Broken Frontier

When most people outside of the comic book universe hear that there is a specialized section of the workforce simply worried about coloring, their reaction is most often akin to the infamous “tracer” scene of Chasing Amy.  After all, how can coloring be so difficult?  Didn’t we all learn the rules (or rule) way back in kindergarten when our teachers simply told us to “stay within the lines”?  Isn’t it as simple as putting “red” where there’s supposed to be red, making the shadows dark, and make sure that everything looks normal?  Well, to anyone who has seen the work of colorist extraordinaire Dave Stewart, the answer is a resounding no.

In today’s comics, a good colorist is just as important to the overall quality of the book as anyone else.  A misstep with shading can cause a truly emotional scene to lose all of its depth.  Meanwhile, proper building and layering of the color palette can accentuate the scene to reach heights otherwise unthought-of.  Over the past year, Dave Stewart has been the one colorist who has epitomized this more than anyone else. 

Stewart perfectly layers his colors in order to reach their maximum effect.  Scenes that could otherwise feel static in the hands of lesser colorists come fully to life when Stewart adds his magical touch to the page.  One needn’t even open the books Stewart is working on to realize just how good he is.  From New Avengers at Marvel to Batman, Superman, and The Spirit at DC, Stewart has obviously impressed enough to be put on the major companies most prestigious books.  And prestigious they do look when he is finished.

But while knowing the names of the books will impress, just opening the pages and looking inside will blow you away.  Stewart does not go overly dark with his palette in an attempt to mimic a “grim and gritty, urban world” instead he uses his colors to properly highlight everything on the page.  This is not to say that Stewart cannot do a darker book, after all, the worlds of both Batman and The Spirit are not happy places.  However, rather than just simply showcase the world as dark, Stewart instead does whatever he can to bring out the real absence of light.  It’s a small difference but truly adds sometime special to the work that separates it from others.  There is a real sense of beauty that you come to see whenever Stewart’s colors hit the page.  The best of which come alive in the way a famous painting will. 

His most impressive work this year comes in conjunction with artists Tim Sale and Darwyn Cooke on Superman: Confidential and The Spirit, respectively.  His work brings the characters and stories out of the ordinary.  His work on the books makes them seem more regal, more important, and more beautiful than anyone else could.  Even artists of the caliber of Sale and Cooke know that once Stewart touches the pages, it will look better than they could ever imagine.

Brilliant, vibrant, and jumping off the pages, the work of Dave Stewart proves, without a doubt, that he is the best colorist in the business and fully deserves any and all accolades he garners.