Heroes Reborn #4 pg 14

It's rare I buy a page from a story I have no attachment to. But every now and then one comes along that demands to be bought, attachment be damned.

This was that page.

Now I have no idea who this character is. I don't read much from Marvel or DC anymore, especially crossover events like Heroes Reborn. But when Cadence Comic Art announced they would be putting a bunch of James Stokoe's pages up for sale, I made sure to be ready for the drop. Because, for my money, James is a special talent with a unique voice all his own. He brings so much energy to a page, and this one was the cream of this crop for me. Or, should I say, drop?

While his art is often filled to the brim with detail, James wisely chooses to pull back on it here to let the first panel breath. Coupled with the negative space surrounding it, the size comparison between the chain and the character gives us a sense of scale, while the little bits of rock floating by subtly set the stage for what's to come.

From there, James begins to ratchet up the detail in the second panel as we catch our first glimpse of Ego, chained and at the mercy of our mystery character. The fine linework of the living planet is wondrous to behold, yet James smartly left plenty of white space to create a contrast that helps Ego pop off the page. What's more, it generates an increasing level of detail as the eye flows down the page.

It all culminates in the final panel, and what an amazing image it is! While the contrast between panels drew me to this particular page, it’s the sheer audacity of ideas and draftsmanship on display here that made this a must buy for me. While I usually gravitate to smaller, quieter moments, there's something truly magnificent about the grandiosity of a super-powered being holding a living planet hostage with the gravitational pull of a black hole. It's completely absurd and unbelievable, but in a way that sparks and titillates the imagination as only comics can.

James' framing and perspective here are perfect. Be it the now fully taut chain, Ego's pained grimace, or the insane level of linework on display, you feel the magnitude of the moment. On top of that, I absolutely love how the composition is designed to hold your eye for an extra beat. James guides us on a straight line from the character in panel one to shots of Ego in two and three, only to then work us back up the chain to the left side of the panel so we stay with the image a tick longer.

That's storytelling mastery to me, and a fine example of why I love this artform so, so much.