Articles
On Continuity: No-Prizes, Retcons, and the Mental Acrobatics of Continuity Repair
In the Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s, comics were mostly episodic tales in which characters barely changed.
Exposing Status Quo Super-Heroics in Mark Millar’s The Authority
In 2000, a largely unknown writer named Mark Millar took over an already revolutionary title called The Authority, published by DC / WildStorm.
The Genius of the Super-Pets
The creation of derivative versions of super-heroes goes back to Captain Marvel’s derivatives, Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel, Jr. — which were introduced in the 1940s.
X-Men is Not an Allegory of Racial Tolerance
It’s funny that it’s so resoundingly universally accepted. It’s been repeated so many times, from everyone from fans and comics professionals to scholars, that it’s become an article of faith.
The Cult of the Writer
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
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.
Censorship of The Authority
The 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks upon the United States of America left many Americans, and much of the world, seriously shaken and disturbed. Almost immediately, the shockwaves echoed throughout the artistic world:
Belfast and New York, Ireland and America, and “Irish Studies” as Reflected by Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis, an Irish writer working in the graphic novel (or extended comic book) format, represents a literary outsider. Although he shows considerably greater disdain for many other groups, Ennis has openly shown disdain for… [more]