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Magazine
Mike’s Favorite Comics of 2012 (Part 3)
We’re now up to the third and final title in my list of Favorite Comics of 2012. It’s a title that first caught my eye early last year when a promotional image for the comic… [more]
Hawkeye: A Journey into the Comics Fourth Dimension
Matt Fraction, David Aja, and Matt Hollingsworth’s Hawkeye, the first issue of which hit the shelves in August of 2012 and has, since, gone through five more issues and a number of printings, is a masterful… [more]
The Other Egg of the Phoenix: Understanding the 50th Issue of Sandman
Neil Gaiman is one of the most renowned living comic book writers, and one of the most popular authors currently working. He is best known for his long lasting Vertigo series, Sandman, but he has… [more]
The Sword in the Stone Hand: The Arthurian Trends in Hellboy
In the literary arena, there are several myths that comic books pull from to feed their storylines. Often times, they come from Greek and Roman mythology, others come from the supernatural sources such as Bram… [more]
Sequart Releases Curing the Postmodern Blues: Reading Grant Morrison and Chris Weston’s The Filth in the 21st Century
Sequart Research & Literacy Organization is proud to release Curing the Postmodern Blues: Reading Grant Morrison and Chris Weston’s The Filth in the 21st Century, authored by Tom Shapira. Published in 2002-2003, Grant Morrison and… [more]
“Still Waters”: Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing Issue #38
Swamp Thing #38 “Still Waters” Cover date: July 1985. Author: Alan Moore. Artists: Stan Woch and John Totleben. Editor: Karen Berger. Colorist: Tatjana Wood. Letterer: John Costanza.
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]
Father, Son; Mentor, Student; Friends: On Doctor Strange & the Ancient One (Part 10)
It was the unprecedented degree of conflict, of course, which marked out the earliest Marvel superhero comics from their characteristically more polite, repressed competitors. No-one had ever produced the likes of Fantastic Four #1 before,… [more]
On Invasion #3: “World Without Heroes”
We previously introduced Invasion and discussed its first and second issues. Today, we conclude our look at Invasion with issue #2. Invasion #3 begins with this same explosion, revealed to be a “gene bomb” released… [more]
Interview with Andrew Goletz from Gray Havens Comics – You Are Not Alone Anthology
Gray Haven Comics is an independent comic publisher making a name for itself with its on-going anthology, The Gathering. Recently, publisher Andrew Goletz began mobilizing fellow comics creators—both pros and up-and-coming writers and artists—to contribute… [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]
Sandman #1-8: Preambles and Introductions, Full of Sound and Fury
Paul Levitz once said Sandman is about storytelling, and the point by which it vacillates between mere tales and pithy sayings to the grand myth it is today. DC is full of heroes, truth be… [more]
Jim Valentino’s Shadowhawk: Year One
At the time of Image Comics’ inception, Jim Valentino openly admitted to being the least known founder. Valentino stated in the first edition of the trade paperback of Shadowhawk vol. 1 that “I was pretty… [more]
Who’s the Superhero, Who’s the Supporting Player? On Doctor Strange & the Ancient One (Part 9)
In the years since Ditko and Lee stepped away from writing Doctor Strange, the Ancient One tended to be characterized in terms of, at best, his moral authority and, at worst, his physical decrepitude. Yet… [more]
On Invasion #2: “Battleground Earth”
We previously introduced Invasion and discussed its first issue. Today, we continue with issue #2. By the time Invasion #2 (titled “Battleground Earth”) begins, Superman has successfully negotiated a 24-hour cease-fire with the Dominators. Many… [more]
A Review of Darkness Outside of the Night
I am fortunate to have enjoyed the opportunity to write for Sequart over the past year and a half. From one-shot reviews, articles and editorials, to beginning to write selections for my serialized critical book,… [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]
Gotta Loeb Batman: Batman and Synergy in Hush
Jeph Loeb is the quintessential Batman writer, and one is not bereft of evidence for such a claim. His two most recognized works, Batman: The Long Halloween, and the anticipated sequel, Batman: Dark Victory, embodied… [more]
“Growth Patterns”: Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing Issue #37
Swamp Thing #37 “Growth Patterns” Cover date: June 1985. Writer: Alan Moore. Artists: Rick Veitch & John Totleben. Editor: Karen Berger. Colorist: Tatjana Wood. Letterer: John Costanza.
On the Ancient One, Earth’s Greatest Super-Hero (Part 8)
Steve Ditko was often displeased with Stan Lee’s interpretation of his plots during the last few years in particular of their collaboration. Sadly, there seems to be no way of telling how the artist felt… [more]
On Invasion #1: “The Alien Alliance”
We previously introduced Invasion. Today, we look at the first issue in more detail. None of this is to say that the mini-series isn’t also a lot of fun. As previously stated, the first issue… [more]
Looking into the Black Hole
Imagine being a teenager in the 1970s. It was a decade of absenteeism; latchkey kids, apathy toward drug use, and a blind eye to unsafe sex.