RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Comic Books Best-ever LEGION artists.

Swan. Cockrum. Grell. Giffen. Coipel. Lightle. Batista. Pearson. Immonen.

Or someone else...?

Can we take all nine?

Is 100 pages of Legion a month too much?

I think NOT!

Seriously, I'm finding myself very pleased with the art of Chris Batista.

Yeah, it's a departure from the super-stylized Coipel and Kevin Walker (and I do love that type of art!) but I like it... a lot.

It harkens back to the days of Chris Sprouse (those days were TOO short-lived) while in my opinion being superior to the semi-similar work of Moder and Moy.

LEGION # 20 sealed the deal. I'm content and happy.

Curt Swan... *happy sigh!*

Hey Lash,

Do you read Tom Strong?

As a Sprouse fan, you'd love it.

Yep, I collected the first 20 issues and DID love 'em! But not enough to KEEP 'em...

I've since sold them on eBay.

But I will NEVER sell the Moore/Sprouse issues of SUPREME...

Where I'd rank them, from Levitz era forward:

1) Jim Sherman
2) Keith Giffen ... early!
3) Steve Lightle
4) Greg LaRocque
5) Pat Broderick
6) Stuart Immonen

Moy and Batista (current) would be after these, with Coipel considerably below that ... but still above the later Giffen.

Larry Mahlstedt deserves a shout out for being the best utility-infielder inker. Gene Colan for the single best guest shot, though I -am- partial for obvious reasons to Dawnstar and Wildfire meeting minds and hearts in LSH v2 n311.

I'm probably going to get shouted at for this but I really like all of Giffen's art, yeap even the dirty looking nine-panel stuff. I just like watching an artist's style evolve. It was also good to watch Coipel develop and mature, although his early art was always a bit too scratchy for me.

Saying that I'm really enjoying Batista's version of the 30th Century.

One of my favorites was Terry Shoemaker. He did a run either just after or just before Dan Jurgens, in the Tales of the LSH run that came out at the same time as the Baxter issues. His art was very sweet and youthful, reminding me of the Legion's younger days, kinda like my other favorite, Chris Sprouse (not that their art looks alike).

Of those listed by Lashie Poo, my favorite was probably Immomen, primarily becaus ehe drew one of the best Projectra's I've ever seen. She was simply lovely.

Yoicks! Forgot about Jurgens and Kesel! Including their stellar work on the original year of "Tales of the LSH" tales. I'd put them after LaRocque and before Broderick.

I said it before, I'll say it again. We need a 100 page giant every month drawn by the Legion of Super-Artists!

There's just too many of them that I want to have drawing the book not to.

I smell a new 'Support' thread acomin'...

Well, since the Princess and others are so kind as to jog memories again, I'll also put in a plaudit for Shoemaker. And for Jim Janes, who filled in with several simply told and dramatic stories in the Cockrum-to-Giffen transition years.

By the way, apropos of whoever above was ducking brickbats for liking the later Giffen: It wasn't that he was unoriginal. Some of his redesigns of characters (including Dawnstar, despite what he did to deliberately abuse her later) were striking and intentionally dramatic. They also emphasized function over style, which was never the best thing to do with the highly styled Legionnaires, but was an interesting change.

I can appreciate that impulse, with either an accomplished Giffen or an unaccomplished (on "Lost") Coipel. Where both artists fell down was with their execution of the ideas. Coipel's scritch-scratch obscured both faces and his lack of mastery of perspective. Giffen fell back on brooding non-expressions and six or more photostats on many nine-panel-grid pages, which was simply lazy on his part.

I hate to even think about who would be my absolute favorite. It has always changed with the times, Grell and Cockrum in the 70's. Giffen, to me, ruled the 80's.

With the Legion #24 on the horizon, though, I have to say that Steve Lightle is probably at the top of the list. He's always been my favorite Legion cover artist and I just can't wait for a whole issue drawn by him.

My sentimental favorite is Curt Swan. May he be somewhere in the heavens now, sharing his unique vision with all the other great artists in history.

Cru, I agree, Immonen's Projectra was the picture of beauty and grace. Her presence is one of the top reasons I enjoyed the Mordru War/Dead Legionnaires arc so much (TM-post-K #s 44-48)

I like Lee Moder a lot, especially at the beginning. He did a great job keeping up the basic style that Immonen had set for the book, plus I liked a lot of his renditions of individual characters. I particularly liked his Tinya.

Stuart Immonen - Alan Davis - Chris Sprouse - Adam Hughes - Curt Swan - Lee Moder - in that order (more or less)!

Whoops -- forgot Coipel there. He'd probably go between Swan and Moder...

SHERMAN!
SHERMAN!
SHERMAN!

The one thing I'm most looking forward to in that upcoming 2morrow's Legion thingie is the Sherman interview.

Although I adore the man's art, I know diddley-squat about him.

Keith Giffen Stu Immonen and Adam Hughes were why I bought the book.

Hey Tom!!!!
Welcome to the new Legion HQ!!!
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Alec
aka Señor Widebottom
aka lil'rhino
aka shirleytemple of D00M
aka *pit viper
aka Miss Understood
aka assumpta brava

Senor Widebottom = Alec = lil'rhino?!?

I didn't know!

Hi Alec!

Can't let anoher post go by without mentioning the Legion master, the late, great Curt Swan :)

also, Giffen, Immonen, Sprouse, Cockrum, Sherman, Moder, Lightle and Larocque, in no particular order.

I'll just do my top 5 (in chronological order):
- Swan
- Giffen (all styles)
- Immomen
- Sprouse
- Coipel

In chronological order.

Curt Swan
Dave Cockrum
Jim Sherman
Kieth Giffen
Steve Lightle
Jason Pearson

I would have liked to have seen more of Pat Broderick. Jimmy Janes had bad inks.

For me, the THREE Best Legion artists IN order:

1) Curt Swan

2) Dave Cockrum

3) Stuart Immomen

They all three just added so much to the LSH..Not just their artwork alone, but for creating a realistic looking 30 th century, and in Dave's case, creating Wildfire and many oufits for the Legionaires.

I already gave my top 5, but I wanted to give a special mention to the Shoemaker / Kesel team - I loved their work. If they had done more, I would put them right up there with the other more notable artists who contributed more to the mythos.

classic lightle and giffen. but coipel rocks my butthole as well. but i was raised on lightle and giffen.
peace

You know, it's always just a special thing when I see a COMPLETELY new phrase. "Coipel rocks my butthole" pretty much definitely qualifies.

All time fave was Keith Giffen, in all his phases he rocked my socks - loved the nine panel grid in issue 20, page 21.

Coipel, Swan, Grell and Lightle all come a close joint second.

It'd be nice if we could get ALL the artists mentioned onboard for the blowout issue # 25!