The closest I have to an artist edition is Justice League Unwrapped by Jim Lee. A real treasure, so inspiring, I learned so much thanks to it. Thanks for sharing a glimpse at Mazzucchelli's art
Those Unwrapped books are excellent! I have a few digital copies of them. Those are really great because they are all penciled, and it's really helpful to see just that side of things. I'm glad you took a look at this video, thank you!
Amazing! Thanks for taking the time to share this with us. The comic was instantly a favorit when I read it about 13 or 14 years ago & has been an inspiration since, especially because of the art. This is a great look at the Artist's Edition.
Great to see the artists blocking out and gain some insight into the process of creating a comic. Also loved seeing the mistakes and blemishes and going through this edition. Thanks Thomas!
Thank you for the thorough revision of David Mazzucchelli's Batman Year One. Seeing the original art inspires us to get better at the craft and burn the midnight oil. Amid the careful composition and technique, I think the underlying message is how "passionate" Mazzucchelli is in his art, you can experience it in every page. If I can recommend another Artist's Edition to review, it would have to be John Paul Leon's: The Winter Men. A great "master class" for students and comic fans to enjoy. I definitely got to learn and pay more attention to detail from what many consider to be his magnum opus.
Thank you for your comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I'd love to get my hands on The Winter Men AE one day. If I can, that would be a great video to make. John Paul Leon's work definitely inspires a lot of the same emotions and beauty as Mazzucchelli's work 👍
Mazzucchelli is the Joint!! i was lucky enough to be around to grab Batman Year One when the first print was on the stands.Thanks for sharing the artists edition.
I bought this same artists edition and loved pouring over the pages too. It's glorious. Year One is also my favorite Batman comic so this was a must buy for me. Well worth the price. It's my first artist edition but won't be my last. Thanks for the video. It was great nerding out with another big fan.
My copy came in yesterday, and i was too nervous to open it up haha. Had a great time breaking the plastic and looking over it with you in this video. This big was a big investment for me, but it was well worth it. Amazing book, and killer video!
Oh cool, I'm glad you got one and were able to look through it along with me! It definitely was expensive, but very well worth it as an investment. Thanks so much for watching and enjoy the book!
Thanks for watching, Kevin! I'm glad you enjoyed it. And wow, that Rocketeer one looks awesome. I've seen it online and would love to look through it in person one day!
This looks amazing, I love seeing all the original inks and pencil sketches, and those little white out bits and other edits are fun to see. I've never read Year One, would you recommend this version or the original colour version to dive in?
This would definitely be a unique and special way to read the comic for the first time. If you're a big fan of the comic art process or an artist yourself, I'd say this is a must-have, but the limiting factor would be the price. If that's an issue, I would get one of the other collections that reprint the original comic and also have a small section of process pages in the back.
I got my copy a couple of days ago. It's an unbelievably special book. So much to study and take from the work. About those pencil pages. They are very accurate when compared to the 11x17 inked pages. Do you suppose he light-boxed them? Or could they be just shrunk down for presentation in this book. I ask because there is not much underdrawing seen on the finished inks. Perhaps it's stated in the opening pages introduction. Just thought I'd ask your opinion.
@jamesmurphy. That's a great question/observation. I don't know exactly, but I would guess that he would have taken those pencils/layouts and blown them up on the photocopier, and then lightboxed onto the final 11x17 art board. I feel like he wouldn't take the time to work out all the compositions so carefully, and also do them within direct proportion of the final art, if he was then just going to eye it all onto a new page. You can see that some of the "partially inked" pages that are included are reduced photocopies and those show rough pencils, but much cleaner than the smaller, looser versions.
@@thomaspitilli yeah that's what I was thinking too. So much composition work and shape language in those pencil roughs, that it would be a shame to not utilise it as an underdrawing for the inks. I may need to invest in a lightbox 😅 By the way, great video man. I'm off to stare in awe at Mazzucchelli's work in batman year one some more 😅
Yeah, the Chris Samnee Daredevil book is another great one for studying simplicity, excellent page/panel composition and solid storytelling. The only thing missing is that the stories were originally digitally lettered, so you don't get to see that interplay of text and image as all you get is the art. Some other Artist Editions have actually added the digital lettering to the original art scans, but they chose not to do it with this one. But they make up for it by including a second book in the slipcase that has the complete script and all of Samnee's rough layouts. I have about 20 Artist's Editions and TBH my favorite one will always be MAD. I was so obsessed with the Kurtzman/Elder/Wood stuff as a kid that it's just joyous for me to see the original art for many of my favorite stories. I wish I could go back in time and give that one to my 5 year-old self just to watch my tiny head explode. lol The Will Eisner volumes are must-haves as are the two Kirby Fantastic Fours and, of course, the one that started it all: The Rocketeer. Of course, the Europeans were well ahead of us on this kind of thing. In the mid-2000's, I impulse ordered a French book and a folio set from Stuart NG Books by a guy named Pierre Alary. It's called Belladone and is the story of a female assassin during the times of the French Revolution (I think ?). The book is a complete reprint of the first volume in the series, but in black and white. But what's interesting is that when you flip through the book, each right-hand page is a black and white page of the finished work, and the left-hand page is a collage of various scraps of his pencil roughs of the panels for that page. The folio set is a complete facsimile reproduction of the original penciled pages to that same volume. So between the two, you get the fullest appreciation of what went into making it.
I agree, that Samne AE is amazing. And I do also love that additional book with all of his layouts and the script. It's great to compare it to the final inks. I've only ever seen the MAD one online, but never in person. I bet it's beautiful. 20 AE's?? That sounds like an amazing collection! I'd love to expand upon my collection. I never heard of Pierre Alary, at least I don't think so. That book sounds amazing. I'll have to look into that. I can imagine it must be a rare find at this point. Thanks for your insight and comment!
Thanks for the great video. I learned a lot and i have been dying to get this book. However, I honestly believe that the more realistic style that he used in this Batman book is nowhere near the perfection of the "simplified Cartoon" style or what i would call his "bigfoot Shorthand minimalism" that he did for Rubber Blanket and City of Glass. I almost feel like the Batman Project was "real" work style and his other style allowed him to "let his hair down" so to speak. I would love for you to discuss that style more. Although I do think that his later Asterios Polyp period goes to far with the angular and abstract art style. Thanks for the great video
Thank you for watching! There is definitely something beautiful about the imideacy and life of his lines on The Big Man from Rubber Blankets and City Of Glass. My favorite of his probably is City Of Glass. It's awesome to see glimpses of that stuff in this Artist's Edition though. I talk a little about some of that other work in a video I made years ago about all of his various styles. I'd love to make another one though, perhaps diving a little deeper into that stuff in the future!
Some awesome observations and takeaways! : ) He said in the intro that he chose a pen nib that didn't come to a point so he wouldn't get too finely detailed. Really curious what nib he used.
@badicecream2913 Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Choosing against a tool that you know will give you great precision, in an attempt to have a more lively line, is a great attribute of a professional 👍 As for a nib, that's a great wonder. Thay would be hard for me to guess. Almost looks like a lettering nib in certain areas. I would say probably not a hunt 102.
Never have. I actually never read the series. It's been on my list for a long time. Whatever I've seen of the artwork is super impressive, and definitely seems to be a part of the Mazzucchelli approach in many ways.
@tobishades He does! For his run on Born Again. But there is also a Artisan Edition for that which is much more affordable. I have a link to it in mu description 👍
The closest I have to an artist edition is Justice League Unwrapped by Jim Lee. A real treasure, so inspiring, I learned so much thanks to it. Thanks for sharing a glimpse at Mazzucchelli's art
You will learn more from Greg Capullo, John Romita, Marc Silvestri, Alex Toth, Eduardo Risso.
Those Unwrapped books are excellent! I have a few digital copies of them. Those are really great because they are all penciled, and it's really helpful to see just that side of things. I'm glad you took a look at this video, thank you!
@rockon8174 I have the Capullo Court Of Owls one in digital format and it's really inspiring and very helpful to study.
Amazing! Thanks for taking the time to share this with us. The comic was instantly a favorit when I read it about 13 or 14 years ago & has been an inspiration since, especially because of the art. This is a great look at the Artist's Edition.
I'm glad you got to take a look at this, Phillip! Thanks 🙏
Great to see the artists blocking out and gain some insight into the process of creating a comic. Also loved seeing the mistakes and blemishes and going through this edition. Thanks Thomas!
Those are the best parts! Glad you liked it too 👍
Thanks so much for this incredibly in depth review! ❤
Thanks so much! I'm glad to hear you liked it. It's such a beautiful book, really nice job!
Thank you for the thorough revision of David Mazzucchelli's Batman Year One. Seeing the original art inspires us to get better at the craft and burn the midnight oil. Amid the careful composition and technique, I think the underlying message is how "passionate" Mazzucchelli is in his art, you can experience it in every page.
If I can recommend another Artist's Edition to review, it would have to be John Paul Leon's: The Winter Men. A great "master class" for students and comic fans to enjoy. I definitely got to learn and pay more attention to detail from what many consider to be his magnum opus.
Thank you for your comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I'd love to get my hands on The Winter Men AE one day. If I can, that would be a great video to make. John Paul Leon's work definitely inspires a lot of the same emotions and beauty as Mazzucchelli's work 👍
Mazzucchelli is the Joint!! i was lucky enough to be around to grab Batman Year One when the first print was on the stands.Thanks for sharing the artists edition.
Thanks for watching! Do you still have those original issues?
@@thomaspitilli I have a first print Graphic novel. =)
Very useful for me right now. I was needing some ideas for a cómic that I am drawing. Thank you!😮🎉
Glad it provides some inspiration for you! Thanks for watching 👍
I bought this same artists edition and loved pouring over the pages too. It's glorious. Year One is also my favorite Batman comic so this was a must buy for me. Well worth the price. It's my first artist edition but won't be my last. Thanks for the video. It was great nerding out with another big fan.
Glad we can nerd out together 🤓 Thanks for watching!
Love this definitely on my wishlist. Thankyou for doing this video, helps close the deal for me. You’re awesome Thomas!!! 🤙🏾
Thanks for watching, Julio! Whenever you pick it up, you're gonna love it!
I would love an artist edition for Batman Year 100. Probably the mostly influential piece of art for me personally
Man, that would be amazing. I'm a huge Paul Pope fan, and a Pope Artist's Edition is long overdue.
Excellent and passionate review! The Artist Edition collected edition may be my favorite format for comics
For the artist, or anyone fascinated with the process, it certainly is the best format!
My copy came in yesterday, and i was too nervous to open it up haha. Had a great time breaking the plastic and looking over it with you in this video. This big was a big investment for me, but it was well worth it. Amazing book, and killer video!
Oh cool, I'm glad you got one and were able to look through it along with me! It definitely was expensive, but very well worth it as an investment. Thanks so much for watching and enjoy the book!
Imagine being too nervous to open a book.
Tremendo cómic ese. Saludos desde Chile!!
Love my copy of this book
Glad you got one!
Great video tom!! Love the camera work, almost as much as this artist edition!
I appreciate that, Ben! I'm trying to get a little bit better with every video 😊🎥
Enjoyed the video and walkthrough of how you perceive the art! These books are awesome... one of my favorite artist editions is the Rocketeer!
Thanks for watching, Kevin! I'm glad you enjoyed it. And wow, that Rocketeer one looks awesome. I've seen it online and would love to look through it in person one day!
Great video!
Thank you!
This was dope
Glad you dig it!
This looks amazing, I love seeing all the original inks and pencil sketches, and those little white out bits and other edits are fun to see. I've never read Year One, would you recommend this version or the original colour version to dive in?
This would definitely be a unique and special way to read the comic for the first time. If you're a big fan of the comic art process or an artist yourself, I'd say this is a must-have, but the limiting factor would be the price. If that's an issue, I would get one of the other collections that reprint the original comic and also have a small section of process pages in the back.
I got my copy a couple of days ago. It's an unbelievably special book. So much to study and take from the work.
About those pencil pages. They are very accurate when compared to the 11x17 inked pages. Do you suppose he light-boxed them? Or could they be just shrunk down for presentation in this book. I ask because there is not much underdrawing seen on the finished inks.
Perhaps it's stated in the opening pages introduction. Just thought I'd ask your opinion.
@jamesmurphy. That's a great question/observation. I don't know exactly, but I would guess that he would have taken those pencils/layouts and blown them up on the photocopier, and then lightboxed onto the final 11x17 art board. I feel like he wouldn't take the time to work out all the compositions so carefully, and also do them within direct proportion of the final art, if he was then just going to eye it all onto a new page. You can see that some of the "partially inked" pages that are included are reduced photocopies and those show rough pencils, but much cleaner than the smaller, looser versions.
@@thomaspitilli yeah that's what I was thinking too. So much composition work and shape language in those pencil roughs, that it would be a shame to not utilise it as an underdrawing for the inks. I may need to invest in a lightbox 😅
By the way, great video man. I'm off to stare in awe at Mazzucchelli's work in batman year one some more 😅
Yeah, the Chris Samnee Daredevil book is another great one for studying simplicity, excellent page/panel composition and solid storytelling. The only thing missing is that the stories were originally digitally lettered, so you don't get to see that interplay of text and image as all you get is the art. Some other Artist Editions have actually added the digital lettering to the original art scans, but they chose not to do it with this one. But they make up for it by including a second book in the slipcase that has the complete script and all of Samnee's rough layouts. I have about 20 Artist's Editions and TBH my favorite one will always be MAD. I was so obsessed with the Kurtzman/Elder/Wood stuff as a kid that it's just joyous for me to see the original art for many of my favorite stories. I wish I could go back in time and give that one to my 5 year-old self just to watch my tiny head explode. lol
The Will Eisner volumes are must-haves as are the two Kirby Fantastic Fours and, of course, the one that started it all: The Rocketeer. Of course, the Europeans were well ahead of us on this kind of thing. In the mid-2000's, I impulse ordered a French book and a folio set from Stuart NG Books by a guy named Pierre Alary. It's called Belladone and is the story of a female assassin during the times of the French Revolution (I think ?). The book is a complete reprint of the first volume in the series, but in black and white. But what's interesting is that when you flip through the book, each right-hand page is a black and white page of the finished work, and the left-hand page is a collage of various scraps of his pencil roughs of the panels for that page. The folio set is a complete facsimile reproduction of the original penciled pages to that same volume. So between the two, you get the fullest appreciation of what went into making it.
I agree, that Samne AE is amazing. And I do also love that additional book with all of his layouts and the script. It's great to compare it to the final inks.
I've only ever seen the MAD one online, but never in person. I bet it's beautiful. 20 AE's?? That sounds like an amazing collection! I'd love to expand upon my collection.
I never heard of Pierre Alary, at least I don't think so. That book sounds amazing. I'll have to look into that. I can imagine it must be a rare find at this point.
Thanks for your insight and comment!
This is some amazing stuff. Thank you for sharing!
I can’t imagine the cost of something of this rarity.
Thanks for watching! It's an investment for sure, but worth every penny 👍
thanks!
No problem! Thanks for watching 👍
It’s times like this when Kindle or any other downloads just hasn’t got the impact and the smell of a new book like this👍
Oh totally 👍 A digital version of this just wouldn't do it any justice.
Thanks for the great video. I learned a lot and i have been dying to get this book. However, I honestly believe that the more realistic style that he used in this Batman book is nowhere near the perfection of the "simplified Cartoon" style or what i would call his "bigfoot Shorthand minimalism" that he did for Rubber Blanket and City of Glass. I almost feel like the Batman Project was "real" work style and his other style allowed him to "let his hair down" so to speak. I would love for you to discuss that style more. Although I do think that his later Asterios Polyp period goes to far with the angular and abstract art style. Thanks for the great video
Thank you for watching! There is definitely something beautiful about the imideacy and life of his lines on The Big Man from Rubber Blankets and City Of Glass. My favorite of his probably is City Of Glass. It's awesome to see glimpses of that stuff in this Artist's Edition though. I talk a little about some of that other work in a video I made years ago about all of his various styles. I'd love to make another one though, perhaps diving a little deeper into that stuff in the future!
Some awesome observations and takeaways! : ) He said in the intro that he chose a pen nib that didn't come to a point so he wouldn't get too finely detailed. Really curious what nib he used.
@badicecream2913 Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Choosing against a tool that you know will give you great precision, in an attempt to have a more lively line, is a great attribute of a professional 👍 As for a nib, that's a great wonder. Thay would be hard for me to guess. Almost looks like a lettering nib in certain areas. I would say probably not a hunt 102.
It's interesting to compare Born Again with Year One and see Mazzucchelli go from a more detailed style to channeling his inner Toth.
Very much. You can start to see his more experimental tendencies showing through in Year One.
What are the numbers indicating?
Have you ever reviewed david lapham's stray bullets
Never have. I actually never read the series. It's been on my list for a long time. Whatever I've seen of the artwork is super impressive, and definitely seems to be a part of the Mazzucchelli approach in many ways.
Wow. What a review. Not just about the book but about every page. Nicely done.
I appreciate that 🙏 Thanks so much for watching. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Does David have a Daredevil artist edition too?
@tobishades He does! For his run on Born Again. But there is also a Artisan Edition for that which is much more affordable. I have a link to it in mu description 👍
Who puts the color on the strips?
In this case, it was Mazzucchelli's wife, Richmond Lewis.
@@thomaspitilli amazing. Thank you
Year One would've worked better if it had been published in black and white.
I thought the colors on it were beautiful. But it's great to have access now to the black and white version as well.