Valiant House Style or Not

rjrjr · Post by **rjrjr** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:26 pm

The early Valiant titles had a house style. Later on, during Birthquake (maybe earlier), the titles really started having a different look and feel to them.

So, who is in favor of a house style on the new comics? Who prefers the books allow the artist to dictate the style?

Myself, I was a big fan of the house style. There was a consistency in the look of the books that I found comforting. It also prevented the disappointment that I found with the art in later Valiant comics.

superman-prime · Post by **superman-prime** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:29 pm

house for sure better stories better consistenty in art

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:38 pm

It all depends. If we are talking about unestablished artists, then yes, some kind of house style. I don't really want to see something like the early Valiant style though. Comics today are boring if they stay inside the panels as it restricts storytelling.

However, if they have a guy like Bob Hall or someone who knows what they are doing, their style should not be restricted. Shadowman would've been a fraction of what it was if Bob Hall's panel layouts were restricted. Take a look at that Hall run. The panel layouts in these books were ahead of their time, imo. Truly brilliant stuff. I wouldn't want something like that restricted by any house style.

rjrjr · Post by **rjrjr** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:41 pm

400yrs wrote:It all depends. If we are talking about unestablished artists, then yes, some kind of house style. I don't really want to see something like the early Valiant style though. Comics today are boring if they stay inside the panels as it restricts storytelling.

However, if they have a guy like Bob Hall or someone who knows what they are doing, their style should not be restricted. Shadowman would've been a fraction of what it was if Bob Hall's panel layouts were restricted. Take a look at that Hall run. The panel layouts in these books were ahead of their time, imo. Truly brilliant stuff. I wouldn't want something like that restricted by any house style.

Not that I want to argue, but didn't much of Hall's work on Shadowman fall within the house style that Valiant had established in the early titles? I always felt it stayed true to that consistent look that Valiant titles had.

I was a fan of the house style, preferring it over what came later on titles like Magnus and Solar, and especially X-O Manowar.

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 8:50 pm

rjrjr wrote:
400yrs wrote:It all depends. If we are talking about unestablished artists, then yes, some kind of house style. I don't really want to see something like the early Valiant style though. Comics today are boring if they stay inside the panels as it restricts storytelling.

However, if they have a guy like Bob Hall or someone who knows what they are doing, their style should not be restricted. Shadowman would've been a fraction of what it was if Bob Hall's panel layouts were restricted. Take a look at that Hall run. The panel layouts in these books were ahead of their time, imo. Truly brilliant stuff. I wouldn't want something like that restricted by any house style.
Not that I want to argue, but didn't much of Hall's work on Shadowman fall within the house style that Valiant had established in the early titles? I always felt it stayed true to that consistent look that Valiant titles had.

I was a fan of the house style, preferring it over what came later on titles like Magnus and Solar, and especially X-O Manowar.

I haven't gotten to the late Magnus, Solar and X-O stuff.

What do you refer to as the Valiant House style? To me, Shadowman doesn't look like any of the other books I've read at all. The colors are somewhat consistent, but panel layouts and pencils and inks don't match any of the books at the same time nor before.

Are there any threads that anyone can remember that discusses what the house style was or is it just assumed?

I always think of the traditional 4-6 panel layouts that Shooter liked so much that were the bulk of the early stuff and then gradually progressed from there.

BruceReville · Post by **BruceReville** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:27 pm

You know I actually had to think on this and as much as alot of people on these boards like the Valiant House Style - I say it needs to be a more modern style for the sole purpose of attracting newer and younger readers.

Sure the style was popular and worked for Valiant fans in the past, but if Valiant is going to succeed then it needs to gear itself to the younger readers, rather than what we older readers would like to have.

We may not like the new style 100%, but it is what the 12-22 year old readers are growing up with now that buy the comics that do sell. Throwing an old style page layout could turn younger readers away because they are more custom to the double page - panel bleed and yes sometimes crap layouts that are published now.

Now do I want the new Valiant to go 100% new style - No -- Do I think it should go back to the old Valiant House Style - No. What I would want is a good mix of both to not only work like the old style did, but be fresh enough to visually attract the younger audience that will be needed to make this relaunch a true success and not just be propped up by old fans reliving glory days with titles that soon fall flat or just fall down completely.

betterthanezra · Post by **betterthanezra** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:36 pm

I'm not in favor of the Valiant house style I know many long timers will NOT agree. I have talked to MANY past Valiant artists that didn't like the house style. There pencil lines were curved for house style taking the dynamic style many artists had.

Bob Hall had an incredible inker on him (Tom Ryder) when he wasn't inking himself. He was kind of left alone in the scheme of things when it came to the rest of the Valiant line.

-Brian

IanAlexavier · Post by **IanAlexavier** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:34 am

I enjoyed the house style and would enjoy the new books if they had it. I also want DNV to be successful.. so whatever is going to work for the rest of the work is fine with me LOL.

Maybe they can do a little survey with regards to different books. Try some with a undated house style and give the artists a bit more freedom on other books to see what happens?

So maybe updates house with some artistic freedoms?

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:13 am

I really liked the house style, but as Ian said, whatever works best is the important thing.The market has definitely changed since Valiant originally launched, so keeping things contemporary is probably high on the priority list.

IanAlexavier · Post by **IanAlexavier** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:42 pm

With all that being said.. I want story telling to be a higher priority than art.

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 8:55 pm

For sure.

wrunow · Post by **wrunow** » Sat Jul 23, 2011 9:15 pm

betterthanezra wrote:I'm not in favor of the Valiant house style I know many long timers will NOT agree. I have talked to MANY past Valiant artists that didn't like the house style. There pencil lines were curved for house style taking the dynamic style many artists had.

Bob Hall had an incredible inker on him (Tom Ryder) when he wasn't inking himself. He was kind of left alone in the scheme of things when it came to the rest of the Valiant line.

-Brian

I am gonna agree with Brian here, and I remember the artists complaining about the house style too, and really complaining about when VALIANT hired some big guns after the success of Unity and then let them draw however they wanted.

I think I have heard both Shooter and Layton say the same thing though. It wasn't so much that they had a house style, but they couldn't afford top talent when VALIANT started out, so they had to ride hard on the fairly young pencilers (like Lapham) and made sure that telling the story was more important than fancy art. Layton and BWS were there, but they're role was more as overseeing and editing art, at least that's the way I've always understood it.

I don't think you'll see a specific art style carrying itself across the VEI titles when they come out. Warren Simons will be deciding who he wants for creators on each title knowing their style based on what he wants the particular book to look and feel like. I feel good about Warren's judgement, and I think he's gonna do a great job with this.

Drift · Post by **Drift** » Sun Jul 24, 2011 5:02 am

I am all for an in-house style. Not necessarily the same as the original style but I really dislike the way that you will have two completely different art styles between similar books or even, in the case of things like the current Spidey books within the same book.

A few different styles could be used in order to showcase different artists though. For example tech heroes like Armorines and HARDcorps could have one style while grittier books like Ninjak and Bloodshot could have a darker, more fluid style. A book like Secret Weapons could be used as a team-up and/or showcase book allowing for artists to go a bit wild and show their favoured style. Events and crossovers should always be done in one style. I think that is the only thing that let down the Big2's events. I mean GL and GLC have two completely different art styles when they should be using one style as the stories follow one team even if the circumstances differ.

By all means use different styles but they need to gel together and make sense.

Rai-fan · Post by **Rai-fan** » Sun Jul 24, 2011 8:40 pm

As was said, no. I want it to be successful.

Comic art has evolved in the 20 years since the launch of VH1. And limiting artists to a "house style" will kill the line faster than you know...ordinary market forces will.

I'd like to see three titles make it to issue # 25. A house style would diminish the chances of that happening even more.