John Workman is one of my favorite letters. his job is Mighty Thor During my Walter Simonson run, this was probably the first time I really noticed and appreciated the craftsmanship of the lettering. I think his work is different from that of a lot of other comics writers. Considering I was a kid, I probably couldn’t articulate why it stood out so much, but in hindsight, I think I have it figured out.
All letterers have to deal with layout and space on the page, so they all do it to some degree, but with Workman’s word balloons, narration boxes, and sound effects, they always feel like the page was designed The intentional part. His word balloons and narration boxes often end up in the gutter. Sound effects and unique word balloons work with the art. They always feel like they are intentional rather than accidental.
He brought this wonderful sense of design to one of DC’s Young Animal books.
“Did you see something disgusting?”
Although, even with Workman’s letter, there is something about the original four Young Animals titles that Mom panics This makes it unique. Volume One, work in progressgo through Jody Hauser, Tommy Lee Edwards, Sean Crystal, Jean-François BeaulieuWorkman introduces us to Violet Page. Gerard Way described the character in an afterword to the first collection as a riff on the look of someone like Batman in modern society. Behind the mask is a somewhat cruel vigilante, but outside the mask is a passionate celebrity. Also in Gotham, but dressed in white.
It’s not just that the book falls in the shadow of the Bat (and in Gotham Radio From Jim Krueger, Phil Hurst and others. This evokes Oliver Stone’s talk radio). The terse dialogue and radical introspection of Jody Houser’s narration bring a compelling dichotomy to the character of Violet Page. Chaotic family dynamics or boarding schools experimenting on children, unwanted or otherwise. This is also the feel and look that Tommy Lee Edwards’ artwork gives the book from the get-go.
Edwards has a wonderful, moody, husky style that I almost always want to describe as a “dark Simonson.” Of course, there’s more to it than that, and Edwards’ impressive use of thick outlines, speckled blacks, and rough shadows gives the world a gritty, lived-in feel. It’s fun to depict Panic Mom herself as the thick blocky shadows disappear, leaving silhouettes and details. Ultimately making her costume white to make the character stand out in the darkness. He also used a limited, mostly blue and purple color palette in his artwork.
This book also adopts a three-part narrative structure. Each arc had a rotating artist, with Shawn Crystal and Jean-Francois Beaulieu taking over line art and color duties for the second arc. Crystal’s style is a bit more exaggerated and angular than Edwards’, bringing a different twisted flavor to the polyhouse arc. Although Beaulieu’s colors continue the scheme from the first arc, everything is tied together through Workman’s impressive letters.
“There is nothing but beauty, nothing but perfection, nothing but terror.
outside doom patrolOf all the Young Animals books, I thought this one would have longer life. Maybe even outside the imprint. Although published milk war Crossover, there are some time-related changes that might make things weird. It’s because of the Gotham setting, the connection to the Bat-Family, and the dark aspects that separate it from the weirder heroic ideologies that I think it might have legs.
But, while it lasts, it’s still good. Mother Panic – Volume 1: A Work in Progress The work of Houser, Edwards, Crystal, Beaulieu, and Workman is an interesting take on the celebrity-turned-vigilante model. There’s an interesting twist to the tragic backstory, both in relative orphanhood and on the road to gaining powers, as well as a cast of quirky supporting characters. And, damn, does the design of this book look good.
Collection of classic comics: MOTHER PANIC
Mother Panic – Volume 1: A Work in Progress
writer: Jody Hauser
artist: Tommy Lee Edwards and Sean Crystal
Colorist: Tommy Lee Edwards and Jean-François Beaulieu
Engraver: John Workman and Sean Crystal
Publisher: DC Comics – DC’s Baby Animals
release date: November 19, 2016 – April 26, 2017 (original question)
Read past entries in the Classic Comics Compendium!
