Norm Breyfogle was a truly unique talent. Batman has had a lot of talented artists working on his titles over the years, but most more or less followed a house style. Breyfogle came along and broke all the rules of character design and panel layout. His Batman tales looked unlike any that I had seen before, but somehow it all worked beautifully. He joins an elite group in my mind including Neal Adams, Jim Aparo, Trevor Von Eeden, Marshall Rogers and David Mazzuchelli that helped to evolve the Dark Kinght artistically.
Marshall's long cowl points were out of the 1939 design. loved it.
ReplyDeleteFun filled flavor to a flight of "whimsy".
Hasn't Monica Rambeau gone through five or six name changes since this one?
ReplyDeleteMore like seven. But, who's counting? :-)
ReplyDeleteP.S.---could Batman and Photon be teaming up to undo the damage caused by the Joker's brainwashing of Alpha Flight and Prime of the Ultraverse?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you regarding Norm Breyfogle. I always thought Don Newton was an underrated bat-artist....
ReplyDeleteRoss, this is possibly your most wonderfully seamless cover yet, and not just because both characters are by the same artist. The angles are just perfect; the two heroes actually look like they're not only moving in the same direction, but also looking directly at the same target (though Bats' eye-obscuring mask is a help there). This is just the sort of team-up that one might see in The Brave and the Bold, if Marvel characters ever paid a visit, purely for the multiple points of contrast between these two characters.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bob - I also liked how Photon's light reflects onto Batman's suit, it came together well.
ReplyDeleteRoss
After-school Special: Highfather tells Lightray its time to get married and sets up a blind date with Photon. Hilarity ensues. Later that night Lightray pops the question to The Ray. Highfather is not amused, but has to agree when Orion points out that Lightray is "just following orders".
ReplyDeleteYeah, Photon's light off Batman's outfit is a good look, too. Plus, I only just noticed that the two heroes have the same grim "This turkey's in lots of trouble" expression. I could really see these two being at the center of a four-part "Knight-Light Saga" in an actual comic.
ReplyDelete@JJ: I'm confused. Which of the post-Freedom Fighter Rays calls themselves "Photon?"
ReplyDeleteGreat cover. I really didn't know much about Norm Breyfogle but will be on the lookout for him now.
ReplyDeleteNorm Breyfogle is dead, but you can seek out back issues or reprints of his work.
DeleteDear Ross:
ReplyDeleteHow about a one-on-one team up between Spidey and the Elongated Man? Dedicated to Carmine Infantino, if nothing else.
@Carycomic: I'm for it! Picture, if you will, Ralph Dibny disguised as Spider-man.
ReplyDeleteBut, using his stretched-out arms to simulate a slung web-line.
Anon: This is STF, so its cross-company. Photon is on the cover on the right of course. Everybody but Highfather knows Lightray is gay.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@Jay Johnson: Huh??????
ReplyDeleteAs in, on the right in what photo?
ReplyDeleteI guess Jay Johnson was just B.S.-ing me.
ReplyDelete