Comics Star Wars #33-37: Out Among the Stars & Annual #3 (6/6 Released)

I know what it is (technical name is not tracing), and I've seen that example a million times. I don't have a problem with it. What is more important is the composition of how the images facilitate the storytelling process. In the Solo-Mothma scene above, I thought the images told the story very well.

Sent from Moto X-Wing

 

But the thing is so many artists can get across the same idea the image is meant to evoke, without copying from google images. The images being adequate in getting across the point of the scene does not detract from the fact that it is still a bit lazy when artists use it so often. Larroca is not that bad with photo tracing like say Land, but still someone like Jim Aparo went his whole career without having to do minimal effort to portray what is happening. Sure I know the little girl is meant to be sad so it technically serves its purpose but it feels out of place sometimes cause it looks traced and that distracts the reader.

If you can look past or enjoy tracing that is fine, but personally I find it to be something that a lot of artists more and more rely on needlessly

 

I don't have a problem with you or anyone not liking it.

But I also am not "looking past it." I think the style is as legitimate as anything else if it's used well in service to the story.

Sent from Moto X-Wing

 

Hence why I said "or enjoy tracing", but yeah I get what you are saying

 

Issue #35 was a FUN read. They nailed Han Solo's thought process and dialogue.

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Loved the opening scene with Mon Mothma and her skillful manipulation of Han. Grakkus is very clever and tries to hit all of Han's buttons. Definitely am enjoying this Hutt as a character. The one-issue stories have been great and they did the Han & Chewie spotlight story very well.

 

Nice for the main series to show Han as a clever smuggler for a change as opposed to the 2D Overconfident comic relief character it usually depicts him as.

 

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This was actually one of the best comics from the Star Wars Main Title since a long time. I liked the Teth mention.

 

IMHO...it just looks creepy. And looked creepier as I went from page to page.

 

I'd say that creepy was the purpose in context of that comic book. Purple turned into statues things. Well done usage of image to convey story.

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I've been enjoying these one-shot issues a lot more than Yoda's Secret War or the Screaming Citadel. Looking forward to seeing the C3P0 / SCAR Squadron plot getting picked up again next month!

 

I am talking about the current SW comic...each page the image of Han was creepier than the one before.

 

Ah. Ok, then. I have no substantive rebuttal then, since it's really matter of personal taste. I think it looks really good. *shrug*

Sent from Moto X-Wing

 

I agree about loving these character centric stories that lead into the next character at the end. Seems a great way to end the initial run, letting each legacy character shine in relation to a recurring Marvel character. Really dug the Lando/Sana, and this Han/Grakkus. Some of my favorite issues of Aaron's run.

 

And it ended letting us know that the long delayed plot is coming to fruition.

 

I agree with you about the art. The problem is this looks when they first introduced CGI elements into hand drawn cartoons. Those CGI elements stood out badly. The faces, while rendered nicely, just don't match the rest of the artwork and the whole thing just comes off as unfinished and sloppy.

Between this book and Mace Windu this week and the new Darth Vader title, I does feel like Marvel is phoning it in because they know these books will sell because they have Star Wars slapped on the cover.

It is too bad the art is so distracting it takes away from the story IMHO.

Finally, a resolution to the captured C-3PO storyline is coming.

 

I liked this issue but man I could freeze frame the exact frames from the films that these Han faces where from. It looked like it was a photo comic at some points which is fine....if you are making a photo comic; but it feels so freaking off when these stills from the films are placed in an artistic rendition of the falcon with a Hutt who is drawn in. It is just so jarring.

I am glad for the reference to the clone wars film though

 

I've got mixed feelings about the realistic art, whether it's tracing or manipulation or Google models like on things such as ships and guns and...here's where I see both sides; when an artist does their own thing half the audience gets angry because "They don't look like the characters! That's not Luke! Why can't they get someone who can draw Mark Hamill!", because art is art and it's not going to produce the same results page after page all the time, sometimes characters are going to look a bit different when done in an artist's personal style.

Then we have the obvious issue when characters are too realistic, whether it's someone using digital tracing or just going to hyper-realism and free-handing it...you get a sort of uncanny valley where it looks like the character, but depending on how it was done you can sometimes tell what scenes from the original movies were referenced for that particular image.

I don't know...I love Salvador's art and I think he's a great artist who is one of the few capable of hitting the required deadlines with such a competent and solid package...that said, my personal preference is to see individual art styles, but seeing someone like Rick Leonardi (who I love) do a SW comic...most people would hate it because he has a loose style that would be jarring for a lot of people.

I don't know if there's an easy answer, but I know that Salvador is probably an editor's dream because he's consistently putting out photo-realistic work that, some people don't like, but a LOT of people do, and it probably goes over well with people who maybe aren't reading a lot of comics and want to see the characters look exactly like the characters.

IDK, maybe someone should do a poll on which direction is preferred among comic readers of the SW comics.

 

Issue 36 should be better with R2-D2 in it. Did not like issue 35. Can't wait for the Scar squadron story, I think its time to get back to the military action. We need lasers, lightsabers, jet packs and good ole fighting.....talky talky not my thing.

 

Hmm, didn't Leonardi do Darth Vader & The Lost Command?

 

He did. He also did General Grievous.

 

They were so jarring...I just couldn't deal with it. Lol.

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The Sana / Lando issue was okay but only because I enjoy seeing Lando doing anything, although he didn't really do much but he had some good lines and their "date" at the end was fun.

I really liked the Han issue because anytime there's more Han is fun and the fact that Grakkus was literally hovering in the doorway to the Falcon cockpit acting as the "evil tempting devil" over Han's shoulder I thought worked real well. Then Han zapped him real good.

Also I guess General Draven didn't get bounced from the Alliance what with his clandestine assassination order for Galen Erso. Well, to be fair, I think only Cassian knew about it and he was atomized.

 

In the novelisation, didn't Mon Mothma have a few sharp words with Draven on the subject?

 

I mean the technicality of what happened it debatable. Draven might have control over what his men do on missions he is in charge of. Mothma might have been angry but arguably it was his mistake to make, he did defy command but again there could be something to be said for it being an in the field change of orders as far as Mothma knows. Jyn never spoke up about it and Cassian sure as heck would not sell out Draven.

That and I buy that with their limited resources they would keep him around. He has decades of experience and connections to what became the Imperial navy.

 

Star Wars #36 preview.

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Artwork and variant cover for Star Wars #37.
http://www.starwars.com/news/salvador-larroca-top-5-moments-drawing-marvels-star-wars

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