Matilda: (on seeing Adam West era Batman for the first time) "How come he looks like BatCat?"
Me: "What do you mean?"
Matilda: "His ears. Those are cat ears."

So I'm having a discussion with someone who disagrees with the statement "Greg Land's women have no personality" because he says personality isn't Greg Land's job, it rests entirely on the writer. My rebuttal is that a comic is a team effort, and some of the personality is definitely the artist's job--it's not a novel--the penciller, inker, and colourist will all contribute, to varying degrees.

As far as I can tell, he's missing a huge part of the point of a comic, so much so that I don't know what to do beyond pointing at pages and going "See? Personality!" Is there something 101ish I could direct him to? I mean, some things are so fucking basic I hadn't worked out how to articulate them.

I remember one of the things that made Joss' run on Astonishing X-men work so well was Cassaday's art and rendering of facial expressions. I want to say there were several typical Joss TV-style beats where someone would say something and someone else would just make a face in reaction.

How does Greg Land still have a job, anyway?

I'm almost done with Planetary, and I'm just wowed by Cassaday with every issue.

The last reasonable explanations I was given for Land were

• makes all his deadlines (no evidence, but it must be, right?)
• really gifted colourist (I feel I should track their name down and start a fuck yeah tumblr about them

But that doesn't excuse tracing himself (or the same face twice) for both Storm and Jean, nor many of his easily identifiable "slip ups". Go on, use photo references. That's part of your job. But you shouldn't be able to slide one of your pictures over a Sports Illustrated cover and have them match so tightly.

Also, close your women's mouths more often, and if there's a good reason for them to be open--back that up with the rest of the face, eh? I mean, if that's what your girlfriend looks like when she's orgasming--I have a bridge I'd like to sell you.

really gifted colourist

I can't argue with that one. Coloring over other people's pictures/photos seems to be his entire schtick.

Not sure how that's really a selling point, if you're Marvel. "Our staff includes the world's greatest photoshopper!"

I don't know, I haven't bought comics in months, but I know I've not purchased or dropped titles in the past because of Land's "art".

I would drop a title if he switched on to it, and I wouldn't pick one up he worked on. I hate his work, and I'm no longer going to struggle through art I don't like for writing that's not bad, or vice versa. I want to enjoy the comic. I don't need comics. I want to want them.

Not sure how that's really a selling point, if you're Marvel. "Our staff includes the world's greatest photoshopper!"

Bah, he's not even that.

I'm no longer going to struggle through art I don't like for writing that's not bad, or vice versa. I want to enjoy the comic. I don't need comics. I want to want them.

I agree completely. I loved Ultimate Spider-man, but when they changed artists, I really didn't like the new guy's style. I tried to stick with it, but my interest waned until I stopped caring enough to go pick up the next issue. I never even made it to them killing off Peter and bringing in Miles, so I can't even comment on the new Ultimate Spidey.

I also had a lot of trouble with Scott Pilgrim. I really didn't like the art, but forced myself to stick with it simply because everyone raved about it and I had enjoyed the movie. In the end, I love the story, but still wish the art was better.

Bah, he's not even that.

World's most infamous photoshopper?