Aug

18

Awkward

Filed Under Comics Artists, My Art | 5 Comments

What with all this talk about GMA being in Secret Invasion, I set about *reading* Secret Invasion. I actually have issues #1 to #4, signed by ahem, Leinil. Now, I hear Brian Michael Bendis is one of the hottest comic book writers today, and in fact, he’s been so for quite a while now. I hear he has a reputation for having realistic dialogue. I did read his other work previously, like The New Avengers: Illuminati (very dialogue heavy) and Goldfish.

I have to admit, and I’ve never done this while reading any other comic book before, that I felt like I wanted to rewrite some bits and pieces here and there while reading Secret Invasion. There’s lots of great ideas and scenes set up, but the dialogue can’t seem to rise and live up to them. There are a couple of really great scenes in the story, like the scenes between Iron Man and Jessica Drew. There was a lot of potential for tension and drama, which could have been finished off with great dialogue. But. It. Just. Won’t. Get. There.

It’s like watching Mau Marcelo in the finals of Philippine Idol. You know she’s got the arsenal, and you keep expecting her to really let it rip and show us what she’s got. You’re waiting for it…waiting for it… but in the end you’re frustrated because she doesn’t.

It was during the entire Jessica Drew voiceover for the first several pages of Secret Invasion #4 that I felt it the most. It’s a terrific sequence of events, and I get exactly what the writer was trying to go for. I understood it. But the dialogue just didn’t take us there. So much potential unrealized, and quite awkward in a few places.

Secret Invasion is actually a lot better than New Avengers: Illuminati. Once again, there’s a terrific idea behind it. The entire issue is nothing but secret meetings between some of the most powerful superheroes in the Marvel Universe. All they do is talk, which seems boring on the face of it, but it’s full of potential. Under a great writer, I can read books of nothing but this. But the dialogue in a few places seemed disjointed, and yeah, awkward. It doesn’t feel cohesive and solid.

I do have to make a further confession. Based solely on the reputation of the writer, I bought Goldfish sight unseen several years ago, one of his early, much acclaimed books. Set me back a thousand pesos. I have to admit I only made it halfway. Rare is the graphic novel in my collection that I have never read through and through. Very rare. But I just wasn’t feeling it. It’s the dialogue that did me in.

Now I’m not asking anyone to agree with me. This is just what I feel when I read these comics. It’s a purely personal thing. I made this observation because I love the freedom of being able to think for myself.

Read the comics and think for yourself. If you like it and you think it’s the most brilliant thing ever written, then it’s great. I won’t even argue and debate about it with you.

I will still get and read Secret Invasion of course. I’m already halfway through it, and I think I’m hooked enough on the plot to see it to the end. And of course, seeing this terrific Leinil Yu work is always a pleasure. Leinil is doing the best work of his career. I wow at all the incredible spreads of thousands of superheroes hitting each other, all meticulously drawn. I love it, in spite of my jabs of how big some of Nick Fury’s jaws are, he.he.

I have to make a further confession. I was offered to ink Secret Invasion a very long time ago. Was it last year? I don’t remember when now, exactly. If I accepted, I probably wouldn’t even have read it, like I have never read most of what I had inked before. I’d be too close to the material to judge it objectively. But I declined inking it, and much appreciation goes to my pal Leinil Yu for offering it. I said to him that I wish he never gets tired of asking me because one day I just might ink him again.

But right now I’m in the middle of getting stuff out my mind, giving expression to my own creativity. One of the reasons why I let go of inking was that I felt my creativity was being stifled. I wanted to draw, and I wanted to write. I didn’t care if the projects offered to me were as huge as Secret Invasion. There were a couple more project like this from other companies that I declined. But seeing stuff like Elmer, Humanis Rex!, and Timawa, specially Elmer, come out of this, stuff that I created myself and on my own, I knew I could never regret the decision.

Who knows, after finishing Elmer, I just might well do other stuff again. Maybe ink, maybe draw, maybe color. I really don’t know. Maybe even write. That would be great! Maybe Secret Invasion 2! Because really… oh never mind.

Comments

5 Responses to “Awkward”

  1. Jiggy Cruz on August 18th, 2008 10:39 am

    Hi Sir Gerry

    I did read SI 5, nakakatawa yung GMA-Skrull thing.

    I was able to get Elmer #2! Finally!!!

    Will I see you on Thursday?

  2. Gerry Alanguilan on August 18th, 2008 10:50 am

    Hello Jiggy! Yes, I replied to your email a few days ago. I’m coming. :) Sama ko si wife ko si Ilyn.

  3. Ed on August 18th, 2008 12:42 pm

    That’s the thing being an inker, half of your creativity is there; you just ink. Kaya nga tumatanggap ako ng small projects and commissions just to exercise my creativity kahit papaano.

    Kaya dapat…every month talaga ang Komikero meeting para magawa natin ang green-ish creativity ng bawat isa! :P

    Bukas bili ako ng Secret Invasion #5.

  4. Reno on August 18th, 2008 3:59 pm

    My only gripe about SI (actually what many gripe about Bendis’ work) is it took to long to get to the point where the story is now. The tie-ins moved faster than the main mini-series. With that said, I am actually enjoying SI more than FC (Final Crisis). That’s saying a lot, since Im ore of a DC than a Marvel guy.Although, with Grant Morrison’s work, I think it’s best to just read it all in one sitting.

    The best SI tie-in IMO is Sacred Invasion in Incredible Hercules. And I think you’ll find the dialogue there much more to your liking, Gerry.

  5. Andy on August 19th, 2008 9:15 am

    I hate the way the SI was inked.

    I still think Ka gerry that you are still the best inker that Yu had ever had and will have. You and Yu are like Jim lee and Scott williams tandem.

    Still i respect your decision, and kudos to your work. unfortunately i cant buy a copy here at canada.

    Doesnt it occur in your mind that your return as Yu’s inker will be a big comeback? I can smell it so sweet.