BETTER ARTIST? Ivan Reis or Jim Lee

[Movieartman]

who is the superior artist IVAN REIS or JIM LEE


ivan is curently on aquaman and previously worked on blackest night, brightest day and the rann thangar war
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv6bt2rrLu1qb2iwco1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId =AKIAJ6IHWSU3BX3X7X3Q&Expires=1322328411&Signature=iMkfzbf4ktu%2F%2F9%2BoLzUhVMwGVGo%3D
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv5tma53DE1qgetuqo1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId =AKIAJ6IHWSU3BX3X7X3Q&Expires=1322328416&Signature=yMYjDeELUlBXGw7e%2Bn%2BYNq6pPZk%3D


jim is curently on justice league and previously worked on batman hush and superman for tomorrow
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_luv5bi4ogk1qgza5bo1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId =AKIAJ6IHWSU3BX3X7X3Q&Expires=1322328490&Signature=Lk0aK4C8WrWr2SOKv51xEeGVXCE%3D
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_luufxcrNcR1qasgr4o1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId =AKIAJ6IHWSU3BX3X7X3Q&Expires=1322328566&Signature=PY7L39MWila2qZ6gwJx3SNjoubU%3D


my choice in the end is Ivan Reis

[sethysquare]

im going with jim lee

[TheVampire]

i call your bet and i re-raise with a Namor by Jim Lee:

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20061026070443/marveldatabase/images/0/06/Namor_McKenzie_(Earth-616).jpg

:biggrin:

I really like them both, i just think the one on Justice League is not Jim Lee at his best.
If we can consider only the last years, i'm going with Reis. If we can consider some pre-hush work too.. my vote is for Lee :)

[Esoteric J]

Ivan Reis all the way.

He draws expression better, his characters have more diverse facial features, they look like different people. His characters arent static and stiff like Jim Lee's. The anatomy is much more on point, Jim Lee does enormous rib cages and strange hips. Jim Lee does enormous blocky fore arms. Also, Jim isnt all that good at drawing at profile view, which is why you barely see his characters turned to their side when it comes to their core/hips. Reis art is neater, and doesn't have many redundant lines.

[Rakzo]

Ivan Reis' Aquaman looks majestic, Jim Lee's Aquaman looks badass.

I think that's the biggest difference between their styles.

[CrazyOldHermit]

Ivan Reis for sure. Lee doesn't have a patch on Reis. Reis can draw muscular people without making them look ridiculous, unlike Lee (just look at Aquaman's legs on that JL cover!).

Theres an elegance to Reis' work that just isn't there in Lee's.

[Awesome!]

Reis is the better artist today but Jim has history on his side. He's a legend to many people even if his current work doesn't warrant the same praise.

[Will.S]

While I like Jim Lee's style on the whole (details and all), there's a certain amount of stiffness to his art whereas Ivan's art looks and flows more naturally and all the while looking good.

I like both but I think I'll go in the Reis camp for both beauty and sequential storytelling alone.

[Yttrium]

They're two of my favorite comic book artists, but I'll say Ivan Reis until Jim Lee learns to stop adding unnecessary scratches all over his characters.

[WhitOro]

I seriously can't decide. They're both absurd talents.

[NickGuy]

they are both better than me

[arrowsonthemyscira]

Compare Mera's expressions during battle to Diana's during battle in the OP and you have your answer. (Reis, obviously.)

[Ben D]

Ivan Reis.

By miles.

[bongoes]

Reis is a much better illustrator, but his layouts have been getting boring recently. Almost every page is like that Aquaman page, just wide panel after wide panel. But I still like him better than Jim Lee, Reis's characters are better "actors" than Lee's, and his overall style is better. Also, I think Lee is massively overrated, especially his early stuff, he's good, just not as good as people say he is.

[Munkiman]

No poll?

Anyway, my answer (purely subjective) is Ivan Reis, by lightyears. Jim Lee I find tends to range from "generic but pretty good" to "irritatingly generic." Ivan Reis, on the other hand, is fantastic. His art is detailed yet clear, he does amazing action, his character acting is excellent, and I love the sort of Alan Davis-inspired thing he's been doing.

Also, unlike Jim Lee, Ivan Reis knocks off awesome character designs like it's nothing: Blackest Night is a testament to that, and Sinestro Corps War, too (though I'm not sure how much of the design process was van Sciver). Jim Lee's costume redesigns are impressive in how uniformly bad they are. The best I can say about the very best of them is that they're not that much worse than the previous version.


i call your bet and i re-raise with a Namor by Jim Lee:

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20061026070443/marveldatabase/images/0/06/Namor_McKenzie_(Earth-616).jpg
Nope, still looks pretty bad to me.

[CrazyOldHermit]

Reis is a much better illustrator, but his layouts have been getting boring recently. Almost every page is like that Aquaman page, just wide panel after wide panel. But I still like him better than Jim Lee, Reis's characters are better "actors" than Lee's, and his overall style is better. Also, I think Lee is massively overrated, especially his early stuff, he's good, just not as good as people say he is.

I think Lee gets a lot of good reception because of the whole 90s XTREME trend he was one of the better artists, probably because he actually is a good artist who knows what hes doing. Read a George Bridgman book on muscular anatomy and it almost looks like a how-to guide for drawing men like Jim Lee does.

McFarlane was probably the most talented of that crowd though. Theres a series of videos from that era with big name artists drawing on video and being interviewed by Stan Lee. McFarlane is the only artist (from the videos Ive seen anyway) who didn't draw a single piece of real artwork, everything he did was to demonstrate composition and layouts and I think thats really cool. But I'm getting off-topic now.

[MonteMike72]

I like them both.

[keilthetarheel]

They both are so 90's

At first I was going to say Reis - but when you look carefully at that second page - there is no flow at all from one panel to the next

[Sterling]

I like them both.

I really like the Jim Lee/Marc Silvestri style of drawing, it's just awesome to me.

Reis to me is what you get when you combine Ed Benes and Alan Davis' styles.


Also, unlike Jim Lee, Ivan Reis knocks off awesome character designs like it's nothing: Blackest Night is a testament to that, and Sinestro Corps War, too (though I'm not sure how much of the design process was van Sciver). Jim Lee's costume redesigns are impressive in how uniformly bad they are. The best I can say about the very best of them is that they're not that much worse than the previous version..

I'm pretty sure at least 90% of the design work for Sinestro Corps War and Blackest Night was done by Ethan Van Sciver and Joe Prado.

[Dr. Cheesesteak]

I agree that Reis is better at "realistic" anatomy and expressions and facial palettes, etc. But when Lee is at the top of his game, I much prefer to look at his work.

[md62]

I like both of them but right now Ivan Reis & Oliver Coipel are my two favorite artists. So in this question Reis>Lee...

[Movieartman]

I like both of them but right now Ivan Reis & Oliver Coipel are my two favorite artists. So in this question Reis>Lee...
oliver is great but my god i cant stand most of his faces:tongue:

[Flashpoint]

I love both Ivan and Jim's artwork. But I'm voting for Ivan in the poll solely to show support for Aquaman. :wink:

[Movieartman]

I love both Ivan and Jim's artwork. But I'm voting for Ivan in the poll solely to show support for Aquaman. :wink:
same here :)

[Bestostero]

Love both, LOVE Aquaman.

But Jim Lee has iconic status.

[Hulk_Is]

Ivan Reis' work is smoother on the eyes, while Lees' work is edgier. So, to me it depends on the project. Justice League obviously needs that edgy '90's treatment because that's what that book is a throwback to.

I'm a bigger fan of IR though.

[Hulk_Is]

Reis is a much better illustrator, but his layouts have been getting boring recently. Almost every page is like that Aquaman page, just wide panel after wide panel. But I still like him better than Jim Lee, Reis's characters are better "actors" than Lee's, and his overall style is better. Also, I think Lee is massively overrated, especially his early stuff, he's good, just not as good as people say he is.

Do you mean "X-Men"-early???

[Personamanx]

Dunno, both are competent artists. Neither are personal faves.

[dogwelder]

I never liked lee's art.......reis all the way in this vote......but overall i like rags the best at DC

[tabo61]

Reis 's work on Aquaman is the best I think he's ever done.

[Quinnhop]

Ivan Reis. His work on Blackest Night was INSANE.

http://beyondthebunker.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/ivan-reis-blackest-night.jpg

http://beyondthebunker.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/ivan-reis.jpg

http://beyondthebunker.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/ivan-reis-the-more-the-merrier.jpg

He's Jim Lee + George Perez.

[Babylon23]

Jim Lee is, at beast, a good pinup artist, but he's lacking in storytelling ability. He seems more interested in creating nice looking panels rather than having a story flow from panel to panel and actually composing a good, readable page. His figures often look stiff and unnatural.

Ivan Reis is one of the best artists working at DC today.

Reis all the way for me.

[HeroxMatt2.0]

Reis is a much better illustrator, but his layouts have been getting boring recently. Almost every page is like that Aquaman page, just wide panel after wide panel. But I still like him better than Jim Lee, Reis's characters are better "actors" than Lee's, and his overall style is better. Also, I think Lee is massively overrated, especially his early stuff, he's good, just not as good as people say he is.

But maybe Johns' scripts don't really allow Reis the opportunity to get a little more unorthodox, or to vary his layouts?

[henrymalredo]

I like them both, but Jim Lee's art is nowhere near as dynamic as Ivan Reis' art. Reis is probably my favorite artist working for DC currently.

[cliffhanger]

Reis to me is like Alan Davis lite. But hey each to his own.

[Selkirk]

:cool:reis:cool: without a doubt...imo he is the best superhero artist working right now. his anatomy is pitch perfect every time...and no one can draw teams/groups
like him(as commented above his work on blackest night/green lantern run was just remarkably good-he handled these casts of well...hundreds of characters(gl was particularly diverse and challenging) ...so beautifully).

[HeroxMatt2.0]

Reis to me is like Alan Davis lite. But hey each to his own.

I think so as well, but in a great way.

[KevinTBrown]

This is like asking: Do you like beer or more beer?

[Movieartman]

Reis to me is like Alan Davis lite. But hey each to his own.
absolutly but he is better than alan davis at his own style so we should forgive the similarity

[sethysquare]

He's Jim Lee + George Perez.

George Perez is awful. He killed Superman in the relaunch.

[sethysquare]

OMG. I think everyone is insane, how could anyone be better than Jim Lee? I love Ivan Reis art probably the top few in the industry, but Jim Lee is hands down the best.

[Movieartman]

George Perez is awful. He killed Superman in the relaunch.
the artist on action comics yes?
i dont like him very much ether but that statment is so wrong its not even funny

[Ben D]

the artist on action comics yes?
i dont like him very much ether but that statment is so wrong its not even funny

No, the artist on Superman.

[sethysquare]

the artist on action comics yes?
i dont like him very much ether but that statment is so wrong its not even funny


No, the artist on Superman.

Nono, the writer for Superman and the scripts and layout. The layouts are horrible, the script is bad, only good thing is nicola scott on issue 3. jesus merino was okay. not fantastic.

[Talisman]

Reis to me is like Alan Davis lite. But hey each to his own.

Well, if you can't get Alan Davis, might as well get the next best thing.

[Awesome!]

George Perez is awful. He killed Superman in the relaunch.


OMG. I think everyone is insane, how could anyone be better than Jim Lee? I love Ivan Reis art probably the top few in the industry, but Jim Lee is hands down the best.


Nono, the writer for Superman and the scripts and layout. The layouts are horrible, the script is bad, only good thing is nicola scott on issue 3. jesus merino was okay. not fantastic.

Say something else, I'm sure there's more we can disagree on. I do love Nicola though.

[Movieartman]

Well, if you can't get Alan Davis, might as well get the next best thing.
ivan is way better than davis
yes there styles are very similar at times but ivan puts alot more detail, realism and emotion in his art but it never becomes convluted overdone or redundant

[sethysquare]

Say something else, I'm sure there's more we can disagree on. I do love Nicola though.

As in you like the writing for superman? I dunno, comparing it to action comics it pales in comparison. Im close to dropping it if not for nicola scott

[Awesome!]

Yes I am enjoying Superman for the most part. It's not as good as Action but Morrison is Morrison.

[Talisman]

ivan is way better than davis
yes there styles are very similar at times but ivan puts alot more detail, realism and emotion in his art but it never becomes convluted overdone or redundant
I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree. Alan is a master at his craft, and realism does not equate to being better. I'd take Alan over Ivan anyday. His Blackest Night was amazing and beautiful, but no more beautiful or amazing than Alan when he did JLA: The Nail.

[Movieartman]

I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree. Alan is a master at his craft, and realism does not equate to being better. I'd take Alan over Ivan anyday. His Blackest Night was amazing and beautiful, but no more beautiful or amazing than Alan when he did JLA: The Nail.
............ mabye not on realism but perfectly placed undistracting detail in my opinion does

[Talisman]

............ mabye not on realism but perfectly placed undistracting detail in my opinion does

I'm having a hard time seeing what's so distracting about his art? But to each his own.

[Movieartman]

I'm having a hard time seeing what's so distracting about his art? But to each his own.
oh no what im saying is
ivan has way more detail in his art than davis but not so much that it becomes distracting (like david finch or mike deadio's newer stuff)
no davis is great nothing is anoying or distracting in ether of there stuff

[FHIZ]

I prefer Lee by a slim margin, but Reis is right up there. I honestly can't understand why his star isn't bigger in the comic world. I mean... It's big, for sure, but probably not nearly enough.

[Blue_Beetle]

I like both alot but neither are any of my real favorites.

It's really too close to call. I think Ivan Reis takes it for me though.

[cliffhanger]

ivan is way better than davis
yes there styles are very similar at times but ivan puts alot more detail, realism and emotion in his art but it never becomes convluted overdone or redundant

Gotta disagree with you there. Reis is maybe better than Finch though.

[sethysquare]

I'm the same way. Even though I stopped buying Marvel, Davis is still my favorite. I think Reis may be a better artist, but Davis' style just appeals to me more.

If only Alan Davis would work for DC full time. Then all my current favorite comic artists (including Reis, Lee, Perez, Benes, etc) would be in one place. Ecxept for Norihiro Yagi, but he's a manga guy.

Apparently ppl in this forum hate benes n lee. Not sure why ppl hate good art.

[Movieartman]

Apparently ppl in this forum hate benes n lee. Not sure why ppl hate good art.
oh i like them both alot
benes red lanterns stuff has been fantastic

[kalorama]

ivan is way better than davis
yes there styles are very similar at times but ivan puts alot more detail, realism and emotion in his art but it never becomes convluted overdone or redundant

Reis is an outstanding artist (and better than Lee, as far as I'm concerned) but he doesn't come close to Alan Davis. Almost no one does. Davis manages to draw figures with the requisite power, drama, and physical perfection that are part and parcel of superheros, without sacrificing any of the naturalism and fluidity that makes the human figure believable. No one else working today can pull that off the way he does.

[pryde15]

I don't think Jim Lee and Ivan Reis are all that comparable outside of prestige within the company. Lee is simply much more stylized than Reis.
If you are going to compare Ivan Reis to anyone it should be Phil Jimenez or Carlos Pacheco.

[Talisman]

Reis is an outstanding artist (and better than Lee, as far as I'm concerned) but he doesn't come close to Alan Davis. Almost no one does. Davis manages to draw figures with the requisite power, drama, and physical perfection that are part and parcel of superheros, without sacrificing any of the naturalism and fluidity that makes the human figure believable. No one else working today can pull that off the way he does.
Or draws women in perpetual heels. Which is an added bonus.

[Talisman]

I don't think Jim Lee and Ivan Reis are all that comparable outside of prestige within the company. Lee is simply much more stylized than Reis.
If you are going to compare Ivan Reis to anyone it should be Phil Jimenez or Carlos Pacheco.
Speaking of Jimenez, what's he doing now that Adventure Comics are finished?

[Sterling]

I don't think Jim Lee and Ivan Reis are all that comparable outside of prestige within the company. Lee is simply much more stylized than Reis.
If you are going to compare Ivan Reis to anyone it should be Phil Jimenez or Carlos Pacheco.

I think Reis can also be compared to Ed Benes, and Eddy Barrows. The three of them have very similar styles.

[HeroxMatt2.0]

Speaking of Jimenez, what's he doing now that Adventure Comics are finished?

I know he's doing covers for the LoSH/Star Trek crossover, but apart from that, I don't think he's working on any interiors at the moment, although he does have the upcoming Fairest, a spin-off of Fables, with Bill Willingham.

[Cavemold]

I like jim lee a bit better. He draws a good batman aswell

[Talisman]

I know he's doing covers for the LoSH/Star Trek crossover, but apart from that, I don't think he's working on any interiors at the moment, although he does have the upcoming Fairest, a spin-off of Fables, with Bill Willingham.

Boo. I'd rather have a regular DCU title with Willingham. :(

[Alex Keller]

I'd give it to Reis by a slight margin.

[HeroxMatt2.0]

Boo. I'd rather have a regular DCU title with Willingham. :(

Yeah, same with Jimenez, too. He'd have been awesome on LoSH with Levtiz, as opposed to Portela.

[FanboyStranger]

Sign me up for neither. If you want to see what a guy with "Image" influences can do when he stretches himself, check out Manapul on The Flash.

[HeroxMatt2.0]

Is it that you don't like either of them, or you just prefer Manapul?

[FanboyStranger]

Speaking of Jimenez, what's he doing now that Adventure Comics are finished?

He's working on the new Fables spin-off for Vertigo. Willingham is the writer, and Phil is the artist. I think it focuses on Snow White and Rose Red over the years.

[FanboyStranger]

Is it that you don't like either of them, or you just prefer Manapul?

I think both are reasonable artists who don't really float my boat. If I had to choose between the two, I'd go with Reis because his stuff has more energy that Lee's, but frankly, I find both of their work to be pretty standard superhero comic fare, which is fine, but not as interesting as what, say, JH Williams III, Moritat, or even Travel Foreman are doing on their titles right now. Manapul is doing a pretty standard superhero book right now, but he's really stretching himself as far as the storytelling. I don't get that from Lee, who has always been Byrne figures with Chaykin storytelling, but not as interesting as either.

[maniacmatt]

Jim Lee is better for me. Reis's layouts, storytelling and flow are really awkward and boring to me. He just makes some really really lazy compositions sometimes. Lee is more consistently interesting for me. Ignoring the storytelling and just going on pure artwork, they're about the same. Lee is just more familiar with his craft, which is understandable. He's been around longer.

However....


Oliver Coipel

...is the god of comic art. :biggrin:

[Trey]

Some good analysis here....but

Reis can only hold a candle to Jim Lee in drawing superheroes in action, it looks fantastic.

Lee beats him in layout, flow, perspective, creativity, and most of all, Lee can draw anything in his panels, and always does. Reis, too many panels with nothing but characters.

Look at all the objects in this dock side page

http://cdn.comicartfans.com/Images/Category_7781/subcat_14856/allstar71011.jpg

detail and creativity, mirror shot, dynamite! cuz BC is about to go off!

http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l26w7tcItA1qb77jwo1_500.jpg


Power, beauty, ugliness, danger! The Icon, Jim Lee ladies and gentlemen.....

http://animeonly.org/albums/2007_01_18/superheros-wallpapers/Jim_Lee_Hush_Montage.jpg

[pryde15]

I think Reis can also be compared to Ed Benes, and Eddy Barrows. The three of them have very similar styles.

Totally forgot about Eddy Barrows! His style is very similar to Ivan Reis.
I could see Ed Benes being more comparable to Jim Lee than Reis.

[darkseidpwns]

Reis by miles.

[cliffhanger]

I actually like Benes better than Reis. I think at times Lee is overated but Reis is being overated in this thread imo. Lee's work is more dynamic and looks less generic than Reis.

[El Sombrero]

Lee. I don't even think it's close.

[Munkiman]

I actually like Benes better than Reis. I think at times Lee is overated but Reis is being overated in this thread imo. Lee's work is more dynamic and looks less generic than Reis.

Give me an example of some really dynamic Lee art. I don't have a ton of experience with the guy's work, but that action sequence in the first pages of JL #1 was so weightless and posey, I found it very off-putting. I haven't had that problem with Reis.

[paulski]

Right now? Reis by the length of the straight.

I like Jimbo and all, but this (JL) is not the best work he's ever done, whilst Ivan has taken his art to the next level.

[cliffhanger]

Give me an example of some really dynamic Lee art. I don't have a ton of experience with the guy's work, but that action sequence in the first pages of JL #1 was so weightless and posey, I found it very off-putting. I haven't had that problem with Reis.

Well JL 3 is a good example. You should check out his run on Batman also. I dont think Reis has done anything comparable to Hush. But this is all open to opinion.

[AugustEngine]

Ivan Reis. Jim Lee is phenomenal on Batman, but stinks it up everywhere else.

[MFitzH2O]

Jim Lee is 'heavy style' and he uses space wisely to create the illusion of severe detail; Scott Williams is the talent behind Lee these days: amazing use of ink. Jim Lee has moved into a phase, as most artists do, where his style has become a caricature of itself.

Ivan Reis is still young and his style is still unique. He's very talented at character differentiation and emotion. His inkers use more plains of black than does Williams, which tells me his pencils are likely more tight than Lee's. But let's see him in 15 years to compare.

Or, we can look at Lee 10 years into his career to make this fair...

[FanboyStranger]

Jim Lee is 'heavy style' and he uses space wisely to create the illusion of severe detail; Scott Williams is the talent behind Lee these days: amazing use of ink. Jim Lee has moved into a phase, as most artists do, where his style has become a caricature of itself.

Ivan Reis is still young and his style is still unique. He's very talented at character differentiation and emotion. His inkers use more plains of black than does Williams, which tells me his pencils are likely more tight than Lee's. But let's see him in 15 years to compare.

Or, we can look at Lee 10 years into his career to make this fair...

The thing is you can look at Reis' progress over the past decade. I seem to remember an Avengers annual back in the Busiek days, Captain Marvel with Peter David, and a bunch of miscellaneous stuff here and there. Competent, but not a lot to write home about. He's definitely refined his work over the years.

I also look at someone like Chris Batista, whose work was among the worst Marvel fill-ins of the '90s. Came back strong during the DnA Legion days, and kinda became the poor man's Bolland, which is a great thing to be.

Right now, I'd take either of their work over Lee's. Some of that certainly has to with the story they've been asked to illustrate, but I just never got the worship for Lee's work.

[TJ Shoun]

They're both amazing talents, but it's comparing apples to oranges.

They're both at very different points in their careers.

Jim Lee's career has impacted superhero comics beyond just his artwork. Even if Lee were to walk away from comics today, his influence would still need time and retrospective to fully appreciate. He helped redefine publisher/creator relationships, and successfully leveraged his own independent creations in ways we hadn't seen before. He's drawn, written, and edited books for Marvel, DC, and Image, and sold millions of comics. He is a major creative and financial influence at every company he's worked for and in any capacity.

I'm a huge fan of Reis too. I think his work is a gorgeous and powerful blend of Alan Davis, Neal Adams, and Bryan Hitch. And he's still fairly young and still improving, so the sky's the limit for him.

But as of right now, I don't see Reis' work being as groundbreaking nor as influential as Lee's. Granted, Lee's current work is slipping a tad, and there is merit to some of the arguments against his work: his characters lack visual variety, and he never evolved nor experimented very much. Outside of Deathblow and a few painted pages during Hush, his basic style has remained the same over the years.

That said, Jim Lee's style is and was unprecedented. He took Kirby's kinetics and energy, Byrne's backgrounds, Art Adam's detail, Kevin Nowlan's draftsmanship and threw in just a pinch of Japanese manga -- then blended it all into a style distinctly his own.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Whoa! That's a tough one! While Lee has the longer track record, Reis has knocked my socks off with his work.

[Scud]

Reis by miles, Lee is almost as overrated as The Killing Joke.

[Wulfmir]

Ivan Reis' work is smoother on the eyes, while Lees' work is edgier.

Sums up my answer. Both works are pretty much what I consider how comic art should be. They just cater to my taste.

[Jim Thompson]

They're both detail freaks. Reis is a little more in the Alan Davis mold; his work is a bit softer around the edges, and, I think, has a more flowing liquid quality to it. Lee's work is more gritty.

I don't know as one is "better" than the other, though I think each may be better suited to particular characters than the other.

[Nomads1]

Hard decision to make. Both are top notch artists, some of the industry's best. However, if I do have to choose, I'l go with Reis as a fellow Brazilian. :smile:

Peace

[hotrodimus]

Ivan Reis all the way.

He draws expression better, his characters have more diverse facial features, they look like different people. His characters arent static and stiff like Jim Lee's. The anatomy is much more on point, Jim Lee does enormous rib cages and strange hips. Jim Lee does enormous blocky fore arms. Also, Jim isnt all that good at drawing at profile view, which is why you barely see his characters turned to their side when it comes to their core/hips. Reis art is neater, and doesn't have many redundant lines.

this sums it up for me. exactly what i had in mind.

[kalorama]

But as of right now, I don't see Reis' work being as groundbreaking nor as influential as Lee's.

That's true, but I don' think it should have any real bearing on which one is the better artist right now. That judgment should be based on the quality of the actual work they produce, not the historical impact of the work once it's released.

But to the extent all that other stuff is being factored in, the fact that they're at different career points actually swings the argument in Reis favor as far as I'm concerned. In large part because of his early impact and acclaim, Lee's work basically became locked in place during the Image days and hasn't really progressed much since then. Reis' work has shown more growth and improvement in the past 5 years than Lee has shown in the past 15.

[TJ Shoun]

That's true, but I don' think it should have any real bearing on which one is the better artist right now. That judgment should be based on the quality of the actual work they produce, not the historical impact of the work once it's released.

But to the extent all that other stuff is being factored in, the fact that they're at different career points actually swings the argument in Reis favor as far as I'm concerned. In large part because of his early impact and acclaim, Lee's work basically became locked in place during the Image days and hasn't really progressed much since then. Reis' work has shown more growth and improvement in the past 5 years than Lee has shown in the past 15.


To be honest, this thread title is poorly worded.

The question should be "Whose work do you prefer? Reis or Lee?"

Words like "better" and "quality" are completely subjective when you're talking art. Fans can make solid arguments for any creator they like, but can't prove anything because it's all hinged upon personal taste.

And there's no accounting for personal taste.

[kalorama]

Words like "better" and "quality" are completely subjective when you're talking art. Fans can make solid arguments for any creator they like, but can't prove anything because it's all hinged upon personal taste.

And there's no accounting for personal taste.

Not really telling me anything I didn't already know. My comments on the issue are (pretty clearly, I think) based on my opinions and I presume the same to be the case for everyone else.