I have read these books 10-15 years ago...in fact these were some of the first comics I was introduced to. The guy who got me into comics was a huge Starlin fan and just about had all of his artwork. I loved them and I am happy to say that they withstand the test of time. There are just as fun to read now as they were back than. Warlock discovering that through his soul gem can consume memories and feelings of his victims was a great twist. And of course the whole idea that he needs to battle his future self in order to save the universe from his own religious dictatorship is totally fun...in fact so fun that I started drawing Warlock stuff :)
The Trial of Adam Warlock
The Soul Tree
16 comments:
Neat-O
I think your style is truer to the Starlin "feel" than anyone else who's done the characters since (I'm trying to wrack my brain...but I'm not coming up with anyone who got the right mood, or style...)
I remember seeing Ron Lim do some Starlin scripts with Warlock and I also seem to recall George Perez drawing Warlock in some mini-series...I would have loved to have seen Michael Golden do a try, I think he would have been able to capture the face just right.
There is a great discussion of Starlin's designs for his "cosmos" over at Dan Foskett's blog:
http://www.4colorfix.com/blog/2008/09/02/fun-with-forensics-jim-starlin-esteban-maroto/
Golden came to my mind too, as someone I'd like to see doing Warlock.
And...if you could go back in time....Wrightson, at his peak....
Mignola during his more organic phase...
George Freeman?
Hmm...I'd forgotten about the Moroto/Gamora thing...
George Freeman would have been great! I remember he did a "Jack of Hearts" mini-series after his run on Captain Canuck that was just great. Whatever happened to him? Last time I saw him doing comics was back in the late 80's when he inked an Elric story over Michael Gilbert's pencils for First Comics.
And because I am looking at the Al Williamson's Flash Gordon book right now I would have to say I would have liked to see Williamson draw a couple of Warlock stories...the space scenes would have been awesome!
Do you have the Batman Annual he did with Alan Moore?
Pretty, pretty stuff!
...George Freeman, that is.
Oh yeah! I do remember the Alan Moore/Freeman Batman annual with Clay Face. That was just great, one of my favorite Alan Moore stories...in fact I like that annual and the Superman annual Moore did with Gibbons better than the Watchmen.
Wow, Alex! Outstanding!
BTW, regarding construction of the Starlinverse, riding back from burritos with the HI crew the other day, Pete and Travis were talking about some Michael Moorcock book I'd never read that made me wonder if that was where Starlin got the idea for the soul gem.
Also, I've been reading the badly-drawn, badly-written, badly-paced but well-plotted Guardians of the Galaxy, where a second-rate incarnation of Adam Warlock has found a sad home, and while I've been disappointed in the reboot and treatment of the character, they did something fairly clever this month to bring the Magus back. Sadly, I'll probably keep reading this book just because I'm a fan of Starlin's initial run on Warlock. Broken, I know. ;-)
Here we go. I haven't actually read any of his work, but it looks like Moorcock may have inspired Starlin more than a bit (and some other comics of that era - I seem to recall some Runestaff of Kamo Tharn or some such from back then, too).
Magus is back!?!?!?
Good or bad, I am going to have to check that out.
Alex! Just when I think I can't love your art any more than I already do--you start drawing one of my all-time favorite Marvel characters! These Warlock pieces are FANTASTIC!!! I just got the WARLOCK Masterworks Hardcover Vol. 2 a few weeks ago, containg Starling's ENTIRE RUN in restored color. It's awesome...I've been a fan of this run since I was a kid, and it still stands as a landmark of comics...especially the "cosmic" kind.
My take on the new GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is way more positive than Dan's--I've enjoyed the series from the beginning. And this week's issue, "Adam Magus," features the return of the Magus himself...even though I saw it coming months ago, it's still an exciting development for GoG and Warlock fans. There will never be another Jim Starlin Warlock--but this new incarnation has worked well so far. Abnett and Lanning really know how to write the "cosmic stuff." Paul Pelletier did some truly amazing work on the first ten or so issues, but has now been replaced by Brad Walker--who is good, but has a very different style than Pelletier. This book is definitely something any fan of Warlock and/or the original Guardians of the Galaxy should check out.
Warlock has been out of play far too long...now he's back and big things are happening with him. Saving the universe (yet again) was just the BEGINNING of his problems...
Warlock, Starhawk, and Black Bolt. For me, the very best Marvel characters...
Warlock's return is starting to sound more and more interesting. I remember I liked Paul Pelletier's fill in issues of She-Hulk, he had a solid take on anatomy and his storytelling was very good...I am not familiar with Brad Walker's work.
So here is a piece of trivia: of the 4 people on this thread (Alex, Norm, Dan, and John) 3 bought the Warlock Masterworks Volume 2: Norm's is still traveling by mail, Dan and John love their purchases...I might have to try buying it as well.
And just to say that I have had so much fun doing the Warlock drawings, I just finished a Gamora sketch and I am going to do another Warlock...will be posting soon.
My Masterworks copy came yesterday....and I'll add another thumbs up (but you can take a look at it yourself, if you want.)
Bonuses include Alan Weiss' pencils for the "lost" Warlock issue, an unedited "torture" panel (that was changed in the printed book)Covers of re-print collections (small, but there)and some other stuff.
Sounds great, Alex! Yes, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is one of Marvel's very best books right now. They pulled Pelletier off to do WAR OF KINGS (with the same writing team), and it was completely fantastic. I can't wait to see what Pelletier does next. And I can't wait to see your new Warlock sketches! :)
To qualify my remarks about GotG a bit: I agree it's a fun book, and it's cool to see all the old cosmic characters in use. But I think it's a shallow book, by which I mean the story is compressed to the point that there doesn't seem to be much room for anything besides plot: no characterization (everyone talks the same), no character development (except for their powers, or how they function as plot devices, they're all interchangable, or at least seem that way to me), etc. It's good enough that it irritates me that it's not better, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, I'd much rather see Warlock and related characters given the treatment they deserve (like Nova gets in his book, which, although I'm not terribly interested in the character, I think is both very well done, and a wonderfully creative scifi book in general, by the same guys), rather than play bit roles in GotG.
Post a Comment