Comics / Spotlight

DC Disappoints

By Avi Weinryb
February 6, 2008 - 23:50

This issue contains four glaring publication errors

It’s tough being a comic book publisher. Endless deadlines and a highly critical readership make for a killer combination. But for the longest time, DC Comics has had a strong line of defense when it has come to ensuring the quality and consistency of its various publications. Editors, assistant editors, and proofreaders all strive to make certain that the books on comic shop shelves are fully ready for reader consumption. That is what makes the latest issue of Green Lantern all the more confounding.

 

In issue #27 of the latest incarnation of the Green Lantern series, a number of art and lettering errors make the comic difficult to enjoy. I counted four foul-ups. If it were not for the fact that I am a die-hard fan of the series, I would have given up reading this issue all-together.

 

The reading experience first turned sour on page six, when a veteran member of the Green Lantern Corps is clearly missing the lantern insignia from his costume. It returns two pages later. Could this be an inking error, or did the penciller mess up?

 

Next, on page thirteen, John Stewart, a main character, is illustrated with green gloves on his hands. This was a distracting coloring error, since he always operates with bare hands. This was followed by another art error on page nineteen. Graf Toren, a recurring character in the Green Lantern stable of characters, is illustrated without his distinct facial tattoos. A purely orange face takes its place, which briefly led me to believe that he was a different character.

 

A jarring speech balloon screw-up on page twenty left me scratching my head for a moment. A Green Lantern officer, Salakk, addresses an incarcerated fellow Lantern, Laira, in the first panel. Her dialogue is mistakenly mashed with his, giving him a double speech bubble which includes his addressee’s portion of the dialogue.

 

Errors in lettering, coloring, and illustration marred the quality of this comic. The story was lively and imaginative, and the overall quality of the artwork was strong, but four obtrusive mistakes continually pulled me out of the immersive experience of enjoying a sci-fi adventure set in a world of intergalactic heroes and villains.

 

On page nineteen, Laira asks “What would you have done?” Well, here’s my answer: As part of a creative team made up of editors and pre-press personnel, I would work to ensure that standards of quality are met before a book is sent off to Quebecor World Inc. for printing. The folks at DC Comics usually perform an exemplary job, but the pile of glaring errors in the latest issue of Green Lantern (one error for every five and a half pages!), was inexcusable. Better safeguards should be in place. A system of checks and balances would make errors obsolete. Comic fans plunk down their hard-earned cash for a bit of fun and escapism. It’s tough to escape into a fantasy world when glaring publishing mistakes vie for the attention of readers.

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Avi Weinryb is an editor and writer at the Comic Book Bin. He is also a great proofreader. You listening, DC?

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12