Discussion II : Byrne Boogaloo 0

[B2D327]

On 3/20/2024 at 8:46 AM, Cat said:

You'd think it'd be Jim Lee. 

I signed up to the Byrne boards around 2005ish, and just joined in on conversations. He has a thing about needing to use your real name, and I didn't want anyone searching my real name and connecting me to comics (I was young and stupid, what can I say?) so I used a fake name. Fake, but plausible, and close to real. 

My love for Byrne was primarily his legendary Uncanny X-Men run. I didn't like his Fantastic Four work, funnily enough, despite being a huge FF fan, something about it just doesn't work for me, but of course I'd never say that, I'd never be rude to him directly, that'd be crass. Anyway a discussion was going about something, and the topic got to comparisons between his current work (which I think might have been Doom Patrol at the time, MIGHT have been) vs his old stuff like X-Men. He declared that NO FAN of his prefers his X-Men work to his current work. I politely posted and said that actually, i do prefer the old work, and gave my reasons to back up my case. BAM! INSTABAN!! Followed by mocking from both Byrne and other posters how I was just a troll, how I was never even a Byrne fan. 

That really put me off the guy. That plus his later comments which we've all heard really soured me on him, and his attitude on the forum was later absolutely atrocious towards others. So the only Byrne work I buy is his X-Men work, and West Coast Avengers, which is for completion, I don't like the story. I prefer a Vision with feelings, and feel he really did the character wrong, misunderstanding them. Oh, and the first Hellboy story, which he did dialogue for. I'm not that big into Hellboy yet though. I need to read some more as it hasn't grabbed me yet. 

His work on Uncanny X-Men is incredible. Those pencils are so beautiful. The story they told so intense. Just wow. 

But otherwise, no thanks. 

I've heard enough tales of most "talents" to know they're all a peculiar breed in some way so I appreciate and respect it can't always be praise when it comes to personal impressions. I kinda consider myself lucky to have not dealt with many of my influences on a personal level for that reason. A handshake and "keep it moving" is fine with me.

[Chip Cataldo]

On 3/20/2024 at 10:37 AM, B2D327 said:

I've heard enough tales of most "talents" to know they're all a peculiar breed in some way so I appreciate and respect it can't always be praise when it comes to personal impressions. I kinda consider myself lucky to have not dealt with many of my influences on a personal level for that reason. A handshake and "keep it moving" is fine with me.

It can for a few people I've spent lots of time around. I'll name Terry Austin, Ron Marz and Todd DeZago. Terry in particular has been a friend for 25+ years and is one of the kindest people I've ever met in my life.

[KirbyJack]

I liked his FF run so much that I found a way to forgive him for replacing The Thing with She-Hulk.

That said, I find it better to judge the art, not the artist. 

[mysterymachine]

On 3/20/2024 at 12:59 PM, KirbyJack said:

I liked his FF run so much that I found a way to forgive him for replacing The Thing with She-Hulk.

That said, I find it better to judge the art, not the artist. 

Yeah, I didn't like that either, but he did take away the Thing's rocky form and brought back his lumpy look, which I thought was an improvement.

[fastballspecial]

Byrne and Perez have ruined me for comic art these days. I cant buy many new off the shelf moderns because
I grew reading these two artists. Occasionally and artist like Finch or someone else will come along for a brief 
period and give me hope. But I think the times of a good artist staying on a book for long amount of time are 
over.