.. with his weaponry,.. as well as his backgrounds. It's cool you don't like his crap,.. but he has seriosuly evolved since 92.

[thunderbolt]

That little bit that Bat posted looks just like his work from his X days.

[samurainoir]

I think Jim Lee's effforts would be best spent on The WildCats relaunch, however my understanding is that the delays on WildCats and Gene Ha's rn on The Authority can also be attributed to Grant Morrison's work on 52 as well.

I'd be interested in seeing Jim Lee and Greg Rucka take on Wonder Woman on some kind of Special Project.

[ctc]

>IMO I think he was the standout of the Image artist.

Hmmmm.... not that I'm advocating ANY of them.... but I'd hafta go with McFarlane on this one. He's the one of the three who had the most variety in his designs. Lee's characters all look the same (even the Daemonites have the SAME FACE as everyone else....) and Lefield... well.... His characters all looked the same and didn't have ankles.

>I always liked Lee's draftsmanship although yes at times it looks all posed...

"...at times...."? Hee heee..... I do a great routine of an Image character answering the phone. If we ever meet in person I'll have to show it to you. Funny stuff. really.

Dunno if I can give accolades to Lee's draftsmanship, either. He has a helluva time with any kind of hardware. Even a character with a gun.... the gun will go off model from panel to panel in the same page. (Not that you can fault him for that; MOST N. American artists seem to have a helluva time with hardware.)

>As for this book it's just an allstar book to sell to the fanboys....

*sigh* Yeah. I HATE marketing....

>It would have been more interesting had they done something with a character like Red Tornado than just another Batman storyline.

Very true; but see the above.

>seriously grown into a more accurate artist.

"Accurate" may not be the right word. He's solidified his style a lot more; at least with respect to anatomy for the heroes, but it's not exactly accurate. Looking at the posted Bat pic; the uniform is sort of sprayed on, and has them weird little pseudo-folds. But his stuff does look a lot more solid than when he started. (Solid in that it has mass.)

>I'd be interested in seeing Jim Lee and Greg Rucka take on Wonder Woman on some kind of Special Project.

"Must... arch back.... more.... world depending.... on me...."

Don C.