RSS feed for Editorials
ON COMICS CHARACTERS
ON SCI-FI FRANCHISES
ON GRANT MORRISON
ON TV AND MOVIES
OTHER BOOKS
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
Editorials
Why the World Needs Superman
I look back on the things I’ve written occasionally and discover old parts of me that I can treasure and hold on to nostalgically. This is one of those pieces. What follows is the script… [more]
What it Means to Take Superheroes Seriously
It’s been a few weeks now, and I think that maybe, just maybe, comic book fandom is ready to talk about something else besides Man of Steel. Maybe. As expected, the movie turned out to be… [more]
Why Can’t Spider-Man Swing Both Ways?
Recently, Entertainment Weekly ran a piece in which Amazing Spider-Man 2 star Andrew Garfield questioned why his character, Peter Parker, couldn’t be rewritten as being gay in the upcoming film. Garfield, who last played Parker/Spidey… [more]
Why I’m (Proudly, this Time) Boycotting Orson Scott Card
Having weighed in on the Orson Scott Card controversy earlier this year, when he was hired to write Superman, I feel compelled to weigh in now that he’s issued his non-apology apology. The controversy earlier… [more]
Where Are All the Jack Kirby-Inspired Films or Television Shows?
Jack Kirby is seen by comic readers as one of the most creative, recognizable and iconic creators of our time, influencing not only the medium of comics but also work that has inspired music, art… [more]
Why Opposing “Dark Realism” is a Straw Man Argument
For years now, I’ve heard people complain about how it’s time that super-heroes weren’t so dark and realistic. I’ve heard this relentlessly about super-hero comics, but I’ve also heard it about super-hero movies. Most recently,… [more]
Jesus Christ Superman
The irony of Superman in the age of Postmodernism is that our world has no need for saviors. Often I find myself in the middle of arguments where I defend Superman to my peers as… [more]
5 Things I Hope Man of Steel Takes from Superman: Birthright
Zack Snyder’s new Superman reboot flick, Man of Steel, is a mere two weeks away at this point, and here in New York City, us city folk have been treated to a new Gillette promotional… [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.
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]
Bridging the Gap Between Comics and Video Games
I don’t remember the last time I bought a video game. Full disclosure. I am not the biggest video game fan on the face of the Earth. My comic book nerdiness does not extend into… [more]
Is a Supervillain Always Evil?
At the time of writing this piece, I have not yet seen Iron Man 3. It’s Wednesday right now, and I just bought my ticket for a 7 p.m. screening of the film on Saturday.… [more]
My Best Guess for How to Live Life as a Super-Hero
As I write this, the authorities are still pursuing the perpetrators of the April 15 bombing of the Boston Marathon, although it looks like we might not have to wait much longer to see them… [more]
What Damian Wayne Says about Adult Comic Fans
A few days ago, one of my friends from work was telling me about a particularly attractive girl that he knew from his other job. I know, this isn’t a terribly interesting way to start… [more]
Maybe My Grandkids Will Get a Decent Wolverine Movie
How hard can it be to get a Wolverine movie right? I mean “right” as in a movie that understands what has made the character a fan favorite for the last two or three decades… [more]
On Chicago Public Schools Censoring Persepolis‘s Images of Torture
In the recent discussions over censorship of Persepolis in Chicago public schools, there’s been a notable lack of discussion over why anyone would want the book removed — and what such reasoning represents.
Marvel NOW! Vs. DC’s New 52
A few weeks ago, back when I started talking about my favorite comics of 2012, I mentioned that I kinda stopped following DC Comics at some point late last year. I said that between the… [more]
What Makes for a Great Joker Story: In Defense of Batman #17
Recently, I wrote a review on Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman #17—the much-anticipated finale for the “Death of the Family” story arc, and I gave it a solid “10.” (I’ll spare the details as… [more]
Orson Scott Card, Homophobia, and Superman
DC provoked outrage, a few days ago, by hiring Orson Scott Card, sci-fi writer and noted homophobe, to write Superman. The comic in question isn’t one of DC’s current titles. In fact, it’s a new,… [more]
Mike’s Favorite Comics of 2012 (Part 2)
For me, 2012 was when I finally started taking some chances on creator-owned books. Before, it was always just a matter of following my favorite writers from the Big Two over into a more open,… [more]
Ctl-Alt-Delete: Retcon, Relaunch, or Reboot?
According to Cody Walker, reboots and relaunches have been a part of comics for decades now[i]: From Julius Schwartz’s revisionist techniques that birthed the Silver Age in DC Comics – Barry Allen as the second… [more]
Mike’s Favorite Comics of 2012 (Part 1)
With the turn of the New Year, I’ve decided to do a short series of articles looking back at last year’s titles and spotlighting my three favorites. They’re all books that were started last year,… [more]
The Death of Printed Press Could Spell Trouble for Superman
It is no secret that printed media has slowly been dying for the past few years; a slow and progressive death in a conflict of textile fulfillment and information efficiency. The ramifications of this digital… [more]
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]
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.