Doug: From Marvel's latest solicitations, the variant cover to Captain America #22. While I'm not totally sold on the large image of Cap, I am totally on board with the bottom half of the cover. How about the Avengers from the awesome throwdown in Avengers Annual #1? You must have blinked, because you missed Quicksilver!
7 comments:
Yeah, my feelings on Alex Ross are mixed, and this cover is definitely mixed.
You're right the lower part is the quite compelling.
I do wish ol' Bobc from the Avengers Assemble board was over here, 'cause he's an accomplished professional artist, and always has solid insights for topics like these.
I pretty much always love Ross' portrait work. All of those covers for the two iterations of JSA/Justice Society a few years back?-- those are just wonderful. They completely breathe life into those characters, 'cause they're thoughtful, focused studies. This cover. . . feels almost hopelessly too busy to me-- a bit like a traditional overwrought Hollywood movie poster that's tryin' to get EVERYTHING onto a
30"x42" sheet.
HB
(PS-- Anytime we get to see an image of Blue & Gold Goliath, though-- that's a point in the win column!)
You could say this cover is a political statement. The planes on the right side represent war, while the doves on the left side represent peace. The eagle represents America and is on the side of the planes, which represents war. Captain America is facing towards the side of war, but we see a new day dawning on the horizon on that side, indicating that someday the wars will cease (or at least that's what Captain America hopes for). A few doves are on the right, indicating that peace is still possible, but not likely anytime soon. The bottom shows Steve Rogers standing in the mist of the super soldier serum, representing his former life before becoming Captain America, that seems like a dream, it was so long ago. The left side with the Invaders and the right side with the Avengers, represent how long it's been, as Steve Rogers has had three phases of life, from before drinking the serum, to fighting alongside the Invaders during World War 2, to being thawed from the ice and fighting alongside the Avengers.
As an artist, it is without question that Mr Ross is not only more talented but WAY MORE TALENTED than I. That being said, why is Cap flipped in orientation to the other Avengers? He seems to be on his side while all the other "guys", from our perspective, are slightly above us.
I do agree with the Ol' HB, blue and yellow Goliath is just so cool. Job done well!!!!
I think Mr Budde hit all the major elements. I'm not sure if I'd call it a political statement or an artistic statement of Cap's mission/life/core values. He's always been a fighter. I just think people viewed him differently once his outside matched his inside. A twist on the classic Ugly Duckling tale.
One last question, in the group shot of the Invaders, what's in Cap's hand? Is it a pistol? Is he clutching a grenade? I can't make it out.
The Prowler (loves the Museum district but once stared at a blocked fire exit for 15 minutes before he realized it wasn't art).
Prowler, I have no idea what Cap is holding. It looks like a gun, a bottle, perhaps a German-style grenade (most unlikely of my three options). What puzzles me most, and maybe makes it more difficult to discern is... where is Cap's thumb on that hand?
Just saw on Twitter that Zack Snyder will direct the sequel to "Superman vs. Batman" and it will indeed be titled "Justice League". Which I don't know why they don't just rename the next movie, as we already know Batman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg are joining the fray.
Some Stan Lee/Jack Kirby love coming your way tomorrow, kids!
Doug
Er, Cap's not holding anything....his index finger is pointing the way ahead, his thumb is at right angles to it, and it possibly looks a bit odd as they are both shadowed.
BSmith, that may be so, but it's a bit wonky if true. It looked to me like there was a gold ring near where you say the end of Cap's thumb is; upon further inspection, that may be the lighting on Namor's neck. But I still think the shadow on the inside of Cap's hand is weird, and his index finger would be about 10 inches long (foreshadowing notwithstanding).
Doug
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