As DC Comics Guide to Penciling Comics author Klaus Janson notes at one point, inking represents a division of labor in the creation of comic book art that primarily benefits the publishers to the detriment of the penciler's artistic intent. Few pencilers look better inked by someone other than themselves, although an exception to that has always been Klaus Janson, one of the best comic book inkers ever. So here he is, the author of a book on...penciling?!

At the time this book was announced, I was a little taken aback that DC would choose Janson to represent penciling as an art. I've always preferred his inks to his pencils, but this book has convinced me at least that Janson puts a lot of thought into his art, in whatever capacity he happens to be working.

At 140 pages, and liberally illustrated, this is not an in-depth or overly complex work, but rather an introduction to what it is to be a comics penciler, what tools you'll need, and notes on techniques such as perspective, anatomy, contrast and juxtaposition. Many visual examples are used, either original drawings Janson created for the book, or illustrations culled from DC's titles. Often, design-oriented artists like Gil Kane, Joe Kubert and Walter Simonson are given as examples. Budding pencilers would be wise to pay attention to the notes Janson gives on their compositions; they are among the finest artists ever to grace the industry.

Janson's text is friendly and informative, in the way of a seasoned pro sharing his knowledge with a beginning artist. I would have liked to see more space devoted to theories of layout and design, but the book provides beginners with a solid base from which to conduct further inquiry into the complexities of their chosen field. Perhaps the most intriguing element of the book is Janson's brief concentration on attitude and personality, where he strongly suggests that it is in the artist's best interest to learn from criticism rather than be offended by it.

While the exclusive use of DC covers and panels is an understandable weakness of the book (although Janson gets free-thinker points for admitting he prefers Marvel-style scripting over DC's full-script method in a book endorsed by DC), at least the artists represented are well chosen: Bruce Timm, Bryan Hitch and Mike Mignola are among the artists considered in the text and represented by illustration.

I am always fascinated by artists and writers explaining the thought process behind their own work, and for that reason was intrigued by Janson's step-by-step deconstruction of his Batman: Black and White story "Good Evening, Midnight." This section, which closes the book, is a good example of how Janson takes the time to reveal his creative process in a book that could easily have been sterile and superficial. Frankly, I'd like to see an entire book of creators breaking down a specific story of theirs in the manner Janson does here, and I suspect many, many more readers would gladly pay money for that as well.

The production and design values in this book are top-notch. The pages are well-designed, with plenty of open space providing readers with an airy, comfortable read. The new illustrations Janson provides are not only informative and attractive, but are damned good illustrations in and of themselves; they're a welcome addition in a book, again, that could easily have been padded with panels and covers copped from DC's enormous library of back issues.

This is not a book that will provide advanced artists with much in the way of new information, but for beginning and aspiring artists, the advice and information it offers will prove much more valuable than the $20.00 it will cost them to pick it up. Additionally, I can recommend it to readers, like me, who will never be a professional artist but remain fascinated by the creative process behind drawing comics.