A new take on an old legend — and much more than that… By PETER STONE One of the top artists currently working at DC Comics came from an illustrative background at Boom! Studios. His name is Dan Mora, and he works quickly and exceptionally, sometimes producing almost two books a month. He did a bunch of covers for Marvel Comics and then regular series for DC. His work on Batman/Superman: World’s Finest was stellar. Mark Waid’s stories were solid and clear, complemented by Mora’s terrific pencils and inks. Mora did a great run on Detective Comics (Issues #1027 through #1050); a four-issue run on Future State: Dark Detective (#11-#14); Justice League Unlimited (#1-5, #10-#13), and the terrific, four-issue event Absolute Power. In Absolute Power, he had to draw almost every character (including the oft-forgotten Air Wave) as well as a Brainiac Queen, an army of Amazos, and even the evil, robotic Failsafe. It’s a very intense series that’s a lot of fun to read. Daniel Mora Chaves was born in Costa Rica and is a direct heir of the famous painter and sculptor, Francisco Zuniga, who was also born in Costa Rica, but lived in Mexico. Mora initially studied architecture, but switched focus and graduated with a degree in painting. He spent a few years teaching painting classes and struggling to get his work into galleries. Eventually, he switched to drawing science fiction and fantasy, obtaining work in the small comics industry of Costa Rica. Then, Boom! Studios discovered him and hired him as an exclusive artist in 2017. He drew covers, a series called Hexed, and the origin of Santa Claus with Grant Morrison called Klaus. He started working on The Transformers, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Buffy, and the series that brought him to my attention, Once and Future. For reference, that’s our BURIED TREASURE, a modern retelling of the classic Arthurian romances, with some other monsters thrown in for good measure. The series, written by Kieron Gillen, started in 2019 and ran for 30 issues, steeped not only in Arthurian lore, but also snippets of British history, literature, and famous locations. It is not simply a retelling of the classic novel The Once and Future King by T. H. White, or The Death of Arthur (“Le Morte d’Arthur”) by Sir Thomas Malory, or even the plethora of...
A two-issue tour de force… By PETE STONE In New York City, Midtown Comics is exceptional. But when I first arrived here years ago, Forbidden Planet was THE comic store to go to. Right off of Union Square, it carried major American comics, as well as independents and even European comics. (Still does.) You could spend hundreds of dollars there every week and still walk away without everything you wanted. So, this past weekend, my wife and I went into the shop and found everything we were both looking for. Then, while waiting in line, I saw some bagged-and-boarded back issues, and right on top was Gen 13: Ordinary Heroes. Written and penciled by Adam Hughes, inked by Mark Farmer, and colored by Homer Reyes and Ben Dimagmaliw, it makes for a perfect BURIED TREASURE feature. Gen 13 was created by Brandon Choi, Jim Lee, and J. Scott Campbell, way before Lee became the leader of DC Comics. (It was first published by Lee’s WildStorm through Image, then under DC.) The characters of Caitlin Fairchild, Roxy, Grunge, Burnout, and Threshold were not the dark, cynical, military intelligence kind of heroes from that time period. They were teenagers, and in this 1996, two-issue mini, Adam Hughes captured them perfectly. They were more like the original X-Men than the later adult versions. The magic of Ordinary Heroes is that the kids are very human, and Hughes tells a simple story that deals with their age and emotional maturity. He doesn’t write a blockbuster where the heroes have to save the universe or even save a city. Instead, the tale focuses on their understanding of the world and their place in it. Beyond the basic plot, there is the art. The beginning of the story, with Caitlin being hit on by a football player, is especially sweet: The big, tough guy offers to carry her trunk as she leaves her college dorm. Of course, he thinks she’s just a “girl,” but pulls his back when he tries to lift it. Caitlin offers to let him carry her stuffed bear when she lifts the trunk easily. Hughes gives every panel a human touch. His skill shines through with every expression. Hughes is self-taught, but if you name the top five artists of the past 30 years, he’s right there. After Caitlin embarrasses the...
A new take on an old legend — and much more than that…
Perhaps not exactly “buried,” but a treasure nonetheless…
It’s October — the scary season!
