Superman's best artist

[lastkryptonianhere]

George Perez's DC Comics Presents with OMAC was and always will be my favorite Perez art ever.

However don't forget the awesome job that Jose Luis Garcia Lopez has done over the past twenty plus years

[TELLE]

I never really fell for Garcia Lopez.  First intro'd to him when I was a Teen Titans fan.  Only experienced disapointment when he relaced Perez on occasion.  Remember a late-80s Howard Chaykin interview when he declared some new project (sci-fi comic?) would "finally show the world what an awesome artist Garcia Lopez was" (paraphrase).  Couldn't believe Chaykin (who I then admired) was one of the Lopez "over-raters".  Still can't (but then, I can't believe I used to like Howard Chaykin   ).  What is the best thing Garcia Lopez has done?  How about in terms of Superman?
Convince me.  

How about a top ten list for best post-Crisis, non-Iron-Age Superman artists?  By which I mean, artists who have done stories that start threads like, "Is the Iron Age Over?"  Or who have paid homage to the classic Superman?  Thinking of fan-faves (here at the fortress anyway) like Alex Ross, Quietly, etc.

[Super Monkey]

I never really fell for Garcia Lopez.  First intro'd to him when I was a Teen Titans fan.  Only experienced disapointment when he relaced Perez on occasion.  Remember a late-80s Howard Chaykin interview when he declared some new project (sci-fi comic?) would "finally show the world what an awesome artist Garcia Lopez was" (paraphrase).  Couldn't believe Chaykin (who I then admired) was one of the Lopez "over-raters".  Still can't (but then, I can't believe I used to like Howard Chaykin   ).  What is the best thing Garcia Lopez has done?  How about in terms of Superman?
Convince me.

Just go here: http://nightwing.supermanfan.net/artists/sm-garcialopez.htm

 

[Genis Vell]

What is the best thing Garcia Lopez has done?  How about in terms of Superman?
Convince me.

I loved his "mutant Superman" trilogy and several covers. It's a pity that he has drawn a few stories...  

How about a top ten list for best post-Crisis, non-Iron-Age Superman artists?  By which I mean, artists who have done stories that start threads like, "Is the Iron Age Over?"  Or who have paid homage to the classic Superman?  Thinking of fan-faves (here at the fortress anyway) like Alex Ross, Quietly, etc.

I don't know if there are enough post-Crisis artists for a top ten. I mean, I liked almost every post-Crisis artist, but usually they weren't really important.
I love Ron Frenz's arts, but is he really important for the Man of Steel?
Anyway, Byrne, Reis, Lee, McGuinness, Jurgens (early works) and Frenz are my favorite of the late 19 years.

[nightwing]

Telle, as Super Monkey said my thoughts on JLGL are well-documented at my site.  All I can say is that his style was very well-received by me in the mid-70s when it first showed up on Superman.  My love for Swan is immense, but after awhile you came to recognize certain key poses and layouts that repeated again and again and made a stifling sense of sameness settle over the books.  Garcia-Lopez shook that up and injected a fresh new look, but at the same time it was a look firmly rooted in the classic illustration style of an Alex Raymond or Hal Foster.  It had the benefit of seeming new and "established" at the same time.

Like a lot of Bronze Age artists, JLGL was pretty dependent on his inkers.  Inked by an old-timer like Frank McLaughlin in DCCP, his stuff could look stiff and dull.  Inked by Dan Adkins it could loosen up and get a "slick" look.  Inked by Vinnie Colletta, needless to say, it was sucked dry of any life at all. And for the record I didn't like him that much on the Titans, either, but nobody's right for everything.  I think it might also work against him that his versions of the DC characters served as model sheets for so much merchandising...it tends to cheapen and overexpose his style.  If you first saw his art on a t-shirt or toy box, you might later read his comics and think, "This art is kid stuff!"

If I had to pick a favorite "JLGL on Superman" story it would probably be the first two issues of DCCP, with the Superman/Flash race.  It's included in the new trade paperback that has all their races. Also in issue 3 of the same book is a good team-up with Adam Strange where JLGL may have inked his own pencils, and the terrific team-up with Deadman in issue 24 where I'm sure he did.  Keep in mind none of the comics from this time period were printed on decent paper and thin linework often fell apart thanks to the bargain-basement production methods of the day.

The Elsewords book, "Kal" is also pretty to look at (and much more recent), but the story's way too dark for my taste.

My favorite post-Crisis Superman artists are Steve Rude (he who can do no wrong),  Darwyn Cooke, Dave Gibbons (not exclusively post-Crisis, but hey...) and Art Adams.  They may not all be post-Iron Age, but they're all artists who made me remember the Superman I once knew and loved.

[TELLE]

How about a top ten list for best post-Crisis, non-Iron-Age Superman artists?  By which I mean, artists who have done stories that start threads like, "Is the Iron Age Over?"  Or who have paid homage to the classic Superman?  Thinking of fan-faves (here at the fortress anyway) like Alex Ross, Quietly, etc.

I don't know if there are enough post-Crisis artists for a top ten. I mean, I liked almost every post-Crisis artist, but usually they weren't really important.
I love Ron Frenz's arts, but is he really important for the Man of Steel?
Anyway, Byrne, Reis, Lee, McGuinness, Jurgens (early works) and Frenz are my favorite of the late 19 years.

All basically "Iron-Age" artists, no?  Not really important is an understatement!

[TELLE]

My favorite post-Crisis Superman artists are Steve Rude (he who can do no wrong),  Darwyn Cooke, Dave Gibbons (not exclusively post-Crisis, but hey...) and Art Adams.  They may not all be post-Iron Age, but they're all artists who made me remember the Superman I once knew and loved.

I will make an effort to look at JLGL again, but linking him to the Prince Valiant/Rip Kirby tradition is not a high recommendation in my book.  More illustration/photo reference than cartooning.  I am looking right now at my copy of the giant Superman vs Wonder Woman and enjoying it.  Dan Adkins inks.  Not too stiff.  Not too showy.  Some nice, post-Neal Adams panel arrangements.  Great action and characterisation.

As for post-Crisis, I would agree with your list (maybe in that order too!) but add the Bizarro cartoonists at the top (Jaime Hernandez, etc).

[lastkryptonianhere]

I maybe in the minority but I have always felt that Barry Kitson was a dynamite Superman artist (post crisis) of course.