Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra’s final issue of The Red Wing comes out next week, and with that in mind we are absolutely pleased to provide you with an exclusive nine-page preview of the final issue of the first of Hickman’s new wave of PLUS! projects on Image.
The Red Wing has been one of our favorite books of this past year, and if the Red Wing is any indication of what is to come with Hickman’s return to creator owned work, we can guarantee you that you’re going to want to free up a few spots on your pull.
The solicit for the issue reads as follows:
“THERE’S NEVER TOO MUCH TIME”
Don’t miss the fantastic conclusion to this time-bending epic by JONATHAN HICKMAN and NICK PITARRA.Discover who won the past! Find out who wins the future! Rewrite EVERYTHING!
Check after the cut for the preview and exclusive commentary from artist Nick Pitarra, and be sure to pick up a copy of the comic in stores next week. Additionally, be on the look out for Hickman and Pitarra’s next collaboration, The Manhattan Projects, a new ongoing set to be released sometime next year.
Cover – This is my favorite cover of the series! I think it’s a good example of how me and Jonathan have been working together, his clean design sense and my detail. Plus, drawing a skeleton is always cool!
Page 1 – This was a tough shot for me. Whenever you’re doing samples you never think to have a guy crying on one of your splash pages. Drawing someone crying is tough in general, so I decided to pullback here, and keep the figure small/alone, and let the body gesture do the work.
Page 2 – Pretty straight forward. In panels one and two I actually tried to figure out how I’d look up if I was crying, running your hands through your hair as you look up to make eye contact with someone. I think the script said show him “broken up”, but I think it’s more of a calm sadness that I drew. Oh well!
Page 4/5 – In this sequence I had to have the General slowly take notice of the picture frame. The different postures/eye movements are my favorite things to draw. How he looks up at Dominic with concern and flips the frame down are little hints of storytelling that I’m proud of.
Page 6 – This was supposed to be a regular sequential page, but the script called to gradually pull back and reveal more and more of one scene, so I was able to turn it into a splash image.
Page 8/9 – I really loved getting this part of the script with Robert jimmying the screw and using it to pop open his cuffs. Those small/intricate moments are so fun to draw. Plus, the juxtaposition of this one small tiny screw setting off the big chain of events that are to come is so cool. Drawing Robert on the loose in the rest of the issue was a blast.
