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Analysis of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Part One
PREAMBLE Some time ago I decided to watch through and analyze the skeletal filmography of Andrew Dominik, watching through all three of his movies in the order in which he made them. After starting with… [more]
Oh, My Aching Cranium!: Jack Kirby’s OMAC Deconstructed and Reconstructed, Part Seven
Wow, the cover text sure promises a lot this time around, doesn’t it? “Movies In Which We Live!,” ”Parents Picked By Computer!,” and finally—“A Task Force Of–A Hundred-Thousand Foes!” How, exactly, are you supposed to… [more]
When Blade Runner Mixed with James Bond
In 1977, Marvel Comics launched Marvel Super Special (officially titled Marvel Comics Super Special for its first four issues). Long before graphic novels became routine, Marvel Super Special offered magazine-size graphic novellas, generally containing a… [more]
Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 3
Issue #4 “Waiting for the Man” Writer: Jamie Delano Art: John Ridgeway Colors: Lovern Kindzierski Letters: Annie Halfacree It’s said that a comic book character is only as memorable as its supporting cast. Villains, family,… [more]
The Super-Heroics of Frank Miller and Alan Moore, Part 1
Introduction— Frank Miller and Alan Moore defined modern comics. While they were not the first writers to bring darkness, contemporary political issues or realism to comics, they helped shape the modern comics industry. For better… [more]
Akira 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]
Cloud Atlas: A True Science-Fiction Film
Cloud Atlas, like many works of art, deliberately eludes explanation. I’ve seen this film many times and the only question I am emphatically not interested in answering is “what does it mean?” This quality probably… [more]
On Doctor Who: New Adventures with the Eleventh Doctor & the Often-Ignored Virtues of the Licensed Comic
Concerning the first 8 pages of Al Ewing, Rob Williams, Simon Fraser & Gary Caldwell’s Doctor Who #1 (2014) The quality of licensed comics has never been higher, and yet some still regard them with… [more]
“The Greatest and / or Worst Picto-fics of All Time”: The Multiversity: The Just #1
Three issues in and the Multiversity event shows no signs of slowing down or disappointing. One of the added joys of The Just for me personally was seeing more of Ultra Comics and that books… [more]
“A Fading 2099 Universe”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 42)
Continued from last week. The problem with Skrull Kill Krew obviously wasn’t a lack of ambition on Morrison and Millar’s part. The same was true for several of their other substantial pitches to Marvel during… [more]
The Original Science Fiction Hero, Part 1: Buck Rogers, Philip Francis Nowlan, and Armageddon 2419
When I heard that Sequart was celebrating science fiction this week, I knew pretty quickly what I wanted to write about. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by iconic characters from pop… [more]
The Multiversity Interlude: Whatever Happened to the Supercontext?
“It’s only part of something much better that will be wonderful… To believe that things are going to get better and we will participate in things getting better… Is just us about to become something… [more]
Capital Thoughts: Captain America #25
That Sam Wilson is the new Cap can come as a surprise to few. For months now, Yahoo and other major sites have been predicting this event. The moment, as Sam himself notes, is anticlimactic. … [more]
“I Know I’m Me”: Identity in John Carpenter’s The Thing
Few horror films combine gore and genuine creepy scares better than John Carpenter’s 1982 classic The Thing. The film was an adaptation of a short story called “Who Goes There?”, which should give us a… [more]
Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 2
Issue #3 “Going for It” Writer: Jamie Delano Art: John Ridgeway Colors: Lovern Kindzierski Letters: Annie Halfacree Of all the issues of Hellblazer written by Jamie Delano, fewer are more politically charged than “Going For… [more]
Vampire Films and Catholicism
The vampire movies that are the most likely to treat issues of theology and religion seriously are the Gothic melodramas and the art house pictures, while the films in the other categories are more interested… [more]
“To Shoot Every Last Skrull On Earth”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics Of Mark Millar, Part 41)
Continued from last week. Despite the precipitous collapse and subsequent flatlining of Swamp Thing’s sales in the second half of 1994, Millar’s career at the half-point of the decade still appeared to be in rude… [more]
The Strange Case of Dr. Pretentious and Mr. Clown
I’ve always loved Halloween. It’s one of the few holidays that is fun and festive but requires no travel and only nominal shopping. When it’s done right, it’s a wonderful excuse to dress up, eat… [more]
Oh, My Aching Cranium!: Jack Kirby’s OMAC Deconstructed And Reconstructed, Part Six
The cover for OMAC #2 lays things bare – “In The Era Of The ‘Super Rich’ – Mister Big Can ‘Rent A City’ For Assassination!” And while, admittedly, this may have sounded a bit far-fetched… [more]
Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 1
When the term “magic” is observed by a member of the Western world, certain images undoubtedly come to mind. Long bearded men with staffs and pointy hats, a young boy with a lightning bolt scar,… [more]
Discovering 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]
Categorizing Vampire Movies
In their classic form, vampires are immortal, nonhuman beings who sustain themselves by drinking human blood. Sometimes referred to as nosferatu or wurdalak, vampires are most often portrayed as “undead” individuals who have come back… [more]
“About Sixty Per Cent Happy”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 40
Continued from last week. The rest of Millar’s Swamp Thing tales shared the same weaknesses as River Run, although they only intermittently reflected the same strengths. The likes of Twilight of The Gods and Chester… [more]
“For the Man Who Has Everything”: The Animated Adaptation
Getting Alan Moore to approve of an adaptation is like… getting Alan Moore to approve of an adaptation. So, it’s very interesting to hear that the 2006 WB Animation adaptation of “For the Man Who… [more]
“So Many Questions are Left Unanswered”: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 39
Continued from last week. For the third time in ten months, Millar’s Swamp Thing had presented abortion in a wholly negative light. Nothing that he’d write in the remainder of his tenure on the book… [more]