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Joined: Jun 2003
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Which do you read comics for? Are you more likely to be impressed by a wafer thin story with some very flash visuals, or a comic with an excellent script that looks like it's been illustrated by a crippled ape?
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Joined: Aug 2001
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In my mind, they go together too much to separate the two. I can't pay attention to a good plot if the art is so bad it's distracting, nor can I enjoy really awesome art if the story accompanying it is piss-poor or worse. The two lean against one another so that, when both are done and done well, you come across some of the greatest stories in the history of comics.
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Joined: May 2003
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Sandman, Starman, Watchmen. These are the greats as far as I'm concerned. The reason they're great is the dialogue, and sparse use of action. I like it when you get all these calm scenes where you can know the character's thoughts and feelings. Then when the action comes, it's more powerful. I hate brainless fight issues.
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Joined: Oct 2001
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quote:
Originally posted by Chewy Walrus:
In my mind, they go together too much to separate the two. I can't pay attention to a good plot if the art is so bad it's distracting, nor can I enjoy really awesome art if the story accompanying it is piss-poor or worse. The two lean against one another so that, when both are done and done well, you come across some of the greatest stories in the history of comics.
I agree completely. If the story is great I can stand bad art, and if the art's great I can sometimes stand a bad story, but no comic can really be truly great without the amalgamation of the two.
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Joined: May 2003
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I read comics for the words and pictures and the best titles are those where the writing and the artwork compliment one another.
I am definitely appreciating the art side of comics more than I used to, but if I have to choose between the two, plot and storytelling has to win out. I'll tolerate dodgy artwork if there's a good story holding it together.
Like r3x29yz4a, I find pages and pages of fights, no matter how well drawn, to be rather boring.
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Joined: May 2002
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I read comics ultimately for plot. However art plays a big part in keeping me on a certain book (it has to doesn't it?). The two best examples I have of potentially great stories ruined by terrible art are in the pages of Superman. The three part Superbaby arc drawn by Carlos Meglia could have been awesome. Come on, any story with the Crime Syndicate should kick ass! But nope, Carlos' art made me not pick up parts 2 and 3. I had to reread Action 779 because of Duncan Rouleu's bad art.
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Joined: Dec 2002
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I can abide okay art OR okay story but I probably won't buy it.
If either one sucks ass I won't read it. The most I'll give it is a flip through if it is somehow an important issue or storyline.
If both are good I'll be a loyal buyer.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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A bad plot annoys me more than bad art.
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Joined: May 2003
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The two most current comics that come to mind as possible greatest-stories-ever are Authority v.1 1-12 and Planetary. I mean, the great art and Ellis's fantastic writing complemented each other so well that each can easily go down as the greatest stories in comics history.
The first arc of Rising Stars was fantastic, but the art went from great to hack quickly, and the damn thing ain't done yet (nor will it anytime soon, I bet)! Morrisons run on New X-Men went from high-hopes to garbage when Kordey became the fill-in instead of a superhero artist, and then the regular artist, Quitely, became a "guest artist".
Preacher has been considered one of the greatest, but I was neither a fan of the story or art. Y-The Last Man is still looking awesome and I hope they keep the same penciler. Fables isn't bad, but I wish they kept the penciler from the first arc because I'm not a fan of the current artists work.
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Joined: Oct 2001
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Like others in this thread, I can tolerate bad art with a fantastic plot, but I can't tolerate a bad plot just because it has fantastic art. The story is always more important to me than the artwork, and I actually find that comic art that is too detailed actually detracts from the flow of the story.
The perfect marriage of story and artwork is one in which they don't try to crowd each other out but work together in tandem beautifully. Mature simplicity in both storytelling and artwork definitely helps to bring this about.
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If the art sucks, I won't read it. If the story sucks, I won't read it.
However, if the story is good, and the art is OK, I will read it, if it is a title I am collecting monthly.
I understand that we are not always going to get the best talent on our favorite titles, but I will not tolerate crap. I had to drop BoP for quite a few issues because it sucked.
It sucked for 9 issues. Not only did the art suck, the story was awful.
Had the story actually been good, and by good, I mean fuckin great, I would have put up with the poor art b/c I love the title, and I love the characters.
But it was some of the worst crap I have ever read or seen.
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