ON COMICS CHARACTERS
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Magazine Archives for:
February 2014
Colloquium #7: Psychological Damage – Terry Moore on Rachel Rising
Markisan interviews Terry Moore on Rachel Rising, his critically acclaimed, self-published horror series. Terry discusses what makes terror work, creating the creepy town of Manson and the unique characters who live there, having his heart broken over… [more]
Black Adam, Orientalism, and The Marvel Family #1
Black Adam is a focal point of American fears about the Other, and contributes to the perception of American moral and mental superiority over the Oriental inferior. [more]
Chasing Amy: A Pioneering Film Featuring Female Comics Creators
It’s easy to forget in 2014 that there was a time when comics weren’t really that close to the center of the cultural zeitgeist. But, though someone under twenty may not believe it, there was… [more]
Death of a Dream – “The Kindly Ones” Conclusion
The Kindly Ones ends much how it starts. There is a haunting momentum that drives the story forward, and yet it is clear how this narrative energy is spilling over from the entirety of the… [more]
The Past Decade’s Top Five Books Turned into TV Shows
Look. So you read the book, loved the book, blogged about the book, had an hour long Skype conversation with some random stranger in Australia about the book – heck, you even dressed up as… [more]
The Great Smallville Rewatch, Part 3
The Journey While emphasizing again that this series was not simply a Superman origin, it would be disingenuous to suggest that, at its core, much of the appeal of the series is the dramatic tension… [more]
Review of Community Season 5, Episode 6
Community is back. Or at least it feels that way. The first episodes of this season may have felt like a return, at least in contrast to season four, but this is the first episode… [more]
A Thousand Batmen Blooming: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 8
Continued from last week. The superhero genre had become more and more susceptible to the myth of the definitive version. It was a fan-consuming fallacy which presumed that each character possessed an irreducible core of utterly… [more]
Revolving Image
At Sydney’s Graphic Festival, held in the iconic Opera House last October, a trio of comic industry greats took to the stage at the invitation of comedian and MC Justin Hamilton. They were the charmingly… [more]
In Praise of Bad Batman
“Bless me Father Jack, for I have sinned. It’s been . . . well, this is my first confession. Actually, I’m not even Catholic.” Father Jack puffed on a cigar and squinted. “Well, this ain’t… [more]
True Detective: Something Deep and Dark
Most people still see Matthew McConaughey as the pretty boy, the Prince Charming of chick flicks. Those individuals clearly haven’t seen Killer Joe or Dallas Buyers Club. But how could I blame them? When I… [more]
Unfinished Apocalypse: Doktor Sleepless
At times, reading Warren Ellis’ and Ivan Rodriguez’ unfinished story Doktor Sleepless, especially in single issues, can feel like showing up a day late to the party of the century. The vibrant community surrounding the… [more]
Her Review
Spike Jonze’s Her is a frustrating film. It asks of the viewer some incredibly deep and thoughtful questions about the nature of our romantic relationships, how we keep our “true” selves guarded, and how we… [more]
Hannibal: Beauty in Gore
The second season of Hannibal is upon us, and I, for one, think this show deserves much more attention than it has. Although this NBC series struggled with its first season’s ratings, many (including developer,… [more]
Great Books vs. Late Books: Should Marvel Switch to a Bi-Monthly Schedule?
When you picked up Hawkeye #16 in late January, you might have been wondering what happened to issue #15. Well, it turns out that #15, originally solicited for September, is finally scheduled to arrive in stores February… [more]
Bugged Out!: Scarab Reconsidered 20 Years On, Part Six
In the immortal words of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, “And Now For Something Completely Different —” It’s my belief, dear reader, that we live in drastic times — and that we have been for some… [more]
This Review is Rated NC-17: Sex – The Summer of Hard
It feels so strange to see the “Man of Action” logo on the back of a book like Sex. Not simply because of the graphic nature of the work (we’ll get to that) but because… [more]
Powerpuff Girls: Too Hot for Comics?
A small furor erupted recently when a variant cover for the IDW tie-in to the Cartoon Network series The Powerpuff Girls was withdrawn from circulation after criticism that it was too sexualized. Michigan comic book… [more]
Experiments in Slayage
Tales of the Slayers and Tales of the Vampires are two anthology comics published in trade paperback in 2001 and 2004, respectively. Both offer numerous diversions away from the established Buffy/Angel storylines and glimpses into… [more]
Pulling Out of the Dark Age?: The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 7
Continued from last week. It’s only to be expected that Millar’s work on the JLA would mesh with Grant Morrison’s agenda. But it is remarkable how closely and effectively Millar’s contributions reflected his friend’s wider ambitions… [more]
Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: John Lewis’s March
The story begins on the Edmund Pettus Bridge with a long line of marchers in the center of the top panel. They walk two-by-two on the left side of the road, hugging the railing, prepared… [more]
On the Art and Cycle of Proper Suffering: The Artist-Figure in Phoenix: Karma Part 3
In the second part of this article, we looked at the challenges that faced each artist-figure in Phoenix: Karma. Now, in the final part of this article, we will look at how they come to… [more]
Beware the Batman Episode 5 Review
After a short string of episodes that left me grossly underwhelmed, Beware the Batman bounces back with an episode that has revived my interest in the series. Broken, the fifth episode in the series, returns… [more]
Review of Arrow Season 2, Episode 12
I was excited when it was announced that Michael Jai White had been cast in a villainous role for Arrow’s second season. He’s a magnetic performer who hasn’t really had anywhere near the opportunities to… [more]
On “The Elements of Heartbreak”: A Special Valentine’s Day Post
Legion of Super-Heroes #31 (July 1992), co-written by Giffen and Tom & Mary Bierbaum, would go down in history as one of the most controversial Legion stories of all time. Taking a break from the… [more]