Stuart Warren

Stuart Warren is the former managing editor and webmaster for Sequart Organization. Stuart earned a BA in English with an emphasis in Early Modern Studies at University of California Santa Barbara. An avid reader and historian, Stuart researches Nordic mythology and paganism and is self-taught in the Norwegian language (Bokmål). He is a novelist and comic book writer. Spirit of Orn, his breakout Science Fantasy epic is now available for purchase via Amazon Kindle and iBooks.

TOP MAGAZINE CONTENT BY STUART WARREN

EeYAoSandman #1-8: Preambles and Introductions, Full of Sound and Fury

Paul Levitz once said Sandman is about storytelling, and the point by which it vacillates between mere tales and pithy sayings to the grand myth it is today. DC is full of heroes, truth be… [more]

OTHER MAGAZINE CONTENT BY STUART WARREN (105 TOTAL)

justice-league-war-2Thoughts on Batman V Superman

When I was first introduced to Zack Snyder’s DC universe, with Man of Steel, I was very hopeful for the project given Snyder’s previous track record with comic book films. I’ve heard from the multitudes… [more]

alexross1The Folly of Male Supermasculinity

When I discovered comic books I was already in college, but their influence was present in my life far before that. I had seen all the Batman films (Burton and Schumacher’s work) and the venerable… [more]

Archaia-Property-Featured-Art-Tale-of-Sand-442x288Independence: Now What?

It’s that time of year when all Americans contemplate the civil liberties they enjoy every day. That’s what Americans everywhere have to look forward to, right? But, for some reason, I can’t stop thinking about… [more]

sdfgA Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #5 Review

One of the difficult aspects of reviewing Neil Gaiman’s bookend of his long developed Sandman conceptual universe is making heads and tails of the myriad pathways that intertwine in the grand narrative. [more]

walking-dead-zombieEating Brains: Zombies and Dystopianism

In 2013 I was at SDCC meeting Julian Darius for the first time. After a long, harrowing comic-con experience we both went to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund after party. There were famous people… [more]

superman3Five Reasons Why Comics Scholarship is Important

Before getting into comics, I had no idea where to start, or how to approach comics as a body of work. Over the course of several decades comics have diversified into a multi-headed beast. There… [more]

howlsStudio Ghibli and Fascism

Studio Ghibli’s films have inspired some introspection so far, but upon further inspection there is a very serious issue that preoccupies the studio’s middle cannon: that is fascism, and the portrayal of fascism in Studio… [more]

pom-pokoThe Burden of Change: Mourning the Pastoral in Pom Poko

Japanese tales are burdened with loss, especially modern ones. Modern Japanese fiction, produced by such writers as Natsume Soseki, is conscious about the loss of innocence and the disintegration of Eastern culture against the Western… [more]

thumbDiametric Futures and Alternate Realities Adequately Executed: Lou Iovino’s The Last West

I’ve never read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. (Most people who don’t like it haven’t either.) But I am aware of Objectivism, the tenet that Rand preaches without abandon, and I refuse to live in… [more]

5645J.M. DeMatteis and His Neglected Contribution to the Revival of DC

“Has our world become so twisted, so violent, that this is the kind of hero we produce?” Lois Lane, in a different world, types on her computer a new story and reveals to the world… [more]

a_560x375American Sniper, Justice, and Equity before God and Country

In the 2015 film American Sniper, following the first kill that Navy Seal Chris Kyle undertakes, he arrives on base and is greeted by fellow soldier, and future friend, Biggles reading a Punisher comic. After… [more]

justice-league-christmas-3Finding Comfort and Joy in Justice League this Christmas

Christmas episodes are generic now in the year of our Lord, two thousand and fourteen, but they are embedded in a larger history of seasonal programing that transcends mediums of all forms. Holiday festivals, derivative… [more]

DM-_4A Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #4 Review

Written by: Neil Gaiman Art by: J.H. Williams, III Cover by: J.H. Williams, III Dave McKean Variant Cover by: J.H. Williams, III Dave McKean The long awaited Sandman Overture #4 has arrived, just in time… [more]

4a9a117c0e192bcf11c083821d2a553eBreaking Through The Far Side: Gary Larson’s Postmodern Antiquity

Many grow up with the presence of newspaper strips immediately within reach. These snippets of surreality appeal primarily to children, which is odd considering the intended audience of the “funnies” earlier in the 20th century.… [more]

FullSizeRenderWhy I Am Thankful: How Sequart Has Changed My Life

I’ve played a large role in discouraging personal writing in posts on Sequart in the past months, only because how we feel and who we are intrudes on objective analysis of a text or work.… [more]

© Comics AllianceConversations with Creators: Ramón Pérez

Conversations with Creators is a collaborative interview series designed to understand the processes and inner workings of the artist, their creations, and how their work impacts the comic booking industry. Each meeting is candid and… [more]

GrandpaGohanFindsGokuDBZEp01Akira Toriyama and the Japanese Superman: Son Goku and Science Fiction

There is a divergence between Eastern and Western fantasy in the modern age that is nascent but hidden beneath cultural barriers. Americans can watch an episode of Dr. Who and enjoy the languishing British empire… [more]

Royden-Lepp-768x1024Conversations with Creators: Royden Lepp

Conversations with Creators is a collaborative interview series designed to understand the processes and inner workings of the artist, their creations, and how their work impacts the comic booking industry. Each meeting is candid and… [more]

blackjesus_6_dup-20140730-08_2Discovering Black Jesus, Episode 6: “Love Thy Enemy, Part 1”

“You better slow down Joe Brown. You know God’s love will get you f*cked up quick.” God’s love dominates Black Jesus as a recurring theme, but what it means exactly has yet to take shape… [more]

IM000425.JPGConversations with Creators: Kevin Rubio

Conversations with Creators is a collaborative interview series designed to understand the processes and inner workings of the artist, their creations, and how their work impacts the comic booking industry. Each meeting is candid and… [more]

Black Jesus giving Lloyd a salad as a gift, even though Lloyd is actively undermining him.Discovering Black Jesus, Episode 5 “Fried Green Tomatoes”

Boonie: Man, God ain’t good man. God sucks right now. Black Jesus: Oh negro of little faith, isn’t the miracle of the forgivin’ cholos enough proof to let yo’ disbelievin’ ass know that God want… [more]

36094-5415-40307-1-man-called-a-x-theBrian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: The Man Called A-X Volume 1 #3

On Christmas Day 2013, my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was… [more]

Boonie preparing to go to jail.Discovering McGruder’s Black Jesus: “I Gave at the Playground,” Episode 4

Fighting the struggle to unite a broken community in Compton, Black Jesus seems to meet his match in Black Jesus, episode 4 “I Gave at the Playground.” This complicates McGruder’s construction of Jesus more so… [more]

444333-shi_heaven_and_earth_4_00bBrian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Shi: Heaven and Earth Volume 1 #4

On Christmas Day 2013, my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was… [more]

erBrian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Ms. Mystic Deathwatch 2000 Volume 1 #3

This Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

ADD_8Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Volume 1 #8

This Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

29232-3789-32485-1-firestorm-the-nucleaBrian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Firestorm Volume 2 #95

This Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

Justice_League_America_61Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Justice League America Volume 1 #61

On Christmas Day 2013, my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was… [more]

Give in. Die for Darkseid.Jack Kirby and His Pal Darkseid

Jack Kirby is among the greats in comic book culture, not for his creations really, but for his signature tone that set the stage for what would become modern comicbooking. His antiquated writing style, outlandish… [more]

Lloyd: amateur hobo/burglar.Discovering McGruder’s Black Jesus: “The Shit Heist,” Episode 3

I had the opportunity to meet Christopher McCulloch (AKA Jackson Publick) and Doc Hammer this year at the San Diego Comic Con. (It was a random affair, the sidewalk meeting of a minor hero/celebrity that… [more]

New_Warriors_Vol_1_33Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: The New Warriors Volume 1 #33

On Christmas Day 2013, my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was… [more]

Black Jesus wants to grow a community garden.Discovering McGruder’s Black Jesus: “Fish and the Con Man,” Episode 2

My previous article was an introductory exposition on Black Jesus and the treatment of Jesus by Aaron McGruder that discussed setting Black Jesus within an environment akin to the historical Jesus’ milieu.  Now that I… [more]

coverBrian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Ghost Rider Annual Volume 1 #2

On Christmas Day 2013, my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was… [more]

black-jesus-tv-reviewOn Black Jesus: Adult Swim’s Reimagining of the Messiah

I wasn’t surprised to see that late night programmer Adult Swim was going to put on a show called Black Jesus. I’ve been watching the network since my early teens (now about 10 years), recalling… [more]

Nexus #32 CoverBrian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Nexus #32

Last Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

3020269-slide-sandman2coverb-mckeanA Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #3 Review

Written by: Neil Gaiman Art by: J.H. Williams, III Cover by: J.H. Williams, III Dave McKean Variant Cover by: J.H. Williams, III Dave McKean Since its genesis in the long distant past of December 2013,… [more]

85_121384_0_Bloodstrike2LethalActionBrian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Bloodstrike Volume 1 #2

Last Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

920539-p00001Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Gen13 Annual 2000

Last Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

1Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Daredevil Volume 1 #336

Last Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

Title coverBrian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Namor the Sub-Mariner Volume 1 #30

Last Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

2Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1 #67

Last Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

Warheads_Vol_1_5Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Warheads Volume 1 #5

Last Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

$_57Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Cage #15 Volume 1

Last Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

Adventures_Of_Superman_512Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: The Adventures of Superman Volume 1 #512

Last Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

1Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Suicide Squad Volume 1 #26

Last Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

Superboy_Vol_4_35Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Superboy Volume 4 #35

Last Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

etBrian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Eternal Warrior Volume 1 #18

Last Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

1Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Tangent Comics: Nightwing Volume 1 #1

This Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

1Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Catwoman Volume 2 #20

This Christmas my brother gave me a booster pack of random, non-sequential issues from a variety of popular comic book titles that syndicated in the late eighties to mid nineties. The nineties was a time… [more]

photo 4The Grind: Nine to Five With Patton Oswalt’s Olympians

Truth be told, I have about three drafts sitting on my computer hard drive that constitute my attempts at writing this essay. I have never read anything like JLA: Welcome to the Working Week before,… [more]

1The Sandman Overture #2 Review

Written by: Neil Gaiman Art by: J.H. Williams, III Cover by: J.H. Williams, III Dave McKean Variant Cover by: J.H. Williams, III Dave McKean Rating: 9 (of 10) After two delays and much anticipation, the… [more]

6Sandman #75: How It Ends, and Begins

What made Shakespeare famous was his ability to pen adaptations. This salacious fact draws from his purloining of content from long dead authors, incapable of making too much of a fuss, though some noticed. Gaiman,… [more]

1Sandman: Omnia Mutantur Nihil Interit — Hope for the Exile

The words of Ovid’s Metamorphoses bear the emblematic slogan of Sandman #74, the second to last Sandman of it’s original run: “Omnia Mutantur Nihil Interit.” Gaiman’s translation of the phrase in the comic is “Everything… [more]

TheWake_ZulliSandman: “The Wake” — In which a Funeral and Wedding Occur

The final, enigmatic issues of the Sandman emulate a diverse response to the death of the titular Dream. Though there are still two issues left to go in the Sandman series proper, this here is… [more]

1Sing Me a Sweet Song: Eisner’s Tragic Love Triangle

The lamentable times we find ourselves in are rife with class disparity and injustice. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and cheap, ambling diatribes against these injuries grow more and more cliché. The… [more]

1Frimme and His God: Eisner’s Meditations on Suffering

Will Eisner, like Walt Disney or Orson Welles, is a household name in his field of expertise. He pioneered his work with such love and dedication that few have contested his reputation as the man… [more]

5The Master Builder: Lego Collides with Animal Man #19

If you haven’t seen The Lego Movie yet, you ought to. I found that the film lived up to its expectations, which included the usual kiddy fanfare. But what I was unable to anticipate was… [more]

Sandman 69Death of a Dream – “The Kindly Ones” Conclusion

The Kindly Ones ends much how it starts. There is a haunting momentum that drives the story forward, and yet it is clear how this narrative energy is spilling over from the entirety of the… [more]

sandman68bulkDream in Conflict: “The Kindly Ones,” Chapters 7-9

It is revealed in The Kindly Ones Part 8 that the identity of the furies has lain in the titular designation all along. When Lyta Hall comes upon them in a solitary shack, deep in… [more]

Sandman 64Justifying Deicide: Lyta Hall’s Feminist Journey in “The Kindly Ones”

The final arc of Sandman proceeds to bookend the series with cameos and homages to earlier plots. The feel here is different from previous arcs; Gaiman explains elements as they come, rather than holding back… [more]

3Atrocity in Memoriam – Ari Folman’s Waltz with Bashir

In 2008, Waltz With Bashir, a documentary exploration of the First Lebanon War, was released to wide critical acclaim. The film is animated, told from the perspective of Ari Folman, who dictates his experiences via… [more]

san1Development of the Spiritual Psychosis: “The Kindly Ones,” Chapters 1-3

After absconding to an inn outside the bound of time and reality, Gaiman takes the reader on to the final arc that constitutes The Sandman (discounting the coda material The Wake). The first three issues… [more]

3The Marvelous Land of Oz Review

The Marvelous Land of Oz Review Story by: L.Frank Baum Written by: Eric Shanower Art by: Skottie Young Cover by: Skottie Young Rating: 7 (of 10) In the wake of success created by The Wonderful… [more]

san 3The Power Cosmic Screams: The Death of Reality in Sandman #56

The Worlds’ End Inn: here, reality goes to die. That is the conclusion one can draw after finishing Sandman #56. Existing outside of time, this nexus of infinite zeitgeist is constantly being remade and destroyed… [more]

1The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Review

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Story by: L. Frank Baum Written by: Eric Shanower Art by: Skottie Young Cover by: Skottie Young Rating: 8 (of 10) Of all the contemporary and modern American fantasy and… [more]

photo 1Batman: Noël — The Redemptive Dickensian Drama

It’s not uncommon this time of year to hear the phrase “holiday cheer” being thrown around. It’s a nebulous saying, undefined, and passed around like an offering plate collecting alms for the poor. In our… [more]

san1Our Dearly Departed: Mortality and Death in “Cerements”

There is an inside joke at the beginning of Hamlet that few catch. Shakespeare, well known for his wit and narrative charm, deals with religion quite frequently in his plays. This is to be expected… [more]

The-Goon-vol-1The Goon Vol. 1: Nothin’ But Misery Review

The Goon Vol. 1: Nothin’ But Misery Written by: Eric Powell Art by: Eric Powell Cover(s) by: Eric & Robin Powell Variant Cover(s) by: Eric Powell Rating 7 (of 10) If art comics ever tipped… [more]

san 1Let Us Worship the Golden Boy: Gaiman’s Teen Prez Messiah

Patriotism is difficult to define. There is no true article or concept of what patriotism is. It can, in the hearts and minds of the common man, come to signify a love for one’s country,… [more]

1The Sandman Overture #1 Review

The Sandman Overture #1 Written by Neil Gaiman Art by J.H. Williams, III Cover by J.H. Williams, III Dave McKean Variant Cover by J.H. Williams, III Dave McKean Published by DC/VERTIGO Comics Rating: 10 (of 10) The Sandman takes… [more]

lev 1Hob’s Leviathan and Other Fantastic Stories

A burial at sea holds so many secrets. The sea, or open waters, have upheld a strange significance in the hearts and minds of passengers, sailors, and captains alike. With satellite imaging and advanced cartography… [more]

4 odinThor’s Facelift: Norse Mythology in the Marvel Universe

In 2011, Marvel added the highly anticipated “super-human” alien, Thor, to their cinematic universe, and was largely considered a success. Kenneth Branagh’s direction of the film conjured an old world Shakespearean atmosphere that allowed for… [more]

Sandman_Vol_2_52Aurelia, Restitutor Orbis: Meddling with Sovereignty in Sandman #52

“Cluracan’s Tale” marks the second installment of single, one-shot style issues in the Worlds’ End story cycle in the Sandman. Exhibiting the wit of the Faerie and the corruption of Man, Cluracan’s yarn advances a… [more]

san2“Life on the Edge”: In Which a Man Named Robert Finds Himself Stuck in a City

Sandman has fostered its reputation as a staple in the Horror genre since its conception, often executing stories and fables instigating the subtle and unnerving fear lurking in the modest and mundane. Gaiman’s style, very… [more]

ram 1Empire of the Sun: The Golden Age of Islam in Sandman’s “Ramadan”

The previous installments of Distant Mirrors dealt with the cult of government, prospective rulers at the behest of their citizens, blindly careening through history. Caesar Augustus blazed trails, setting into motion the wheels of modern… [more]

4When Justice League Changed the World

Before there were comic books in my life, I was aware of the DC Universe solely through the alluring advances of Warner Bros Animation. Lately, the WB has been stepping up their line with a… [more]

bl7-9 5Solidarity of Identity Founded in Change: “Brief Lives,” Chapter 7-9

The weight and emotional draw of the Brief Lives narrative arc is massive, serving perhaps as the long awaited catharsis for Dream’s inner anguish. Yet it also offers something new, albeit profound: Dream has changed,… [more]

bl4-6 1Typically Endless: The Distance Between Gods and Men in “Brief Lives,” Chapters 4-6

Sandman’s Brief Lives follows closely with its former, titular predecessor penned by John Aubrey. His work, which compiles the veritable who’s who of the Western Enlightenment from 17th century Europe, succeeds at creating a window… [more]

sandman7Coping by Change: Sandman’s “Brief Lives,” Chapters 1-3

Investigating the corpus of Gaiman’s literary contributions draws fruitful results when contemplating his creative process. Earlier works often foreshadow later ones, the latter being throwbacks to ideas at their genesis, now fully developed theses. American… [more]

sullivan 1The Horror of Baseball: A Review of Sullivan’s Sluggers

Sullivan’s Sluggers originated as one of the many Kickstarter grassroots projects that have flooded the internet in recent years. While it pigeonholes itself comfortably into predictable tropes familiar to the horror genre, it exhibits more… [more]

Sandman specialSong of Death: The Tragedy of Dream’s Only Begotten Son

Through the Sandman, one recurring theme endures that tempers the fantasy offered by Gaiman and his titular protagonist. This is deconstructing the fantastic and popularizing ancient tales into pedestrian  tongues. He is contextualizing tales culturally… [more]

superman-earthWhy the World Needs Superman

I look back on the things I’ve written occasionally and discover old parts of me that I can treasure and hold on to nostalgically. This is one of those pieces. What follows is the script… [more]

r1Archetypes of Conflict: Weaponized Narratives in “Parliament of Rooks”

“How does the story end?” is a legitimate, but not often enough asked, inquiry of our narratives. Imagine any fairy tale. The Tortoise and the Hare embodies the weathered adage, “slow and steady wins the… [more]

Sandman_Vol_2_39Sandman’s Soft Places: Travelogue Through the Dreaming

Corporeality is overrated in the comic book multiverse. Grant Morrison’s theoretical conceptualizations of the infinite reality have interwoven themselves through the vein of modern storytelling, but Gaiman’s play on this concept is also well documented… [more]

san1The Old World: Comics and Cultural Reclamation in Sandman #38

Worthy expressions of folk myth are few and far between in the mainstream media, but persist as the most iconic means of contemporary storytelling. At the conclusion of A Game Of You, Gaiman introduces a… [more]

kingdom comeJesus Christ Superman

The irony of Superman in the age of Postmodernism is that our world has no need for saviors. Often I find myself in the middle of arguments where I defend Superman to my peers as… [more]

bink 5Tag and Bink are Relevant: Comics and the Theater of the Absurd

Star Wars is not without its faults. Though being a noteworthy entry into the expanding universe of modern science fiction, continuity problems continue to manifest themselves today, as hosts of underground creatures, confined to their… [more]

4d35b435dc5d0Those that Lead the Blind: Gaiman on Government

Mirrors show us a reflection and repose in stasis. We can reflect upon it, perhaps adjust our appearance to fit our whim, but ultimately the mirror captures more than just personal imagery—it captures our essence.… [more]

joke1That’s Not Funny: Alan Moore’s Tragic Joker

The ’80s for comics is something akin to the British Invasion. American Rock-and-Roll saw a exponential boost in popularity when British acts invaded the already well-established scene, bringing with them unique stylistic influences that would… [more]

san 25Ascending the Throne: Dream’s Return to Dominance in Sandman #25-28

Obligation to duty is an odd way of exacting revenge for a condemned archangel. Thus far in Season of Mists, Gaiman’s philosophy of duty and right work ethic encircles the conundrum of Lucifer’s Miltonian Hell,… [more]

21aSandman #21-24: Expanding Cosmologies and Dream’s Spiritual Subjugation

In the forward to The Absolute Sandman, Volume One Paul Levitz quipped that Sandman was an unfolding dialectic that narrowed the lines between folk tale and myth. Since the beginning of this  narrative, Levitz speculated… [more]

Saga5First World Problems: Imperialism and Noncombatant Casualty in Saga Volume One

Comics are analogues of reality, and paint in fantasy tales more compelling than the real world conflicts they are based on. Saga overwhelms the reader with a terrible level of detail, capturing conflicts ranging from… [more]

Facade 1Humanizing the Endless Immortals in Sandman: Dream Country

Finalizing the Doll’s House narrative plot, Neil Gaiman’s celebrated Sandman series concludes the first twenty issues with four limited one shot arcs, both harkening back earlier tales and looking forward to future ones. So far… [more]

rust 2A Unwelcomed Visitation: A Treatment of Drone Warfare in Royden Lepp’s Rust

With the advent of newer technologies and advanced AI, humans are being systematically phased out from everyday life. This is the machinist’s nightmare: to be replaced by the very things they fabricate and build. What… [more]

corinth_fansPortrait of a Serial Murderer

Conventions exist to bring people together, even serial killers. At least that is the spin put on them in Sandman #14: “Collectors.” Those familiar with Gaiman’s catalog can attest to the diversity of his corpus,… [more]

1589Gaiman’s Fortunate Men: A Humanizing Tale of Time Well Spent

The words of John Donne’s Death be not Proud are Neil Gaiman’s badge of honor. “Death, be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful for thou art not so,” the emboldened meter… [more]

batcatkissGotta Loeb Batman: Batman and Synergy in Hush

Jeph Loeb is the quintessential Batman writer, and one is not bereft of evidence for such a claim. His two most recognized works, Batman: The Long Halloween, and the anticipated sequel, Batman: Dark Victory, embodied… [more]

Joe 4Coping with Hallucination: Revolutionizing Character Internalization in Joe the Barbarian

Indie comics occasionally introduce characters that would otherwise be unexpected, given that they fall outside of the norm of what is expected in a “hero.”

taleofsandTale of Sand: The Legacy of Jim Henson in the Graphic Medium

Jim Henson’s love for visual media has touched the hearts of millions, over successive generations in American television and mixed media.

superman_480x480Sitting Down with Superman: Q&A with the Man of Tomorrow

The world wasn’t ready for Superman. For what could be expected when comics were only budding and bursting from the confines of syndicated sequential art, with their pithy quips and political yarns? Fantastic worlds had… [more]

BM.WHCC.DJ.R1Deconstructing Death and Vigilantism: A Dark Knight Eulogy

Death is not welcomed in DC, but occasionally, and fortunately, an opportunity arises to talk about death and its greater significance in the DC timeline.

fullarmorjusticeleagueJustice and the Hero: Encountering Archetypical Motives in Justice

There is a growing confusion of what to make of the archetypal Hero / Villain dichotomy in the postmodern world.

hardboiledEverything’s (Not) Fine, Honey: Finding Identity in Hard Boiled

In dystopian literature things generally go out with a bang, a revolution, a euthanasia, but not so in Hard Boiled.

Darkseid cupcakeThe Lighter Seid of the Dark: Q&A with the Sovereign of Apokolips

Darkseid turned 42 years old this month but his unique Omega brand still gains attention to comic book aficionados and critics alike.

action-comics-2011The New 52: A Year in Review

When I opened Action Comics #1 and saw Superman, I was stunned.

STATISTICS FOR STUART WARREN

Total Words for All Magazine Content: 153,016