This Week's Theme:


This Week's Theme: Holidays!

Armagetto Fabulous on Tumblr!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Batman Villains: Prometheus by Justin Zyduck


Technically a Justice League villain, but I think he's been in a few solo Batman comics as well, and moreover, Prometheus was designed to be the Anti-Batman. I didn't do the whole Jim Mahfood thick black outline thing I usually do in the inks because I feel like the thinner, scratchier, trembling lines get across the nerviness in his character that makes Prometheus one of my favorite villains ever.

I was a Marvel Comics kid all the way until about late middle school when two comics introduced to the modern DC Universe: Mark Waid's The Flash (WALLY WEST 4-EVA, BARRY ALLEN NEV-A) and Grant Morrison's JLA. The first issue of JLA I got was #10, the first part of "Rock of Ages," and it seemed too fast and slight to me at the time -- I wasn't quite certain what I'd just been hit with. But then, on a friend's recommendation, I picked up the Prometheus storyline. When Prometheus first meets Batman, Prometheus goes on this whole kick about how he has the thirty greatest martial artists in the world on a disc, and how he can use his helmet to download their fighting styles into his central nervous system. Batman, as you'd expect, indicates that he is not intimidated. Prometheus' response? "What if I told you that one of those thirty...is you, Batman?"

That is exactly what I wanted out of a superhero comic book at the time, and truth be told, it is still what I want out of one. And so began a love affair with Morrison's work.

4 comments:

  1. Awesome work, awesome post, I have been educated :) ! Excellent choice on the trembling lines to get across the nerviness of his character. That mouth and chin remind of Judge Dredd & Robocop. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really like how the electricity coming from his helmet looks and the device in his hand.

    Also well done on getting the "Yes, I'm going to kick your ass now" expression on his face even when it's mostly covered.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You've got good clean line work and manage to create a sense of mass even without much line weight variation. Dope. I also like the selective application of detail on the helmet, it's a good graphic touch. It's at a cool angle, although something feels a big hinky about the legs (I take photos of posed GI Joe's to figure out foreshortening, because for the price of one stiff artist modeling doll you get TWO GI Joe who are more posable AND a comic book.)

    I'd suggest you track down and obsess over as much Alex Toth you can find (just in general, but Toth's black and white work is unfuckwitable and is Bible amonst comic artists. Every comic artist you like loves Toth.)

    I tried to read Morrison's JLA. I really did, but the art was fighting me every inch of the way. It was like everything I hated about the 90's distilled into one book. I hear the stories are quite good though.

    ReplyDelete
  4. like the line work on the helmet, cool use of blacks and appreciate the foreshortening. Good work!

    ReplyDelete