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Solidarity 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]
Ultimate Spider-Man #4 Uses Language to Explore Peter Parker and Spider-Man
Ultimate Spider-Man #4 primarily consists of conversations, inner monologues, and characters running away from each other. No one throws a single punch. Some of the events, like Peter’s foray into wrestling and arguments with Uncle… [more]
“He’s Camp as Christmas, but He’s Good as Gold”: Shameless? Part 28
Continued from last week. The debate about the attitudes expressed in Millar’s work towards LGBT issues is hardly a new one. Even as early as 1993, Monaghan’s pseudo-interview with Millar and Morrison in Comic World #18… [more]
Miracleman, Chapter 10: The Secret Origin of Big Ben, Part 2
We’ve begun discussing the conclusion of Book One (parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) of Alan Moore’s Miracleman, illustrated by Alan Davis. Today, we continue our exploration of this chapter.
Capital Thoughts: A Column on Captain America
Dear Readers, I’ve been collecting and thinking about Captain America for the better part of 40 years and am delighted to offer this monthly column on his ongoing adventures. For my first piece, I’ll be discussing… [more]
Alan Moore’s Brighter Than You Think
Brighter Than You Think “The mainspring of an individual is his creative Will. This Will is the sum of his tendencies, his destiny, his inner truth.” - John Whiteside Parsons, “Doing Your Will” (July 31,… [more]
How Comics Work: The Fight Scene, Part 2
Wonder Woman 18 By Brian Azzarello (writer) Goran Sudzuka (artist) Cliff Chiang (artist), Tony Akins (layout artist), Dan Green (finishes) Mathew Wilson (colourist) et al. Not to pick on American superhero comics but Wonder Woman seems… [more]
The Stitching Together of a Mythos: Kris Straub’s Broodhollow Part 2
When we last left off in Part I, we were looking at the beginnings of Broodhollow: at its possible horror and comic influences and how its aesthetics is centred around the exploration and fear of… [more]
A Safe Pair of Hands?: Shameless? Part 27
Continued from last week. Millar’s longest running assignment at 2000AD had been Robo-Hunter, for which he wrote several hundred pages between 1991 and 1993. (*1) Created by writer John Wagner and artists Jose Ferrer and Ian… [more]
Miracleman, Chapter 10: The Secret Origin of Big Ben
We’ve begun discussing the conclusion of Book One (parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) of Alan Moore’s Miracleman, illustrated by Alan Davis. Today, we continue our exploration of this chapter.
Scott Snyder: Then and Now
I was slow to the Scott Snyder game, I’ll admit it. Back when the hyper popular writer started Batman I was only vaguely aware of his existence. As his run continued I started to read… [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]
Typically 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]
Ultimate Spider-Man #2-3 Reveals the Perils of Power without Responsibility
Unlike the first double-sized issue of Ultimate Spider-Man, the second and third issues move at a much slower clip. At the end of Ultimate Spider-Man #2, Norman Osborn tells his scientists that he is testing… [more]
“What’s the Point Chief?”: Shameless? Part 26
Continued from last week. Laughter can be used to reveal prejudice before the mind has the chance to stifle it. But the Millar of the period gave no sign that he disapproved of his own heartless… [more]
Miracleman, Chapter 10: The Secret Origin of Miracleman, Part 3
We’ve begun discussing chapter ten, the conclusion of Book One (parts one, two, three, and four), of Alan Moore’s Miracleman, illustrated by Alan Davis. Today, we continue our exploration of that chapter.
The Garden and the Wilderness: Walking Dead #25-36
Since its onset, Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead comic book series has focused on the survival of one man, former police officer Rick Grimes, and the group of people he keeps company with. Starting with Walking… [more]
How Comics Work: The Fight Scene, Part 1
Most Superhero comics are based around two things: character-based drama and fight scenes. Many even forgo the former for the latter, under the horrible impression that they’re the same thing. This is in part due… [more]
The Stitching Together of a Mythos: Kris Straub’s Broodhollow
It’s a rare thing to watch a reality in the process of its own formation. It’s like observing a building being created row by row: block by block. But in this case it’s more like… [more]
“Never Trust A Woman… Women Will Eat You Alive”: Shameless? Part 25
Continued from last week. But Millar’s work for Fleetway often went far beyond casual, unthinking sexism. As the months passed and the examples of this piled up, he gave every impression of being a died-in-the-wool misogynist.… [more]
Miracleman, Chapter 10: The Secret Origin of Miracleman, Part 2
We’ve begun discussing chapter ten, the conclusion of Book One (parts one, two, and three), of Alan Moore’s Miracleman, illustrated by Alan Davis. Today, we continue our exploration of that chapter.
I Once Was Blind: Waid’s Daredevil & How Expectations Can Ruin Even the Best of Things
I hated it. There, I said it, and like an alcoholic (“My name is Chris and I have a problem”), it feels good to get it off my chest. When I opened up the pages… [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]
Coping 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]
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 Introduces Peter Parker, his “Fathers,” and Hints at a Rich Supporting Cast
Ultimate Spider-Man #1 is one of the most important comics issues of the 21st century. The series was the brainchild of Marvel publisher Bill Jemas, who wanted to create a Marvel universe that was accessible… [more]