dresdencodak:

Costume and character designs are just part of effective characterization in comic art. How those elements are portrayed are just as important, and a solid execution can make even a mediocre design work. ComicsAlliance has put up a great comparison of two artists depicting the same superheroine in wildly different forms, one being bizarrely sexualized to the detriment of all else and the other being an effective storytelling element. I highly recommend taking a look!

We got a big response to my last piece on sexualization in superhero art, and I’m back today with another look at the same premise: that comics art tells a story, and on a certain level, you can judge it according to how well it tells the story it’s trying to tell. This week, we’re going to compare and contrast how a female character is depicted in cape comics, what stories are being told by the art, and how effective different artists and styles are at telling those stories. Specifically, we’re comparing Greg Land drawing Psylocke in Uncanny X-Men #5 from 2012 and Jerome Opeña drawing Psylocke in Uncanny X-Force #4, from early 2011.

I chose two pages that shared several similarities. They both feature Betsy “Psylocke” Braddock, a character traditionally associated with out-of-control cheesecake, and show her using a sword, interacting with a teammate, and displaying some strong emotion. The specifics are a little different, but the overall point of both pages are clear: Psylocke is skilled with a sword and cares about things. Land’s page fails in its intent, while Opeña’s does not. Let’s talk about why.

Read More: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/02/22/psylocke-art-greg-land-jerome-opena/#ixzz1nDvD5pwv