JL8 #24 - Creator Commentary

JL8 #24 by Yale Stewart

Originally published on March 15th, 2012

Ah yes, "nobody robs a nana."

This was a strip I was always pretty happy with, at least from a writing/gag standpoint. The lettering in panel one still makes me cringe, but I like the little conversation, culminating in a quip about Barry's inability to "walk" anywhere. The "nobody robs a nana" bit seemed to resonate with the readership, and I think it's still pretty funny. Maybe a LITTLE on the low-hanging fruit side, but maybe I'm overthinking it.

Speaking of overthinking it, I could totally see some Bat-fan arguing that having Bruce explicitly verbalize that Hal and Clark need to wait for him is out-of-character, to which I'd say shut up. One of the only real frustrations I have with JL8 and the readership is the group of Batman fans who cannot fathom the character as anything less than completely flawless ("He could easily defeat the entire Justice League because he'd have a plan for it!"), but that's a conversation for another time. Regardless, in this instance I always heard Bruce's voice as demanding rather than complaining; he wants in on the action and is yelling at his friends to save him a piece, despite the fact that their powers are so far above his pay grade that they can wrap it up before he even gets his boots on.

It feels appropriate that Hal is the character sort of patting himself on the back over a job well done. I fully acknowledge that that wasn't conscious, but it slots well with how the character continues to be handled in the story, being a little more on the self-aggrandizing side. Finally, the lettering on the "NYAH!" and the "bonk" make me laugh, so hopefully you like them, too!

Artistically, everything's still pretty rudimentary, but shows some promise. I'm not crazy about that first panel, but panel two pushes the camera angle and tilts the horizon line, so that's something. Panel three works, although if I could redo it I think I'd show Clark's pupils and have THEM be red rather than his entire eyes--I think he currently looks a little TOO aggressive for how I like to handle the character. I'd probably also leave Bruce's teeth blue, as I think them being white is actually a little distracting. I think I did that because Clark and Hal both have non-blue colored elements which are highlighting their powers, and since Bruce has no powers there's nothing to highlight, and I thought "His clenched teeth represent his anger and determination which is sort of his power" and made the choice based on that. All that to say, I don't think it works, and I'd probably change it if I did it again.

I dig panel four quite a bit. It's got a little bit of three-point perspective going on that helps it feel dynamic, while also highlighting the size disparities between the kids and the criminal. Panel five is a great setup and then bam, panel six I'm still super proud of. I love Hal being a little startled by Bruce's entrance, I love Clark looking up at Bruce approvingly (though you could argue he'd be a little upset at the late hit), I love the X's for the burglar's eyes, and I think Bruce just looks nice and dynamic. I'm really proud of that one.

All in all, this has always been a strip I've been pretty happy with and people seem to really enjoy. I hope you like it, too, and I also hope you enjoyed this little insight into its creation/what I think about it.

That's it for today, but I'll talk to you again next Thursday! Have a great weekend!

-Yale