Thursday, December 5, 2019

Photon and Batman



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.

19 comments:

det_Tobor said...

Marshall's long cowl points were out of the 1939 design. loved it.
Fun filled flavor to a flight of "whimsy".

Anonymous said...

Hasn't Monica Rambeau gone through five or six name changes since this one?

Carycomic said...

More like seven. But, who's counting? :-)

Carycomic said...

P.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?

Sonofjack said...

I agree with you regarding Norm Breyfogle. I always thought Don Newton was an underrated bat-artist....

Bob Greenwade said...

Ross, 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.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Bob - I also liked how Photon's light reflects onto Batman's suit, it came together well.

Ross

Jay Johnson said...

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".

Bob Greenwade said...

Yeah, 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.

Anonymous said...

@JJ: I'm confused. Which of the post-Freedom Fighter Rays calls themselves "Photon?"

Davejonz said...

Great cover. I really didn't know much about Norm Breyfogle but will be on the lookout for him now.

Anonymous said...

Norm Breyfogle is dead, but you can seek out back issues or reprints of his work.

Carycomic said...

Dear Ross:

How about a one-on-one team up between Spidey and the Elongated Man? Dedicated to Carmine Infantino, if nothing else.

Anonymous said...

@Carycomic: I'm for it! Picture, if you will, Ralph Dibny disguised as Spider-man.

But, using his stretched-out arms to simulate a slung web-line.

Jay Johnson said...

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.

Carycomic said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

@Jay Johnson: Huh??????

Anonymous said...

As in, on the right in what photo?

Anonymous said...

I guess Jay Johnson was just B.S.-ing me.

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