Modern Masters, Vol. 7: John Byrne (Modern Masters (TwoMorrows Publishing)) [Paperback]

Jon B. Cooke (Author), Eric Nolen-Weathington (Author), John Byrne (Author)

Book Description

Series: Modern Masters (TwoMorrows Publishing) | Publication Date: April 19, 2006

The next volume of the Modern Masters series celebrates the life and work of one of todayÂ’s top artists, John Byrne! From the death of Phoenix to the rebirth of Superman, Byrne is one of the most influential comic book artists working in the business. On the X-Men, he penciled the greatest stories in the history of the title and helped propel the X-Men to their current household-name status. His work as writer and artist of Fantastic Four returned the group to prominence within the Marvel Universe. And his reboot of the Superman mythology brought national attention to the comic book industry. Modern Masters Volume 7: John Byrne features an extensive, career-spanning interview lavishly illustrated with rare and unpublished art, as well as a large sketchbook section. Experience this look at his incredible body of work on such titles as Captain America, Alpha Flight, She-Hulk, Superman/Batman: Generations, and his creator-owned Next Men, and itÂ’s easy to see that John Byrne deserves the title Modern Master.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

With his work on Marvel Comics' X-Men and Fantastic Four and subsequent revamping of Superman for DC, John Byrne became the most popular comic-book artist of the 1980s. Nothing he's done in the two decades since, from stints with such established characters as Sub-Mariner and Wonder Woman to original creations the Next Men and Lab Rats, has made a similar impact. He retains a loyal fan base, though, which follows his every move. In a book-length interview, -Byrne retraces his career, from fascination with American superhero comics while growing up in Canada to current disillusionment with the industry. The accompanying black-and-white art--comics pages, rough sketches, and other rare drawings--shows how ideally suited Byrne's action-packed, character-driven style is to the superhero genre to which he has confined himself near totally throughout his career. Though Byrne's luster has dimmed, his enthusiasts will relish this tribute, as will other longtime comics readers who fondly remember his 1980s work. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: TwoMorrows Publishing (April 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 189390556X
• ISBN-13: 978-1893905566
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #582,592 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > History & Price Guides

More About the Author

Eric Nolen-Weathington was born in 1970 and raised in the small town of Winterville, N.C., where despite the snowy sounding name it rarely snowed. After five misspent semesters in their Computer Engineering program, he found a curriculum more to his liking and earned his B.A. in Communications from N.C. State University.

In 2000, he joined the staff of TwoMorrows Publishing. Being as it was a staff consisting only of himself, he held the positions of production assistant, proofreader, customer relations representative, shipping supervisor, and office boy. In 2003, his first book, Modern Masters Volume 1: Alan Davis, was published. In 2006, he left his staff position at TwoMorrows to spend more of his time and energy producing his Modern Masters book series, which he edits and designs to this day. There are now more than two dozen volumes in the series. He also is the editor and designer of Nick Cardy: Behind the Artist, and the designer of the Eisner Award-nominated Draw! magazine.

He currently lives in Mebane, N.C. with his wife and two children... not to mention their dog and several cats, all of which he is allergic to (the cats, not the wife and children).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Bout time., June 15, 2006

By 

Edward Aycock (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Modern Masters, Vol. 7: John Byrne (Modern Masters (TwoMorrows Publishing)) (Paperback)

It's great to finally have another trade retrospective of John Byrne's work; the last was "The Art of John Byrne: Volume 1" back in the mythical year of 1980. For those of you who have become parents since then, you'll be happy to know that this new book is for all ages -- and what a book.

It's unfortunate that nowadays "fanboys" like to kick around artists/creators they deem uncool (that is, men who don't draw R-rated, semi-nude women and over-muscled grotesques), and Byrne has suffered his share of this negativity. Those coming upon his work for the first time in this book have every right to be puzzled by this as his work in the last few years (using the "full pencil" technique) is as stunning as anything he's ever done. Make sure you check for the pre-inked image of Superman carrying Lois Lane over the Great Wall of China at sunrise (or sunset?) for an example of this.

The interviews that comprise the book are candid, honest and engaging. Jon B. Cooke does a good job asking questions that lead to detailed answers. I could wax rhapsodic all day over the images as they comprise his entire career; it's a special kick seeing all these characters from Alpha Flight to the Next Men in the pages of book; it's a family reunion, of sorts.

My only complaint is the lack of any color galleries, but this is no way detracts from the book and it's cool enough that we do get a brand new color cover image of the Fantastic Four, a team Byrne wrote and drew in a now legendary run in the 1980s. Buy it, read it, enjoy it, re-read it, share it, then buy another copy; this is my favorite entry in the Modern Masters series so far.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredible Bargain, November 28, 2006

By 

Wor-El (Chicago USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Modern Masters, Vol. 7: John Byrne (Modern Masters (TwoMorrows Publishing)) (Paperback)

This book is exactly what I'd hoped for... every single page is completely packed with John Byrne interviews (rather than others talking *about* John Byrne) and drawings. No ups, no extras. I'm sure a more expensive format would better showcase Byrne's artwork, but for me, this book is perfect. Now, bring on the Neal Adams version (as long as he's not allowed to talk about the planet swelling).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my Top 3 favorites in the series..., May 2, 2007

By 

"extreme_dig_cm" (Chicago, Il USA, Amazon.com Fan!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Modern Masters, Vol. 7: John Byrne (Modern Masters (TwoMorrows Publishing)) (Paperback)

Right now, the 2 best resources for Byrne information & insights are: his official Internet site, and this here MM interview.

This is incredibly well-done! So many memorable quotes & insights, I can hardly do it any justice. It's truly one-stop shopping on all things Byrne: his thoughts on his career, coworkers & other creators, editors, projects (why they did or didn't work and the behind-the-scenes info), favorite things in life, childhood, early career, present & future, and even on the creative process. *EVERYTHING* is touched on here, with various clips of artwork in black & white to support much of the material. Some Modern Masters volumes include color work; this is exclusively black & white: sometimes pencil; sometimes ink. It's nice that artwork is included in such a great amount: it truly adds detail to the words exchanged. A must-have interview for Byrne fans!

-A quick breakdown-
-Part 1- covers his childhood up to his time in art school.
-Part 2- breaking into the industry & his days at Marvel. My favorite! See also Alpha Flight Classic, Vol. 1 (Uncanny X-Men). And Incredible Hulk Visionaries - John Byrne.
-Part 3- it's all about DC & Superman. Beginning with Superman: The Man of Steel, Vol. 1.
-Part 4- return to Marvel & then Independents, up to DC today.
-Part 5- storytelling & the creative process.
-Part 6- various John Byrne takes...
-and finally, a 33-page black & white gallery of 100% art (since artwork is also displayed throughout the entire interview).

My other current favorites in the series include Modern Masters Volume 2: George Perez, and Modern Masters, Vol. 5: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (Modern Masters). Yet they keep on releasing great interviews!

P.S. And be sure to check out The Art of John Byrne (Marvel Masters); it's highly recommended!