The Norm Breyfogle Appreciation Thread

[The Laughing Fish]

I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate a thread for artist Norm Breyfogle - since it was recently revealed that he has suffered from a stroke.

I have started reading a bit of his stuff awhile ago. I read a three part story that was published in the late 80s called Tulpa, where Batman investigates a demon spirit unleashed by a man who inherited his father's debts to a gang, and must try to convince Jason Blood aka Etrigan the Demon to stop the demon from terrorising Gotham. I love how Breyfogle drew exaggerated facial features and shows a lot of humour in the comics, e.g. Batman punches an out of control Etrigan at the end of the Tulpa story, only for Etrigan to laugh and kiss him on the cheek.



I also read a remake of The Case of the Chemical Syndicate, and I love how he drew Batman being morphed into an demonic and shadowy figure when he intimidates a few perps.



Does anyone else have a favourite story, or a favourite comic panel, featuring Breyfogle's artwork?

[Paul (ral)]

Just a few for now

[Cobblepot4Mayor]

When I first started reading Batman comics as a kid around 1991-1993, I would buy a weekly UK reprint magazine called simply "Batman" every saturday (along with "The Adventures of Superman and "The Exploits of Spider-Man").

Norm Breyfogle's art was the lead feature so I have always loved his work and when I read a new (albeit old) issue of his former work it takes me back to those earlier and happier days. Despite his grisly art and the equally grisly stories he often told of course which I think a five year old shouldn't have perhaps been consuming lol

I particularly loved "Anarky in Gotham City". And this character is still a foe I want to see in a Batman film someday. May be a little far out for some given what secret lies within him, but I'd much rather see this incredibly strange and visually exciting character appear on screen than yet another poor understudy of Jack Nichsolson or Michelle Pfeiffer doing the same thing repeatedly. It's clearly Breyfogle's art that made Anarky amazing to look at and piqued your interest levels which I find rare for a new Batman villain to achieve these days myself. Perhaps we need talented artists like Mr Breyfogle to truly make new boys deserving superstars.

On the 2005 Batman and Robin dvd they used Breyfogle's art to identify what era of the comics Batman Returns best represents. That more horror-like and vicious period of the early 1990's according to Michael Uslan. I found this appropriate because in the letters page of the "Anarky in Gotham City" issue it had the fans all talking about Batman Returns and how amazing it was. And yes all his artwork makes me think of Batman Returns now when I read it.

But my favorite of his stories is one called "Ecstasy". One which my mum really should have checked before allowing me to read, she really had no idea lol Very very spooky stuff. It's the one I certainly credit to keeping me away from drugs. Sorry Spider-Man and Stan Lee, you did a noble service with your drug issue in the 70's, but it was the harsher world of Breyfogle's Batman that gave it to me straight without any f***ing around lol And Ecstasy, if you can call him a proper Batman villain, was an exciting creation that I don't think was ever explored further and really should have. Just a pair of scary demonic eyes in the victim's mind. Is he real or is he a figment of the imagination? I'd like to see somebody do a sequel one day.

I think DC should move their butts and put out a collected graphic novel of his stories in light of his terrible circumstances. Maybe raise a section of money for him by such means if possible? I wish him well. Maybe his artwork is still considered too recent. I've been looking and waiting for ages. Enough already with another Frank Miller or Alan Moore reprint. There are a lot of people who have meant a lot to Batman's success and I feel they get covered up by the red carpet for the usual big shots we all endlessly hear about.

[The Laughing Fish]

I'm glad to hear that Breyfogle is recuperating well, and is gaining financial support by fans to pay off medical expenses. A collector's comic containing all of his work would be a great idea, but I sadly don't get the impression DC will honour him that way.

I recently read Street Demonz - issue #614; where Batman tries to save troubled schoolkids from joining a bikie gang. There is this one scene where Batman singlehandedly beats up the entire gang after crashing through the roof. The amount of detail, continuity and imagination that Breyfolge drew on paper in these six panels is genius.



Notice the thug running towards the door in the fourth panel, and look at how his head gets smashed through in the end.   

So far, this is the best action scene I've ever seen in all of Batman comics.

[thecolorsblend]

Is there anything about Breyfogle's work that isn't awesome?

For me Breyfogle is definitive. Yeah, other artists have had amazing runs but Breyfogle is the one I keep coming back to. He perfectly captures each of Batman's rogues, he always makes Gotham City feel like a unique place with it's own reality rather than yet another alternate take on New York City and his Batman can look vengeful, confused, so pissed off he drools, happy and other things. Breyfogle's Batman is a human possessed with the full range of emotions. He's not perpetually scowling. It's also easy to believe that nobody would recognize Breyfogle's Bruce is actually Batman since they have such different postures, body language, vocabulary and so forth.

Sure, I've seen people (rightly) say that Breyfogle's style doesn't necessarily lend itself to the entire DC universe. I couldn't picture him drawing the Flash, for example. But lots of artists have styles most specifically geared for specific types of characters. I mean, did anybody really love Scott McDaniel's Superman? Or does anybody desperately wish we could've seen Mike Wieringo's version of Batman or Curt Swan's take on Wolverine? No, of course not.

Breyfogle's style may be most ideally suited for Batman more than other types of characters but how is that a blackmark against Breyfogle's Batman work?

It's the rare artist who truly improves his craft over time. A lot of artists start off rough, get brilliant and then lose it somewhere along the way. But every new Breyfogle page is better than the last. He constantly expands his abilities and perfects his skills to always offer fans the best possible product that he's capable of producing. In spite of all his years in the business, Breyfogle has never learned to take shortcuts. He gives every project 100% of his energy and creative power. It's always a treat to pick up his new material.

Breyfogle; truly one of the absolute greats in Batman's history.

[The Dark Knight]

If the Burton series ever had a comic continuation, I'd want Breyfogle to be the artist. He's so evocative.

[KeatonisBatman]

I've always liked Norm's work on Batman.  The first issue I ever read by Norm was this beauty here... ahh, memories.

[The Laughing Fish]

I posted this a couple of times elsewhere on the forum, but I think it's more appropriate to post it again in this thread when Norm Breyfogle was interviewed on a podcast I listen to called Trentus Magnus Punches Reality. This interview is about two years old I believe.

Source: http://twotruefreaks.com/media/podcasts/TrentusMagnusPunchesReality/mp3/NormBreyfogle02.mp3

It's a good interview where Breyfogle discusses how he got into the industry, his run on Batman comics (specifically Detective Comics), reminiscing when DC made it compulsory for Batman artists to follow the Tim Burton/Anton Furst aesthetics in the comics around the time B89 was released - which meant things such as the Lambourghini-looking design for the Batmobile had to go.

Other things Breyfogle discusses about are the challenges in applying realism without breaking your suspension of disbelief, which lead to discussing his issues with how Batman is depicted in the Nolan films; as well as stating that Batman is better suited in animation than live action because of the completely unrealistic nature of the character.

[Silver Nemesis]

This quote's already been posted in the 'Comic Creators Comment on Batman Movies' thread, but it's worth reposting as it offers some insight into why Breyfogle hates Burton's Batman so much; which in turn illustrates the creative schism that existed between the movies and the Batman comics during the Pre-Zero Hour era.

I really didn't like ANY of the Batman movies. Tim Burton is far too much of a flake to do such a highly rationalistic super-hero. And there were SO MANY bad errors. Batman's costume being so stiff, eliminating ninja flexibility. Batman firing missiles into a crowd of citizens (even though he was ostensibly aiming at the Joker). Making Gotham City so weird that it didn't even really look like Earth (and Batman's supposed to be the more realistic of the superheroes!), etc., etc I understand that a more adult and subtle version of Batman MAY (and I emphasize may) not sell as well as a kid's merchandising franchise, but I'm not a kid!

http://normbreyfogle.com/media/interviews.asp?page=ozcomics

[The Dark Knight]

Breyfogle is entitled to his opinion, but I don't agree with it.