Man, Dan Jurgens can draw a hell of a Superman

[asiansupes]

For me, to compare Mahnke over Jurgens is comparing apples and oranges. Mahnke is a solid artist and has drawn some pretty nice stuff (I enjoyed his run on the Superman books about 10 years ago) but Jurgens is a storyteller...bringing not just the art but the dialogue and plot too. I think that the way you approach the material is different when you are writing it yourself, as opposed to working off of someones description or a full script.

All artists are considered storytellers regardless if the artist does write or not. What sets Mahnke apart from Jurgens is the way they approach characters. Mahnke exaggerates emotion well and has a more diverse and organic feel to his sci-fi elements. His aliens and tech are different and his characters have more range. Jurgens is more of a layout artist and solid storyteller.

[Fate's Faith]

I enjoy his Superman artwork too so the guy will always get a read from me due to that. He's certainly not the worse I've ever read. I'm hoping he can help Firestorm (jury still out for me there). Was he the one that gave Superman the mullet?

[Ood Omega]

I love Jurgens Superman especially the 90s, he was always a very competent story teller and his artwork has a classic look.

Was he the one that gave Superman the mullet?

I thought that was Kesel? maybe it was toward the end of Jurgens' run then. Bin awhile since I looked at those books.

[Mat001]

It was Jurgens. He was drawing the first few pages of Superman #81 and thought it would be interesting to give Clark a mullet, to further deepen the mystery of whether it was him or not. Liking what he did, he contacted Carlin and after getting approval from the higher-ups, all of the artists began drawing it that way. But the covers had been done in advance and so they contain Clark's regular hairstyle. Kessel came on as a writer with The Adventures Of Superman #500, writing the preview for Superboy. The next issue was his first full issue. Jurgens continued to draw the Superman title until #100, in which he stopped because he was working on both "Sensational Spider-Man" and "DC Vs Marvel". He wrote Superman through #150.

[Ood Omega]

I wonder how did they explain his hair growing and not his facial hair? How the hell does Superman get a haircut, Kryptonite scissors?

[Mat001]

It was never explained why Clark's hair grew out while he was dead. They had just glossed over that bit, but it was brought up in Superman #81 and later during "Dead Again", that his hair length made people suspicious. When Clark finally cut his hair, it was after the events of "The Final Night" when the sun was blocked by a Sun Eater and his powers faded without a recharge. When the sun was restored by Hal Jordan, Clark's powers did not come back. This had to do with his first trip into Talos's Kandor in "The Bottle City" a few issues earlier. A magic barrier was used to keep the Kandorians inside and in order to sent into it, magic had to be used to phase-shift a person inside. Clark, for reasons that were never fully explained, had his DNA altered slightly and as such, he wasn't the same again for a while.

Anyway, after the restoration of the sun, Lois and Clark were able to patch up their relationship issues and set a date to get married. Clark had gotten his hair cut at a barber, since his powers had not returned yet. This was covered in "Superman: The Wedding Album". Shortly after the honeymoon, Clark sought to restore his powers which was chronicled in "Power Struggle". Then in "Transformed", Clark became an energy being and stayed that way until the conclusion of "Behold The Millennium Giants", when all of his energy powers were drained in order to stop the Earth from being destroyed. With the aid of the Medallion of the Damned, a magical medallion, Clark was restored to his original Kryptonian state and regained his powers, as shown in "Superman Forever".

[Billy Batson]

Well okay, that's pretty great. Too bad his writing isn't.

[Cypher-Z]

Well okay, that's pretty great. Too bad his writing isn't.

Youre one of those badass "in your face" guys, arent you.

I wonder how did they explain his hair growing and not his facial hair? How the hell does Superman get a haircut, Kryptonite scissors?

His facial hair grew. There was a scene were Superman poses with Clark (who was actually Supergirl) and he had a beard/stubble. Superman usually shaves with his eye beams.

[Mat001]

Well okay, that's pretty great. Too bad his writing isn't.

One fourth of those stories were Jurgens.

His facial hair grew. There was a scene were Superman poses with Clark (who was actually Supergirl) and he had a beard/stubble. Superman usually shaves with his eye beams.

When Supergirl was posing as Clark, she gave him chin stubble. Superman didn't have any upon his return, much less when his powers were restored. Clark didn't start having chin stubble again until well after the story arc had ended.

[Ood Omega]

Then in "Transformed", Clark became an energy being and stayed that way until the conclusion of "Behold The Millennium Giants", when all of his energy powers were drained in order to stop the Earth from being destroyed.

Is this when he was split into the Red and Blue Supermen?

His facial hair grew. There was a scene were Superman poses with Clark (who was actually Supergirl) and he had a beard/stubble. Superman usually shaves with his eye beams.

I've seen that on the Lois & Clark TV show but when does it happen in the comics?

[Cypher-Z]

One fourth of those stories were Jurgens.



When Supergirl was posing as Clark, she gave him chin stubble. Superman didn't have any upon his return, much less when his powers were restored. Clark didn't start having chin stubble again until well after the story arc had ended.

Woops... Yeah thats what I mean. I dont know how that whole sentence got jumbled up like that.

Is this when he was split into the Red and Blue Supermen?



I've seen that on the Lois & Clark TV show but when does it happen in the comics?

It happened in John Byrnes run. Forgot what issue.

[OldSchoolfan]

All artists are considered storytellers regardless if the artist does write or not. What sets Mahnke apart from Jurgens is the way they approach characters. Mahnke exaggerates emotion well and has a more diverse and organic feel to his sci-fi elements. His aliens and tech are different and his characters have more range. Jurgens is more of a layout artist and solid storyteller.

Okay. Sounds pretty much like what I said. Mahnke has his strong points and Jurgens has his.

Still would like Jurgens to be involved with Superman regularly though, I can't see the GL people letting Mahnke go...but the two of them working together might make for a great Superman run!

[Eradicator]

Jurgens is one of my favorite Superman artists of all time - his work with Brett Breeding I found to be one of the best depictions of Superman out there.

As for Mahnke, he did have quite a long run on Superman: The Man of Steel many years ago.

[manofsteel1979]

Dan Jurgens will always be to me what Curt Swan was to the previous generation, the defining Superman artist...and at the time my favorite Supes writer.

Sadly as his brief New 52 run on SUPERMAN showed that while his art was still brilliant (and the best New 52 Superman before Rocafort came along IMO)his writing was stale. Not as terrible as some have let on (in fact i loved his first and last issues actually story wise), but it felt too much of a retro throwback, and not in a good way .

But the art? Man o man. It was actually his run that won me over to actually liking the new suit. I still don't love it (although I can't say I loved the original suit either, although I don't think it needed to be changed outside of the trunks possibly) but now seeing a more classic Supes in it,i see the potential.

As the original poster pointed out, he captured the youth and slight edge of the New 52 Supes without sacrificing the gravitas and presence that many an artist seem to have a trouble capturing, that actually Rocafort also does well in his own way. Tony Daniel looks to be in the same vein it seems, so between Rocafort on SUPERMAN, Daniel on ACTION, Jim Lee (eventually) on MAN OF STEEL, we will have three books with a very Super looking Superman again instead of the Superboy we have gotten with Rags Morales and other artists in the new 52.

However, if we end up getting a fourth Superman book again, or one of the above artists leave their book, I would love to see Jurgens return as a regular artist with a proper finisher to flesh him out. In fact, since Jim Lee will likely only do the first year (if that) of MOS, I could easily see Jurgens finished by say a Brett Breeding, Jerry Ordway or Art Thibert step in with Scott Snyder should he continue past the first year (which he likely will. He's a long term plan kinda guy).

To me Dan should always be welcome at the Super office, just as Curt Swan was turned to as a regular fill-in off an on during the later 80's and 90's until his passing. His art is always welcome.

[Ice Wolf]

Dan Jurgens will always be to me what Curt Swan was to the previous generation, the defining Superman artist...and at the time my favorite Supes writer.

Sadly as his brief New 52 run on SUPERMAN showed that while his art was still brilliant (and the best New 52 Superman before Rocafort came along IMO)his writing was stale. Not as terrible as some have let on (in fact i loved his first and last issues actually story wise), but it felt too much of a retro throwback, and not in a good way .

But the art? Man o man. It was actually his run that won me over to actually liking the new suit. I still don't love it (although I can't say I loved the original suit either, although I don't think it needed to be changed outside of the trunks possibly) but now seeing a more classic Supes in it,i see the potential.

As the original poster pointed out, he captured the youth and slight edge of the New 52 Supes without sacrificing the gravitas and presence that many an artist seem to have a trouble capturing, that actually Rocafort also does well in his own way. Tony Daniel looks to be in the same vein it seems, so between Rocafort on SUPERMAN, Daniel on ACTION, Jim Lee (eventually) on MAN OF STEEL, we will have three books with a very Super looking Superman again instead of the Superboy we have gotten with Rags Morales and other artists in the new 52.

However, if we end up getting a fourth Superman book again, or one of the above artists leave their book, I would love to see Jurgens return as a regular artist with a proper finisher to flesh him out. In fact, since Jim Lee will likely only do the first year (if that) of MOS, I could easily see Jurgens finished by say a Brett Breeding, Jerry Ordway or Art Thibert step in with Scott Snyder should he continue past the first year (which he likely will. He's a long term plan kinda guy).

To me Dan should always be welcome at the Super office, just as Curt Swan was turned to as a regular fill-in off an on during the later 80's and 90's until his passing. His art is always welcome.

I don't know, I prefer the team of Grummett/Hazelwood, similar style I know but Grummett just seemed more polished and better at anatomy etc. I would love to see Grummett tackle pencilling New 52 Superman, I think he would really nail it.