IRON FIST VS. CAPTAIN AMERICA ILLUSTRATION BY JASON PEARSON

This is the last piece I secured from that other collector’s theme (Hi and thanks, Scott). I don’t recall if it was initially for sale during CAF live or if I deduced he was selling all of those themed commissions based on the ones I was seeing at auction and reached out to him because of it but this was one of the pieces that were on my to buy list that I immediately secured upon learning the news of Jason’s tragic passing.

It’s another fun illustration by my favorite artist. As usual with Jason, the result is super dynamic and full of motion!

I love how tense Iron First is, from his palmed hand, the energized fist, his grinding mouth to his extended kick, this is a fighter in full combat mode. It’s also fun to compare all the 3 recent pieces I uploaded to compare his body built. Jason’s is clearly the bulkiest version of all 3. It is also likely the closest the classic Byrne version. Lastly, I love how his dragon symbol looks like that of Batman if you supressed the head.

His Cap is not a direct favorite version because we have been used a much leaner version of the character. But if you think about it, his iteration makes a lot of sense, much like Bart Sears’ version (in the Cap & Falcon series). If you push the logic of the character to his fullest, you get a steroid uber jacked up soldier who should benefit from an enormous build and over developed jaw. Truth be told, I prefer the version of Cap Jason drew for my reinterpretation of Zeck Cap annual cover (that you can see in this very gallery) which was later produced and yet you can’t fault Jason for artistic consistency.

Lastly, this one feels much more “open lined” than many of his much darker commissions and the use of light and shadows shine because of it (case in point, Cap’s bust being shadowed by his shield only).

Great stylistic art (just look at all the fold in the clothes fabrics) by one of the very best to grace the comic field.

May he be/drawing in/at peace.

(Another one published in one of his sketchbooks btw)