Magazine Archives for:

December 2014

The Tribes of Fans: How Tribalism is Pulling Comics in the Wrong Direction

We have reached an interesting (and exciting) point in comics history.  For the first time in, well, ever, women are almost neck in neck for comic book readership.  This year there was even market research… [more]

I, Claudius: Waiting in the Wings Review

After an extended length episode that introduced us to the Imperial Family, we are treated to Claudius appearing the main storyline as a character. But this time he is portrayed by Ashley Knight, who does… [more]

Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 7

Issue #8 “Intensive Care” Writer: Jamie Delano Art: John Ridgeway Inks: Alfredo Alcala Colors: Lovern Kindzierski Letters: John Costanza Cover: Dave McKean Although the series is still very early on, the characterization of Constantine has… [more]

The Super-Heroics of Frank Miller and Alan Moore, Part 5

Optimism Ultimately, there are two types of stories: tragedies and comedies. There are no inherent requirements for tragedies or comedies. In the days of Shakespeare tragedies ended with death and comedies ended with weddings. But… [more]

The Magnificent Ambersons: The Film That Made Orson Welles Cry

“In those days they had time for everything. Time for sleigh rides…” And so begins, in a haze of warm nostalgia and gentle humour, Orson Welles’ most maddening and controversial film, The Magnificent Ambersons. Viewed… [more]

The Flash Season 1 Episode 7 Review

“Power Outage” is an ambitious episode of television; it’s filled with ideas, themes, and plots. All of which is nice to see, both in that it demonstrates the heights that the creative team is reaching… [more]

Review: The Mythology of Grimm: The Fairy Tale and Folklore Roots of the Popular TV Show by Nathan Robert Brown

This work is a must read for any fan of the NBC series Grimm, which recently began fourth season with all the timeliness of a series that started shortly before the bicentennary of the brothers’… [more]

Jorge Borges in Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol #22, A Companion Reader

One final look at the intertextual themes in the first four issues of Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol (#19 to #22). [more]

“The Characters Remain Unaware of My Scrutiny, but Their Thoughts are Transparent”: The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1

Whether he explicitly stated it or not Pax Americana is to be Grant Morrison’s Watchmen Redux. Of course it is so much more than this as well. During the initial drafting of this article Pax… [more]

Smorgasbord #7: Rats, Ducks, and Angry Birds

In this episode, Shawn and Tom cover a rather large bunch of news including Roc Upchurch’s removal from Rat Queens, the new Howard the Duck title (and whether or not Steve Gerber is spinning in his grave),… [more]

Grant Morrison, Watchmen, and the Art of the Polemic

In order to criticize a movie, you have to make another movie. —Jean-Luc Godard A few years ago I stopped reading monthly comic books.  It wasn’t an ideological decision—just a reader’s.  Most of the comics… [more]