ACQUISITION DATE: 2010
SOURCE: auction
OWNER HISTORY: 1
DIMENSIONS: 11x17
STOCK: bristol
CREATION DATE: unknown
SIGNATURE: n/a
PUBLICATION: January 2010
When you think of the Superman mythology in visual terms, two iconic images come to mind. The first, of course, would be that of Clark Kent ripping open his shirt to reveal that familiar red “S” hidden underneath. The second would probably be of Superman floating down through the air while gently cradling a very surprised Lois Lane in his arms. I don’t know how many times these two classic images have been depicted in comics, but I can’t imagine it being done any more dramatically or effectively than what you see here! Gary Frank really delivers an awe inspiring (not to mention smile inducing) rendition of that familiar scene with this gorgeous splash from Secret Origins #3. The icing on the cake is Gary’s wonderful tribute to Christopher Reeves. By using his likeness on this figure, Gary pays well deserved homage to the late actor (whose portayal is probably more synonymous with the character than any other), and gives the piece a very special touch at the same time.
Anyway, I’ve been a big fan of Gary’s art since his spectacular run succeeding Dale Keown on HULK. I was snatching up as much of that art as I could get my hands on and at one point had a half dozen of his covers (see SOLD gallery). When he left to do Supergirl for DC, I was sorry to see him go, but at the same time couldn’t wait to start picking up some art from that title. Unfortunately, the series ended up being red hot and the artwork was almost impossible to get, especially a nice cover or splash. Always regretted not having a nice DC example by Gary (as all of my pieces are from Marvel books), but this piece fills that void quite nicely.
Kudos to inker Jon Sibal for a fantastic job of bringing out Gary’s lines. In all honesty, when it comes to inking Gary, I’m actually a Cam Smith fan. But Jon really nailed it here. Smith obviously applied a heavier ink line that had more of a flow to it, whereas Sibal has a sharper and more delicate line which give Gary’s pencils a totally different kind of energy. Anyway, this duo just keeps getting better and better as their collaboration continues. Looking forward to years and years of beautiful artwork from this pair of talented craftsmen.
