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

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“The Yesterday Gambit,” Part 2

We’ve introduced Alan Moore’s Miracleman interlude from Warrior #4, “The Yesterday Gambit”, and examined its first segment. We now turn to its second segment, illustrated by Paul Neary, in which Miracleman and Warpsmith revisit the 1963… [more]

Habibi: Open Dialogues with Difficult Literature

My first impression upon picking up my copy of Craig Thompson’s latest work, Habibi, was one of both excitement and trepidation.

Deconstructing Batman and Robin: Damian’s Transformation (Part 3)

While Damian’s name can be interpreted as “to tame,” it can also be interpreted as “to conquer,” which seems to be Talia’s reasoning for his name when she says in issue #7, “Damian will stride… [more]

On Steve Gerber and Gene Colan’s Howard the Duck Story, “The Night After You Save the Universe?”

Violence is generally presented as a solution to problems in comics, because, being the illustrated form they are, they tend to over-simply, reduce everything to its most basic.

“The Yesterday Gambit,” Part 1

We began discussion of “The Yesterday Gambit” last time, having previously introduced Miracleman and discussed its first, second, and third chapters. We now turn to the story of Alan Moore’s “The Yesterday Gambit,” from Warrior #4.

Consumption Junction

Human activity is not entirely reducible to processes of production and conservation, and consumption must be divided into two distinct parts. The first reducible part is represented by the use of the minimum necessary for… [more]

Deconstructing Batman and Robin: Damian’s Transformation (Part 2)

While Dick Grayson’s growth as Batman is certainly one way of interpreting Batman and Robin, one shouldn’t forget the “Robin” part of the title.

On Mister Wonderful, by Daniel Clowes

Please be warned; this second Valentine’s Day piece contains very significant spoilers!

“The Yesterday Gambit” (A Miracleman Interlude)

We’ve introduced Miracleman and discussed its first, second, and third chapters. We now turn to the famous “The Yesterday Gambit,” from Warrior #4.

Realism and the Art of Action

Sequential art is a purely visual medium, one that relies on the combination of words and pictures in order to give the illusion of animation and sound.

Meeting with Bosses Old and New

[Marshall] Field asked, “What do you want?” [Milton] Caniff didn’t even have to hesitate. “I told him full ownership [of Steve Canyon] and full editorial control.” – “Setting the Stage,” by Chris Jenson in Steve… [more]

Deconstructing Batman and Robin: Damian’s Transformation (Part 1)

The very idea of Batman having a son was criticized before Damian ever made his first appearance.

On Bill Finger and Wayne Boring’s “The Girl in Superman’s Past”

It’s hard to tell at first from looking that the Clark Kent of 1959’s “The Girl In Superman’s Past” is desperately in love.

Miracleman, Chapter 3 Concludes

We’ve introduced Miracleman and discussed its first and second chapters, plus most of the third (part one, part two). We now conclude our look at this third chapter of Alan Moore and Garry Leach’s Miracleman… [more]

The Power Ring and the Comic Book (Part 4)

In part 1 of this series I wrote: When DC Comics issued their refurbished versions of such characters as the Flash and Green Lantern, the heroes still fought assorted “done-in-one-story” menaces while the narratives remained… [more]

Deconstructing Batman and Robin: The Grayson Foils, Part 3

The first six issues of Grant Morrison’s Batman and Robin expertly put Dick Grayson in a position that readers weren’t used to seeing him in – one of vulnerability.

On Crime Does Not Pay

Some of it is still shocking.

Miracleman, Chapter 3: “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”

We’ve introduced Miracleman and discussed its first and second episodes, plus the first page of chapter three. We now continue our look at that third chapter of Alan Moore and Garry Leach’s Miracleman stories, which… [more]

Deconstructing Batman and Robin : The Grayson Foils, Part 2

There is no one who could make a better foil for Dick Grayson than Jason Todd.

On Garth Ennis and Gary Erskine’s War Stories: Archangel

There’s such an obvious distinction to be made between the two, but there’s a lot of folks who consistently fail to do so.

Sex and the Super-Hero in Miracleman, Chapter 3

Having briefly introduced Miracleman and discussed its first and second episodes, let’s turn to the third of Alan Moore and Garry Leach’s Miracleman stories, which appeared in the legendary British magazine Warrior.

Deconstructing Batman and Robin: The Grayson Foils, Part 1

In all great works of literature, the hero must have a foil; that special character designed to enhance the inherent heroic qualities of the protagonist.

On “Vengeance of the Molecule Man!”, by Steve Gerber, Gil Kane, and Joe Sinnott

There’s something of the world before the meteor fell about the Marvel Comics of the mid-Seventies. 

Miracleman, Chapter 2: “Legend”

Having briefly introduced Miracleman and discussed its first episode, let’s turn to the second of Alan Moore and Garry Leach’s earliest stories, which appeared in the legendary British magazine Warrior.

The Power Ring and the Comic Book (Part 3)

Green Lantern #18 reads like something of a reprise of issue #11, with Sinestro once again playing mind-games on the hero and luring him to Qward as well.