David the Goliath

The artist, who broke (and built) the Avengers and put Batman through hell, is coming to the Philippines. Time to get excited for David Finch!

When comic book publishers want summer blockbuster action and excitement in their art, they hire David Finch. The current artist on Batman: The Dark Knight is coming to Manila next week. Needless to say, comic book fans all over Manila will be gathering to welcome one of the biggest names in comics. If you’re already one of them or just want to get in on all the action, we’re going to school you on all things Finch.

Avengers: Disassembled (Marvel)

Arguably the first of Marvel’s “Summer Event” comics throughout the new millennium, the controversial Avengers: Disassembled was David Finch’s breakout comic. With Brian Michael Bendis writing and Finch on art, the comic promised big changes to the Marvel Universe. Comic fans were glued to the destruction of the Avengers and were treated to some of the best blockbuster action in comics. The plot revolved around all of the Avengers’ greatest foes suddenly invading them, with the true puppeteer revealed only at the end. Though not all were happy with the outcome of the story, Disassembled was a commercial hit and paved the way for Finch’s biggest hit to date.

New Avengers (Marvel)

Before the Dawn: Finch begins his Batman run in the pages of The Dark Knight.

After disassembling Earth’s mightiest heroes, Finch again paired up with writer Brian Michael Bendis to bring forth New Avengers. There was a ton of buzz and hype surrounding the Avengers like never before. For the first time in history, the Avengers would include Spider-Man and Wolverine in its roster, and Finch made sure to make the story as big as possible. After a prison break in Ryker’s Island Penitentiary, Captain America and Iron Man form a new line-up of the Avengers to search for the mastermind behind the riot. What Justice League was to DC Comics, New Avengers became that for Marvel. Thanks in no small part to the talents of Finch.

Ultimatum (Marvel)

Finch had already destroyed and made the Avengers Marvel’s best-selling title. So with his last work for the company, what was left but to destroy the whole world? Finch did just that, along with acclaimed writer Jeph Loeb, in the pages of Ultimatum. With Marvel’s Ultimate universe, Finch brought to life a tidal wave across New York City at the hands of Magneto. Finch’s art exceeded what Hollywood movies only dream of. Ultimatum became the superhero-disaster movie with an infinite budget. At the hands of any other artist, the comic would’ve been a cheap Michael Bay knock-off, but Finch made Ultimatum all his own and made the comic a top seller each month.

Batman: The Dark Knight (DC)

When David Finch announced that he’d be leaving Marvel for DC, fans were clamoring for him to draw the Caped Crusader. He had drawn Batman back in 1997, but fans wanted more. After doing comic covers his first few months in DC, he launched his own Batman comic, Batman: The Dark Knight in 2010. The comic was also Finch’s first big foray into writing, as he was both artist and writer for the comic. Scheduling problems tripped the comic’s success a bit, but with DC’s relaunch last year, Batman: The Dark Knight came back better than ever.

David Finch arrives in Manila, March 11, courtesy of Fully Booked. Batman: The Dark Knight and all the comics mentioned are available at Fully Booked.