Sequart Organization » Reviews

Review: A Cultural History of the Punisher

Hank Kennedy — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 16:25:22 +0000

Kent Worcester’s A Cultural History of the Punisher (2023, Intellect Books) was an interesting book to review, seeing as I am thanked in the preface as a “friend and scholar.” I’ll cop to being a… [more]

Syphon #1 Review

Roque Briones — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 02:16:57 +0000

Syphon is the latest comic-book effort by Patrick Meaney, better known by his quite informative and insightful documentary works on iconic comic book writers such as Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods and Neil Gaiman: Dream… [more]

Stray Dogs #1 Review

Deborah Majowka — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 20:18:00 +0000

Written by Tony Fleecs Art by Trish Forstner Don’t let the cute dog illustrations in this comic fool you into thinking this is a children’s story. Using anthropomorphic dogs as its main characters, the first… [more]

Radiant Black #1 Review

Deborah Majowka — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 18:00:03 +0000

Writer: Kyle Higgins Artist: Marcelo Costa SPOILER WARNING… The superhero genre often uses the “super” element as a way to explore experiences that in real life would be ordinary. Radiant Black certainly fits the genre,… [more]

Aria: Heavenly Creatures Review

Deborah Majowka — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 21:24:51 +0000

Written by Brian Holguin Art by Jay Anacleto and Brian Haberlin While I am unfamiliar with the Aria comics from the ’90s, this one certainly makes an impression for a first-time reader. Set in Victorian… [more]

Wonder Woman 1984 Review

Matthew Kirshenblatt — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 23:33:46 +0000

SPOILER WARNING: Please don’t read this until you’ve seen the film! I never wrote anything on Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman. Well, that isn’t entirely true, as I’d admit if Diana of Themyscira’s Lasso is called… [more]

For All Mankind and Space Force: Space in the Time of Quarantine

Ian Dawe — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 14:00:59 +0000

For All Mankind and Space Force: Space in the Time of Quarantine" title="For All Mankind and Space Force: Space in the Time of Quarantine" style="float:left;" />Quarantine has oddly coincided with a promising outpouring of space-related news and shows, from the launch of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule to the ISS to the debut of several new streaming shows, most notably For All… [more]

Grand Slam Romance #1 Review

Tom Shapira — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 01:39:11 +0000

Grand Slam Romance #1 Review" title="Grand Slam Romance #1 Review" style="float:left;" />Written by Olivia Hicks Drawn by Emma Oostherhous In the afterword for the first issue of Grand Slam Romance, both of the creators involved admit they do ‘not know much about softball.’ It is exactly… [more]

Returning to The Island of Doctor Moreau

Ian Dawe — Wed, 29 May 2019 21:38:45 +0000

The Island of Doctor Moreau" title="Returning to The Island of Doctor Moreau" style="float:left;" />Every few years, HG Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau enjoys something of a rebirth. This summer, IDW will release a full-on comic version of the story, but before that we have a new illustrated… [more]

Batman: Legacy Review

Rick Horner — Sun, 26 May 2019 20:57:02 +0000

Batman: Legacy Review" title="Batman: Legacy Review" style="float:left;" />Sequels are a fact of life in entertainment, especially in comic books. Think of all the stories you’ve read in places like Narnia, Westeros, Hogwarts, Baker Street, Oz, Mars, etc. Think of all those stories… [more]

Jordan Peele’s Us: One for the Ages

Ian Dawe — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 14:00:53 +0000

Us: One for the Ages" title="Jordan Peele’s Us: One for the Ages" style="float:left;" />“Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.” -Jeremiah 11:11 “Hell’s… [more]

My Thoughts on Captain Marvel: It’s Complicated

Karra Shimabukuro — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 00:06:44 +0000

Captain Marvel: It’s Complicated" title="My Thoughts on Captain Marvel: It’s Complicated" style="float:left;" />Here be spoilers… I went into my 10:30a showing of Captain Marvel not really knowing anything about Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel. At a time when the entire media market is glutted with superhero films… [more]

Review of The Lost Puzzler

Brian Cowlishaw — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 00:53:55 +0000

The Lost Puzzler" title="Review of The Lost Puzzler" style="float:left;" />(I am a Harper Voyager Super Reader: HarperVoyager gives me free advance copies of upcoming science-fiction and fantasy titles, and in return I write honest reviews. This one is spoiler-free; I reveal nothing you couldn’t… [more]

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Represents the Worst in Demonic Male Fantasies

Karra Shimabukuro — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:52:24 +0000

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Represents the Worst in Demonic Male Fantasies" title="Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Represents the Worst in Demonic Male Fantasies" style="float:left;" />Historically, witch narratives follow two, often parallel, paths. One is the patriarchal narrative, where men demonize women who threaten their authority and power. Independent women. Loud-mouthed women. Women who veer from their prescribed roles. These… [more]

Can Thanos Come Snap Comics TV Shows?: Titans Disappoints

Karra Shimabukuro — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 18:29:21 +0000

Titans Disappoints" title="Can Thanos Come Snap Comics TV Shows?: Titans Disappoints" style="float:left;" />When Arrow first premiered on the CW, I was excited because the weekly format seemed the perfect fit for telling comic stories. As more shows got rolled out, I was even more excited. The Flash,… [more]

Batman: Contagion Review

Rick Horner — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 17:23:06 +0000

Batman: Contagion Review" title="Batman: Contagion Review" style="float:left;" />It wouldn’t be out of order to consider 1995 to be the year of the virus. In the real world, there was an outbreak of Ebola in the Congo which claimed 224 lives. The event… [more]

The Death of Stalin Review

James Kelly — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 14:00:47 +0000

The Death of Stalin Review" title="The Death of Stalin Review" style="float:left;" />How can a movie about Josef Stalin's death be funny? [more]

First Man Is a Remarkable Cinematic Achievement

Ian Dawe — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 14:00:55 +0000

First Man Is a Remarkable Cinematic Achievement" title="First Man Is a Remarkable Cinematic Achievement" style="float:left;" />Damien Chazelle’s First Man portrays space flight in a way audiences have never seen before. We’ve experienced the mythic macho of The Right Stuff, the absorbing tension of Apollo 13 and there’s also a small… [more]

Review of A Study in Honor

Brian Cowlishaw — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 17:49:38 +0000

A Study in Honor" title="Review of A Study in Honor" style="float:left;" />(I am a Harper Voyager Super Reader: HarperVoyager gives me free advance copies of upcoming science-fiction and fantasy titles, and in return I write honest reviews. This one is spoiler-free; I reveal nothing you couldn’t… [more]

Review of George R.R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings

James Kelly — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 14:00:30 +0000

A Clash of Kings" title="Review of George R.R. Martin’s A Clash of Kings" style="float:left;" />In honor of George RR Martin's 70th Birthday, here's a review of the second book in Martin's captivating series. [more]

Sarararara: All-American Girl Review

Tom Shapira — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 15:16:29 +0000

Sarararara: All-American Girl Review" title="Sarararara: All-American Girl Review" style="float:left;" />I got a chance, recently, to read through the first print collection of the web-comic Sarararara: All American Girl (by Olivia Hicks, with some pages contributed by Robbie. D. Kieran, Georgia Battle, David Robertson, and… [more]

Advance Review: Vita Nostra

Brian Cowlishaw — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 14:00:12 +0000

Vita Nostra" title="Advance Review: Vita Nostra" style="float:left;" />(I am a Harper Voyager Super Reader: HarperVoyager gives me free advance copies of upcoming science-fiction and fantasy titles, and in return I write honest reviews. This one is spoiler-free.) Vita Nostra easily wins the… [more]

Advance Review: Hannah Green and Her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence

Brian Cowlishaw — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 19:49:50 +0000

Hannah Green and Her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence" title="Advance Review: Hannah Green and Her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence" style="float:left;" />(I am a Harper Voyager Super Reader: HarperVoyager gives me free advance copies of upcoming science-fiction and fantasy titles, and in return I write honest reviews. This one is spoiler-free.) Who in the world is… [more]

Review of George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones

James Kelly — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 14:00:44 +0000

A Game of Thrones" title="Review of George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones" style="float:left;" />Looking back on the epic debut novel of A Song of Ice and Fire. Before the Game of Thrones TV Show, there was George RR Martin's fantasy novel. But is it a good book? [more]

A Flying Jatt: A Superhero Movie a la Bollywood

Brian Cowlishaw — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 18:40:52 +0000

A Flying Jatt: A Superhero Movie a la Bollywood" title="A Flying Jatt: A Superhero Movie a la Bollywood" style="float:left;" />No one knows better than Sequart’s readership that there are tons of superhero movies out right now. Especially now, in fact, as high “popcorn movie” season, a/k/a summer, is just beginning. If you know the… [more]

Zaki’s Review: Black Panther

Zaki Hasan — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 19:38:59 +0000

Black Panther" title="Zaki’s Review: Black Panther" style="float:left;" />Black Panther is a movie that, of necessity, means different things to different audiences. As the latest entry in Disney’s expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe, it holds a specific appeal to longtime comic fans and those… [more]

Review of Prism Stalker #1

Tom Shapira — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 12:00:45 +0000

Prism Stalker #1" title="Review of Prism Stalker #1" style="float:left;" />Writer and Artist: Sloane Leong Publisher: Image Comics Prism Stalker is a new science fiction series from Image comics. These days “a new science fiction series from Image” is not quite an exciting announcement as… [more]

Review of Michel Fiffe’s Zegas

Tom Shapira — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 12:00:10 +0000

Zegas" title="Review of Michel Fiffe’s Zegas" style="float:left;" />Writer/Artist: Michel Fiffe Publisher: Fantagraphics While reading Copra, Michel Fiffe’s ongoing tribute to 1980s team comics, it’s easy to just bask in the art, because it’s truly spectacular. At once a summation of many major… [more]

A Trip Through Old Wounds: Patrick Meaney’s House of Demons

Matthew Kirshenblatt — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 19:09:12 +0000

House of Demons" title="A Trip Through Old Wounds: Patrick Meaney’s House of Demons" style="float:left;" />It is fairly clear, to my mind, that when most people live long enough, they have moments that they wish they could change. It can be something that they did, or something that they did… [more]

Advance Review: Blood of the Four

Brian Cowlishaw — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 18:46:41 +0000

Blood of the Four" title="Advance Review: Blood of the Four" style="float:left;" />(I am a Harper Voyager Super reader: the publishing house HarperVoyager gives me free advance copies of upcoming science-fiction and fantasy titles, and in return I write honest reviews. This is my first such review… [more]

Review of The Dark Judges: The Fall of Deadworld, Book 1

Tom Shapira — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 17:30:45 +0000

The Dark Judges: The Fall of Deadworld, Book 1" title="Review of The Dark Judges: The Fall of Deadworld, Book 1" style="float:left;" />Writer: Kek-W Artist: Dave Kendall Letterer: Annie Parkhouse Publisher: Rebellion / 2000AD As someone who has gotten into Judge Dredd in his late 20s, I have a lot of opinions that would, undoubtedly, mark me… [more]

Review of Kayin and Abeni: Afro Space Adventures #1-2

Tom Shapira — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 11:00:00 +0000

Kayin and Abeni: Afro Space Adventures #1-2" title="Review of Kayin and Abeni: Afro Space Adventures #1-2" style="float:left;" />One of the major problems with science-fiction comics, especially as the genre bursts into the forefront of the mainstream comics with the likes of Image and Boom and Aftershock, is that there’s this feeling that… [more]

Thor: Ragnarok, or Shakespeare for Schmucks

Jeffrey Kahan — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 22:04:50 +0000

Thor: Ragnarok, or Shakespeare for Schmucks" title="Thor: Ragnarok, or Shakespeare for Schmucks" style="float:left;" />In a NYT review of Thor: Ragnarok, you can almost hear the writer, Manohla Dargis, desperately turning her notes over and over for something good to say. The best that she can muster is that… [more]

Holiday Double Feature: Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League

Karra Shimabukuro — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 20:20:47 +0000

Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League" title="Holiday Double Feature: Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League" style="float:left;" />Holidays and breaks are the perfect time to sit down to a double-feature. Way back when, double-features were purposely paired, and I like to try and keep that tradition on the rare occasions I have… [more]

Batman: The Telltale Series Season 1 Review

Matthew Berg-Johnsen — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 14:00:18 +0000

Batman: The Telltale Series Season 1 Review" title="Batman: The Telltale Series Season 1 Review" style="float:left;" />To state the obvious, Batman has been a phenomenon that has transcended the realm of comics into a multimedia franchise powerhouse. Batman has conquered cartoons (most notably with Batman: The Animated Series and Batman Beyond),… [more]

Go See Valerian

Julian Darius — Sat, 22 Jul 2017 02:28:52 +0000

Valerian" title="Go See Valerian" style="float:left;" />I fell in love with Valerian in the first ten minutes, and I never got over it. Let me explain — it’s not a serious spoiler. We start with human exploration of space, jumping forward,… [more]

Why You Shouldn’t Like Spider-Man: Homecoming, but Probably Do

A.G. Holdier — Thu, 13 Jul 2017 14:30:14 +0000

Spider-Man: Homecoming, but Probably Do" title="Why You Shouldn’t Like Spider-Man: Homecoming, but Probably Do" style="float:left;" />The Catholic philosopher and theologian Peter Kreeft once quipped, “People will forgive you for being wrong, but they will never forgive you for being right.” I imagine that this is why my distaste for Spider-Man:… [more]

Colossal: A Strikingly Original and Fresh Film

Ian Dawe — Thu, 04 May 2017 18:10:57 +0000

Colossal: A Strikingly Original and Fresh Film" title="Colossal: A Strikingly Original and Fresh Film" style="float:left;" />(This review is spoiler-free.) Colossal is not a perfect film, and it won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it has several very important virtues that allow it to stand apart from most of the film… [more]

Godshaper #1 from Boom! Studios Divinely Blurs the Lines

A. David Lewis — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 17:20:25 +0000

Godshaper #1 from Boom! Studios Divinely Blurs the Lines" title="Godshaper #1 from Boom! Studios Divinely Blurs the Lines" style="float:left;" />In some cases, the divide between religion and magic, between the divine and the supernatural, is a narrow one. In BOOM! Studios new series Godshaper, that distinction is blurred further with the addition to commerce.… [more]

4 3 2 1: Paul Auster’s New Postmodern Masterpiece

Brian Cowlishaw — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 18:30:28 +0000

4 3 2 1: Paul Auster’s New Postmodern Masterpiece" title="4 3 2 1: Paul Auster’s New Postmodern Masterpiece" style="float:left;" />First, turn off your computer or smart phone—yes, right now—grab 4 3 2 1, and plow straight through it. True, it’s almost 900 pages long, but trust me, you won’t want it to end. I’ll… [more]

On the 50th Anniversary of The Velvet Underground and Nico

Julian Darius — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 22:02:19 +0000

The Velvet Underground and Nico" title="On the 50th Anniversary of The Velvet Underground and Nico" style="float:left;" />The first album of the Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground and Nico, was released, after a long delay, 50 years ago today. It’s hard to find words adequate to express what a landmark event this… [more]

Logan: A Brilliant, Game-Changing Film

Ian Dawe — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 18:33:44 +0000

Logan: A Brilliant, Game-Changing Film" title="Logan: A Brilliant, Game-Changing Film" style="float:left;" />In some ways, the X-Men have always been about family. Looking back to the first Bryan Singer film from 2000, many of the dramatic tensions revolve around a group of outcasts trying to piece together… [more]

The Metabarons Series Returns to Form in Newest Volume

Julian Darius — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 21:41:50 +0000

Metabarons Series Returns to Form in Newest Volume" title="The Metabarons Series Returns to Form in Newest Volume" style="float:left;" />Warning: this review contains spoilers for the current volume and the entire Metabarons series. It’s fair to say that Metabarons has now eclipsed Incal as the most famous Jodorowsky-penned sci-fi epic, at least in the… [more]

The Belfry: A Nightmare Comic

Ian Dawe — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 22:20:55 +0000

The Belfry: A Nightmare Comic" title="The Belfry: A Nightmare Comic" style="float:left;" />Sometimes it’s interesting to read a comic that isn’t part of world-building or creating a complex, multi-layered world. To be sure: such complex comics are very welcome, and Gabriel Hardman and Corinna Bechko’s Invisible Republic… [more]

Riverdale’s Rips off Twin Peaks (Badly) and Normalizes Rapey Plotline

Karra Shimabukuro — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 20:30:18 +0000

Riverdale’s Rips off Twin Peaks (Badly) and Normalizes Rapey Plotline" title="Riverdale’s Rips off Twin Peaks (Badly) and Normalizes Rapey Plotline" style="float:left;" />There’s a lot wrong with CW’s latest show, Riverdale. Let’s put aside the crazy clown red hair and pale faces of the murder victim Jason Blossom and Archie. Or the obvious invocations of past popular… [more]

Hidden Figures: An Old-Fashioned Feel-Good Movie that Teaches

Ian Dawe — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 21:00:45 +0000

Hidden Figures: An Old-Fashioned Feel-Good Movie that Teaches" title="Hidden Figures: An Old-Fashioned Feel-Good Movie that Teaches" style="float:left;" />Hidden Figures is a harmless, old-fashioned all-ages family movie, that teaches an important historical lesson, but it’s light on its feet, entertaining and never feels like a slog. Quite the contrary: this is a very… [more]

Necropolitan #1: The Geography of Hell

Ian Dawe — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 20:00:12 +0000

Necropolitan #1: The Geography of Hell" title="Necropolitan #1: The Geography of Hell" style="float:left;" />We all think we know what hell is. (Ironically, heaven is much more difficult to define or describe, as George Carlin once pointed out.) But somehow, we all seem to “get” hell. Fire, suffering, screaming… [more]

The Goddamned #5: No Happy Endings

Ian Dawe — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 19:10:32 +0000

The Goddamned #5: No Happy Endings" title="The Goddamned #5: No Happy Endings" style="float:left;" />“I’m Cain, the man who invented murder. But God invented me, so ask yourself: who’s the real asshole here?” If readers expected the story of Jason Aaron and r. m. Guera’s The Goddamned to take… [more]

Descender #18: Back to Business

Ian Dawe — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 21:50:02 +0000

Descender #18: Back to Business" title="Descender #18: Back to Business" style="float:left;" />In its latest issue, #18, Descender gets back to business, driving the plot of this story forward after taking some time to develop the characters in recent issues. This issue is classic space opera science… [more]

Manifest Destiny #25: Who Are The Demons?

Ian Dawe — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 23:45:50 +0000

Manifest Destiny #25: Who Are The Demons?" title="Manifest Destiny #25: Who Are The Demons?" style="float:left;" />It’s a very special issue of Manifest Destiny as the 25th issue makes its appearance this week. The journey of Lewis and Clark has entered a different phase, as the Corps of Discovery settles down… [more]

Southern Bastards #16: Moving the Goalposts

Ian Dawe — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 20:15:27 +0000

Southern Bastards #16: Moving the Goalposts" title="Southern Bastards #16: Moving the Goalposts" style="float:left;" />There are eerie and tempting parallels between Coach Boss and a certain American President-elect. Both are brutal, simple-minded, deeply insecure tyrants, and both have a tendency to move the goalposts and declare victory when an… [more]

Descender #17: Connections

Ian Dawe — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 18:00:04 +0000

Descender #17: Connections" title="Descender #17: Connections" style="float:left;" />Descender takes a turn in issue #17 (released just before Christmas last year). This innovative and emotional science fiction comic has spent its past five issues on “singularity” stories, focusing on one character at a… [more]

Turn Loose Our Death Rays and Kill Them All! The Complete Works of Fletcher Hanks

Michael Campochiaro — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 18:35:37 +0000

In the first of two forewords to Turn Loose Our Death Rays and Kill Them All: The Complete Works of Fletcher Hanks (Fantagraphics), Paul Karasik describes the cult Golden Age cartoonist Fletcher Hanks as the “village… [more]

Arrival: Science Fiction for Grownups

Ian Dawe — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 18:02:44 +0000

Arrival: Science Fiction for Grownups" title="Arrival: Science Fiction for Grownups" style="float:left;" />Arrival, directed by Denis Villeneuve, has the structure of a magic trick. It slowly, carefully, shows us something in its first few minutes, then gives us about 70 minutes of misdirection before showing us what… [more]

Why I Admire Rogue One

Julian Darius — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 11:52:44 +0000

Rogue One" title="Why I Admire Rogue One" style="float:left;" />First, a warning: here there be spoilers. Seriously, spoilers. Spoilers… Okay? Still here? Good. Let me start by admitting that Rogue One is an imperfect movie. Ian Dawe has done his usual excellent job talking… [more]

Revisiting Crimson Empire

Sean McInerney — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 16:00:39 +0000

Crimson Empire" title="Revisiting Crimson Empire" style="float:left;" />Written by Mike Richardson and Randy Stradley and illustrated by Paul Gulacy, Crimson Empire first premiered in 1997, and followed the exploits of a former Imperial royal guard Kir Kanos, as he tries to seek… [more]

Rogue One Stumbles, then Soars

Ian Dawe — Sun, 18 Dec 2016 18:45:13 +0000

Rogue One Stumbles, then Soars" title="Rogue One Stumbles, then Soars" style="float:left;" />Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is appropriately titled. It isn’t a “Star Wars movie” in that it isn’t about the Skywalker family, nor is it about the specific large mythic arcs that define that… [more]

Southern Bastards #15: The Taste of Ribs and Defeat

Ian Dawe — Tue, 01 Nov 2016 17:15:40 +0000

Southern Bastards #15: The Taste of Ribs and Defeat" title="Southern Bastards #15: The Taste of Ribs and Defeat" style="float:left;" />Here we are again in the steaming tribal vendetta-filled world of Southern Bastards. Craw County continues, here in issue #15, to be a community that measures is worth based on the standing of its high… [more]

Lake of Fire #3: Oaths

Ian Dawe — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 20:40:54 +0000

Lake of Fire #3: Oaths" title="Lake of Fire #3: Oaths" style="float:left;" />The situation faced by the crusaders in Lake of Fire is becoming increasingly desperate in issue #3. Theo has been badly wounded, the Keep is surrounded by aliens intent on getting in, the people are… [more]

Descender #16: A Real Killer

Ian Dawe — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 19:25:33 +0000

Descender #16: A Real Killer" title="Descender #16: A Real Killer" style="float:left;" />All of the characters in Descender (with the possible exception of the TIMs) have an undercurrent of rage and confusion. Their world changed so dramatically, and so quickly, with the Harvester attack that it re-drew… [more]

Sinner Man: Lawrence Block’s Long Lost Novel is Back in Print

Michael Campochiaro — Tue, 25 Oct 2016 16:45:59 +0000

Sinner Man: Lawrence Block’s Long Lost Novel is Back in Print" title="Sinner Man: Lawrence Block’s Long Lost Novel is Back in Print" style="float:left;" />Lawrence Block’s Sinner Man was originally published under a pseudonym, nearly fifty years ago. This month, Hard Case Crime is bringing the book back into print under Block’s own name. The story behind the book’s disappearance… [more]

Yoga Hosers: A Kevin Smith Film, Through-and-Through

Ian Dawe — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 17:15:52 +0000

Yoga Hosers: A Kevin Smith Film, Through-and-Through" title="Yoga Hosers: A Kevin Smith Film, Through-and-Through" style="float:left;" />It’s difficult to review a movie like Yoga Hosers. It’s so deliberately made for a specific group of people who are immersed in jokes and references from the podcasts of Kevin Smith that one wonders… [more]

Manifest Destiny #24: Making Camp

Ian Dawe — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 21:35:47 +0000

Manifest Destiny #24: Making Camp" title="Manifest Destiny #24: Making Camp" style="float:left;" />The latest Manifest Destiny brings the “Sasquatch” story arc to an end in fairly spectacular fashion. These story arcs function quite a bit like seasons of television, and Chris Dingess has fashioned a whopper of… [more]

Christopher Guest’s Mascots Delivers to the Fans

Ian Dawe — Fri, 14 Oct 2016 18:30:19 +0000

Mascots Delivers to the Fans" title="Christopher Guest’s Mascots Delivers to the Fans" style="float:left;" />Christopher Guest movies are endearing because they’re about people who are this close to stardom, but there’s a narrow and deep chasm between them and their dreams. Even Spinal Tap (which of course was not… [more]

Reborn, from Mark Millar and Greg Capullo Makes Its Debut

Ian Dawe — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 20:55:03 +0000

Reborn, from Mark Millar and Greg Capullo Makes Its Debut" title="Reborn, from Mark Millar and Greg Capullo Makes Its Debut" style="float:left;" />The long-awaited collaboration between Mark Millar and Greg Capullo is now here in the form of Reborn, which debuts today. The book is certainly blessed with a deep bench of talent (Jonathan Glapion is the… [more]

Lake of Fire #2: Heroes

Ian Dawe — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 19:50:52 +0000

Lake of Fire #2: Heroes" title="Lake of Fire #2: Heroes" style="float:left;" />Lake of Fire, by Nathan Fairbairn and Matt Smith, seems to be mixing what we would expect from a “crusaders vs aliens” storyline (lots of fights, strange eruptions from wounds) with a fairly robust and… [more]

Descender #15: Effie

Ian Dawe — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 21:30:55 +0000

Descender #15: Effie" title="Descender #15: Effie" style="float:left;" />Descender’s”singularity” series continues in issue #15, with a new and interesting twist: a love story. But there’s nothing sentimental or false about this particular love story; it recounts a tragic, wise and emotionally realistic relationship… [more]

Raiders! Tells the Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made

Ian Dawe — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 19:45:54 +0000

Raiders! Tells the Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made" title="Raiders! Tells the Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made" style="float:left;" />Like many kids who grew up in the 1980s, including me, Eric Zala and Chris Strompolos liked to create little movies in their backyards with their parents’ video cameras. (Mine was a Star Trek pastiche… [more]

For the Love of Spock: An Imperfect Portrait of a Fascinating Man

Ian Dawe — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 18:45:47 +0000

For the Love of Spock: An Imperfect Portrait of a Fascinating Man" title="For the Love of Spock: An Imperfect Portrait of a Fascinating Man" style="float:left;" />Adam Nimoy’s long-awaited documentary about his father, For the Love of Spock, is now playing in selected theatres and is available for streaming purchase on several services, after a storied build-up and crowdfunding campaign. Conceived… [more]

Invisible Republic Begins a New Arc in Issue #11

Ian Dawe — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 20:15:30 +0000

Invisible Republic Begins a New Arc in Issue #11" title="Invisible Republic Begins a New Arc in Issue #11" style="float:left;" />The new story arc of Invisible Republic, which begins here in issue #11, is a bit of a departure from previous issues and arcs in this compelling and complex science fiction drama. Readers will remember… [more]

Manifest Destiny #23: Tales of Captain Helm

Ian Dawe — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 21:20:04 +0000

Manifest Destiny #23: Tales of Captain Helm" title="Manifest Destiny #23: Tales of Captain Helm" style="float:left;" />It’s become apparent that the Captain Helm story in the pages of Manifest Destiny serves, at least in part, the same function that Tales of the Black Freighter did in Watchmen. This is emphatically a… [more]

The Lost Work of Will Eisner Adds to an Impressive Legacy

Ian Dawe — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 20:50:09 +0000

The Lost Work of Will Eisner Adds to an Impressive Legacy" title="The Lost Work of Will Eisner Adds to an Impressive Legacy" style="float:left;" />Available now from Locust Moon, The Lost work of Will Eisner gives us a glimpse into the evolution of both an artist and a medium. The collection presents two strip-based comics runs from the master… [more]

Lake of Fire #1: Crusaders vs Aliens in an Innovative, Compelling New Comic

Ian Dawe — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 19:45:50 +0000

Lake of Fire #1: Crusaders vs Aliens in an Innovative, Compelling New Comic" title="Lake of Fire #1: Crusaders vs Aliens in an Innovative, Compelling New Comic" style="float:left;" />There’s been quite a lot written about The Crusades, but it seems like modern historians agree on one thing: they were a great excuse for Christians of a certain persuasion to engage in some serious… [more]

Manifest Destiny #22: The Eyes Have It

Ian Dawe — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 23:30:10 +0000

Manifest Destiny #22: The Eyes Have It" title="Manifest Destiny #22: The Eyes Have It" style="float:left;" />Like many men of their era, Lewis and Clark were “blessed” with an overabundance of positivity and confidence (more for Lewis than Clark, but they each believed in the soundness of their society and their… [more]

Descender #14: Bandit’s Lonely Vigil

Ian Dawe — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 20:45:17 +0000

Descender #14: Bandit’s Lonely Vigil" title="Descender #14: Bandit’s Lonely Vigil" style="float:left;" />The latest issue of Descender is the third in a series of five issues termed “Singularities” by the comic’s creators, Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen, but it’s easily the most creative and appealing thus far.… [more]

Give the Devil His Due: Review of Lucifer Season 1

Karra Shimabukuro — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 20:45:39 +0000

Lucifer Season 1" title="Give the Devil His Due: Review of Lucifer Season 1" style="float:left;" />Even before Lucifer premiered its pilot episode on 25 January 2016 it was already disliked and panned by fans of the comic, Lucifer and the character’s original presentation in Sandman. The advanced reviews were not… [more]

Descender #13: Telsa

Ian Dawe — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 20:05:50 +0000

Descender #13: Telsa" title="Descender #13: Telsa" style="float:left;" />Descender #13 is ostensibly about Captain Telsa, the red-haired, firey Captain from the UGC, sent to retrieve TIM-21 and the codex he carries in his electronic DNA that may hold the key to understanding the… [more]

Manifest Destiny #21: Leadership

Ian Dawe — Sat, 06 Aug 2016 01:30:51 +0000

Manifest Destiny #21: Leadership" title="Manifest Destiny #21: Leadership" style="float:left;" />One of the many challenges that the historical Lewis and Clark expedition had to surmount was simple hunger. They weren’t as badly off as some, and fared far better than some of the more northern… [more]

The Purge: Election Year and a Reflection of Society

Maria Karen — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 15:30:17 +0000

The Purge: Election Year and a Reflection of Society" title="The Purge: Election Year and a Reflection of Society" style="float:left;" />The Purge film dynasty has created a huge following of watchers and viewers because of its presentation of a society where all manner of sin, debauchery, and impulse is disregarded for one government-sanctioned night of… [more]

Finding Dory: A Textbook Family Movie

Benjamin Buckley — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 21:20:01 +0000

Finding Dory: A Textbook Family Movie" title="Finding Dory: A Textbook Family Movie" style="float:left;" />I occasionally cry when I watch movies. That’s not unusual; lots of people cry during movies. What I find interesting is the fact that I have never cried during a movie with an MPAA rating… [more]

Black Road #4: A Walk in the Snow

Ian Dawe — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 14:15:10 +0000

Black Road #4: A Walk in the Snow" title="Black Road #4: A Walk in the Snow" style="float:left;" />It’s too easy for us today to slip into a simplistic stereotype of the “dark ages”, or the early medieval period. Barbarians roaming across the countryside, committing unspeakable acts of carnage and pillage, and scared… [more]

When Reach Exceeds Grasp: Fant4stic

Brent Holmes — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 15:16:58 +0000

Fant4stic" title="When Reach Exceeds Grasp: Fant4stic" style="float:left;" />We’ve all heard terrible things about this film. Last fall, I decided to investigate further and see if it was the train wreck everyone was claiming. There appears to be plenty of blame to go… [more]

Star Trek Beyond Expectations

Ian Dawe — Sun, 24 Jul 2016 15:17:43 +0000

Star Trek Beyond Expectations" title="Star Trek Beyond Expectations" style="float:left;" />A five year mission may sound easy, but the first thing we’re shown in Star Trek Beyond is how long five years can really be when one has to spend it cooped up with 400… [more]

Negative Space Gets a TPB Release This Week

Ian Dawe — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 16:40:44 +0000

Negative Space Gets a TPB Release This Week" title="Negative Space Gets a TPB Release This Week" style="float:left;" />Negative Space, by Ryan K Lindsay and illustrated by Owen Gieni, is one of the more astute and creative explorations of depression ever committed to the page, and this week it’s available from Dark Horse… [more]

Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life: Reading Comics to Live

Michael Campochiaro — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 18:50:24 +0000

Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life: Reading Comics to Live" title="Last Night, A Superhero Saved My Life: Reading Comics to Live" style="float:left;" />While reading Last Night, A Superhero a Saved My Life (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press, 2016), I was struck by how emotionally invested I became in these tales of lives saved and redeemed by comic… [more]

Plutona #5: Kid Logic

Ian Dawe — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 21:35:59 +0000

Plutona #5: Kid Logic" title="Plutona #5: Kid Logic" style="float:left;" />The finale of Plutona’s five issue run is understandably dark, but then again, that’s basically the only place this remarkable series could go. The most interesting parts of this book have always been the relationships… [more]

Shattered Empire Fills in Some Intriguing Star Wars Gaps

Ian Dawe — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 20:20:07 +0000

Shattered Empire Fills in Some Intriguing Star Wars Gaps" title="Shattered Empire Fills in Some Intriguing Star Wars Gaps" style="float:left;" />One of the great things about a mythical universe such as the one created by Star Wars is that there’s plenty of room to tell many different stories, so long as they connect neatly with… [more]

Orange is the New Black Season 4: Non-Spoiler Review

Ian Dawe — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 18:30:42 +0000

Orange is the New Black Season 4: Non-Spoiler Review" title="Orange is the New Black Season 4: Non-Spoiler Review" style="float:left;" />Orange is the New Black was always an interesting, innovative show, both in its subject matter and even its mode of distribution (Netflix). But last season, the narrative became unfocused, the hole at the centre… [more]

Manifest Destiny #20: Big Feet and Bigger Eyes

Ian Dawe — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 20:30:20 +0000

Manifest Destiny #20: Big Feet and Bigger Eyes" title="Manifest Destiny #20: Big Feet and Bigger Eyes" style="float:left;" />“Captain Clark killed a curious animal… [one] never yet known in the United States.” That’s a quote from a member of the actual Corps of Discovery, and in that case it was the antelope, which… [more]

Descender #12: Brothers

Ian Dawe — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 22:10:46 +0000

Descender #12: Brothers" title="Descender #12: Brothers" style="float:left;" />One of Descender’s strongest themes has always been the notion of robots having souls — sometimes souls more pure and more sensitive than the flesh and blood humans that surround them. Our central robot character,… [more]

Invisible Republic #10: New Wrinkles

Ian Dawe — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 19:45:46 +0000

Invisible Republic #10: New Wrinkles" title="Invisible Republic #10: New Wrinkles" style="float:left;" />Invisible Republic is only just now in its tenth issue, but it feels as if there have been many more than that. The complexity of the world, and the subtlety with which Gabriel Hardman and… [more]

Paper Girls #6: The Horror of Adulting

Ian Dawe — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 19:20:21 +0000

Paper Girls #6: The Horror of Adulting" title="Paper Girls #6: The Horror of Adulting" style="float:left;" />Warning: If you haven’t read the first five issues of Paper Girls, this discussion will spoil a few things. On the other hand, if you have read those issues but not the latest, don’t worry.… [more]

The Goddamned #4: You Don’t Mess With Noah

Ian Dawe — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 19:10:36 +0000

The Goddamned #4: You Don’t Mess With Noah" title="The Goddamned #4: You Don’t Mess With Noah" style="float:left;" />The Goddamned is one of two major comics that have recently offered us a reimagined version of the Biblical character Noah. The other book — Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, which was also made into a big… [more]

Equals Film Review

Maria Karen — Mon, 30 May 2016 16:01:00 +0000

Equals Film Review" title="Equals Film Review" style="float:left;" />Science-fiction movies have long had a history of flirting with the concept of a “utopia.” However, the recurring problem of any utopia is that they are often always a “dystopia” in disguise. Is life truly… [more]

Manifest Destiny #19: Teamwork

Ian Dawe — Tue, 17 May 2016 17:45:05 +0000

Manifest Destiny #19: Teamwork" title="Manifest Destiny #19: Teamwork" style="float:left;" />When undertaking a task as dangerous as the exploration of unknown lands, teamwork is an absolute necessity. Other writers (such as Stephen Ambrose) have noted that it was this capacity for group unity, strong leadership… [more]

Black Road #2: A Little Kindness

Ian Dawe — Mon, 16 May 2016 21:30:40 +0000

Black Road #2: A Little Kindness" title="Black Road #2: A Little Kindness" style="float:left;" />It should come as no surprise that Black Road has the narrative structure of the “journey”. (The word “road” is right there in the title, after all.) While we were introduced to the characters and… [more]

Southern Bastards #14: “Homecoming” Ends

Ian Dawe — Tue, 10 May 2016 18:00:44 +0000

Southern Bastards #14: “Homecoming” Ends" title="Southern Bastards #14: “Homecoming” Ends" style="float:left;" />As we reach the end of the “Homecoming” story arc in Southern Bastards, it becomes fairly clear what this particular storyline has always been about. Not football, or even race, necessarily, but the rather the… [more]

Batman V Superman and the Lack of Emotion

David Hernando — Sun, 24 Apr 2016 14:50:59 +0000

Batman V Superman and the Lack of Emotion" title="Batman V Superman and the Lack of Emotion" style="float:left;" />SPOILERS AHEAD… I wasn’t moved. There I was, watching my three all-time favorite superheroes together on the big screen for the first time and I wasn’t moved. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were there, in… [more]

Ken Burns’ Jackie Robinson: A Timely and Snappy Portrait of a Legendary Life

Ian Dawe — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 21:10:48 +0000

Jackie Robinson: A Timely and Snappy Portrait of a Legendary Life" title="Ken Burns’ Jackie Robinson: A Timely and Snappy Portrait of a Legendary Life" style="float:left;" />Longtime fans of Ken Burns know that the legendary documentary filmmaker can produce works of great beauty and power, but sometimes falls prey to sentimentality and repetitive, unsubtle narratives. Luckily, his new film Jackie Robinson… [more]

Black Road #1: The Viking Comic You’ve Been Waiting For

Ian Dawe — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 17:00:03 +0000

Black Road #1: The Viking Comic You’ve Been Waiting For" title="Black Road #1: The Viking Comic You’ve Been Waiting For" style="float:left;" />Vikings have a special place in the European imagination, to put it mildly. A crazy blend of the wild west with the notion of the Fantasy Hero archetype set to a Heavy Metal soundtrack, the… [more]