Redo the Old Ones?

[Linkara]

So, I've been thinking - new readers of the site have expressed to me how much they have a problem with reading the old pages before I got a clue knocked into me about both art, lettering, and general comic writing. Is there any support for me to go back and redo Issues 1-7 with the new art, letters, and otherwise?

[Wandering Observer]

I have to be honest Lewis, you've grown by leaps and bounds on this comic, but you're first strips are very difficult to read through, because of the artwork and some story elements that you've grown out of. For me, it's a tossup, because I'd really like to see more new updates, rather than old ones.

Personally, I would say that if you're going to be rebuilding the first strips, you need to put careful thought in how to do them-There are plot and story continuities that deserve to be rebuilt as well. The first issue lacks elements that make it a good plot, and all of the first three issues could be expanded and molded to better fit your storytelling style.

I'd say keep the project in mind, for when crossoverlord ends, and you have more comics per week. But take a little while to think about it. You could do some good things with revisions, or you could do great things. The choice is yours.

[Core]

I recently asked this question also of those that read my comic and got the same response that I am going to give you. "Nope." You should keep the comic as it is, showing the progress that you have made since you first started out and how you have gotten better. In the end it is up to you however.

[Alschroeder]

You will never, ever, finish. I started to do that with the first MINDMISTRESS one, got halfway through it, and then got busy with other projects. If you DO redo some pages, make sure you keep BOTH, with a link from the "new" one to the "old" one, so they can see the progress.

Yet I'd rather see new comics, and I'm sure most readers would agree.---Al

[Drakeknight]

I say leave them. Not only is it a shedload of work, but it shows how you've evolved as a writer, and an artist. Besides, the earliest pages have a sentimental value that I'm connected to. The art is shoddy and the writing isn't quite great, but it holds a special place for me.

[kaiserlicht]

Don't redo anything. It will take forever and the ld pages show your improvement up to the present day, they have a historical value somehow.

[Gear001]

I agree that you should focus on your new panels and not remakes.
However, I did do a sketch of the first cover art, and it wound up pretty good. I would actually be interested in redoing a few epic moments in the series myself. All in all, if I do it, just consider it fan art.

[Hazardswake]

I'm on the fence on this issue.

On one hand, the art and some of the writing kept me from getting into Lightbringer for a long time, which I regret. (Which was pretty hypocritical of me; my early stuff is real bad).

On the other, as many have mentioned, your key focus should be on new comics, and redoing old ones and doing new ones is really time-consuming. I wanted to redo my old comics and started doing so 3 years ago. ...In that three years, I've redone a total of five pages. So yeah, I haven't exactly been successful with it.

Hopefully, people will see the new art and that will be enough incentive to bear with the old stuff long enough to realize that Lightbringer's worth it

[Phantom64]

Well for new readers it would be a good idea to redo the other issues with the new style, and even better idea if you ever sell volumes of it so the art matches each other. But on one hand you shouldn't drop the old issues, to me its a sign of how the comic has evolved from simple stages to what it is now. But like someone said above you really shouldn't mess with it unless you got plenty of time on your hands.

Now if you ever decided to sell volumes of Lightbringer then yeah you really should redo the old issues (hint hint nudge nudge ^_^)

[Agent Gecko]

I think you should leave them as they are. Before I read Lightbringer, I'd only read webcomics done by people who are professional artists. I want to do a webcomic myself, but at the time I felt pretty daunted by their artwork. Then I started reading Lightbringer, and I thought, 'This guy has no/little art training, but he's still just gone ahead and done it.' Basically what I'm trying to say, is your crazy art inspired me more than any of the fancy art did, for which I thank you.

Now, cheesy stuff aside, it was kind of cool to see how much your drawing and writing improved as it went along. Every now and then I'd look back, and I'd be like, 'Whoa.' I think that if people can't stick with it, it's their loss.

[The Fiend 88]

Personally I think your a little hard on yourself as far as those old ones go. I mean admittedly they are far from perfect but some people couldn't have gotten past the first page. You kept up with fairly consistent artwork and story structure for how many years? the mind boggles. Besides it's a lot of material to have to cover all over again, and I think they should be kept up on general principles. Maybe the middle ground would be some kind of Recap/flashback issue? That seems to work for a lot of mainstream comics. In the end its all down to you but If it makes you feel any better Alan Moore once faced the same dilemma with early segments of V for Vendetta. heres a quote.

"Along with Marvelman (now Miracleman), V for Vendetta represents my first attempt at a continuing series. begun at the outset of my career. For this reason. amongst others. there are things that ring oddly In earlier episodes when judged In the light of the strip's later development. I trust you'll bear with us during any Initial clumsiness. and share our opinion that it was for tile best to show the early episodes unrevised. warts and all. rather than go back and eradicate all trace of youthful creative Inexperience."