Articles

Analytic articles, whether historical or literary, scholarly or popular. Views expressed are not necessarily those of Sequart.

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Back to the Past: Samurai Jack

So, this past while I’ve been ruminating over Samurai Jack. Originally, I focused on Aku and how ridiculous he is as a villain. However, like I said in my first article on the subject Aku… [more]

Awkward Encounters of the Conventional Kind: Nashville Comic Con Notebook

Conventions always have their ups and downs, but I felt like I had bungled every part of this one, and it was still only Friday night. [more]

Thor ’77-’78: On the Never-Ending Road to Ragnarok, Part 2

The Mighty Thor #263: The story: all the Asgardians (Thor, Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg), with the Recorder, battle against the Odin-force body, created and controlled by the alien within the spirit mold. All fail,… [more]

Star Trek Re-Watch, Episode 13 – “The Galileo Seven”

Star Trek is not Game of Thrones. No matter how much peril the main characters are placed in, we know that they’ll be out of it and safe by the end of the hour. That… [more]

Star Trek Re-Watch, Episode 12 – “The Conscience of the King”

Star Trek: The Original Series often referenced Shakespeare, both in its themes and in its style. This is only to be expected, as elevated themes of tragedy and highly stylized stories of great people pulling… [more]

Thor ’77-’78: On the Never-Ending Road to Ragnarok, Part 1

The Mighty Thor #262: My favorite Marvel character in August 1978 was The Mighty Thor. What follows is an examination of every issue of his Marvel comic book, from August 1977 to July 1978, issues… [more]

Manifest Destiny #s 25-30: Into the Fog

[Editor’s note: Sorry that I have fallen behind recently with my coverage of Manifest Destiny. But since the 5th trade paperback is released this week, it seems the perfect time to catch up. For those… [more]

Remembering and Celebrating Superman II – The Richard Donner Cut

By wide consensus, the first two Superman films from 1978 and 1980 are considered if not the strongest, at least among the strongest superhero films ever made. Especially the first of the two, directed by… [more]

The Early Superman

Though I was never a regular reader of Superman comics, his presence was felt. In the Justice League comics and on cartoon shows of the era, Superman was always featured, his powers looming large over… [more]

Book Excerpt: 100 Things Spider-Man Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die

Editor’s Note: Sequart contributor and Spider-Man sage Mark Ginocchio has a new book out! Not shockingly, its focus is on the ol’ Web Head himself. Below is an excerpt from the book. If you like… [more]

Whatever Happened to the Legends of Tomorrow?

It had been advertised for a little while before. The teaser commercial and trailer were fascinating. The Flash had reached another critical story arc mass and Arrow was continuing on. Moreover, in the wake of… [more]

An Age of Resistance: Legends, Myths, and Shadows

It was a surprise. The Jim Henson Company had been seeking to revisit the world of Thra for quite some time. There were, of course, developments. TokyoPop’s Legends of The Dark Crystal and The Dark… [more]

Mister Mxyzptlk and the Dilemma of Drawing in Five Dimensions

A 3-D visualization of Mister Mxyzptlk, courtesy of Mattel. As evidenced by 2017’s “Rebirth” storylines, one of Superman’s more enduring adversaries has proven to be Mister Mxyzptlk, a contemporary entry into trickster god lore. Across… [more]

The Fundamental Things Apply: A Brief Meditation on Reading Jack Kirby in 2017

In times of stress, many of us look to the arts to help fill our emotional wells after they’ve gone dry. And right now, for me, Jack Kirby is like some kind of magical mountain spring. [more]

“What I do is not up to you”: Respect and Agency in Wonder Woman

Patty Jenkins’ exceptional Wonder Woman is rightly being celebrated as one of the most inspiring and exhilarating superhero films to date. Still, it has not been immune to criticism, especially with regards to the female lead’s… [more]

Academics Weigh in on Wonder Woman

Released on June 2, 2017, Wonder Woman was a movie decades in the making.  As Wonder Woman’s first solo movie, it not only had to do well at the box office but also had to… [more]

All Hail the Queen Malika (and the Princeless Princess)

It’s tempting to compare Malika: Warrior Queen from YouNeek Studios to Black Panther from Marvel Comics. Both feature a heroic leader, the inheritor of a royal legacy, attempting to bring security to their fictional African… [more]

Wonder Woman: More than Just an Object

What do armpits, a marketing campaign, and the United Nations all have in common? If you guessed “Wonder Woman,” then you’re close; more specifically, each of these things have been at the center of recent… [more]

Better Call Saul Season 3, Episodes 8 and 9: Slipping and Falling

The last two episodes of Better Call Saul have been titled “Slip” and “Fall”, which pretty much sums up what’s happening to every character (except Gus and Mike). The victories that Jimmy and Chuck thought… [more]

The Classical Roots of Wonder Woman and Sandman

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]

Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth and Child of Love

By the time this article is seen, Wonder Woman will return to Patriarch’s World on the big screen thanks to DC Comics, Warner Brothers, Patty Jenkins, and Gal Gadot. As such, I really wanted to… [more]

Beyond the Sword and Shield: What Wonder Woman Stands for and Why She Serves as a Good Example for the Power that Modern-Day People Possess

It’s not difficult for a comic book fan to understand the reasons why Wonder Woman is one of the greatest superheroes in the extensive gallery that is the DC Universe. It is also just as… [more]

Wonder Woman’s Origin is Clay to Be Molded

Wonder Woman is not an archetype. Actually let me rephrase that by saying her current origin of being Zeus’s (Greek God and serial cheater) progeny via an affair with Queen Hippolyte (Diana’s mother and hereafter… [more]

“Where Have You Been?”: Wonder Woman and the Dawn of Justice in a Polarized World

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) “This is how a democracy works. We talk to each other. We act by the consent of the governed, sir. I have sat here before to say that… [more]

Wonder Woman ‘11: Ill-conceived

There is nothing more frustrating than a squandered opportunity. In 2011, as the Smallville series was reaching its finale, Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment attempted to capitalise on the interest in its superhero brands… [more]