We got a big response to my last piece on sexualization in superhero art, and I’m back today with another look at the same premise: that comics art tells a story, and on a certain level, you can judge it according to how well it tells the story it’s trying to tell. This week, we’re going to compare and contrast how a female character is depicted in cape comics, what stories are being told by the art, and how effective different artists and styles are at telling those stories. Specifically, we’re comparing Greg Land drawing Psylocke in Uncanny X-Men #5 from 2012 and Jerome Opeña drawing Psylocke in Uncanny X-Force #4, from early 2011.I chose two pages that shared several similarities. They both feature Betsy “Psylocke” Braddock, a character traditionally associated with out-of-control cheesecake, and show her using a sword, interacting with a teammate, and displaying some strong emotion. The specifics are a little different, but the overall point of both pages are clear: Psylocke is skilled with a sword and cares about things. Land’s page fails in its intent, while Opeña’s does not. Let’s talk about why.
Read More: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/02/22/psylocke-art-greg-land-jerome-opena/#ixzz1nDHLsMj7
This! Greg Land is one of the worst artists in comics if not the worst. He’s a notorious swiper and considering his habit of phototracing porn (I wish I was joking), no series on the objectification of women in comics would be complete without taking him down a peg.
Brothers does a wonderful job showing how Land isn’t a just terrible artist for how he depicts women; he’s a terrible artist, period.
I’m no fan of Psylocke, X-Force in general (more of an X-Factor girl) or really any X-Men storyline about them fighting Apocalypse… again, but after seeing Jerome Opena’s artwork, I might just have to pick up the trade.
