Legacy of Luther Strode Issue #2 Page 12-13

Tradd Moore - Legacy of Luther Strode (2015) Issue #2 Page 12-13

This art speaks for itself, but I'll attempt to write a few words!

The Legacy of Luther Strode is the final chapter in the Luther Strode trilogy (2011-2016) in which Luther reclaims, in bloody fashion, his life and future from those who took it from him. Notably, the time spanning the trilogy paralleled the formative years of Tradd's career, as he started working on the book before he graduated from art school.

The work on Legacy immediately followed Tradd's run on Ghost Rider, in which the deadline-driven nature of a monthly Marvel book induced him to shun time as a constraint, to the benefit of the art in Legacy. In an interview with Felix Lu in 2020, he talked about this imperative when starting this book:

"With Legacy... I ain't listening to nobody on deadlines, I am going to spend as much time as I want on every single page... I'm going to put every star in the sky, by my choice...every drop of blood, by my choice."

Whether it was the time element or another reason, Tradd's work seemed to go to new heights in Legacy. There is staggering detail on each page, yet done in such a clean style that its almost unbelievable when looking at the art in person - particularly knowing that the inking was done with a brush!

Another notable aspect of Tradd's work in Legacy is his ability to portray a slow motion action effect with a static image. The middle panel shows Luthor flying through several trees after getting punched by the Gardener, with every ripple of air, snow, wood and dirt visible in one fluid shot.