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Magazine Archives for:
2013
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On Invasion, Written by Keith Giffen and Bill Mantlo
Published in late 1988 as a three-issue monthly crossover mini-series, the central premise of Invasion (titled Invasion!, with an exclamation mark, on the cover) was simple: aliens invade the Earth. The series was plotted by Keith… [more]
Picture Worth a Thousand Words: Prophet’s Emphasis on Visual Storytelling
With the end of year, “Best of” lists are a common sight, and Prophet by Brandon Graham, Simon Roy, Giannis Milonogiannis, and Farel Dalrymple seems to be on every one of them.
The Marvelous Sci-Fi Villains of Jonathan Hickman
When the Avengers are known as “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” they should face off against something so powerful that it takes the combined might of Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and others to be… [more]
Tale of Sand: The Legacy of Jim Henson in the Graphic Medium
Jim Henson’s love for visual media has touched the hearts of millions, over successive generations in American television and mixed media.
A Review of Star Wars #1, “In the Shadow of Yavin”
Script: Brian Wood. Art: Carlos D’Anda. Colors: Gabe Eltaeb. Lettering: Michael Heisler. Cover Art: Alex Ross. Brian Wood is a creator who, over the past few years, has built an impressive resume working in the realm of both creator-owned… [more]
“The Nukeface Papers”: Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing Issues #35 and #36
Swamp Thing #35 “The Nukeface Papers Part One” Cover date: April 1985. Writer: Alan Moore. Artists: Stephen Bissette and John Totleben. Editor: Karen Berger. Colorist: Tatjana Wood. Letterer: John Costanza.
On the Romantically Disengaged Doctor Strange (Part 6)
As with friendship, so with romance. Love, or at least lovelornness, tended to ground Marvel’s superheroes in a version of mundane reality that reflected the world-view of young boys just learning to recognise both longing… [more]
Oscar Math: The Avengers + The Dark Knight Rises = One Nomination
I managed to catch most of the live stream of the Academy Award nominations the other day, and I wasn’t surprised by the list of nominees in each category.
On DC One Million, by Grant Morrison and Val Semeiks (Part 3)
In which we continue our discussion of DC One Million, begun here and continued here. Above Earth, Green Lantern has joined the heroes fighting a losing battle against Solaris. Solaris isn’t prepared for Green Lantern’s ring, and… [more]
Archer and Armstrong Review
While all of Valiant’s comics are wonderful and imaginative stories, within their central premise there is a small piece that seems like it came from somewhere else.
Critiquing the Superior Spider-Man Design
While we’re on the subject of Spider-Man character designs and concepts, let’s talk about this Superior Spider-Man thing for a second. This is the Marvel NOW! refresh of the Spider-Man line, which switched from Amazing… [more]
Changing Attitudes to Comics in the Classroom
There is no shortage of curriculum experts who have weighed in on the growing impact of comics in the K-12 classroom.
Sharpening the Image: Rob Liefeld’s Youngblood, the Man and the Comic that Started It All (Part 4)
Part Four: Final Thoughts
On the Entirely Uncomplaining, Yet Distinctly Overworked Doctor Strange (Part 5)
It seems hard not to believe that Strange was deliberately making himself and his mission known to the world in a somewhat indirect and yet undeniably insistent way.
On DC One Million, by Grant Morrison and Val Semeiks (Part 2)
In which we continue our discussion of DC One Million, begun here. As issue #2 opens, the present-day narrative has caught up with the Montevideo explosion. The Justice Legion A, infected with the virus, joins… [more]
The Girl Who Was Let Down: Examining Volume I of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Graphic Novel Adaptation
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has become a very recognized international brand. It started when a Swedish journalist Stieg Larsson wrote a few manuscripts that he intended to get published. It’s said that he… [more]
A New Look for Doc Ock and Gobby
For the most part, I’m not a very big fan of the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon series.
Why Flash Thompson was the Top Character of 2012
If you had told me last year that Flash Thompson would be on my list of favorite comic characters by the end of 2012 I would have told you,
“Rite of Spring”: Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing Issue #34
Swamp Thing #34 “Rite of Spring” Cover date: March 1985. Writer: Alan Moore. Artists: Stephen Bissette and John Totleben. Editor: Karen Berger. Colorist: Tatjana Wood. Letterer: John Costanza.
On the Profoundly Rational Doctor Stephen Strange (Part 4)
Even smiling at the literal-mindedness of the West was no little matter in the Marvel books of the period.