F.M. :: ROMITA JR JOHN

Spider-Man 78 page 4 by John Romita JR & Scott Hanna

Artists: John Romita JR (Penciller) , Scott Hanna (Inker)

12 Comments - 413 Views - 13 Likes

Spider-Man 78 page 4 by John Romita JR & Scott Hanna Comic Art

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Artwork Details

Title:	Spider-Man 78 page 4 by John Romita JR & Scott Hanna
Artist:	John Romita JR (Penciller)
Artist:	Scott Hanna (Inker)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Interior Page
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	413
Likes on CAF:	13 14
Comments:	12
Added to Site:	12/3/2022
Comic Art Archive:

Description

This is incredibly enough my very first Jr Jr page.

This is due to various factors. While I have always loved his art (with a preference to some periods and inkers rather than others, which can be true for any artist but the man, while always remaining an impeccable storyteller, has sometime been in automatic mode with a line that could be much too thick for my taste), he/its always been around, the man is a machine that keeps producing and consequently, I knew I could find a page anytime I wanted. It was never a priority and something always came first. You know the rationale.

Then BAM! came this page. No swinging Spidey, no feral Wolvie or group shot of the X-Men, no gritty Daredevil or cosmic crackling Kirby energy�This was not a page I was actively looking for and yet when I saw it, I gasped as it was laser burned in my mind from the time I first read it.

This is basically MJ VS some (Wu-Tang) gang bangers. Alone in her badassness. Peter is resting on her knees after being bitten (again?) by Morbius (I had to look that up btw).

The tension of the scene, done in one page, is exceptionally palpable.

IT begins in the first panel with MJ looking up to her predators and being framed, hell, caged, by them on both sides. They take most of the space in the panel, you don�t see who they are and yet they ooze menacing vibes. Let not forget to mention the high contrast blacks used on all of them which reinforces the ying & yang, light & dark, good guys vs bad guys aspect of the scene.

Then the culmination of the menace is the second panel. They are looking down on their supposed prey and you can barely see their eyes. I love that the scene is lit from below with only part of their features seen. The high contrast white of the open borders of the panel really enhances the three black shapes, almost giving them a spectral look.

Then we get an insane decompressed storytelling sequence. The battle of wills! A close up on a poker face MJ not conceding ANYTHING to her opponents. She is making clear she is NOT intimidated. Then 3 extreme close ups on each gang bangers� face. Note that none of them are on the same level. This is Jr Jr playing on both their respective sizes and the flow/tempo of the page for the reader. Then an extreme close up on MJ�s eye (and what an eye!), full of iron drenched resolve. She simply won�t budge.

And then they leave, in search of an easier prey. You can tell from her thin profile that she is relieved, that the tension is evaporating.

This quiet page, is PURE STORYTELLING at work. Not only is it extremely cinematic, it also clearly passes the silent test of not needing any word to be fully understood by any reader, expert or casual. I will go as far as to say that It works MUCH BETTER without any of the (ton of) words Mr Mackie (or editorial) felt necessary to clutter the page with.

A LESSON in storytelling in itself.

I will finish by mentioning the inks of Scott Hanna. While I always prefer my inks to be pristine, he/the inks, by being so visible, add a grittiness that is perfectly suited to Jr Jr�s urban style.

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About the Owner

	F M Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	May 2005
Last Login:	September 2025
Country:	BELGIUM
On CAF:	F's Classifieds Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Comments on this Artwork

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Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008

1 - Posted on 12/3/2022

You've said everything there is to about the page, and very well indeed, so there's nothing I can add other than to say how much I love the steely eyed look on Mary Jane's face, as it is absolutely phenomenal looking in all panels. The uplit thugs in the second panel look fabulous and really stand out. The storytelling is simply top tier. As you say, very cinematic in how he moves the camera around. Congrats on landing your 1st Jr. page!

Filmore W. Bedwick
Member Since 2003

1 - Posted on 12/3/2022

Major Congrats on scoring this Sublime work of Brilliance. I can think of no better JRJR/Hanna piece to have.

Foggy Bottom
Member Since 2009
Forum Moderator

1 - Posted on 12/3/2022

Baller.

Duke Fleed aka #1 Groo Fan
Member Since 2013

1 - Posted on 12/3/2022

I wonder how much of this JrJr style was influenced by Miller.. love the top panel in particular!

Miki Annamanthadoo
Member Since 2003

1 - Posted on 12/3/2022

Wow! You said it all!

John C
Member Since 2014

1 - Posted on 12/3/2022

And no jackpots were hit that day.

Rick W
Member Since 2017

1 - Posted on 12/3/2022

Love that feathery inking and the 2nd tier is so striking! Congrats!

Alex Johnson
Member Since 2006
Forum Moderator

1 - Posted on 12/3/2022

Terrific page for all the reasons mentioned and thanks for the excellent description. I wish everyone would explain what they see in what they buy. Description of the Month!

George H
Member Since 2009

1 - Posted on 12/3/2022

Beautiful storytelling and ink work!

Michael McIsaac
Member Since 2020

1 - Posted on 12/6/2022

Few artists can match JRJR for storytelling ability. One of the all-time best. This page tells a story without the need for any words.

Jason Hussa
Member Since 2017

1 - Posted on 12/6/2022

Fantastic page, F M, and EXCELLENT description! I reacted much the same as you when I first saw it - definitely gasp-worthy, and the power here is very much apparent even at thumbnail size. Clicking in to view it, I even forgot that there would be words to this page; I just fell into the storytelling and how the mood and "action" were being conveyed. A perfect marriage of artists here: Scott Hanna's inks are just as essential to the impact of this page as JR, Jr's layout. I love the way the Miller-stylized (GREAT call, Duke Fleed!) white folds of the clothing in panel one thrust the viewer's eye right at MJ, and how everything congeals in panel two (my favorite on the page) with enough mass (and stark edges) to break through the top panel border. All five panels of of tier three are thrilling, with the light, thin lines of MJ's implacable expression bordering/counterpointing the close up and amorphous takes on the thugs faces (which read like some lava lamp of evil). The bottom panel is pure relief, with the lighting of the scene returning to normal as the threats exit the page. Phenomenal JR, Jr. / Hanna storytelling example, F M! Superb first pick up! Congrats!

matt d.
Member Since 2018

1 - Posted on 4/23/2024

Great contrast in that page! Congrats!

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