Darwyn Cooke

Darwyn Cooke is one of my favourite comic book artists. He draws with a throwback elegance that conveys everything that is magical to behold. Its cartoonish without being childish. It feels very retro and yet very modern. And I love everything he does.

In contrast to a lot of today's hyper-real artists, he can bring so much story into each perfectly composed frame. His new DC Comic covers are a perfect example of this. In the image above you know Superman has diverted from whatever he was doing to save the little boy from an nasty end. There's no aggression, no need for speed lines. We see Superman at his best in an image full of hope. If only the Superman movies could channel this look and feel.

I love how in this Catwoman image, you just know she's having the time of her life, robbing stuff.

But he never forgets that, with these covers, he's here to sell you a comic book. I mean I wanna read that Bat Girl comic and find out if she's helping the cops chase a bad guy or if they are chasing her.

In these days of grim and gritty, it's just so nice to see heroes looking like heroes and being happy about it. I just wonder if the insides will reflect the cover or if they will just be migraine stories as my old flatmate used to call them.