TDM Page 70 and Being Overwhelmed

When I discussed page 70 in my last post I was fairly dour.  I’m much more upbeat about this one.  It’s not perfect or anything, but it doesn’t bother me.  In fact I think it’s fairly good.

It’s decently drawn with a few standout panels.  Beyond that I really like the content and writing.  Black Snow losing his cool while Lightning Lad keeps it together…good stuff.

In fact, I’d say this is a pivotal page in the way it characterizes Black Snow.  I think we’ve done a nice job of emphasizing his many flaws and differentiating him from most other superheroes.  What we may not have done enough of is making him someone the reader roots for.  It is important to counter balance some of his gruffness with traits that the reader can sympathize with.

Hopefully Black Snow’s freaking out and feeling totally overwhelmed by the situation makes him a bit more likeable.  I also hope it all feels within his character, like we are getting to see some more dimension to the man and makes him more interesting.

Besides any of this pages import or technical merits, I think what I really like about this page is that it feels fun.  That is something I don’t usually think a lot about, but maybe I should.  This comic is not meant to be anything more than entertainment.  It doesn’t really have a message or agenda, at least not a clear one that I am aware of.  It is just supposed to be a good story.

And perhaps that is something I lost sight of as I focused more on the dramatic impact of events.  And while this page tries to offer up some genuine emotions I think it also does a nice job of balancing that with some sense of humor.

Oh, and I really like Black Snow in the top left panel.  It is a bit of a throwback to the old comic books in appearance and tone, but a most welcome one.  And I really like that he casually swears now.  That’s something we should have embraced a long time ago.