Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Marvel Comics, X-Men | Tagged: john cassaday, x-force

John Cassaday Draws One Beast Of An X-Force Cover

The most recent Marvel solicits for March 2024, included a cover for X-Force #50 by John Cassaday featuring Wolverine taking on Hank McCoy.

Published Mon, 11 Dec 2023 08:57:08 -0600

by Rich Johnston

Comments

Article Summary

Marvel reveals John Cassaday's unique X-Force #50 cover with Wolverine versus Beast.
Cassaday credited for iconic work on Astonishing X-Men, Planetary, and Star Wars.
His latest art style sparks debates among fans and comic professionals alike.
Discussion of Cassaday's work ranges from skepticism to acclaim within the industry.

The most recent Marvel Comics solicitations for March 2024, included the following cover for X-Force #50 by John Cassaday featuring Wolverine taking on Hank McCoy, The Beast.

X-FORCE #50
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art by ROBERT GILL
THE FINAL BATTLE AGAINST BEAST IN THE LANDMARK 50th ISSUE!
X-Force confronts Beast with their secret weapon. A final reckoning. Not a dry eye in the house. TARGET: BEAST finale!

John Cassaday is probably best known for his work with Joss Whedon on Astonishing X-Men, with Warren Ellis on Planetary, Captain America with John Ney Rieber, and Star Wars with Jason Aaron. His work then, looked more like this:

With more examples of his work on both characters being posted online.

But his new style, sketchier rather than detailed lines, a change in proportions and a flattening of perspective was also seen in this Doctor Strange variant cover.

And it has had quite a strong online reaction. Not just from readers but fellow comic book professionals as well.

Kevin Maguire:I'm seeing a lot of discussion on Facebook about this recent John Cassaday X Force 48 variant cover. Is this REALLY his work? It doesn't look like it.

Patch Zircher:Well, it's a legit cover; it's on a dozen order sites including Penguin Random House. Whether he fobbed off the work or just had a bad day, I don't know.

Staz Johnson: Yeah, I'm not buying it. If it is John's work, I apologise, but that doesn't seem to have any of his hallmarks or quality at all.

Mahmud Asrar: I am almost certain it is his. I see certain similarities and characteristics of his work in this. I have no other explanations for anything else.

Joe Glass:It can't be surely? Like there's similarities, but like if someone traced elements and didn't properly proportion etc. like, is it an AI mimicking his style?

Ashraf Ghori: It's the feel-good cover of the year – gives the rest of us average artists real hope.

Joseph P. Illidge: What John Cassaday does not need is this activation of a discussion that either demeans the work or the man, on a platform full of hasty hot takes and insults .

David Campiti: I have a different take on that X-FORCE cover everyone is talking about. Maybe that's the POINT. If so, it's a genius bit of marketing. How many other, better covers have you taken for granted and skipped talking about? You're talking about THIS one. Sharing it over and over again. Whatever the reason, Marvel is getting a fortune in free publicity.

Eric Palicki: So, @JohnCassaday drew my favorite comics series of all time in PLANETARY, and then he expertly drew a fine sequel to Morrison's NEW X-MEN in the form of ASTONISHING X-MEN, which commented and informed upon its predecessor. John is an incredible artist, is what I'm saying.