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Cody Walker
Cody Walker graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelors and a Masters of Science in Education. He is the author of the pop culture website PopgunChaos.com and the co-creator of the crime comic NoirCityComicBook.com . He currently teaches English in Springfield, Missouri.
BOOKS AND MOVIES BY CODY WALKER
 New Life and New Civilizations: Exploring Star Trek Comics (contributor) |  The Anatomy of Zur-en-Arrh: Understanding Grant Morrison's Batman (author) |  Keeping the World Strange: A Planetary Guide (editor, contributor) |
TOP MAGAZINE CONTENT BY CODY WALKER
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics — Introduction
For years now, the problem that all Superman writers must face is how to show the heroism and humanity in the world’s most powerful and recognizable hero. Prior to the New 52, Geoff Johns and… [more]
Deconstructing Batman and Robin: The Grayson Foils, Part 1
In all great works of literature, the hero must have a foil; that special character designed to enhance the inherent heroic qualities of the protagonist.
Whatever Happened to the Big Red Cheese?
As I write this, Captain Marvel’s future at DC comics is uncertain. Before the relaunch, Freddy Freeman was Captain Marvel (or maybe he was going by the name “Shazam” to clear up all those pesky… [more]
Mark Millar’s The Ultimates, Part 1: The Anti-Comic
With the ten-year anniversary of Mark Millar’s The Ultimates coming up next year, and with an all new line up of Ultimate books coming from Jonathan Hickman and Nick Spencer later this year, there’s no… [more]
OTHER MAGAZINE CONTENT BY CODY WALKER (80 TOTAL)
Julian Darius, Sequart’s Founder, on his Sci-Fi Comic Kickstarter
Julian Darius, the founder of Sequart Organization, is also a comics writer. His heady sci-fi comic, Martian Comics, is currently on Kickstarter with a 52-page special. CODY WALKER: For the uninitiated, what is the story… [more]
Julian Darius on Martian Comics
Julian Darius, founder of Sequart Organization, has a Kickstarter up for a comics series called Martian Comics, to be published by his company Martian Lit. The first storyline was co-created by Sequart contributor Kevin Thurman.… [more]
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #12
Captain Comet has invaded Superman’s mind and created a false history that secretly reveals Clark’s desires (and also what most fans would probably want from the hero). Ma and Pa Kent wave their son goodbye… [more]
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #11
The construction motif returns on page one of this issue as Metalek attacks Metropolis and destroys a tenement building in the process. Metalek is an artificial intelligence that looks like construction equipment and was first… [more]
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #10
After taking an issue off to visit Earth 23 and President Superman, Morrison returns the narrative back to Maxim Zarov (also known as Nimrod the Hunter) who was last seen killing a T-Rex at the… [more]
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #9
After completing the first arc on Action Comics, Morrison spends one issue in the alternate universe of Earth-23 where Superman is not only black, but also the President of the United States. President Superman had… [more]
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #8
The issue begins inside the bottle city of Metropolis as Lex Luthor explains that he has no desire to be rescued by Superman and then tries rationalizing his alliance with the Collector as a plan… [more]
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #7
After a two issue break, Superman is back to battle the Collector of Worlds and save Metropolis. Strapping an oxygen tank to his back, Superman is going to leap into space to reach the Collector… [more]
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #6
The Anti-Superman Army that was teased at the end of the previous issue appears at the beginning of this issue. It appears that the Dealmaker from the first issue (who has popped up a few… [more]
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #5
Smack in the middle of the first story arc, the narrative shifts to the past for a tale about the rocket that brought baby Kal-El to Earth. Morrison promised in the supplemental material to issue… [more]
The NASA Symbol and Warren Ellis & Colleen Doran’s Orbiter
Warren Ellis isn’t a prophet. Sure, 10 years ago, Ellis and Colleen Doran’s Orbiter was released and it begins with the horrific image of a shanty town built around the ruins of the Kennedy Space… [more]
On Star Trek: Countdown and Necessary Movie Tie-Ins
I’m not really one for movie tie-in comics because the whole idea just seems so superfluous to me. Artists on these comics are in an awkward position where they are either criticized for not making… [more]
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #4
While the first three issues of Grant Morrison’s Action Comics could never match up to the perfection of All-Star Superman, the series had established a slow, methodical unveiling of Superman’s mythology in a way that… [more]
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #3
Gene Ha takes over on art duties for the first seven pages of issue #3 in order to show what Krypton was like. The first page of issue #3 depicts Krypton as a colorful utopia… [more]
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #2
In the supplemental material in the issue, Grant Morrison writes, “Superman is mankind at its best, and Lex Luthor is us at our worst . . . but they’re both us.” It’s a sentiment that… [more]
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #1
On page 1, panel 1, the first dialogue in the comic goes to real estate developer Glen Glenmorgan says, “and it’s a done deal! How about a drink to celebrate this turning point?” to a… [more]
The Marvelous Sci-Fi Villains of Jonathan Hickman
When the Avengers are known as “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” they should face off against something so powerful that it takes the combined might of Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and others to be… [more]
Archer and Armstrong Review
While all of Valiant’s comics are wonderful and imaginative stories, within their central premise there is a small piece that seems like it came from somewhere else.
Interview with Sue from DC Women Kicking Ass
DC Women Kicking Ass is a popular blog that addresses gender issues within the comic book industry or, to quote the site itself, it is a place for “Thoughts, pictures, reviews and other stuff about… [more]
Interview with Joshua Dysart, writer of Harbinger from Valiant Comics
Valiant Comics has made a huge comeback this summer with the relaunch of X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, and Archer & Armstrong.
Interview with Jim Valentino of Shadowline Comics
Jim Valentino is one of the seven founders of Image Comics. He is also the founder of his own imprint at Image known as Shadowline.
Interview with Rich Johnston from Bleeding Cool
Rich Johnston is the most infamous man in comics.
How I Learned the Truth About Comics Through Star Trek: The Next Generation / Doctor Who
IDW has recently made a name for themselves by crafting crossovers between the various licensed properties that they produce.
Interview with Brian Miller from Hi-Fi Colour Design
Brian Miller is the founder of Hi-Fi Colour Design and co-author on the books Hi-Fi Color for Comics, Master Digital Color, and How to Paint Comic Books with the iPad. Chances are that if you read… [more]
Deconstructing Batman & Robin: A Game of Villainy, Part 7
I’m sitting at a little coffee shop in Springfield, Missouri, called the Brown Egg with my comics spread out on the table. As the waitress delivers my pancakes, she remarks, “That looks really cool,” as… [more]
Deconstructing Batman & Robin: A Game of Villainy, Part 6
While R.I.P. could be argued to be a game of chess between Batman and Dr. Hurt, the game of dominoes is at the forefront of Batman & Robin.
Deconstructing Batman & Robin: A Game of Villainy, Part 5
In the footnotes for the first volume of Batman & Robin, Grant Morrison discusses the strange coincidence of the third issue’s cover resembling an image of the Joker that Brian Bolland had done years previous.
Deconstructing Batman & Robin: A Game of Villainy, Part 4
Once the transformation into the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh is complete, the comparisons to the Joker are apparent and numerous.
Deconstructing Batman & Robin: A Game of Villainy, Part 3
The most controversial storyline in Morrison’s Batman run, R.I.P. is the psychological destruction of the Dark Knight.
Deconstructing Batman & Robin: A Game of Villainy, Part 2
While the Black Glove doesn’t actually make an appearance until later in the series, the presence of Dr. Hurt can be felt in the very first issue as Batman throws the Joker into a dumpster… [more]
Deconstructing Batman & Robin: A Game of Villainy, Part 1
While Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne were busy learning how to adjust to their new identities, a secret war was being waged between Dr. Thomas Hurt and the Joker.
Has Sequart’s Resident Marxist Lost His Mind?
I won’t name any names, but I once worked at a major retail chain where people would Stop to buy a video Game.
Deconstructing Batman and Robin: Damian’s Transformation (Part 3)
While Damian’s name can be interpreted as “to tame,” it can also be interpreted as “to conquer,” which seems to be Talia’s reasoning for his name when she says in issue #7, “Damian will stride… [more]
Deconstructing Batman and Robin: Damian’s Transformation (Part 2)
While Dick Grayson’s growth as Batman is certainly one way of interpreting Batman and Robin, one shouldn’t forget the “Robin” part of the title.
Deconstructing Batman and Robin: Damian’s Transformation (Part 1)
The very idea of Batman having a son was criticized before Damian ever made his first appearance.
Deconstructing Batman and Robin: The Grayson Foils, Part 3
The first six issues of Grant Morrison’s Batman and Robin expertly put Dick Grayson in a position that readers weren’t used to seeing him in – one of vulnerability.
Deconstructing Batman and Robin : The Grayson Foils, Part 2
There is no one who could make a better foil for Dick Grayson than Jason Todd.
Sequart Podcast #3: World-Building
Host Cody Walker and guest Terry Bartley discuss world-building in corporate super-hero comics continuity.
Interview with China Mieville
In November 2010, I interviewed China Mieville for my website, Popgun Chaos.
Musings over Space Adventures #35
When I was a kid, I remember asking my dad which superhero was his favorite.
Ultimate Thor: Continuity Offender
Many mini-series set in the Ultimate Universe are known for being odd ducks indeed.
Sequart Podcast #2: The Art of the Event
Guests Julian Darius and Kevin Thurman discuss event comics, their pitfalls, and their possibilities.
Continuity Conundrum
Continuity can be a good thing.
Ultimate Captain America: A Meditation on American Identity
While Mark Millar was experimenting with narrative during his return to the Ultimates, Jason Aaron was exploring the inner-workings of Captain America in his mini-series Ultimate Captain America.
Mark Millar’s The Ultimates, Part 8: The Grand Exit
A word of advice before going into this series: ignore the “Death of Spider-Man” banner at the top and you’ll be just fine.
Mark Millar’s The Ultimates, Part 7: The One About Vampires
With the release of each new issue of Ultimate Comics Avengers 3, I would call up my friend Caleb (fellow contributor to Keeping the World Strange: A Planetary Guide) and we would laugh about how far… [more]
DCU Animated: Some Meditations on Adaptations
Of all the comics I’ve read throughout the years, I think I’ve read Batman: Year One the most, so it’s sort of strange that it’s not a particularly memorable comic to me.
Whatever Happened to the Big Red Cheese, Part 5: Reboot
As much as people have blown the DC Relaunch out of proportion, reboots and relaunches have been a part of comics for decades now.
Whatever Happened to the Big Red Cheese, Part 4: The Roy Thomas Defense
The ’80s killed comic books.
Whatever Happened to the Big Red Cheese, Part 3: The Name of Captain Marvel
Everyone knows the origin of Freddie Freeman. Even if they don’t know the specifics of how Freddie became Captain Marvel Jr. in Whiz Comics #25, the basic framework for the character is imbedded in our… [more]
Whatever Happened to the Big Red Cheese, Part 2: The Name of Vlarem
The motif of the power of names was established from the very beginning of Captain Marvel’s history, but it would take another 40 years for the Wizard Shazam to be developed beyond the all-knowing God… [more]
Whatever Happened to the Big Red Cheese, Part 1: The Naming Curse
Night in the city. “Papers!” a boy calls out into the storm ravaged night.
Female Leads in Comics: Don’t Shoot the Messenger
There has been a lot of talk about comics being sexist or DC comics in particular not wanting to hire women and while it can be construed as a problem when DC’s titles went from… [more]
The Curious Case of Hyper-Criticism
Let’s talk about who we are as fans for a moment, shall we?
Rosebuds and Grim Reapers: Why Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the Citizen Kane of Animated Films
From the deputized FBI agent of the 1940’s movie serials to the gritty, realistic vigilante of Christopher Nolan’s films, Hollywood has portrayed Batman in a variety of ways, but none of the live-action films have… [more]
Mark Millar’s The Ultimates, Part 6: And Now for Something Completely Different
If Ultimate Comics Avengers was a departure from Millar’s previous Ultimates work, then its sequel goes completely off the rails.
How to Launch a Universe in 52 Easy Steps: A Positive Review of Justice League #1
Though I typically skew toward hyperbole when I discuss anything, I will do my best to avoid such in this review. So let’s get this out of the way right now: is Justice League the best… [more]
Defending Identity Crisis
In the past week, not only has my hero Grant Morrison said some pretty strong opinions over Brad Meltzer’s Identity Crisis, but Newsarama has listed the crossover as being their number 1 moment worth forgetting… [more]
Mark Millar’s The Ultimates, Part 5: The Return
After Ultimates 2, Millar stepped away from the Ultimate universe for a couple of years. During his absence, Jeph Loeb took over forUltimates 3 and while it was a more traditional super-hero story, it still had… [more]
Further Defending the DC Relaunch — Superman
The air has been cleared a bit regarding Superman’s status in the DCnU, and (of course) it’s caused people to flip out a bit. Here is a quick rundown of the major changes: 1) A… [more]
Mark Millar’s The Ultimates, Part 4: More Betrayal
After numerous issues of in-fighting and build up, all of the pieces are in place for Millar’s endgame and he takes the series to its only logical conclusion — America’s arms race backfires. It’s the… [more]
I Appreciate Lady Gaga on a Much Deeper Level than You Do
I saw The Matrix long before I ever picked up my very first The Invisibles comic, so as I read the comic, I looked for all of the alleged idea theft that had occurred when… [more]
Mark Millar’s The Ultimates, Part 3: Saying Something
Volume 2 of The Ultimates (sometimes referred to as Season 2) is not only vastly superior to the first, but I would argue that it is the best work of Millar’s career. It’s a fascinating… [more]
Mark Millar’s The Ultimates, Part 2: Something More Traditional
After the first six issues of Millar’s The Ultimates had established the team as a group of celebrity soldiers with little ethical or moral backbone (except for Thor who is considered insane by the others),… [more]
Interview with Peter Laird
Peter Laird is an indie comic sensation. Together with Kevin Eastman, the two created the most successful independent comic franchise of all time, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Laird also started the Xeric Award — a… [more]
The Future of Super-Hero Comics
With comic sales on the decline and the DC Relaunch looming on the horizon, the question of “what does the future hold for super-hero comics?” is an incredibly important one to consider. Before we consider… [more]
Blame it on Hector: A Green Lantern Movie Review
I’ve wanted to watch a live-action Green Lantern movie ever since I was ten years old, so to say that I was excited for this film is a gross understatement.
Action Comics #1 and the Superman We Know and Love
Action Comics #1 is the quintessential comic book. Beyond simply being Superman’s first appearance, the cover is iconic, and it holds the distinction of being the most expensive comic book of all time. If ever… [more]
Event Fatigue
If you hate event comics, then you don’t really like comics. There. I said it.
A Letter to the Prospective Comic Fan
Hey prospective comic reader, I know you’re a little apprehensive about where to start when it comes to getting into reading comics, because there are tons of comics out there and you’ve got questions.
G.I. Joe: Resolute: The Real American Heroes
The ’80s were, hands down, the best time for cartoons. Between Thundercats, Masters of the Universe, G.I. Joe, Transformers, and a plethora of other cartoons that are too numerous to mention here, the ’80s were the… [more]
Grant Morrison’s Wildstorm Universe, Part 2: The Authority
While Grant Morrison reimagined the WildStorm Universe’s first team with his WildCats relaunch, the writer also tackled the most popular team with his run on The Authority.
Grant Morrison’s Wildstorm Universe, Part 1: Wildcats
After Mark Millar left The Authority and Warren Ellis’s Planetary had gone to a more erratic schedule, the WildStorm Universe needed a big name to come in and turn the whole line of comics around. Enter Grant… [more]
David Mack’s Echo, the Blueprint for the 21st-Century Individual
Allan Bloom’s The Closing of the American Mind is a “meditation on the state of our souls, particularly those of the young and their education” (Bloom 19).
The Elements of Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman may be recognizable and a positive female role-model, but ultimately, the average person knows nothing about her. David E. Kelley hopes to change that.
Moms in Ovens: Why Comic Books Hate Parents
You’ve witnessed this origin story a million times and across all mediums; protagonist seems to have potential, but it’s the death of a parental figure that spurs protagonist to becoming the hero that he /… [more]
The Magic Behind Batman, Inc.
When Grant Morrison announced his next major arc within the Batman universe, some readers were confused as to why Morrison would have Batman create a corporation of crime fighters. I had known about Batman, Inc.… [more]
On Digital Comics and the Need for Marketing
Recently, Ron Marz started a bi-weekly column over at Comic Book Resources titled “Shelf Life,” and his December 30th column got people talking.
From the Deck of the Black Freighter
My wife outright refuses to read the Black Freighter portions of Watchmen. Every time I press her on the issue, she complains, “They’re boring! I don’t want to read about pirates!”
Why the World Needs a Superman
A professor at my school has started buying comics for his son, and he asked me to suggest some titles. He had purchased a few issues of Morrison’s Batman and a few of Levitz’s new Legion… [more]