[Capes] New cover, early draft for critique

[TonyLB]

Hrm... maybe have the city-destruction in a vertical strip of background (top to bottom, bleeding all the way past the trim-edge of the cover) but have both of the foreground characters actually breaking past that strip into white unbackgrounded space on the left and right.  

I think that visually makes them in the scene, but not of it, and also gives the viewing eye instant places to start parsing them as figures.

[Valamir]

Hey, I like that.  Very stylish.  And would allow a greater degree of detail in the city scene without distracting from the forground.

I'm envisioning laying it out like two seperate overlapping pictures.  The rear one being the city scene the other one being shifted down and to the right containing the characters, but then have no border where they overlap so they visually run together.

I think that would look slick.

[paulkdad]

I like the interaction, but would like to see more action with more figures (not talking about the background at all here). I'll try to describe it with words, starting with the hulking brute:

The hulking brute (seen about 3/4 frontal, turned towards the right edge of the panel) is leaning forward, hunched over (trying to talk with the woman eye-to-eye), with a questioning/pleading (not to be interpreted as "begging") look on his face. His elbows are at about waist level, forearms forward and slightly out to each side, palms up, hands tense (possibly clenched).

Another figure is partially behind the brute and to his right (in the panel), attempting unsuccessfully to hold him back. He is straining so hard that his eyes are squeezed shut, but to no avail.

The woman in the foreground (seen about 2/3 frontal, but turned towards the left edge of the panel) is in the classic "talk to the hand" position, with her right arm extended towards the brute. Her face shows her stubborn determination to have her way.

In the back (to the left of the brute in the panel) is a figure seen in profile (pointed inwards), looking back towards whatever is happening in the background and scratching his head in confusion.

[Jasper Polane]

The "Talk to the hand pose" always looks fake to me. Do people actually do that?

Maybe the girl should be turned away from him more, in a "I'm ignoring you" sort of way.

--Jasper

[Jasper Polane]

This is what I mean: http://home.planet.nl/~loije022/images/temp/girlsketch.jpg

--Jasper

[Jack Aidley]

I like the poses depicted in your sketch; they convey a relationship but are ambiguous about it. The talk-to-the-hand pose would be more in your face and definite. It's that subtle ambiguity that lends the positioning it's power.

And the destruction in the background thing? I likey.

[TonyLB]

Jasper, I love the body turned away, but eyes glaring back thing.  It wonderfully conveys "I need to make absolutely sure that you can't miss the fact that I'm ignoring you completely."  I'll definitely have to experiment with that:  I was thinking a disgusted eye-roll, but that may not convey as well.

[paulkdad]

The "Talk to the hand pose" always looks fake to me. Do people actually do that?

Oh yeah, they do it.

For me, the issue is that "four color" comics emphasize dynamic compositions (especially on the cover), while the whole "I'm confused/I'm ignoring you" situation is static. There are no lines of force directing one character's energy towards another. So, while it does convey relationship it doesn't convey competition.

To make the composition more dynamic, I'd suggest directing the Brute's energy towards the woman in the foreground. The addition of another character (male, to show that it isn't a gender dynamic) struggling against him in vain emphasizes the raw power of the conflict. She, on the other hand, is able to stop him with an upturned hand. The hand is necessary to stop his energy. If she just stands like a statue the dynamic tension is halved. The confused character I suggested is not a part of this struggle. In fact, if you're doing a wraparound with the background, she could even be moved to the back (so she doesn't draw attention away from the conflict).

If these figures are basically characters standing in for players who are fighting over control of the action, then that's a pretty dynamic situation. What you're showing with the "I'm confused/I'm ignoring you" situation is the aftermath, not the conflict.