When I think of great comic book artists the name Ed Benes doesn't come to mind. I didn't start getting familiar with his stuff really until just a couple years ago or there abouts. That is to say, when I did see his stuff I loved it but could just for a long time not put a name with his work. Had he hit the comics scene in the 80s it would have been a different story for me.
Did I hear Waller call Roy Red Arrow? Oh Roy, if only you knew back then what the DC Universe would have in store for you in the coming days. As to what Hawkgirl is talking about in regards to Cheshire having destroyed Qurac I may do some browsing in back issue bins on that storyline. If
Quarac sounds at all familiar to you that's where the Suicide Squad's first ever mission was (see issues 1 and 2) with the objective to take down the meta human terrorist group known as the jihad. Over the years Quarac would be a reoccurring story line in both the pages of the Suicide Squad and Checkmate in the late 80s and early 90s. There's even a short but very interesting wiki page for this fictional nation although as far as I'm concerned Quarac really does exist it's just known to us in the real world as iran:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qurac
Looking at all this really does bring back some great memories and reminds me of why I just don't care much about what DC is publishing these days.
Those are some great pencils. I find it harder as I get older to remember artists' names, too, Dave. So don't worry, it's not just you. Although now that we have computers I don't have to rely on post-its as much. :)
ReplyDeleteI find it comforting that this isn't just in the realm of comic book artists. It goes for writers, cartoons, childrens' names, birthdays, and what I ate for dinner last night.
To say nothing about last month's plotline was for any random DC book. Oh wait. That's probably because I gave them up for the holidays so I'd be in a better mood.
when you get a free couple minutes check out that wiki page for Quarac. you'll be glad you sis it's interesting and won't take long at all to read.
DeleteThat period w/ the brief storyline w/ Waller and the squad was pretty good. Brief but good. I did like the way Benes rendered Bronze Tiger though. Very bad-ass looking.
ReplyDeleteyeah BT has some serious guns in that first panel. it appears as if Benes likes drawing men almost as much as he likes drawing women. but you really can't beat Mockingbird in those fishnet leggings, Hawkgirl with her exposed 6pack abs and Vixen's cleavage. you can tell Benes really enjoyed drawing that stuff.
DeleteEd's skills are fire, but I did have a problem with how he drew Bronze Tiger to big and muscled. His shots and angles were not prominent enough. But he still pulled it off in good fashion.
ReplyDeleteIf the Tiger was a better realized character ED would have killed it (meaning aced the job). The page you have here at the top is good, The mood is perfect. The cityscape at night, the tiger on the prowl, the deep colors that pull you right into the scene.
Things were going so good, DC just fucked it up for eveybody interfering with Dwayne's story. Wooosa....
Damn the powers that be.