Not really. I was kinda wrong. If you actually look at the images you will see differences that indicate they were separate drawings. Similar poses, but no indication of laziness if it was depicting a scene that was actually in the book (and it did). The fact that he didn't just copy & paste the image shows that he is anythung BUT lazy.

That's the plan. If you're going to be there and you have a Q for JB and figure out who I am, I'll post em right here for JB to reply to. Or Paul.

Part of the job (and some artist would say the biggest part) is to come up with a interesting visual, not juts the act of drawing itself. Some draw 5 or 10 doodles to come op with a good cover image. Sometimes the same for the interior.
And I have never ever seen someone us ea copy & pasted image from the story pages for the cover.
So what makes you think hes "anything but" lazy. He's been lazy. Not as lazy as he could have been, but as lazy as he could get away with.
But I guess there are only so many images (like ONE) you can come up with dragons fighting.

Um, once again...look at both images. Nothing was copied & pasted. They were both obviously separate drawings. Nice try, though.

Inevitably, one of JB's kool-aid drunk fans will gush about how cool it is that Daredevil is upside down in this latest commission offering:


http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=36585&PN=1&totPosts=2

No one however will question Byrne's interpretation of an extended bicep in a foreshortened view. Ouch!


And of course we still get that dog nose!

Here's a pretty touchy post from Byrne in his Next Men thread...


I quite love it that the biggest gun the minibrains seem to be able to level against the relaunch of NEXT MEN is that it is "fifteen years late" -- which raises the question of how something that wasn't scheduled can be "late".
But, then, we must not cloud the issue with facts, must we?


This one raises a couple of questions...

1) Is the fifteen years later thing REALLY the biggest criticism leveled at Next Men's return? I'm more concerned that the whole thing which was boring even when Byrne was still more or less going strong will be an even bigger snooze now that Byrne's writing has collapsed into self-indulgent fan fiction.


2) Who are the "minibrains?" Are they anyone with a critical view of this book's return? And really? "minibrains?" I haven't been this embarrassed for him since the "M*****" schtick!

Except for a few old (or old-ish) geezers like us who follow Byrne for all the hilarity that seems to surround him, most comic fans (online or otherwise) don't give a flying fig about him and what he says. It's sad really, he was big once but now, he does stuff no one reads for companies that are way, way down the pecking order.

I know we are not going to reach any agreement about this, because it seems we are talking about different things. I'm not saying that Byrne cut-and-pasted or traced. I'm not saying he didn't have to work on the pencilling or the inking of two separate drawings. But the basic pose is the same, just a few details of arm placement and the like changed. There's an earlier stage of doing a drawing, call it the layout, or composition, or structure drawing, or just the very earliest problem-solving and mental visioning part of making an image. That's the part where Byrne seems to have skimped in this case, using the same starting point for two large images that were going to be shown only two pages away from one another in a single issue. As a reader, I felt a little short-changed by what I saw as a failure of imagination in this case. It's not a huge deal, it's a tiny quibble really. But it's one more small mark in the negative column for Byrne's reputation.

I find myself thinking of Walt Simonson, Byrne's contemporary, who in Thor #380 pulled off the feat of an entire issue composed of full-page splash panels, almost all of Thor fighting a huge dragon, and every page a unique, interesting composition in its own right. How many ways are there to draw dragons fighting? Well, Simonson proved that there are a lot more ways than just one, if you put in the time and effort and imagination to the task.

According to Shoeshineboy, er, Special Delivery Jones...um...Saskatchewan? Well, like it matters...

Anyway, according to a VERY high authority...most comic fans (online or otherwise) don't give a flying fig about him and what he says.

I agree. And yet, there are a few (not going to name names) that seem to go out of their way (so to speak) to TRY to stir things up & certainly NOT for a positive purpose. So, these few latch onto what THEY consider to be a fallen star. Doesn't say anything good about them & their opportunistic ways.



Why speculate? Do some research. You REALLY want to impress the naysayers? Show them your great powers of observation by including facts. I realize that naysayers & REAL facts don't mix very well, but it seems lately that they need a more positive representative who is willing to make that extra effort. You've been trying REALLY hard lately to lead the charge, but the fact (sorry) is that without REAL facts you're fact up (OUCH!).



Interesting choice of words. I don't think you realize it, but you just insulted pretty much all of the current comic book talent pool. Mind you, I'm not a fan of most of today's comic book writers & artists, so insult THEM all you like (as long as you use facts).

That said, it should be noted (DUH!) that JB no longer writes & draws for the two companies that made him a star. Many applaud this. However, is it REALLY a bad thing that JB no longer works at Marvel or DC these days?
The comic book industry, as a whole, has certainly decreased in quality over the last decade or so & while JB's absence is clearly missed by REAL fans, his return would not help in the least.
Most REAL fans constantly complain (with reason) about the state of the industry & the ways in which the stories & art & all around entertainment that it USE to provide is all but a fond memory.
Does anyone blame JB for NOT wanting to work for the BIG two these days? Sure, some will try to swerve this by saying that he is not wanted by the BIG two, but this would not be considered a good argument on the side of the naysayers because working for the BIG two these days is not necessarily a badge of pride, is it?

So now JB FINALLY decides to bring back Next Men. A project that even most of the naysayers have admitted to enjoying (with a few misguided exceptions...IMO). At the very least, JB should be appreciated for this, but NOT surprisingly a few bad weeds try to sprout up & cast aspersions. Pathetic.



Fortunately there are VERY few with a critical view of Next Men's return. Are they ALL (both of 'em) minibrains? No.



Poor JB.

I'm okay with the drawing, I see the things you pointed out, but they don't bother me as much. But I did get a laugh out of Byrne quibbling later in the thread about how the DD on DD's chest is "somewhat inaccurate, as "Daredevil" is one word. It should just be a single "D"!!" Yeah, doesn't Matt Murdock read the indicia of his own comic? Come on, counselor!