Batman Hush Covers - The Poll 2 2

[PhilipB2k17]

It has to be 608 2nd printing, doesn’t it? That’s a classic pose. 

[PhilipB2k17]

10 hours ago, stinkininkin said:

Can I vote?  Should I vote?  

Just out of curiosity, what’s the Penciller/Inker OA breakdown on covers? How many of these were you able to keep? And do you still have any of them? Or does Jim get dibs on all the covers you guys produce? 

[zhamlau]

Man, I really like 609 and 619 2nd print. The 619 reminds me of the Vader Chess cover for Star Wars that came up recently.

[delekkerste]

I'm surprised about all the love for the #609 (so far the top vote-getter along with the #608 2nd print, which is nice, but, pretty generic IMO).  

My favorites are the #608 1st print (Bats' boot coming atcha) - such a dynamic cover and, for me, the most memorable having kicked off the storyline - and the powerful #617 cover (the image being perhaps more tied into the actual storyline).  

[Doc McCoy]

I like all three 608 covers, 613 & 615.  

Judging by the comments, I would say there's a definite generational gap in the appreciation for Jim's work.  

[Andahaion]

Yeah the old guard around here certainly has spoken.  I guess all this "new money/new blood" that needs to come into the hobby has questionable taste, eh?  I mean, we even adore Ron Lim's Surfer (gasp)!  It's dogs and cats living together.  Mass hysteria!

Here are my faves in no particular order other than numerical:  

608 (you know which one)
609
612
616
617

[Pete Marino]

My Votes were for:

 

608 (1st and 2nd print)

609

615

619

 

I want iconic, hero poses (and the one with Ivy and Catwoman is just awesome IMO)

[Hekla]

11 hours ago, NinjaSealed said:

It’s always been interesting to me, IMO the covers on Hush all together are pretty meh, while the interiors are some of the prettiest ever To grace a comic book. Probably a few dozen interiors I would rather own for my enjoyment over any cover. If I could have any one cover to Hush it would be 612 probably.

There are definitely quite a few interiors/splash pages that are outstanding

[rocket1312]

I love Jim Lee and Hush is what got me back reading comics after a few years away, but I have to agree that this set of covers leaves me somewhat cold.  608 (first print) is probably the most memorable of the bunch.  It's a nice image, but it was also the first, which I think helps its cache.  The second print of 608 is cool too, but Batman's got a little too much of "Liefeld Cap" chest thing going on.  I really like the figures on 612, but the white nothingness of the background takes something away from it.  Almost as if the cover is unfinished.  615 could be a classic (even if it is something we've seen a million times), but Nightwing's right leg really sticks out.  I also like 611, even if it doesn't totally make sense to me what's happening.

 

All that said, I would happily own any of the above.  Not at market prices mind you, but that's true of just about anything greater than low 4 figures.

[PhilipB2k17]

2 hours ago, delekkerste said:

I'm surprised about all the love for the #609 (so far the top vote-getter along with the #608 2nd print, which is nice, but, pretty generic IMO).  

My favorites are the #608 1st print (Bats' boot coming atcha) - such a dynamic cover and, for me, the most memorable having kicked off the storyline - and the powerful #617 cover (the image being perhaps more tied into the actual storyline).  

I like 608 1st print too. But, it's a little too Spider-Manny. I don't think the 2nd print 608 is "generic." It's a classic Batman pose, done by a classic artist.

[delekkerste]

4 minutes ago, PhilipB2k17 said:

I don't think the 2nd print 608 is "generic." It's a classic Batman pose, done by a classic artist.

Yes, it's a classic Batman pose.  That's why it's generic.  It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the Hush storyline; it could have just been pulled from a file of "art to be used in the case of not being able to meet a deadline".  

Edited February 8, 2018 by delekkerste

[PhilipB2k17]

1 minute ago, delekkerste said:

Yes, it's a classic Batman pose.  That's why it's generic.  It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the Hush storyline; it could have just been pulled from a file of "art to be used in the case of not being able to meet a deadline".  

Well, we could ask Scott if that was the case. But one man's "generic" is another man's "classic," I guess.

I mean, isn't the cover to Spider-Man 300 "generic" by that standard? It's just Spidey swinging on a web over the NY skyline.

[delekkerste]

Just now, PhilipB2k17 said:

Well, we could ask Scott if that was the case. But one man's "generic" is another man's "classic," I guess.

I mean, isn't the cover to Spider-Man 300 "generic" by that standard? It's just Spidey swinging on a web over the NY skyline.

"Generic" doesn't necessarily mean "bad".  Yes, Spidey 300 is generic.  But, for a 300th issue where the black costume plays a huge role in the story, generic is OK.  

Bats 608 2nd print is just bog standard generic.  Could have been used on just about any Batman cover in a pinch if need be.  I'm not saying that it's not nice (it is, of course), but, all the covers from #609-619 are directly tied to the interior story.  Only the 1st & 2nd print covers to #608 are generic enough to be used on almost any issue's cover.  

[Ironmandrd]

I voted, in number order:

608 (kick)

608 (Hush--normally I don't like split screen covers but character inclusion outweighed that)

609

613

617

Runner up:  612 (Supes)

 

I do lean towards non-pin up, story relevant covers (608 being the exception but it launched the story and I think he also did a similar flying kick in the story as well).

Am a bit surprised that 619 (Heroes), notwithstanding the somewhat over-the-top posing, has only 4 votes.

[stinkininkin]

51 minutes ago, delekkerste said:

Yes, it's a classic Batman pose.  That's why it's generic.  It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the Hush storyline; it could have just been pulled from a file of "art to be used in the case of not being able to meet a deadline".  

This will make your day Gene--that classic (generic) Batman pose WAS pulled from a file and used for Hush!  I believe it was a commission Jim did getting warmed up for the series.  That's why it's the only one I didn't ink.  So yes, it could have been stuck on virtually any Bat title!  Having said that, it's exactly the type of cover that modern comic readers (and art collectors) seem to covet--a representational one and done presentation of the character regardless of story content.

[stinkininkin]

4 hours ago, PhilipB2k17 said:

Just out of curiosity, what’s the Penciller/Inker OA breakdown on covers? How many of these were you able to keep? And do you still have any of them? Or does Jim get dibs on all the covers you guys produce? 

I got one third of all the covers.  I have sold all of them except one.  At one point, I had 608 the RRP split screen cover and the 613 cover.  I even had 619 triple villain cover not shown in this poll, and the 608 big boot cover.  I had always figure to keep that last one, but was quite literally offered a sum I could not responsibly refuse.

[stinkininkin]

3 hours ago, delekkerste said:

I'm surprised about all the love for the #609 (so far the top vote-getter along with the #608 2nd print, which is nice, but, pretty generic IMO).  

My favorites are the #608 1st print (Bats' boot coming atcha) - such a dynamic cover and, for me, the most memorable having kicked off the storyline - and the powerful #617 cover (the image being perhaps more tied into the actual storyline).  

The 609 cover was the first Hush piece I inked (cover or interiors) and while it's a fine image, it was inked entirely with a pen (crowquill) before I made the decision to inking the series primarily with a brush.  I felt brushwork would give the world of Gotham and the Batman a more organic and darker vibe, and i think I made the right choice.  As a result, the 609 cover always seemed a little off to me in an OCD inker kind of way, like it didn't quite fit in stylistically with the rest (I suppose you could say the same thing about the 608 RRP cover that Jim inked as well).  Anyway, I'm just strolling down memory lane here.  Don't let it influence anyones votes!

[PhilipB2k17]

28 minutes ago, stinkininkin said:

This will make your day Gene--that classic (generic) Batman pose WAS pulled from a file and used for Hush!  I believe it was a commission Jim did getting warmed up for the series.  That's why it's the only one I didn't ink.  So yes, it could have been stuck on virtually any Bat title!  Having said that, it's exactly the type of cover that modern comic readers (and art collectors) seem to covet--a representational one and done presentation of the character regardless of story content.

I still go with "classic" vs "generic." 

[Bronty]

Oh man I’d love to know how much you got for the big boot if you are at liberty to post or pm

[ExNihilo]

1 hour ago, stinkininkin said:

The 609 cover was the first Hush piece I inked (cover or interiors) and while it's a fine image, it was inked entirely with a pen (crowquill) before I made the decision to inking the series primarily with a brush.  I felt brushwork would give the world of Gotham and the Batman a more organic and darker vibe, and i think I made the right choice.  As a result, the 609 cover always seemed a little off to me in an OCD inker kind of way, like it didn't quite fit in stylistically with the rest (I suppose you could say the same thing about the 608 RRP cover that Jim inked as well).  Anyway, I'm just strolling down memory lane here.  Don't let it influence anyones votes!

Now I'm gonna have to go back and re-read the series with this tid-bit in mind and see if I notice anything different.