Sequart Organization » Neil Gaiman

There is Punk and Heart in How To Talk To Girls At Parties

Matthew Kirshenblatt — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 10:00:48 +0000

How To Talk To Girls At Parties" title="There is Punk and Heart in How To Talk To Girls At Parties" style="float:left;" />I’d read Neil Gaiman’s short story “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” a long time ago now, back in 2006 when it had been published in Fragile Things. It’s hard for me to remember… [more]

Two Sequart Products Spotlighting Comics History

Mike Phillips — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 10:00:41 +0000

Most Sequart books and movies address some aspect of comics history, but the two releases below are especially designed to investigate and further our understanding of the history of this medium we love. The British… [more]

The Classical Roots of Wonder Woman and Sandman

Sasha Fraze — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 13:00:42 +0000

Wonder Woman and Sandman" title="The Classical Roots of Wonder Woman and Sandman" style="float:left;" />Note: Here I am primarily concerned with George Perez’s run as writer-artist, issues 1-25 Neil Gaiman likes to wear his influences on his sleeves. Every issue of Sandman has more than enough references to classic… [more]

Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously Now Available on STARZ On Demand

Mike Phillips — Sun, 21 May 2017 13:00:12 +0000

Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously Now Available on STARZ On Demand" title="Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously Now Available on STARZ On Demand" style="float:left;" />Sequart Organization and Respect Films are proud to announce that Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously is now available to watch on STARZ On Demand. (Once you’ve gotten your fill of STARZ’s American Gods, watch the documentary… [more]

When Shadow Returns: Neil Gaiman’s American Gods

Matthew Kirshenblatt — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 16:00:40 +0000

American Gods" title="When Shadow Returns: Neil Gaiman’s American Gods" style="float:left;" />For a while, I thought I had a horrible feeling why Shadow left America. If you don’t want any spoilers for either the book or the upcoming television series, please read no further. If not,… [more]

AARGH! RESIST! A Retrospective and a Prelude

Matthew Kirshenblatt — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 16:00:53 +0000

AARGH! RESIST! A Retrospective and a Prelude" title="AARGH! RESIST! A Retrospective and a Prelude" style="float:left;" />In my four-part article Not By Something As Accidental as Blood: Bash Back, my research into Lawrence Gullo, Fyodor Pavlov, and Kelsey Hercs’ work took me to places I hadn’t gone before while, in other… [more]

The British Invasion in Current Previews Catalog

Mike Phillips — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 09:00:30 +0000

The British Invasion in Current Previews Catalog" title="The British Invasion in Current Previews Catalog" style="float:left;" />If you like to make all of your hard-copy purchases through your Local Comics Shop, and you want The British Invasion: Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and the Invention of the Modern Comic Book Writer… [more]

Neil Gaiman Defines the Spawnverse: Writers Writing Spawn, Part 2

James Kelly — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 17:00:15 +0000

Spawn, Part 2" title="Neil Gaiman Defines the Spawnverse: Writers Writing Spawn, Part 2" style="float:left;" />Neil Gaiman decided to write an issue of Spawn. This single issue created plot-threads, new characters and a legal battle that none could ever believe. [more]

Sequart Releases The British Invasion

Julian Darius — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 23:50:05 +0000

The British Invasion" title="Sequart Releases The British Invasion" style="float:left;" />Sequart Organization is proud to announce the publication of The British Invasion: Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, and the Invention of the Modern Comic Book Writer, by Greg Carpenter. Moore. Gaiman. Morrison. They came from… [more]

Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously is Now Available on Vimeo for Streaming Pre-Order

Mike Phillips — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 13:00:16 +0000

Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously is Now Available on Vimeo for Streaming Pre-Order" title="Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously is Now Available on Vimeo for Streaming Pre-Order" style="float:left;" />Sequart Organization and Respect Films are proud to announce that their newest documentary, Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously, has been picked up by Vimeo. The film is now available for pre-order and will be released on… [more]

Finance and Comics: Why the World of Trades, Stocks, and Financial Analysis can be a Suitable Genre in Comics

Jarrett Mazza — Sun, 27 Dec 2015 22:20:54 +0000

The realm of comics is filled with many genres, with the notables ranging from the traditional superhero, to the macabre-based horror, hard-boiled crime, sensational mysteries, classic sci-fi, fantasy, and the occasional emergence of erotica and… [more]

Tiptoeing Through the Tulips with Neil Gaiman

Greg Carpenter — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 11:00:07 +0000

While some of the points Gaiman makes in his "Tulip Speech" are less relevant than they were in the early ‘90s, his overall prescription for saving the industry is as simple and true today as ever. [more]

The War Against Caption Boxes

Mike Greear — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 11:00:40 +0000

Lately I’ve been catching up on some contemporary titles, some of which are produced by my favorite writers in the field, and I’m actually finding plenty of things not to enjoy about them, which doesn’t… [more]

A Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #5 Review

Stuart Warren — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 11:00:44 +0000

Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #5 Review" title="A Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #5 Review" style="float:left;" />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]

Five Reasons Why Comics Scholarship is Important

Stuart Warren — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:00:07 +0000

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]

Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 24

Max Nestorowich — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 11:00:43 +0000

Hellblazer, Part 24" title="Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 24" style="float:left;" />Issue #28 “Thicker Than Water” Writer: Jamie Delano Art: Ron Tiner & Kevin Walker Colors: Tom Zuiko Letters: Gaspar Saladino Cover: Kent Williams Following the brief tenure of Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman on the… [more]

Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 23

Max Nestorowich — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:00:07 +0000

Hellblazer, Part 23" title="Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 23" style="float:left;" />Issue 27 “Hold Me” Writer: Neil Gaiman Art & Cover: Dave McKean Colors: Dave McKean & Danny Vizzo Letters: Todd Klein Following Grant Morrison’s two part tale of nuclear terror, is arguably one of the… [more]

Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 22

Max Nestorowich — Wed, 25 Mar 2015 11:00:04 +0000

Hellblazer, Part 22" title="Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 22" style="float:left;" />Issue 25 “Early Warning” Writer: Grant Morrison Art, Colors, & Cover: David Lloyd Letters: Tom Frame As stated before, over the 300 issue run Hellblazer would be written by many of the comic industry’s biggest… [more]

Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 19

Max Nestorowich — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 12:00:57 +0000

Issue #21 “The God of All Gods” Writer: Jamie Delano Art: Mark Buckingham, Alfredo Alcala Colors: Lovern Kindzierski Letters: Elitta Fell Cover: Dave McKean Continuing directly from the previous issue, “The God of All Gods”… [more]

On Internet Outrage and Choosing Not to “Bite the Hook”

Greg Carpenter — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 12:00:39 +0000

Last Monday, The Guardian published a piece on contemporary comics that asked the question, “When did the comic-book universe become so banal?” It was written by an art critic and former comic book reader who… [more]

Portraits In Alienated British Youth Circa 1989-90, Part Two: Trident Makes Its Mark—But Ultimately Gets Speared

Ryan C. — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 12:00:46 +0000

Trident Makes Its Mark—But Ultimately Gets Speared" title="Portraits In Alienated British Youth Circa 1989-90, Part Two: Trident Makes Its Mark—But Ultimately Gets Speared" style="float:left;" />In August of 1989, a modest little anthology series with some serious “A-list” talent appeared on British comic store shelves and, presumably, at a few newsstands (or newsagents, as they’re called across the pond) as… [more]

A Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #4 Review

Stuart Warren — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 00:00:30 +0000

Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #4 Review" title="A Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #4 Review" style="float:left;" />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]

Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Firestorm Volume 2 #95

Stuart Warren — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 11:00:21 +0000

Firestorm Volume 2 #95" title="Brian’s Comic Book Grab Bag: Firestorm Volume 2 #95" style="float:left;" />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]

A Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #3 Review

Stuart Warren — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 19:00:02 +0000

Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #3 Review" title="A Sandman Miscellany: Sandman Overture #3 Review" style="float:left;" />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]

Completing the Trilogy: Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Greg Carpenter — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:00:27 +0000

The Ocean at the End of the Lane" title="Completing the Trilogy: Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane" style="float:left;" />I’ve never been much of a summer person. I can barely swim, don’t really enjoy the beach, and hate hot weather. But something about summer clicked for me this year. Even though we weren’t able… [more]

Sequart Organization at San Diego Comic Con 2014

Mike Phillips — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 20:00:52 +0000

We’re excited to announce that Sequart will have quite a lot going on at this year’s San Diego Comic Con: We’ll be selling Sequart books and movies at our (very first!) SDCC small press table,… [more]

The Lion, the Witch, and The Art of Neil Gaiman

Greg Carpenter — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 11:00:26 +0000

The Art of Neil Gaiman" title="The Lion, the Witch, and The Art of Neil Gaiman" style="float:left;" />Does Neil Gaiman ever get into your dreams? I don’t mean literal dreams where you toss and turn in the middle of the night and wake up convinced that the Goodyear Blimp is being piloted… [more]

Absolute Editions, 3D Movies, and the Silent War on Democratic Art

Greg Carpenter — Mon, 05 May 2014 11:00:13 +0000

Last summer I decided to re-read the entirety of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. Even though I’m a big fan, it had been years since I sat down and systematically went through the whole ten-volume series, so… [more]

The Sandman Overture #2 Review

Stuart Warren — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 11:00:16 +0000

The Sandman Overture #2 Review" title="The Sandman Overture #2 Review" style="float:left;" />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]

Sandman #75: How It Ends, and Begins

Stuart Warren — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 11:00:16 +0000

Sandman #75: How It Ends, and Begins" title="Sandman #75: How It Ends, and Begins" style="float:left;" />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]

Sandman: Omnia Mutantur Nihil Interit — Hope for the Exile

Stuart Warren — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 11:00:52 +0000

Sandman: Omnia Mutantur Nihil Interit — Hope for the Exile" title="Sandman: Omnia Mutantur Nihil Interit — Hope for the Exile" style="float:left;" />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]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:00:53 +0000

Sandman: “The Wake” — In which a Funeral and Wedding Occur" title="Sandman: “The Wake” — In which a Funeral and Wedding Occur" style="float:left;" />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]

Death of a Dream – “The Kindly Ones” Conclusion

Stuart Warren — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 12:00:50 +0000

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]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 12:00:50 +0000

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]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 12:00:48 +0000

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]

On Canons, Critics, Consensus, and Comics, Part 3

Greg Carpenter — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 18:00:57 +0000

This week marks the final installment of our search for a comics canon. As I mentioned in the first column, I recently conducted a survey of the people who contribute to Sequart. A total of 25… [more]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 12:00:38 +0000

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]

On Canons, Critics, Consensus, and Comics, Part 2

Greg Carpenter — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 18:00:35 +0000

As I explained in last week’s column, I recently asked my fellow Sequart contributors to answer the following question: “What are the 10 greatest works in the history of the comics medium, and who are the… [more]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 12:00:39 +0000

Sandman #56" title="The Power Cosmic Screams: The Death of Reality in Sandman #56" style="float:left;" />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]

Flowers, Fire, and Dreams in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman: Overture #1, Part 3

Matthew Kirshenblatt — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 12:00:50 +0000

Sandman: Overture #1, Part 3" title="Flowers, Fire, and Dreams in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman: Overture #1, Part 3" style="float:left;" />The next segment of The Sandman Overture Issue #1 doesn’t have a very auspicious beginning. Pages twenty-five and twenty-six open up into a spread with Morpheus flying towards his Castle and his Dreaming kingdom: now… [more]

Our Dearly Departed: Mortality and Death in “Cerements”

Stuart Warren — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 12:00:37 +0000

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]

Flowers, Fire, and Dreams in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman: Overture #1, Part 2

Matthew Kirshenblatt — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 12:00:49 +0000

Sandman: Overture #1, Part 2" title="Flowers, Fire, and Dreams in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman: Overture #1, Part 2" style="float:left;" />In the next part of The Sandman Overture Issue #1, we now get to focus on Morpheus’ tools in trade: dreams. After transitioning to page fourteen, what we have waiting for us is something that… [more]

Flowers, Fire, and Dreams in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman: Overture #1

Matthew Kirshenblatt — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 12:00:48 +0000

Sandman: Overture #1" title="Flowers, Fire, and Dreams in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman: Overture #1" style="float:left;" />An overture is traditionally the opening or introduction to an opera. Yet if anything in the past twenty-five or so years of the comics medium can be compared to an opera–as a masterpiece made up… [more]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 12:00:36 +0000

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]

The Sandman Overture #1 Review

Stuart Warren — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 12:00:48 +0000

The Sandman Overture #1 Review" title="The Sandman Overture #1 Review" style="float:left;" />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]

Hob’s Leviathan and Other Fantastic Stories

Stuart Warren — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 12:00:38 +0000

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]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 11:00:33 +0000

Sandman #52" title="Aurelia, Restitutor Orbis: Meddling with Sovereignty in Sandman #52" style="float:left;" />“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]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 11:00:03 +0000

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]

Editing Miracleman: How Marvel Can Do It Right

Julian Darius — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 15:00:21 +0000

Miracleman: How Marvel Can Do It Right" title="Editing Miracleman: How Marvel Can Do It Right" style="float:left;" />The long-awaited news has broken, over the weekend, that Marvel plans to finally move forward on its reprinting of Miracleman, beginning with Alan Moore’s issues, moving through Neil Gaiman’s, and culminating by allowing Gaiman and… [more]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 11:00:49 +0000

Sandman’s “Ramadan”" title="Empire of the Sun: The Golden Age of Islam in Sandman’s “Ramadan”" style="float:left;" />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]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 11:00:47 +0000

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]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 05 Sep 2013 11:00:46 +0000

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]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 11:00:02 +0000

Sandman’s “Brief Lives,” Chapters 1-3" title="Coping by Change: Sandman’s “Brief Lives,” Chapters 1-3" style="float:left;" />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]

Song of Death: The Tragedy of Dream’s Only Begotten Son

Stuart Warren — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 11:00:08 +0000

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]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 11:00:20 +0000

“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’s Soft Places: Travelogue Through the Dreaming

Stuart Warren — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 11:00:26 +0000

Sandman’s Soft Places: Travelogue Through the Dreaming" title="Sandman’s Soft Places: Travelogue Through the Dreaming" style="float:left;" />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]

Sequart’s 2013 San Diego Comic-Con Panel

Mike Phillips — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 23:00:42 +0000

Sequart is proud to announce its 2013 San Diego Comic-Con panel, Sequart: Advancing Comics as Art. On Thursday, 18 July, from 1:30pm to 2:30pm in room 24ABC, the Sequart crew is going to show off new… [more]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 11:00:44 +0000

Sandman #38" title="The Old World: Comics and Cultural Reclamation in Sandman #38" style="float:left;" />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]

Sequart’s Next Documentary Film Subject is Neil Gaiman!

Mike Phillips — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:38:37 +0000

Sequart Research & Literacy Organization, in conjunction with Respect! Films, is honored and proud to announce that author Neil Gaiman will be the next subject in its expanding line of comics-centric documentaries. In the tradition… [more]

1986: The British Invasion, Part 3: Neil Gaiman & Swamp Thing

Peter Sanderson — Wed, 29 May 2013 11:00:46 +0000

One of the most important effects that Alan Moore had on the history of comics was triggering the entrance of Neil Gaiman into the medium. Gaiman had given up reading comics when he was sixteen… [more]

Neil Gaiman: The Early Years, The Magician’s Choice in The Books of Magic

Hannah Means-Shannon — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:00:48 +0000

The Books of Magic" title="Neil Gaiman: The Early Years, The Magician’s Choice in The Books of Magic" style="float:left;" />The Books of Magic was published from 1990-1991, at a time when Sandman was underway and gathering steam but the Vertigo universe was still forming, and demarcations between Vertigo and the DC Universe had not… [more]

Those that Lead the Blind: Gaiman on Government

Stuart Warren — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:00:30 +0000

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]

Neil Gaiman: The Early Years, Black Orchid (Part 2), “Gangsters and Scientists”

Hannah Means-Shannon — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:00:18 +0000

Black Orchid (Part 2), “Gangsters and Scientists”" title="Neil Gaiman: The Early Years, Black Orchid (Part 2), “Gangsters and Scientists”" style="float:left;" />Continued from part 1. In the introduction to the first collected edition of Black Orchid, Neil Gaiman wrote, “I know that some people regard this writing as escapist fiction, but I think that tales of… [more]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:00:12 +0000

Sandman #25-28" title="Ascending the Throne: Dream’s Return to Dominance in Sandman #25-28" style="float:left;" />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]

Neil Gaiman: The Early Years, Black Orchid’s Passive and Impassive Universe Part 1

Hannah Means-Shannon — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:00:10 +0000

Black Orchid’s Passive and Impassive Universe Part 1" title="Neil Gaiman: The Early Years, Black Orchid’s Passive and Impassive Universe Part 1" style="float:left;" />Neil Gaiman, like Alan Moore, is someone working in comics who seems to need no introduction. Their influence and impact is so pervasive that they’ve practically become a household name. But there’s a danger to… [more]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 11:00:54 +0000

Sandman #21-24: Expanding Cosmologies and Dream’s Spiritual Subjugation" title="Sandman #21-24: Expanding Cosmologies and Dream’s Spiritual Subjugation" style="float:left;" />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]

Humanizing the Endless Immortals in Sandman: Dream Country

Stuart Warren — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:00:23 +0000

Sandman: Dream Country" title="Humanizing the Endless Immortals in Sandman: Dream Country" style="float:left;" />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]

Portrait of a Serial Murderer

Stuart Warren — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:00:07 +0000

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]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:00:25 +0000

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]

The Other Egg of the Phoenix: Understanding the 50th Issue of Sandman

Harry Edmundson-Cornell — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:00:11 +0000

Sandman" title="The Other Egg of the Phoenix: Understanding the 50th Issue of Sandman" style="float:left;" />Neil Gaiman is one of the most renowned living comic book writers, and one of the most popular authors currently working. He is best known for his long lasting Vertigo series, Sandman, but he has… [more]

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

Stuart Warren — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:00:52 +0000

Sandman #1-8: Preambles and Introductions, Full of Sound and Fury" title="Sandman #1-8: Preambles and Introductions, Full of Sound and Fury" style="float:left;" />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]

Peeking from Behind the Sofa: The 25th Anniversary of Violent Cases

Greg Carpenter — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 12:00:37 +0000

Violent Cases" title="Peeking from Behind the Sofa: The 25th Anniversary of Violent Cases" style="float:left;" />Violent Cases is the greatest comic ever written about an osteopath. That probably sounds like a backhanded compliment, but it shouldn’t. Both of the creators, Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, have made careers out of… [more]

Deconstructing Death and Vigilantism: A Dark Knight Eulogy

Stuart Warren — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:00:52 +0000

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. In the introduction to Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader,… [more]

Alan Moore on the Couch

Julian Darius — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:00:51 +0000

Previously, we’ve discussed and dismissed the charges that Alan Moore or Grant Morrison ripped off anyone in any serious way. We next discussed the timeline of Grant Morrison’s career, including his hiring at DC. We… [more]

Why Miracleman Matters

Julian Darius — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:00:29 +0000

Miracleman Matters" title="Why Miracleman Matters" style="float:left;" />Everybody talks about Miracleman, but few have read it. Far more people know of Miracleman’s importance than understand why it occupies such a crucial role in the history of super-hero comics. This article endeavors to… [more]

Abstract-Empire-China: must there be a Sandman?

Shathley Q — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 16:04:48 +0000

I am being slightly humorous with the choice of title of course, but I wish to evoke the sense that the politics in this essay have been negotiated before, in a different context. The piece… [more]

The Last Comics Blotter

Mike Phillips — Fri, 16 Jul 2004 15:02:15 +0000

Comics Lit Spotlight in New York Times MagazineIf you are already a member or you don’t mind registering with the online version of New York Times Magazine, there is a great article by Charles McGrath… [more]

CrossGen, Austen, 2099, More

Mike Phillips — Fri, 25 Jun 2004 14:44:05 +0000

The Final Chapter? If you didn’t see this coming then I have taught you nothing. It’s no surprise that CrossGen has filed for bankruptcy. The company’s debt has risen to around $3.5 million and that… [more]

The New Blotter

Mike Phillips — Fri, 28 May 2004 14:08:33 +0000

Hello. My name is Mike Phillips. I’m the new Blotter guy and I am very excited to Blot. No kidding. As I finished reading the e-mail from Julian saying, “Welcome aboard,” I caught myself pumping… [more]

Superman Plans, Bill Jemas Dismantled, Secret War, and More

Julian Darius — Sat, 22 Nov 2003 17:16:47 +0000

Superman Plans AnnouncedSome of this is old news, but it bears being lumped together. December issues of the Superman titles will see the end of the present creative teams. Action Comics #810 — scheduled for… [more]

Comics Published 17 September 2003

Matt Martin — Fri, 19 Sep 2003 15:19:15 +0000

Bit of good news (I suppose) for the readers (reader?): I quit my job.Which, naturally, means I’m back to managing the comic book store. Which, at least theoretically, means that reviews should be getting kicked… [more]

Memoir in Ben-Day Dots

Julian Darius — Wed, 16 Apr 2003 11:00:20 +0000

I can’t recall the first comic I ever read. I’m sure they featured in my early childhood, as my family has tattered old Donald Duck and other Gladstone comics to prove it. There were also, to… [more]

The Cult of the Writer

Julian Darius — Sun, 25 Aug 2002 11:00:33 +0000

One of the major phenomena occurring in American comic books in the last two decades has been the cult of the writer, often in competition with the cult of the artist or illustrator. Various years… [more]

A Brief Consideration of Gaiman’s Usage of Lucifer in The Sandman

Julian Darius — Mon, 20 May 2002 11:00:02 +0000

The Sandman" title="A Brief Consideration of Gaiman’s Usage of Lucifer in The Sandman" style="float:left;" />Before he had his own ongoing series, Lucifer came to prominence in Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman. But Gaiman’s Lucifer went through three very different depictions, somewhat inconsistent with one another. The angelic appearance of Lucifer… [more]

The State of American Comics Address, 2002

Julian Darius — Sat, 02 Feb 2002 17:00:53 +0000

The American comic book industry, as an economic institution, is doing terribly. Artistically, however, this will be remembered as a fairly good period. Many mainstream titles are selling less than 20,000 copies; a few even… [more]