From: rickard@anasazi.com (Ronald J. Rickard Jr)
Subject: Re: THE Image Scorecard
Organization: Anasazi, Inc.  Phoenix, Arizona USA
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 11:35:44 GMT

In article <BxqFwD.7oK@matilda.vut.edu.au> jed@matilda.vut.edu.au (Jed Bowtell) writes:
>Youngblood - The art in this title is typical Liefeld with
>lots of extra muscles added in, with hundreds of lines
>on faces and of course Liefeldesque proportion.

Unlike a lot of people who complain about Liefeld's style, I see it
as just that, his style.  Nothing to really complain about.  But along
those lines, I do know that Liefeld can draw better than he has been on
this book!  His work on the New Mutants and Hawk and Dove are examples
of the potential Liefeld has.

>Even so
>with the brilliant colouring I don't mind it too much. The
>storyline is very boring (I can't even remember it) and
>the scripting is terrible (correct me if I'm wrong Rob but
>isn't it supposed to be `license' NOT `lisence'). Very
>little characterisation. Very standard super team stuff.

All the above reasons you gave are exactly why I don't pick up the 
book.  It has nothing to do with Liefeld's art style at all.  I 
wonder if Liefeld would get as much flack on the net if he could
write better, or simply allowed someone else to do the writing and
he just did the art?

>I'm only getting it because I like to get all of a limited
>series if I get the first issue.

Not a very good reason to get the rest of the issues if you ask me.
No wonder Liefield has been able to slide by without living up to 
his potential ...

>Spawn - I really like McFarlane's art but I think it is much
>too flashy for a `dark' title like Spawn. 

I have to disagree with you here.  I think McFarlane has a distinctly
"dark" style to his art.  Granted it is also elaborate, but I always 
thought he drew a "darker" Spiderman and I feel Spawn is much the 
same. 

>I don't see why
>everybody is saying Spawn is really good. It is the best
>of the Image titles art and writing wise but the art is
>slipping and being the best of Image's writers isn't saying
>much. I think McFarlane's writing on Spiderman was better
>than it is on Spawn. You're not Frank Miller Todd so don't
>try to be. The colouring again is superb. Todd proved that
>he can tell a story in a single issue.....just. I'll continue
>to get this.

I like Spawn too, but I feel that it has been moving way to 
slowly.  Interestingly enough, for as much as I do like reading
this one, I don't find myself anxiously waiting for the next issue
like many books.  I wonder if this has something to do with the
slow pacing of the story ...

>WildC.A.Ts - Again this is just another team book. The art
>makes it look really nice although Jim Lee's art has 
>declined since his work on Uncanny X-Men. As with all of
>the Image titles I've seen the colouring is superb. The
>story like Youngblood is just standard team stuff. Lee and
>Choi are trying to make it a little more complex though I
>feel. I doubt I'd get the ongoing series if it ever
>eventuated.

I agree with you on all the above points.  

>Cyberforce - I like the art and I wont comment on the
>colouring. This is a slicker Silvestri than we saw in his
>work on Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine. I wish he had taken
>Dan Green (HIS inker) over to Image. Maybe Dan didn't
>want to go. The plot is half interesting but the dialogue
>is terrible, `Velocity, I think you're pretty'. I hate
>all these little acronyms Eric uses. I'll probably get
>the ongoing series.

The first issue of this title was the Image book I liked the best
so far.  It had to do alot with the anticipation I had for all the
other books, and this one took me completely by surprise.  Good
art, decent story, and beautiful coloring.  The dialogue doesn't
seem contrived either.  All in all, the best Image book put out
to date.  I just hope the first issue is an indication of how the
rest of the series (mini?) will go.

>Brigade - I got this by accident (I get my comics mail
>order) and I hate it. It is junk. The colouring makes
>the characters look sickly. The pencils are Liefeldesque
>as are the characters. Especially that one that looks
>like Cable (let go Rob). The characterisation is very
>sad and I hate white covers with no background. I wont
>even get the rest of the limited series and I am
>thinking about burning it. It is just a blemish on my
>comic collection.

I skipped picking up this one, and by what I've read on the net, it
was a wise choice ...

>I didn't buy Shadowhawk and it sounds like I was lucky
>not to. I didn't like Valentino's work on Guardians
>of the Galaxy (anybody want to by issues 1-7?) so I
>doubt I would like Shadowhawk.

I didn't mind Shadowhawk as much as some people on the net have.  The
art was not as flashy as the rest of the Image books, but it does show
promise as an entertaining read.  The jury is still out on this one.

>I was going to buy Savage Dragon because I didn't like
>aspects of Larsen's art and because the character looked
>so bloody stupid. I'm a bit disappointed that I didn;t
>because I've heard some good things about the title from
>people whose opinion I respect. Looking at the issues
>in my store I actually don't mind the aspects of Larsen's
>art that I used to dislike. BTW the things about Larsens
>art that I hated were his fingernails, fists and the way
>he drew certain heads.

I don't mind the art on Savage Dragon at all, but I do find the 
dialogue very contrived.  I think that if the dialogue improved, 
maybe this book would be one of my favorites, since there is a 
story here.

>I'm looking forward to Wetworks because Portacio is the
>most talented artists of the Image crew (just look at the
>issues of X-Factor that he did). PITT should be okay but
>not very regular. Isn't he just another vigilante? Image
>already has two of those. I wish they would give Sam
>Kieth his own title rather than just a spot in the
>Image anthology `Darker Image'

I too am looking forward to Wetworks, but I think Keown's PITT will 
probably be very good, just from what I have read about it.

So, if the rumors (?) about Images split with Malibu are true, I 
wonder what this means for the already late shippings?  Are the 
rest of the books promised going to come?  I've heard that Image would
be moving to DC, and if this were the case, I wonder if the paper/
coloring quality used on the Image books will be maintained?
It will definitely be an interesting next few months to see what 
happens with all this, if the split is true.

All I can say is don't tear out those coupons yet.  It may just be that 
Image will be fading into the sunset ...  (And redeeming the coupons
might just be impossible.)

					Ron