Same Story, Different Cover: Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
L: [Uncanny] X-Men #114 (October 1978), art by John Byrne and Terry Austin
R: Classic X-Men #20 (April 1988), reprinting X-Men #114, art by Art Adams and Terry Austin
(Click picture to guilt-size)
Uncanny 114 has that classic cover fake out. Death is cheap in comics and everyone reading knows that having the entire cast die is just not going to happen, but there is still interest and suspense as to what happened exactly? How did Hank and Jean survive while the others didn't? The focus starts with the colored mourners and drifts to their visage as if we're mourning along with them. Its great composition.
ReplyDeleteClassic 20 couldn't be more different. Wolverine looks ready to charge a dinosaur man holding a bikini clad Storm hostage. It plays more towards excitement and sensationalism. My own problem is that it looks too staged, almost like a marquette. Wolverine is in the focal point holding that pose of his as if being restrained. The others seem rather superficial (can anyone tell me where Colossus's legs are?) Sauron looks kinda like he's winking at the audience as he holds his nubile captive.
While both are something of exploitative, be it for promise of high emotion or high action, I prefer 114, if nothing else because I feel it makes for a better group shot.