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03/26/2003: Nightwing art styles
In an earlier entry I already mentioned that I like the current team better than Scott McDaniel's art. And now reading them in contrast brought home the main reason why that is: McDaniel's art is very dynamic, and I like the way he draws some of the action sequences and Nightwing's movements even a bit better than Lenonardi/Delperdang's version of the same sequences, however it really grates on me that he never uses a panel grid, not even in relatively calm sequences. The constant barrage of irregular shapes, splash panels, crossed panel borders etc. blunts the impact of those effects, so that in those moments when they really are supposed to indicate action and fast pacing, I hardly register them anymore.
I mean, the panel grid is such a powerful tool, and even subtle balance variations register, without the reader really being aware of it, yet in McDaniel's art it's as if a sledgehammer is used constantly to bring home the fact that's supposed to be dynamic! full of action! fast! BTW, last year I heard a fascinating talk by Bryan Talbot at a comic con about this subject (it was called The Use of Style and Storytelling Technique), where he explained and illustrated his points with examples from his work, e.g. from Batman, Sandman, The Tale Of One Bad Rat, and various others of his original comics, and really Talbot's range of panel and page design is much broader, understated when it needs to be, and only using special effects when it's called for. For huge stretches in his Nightwing comics McDaniel doesn't seem to have any particular reason for the page designs besides "it looks cool."
The page design of the current Nightwing team isn't especially original or awe inspiring, it lacks the special "punch" (and with that I don't mean necessarily effects, but just ingenious design, which can look very plain too), but at least I can read their work for long stretches without getting a headache.
