Comic Reviews by Walt

I was sitting, reading, when a notification popped up for me. Tom Mason had posted something in the Ultraverse Facebook group. I try to keep up on stuff with the group, and especially take notice when Mason posts.

When I saw what he posted–as it took a moment to sink in what I was reading–I actually said out loud "Holy crap..!"

The screenshot above should link to a Bleeding Cool article.

I’m sure there’ll be loads of articles in the days to come on the man, his life, his work, stuff from the last several years, quotes from creators, and so on…at BC and all the usual comics sites. There’s already a lot of stuff on Twitter.

I was lucky enough to have met Norm once. Granted, it was–at least as I recall it–maybe for an entire minute or so.

It was at the 2012 Akron Comicon, and along with fellow Ultraverse creator Mike Barr, he was the draw for me, the main reason to be there.

For me, it was exciting just to get to briefly meet, in-person, the man who had drawn the very first Batman comic I ever owned, that my Mom bought for me in 1989: Detective Comics #604.

And he’d been the artist on Prime, another of my favorite comics from the ’90s.

There are no sufficient words when anyone’s life ends; especially not from someone who never actually knew the person and all that.

But I was a fan of his work. Breyfogle‘s Batman was definitive, and extremely recognizable, and–to me–is among THE BEST. Aparo, Byrne, Breyfogle.

Between (my) early issues of Detective Comics and Batman, and the likes of Prime…he was a key artist in my childhood experience with comics…something that cannot be erased.

I know he’d had health issues the last few years (I’m sure there’ll be plenty of stuff out there about that, too!); but his having survived stuff in 2014 or so, I guess I just "assumed" he would still be with us for a long time to come; that he’d still be a presence in comics.

So it was shocking to learn that he’s passed.

I never knew him, and I know he wouldn’t (and I would not expect) him to remember me–just some guy that handed him several comics to sign more than half a decade ago, in a line that had dozens of people, at a single appearance–but through his art, through his work, which I assume he enjoyed and took well-deserved pride in…he touched many lives, of which I can confirm specifically in my own case.

And while I feel the loss in this way, I can’t imagine the loss his family feels, that of loved ones and friends and such. And cliché as it is, I can only pray for eventual healing, peace, and comfort in the wake of loss, though the loss never leaves you and anyone touched by the loss is forever changed.

Filed under: 2018 Non-Review Posts, 2018 posts, NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: Batman, Detective Comics, Norm Breyfogle, Prime |