Art can invariably make or break a comic. Being a hybrid of art and literature, comic books are as dependent on the art as they are the writing. If either half is lacking, the entire book falls apart. I'd like to shine the spotlight on an artist for a moment. He's worked with Udon Comics, Marvel Comics, and Beach Studios--as well as others.

Leather Wings: Semblance is the fifth independent release from Toronto-based artist Lamin Martin. There is no narrative to follow, no recurring characters, but this art book is breathtaking from beginning to end. It's subject is simply dragons. Each page is an illustration of a dragon with a brief caption that expands on the world within which these dragons exist. Each illustration tells a story, each dragon is the main character within its own single-page world. Martin's art is pure printed-and-bound excellence.

The quality of the book itself shows care and consideration for the longevity of the work and is worth the $19.99 cover price. The only thing that is really missing from the package is a wall hook with which to mount the book.

The drawings are in black and white--though, in come cases, I wished they weren't. At other times, the simple gray scale is all I need to fully appreciate the art. Regardless, though, the work is beautiful.

I wouldn't say that writing is Lamin's strong point, but the captions work in expanding the image beyond the edges of the page. Truly the tales worth seeing in this book are the ones drawn, not written.

I would love to see Lamin's work attached to a sharp story. His Web site (www.laminmartin.com) has examples of his work, which goes far beyond black and white dragons. If a comic company could find a compelling tale and then allow Martin's art to complement the writing . . . voila, they would have magic, plain and simple.

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