Tuesday, May 23, 2006

The best Batman artist ever?????

My latest Comics You Should Own column features Detective Comics #583-594 and #601-614, Alan Grant and John Wagner writing (and Grant alone from #601 onward) with Norm Breyfogle on pencils. Breyfogle, as I've mentioned before, doesn't get the credit he deserves, but he just might be the best Batman artist ever. He's definitely in the top 5. Go read and dare to challenge that statement!

37 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

When I think of under appreciated Batman artists... I think of Byrne. When I think of VASTLY under appreciated, kickin'-it-all-kinds-of-greatness, Batman artists... I think of Breyfogle.

Where is the man?

5/23/2006 08:41:00 PM  
Blogger T. said...

Breyfogle was incredible, he lured me over from Marvel books in the 90s, a feat previously impossible. They should get him back.

5/23/2006 08:58:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't agree--I did get used to his style, and it fit certain characters well, such as Scarface.
But his drawing style was too squared off, and detracted from my enjoyment of the story until I got used to it--he wasn't bad, but best ever?
Not even close.
Off the top of my head I'd have to say my top 5 would include Marshall Rogers & Jim Aparo.

5/23/2006 09:07:00 PM  
Blogger Greg said...

This sounds like a separate post, because the opinions would fly!

Anonymous - he's currently drawing Of Bitter Souls, which was being published by Speakeasy before it went under. Three issues actually saw the light of day, and I think it moved over to Markosia. So maybe we'll see it again some day.

5/23/2006 09:11:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You could be right - although maybe tied with (wait for it) Kelley Jones! The 90s weren't bad for Batman - once you discount everything that sucked.

5/23/2006 09:17:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Breyfogle is great, but I don't think he clears the top 5 Bat-artists list- Rogers, Aparo, Sprang, Mazuchelli, Miller, and Adams all beat him out. I'd snatch up a Grant/Breyfogle collection in a heartbeat, mind you.

5/23/2006 09:18:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Best Batman artist? Have to give it to Aparo, kids. Followed by Mazzuchelli, Neal Adams, Frank Miller, and then Breyfogle.

5/23/2006 10:19:00 PM  
Blogger Bill Reed said...

Hell YES Breyfogle's the best Batman artist ever. Aparo's might be more "definitive," but my favorite shall always be Breyfogle.

5/23/2006 10:28:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

fyi for breyfogle fans - norm and a few of his pals from markosia press will be signing at midtown comics in nyc on june 24th

midtown comics signing & event page

5/24/2006 01:14:00 AM  
Blogger T. said...

No Batman artist could do fight choreography like Norm Breyfogle, h could really capture grace and movement on the page like no other. McDaniel is pretty good at that too.

The whole love of Kelley Jones though. NEVER got that. I stopped buying the moment he became penciller, and I'm proud to say I never bought a single issue he drew. Ug. LEE.

5/24/2006 08:24:00 AM  
Blogger James Plumb said...

favourite run of detective comics ever! read these when i was a kid and this defined Batman for me!

5/24/2006 09:25:00 AM  
Blogger Dave Ziegler said...

I don't know about best ever, as Aparo really has that claim, but Breyfogle is certainly my favorite. Anyone looking for the goods beyond Detective needs to read Batman: Holy Terror, Batman: Shadow of the Bat (what was it, the first dozen issues or so? More? I don't have my boxes handy), and a pretty lengthy run on the main Batman book. Seriously, he's excellent. I always appreciated the angles and depth he gave to the Bat.

5/24/2006 01:14:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

1- Marshall Rogers
2- Brian Bolland
3- Neal Adams
4- Don Newton
5- Dick Giordano
6- Frank Miller/David Mazuchelli
7- Jim Aparo
8- Alan Davis
9- Bruce Timm
10-Bill Finger

No disrespect to Norm, but there were other greats.

5/24/2006 06:14:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Shoot, I meant Jerry Robinson (not Bill Finger; in fact, I think Bill was a writer, not an artist.)

5/24/2006 06:25:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

After thinkking it over--in addition to Rogers & Aparo--my top 5 also includes Neal Adams, Dick Giordano and Walt Simonson.

5/25/2006 12:54:00 AM  
Blogger Rob Schamberger said...

One of my first comics ever was an issue of 'Tec that was the first part of a team-up with The Demon. Man, Breyfogle knocked it outta the park there!

When I think 'Batman', though, I picture Aparo, but my favorite as a kid was Kelley Jones by far.

5/25/2006 08:04:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Finally, someone who mirrors my thoughts. Breyfogle is THE Batman artist. No disrespect whatsoever, but Aparo's (God bless his soul)Batman looked and reacted the same way allthroughout his runs. Same with Miller, et al. Breyfogle knew variety and exploited it wonderfully.

Kelley Jones' treatment of Batman was fun for a while. His style was a breather from the usual Batman depiction. But one could only take so much of it.

6/15/2006 10:00:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

some of you are blind and retarded what about Alan Davis and JIM LEE!WHEN JIM DID BATMAN HE CAME BACK TO LIFE!THERE ARE TO MANY POSERS AMONGST COMIC READERS!

8/10/2006 08:32:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Neal Adams is the guy that brought Batman back to his roots in a new fashion, since he drew Batman every other artist has really just been an imitator. Frank Miller just tweaked Adams' concept and Jim Lee just copied Frank Miller's work changing it slightly to make Batman look younger, but Neal Adams work is the real primer for all the artist's that came after. Neal Adams made Batman into the ultimate hero, the dark knight, the dark detective, his Batman is the trademark Batman rendition, all others just new versions of Adams' masterwork. Even Aparo for all his great work, just followed in Adams' footsteps. Any Batman fan knows that Neal Adams is the man who defined Batman's image, behind in greatness only to Bob Kane and Bill Finger.

8/23/2006 01:03:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Breyfogle was great. He did great work in the late 80s which I love.
Here is my list:

1. Jim Lee
2. Neal Adams
3. Kelley Jones
4. Brian Bolland
5. Frank Miller (not Dark Knight strikes again)
6. Norm Brefogle
7. Marshall Rogers
8. Klaus Janson
9. David Mazuchelli
10. Scott Mcdaniel

This is just from my head, it would be better if I had their work infront of me.

12/02/2007 03:18:00 PM  
Blogger Tommy! said...

Here's my list:

1- Neal Adams
2- Brian Bolland
3- Dick Sprang
4- Jim Aparo
5- Jim Lee
6- Dick Giordano
7- Bruce Timm
8- Marshall Rogers
9- Bill Finger
10-Bob Kane?

BATMAN FAN? Visit The bat-Blog!
http://www.bat-blog.com

Thanks, Tommy

3/22/2008 12:47:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

1. Jim Lee
2. Aparo
3. Everyone else

12/23/2008 10:37:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Find and download that you need at Rapidshare Search Engine.
Top Site List Free Proxy Site Free Download mp3 Michael Jackson song All Michael Jackson Lyrics Hollywood Celebrity Gossip Download Mp3 Gratis

11/11/2009 08:06:00 PM  
Anonymous Generic Cialis said...

Amparo will be #1 followed closely by Breyfogle, still I have my doubts in how close because there are issues drawn by Breyfogle that are amazing.

9/06/2010 06:26:00 PM  
Anonymous Tadalafil said...

Amparo would have to be the greatest artist to have ever been in Batman, and I believe it will take a long time before someone gets near him.

10/08/2010 02:27:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hands down Kelley Jones,best art on the book since Marshall Rogers.

3/11/2011 01:42:00 PM  
Anonymous Aciphex said...

tooooo good information. very nice.

10/04/2011 03:47:00 AM  
Anonymous fnaf3 said...

Thanks for sharing this quality information with us. I really enjoyed reading.
----
five nights at freddy's | fnaf 3 | five nights at freddy's game

7/22/2015 03:25:00 AM  
Anonymous Tammy said...

Hey,
I applaud your post . Thanks for shared .

10/05/2016 05:21:00 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

شركة تنظيف منازل بالدمام
شركة تنظيف منازل بالخبر
شركة تنظيف منازل بالظهران
شركة تسليك مجارى بسيهات

6/28/2017 10:39:00 AM  
Anonymous Emotional Quotient said...

nice...yr..awesome

8/15/2019 03:01:00 PM  
Blogger galiaiida said...

Poker Tournaments and Slots - JtmHub
Jumba Casino's poker rooms 수원 출장안마 are open 충청북도 출장안마 24 hours a day, seven days 구미 출장마사지 a 인천광역 출장안마 week 안산 출장샵 and have a wide range of tournaments. All of the poker tournaments come with a

3/03/2022 10:41:00 PM  
Anonymous Hoffman said...

This is the great contents that I ever seen, thankyou for sharing this post

2/23/2024 04:53:00 AM  
Anonymous Alessandro said...

Suggestions and ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks for sharing wonderful post.

2/23/2024 04:53:00 AM  
Anonymous Blackwell said...

I just want to say thank you for one million times to this fabulous article

2/23/2024 04:53:00 AM  
Anonymous Pennington said...

This blog is awesome. I hope you continue to share these good things

2/23/2024 04:54:00 AM  
Anonymous Johnathan said...

This is really helpful post and very informative there is no doubt about it.

2/23/2024 04:54:00 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home