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uosdwisrdewoh's review
3.0
This oversized book examines the life of one of the overlooked pioneers of the comics field. And though it never quite convinces the reader in its attempt to place Bill Everett as one of the giants in comics history, it presents a lively case for a reevaluation of this skilled--albeit uneven--artist.
Blake Bell's writing is a bit over the top and repetitive. After a painful introduction comparing Everett to Peter Pan, the text settles down to a concise overview of the artist's life and career. Fortunately the writing takes second place to the very prominent art. The production of this volume is lush, with wonderful and numerous art spreads that really show off the detail on his work, which ranged from very early superhero works to gritty 50s horror. Bell's research is solid, and the facts are well-founded, but the text necessarily glosses over the larger cultural trends, like a superficial take of the culture of the 50s to explain the popularity of the genre books of the age.
Best treated as a museum catalog to an exhibit which never happened, but should have.
Blake Bell's writing is a bit over the top and repetitive. After a painful introduction comparing Everett to Peter Pan, the text settles down to a concise overview of the artist's life and career. Fortunately the writing takes second place to the very prominent art. The production of this volume is lush, with wonderful and numerous art spreads that really show off the detail on his work, which ranged from very early superhero works to gritty 50s horror. Bell's research is solid, and the facts are well-founded, but the text necessarily glosses over the larger cultural trends, like a superficial take of the culture of the 50s to explain the popularity of the genre books of the age.
Best treated as a museum catalog to an exhibit which never happened, but should have.
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