WANTED: All the Shades of Black: Batman by Paul Gulacy collection

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deejayway	WANTED: All the Shades of Black: Batman by Paul Gulacy collection	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1627 (07/05/09 12:04 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Tags : batman, doug moench, paul gulacy, predator, hugo strange, cossack I've been engaged in a MoKF thread on the Marvel board and a Paul Gulacy thread on Crisis and it got me thinking. Gulacy's dark, moody depiction of Batman is one of my favourites and he has built up quite a body of Batwork, which should be collected in one volume. The contents could be (in this order): Year One: Ra's a Ghul: 1-2 by Devlin & Gulacy. Batman: 393 & 394 by Doug Moench & Gulacy. Their first teaming on Batman. LotDK: 11-15: Prey by Moench & Gulacy. Batman vs Predator II: Bloodmatch: 1-4 by Moench & Gulacy. LotDK: 137-141: Terror. The sequel to Prey. by Moench & Gulacy. Batman: Outlaws: 1-2 by Moench & Gulacy. I want a collection of Paul Gulacy Batman tales (Result) Gulacy's Batman stinks so NO sale! In a b&w Showcase edition. As a (series of) color tradepaperback(s). In hardcover in b&w. In hardcover in colour. Read between the lines or you'll fall through the cracks... Oh what foils these mortals be... Do you dare enter where Angels fear to Thread? Last Edited By: deejayway 07/05/09 12:16 PM. Edited 2 times.
TODD TAMANEND CLARK	Re: BATMAN ILLUSTRATED by PAUL GULACY	#1	[-]
Posts: 3179 (07/05/09 1:52 PM) Golden Age Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	HIGH QUALITY FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER, PLEASE!! TODD TAMANEND CLARK Poet/Composer/Multi-Instrumentalist/Cultural Historian The Monongahela River, Turtle Island http://www.myspace.com/toddtamanendclark
M Kronenberg		#2	[-]
Posts: 407 (07/05/09 2:42 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	I strongly believe that Moench and Gulacy's "Prey" storyline that appeared in LODTK is one of the best modern interpretations of Batman. A worthy sequel to Miller's YEAR ONE. I own two pages of original art from the series--masterpieces! I'm also partial to Year One: Ra's a Ghul, because my wife Laurie colored that series. And I own two magnificent pages from that series too. Michael Kronenberg Art Director/Designer/Writer TWOMORROWS • GEMSTONE • VANGUARD
leveret1		#3	[-]
Posts: 2308 (07/05/09 3:03 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	M Kronenberg wrote: I strongly believe that Moench and Gulacy's "Prey" storyline that appeared in LODTK is one of the best modern interpretations of Batman. A worthy sequel to Miller's YEAR ONE. I own two pages of original art from the series--masterpieces! "Prey" was well done. "Terror" was a disappointment.
deejayway		#4	[-]
Posts: 1632 (07/05/09 3:40 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	I gotta say, even though I'd like it included in a collection for the artwork, I wasn't impressed by the story in Ra's A Ghul. I would like to include Gulacy's Catwoman run in this because it had some classic Gulacy artwork but it was so riddled with crossovers that it didn't make any sense to me. Quite an achievement DC to screw up a run of a comic produced by no-one less than Ed Brubaker and Paul Gulacy... I thought Batman vs Predator was surprisingly good considering the weak premise. I usually hate crossovers of any kind, never mind with movie properties. Read between the lines or you'll fall through the cracks... Oh what foils these mortals be... Do you dare enter where Angels fear to Thread?
deejayway		#5	[-]
Posts: 1635 (07/05/09 3:49 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	I want an all-Gulacy hardcover edition but you know Doug Moench did another sequel to Prey, which fits in between Prey and Terror. It was called Heat and featured beautiful artwork by Russ Health, no slouch in the mood department by any means. That would make a nice collection too.... Read between the lines or you'll fall through the cracks... Oh what foils these mortals be... Do you dare enter where Angels fear to Thread?
M Kronenberg		#6	[-]
Posts: 409 (07/05/09 3:59 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	deejayway wrote: I want an all-Gulacy hardcover edition but you know Doug Moench did another sequel to Prey, which fits in between Prey and Terror. It was called Heat and featured beautiful artwork by Russ Health, no slouch in the mood department by any means. That would make a nice collection too.... Yes, "Prey" and "Heat" should be collected together sometime. One leads right into the other and they're both excellent! Michael Kronenberg Art Director/Designer/Writer TWOMORROWS • GEMSTONE • VANGUARD
leveret1		#7	[-]
Posts: 2309 (07/05/09 4:06 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	deejayway wrote: I would like to include Gulacy's Catwoman run in this because it had some classic Gulacy artwork but it was so riddled with crossovers that it didn't make any sense to me. Quite an achievement DC to screw up a run of a comic produced by no-one less than Ed Brubaker and Paul Gulacy... Then again, Brubaker has said he didn't like Gulacy's art considering how different it was from the prior team. In fact, it was one of the reasons why he ended up leaving Catwoman. I liked Gulacy's version in "Prey" but I agree that his run on the Catwoman title just ruined what was an otherwise great series. It really didn't fit.
KOBE27		#8	[-]
Posts: 2962 (07/05/09 5:08 PM) Bronze Age Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Batman #393-394 were very, very good. International intrigue dripping with mood and atmosphere. (Although I vaguely remember somebody here not liking the story) LODK #11-15 "Prey" is a classic. The rest... I dunno. "Terror" is not necessarily a BAD story, but compared to "Prey" it really is. Heck, even the art was not Gulacy's finest hour (IMO) I agree wholeheartedly that "Heat" was better. Congrats, Michael. It never occurred to me that Laurie Kronenberg was your wife (yeah, I know, I got a mind like a steel trap. A rusty one) Having said that, I thought the story was a bit of a letdown, but then again I've never been much of a fan of Devin Grayson. I guess the Predator mini is okay, but again, mostly forgettable stuff (once more, just my .02) The LEAST said about Batman: Outlaws the better, as far as I'm concerned.
M Kronenberg		#9	[-]
Posts: 410 (07/05/09 5:10 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	leveret1 wrote: deejayway wrote: I would like to include Gulacy's Catwoman run in this because it had some classic Gulacy artwork but it was so riddled with crossovers that it didn't make any sense to me. Quite an achievement DC to screw up a run of a comic produced by no-one less than Ed Brubaker and Paul Gulacy... Then again, Brubaker has said he didn't like Gulacy's art considering how different it was from the prior team. In fact, it was one of the reasons why he ended up leaving Catwoman. I liked Gulacy's version in "Prey" but I agree that his run on the Catwoman title just ruined what was an otherwise great series. It really didn't fit. Since my wife was the colorist on CATWOMAN and I'm friends with Paul…here's what happened. CATWOMAN's sales were poor and plummeting. Dan Didio and editor Matt Idelson felt the art needed a change in direction, so they asked Paul to come on board. Brubaker was fine with this. Brubaker had already decided to move on, he exited early because DC nixed his proposed direction for the storyline. I think in the end Ed was disappointed with Paul's work on the series. And I too think the art was a uneven, but not necessarily because of Paul's work, but due to Jimmy Palmiotti's very inconsistent inking. I've always said and wrote this in my book about…Gulacy must have the right inker. These days, Paul only inks himself and his work is much better for it. I will say that Brubaker and Idelson agreed that my wife's coloring helped save some of the sub par art. But, in the end, a new art style couldn't boost the sales long enough, and even another change of the writer/artist team could not save the book from cancellation. Michael Kronenberg Art Director/Designer/Writer TWOMORROWS • GEMSTONE • VANGUARD
jhalbright		#10	[-]
Posts: 4615 (07/05/09 5:44 PM) Golden Age Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	M Kronenberg wrote: But, in the end, a new art style couldn't boost the sales long enough, and even another change of the writer/artist team could not save the book from cancellation. ???? It lasted for another 40-some issues. You make it sound like it was canceled 5 or 6 issues later. 40-some issues is a pretty decent run. I highly recommend -DC: All Star Batman, Green Lantern, Jonah Hex -- Vertigo: Fables, Madame Xanadu, Scalped, Unknown Soldier -- All Ages Fun: Billy Batson, Tiny Titans
M Kronenberg		#11	[-]
Posts: 411 (07/05/09 6:30 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	jhalbright wrote: M Kronenberg wrote: But, in the end, a new art style couldn't boost the sales long enough, and even another change of the writer/artist team could not save the book from cancellation. ???? It lasted for another 40-some issues. You make it sound like it was canceled 5 or 6 issues later. 40-some issues is a pretty decent run. I never said it lasted 5 or 6 issues or implied that. So, please, don't put words in my mouth. The book constantly teetered on cancellation. Since we knew some of the creators on the book after Gulacy left, they constantly talked about how the axe was going to fall on CATWOMAN. Gulacy's first issue sold fairly well (for CATWOMAN), maybe 40,000. After that, I don't believe the book ever got above 30,000 (even when Pete Woods became the artist and Hughes' covers began), hovering mostly at 18-20,000 until the book's cancellation. It was always at the bottom tier of the sales chart. Anyway, my original point was that the art style change in CATWOMAN never revived or improved the book's sales, even though the series did last 40 more issues--satisfied? Michael Kronenberg Art Director/Designer/Writer TWOMORROWS • GEMSTONE • VANGUARD Last Edited By: M Kronenberg 07/05/09 6:46 PM. Edited 1 times.
dc newton		#12	[-]
Posts: 1677 (07/05/09 11:28 PM) Golden Age Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	I would like to include Gulacy's Catwoman run in this because it had some classic Gulacy artwork but it was so riddled with crossovers that it didn't make any sense to me. Besides War Games, what crossovers were there?
deejayway		#13	[-]
Posts: 1636 (07/06/09 1:42 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	I'm not sure but when I finally picked up the run as back issues, it seemed like every story went off on a tangent. I could be wrong. Maybe I picked them up piecemeally (sic) and read them out of order. I'm surprised about your assessment of Palmiotti Michael. I certainly agree Gulacy needs a compatiable inker, which is why I always hated those issues of MoKF ruined by people like Sal Trapani, Jack Abel and Tom Sutton. I once wrote to Marvel suggesting they reprint Gulacy's run in its entirety, while having the offending issues reinked by preferably Gulacy himself or Dan Adkins or....Jimmy Palmiotti. I think Palmiotti's lush, slick inks were very compatiable with Gulacy but I prefer Gulacy himself of course. I also think Gulacy produced some classic covers for Catwoman. Kobe, what was so wrong with Outlaws? I know Moench was well over his prime by then (as he as on Haunted Gotham with Kelly Jones) but I don't recall it being especially bad and the artwork was vintage Gulacy IIRC. Speaking of incompatible inkers, I really disliked how Gulacy and Terry Austin didn't mesh at all on that the Green Lantern/Samurai Elseworlds series they collaborated on. Now, that definitely wasn't anyone's finist moment. Read between the lines or you'll fall through the cracks... Oh what foils these mortals be... Do you dare enter where Angels fear to Thread?
deejayway		#14	[-]
Posts: 1638 (07/06/09 1:52 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Hmmm, it seems having two hardcover options split the hardcover vote. I'm surprised anyone else besides myself opted for a B&W version. Then again, it looks like only somthing like 10 people have voted so far so it's not a landslide. Read between the lines or you'll fall through the cracks... Oh what foils these mortals be... Do you dare enter where Angels fear to Thread?
M Kronenberg		#15	[-]
Posts: 412 (07/06/09 8:52 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	deejayway wrote: I'm not sure but when I finally picked up the run as back issues, it seemed like every story went off on a tangent. I could be wrong. Maybe I picked them up piecemeally (sic) and read them out of order. I'm surprised about your assessment of Palmiotti Michael. I certainly agree Gulacy needs a compatiable inker, which is why I always hated those issues of MoKF ruined by people like Sal Trapani, Jack Abel and Tom Sutton. I once wrote to Marvel suggesting they reprint Gulacy's run in its entirety, while having the offending issues reinked by preferably Gulacy himself or Dan Adkins or....Jimmy Palmiotti. I think Palmiotti's lush, slick inks were very compatiable with Gulacy but I prefer Gulacy himself of course. I also think Gulacy produced some classic covers for Catwoman. Kobe, what was so wrong with Outlaws? I know Moench was well over his prime by then (as he as on Haunted Gotham with Kelly Jones) but I don't recall it being especially bad and the artwork was vintage Gulacy IIRC. Speaking of incompatible inkers, I really disliked how Gulacy and Terry Austin didn't mesh at all on that the Green Lantern/Samurai Elseworlds series they collaborated on. Now, that definitely wasn't anyone's finist moment. The reason I say that about Palmiotti's inks is because I saw Paul's pencils for every page of every CATWOMAN story he drew. I don't think Palmiotti is a poor inker, but on that particular job I didn't care for his work. Maybe he was rushed because Paul was late, maybe he had too much on his plate at the time, I'm not sure. By the way, DRAGONLORD was not inked by Terry Austin, it was inked by Josef Rubinstein. And I agree with you about Rubinstein, although a great inker, he was an awful choice for Gulacy. They just didn't mesh well. I always felt Terry Austin inking Paul in "Prey" and Batman/Predator was some of the best inking I've ever seen on Paul's pencils. Gulacy didn't agree, he disliked Terry only using pens. Outside of Paul inking himself, Dan Adkins was his best collaborator. Michael Kronenberg Art Director/Designer/Writer TWOMORROWS • GEMSTONE • VANGUARD
deejayway		#16	[-]
Posts: 1640 (07/06/09 10:53 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Oh yeah. Joe Rubinstein. That's right. He is indeed, usually a fine inker. But in this particular instance, he managed to drain Gulacy's pencils of their vibrancy. Then again, I thought the subject matter and the setting, Medieval Japan, was a mismatch with Gulacy, who is more suited to high octane tales of espionage or a noir setting. I do like Paul on science fiction but I still prefer him to be rooted in an urban environment. We agree Dan Adkins was Gulacy's best inker. He wasn't much of an artist (although he could do a nice enough job with enough reference material) but he was a damned fine inker, inking some great comics in the 70s and 80s. He was definitely the best inker of Gulacy on MoKF and Barry Smith on Conan (besides themselves natch). He rocked on Don Newton, perfectly complimenting the grace and power of his pencils instead of overwhelming them like Alfredo Alcala. He also inked the best issues of the Silver Surfer of the Sub-Mariner over John Buscema IIRC. I'm not much of a Gil Kane fan but his inks over Kane on Captain Marvel and Warlock were the best work I ever saw of Kane's (at Marvel at least). I think he even inked one (or maybe more) of the best issues of Neal Adams GL/GA run. It's a pity he gets such a bad rap because of his notoriety as a copycat artist. Whatever happened to him? Read between the lines or you'll fall through the cracks... Oh what foils these mortals be... Do you dare enter where Angels fear to Thread?
M Kronenberg		#17	[-]
Posts: 413 (07/06/09 11:11 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	deejayway wrote: Oh yeah. Joe Rubinstein. That's right. He is indeed, usually a fine inker. But in this particular instance, he managed to drain Gulacy's pencils of their vibrancy. Then again, I thought the subject matter and the setting, Medieval Japan, was a mismatch with Gulacy, who is more suited to high octane tales of espionage or a noir setting. I do like Paul on science fiction but I still prefer him to be rooted in an urban environment. We agree Dan Adkins was Gulacy's best inker. He wasn't much of an artist (although he could do a nice enough job with enough reference material) but he was a damned fine inker, inking some great comics in the 70s and 80s. He was definitely the best inker of Gulacy on MoKF and Barry Smith on Conan (besides themselves natch). He rocked on Don Newton, perfectly complimenting the grace and power of his pencils instead of overwhelming them like Alfredo Alcala. He also inked the best issues of the Silver Surfer of the Sub-Mariner over John Buscema IIRC. I'm not much of a Gil Kane fan but his inks over Kane on Captain Marvel and Warlock were the best work I ever saw of Kane's (at Marvel at least). I think he even inked one (or maybe more) of the best issues of Neal Adams GL/GA run. It's a pity he gets such a bad rap because of his notoriety as a copycat artist. Whatever happened to him? I agree, I thought overall DRAGONLORD was very disappointing. I think I only included one cover from the series in the book, it was inked by Gulacy. I actually liked Alcala on Newton during his Batman stint. I know Alcala is quite distinct, but I thought it worked well with Newton's pencils. I'm not much of a Kane fan either. Not after what Steranko told me about him. Don't ask, because I'm not telling. Where is Dan Adkins? He's had some health problems (his wife has also had MS for many years), and encountered problems within the industry (I believe some of this was written about in an issue of ALTER EGO several years ago). Steranko helps Dan out quite a bit, looking after his longtime friend and inker on Nick Fury. Michael Kronenberg Art Director/Designer/Writer TWOMORROWS • GEMSTONE • VANGUARD
deejayway		#18	[-]
Posts: 1641 (07/06/09 1:52 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	That's another Adkins classic I shoulda mentioned; Shield #3, one of the best Steranko issues, maybe even the best. Sorry to hear about his troubles. Btw, I usually love Alcala too, particularly over John Buscema. I just didn't think he meshed very well with Newton or Batman contemporary Gene Colan for that matter. Read between the lines or you'll fall through the cracks... Oh what foils these mortals be... Do you dare enter where Angels fear to Thread?
deejayway		#19	[-]
Posts: 1665 (07/09/09 5:22 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	Sorry to bump this but we need more votes just in case DC is actually watching and care what their fans think. And I still want to hear what was so bad about Outlaws. The fact that I can't remember a darn thing about it doesn't point in its favour. Read between the lines or you'll fall through the cracks... Oh what foils these mortals be... Do you dare enter where Angels fear to Thread?
deejayway		#20	[-]
Posts: 2057 (10/09/09 8:24 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite	I visited Spain recently a picked up a hardcover collecting Prey and Terror. It's a beautiful book, making me want a complete collection of all Gulacy's Batman more than ever. Read between the lines or you'll fall through the cracks... Oh what foils these mortals be... Do you dare enter where Angels fear to Thread?