WILDSTORM SPOTLIGHT 1 PAGE 9 BY CARLOS D’ANDA AND RICHARD FRIEND
Artists: Carlos D'Anda (Penciller) , Richard Friend (Inker) , Alan Moore (Writer)
9 Comments - 214 Views - 8 Likes
Artwork Details
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DescriptionA rare page from Alan Moore’s contribution to the Wildstorm lore and this one’s pitch has Mr Majestic (i.e. Superman as a warrior lord) facing ultimate entropy/the end of the universe. And as can be expected, it is an amazing read. A senior Majestic is carrying two characters, the Wandering Jew (there is probably room for cancel culture application here) and Lady Eucrastia, a queen Vampire, all three immortals, the. The anxiety on their face is quite telling in that last open panel.Truth be told, while I find that Carlos D’Anda is a solid artist, I’ve never thought I’d own any art by him as I find his work can often lacks the subtility in storytelling and art that I favour. And yet, I remembered this story well and he did a nice job on this very page. For one (and this was likely Moore’s request), going full black on the page for a comic chronicling the end of the universe is an excellent idea. Because of it and the page layout, we really get a sad poetic sense of solitude for those characters here. All four panels are basically the same image seen from different angles but their placement enhances the sense of them flying blind in the dying universe, seeking remnants of life, as if they are swimming at the bottom of Earth’s oceans where no light can found. A fun storytelling bit is having wider panel boarders remaining white with some crackling energy emanating and radiating from it, as if life is struggling still despite the inevitable end. Richard Friend was one of the talented inkers of early Wildstorm days (working on Charest, Benjamin, etc…) and he complemented D’Anda’s work well, applying his rich blacks to great effect here (for instance he clearly took great pains for the blacks to be homogenous on the page so that it woks as best it can as an original piece of art. A lesser artist would have done it more quickly with possibly visible strokes that could then be homogenised digitally or at the printing stage). Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Mark V 
Member Since 2021
2 - Posted on 9/3/2024
Unexpectedly effective page from an artist whose work I don't normally enjoy. I'm familiar with D'Anda's work from the DC Universe game for which he drew the tie-in comic but I did not enjoy his art on that series at all. On this page, however, D'Anda does a nice job of moving the eye through the page both horizontally and vertically.
It's funny that you point out his comparative lack of subtlety because this page shows that he had the capacity and openness to taking a more varied approach to rendering and page design. I'm going to assume it was Moore's script and art direction that pushed him in the right direction, as you suggest.
Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 9/3/2024
I don't know anything about this penciller other than his name, but having read several pages of Alan Moore scripts, I can pretty much tell you that everything about the look of a page should be creditied to Moore, except for the act of laying the graphite down on the paper! That's only a slight exaggeration. I noticed that Friend went full on Travis Charest with the rendering techniques in the final panel. Nice little nod to a guy Friend had been known to work with. Much like outer space backgrounds, who doesn't love a good, solid black background every now and then?
K Gearon
Member Since 2011
1 - Posted on 9/3/2024
The framing of the all black background is pretty effective here. Got that flowing sense of movement from the characters, getting closer to us in that last panel. Congrats, man!
Kavi H
Member Since 2018
1 - Posted on 9/3/2024
deep imagery complimented so well by the deep black inking of Friend. really cool page that catches the eye even on a small zoomed out thumbnail at first glance. congrats!
Toni S
Member Since 2019
1 - Posted on 9/3/2024
Not a fan but it is amazingly beautiful! Huge congrats!
Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 9/3/2024
Pretty great as Moore asks the big picture questions with pages like this. In the end does it all mean anything. As for the art, there is something to this page in just the simplicity of the panel borders. With them, there is a sense of direction and movement even thought qit appears they are rudderless in a void.
Michael Weigant
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 9/10/2024
Richard Friend's inking is always spot-on,love it !
Jason Hussa
Member Since 2017
1 - Posted on 9/12/2024
Yes - some beautiful storytelling here, with the black background adding a brooding sense of isolation and being lost in the abyss, while maintaining a fluidity of movement for the characters (which our eyes emulate as they move across/down the page and sink deeper, deeper, and deeper...). I also love the "crackle" around the panel borders here (just as you mention) adding a fantastic texture to the piece - imagine the panels without it... Having our heroes break through the bottom page border (and over the panel walls of panel 3) really makes this a very compelling image. Sumptuous black inks! Really pretty page, F M! GREAT pick up!
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