Tag: Dan Day

Detective Comics (1937) #527

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Doug Moench sure does like exposition this issue. Batman can’t stop thinking about all the problems in his life (though he manages not to detect Gordon’s heart problem). But there’s also the regular narrative exposition, which Moench overwrites. It makes me wonder if he’s gearing Detective towards a younger audience. He’s not particularly confident; he keeps explaining himself.

The Dan Day artwork is okay without being good. Day, inked by Pablo Marcos, is competent but childish. His figures don’t show any maturity.

Towards the end of the issue, Moench juxtaposes Bruce and Jason getting ready to go to the movies (presumably not Zorro) and the problem becomes clear. Moench knows he’s writing about a difficult “real” issue, adoption, but he doesn’t know how to write it. It’s too bad

The Green Arrow backup from Joey Cavalieri and Paris Cullins has nice enough art from Cullins. Sadly, the story’s exceptionally silly.

Detective Comics 527 (June 1983)

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Doug Moench sure does like exposition this issue. Batman can’t stop thinking about all the problems in his life (though he manages not to detect Gordon’s heart problem). But there’s also the regular narrative exposition, which Moench overwrites. It makes me wonder if he’s gearing Detective towards a younger audience. He’s not particularly confident; he keeps explaining himself.

The Dan Day artwork is okay without being good. Day, inked by Pablo Marcos, is competent but childish. His figures don’t show any maturity.

Towards the end of the issue, Moench juxtaposes Bruce and Jason getting ready to go to the movies (presumably not Zorro) and the problem becomes clear. Moench knows he’s writing about a difficult “real” issue, adoption, but he doesn’t know how to write it. It’s too bad

The Green Arrow backup from Joey Cavalieri and Paris Cullins has nice enough art from Cullins. Sadly, the story’s exceptionally silly.

The Saga of the Swamp Thing 20 (January 1984)

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Alan Moore’s first issue is immediately different. It’s hard to explain, coming from a still untraditional comic (Pasko did a lot of surprising things with the horror angle), but Moore makes Day integrate the visual layout with how the narrative works. It’s all very cinematic, the way Moore forces the readers’ eye.

He’s wrapping up some of Pasko’s things, giving them a far different bent than Pasko did the previous issue. Arcane’s still dead (and Moore’s weakest moment is Alec realizing he and Arcane are forever linked as nemeses just because there’s so much exposition), but Dennis is turning out to be a real dick and so’s Matt. Moore’s men are deceptive and controlling. It’s particularly striking because it happens in the span of four pages. It’s too obvious, like a feminist nightmare version of gender politics.

Still, it’s a masterful revolution. From the first page, Moore’s Swamp Thing stuns.

CREDITS

Loose Ends; writer, Alan Moore; penciller, Dan Day; inker, John Totleben; colorist, Tatjana Wood; letterer, John Costanza; editor, Len Wein; publisher, DC Comics.