And please don’t think I’m conflating you with the other two fellas, I get that you’re just trying to explain their possible position a bit.

What artist do I knock for the things I praise Eric Powell for?

What artist do I praise for things I knock Michael Turner for?

What artist do I knock for things I praise Frank Quitely for?

What artist do I praise for things I knock Ian Churchill for?

They don’t exist.

If you want to say I like bad art, or whatever, that’s cool, or “You’re wrong, this cover was good,” that’s fine. People do that all the time, and I’m cool with it. Different strokes, and all that. But to throw around bullshit statements like a lack of logic?

Well, notice the adjective I used to describe said statements, that will give a hint as to what I think of those complaints.

Not saying I agree with them, just pointing out that your argument didn’t help your case.

How can they not be logical when the same freakin’ artists keep showing up in the Top Five?

Constantly, it’s Matt Wagner, Frank Quitely, Brian Bolland, Eric Powell, Tommy Lee Edwards, Steve Epting, Jock, Joe Kubert, Simone Bianchi (until he got boring recently, which I specifically point out when I explain why I no longer pick his covers), Ladronn, Stuart Immonen, Mike Allred….the same artists get praise almost every month.

And the same artists get knocked almost every month.

In fact, I think it’s so predictable that, as you note this month, Tadhg predicted my number one just based on my expressed tastes.

I’m certainly cool with “You like stupid covers” or “You have bad taste in covers,” which is a totally fair opinion to have.

But that it isn’t logical?

Just doesn’t bear out as a complaint.

You seem like a nice enough guy Brian but each month your picks just make no sense. Something you dislike in one artist you just LOVE in another.

Oddly vague complaint. Although I like the nice guy part!

Also, why does every fun, cool idea have to be labeled “retro-Silver Age?” Can’t it simply be a fun, cool idea?

Good article, as always, Brian.

And Jock CAN draw a bad cover and that? Is a bad cover.

Glad to see Karl Kessel back at DC, his 2nd run on Superboy was one of my favorite titles at the time it was running (Super-Kamandi-Boy!). I wonder what he thinks about DC killing off the character he pretty much created… or if he’ll be able to find a niche in Didio’s DC.

— The basic idea behind Miss Martian isn’t specifically Morrisonesque; the idea of designing her so that she’s also a Sailor Moon reference, however, is exactly the kind of pop syncretism Morrison engineers with characters like Fantomex and the Hyperclan.

— Bianchi’s layouts are quite good, until he swallows them up by adding so many soft shadow effects that the figures actually get lost. I had to look at that one twice before I worked out that the Penguin was on it thanks to the “super deep focus” method. When his covers use color, they’re much clearer.

— Why exactly is the Flash’s speed-trail ahead of him on that Justice cover?

— The color sense on that Rush City cover is exquisite.

“I’d agree that the term applied shouldn’t be morrisonesque, but retro-silver age.”

I think we’re in agreement, T., I just feel that the idea of a Miss Martian isn’t so retro silver age as revisionist silver age(although that’s just arguing semantics at this point), because giving Martian Manhunter a family member drastically alters the character, what with his schtick being the last Martian. The idea isn’t specifically Morrisonesque, I just get the vibe that it was from him.

I think the fact that it’s jsut so blatant at being retro silver age when his most recent work is Seven Soldiers and All Star Superman, but I’d agree that the term applied shouldn’t be morrisonesque, but retro-silver age.

Doesn’t mean anything considering that DC usually has someone doing retro-silver age on some book 52 weeks out of the year. At Marvel wallowing in the silver age is not as frequent, but DC ALWAYS has someone doing retro-silver age all year round. I could argue that Miss Martian came about because of Jeph Loeb’s Silver Age nods, especially bringing back Supergirl. Johns brings back Hawk and Dove. I could argue Darwyn Cooke’s New Fronteir brought back Silver Age retro. Or Alan Moore’s Tom Strong. Infinite Crisis brought back OMACs reimagined. Karl Kesel milked Silver Age DC concepts like crazy when he was writing there, especially on Superboy. Basically, look at any month at DC for the past 10 years and I bet you’ll find some Silver-Age retro going on. Like I said, I think it’s a reach to call this move specifically Morrisonesque.

Because I really, really need a target for my disdain.

Apparently, from what I hear, *Ladronn* designed it. But I believe Barrionuevo toyed with it after that. Also, I can’t believe Ladronn could come up with such a bad design.

Because who could argue against him?

I would argue that Morrison is the only currently working superhero writer where sipping on his kool-aid is justified, with Matt Wagner a possible second and Alan Moore less so with a dearth of recent works and not having as much an impact in the day to day workings of a universe’s continuity. I probably shouldn’t kickstart an argument over whether Morrison is the best currently working superhero writer, though.