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Review: Modern Masters Volume 7: John Byrne
Modern Masters Volume 7: John Byrne
Edited by Jon B. Cooke and Eric Nolen-Weathington
Published by TwoMorrows Publishing. $14.95 USD
I have a confession to make. I love John Byrne.
That used to be something people didn't have to confess to--it was a given, back in the '80s. He was the guy who could fix your favorite superhero who was going through a bad period, or step in and draw a character the best they'd ever been drawn. Byrne's done his reputation a great deal of harm with the advent of the Internet and its hazards of instant publishing and inability to convey context, not to mention his susceptability to goading or ego-stroking or pontificating. Worse that that, the superstar for a couple of turbulent decades in comics has for years turned in work that hasn't come near his past heights. In fact, the back cover of this book doesn't mention his work past the early-'90s Next Men. But ultimately--and I believe this more and more as I grow older--it's like Byrne says in the book, "it's about the Art." Carmine Infantino was no prize from what I've read, but I like his Flash and Batman work just fine. As Byrne also says, Jack Kirby and Joe Shuster, who both became causes for such issues as unreturned artwork and creating popular cash cow characters they didn't own, both ran comics production studios where art was not returned and the artists had no ownership of their work. Nobody's perfect.
I don't write this to convince anyone to like John Byrne again, or to tell you he really is a great guy. I don't think he probably is, and I don't really care. He's still the writer/artist whom I most associate with great comics being created when I was first really into them, who really had the superstar thing going. With his appearances in his own comics, he probably came closest to what Stan Lee did in his era, and nobody has done it as well since.
This seventh volume of TwoMorrows' series is a departure of sorts, in that it's the first not edited by Eric Nolen-Weathington. Well, he's credited as co-editor, but really, the bulk of the book is an interview conducted by Cooke and originally intended for his cancelled Comic Book Artist magazine. Speaking of which, there is an amusing part of the interview that discusses how Dave Cockrum was the type of artist who could only meet a deadline 2/3rds of the way, no matter how much time you gave him, and I wonder how that may relate to the fate of CBA. But hey, Byrne would want me to stick to facts and not idle speculation, so let's move on.
What Cooke does is give John Byrne back to his fans and readers, or former fans and readers, in a lengthy, lively, intelligent and respectful interview that allows Byrne to bring fresh comments and context and seemingly well-worn topics like working with Chris Claremont, Jim Shooter, Superman and the Legend imprint, among many other topics. I've read his sniping about Claremont for years, as well as his glee at recalling how he and Uncanny X-Men editor Roger Stern conspired to con Claremont into doing the book they wanted to do, but I don't recall Byrne ever saying a Claremont Iron Fist was the only comic Byrne drew that made Byrne cry. It's also fun to read Byrne give Shooter his props for his eleventh hour, unsolicited improvement of the Dark Phoenix Saga conclusion, or his appreciation of how much he enjoys clones like Vic Bridges for getting his style right. It's Byrne at probably his most relaxed and thoughtful, with space for real dialogue instead of sound bites, and Cooke doesn't drag Byrne into commenting on current comics or their creators. I also think Cooke's actually visiting Byrne in his home to conduct the interview had a tremendously beneficial impact. The book is augmented, as one might expect, with a gallery of some of Byrne's better covers and lots of original art, some previously unpublished. TwoMorrows remains stingy on the production--it's not a very long book, with a flimsy cover and no color pages, but on the other hand, it's inexpensive enough that those on the fence about Byrne may be more willing to pick it up. They should.
Edited by Jon B. Cooke and Eric Nolen-Weathington
Published by TwoMorrows Publishing. $14.95 USD
I have a confession to make. I love John Byrne.
That used to be something people didn't have to confess to--it was a given, back in the '80s. He was the guy who could fix your favorite superhero who was going through a bad period, or step in and draw a character the best they'd ever been drawn. Byrne's done his reputation a great deal of harm with the advent of the Internet and its hazards of instant publishing and inability to convey context, not to mention his susceptability to goading or ego-stroking or pontificating. Worse that that, the superstar for a couple of turbulent decades in comics has for years turned in work that hasn't come near his past heights. In fact, the back cover of this book doesn't mention his work past the early-'90s Next Men. But ultimately--and I believe this more and more as I grow older--it's like Byrne says in the book, "it's about the Art." Carmine Infantino was no prize from what I've read, but I like his Flash and Batman work just fine. As Byrne also says, Jack Kirby and Joe Shuster, who both became causes for such issues as unreturned artwork and creating popular cash cow characters they didn't own, both ran comics production studios where art was not returned and the artists had no ownership of their work. Nobody's perfect.
I don't write this to convince anyone to like John Byrne again, or to tell you he really is a great guy. I don't think he probably is, and I don't really care. He's still the writer/artist whom I most associate with great comics being created when I was first really into them, who really had the superstar thing going. With his appearances in his own comics, he probably came closest to what Stan Lee did in his era, and nobody has done it as well since.
This seventh volume of TwoMorrows' series is a departure of sorts, in that it's the first not edited by Eric Nolen-Weathington. Well, he's credited as co-editor, but really, the bulk of the book is an interview conducted by Cooke and originally intended for his cancelled Comic Book Artist magazine. Speaking of which, there is an amusing part of the interview that discusses how Dave Cockrum was the type of artist who could only meet a deadline 2/3rds of the way, no matter how much time you gave him, and I wonder how that may relate to the fate of CBA. But hey, Byrne would want me to stick to facts and not idle speculation, so let's move on.
What Cooke does is give John Byrne back to his fans and readers, or former fans and readers, in a lengthy, lively, intelligent and respectful interview that allows Byrne to bring fresh comments and context and seemingly well-worn topics like working with Chris Claremont, Jim Shooter, Superman and the Legend imprint, among many other topics. I've read his sniping about Claremont for years, as well as his glee at recalling how he and Uncanny X-Men editor Roger Stern conspired to con Claremont into doing the book they wanted to do, but I don't recall Byrne ever saying a Claremont Iron Fist was the only comic Byrne drew that made Byrne cry. It's also fun to read Byrne give Shooter his props for his eleventh hour, unsolicited improvement of the Dark Phoenix Saga conclusion, or his appreciation of how much he enjoys clones like Vic Bridges for getting his style right. It's Byrne at probably his most relaxed and thoughtful, with space for real dialogue instead of sound bites, and Cooke doesn't drag Byrne into commenting on current comics or their creators. I also think Cooke's actually visiting Byrne in his home to conduct the interview had a tremendously beneficial impact. The book is augmented, as one might expect, with a gallery of some of Byrne's better covers and lots of original art, some previously unpublished. TwoMorrows remains stingy on the production--it's not a very long book, with a flimsy cover and no color pages, but on the other hand, it's inexpensive enough that those on the fence about Byrne may be more willing to pick it up. They should.
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