First, I should point out that I have a sub-theme in which an artist takes a character that I associate with them and pits that character against Supergirl (usually the Silver Age one, but that's not a hard requirement). I have as of this writing:
I want to say that I think this piece is terrific.
Powerboy is a jerk and when I look at the picture I see her determination to win and his surprise at her determination. That's what I see. I love it.
I also want to say that art commissioning is a risky endeavor. The artist could flake out (no delivery or late delivery), the mails could misfire, it could be stolen from your doorstep, you get the drift. However, the biggest issue is always communication:
- Too much art direction and you will get something stilted and not the artist's best work.
- Too little art direction and you get something unexpected and maybe not in the right direction.
I'm in a Secret Santa group and I know that these fears are in the back of my mind every year and I'm sure that my fellow SSs share them. I was really happy with what I gave the last two years, but had serious reservations about the gift I sent this year. The giver seemed to like it, but I'm still not sure that I do. There's always some doubt.
This year my Secret Santa enclosed something along with this wonderful gift. I got a note that explained his choice of character (always a nice touch) and which expressed some these same doubts.
As for the character choice, he's a Teen Titans fan and wanted something to tie to his interest (a good idea). He considered other options, e.g., the TT's version of Superboy or Wonder Girl, but for various reasons settled on Powerboy - her jerk ex-boyfriend. He wrote that he "envisioned ... her crushing his hand during the arm wrestling match and him showing extreme pain, while she looked empowered." (Clearly, I'm not the only one that didn't like the character.)
Mike McKone has drawn the TT and is an excellent choice for a piece like this because he's drawn both characters before in the Teen Titans and my SS approached him about the job. Mike loved the idea.
My SS wrote, "But he got swept up in how ridiculous the character of Powerboy is, including his very own boob-window. He obsessed with figuring out how to show her "S" while also showing his "window."" All of this is great because an interested artist is a better artist, but, as my SS wrote, "he forgot the details of my request." That is, Powerboy isn't crushed and Supergirl isn't victorious.
That said, as I mentioned above, I think her determination and his over-confidence shine through and I like the tension that seems to exist even more than the humiliating defeat to follow.
I'm delighted with the final result even if it does expose why commissioning artists isn't for the faint at heart.
Merry Christmas!
