Comic books and manga are both similar and vastly different at the same time. Just like comic books are part of American culture, manga is part of Japanese culture. They utilize comic panels and art to tell breathtaking visual stories in print. However similar the physical medium may be, they couldn’t be any more distinctly different in style. It’s very hard to describe it without boring you with an extensive essay. Suffice it to say, anyone could tell the difference between an American comic book and a Japanese manga if text were removed.
It’s always fun when the styles clash, which we saw earlier this year when Batman Ninja was released. It took our favorite Batfamily and rogues and made them into an anime. It was very unmistakably an anime for both the right and wrong reasons. Aside from that, there have been several anime based on our beloved comic book characters. With so many iconic characters, it’s hard not to, right?
(Correct me if I’m wrong, but have American comic book creators ever created a comic based on an existing anime or manga? I can’t seem to think of one in recent memory. A cursory Google search seems to yield no results.)
The news here is that an anime artist, Masashi Kudo, known for his work in the Bleach anime decided to Tweet his own rendition of the Joker.
Take a look:
— 工藤昌史 Masashi Kudo (@Kudo_M_) October 14, 2018
I really enjoy the look he’s employed here. It’s not particularly in line with his usual style, which you can peep on his Twitter, where he routinely posts new drawings of Bleach and other anime characters.
Here, he seems to be employing a more Western, minimalist noir style that lacks fine details and color. While the character of the Joker seems relatively modern and not too intimidating, it’s the style that he utilizes that makes it creepy. It’s what we don’t know or see about this Joker that makes me nervous.
Likewise, Kudo presented his own take on the Joker’s main squeeze, Harley Quinn earlier this year.
In case you missed it, check it out below:
加筆…#MediBang pic.twitter.com/I2GII4fAs0
— 工藤昌史 Masashi Kudo (@Kudo_M_) May 30, 2018