To Wield the Lightning!

And the evening and the morning were the art of Nick Justus.

The artistic resurrection of Nick Justus is well underway. What better way to ring in the Age of Justus than with an artist who has gathered new-found energies unto himself, and who has recommitted himself to building an artistic legacy of lasting proportions.

In other words, Nick Justus is back!

Even now, he begins to lay the artistic foundation stones of what shall in time no doubt become a citadel of artistic expression. Behold, Nick Justus Art - a Tumblr site that is brand spanking new! From lesser beginnings, Orthanc sprang! And who better to occupy this new tower of artistic magic than this true wizard of inking prowess, Nick Justus?

Over on the Nick Justus Imagination Station, Nick's nimble fingers begin to work like orcs on his blog, once more. Life stirs anew in this old place, steeped in his musings from bygone days.

Bit by bit, his activity is picking up, and art is beginning to flow outward from him, once more. There's simply too much skill and talent residing within him to allow it to wither and rot on the vine. I, for one, am glad to see Nick Justus take up the gauntlet, once again, in order that he might forge for himself and his fans a bigger, brighter, and better artistic future.

 For any artist, the only real way to go is forward. The Divine Hand of Providence always nudges us forward, in spite of both our own selves and the routine drudgery of everyday existence. From the storms of life, which are without number or end, art is a positive respite for Nick Justus - and a boon to his fans!

And just as Thor wields Mjölnir, so also does Nick Justus wield his own magic hammers - the tools of his trade as an artist. In his inking, great is the thunder that sounds in the wake of his art passing through.

As a fan, I hear the thunder. As the artist, Nick Justus wields the lightning. It is together that we take the journey, but only if he allows it to be so. For, it is his vision that lights the way for our steps down the path into his artistic future.

The path of the artist can be a lonely route to trek, for fans can be slow to gather, and they tend to linger afar off in the distance. In the ethereal realm of art, artists duel with one another for the favor of a fickle fandom. It is from the public masses that each artist's legions are drawn. Those of us who are not artists might as well be watching angels and demons war upon one another - for all we can do is watch. To be an artist, you see, is to be imbued with the gift of vision from God on high. To be a fan, the artists that you favor are your champions in this eternal war without end.

To wield the lightning that is an artistic touch is to be gifted with prowess and magic and the key to all of human imagination. To raise pen or pencil to draw is to raise the sword, to wield the hammer, to turn the key.

Many are the things and the issues and the problems that assail us in everyday life. God saw fit to give Nick Justus an option - a way out of that darkness. He also imbued Nick Justus with free will, and the option to choose whether to unsheathe that sword and to lift that hammer.

As a fan, I am powerless to draw Nick Justus' art for him. Indeed, that would be tantamount to infringing upon his destiny, even if I knew where to truly begin, which I don't.

So, as the characters in Nick Justus' comic books play their respective roles in the stories that he weaves with his art and his lettering, likewise, I am relegated to my role as the fan, rather than as the artist.

As the turn of the pages reveal the story of his characters and their actions, I watch from afar, which is really no different than watching Nick Justus' career as an artist unfold. It's always one issue at a time, one page at a time, one panel at a time.

DC Editor, Bobbi Chase, reviewing the art portfolio of Nick Justus.

So, the next time that Nick Justus wonders why he can't quite seem to get ahead, it's because that particular page in his life has not quite turned, yet. Patience is a virtue for a reason, probably for many reasons.

The world is a big, big place. There's plenty of room in it for the art of Nick Justus.

Godspeed to Nick Justus! I wish the man well.