ON COMICS CHARACTERS
ON SCI-FI FRANCHISES
ON GRANT MORRISON
ON TV AND MOVIES
OTHER BOOKS
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
Magazine Archives for:
May 2013
Humanity, Heroism, and Action: Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #5
Smack in the middle of the first story arc, the narrative shifts to the past for a tale about the rocket that brought baby Kal-El to Earth. Morrison promised in the supplemental material to issue… [more]
Imperialistic Themes in the Galactus Triology
The first appearance of the cosmic entity Galactus in Fantastic Four #48 in 1966 is marked by a simple, yet ominous declaration: “This planet [Earth] shall sustain me until it has been drained of all… [more]
1986: The British Invasion, Part 3: Neil Gaiman & Swamp Thing
One of the most important effects that Alan Moore had on the history of comics was triggering the entrance of Neil Gaiman into the medium. Gaiman had given up reading comics when he was sixteen… [more]
On Marshal Law: The Deluxe Edition, by Pat Mills & Kevin O’Neill
There’s no better advert for the costumed crimefighter comic than Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neill’s Marshal Law. Acclaimed for its superhero-loathing vitriol, it’s also the proof of how malleable and vital the genre can be. In… [more]
The Other Marvel Cinematic Universe?
With all of the attention paid to the development of the Marvel cinematic universe, it’s worth addressing the other Marvel cinematic universe: the one run by 20th Century-Fox.
On The Weirdest Sci-Fi Comic Ever Made, the Book on Jack Kirby’s 2001: A Space Odyssey
It’s been a pleasure to write about Jack Kirby’s 2001: A Space Odyssey here at Sequart, especially as part of its Sci-Fi Week event. It’s also my pleasure to announce that all of this material is… [more]
Where Did All the Science Fiction Go?
In the interest of participating in Sequart’s special look at the genre of science-fiction, I’ve volunteered to devote this column entirely to that genre of storytelling, rather than to the usual 1,500 word ramblings about… [more]
Jack Kirby Vs. Arthur C. Clarke: A Tale of Two 2001 Continuations
Having introduced Jack Kirby’s 2001, looked at his adaptation of the film, and looked at the first few issues of his continuation, let’s look at his continuation of that film — and how it contrasts… [more]
The Optimism of Colonel Daniel Dare (Part 2 of 2)
Continued from earlier today. Hampson released more than just a little of that accumulated despair and tension as Eagle moved into its second calender-month of publication.With a modest smile and the characteristic arcing of a… [more]
Anxiety & Optimism in Frank Hampson’s Dan Dare
There are very dark things going on here. From the perspective of 2012, it can be hard to grasp just how challengingly bleak the set-up of the first month of Frank Hampson’s Dan Dare was.… [more]
On Alex Raymond & Don Moore’s “Flash Gordon: On the Planet of Mongo”
It would be far easier to discuss those relatively few aspects of sci-fantastical fiction which haven’t been in any way influenced by Alex Raymond and Don Moore’s Flash Gordon. Even those genre creators who reject… [more]
Cosmic Existentialism in Jim Starlin’s Warlock
In the 1970s, a brash set of Marvel writers and artists set out to transform the “House of Ideas” from a factory of radioactive superheroes to a new era of “cosmic” consciousness. These creators took… [more]
The Best of All of Us: “Doctor Who: Death to the Doctor,” by Jonathan Morris and Roger Langridge
In which the blogger hopes that folks might stick around while he discusses a thoroughly fine and not unimportant story which many of you probably haven’t read, but which you really might want to, regardless… [more]
Doctor Who as Warden in the 50th Anniversary “Prisoners of Time” Series
IDW’s comic series “Prisoners of Time”, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Doctor, is a twelve-parter devised with an overarching plot to hold the tales of each respective regeneration of the Doctor in tandem. Meanwhile,… [more]
On Jack Kirby’s 2001: A Space Odyssey Adaptation (Part 2)
Continuing an examination of Jack Kirby’s adaptation of 2001: A Space Odyssey begun here. Kirby’s more successful at other points in this chapter, and he seems to thrive on the conflict in this section of… [more]
A Galaxy Far, Far Away Gets a Little Closer: On Brian Wood’s Star Wars
Brian Wood isn’t the obvious choice for writer of an ongoing Star Wars comic. Wood’s a great writer, and his comics have successfully played in quite a few diverse worlds, but he’s also a very… [more]
Tag and Bink are Relevant: Comics and the Theater of the Absurd
Star Wars is not without its faults. Though being a noteworthy entry into the expanding universe of modern science fiction, continuity problems continue to manifest themselves today, as hosts of underground creatures, confined to their… [more]
On Jack Kirby’s 2001: A Space Odyssey Adaptation
Introduced yesterday. Before Jack Kirby continued the story of 2001, he adapted the film into a 70-page comic. Although the comic adapts the film — it uses Jupiter, for example, whereas the novel used Saturn… [more]
Wrestling Robots and Philosophical Musings: Examining Pluto
Naoki Urasawa’s Pluto is a damn good comic. If there’s only one thing you get from this article, it should be a burning desire to purchase and read Pluto. Naoki Urasawa is one of the… [more]
“A Sharp Fox, the Ultimate Huckster”: Shameless? Part 12
Continued from last week. “Half the country, and by that I mean living north of the M25, were victims of Thatcher’s modernisation program. My Dad lost his job when I was 15 and never worked… [more]
On Jack Kirby’s 2001: A Space Odyssey
Jack Kirby’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is surely one of the strangest sci-fi franchise comics ever published. For one thing, the comic appeared in 1976, eight years after the 1968 film debuted. Most other sci-fi… [more]
The NASA Symbol and Warren Ellis & Colleen Doran’s Orbiter
Warren Ellis isn’t a prophet. Sure, 10 years ago, Ellis and Colleen Doran’s Orbiter was released and it begins with the horrific image of a shanty town built around the ruins of the Kennedy Space… [more]
Star Trek into Darkness Hostile to Star Trek, Intelligence
Before we continue, I need to issue the obligatory spoiler warning. In order to really get at what’s going on in this film, I’ll have to talk about its plot. So if you haven’t seen… [more]