Tales from the past viewed through rose tinted glasses
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Page Turners: The double page splash page - Buscema, Adams , Steranko, Kirby and others
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Every one a belter, McS. Just going to my scratcher - may leave a fuller comment later.
ReplyDeleteGreat as The Avengers spread is, Buscema has 'done a Kirby' in that The Hulk simply isn't big enough in relation to some other characters behind and around him. Even allowing for the fact that he's crouching over ('hulking' you might say), he looks far too small.
DeleteGood point about the Hulk that I didn't notice. As you say the true size of the Hulk was rarely translated in many instances on paper.
DeleteLove 'em! A well-crafted tale that logically led to a bang up double-page spread was mind-blowing back in the day. Steranko was one of the best at using them narratively. Neal Adams has some sweet ones as well, as you showcase quite well. There's one in an issue of the Spectre featuring a T-Rex which is gob smacking!
ReplyDeleteI know the Adams spread you are referring to. I have that one in a DC pocket book somewhere but I sadly don't own the actual comic. I agree Steranko was a master of the double page spread his short run on Captain America has a few classics.
ReplyDeleteA great set of double-page spreads. Agree that the Adams Avengers is my favourite, because the top panel only works if it is an absolutely huge panel across two pages, big enough to see Ant-man clearly enough. I don't believe that the other double-page spreads are demanded by their respective storylines, but are obviously very impressive in their own right.
ReplyDeleteMy second favourite is the Steranko Cap America (even though Cap's head is weirdly drawn) for the striking colouring of blues and greens. And then the Barry Smith drawn Conan spread as third fave. I do think the power of this as a single image would be strengthened by the removal of the 4 panels overlaid on its top left. Would make a great poster.
I think that would be the same order I would list them in as well Ian.
ReplyDeleteI just realised that the Conan double-spread in some way is an homage to Frank Frazetta's cover of the Sphere paperback of Conan of Cimmeria ; the snow covered mountains and the red-bearded swordsman.
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