Brian Bolland and Dave Gibbons

[scratchie]

The name Brian Bolland came up in the "Classic Cover" thread and I thought I'd break this out into its own thread. I loved BB's art on Batman: The Killing Joke and asked for recommendations. Camelot 3000 has been recommended and looks like something I'll pick up. Any other Bolland recommendations?

Part of what I liked about The Killing Joke was the way the art reminded me of Dave Gibbons's in Watchmen. It probably didn't hurt that Alan Moore was the writer and used a lot of the same "cinematic devices" in both stories, but their styles are certainly similar as well, with that nice clean line I enjoy so much.

Any other recommendations for artwork by Gibbons? I read future classic The Originals and loved the art (a bit too much of the story seems cribbed from Quadrophenia but that's probably unavoidable if you're writing about that era).

Lay it on me. My 70s buying has slowed and I'd love to pick up some more recent material. You can't beat the prices and I've been loving the 80s Colan recommendations I got from you all a few months back (Nathaniel Dusk and Jemm: Son of Saturn).

[Graham Vingoe]

The scary thing about Brian Bolland is that,apparently, he has done NO major interior work since Killing Joke, and very little before that.The african superhero Power Man and Judge Dredd are the only major contributions of note other than small press work and short stories. I don't mind that as he is far and away the best cover artist still working imho.
Dave Gibbons is at his best in Watchmen but you should also check out his Green Lantern work and apparently he is doing some interior work in the new Green Lantern Corps title - I think 3 issues at most, but he has done a back up in the new Legion of Superheroes recently as well.

[Cei-U!]

Bolland pencilled the Batman/Green Arrow/Black Canary chapter of Justice League of America #200.

Gibbons also drew two episodes of a Creeper back-up series in The Flash #318-19. And, of course, there's his other notable DC collaboration with Moore, "For the Man Who Has Everything," reprinted in several places including the Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told collection.

Good luck with your hunt!

Cei-U!
I salute your good taste in artists!

[Lone Ranger]

And, of course, there's his other notable DC collaboration with Moore, "For the Man Who Has Everything," reprinted in several places including the Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told collection.


The DC Comics of Alan Moore TPB features a few stories drawn by Gibbons including the one noted by Kurt above and reprints the Killing Joke.

It's a pretty for a Brit creator fix.

[FanboyStranger]

The best thing from Gibbons outside of Watchmen is Give Me Liberty! written by Frank Miller. The 'Martha Washington' follow-ups are also good, but not at the level of the original Give Me Liberty!, which, in my opinion, is a classic.

[Sir Tim Drake]

According to a common story, Bolland is so rich he doesn't need to support himself by doing interior art, and can get by with just covers. This seems a little dubious to me.

[DDM]

Brian Bolland penciled a part of a story from X-Men: Heroes For Hope #1.

[DDM]

According to a common story, Bolland is so rich he doesn't need to support himself by doing interior art, and can get by with just covers. This seems a little dubious to me.

The more realistic explaination is more than likely he is a slow penciler. That's why he pencils covers for most of his career.

[Gingold]

The first Batman: Black and White collection has a neat 8 page Batman story written and drawn by Bolland. The book also has great work by Goodwin, Kubert, Chaykin, Otomo, Timm, Wagner and a host of other greats, so it's worth seeking out.

[Cash Lone]

theres a comic by Eclipse called Brian Bollands Black Book (came out sometime in the 80's) - I think its a reprint from some England comic but the stories are adaptions of House of Long Shadows and Vampire Circus.

[Bicycle-Repairman]

The more realistic explaination is more than likely he is a slow penciler. That's why he pencils covers for most of his career.

Bolland admits that he works very slowly. I heard it took him about three years to finish The Killing Joke, which was only 48 pages long. Most pencillers working on a regular monthly title are expected to complete at least one page a day. Bolland's artwork is extremely detailed and precise and he inks it all with a sable brush.

[Bill Angus]

The first Batman: Black and White collection has a neat 8 page Batman story written and drawn by Bolland. The book also has great work by Goodwin, Kubert, Chaykin, Otomo, Timm, Wagner and a host of other greats, so it's worth seeking out.

Really? I didn't realize Bolland had ever written anything.

I knew Gibbons did a Batman B&W story which he wrote and drew (The Black & White Bandit I think it was called) - though I don't know which collection it appeared in. He used it as an example in an article he wrote for an early issue of Draw! magazine.

[MDG]

I read that Bolland doesn't do traditional ink pages anymore--the finished art is created on computer.

MDG