Page turners: Jerry Ordway

Jerry Ordway started his comic book career working in fanzines and small press comics in the early – mid 1970s on titles like “Tim Corrigan's Superhero Comics “ and his own self-published fanzine “Okay Comix”. However, it was in 1980 when he attended a DC comics talent search at the Chicago Comicon that his talents were recognised and he was offered work as an inker on DC’s anthology comics including "House of Mystery", "Weird War Tales" , and "Mystery in Space". After the success of his inking work he was offered work as the pencil artist (and inker) on DC’s “All-Star Squadron” , “Infinity, Inc” (which he co-created with Roy Thomas) “DC Comics Presents”, “ Secret Origins “ and “Crisis on Infinite Earths” . Below are some of my favourite pages from this amazing artist that effortlessly merges the classic comic story telling and art of the 1960s/1970's with that of modern day comics:

I first became aware of Ordway’s amazing art (and writing) in 1986, when along with writer/artist John Byrne and writer Marv Wolfman, he helped revamp the Superman franchise on the “The Adventures of Superman” title (a continuation of the original Superman title). His work on this title ( art and writing) was simply stunning as can be seen by the above splash page from issue 448 and issues 450 and 454 below.

In 2012 Ordway drew the Challengers of the Unknown for “ DC Universe Presents” issues 6, 7 & 8. This series contained some of Ordway’s best art as can be seen from the page below from issue 6.

Jerry Ordway is probably best known for his amazing work on DC's "Justice Society Of America" comic, which is one of the very few superhero comics I pick up (especially is Mr Ordway is on the book as can be seen in the last 2 JSA illo's below). The pages below are from JSA issue 23 (2009), JSA issue 25 and JSA (Vol 4) issue 2 (2023 -which features 4 pages of excellent Ordway art) ) - The Power Girl splash above is from the JSA Annual issue 1 (2008).

A final selection of Ordway splash pages: "All New Atom" issue 19 (2008), "Tom Strong" (ABC) issue 20 , " Wildstar - Sky Zero " (Image - 1993) issue 2 and "Adventure Comics" (Vol 2 issue 5) from 2010.

Top Tens: Bruce Timm

Bruce Timm is best known for his work on the critically acclaimed “Batman; the Animated Series” , "Superman; the Animated Series" and the excellent “Justice League Unlimited” shows. Although I watched these shows at the time, it wasn't until 1994 when I picked up the “Batman Adventures: Mad Love” comic book that I bacame aware of the man behind this amazing new animation style, I have been a fan of his work ever since. Although Timm hasn’t produced a great deal of actual comic strips he has created many striking comic book covers. Below are a few of my favourites to go along with the above cover to the “Adventures of Superman” issue 4.

Bruce Timm and Paul Dini co-created Harley Quinn in 1992 as a comic relief partner to the Joker for the Batman Animated series. Although Harley Quinn has become one of the most popular comic book / film crossover characters in recent years, she has morphed from the original vision that Timm and Dini had for her into an unhinged psychopath. The above cover to "Harley Quinn's Little Black Book" issue 23 perhaps hints at this with the original Harley's exasperated comments to a "Margot Robbie" inspired film version.

The 1999 Avengers 1½ special written by Roger Stern with a full strip drawn in the Timm style with a nod to early Jack Kirby.

Above: Variant cover to "Cage!" issue 2 from 2016 - this is a very different Luke Cage and is a great cartoon style series by Genndy Tartakovsky the animator on Samurai Jack, Dexters Laboritory etc. I'm still on the look out for this issue - cover taken from the Grand Comic Book Database.

Not and actual comic book but I love this Bruce Timm cover of Tigra from "Back Issue" magazine issue 17 from 2006.