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Magazine Archives for:
2014
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Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 4
Issue #5 “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” Writer: Jamie Delano; Art: John Ridgeway; Colors: Lovern Kindzierski; Letters: Todd Klei; Cover: Dave McKean “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” marks the first issue of the series that… [more]
The Super-Heroics of Frank Miller and Alan Moore, Part 2
Prime-Era Superheroes After a falling out with British Comics publishers, Alan Moore began working with DC Comics writing the horror-book Swamp Thing. Most of Swamp Thing avoided utilization of most superheroes sans some supernatural characters.… [more]
Heavy Metal: A Review of Deathlok #1
Since making his first appearance in the mid-seventies, Deathlok has always been around the periphery of the Marvel Universe. He would pop-up every now and then, guest-starring in one book or another, then going away… [more]
Rising Tensions: Legend of Korra: Book 4 “Enemy at the Gates” Review
Warning: Episode Spoilers Ahead. If you are not caught up on the Legend of Korra, it is highly recommended that you avoid reading this review. Another week, another great episode of the Legend of Korra!… [more]
Frank Miller’s RoboCop: A Retrospective Review
I have to give it a hand to the Avatar people for pushing for Frank Miller’s original RoboCop 2 script to be adapted onto the comics’ page. The story of RoboCop 2 is always fascinating,… [more]
Arrow Season Three, Episode 5 Review
“The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak” isn’t necessarily the best hour of Arrow, in fact it’s a pretty decent representation of the ways that the show can rely on too obvious plotting in its villain-of-the-week… [more]
“It Would Have Made a Great Comic”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 43)
Continued from last week. Yet whatever its strengths, Morrison and Millar’s 2099 proposal went to waste, with a far less sweeping and less nostalgic series of changes being introduced instead. As part of the ongoing… [more]
Interstellar Wows While Asking Big Questions
Probably no director in the world successfully combines intelligence and artistic ambition with commercial success the way Christopher Nolan does. His movies often orbit around exactly the kind of high concepts Hollywood hates because they can’t… [more]
The Original Science-Fiction Hero, Part 2: Buck Rogers and the Art of the Reboot
In last week’s column, I wrote about the original novella from Amazing Stories that first introduced Buck Rogers. This week I want to look at two recent attempts to reboot the character. Whenever I talk… [more]
Little Nemo – Dream Another Dream
Locust Moon’s upcoming book Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream is not simply a tribute to Winsor McCay, it’s a showcase for some of the most creative comics art being made today and a wonderfully imaginative… [more]
When Marvel Comics Adapted Blade Runner
One of the most interesting movie adaptations published in Marvel Super Special was the adaptation of Ridley Scott’s 1982 film Blade Runner (Marvel Super Special #22, Sept 1982). The comic-book version was written by Archie… [more]
Analysis of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Part One
PREAMBLE Some time ago I decided to watch through and analyze the skeletal filmography of Andrew Dominik, watching through all three of his movies in the order in which he made them. After starting with… [more]
DOOMBOY: A Review
DOOMBOY Written and Illustrated by Tony Sandoval Published by Magnetic Press Rating: 8.5 (of 10) “This story of a boy moved to create awe-inspiring axe tributes to his lost love is a compelling read by… [more]
Oh, My Aching Cranium!: Jack Kirby’s OMAC Deconstructed and Reconstructed, Part Seven
Wow, the cover text sure promises a lot this time around, doesn’t it? “Movies In Which We Live!,” ”Parents Picked By Computer!,” and finally—“A Task Force Of–A Hundred-Thousand Foes!” How, exactly, are you supposed to… [more]
When Blade Runner Mixed with James Bond
In 1977, Marvel Comics launched Marvel Super Special (officially titled Marvel Comics Super Special for its first four issues). Long before graphic novels became routine, Marvel Super Special offered magazine-size graphic novellas, generally containing a… [more]
Sifting Through the Ashes: Analyzing Hellblazer, Part 3
Issue #4 “Waiting for the Man” Writer: Jamie Delano Art: John Ridgeway Colors: Lovern Kindzierski Letters: Annie Halfacree It’s said that a comic book character is only as memorable as its supporting cast. Villains, family,… [more]
Manifest Destiny #11: “Lewis Smash!”
With the latest issue of Manifest Destiny, the crew of the Corps of Discovery definitely close one chapter in their journey. For the past few issues, the expedition has been split, with the keelboat hung… [more]
The Super-Heroics of Frank Miller and Alan Moore, Part 1
Introduction— Frank Miller and Alan Moore defined modern comics. While they were not the first writers to bring darkness, contemporary political issues or realism to comics, they helped shape the modern comics industry. For better… [more]
Akira Toriyama and the Japanese Superman: Son Goku and Science Fiction
There is a divergence between Eastern and Western fantasy in the modern age that is nascent but hidden beneath cultural barriers. Americans can watch an episode of Dr. Who and enjoy the languishing British empire… [more]
Cloud Atlas: A True Science-Fiction Film
Cloud Atlas, like many works of art, deliberately eludes explanation. I’ve seen this film many times and the only question I am emphatically not interested in answering is “what does it mean?” This quality probably… [more]
Conversations with Creators: Royden Lepp
Conversations with Creators is a collaborative interview series designed to understand the processes and inner workings of the artist, their creations, and how their work impacts the comic booking industry. Each meeting is candid and… [more]
On Doctor Who: New Adventures with the Eleventh Doctor & the Often-Ignored Virtues of the Licensed Comic
Concerning the first 8 pages of Al Ewing, Rob Williams, Simon Fraser & Gary Caldwell’s Doctor Who #1 (2014) The quality of licensed comics has never been higher, and yet some still regard them with… [more]
How Star Wars Broke Cinema
There’s a scene in The Empire Strikes Back that epitomizes what’s wrong with cinema (and comics) today. Han Solo and company have fled in the Millennium Falcon, and they head into an asteroid field. It’s… [more]
“The Greatest and / or Worst Picto-fics of All Time”: The Multiversity: The Just #1
Three issues in and the Multiversity event shows no signs of slowing down or disappointing. One of the added joys of The Just for me personally was seeing more of Ultra Comics and that books… [more]