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Magazine
Bitch Planet Studies Exploitation With Exploitation
Bitch Planet is a comic that uses the language of exploitation, visual and verbal, to discuss the topic of exploitation. And it’s definitely well-informed on that subject. Kelly Sue DeConnick’s script is full of metaphors… [more]
It’s You I See: Hannibal Season Three Episode Five
Sorry for the delayed review of the fifth episode of the third season of Hannibal. Things have been busy and threw off my review’s already strange schedule. But I’ve caught up on what was an… [more]
The Folly of Male Supermasculinity
When I discovered comic books I was already in college, but their influence was present in my life far before that. I had seen all the Batman films (Burton and Schumacher’s work) and the venerable… [more]
This Year at SDCC, Buy a Comic!
It’s that time of year again, when people from the comics and entertainment industries gather in San Diego for four days of peace, love and music… Well, not precisely that. As someone who attended San… [more]
Descender #5: The Centre of the Galaxy
In the latest issue of Descender, we get a tremendous narrative “focus pulling”, showing us with absolute clarity for the first time where the story of TIM-21, Dr Quon, Captain Telsa and Driller fit into… [more]
The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened?: A Nicolas Cage Superman May Have Been Awesome
Above shows Nicolas Cage in a skin-tight, Superman suit, an image that recently went viral. Of course, we can laugh at his long hair (he would be a strange looking Man of Steel) and the… [more]
Tim Callahan on Grant Morrison: The Early Years
As part of its ongoing Patreon campaign, Sequart runs a Book / Movie of the Month Club. Patrons get a digital copy of a Sequart book or movie at the beginning of each month, and… [more]
The Gore of Lucio Fulci: Don’t Torture a Duckling
Sometimes I like to imagine I have the kind of loyal readers who would hunt through my back catalogue like the kind of completist that, well, that I am. Although at this point I’m not… [more]
Ode to Dejection: On Children’s Animation, Art Films, and Pixar’s Inside Out
One of the unexpected side effects of having children is that you wind up watching a lot of kids’ entertainment. For some, this might sound like a nightmare, but it’s not always bad. Sure, you… [more]
Independence: Now What?
It’s that time of year when all Americans contemplate the civil liberties they enjoy every day. That’s what Americans everywhere have to look forward to, right? But, for some reason, I can’t stop thinking about… [more]
Please God Let Netflix Save Hannibal
It was inevitable that Hannibal would be cancelled. There’s just too much about it that defies the conventions of network TV. It’s gory and creepy, yet utterly sophisticated. The sort of middle America viewers giving… [more]
Lewis and Clark, Manifest Destiny and Thoughts on America
In the long and storied history of the United States, a key moment occurred on August 18, 1805. That day, the “Corps of Discovery”, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, crossed the North American… [more]
The War Against Caption Boxes
Lately I’ve been catching up on some contemporary titles, some of which are produced by my favorite writers in the field, and I’m actually finding plenty of things not to enjoy about them, which doesn’t… [more]
The Women of Marvel and Geek Subculture
Whilst scrolling through the internet, trying to find the Women of Marvel variant covers which celebrate Women’s History Month through showcasing female artwork on comic book covers, I came across my favorite superhero, as her… [more]
Portraits In Alienated British Youth Circa 1989-90, Part Ten: Into The Fire
Here, friends, in where things get worse—not for True Faith itself per se, as Garth Ennis and Warren Pleece are both really hitting their stride at this point in the story—but for poor, hapless Nigel… [more]
8House Arclight #1: Graceful and Dignified Fantasy/Sci-Fi
It doesn’t take a great deal of exposition to build a completely original and engrossing science fiction/fantasy world, especially in comics. That principle is exemplified by the 8House series, the first story arc of which… [more]
Maybe This is One of Those Friendships That Ends After the Disembowelling: Hannibal Season Three Episode Four
The fourth episode of Hannibal’s third season, “Aperitivo”, barely features the eponymous serial killer. Instead it focuses on a sick survivor’s club of sorts, dealing plainly with the aftermath of the season two finale and… [more]
Julian Darius on the DC Cinematic Universe and the State of Pop Culture
What’s your feelings about Batman v. Superman teaser trailer? Do you like it or does it make you bored? My original reaction was underwhelmed. I know it was only a teaser trailer, but there’s not… [more]
Smorgasbord #21: The Summer of Our Discontent
This week on the Smorgasbord, Shawn and Tom welcome Dark Horse to Comixology (hope they survive the experience!), discuss the latest casting announcements for Doctor Strange, Chew, and Spider-Man, and go through the Previews for… [more]
Look Away, Dixie Land: Reflections on Life in the South, Racist Iconography, and Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing
When I was very young, my family used to make an annual summer trip to Dogpatch, U.S.A. Nestled in the Ozark Mountains near Harrison, Arkansas, Dogpatch was a small amusement park inspired by Al Capp’s… [more]
Join the Weird Fun: 5 Reasons to Check Out Archie vs. Predator
The title says it all. Comic book fans were graced with great classic comic crossovers like Alien vs. Predator in the late 80s, Robocop vs. Terminator by Frank Miller in the 90s, and now Archie… [more]
The Surreal Structure of the Shaolin
I watched The 36th Chamber of the Shaolin and had lots of lengthy thoughts about it’s structure in relation to modern action movies [more]
Portraits in Alienated British Youth Circa 1989-90, Part Nine: Out Of His Depth
As part five of Garth Ennis and Warren Pleece’s True Faith opens, we find our young protagonist, Nigel Gibson, well and truly out of his depth as lunatic (by most people’s standards, at any rate)… [more]
A Tribute to James Horner
Probably the reason why many of us know the name James Horner is because he wrote the soundtracks to some of the films of our formative years. The public at large remembers him from Titanic… [more]