I've been checking out the website of one Jeff Parker, who has only had one piece grace my eyes previously: a lackluster Catwoman cover from several months ago. But I found the link over at Tegan's, and curiosity provoked, I've spent the better part of the last 30 minutes clicking around on it and I gotta say I'm very impressed with his stuff, especially in his sketchbook and commissioned art sections. he has a kind of loose TothWildeyish style that looks pretty darn spiffy to me. He has a graphic novel coming out called The Interman, which looks interesting and also, it seems that young Parker has also succumbed to the blogging madness as well. I think he should hook up with B. Clay Moore and draw a Hawaiian Dick story immediately if not sooner.
Domo arigato to Tegan for the linkage!
Update: after having posted this, I went to Sean Collins' blog, and from there followed the link to Parker's interview at Sequential Tart, in which he opines on the superhero=good/bad/stupid argument that's been burning up the comics blogosphereiverse.
Hate to say it, but I kinda agree with him in a lot of ways. I've refrained from putting in my own two cents' worth on that particular argument, mostly because I haven't really made up my mind about it. I do still read a few spandex books, like Daredevil, Legion (although not for long) or up until recently, JLA, but their numbers are growing fewer and farther between. It's more of a "been there seen that" type thing with me, though, I think...and while I think it's possible to do superheroes and do them very well, as has been proven with Powers, the occasional Batman and, again, Daredevil, I have the sinking feeling that the days that I groove on men and women flying around in skintight outfits, shooting power beams out of various orifices are long past. This feeling is one of many reasons why I've dropped books like JSA and Avengers recently. While I think they have their place in the food chain, as visual metaphors for heroism or whatever, as a 44 year old man I sometimes feel like Parker's fellow at the shelf clutching the comic while the kids jump and grab at it. I don't begrudge those who still feel the urge to follow the spandex muse, but I had my way with her long ago and I'm ready to move on. That being said, I think the comics shelves would be a far duller place without superheroes, and would advise those who lobby against the superhero to resist the urge to throw baby out with bathwater.
Looks like I've opined after all!
