ON COMICS CHARACTERS
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Magazine
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]
“A Fading 2099 Universe”: On Skrull Kill Krew #1-5 (The American Superhero Comics of Mark Millar, Part 42)
Continued from last week. The problem with Skrull Kill Krew obviously wasn’t a lack of ambition on Morrison and Millar’s part. The same was true for several of their other substantial pitches to Marvel during… [more]
Science Fiction Doesn’t Have to be Dystopian
I love Science Fiction, whether it be in literature or film/TV, but as a fan, I’m frustrated at the moment. In the past years there was been quite a lot of product in this area,… [more]
Smorgasbord #5: The Monster at the End of This Podcast
This podcast was recorded a bit earlier than usual, so we’ve missed the endless movie announcements from Marvel. Still, we’ve found enough stuff to discuss to fill-up a good 90 minutes of comics talk including… [more]
The Original Science Fiction Hero, Part 1: Buck Rogers, Philip Francis Nowlan, and Armageddon 2419
When I heard that Sequart was celebrating science fiction this week, I knew pretty quickly what I wanted to write about. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated by iconic characters from pop… [more]
Review of Shining’s Halmstad
Reputations can be terrible for a band, especially when their music fails to live up to its unachievable billing. Shining are a metal band from Sweden who are most notable for their outspoken (and occasionally… [more]
One Year, One Hundred Articles
I first joined Sequart in November 2013, just under a year ago. In that time, I’ve written exactly 100 articles and contributed to two Sequart books (and several other books and papers unrelated to Sequart).… [more]
It’s Sci-Fi Week 2 on Sequart!
Sequart will be celebrating this week’s release of Chris Nolan’s Interstellar with a week of content focusing on sci-fi comics and popular culture. This is Sequart’s second annual Sci-Fi Week. Sequart ran its first Sci-Fi… [more]
The Multiversity Interlude: Whatever Happened to the Supercontext?
“It’s only part of something much better that will be wonderful… To believe that things are going to get better and we will participate in things getting better… Is just us about to become something… [more]