CBI Archive
Ultimate Fantastic Four #30 Review
- by Brian Cronin
- in Comic Reviews
Saturday, May 31st, 2003 at 3:42 PM EST
Updated: Sunday, June 4th, 2006 at 1:07 PM EST
Besides the simple fact that his art annoys me, what I think differentiates Land from the other artists out there who use photographs as the inspiration for their work (like Tony Harris) is that those other artists take the photos themselves, so they are not cutting any middle man out of the deal. Tony Harris takes a photo, then Tony Harris draws from the photo - no one is going uncredited. However, when you do like Land, and search through movies, etc. to find a look you like, then use the computer to trace over the image to get the image into the work - someone IS going uncredited - the photographer/director/cinematographer who framed the original shot.
That should probably be its own “Cronin Theory of Comics,” but it is worth noting here because, well, every Land comic I read, it’s an issue! There is so little actually, you know, DRAWING in the comic. In fact, I specifically went looking for when I would first see the first “drawing” page, and when I hit it, I was impressed - until I realized that it was the page that Mitch Breitweiser started drawing!!! Breitweiser did a good job, by the by.
It’s a shame, because Millar has created himself a nice little final story right out of the Silver Age, in that the Fantastic Four have exactly ten days to banish their evil zombie counterparts back to their zombie dimension before the opportunity is lost forever. In addition, there is an alien parasite living inside of Johnny that, when hatched, could destroy the Earth. It will hatch in seven days. Reed is forced to consult with Doctor Doom to save Johnny, but while they are visiting Doom, the zombie Fantastic Four are about to escape.
Doesn’t that sound like a fun little story?
As it’s basically a set-up issue, the key to the story is whether the character bits are interesting, and I think they were in this issue. There was a fun (if overlong) opening with Johnny saving a brain-dead moron from a fiery death. Johnny has a great line when he learns he is essentially “pregnant” with the alien. The interaction between Reed and his older, Zombie counterpart is interesting, although the Sudoku thing is a bit TOO cute, as really, I sincerely doubt Reed Richards would ever actually play the Sudoku in the paper, as it would be just waaaaay too easy for him. It’d be like an adult playing Jumble, Jr. “UGR? Damn, that’s hard? Uhmmm…GRU? No, no…uhmmm…URG? Damn you, Jumble, Jr.!” It just wouldn’t happen.
All said and done, I think I will fall short of actually recommending this issue. The Land art was waaaay annoying. And the story, while fun, is still a bit too heavy on the set-up to overcome the crummy art for 2/3rd of the book.
11 Comments
TeamSmithy
June 5, 2006 at 7:50 am
While I’m annoyed about Land using uncredited photographs, I’m more annoyed, that he doesn’t know how to use them without making his work look either stilted or just plain ridiculous.
If you’re going to cheat at least try to win.
Brian Cronin
June 5, 2006 at 3:12 pm
Yeah, good point.
It really does look like a collage.
“I need a shot of a woman shouting…here’s one! Let me just plug it in here.”
That’s why I was looking for shots that actually looked like ACTUAL drawings, but when I finally found one, it was a different artist!!
Bruce J Cole
June 5, 2006 at 3:33 pm
My biggest issue with Land on UFF is that his version of Johnny Storm looks absolutely nothing like the Johnny Storm that appeared in any other appearance of the Human Torch or UFF in the Ultimate Marvel universe.
I mean, c’mon, at least follow the model …
bryan young
June 5, 2006 at 7:01 pm
I am glad to know I am not the only one who hates Greg Land. Everything he does looks so stilted and like it takes place on a photography studio — which of course most of it does, since he steals his stuff from photos…
DanLarkin
June 5, 2006 at 7:31 pm
Back in his Birds of Prey and Nightwing days, I liked Land’s art a lot better. He didn’t seem to be as hung up on photo reference as he is now.
Does his use of uncredited photos open Marvel up to any potential legal troubles? He’s swiped a few things pretty directly from advertisements. I imagine comics are a fairly small blip on anyone’s radar, but you’d think Marvel would be more careful.
Brian Cronin
June 5, 2006 at 8:10 pm
I thought, early on, he was way too glossy of an artist, but by the end of his Birds of Prey run, I was digging him, and quite enjoyed his Nightwing.
It was when he moved to Crossgen that the photo swipes began, full swing.
And by the end of Sojourn, that’s all he was. A collage artist.
James Brophy
June 6, 2006 at 4:27 pm
The legal status is, If you redraw a picture that drawing is yours unless it infringes a copyright or trademark.
What he does is heavy refrence, I dont find it that bad and if nothing else, I really like his model for Johny. Johnyv now looks like a modern movie hunk that he is being written as and not the vague blond bloke of the pre-Land issues.
When you look at the early UFF issues they had Sutch little detail on the page they looked like they had been drawn with a thick sharpie marker. Basic stuff like incorrect perspective and and overrelyance on the colourist the fill the gaps. The first issues of the Ultimate X Men had the exact same problem.
I adore his level of detail.
Great concepts were being handed over to lazy aritists who couldent get them to look good on the page. He is week with ‘pannel to panel’ charicterizeation, but you have to admit the style he chooses really sells the charicters as being part of a big budget movie.
Mabye people would prefer him as a cover artist?
DanLarkin
June 6, 2006 at 6:10 pm
But it’s not really his “level of detail,” is it? He’s not just redrawing other people’s photos, but scanning them in and turning them into drawings, right? That’s what all his cars and stuff look like, anyway.
Brian Cronin
June 6, 2006 at 7:11 pm
It is detailed, James, and it certainly DOES give off the big-budget-movie vibe, but that’s because he’s basically just scanning in drawings of actors.
It’s like a Cine-Manga!
That being said, yes, he does a very good job of drawing the photos he scans in. He duplicates them quite well. And I say that without sarcasm. He really does do a good job of duplicating the model.
JMJ3658
June 26, 2006 at 6:45 pm
I dont get it does Johnny die or something?? Im confused!!!
Brian Cronin
June 26, 2006 at 10:02 pm
No, but he’s in bad shape. An alien parasite is gestating in his body, and when it hatches, it WILL kill him.