Comic Theory
Portrait of the comic book reader as an old man
Famous 19 May birthdays: Atatürk, Ho Chi Minh, Malcolm X, Pol Pot (boo!), Pete Townshend, Andre the Giant … [RECORD SCRATCH] … Greg Burgas?!?!?
Taking no chances: Mainstream superhero comics need a kick in the butt
I spend a lot of time coming up with provocative titles for my posts, you know! How’s that one?
Theory: Christian Bale’s Batman = Adam West’s Batman
Thanks to The Hub, I’ve been treated to an episode of the brilliant 1960s Batman TV show just about every night of the week. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen many of these stories, and I’m positively delighted to experience them once again. Being a tenth-level geek, however, has the back of [...]
Style Equals Substance?
Sometimes, the style in which a work is presented becomes the substantive element of that work, a thematic tactic used to make allusions outside the confines of the narrative. Form often follows function, but sometimes, form is function. So Matt Seneca wrote this pair of pieces about Grant Morrison’s short-lived revamp of Wildstorm’s Wildcats and [...]
Comics: The most versatile art form?
I was going to call this “Comics are awesome,” but I guess Bill Reed has already cornered the market on that title! Oh, and SPOILERS below, in case spoilering things bothers you. And some minor NSFW work stuff, too. Man, I’m out of control!
The Many Tomorrows of Superman
by Robert Greenberger A new era is about to begin for the Man of Steel as J. Michael Straczynski is given the key to the Fortress of Solitude. With his arrival a door closes on the megafiction aspect, something that has been a part of the titles since the last new era began in 1986 [...]
It IS Pretty Funny How That Sims’ “Racial Regression” Thing Worked Out…
You really have to give Chris Sims a ton of credit for the timing of his piece, “The Racial Politics of Regression Storytelling,” which he posted at Comics Alliance last week (Bill linked to it this Sunday, beating me to it). The basic gist of the piece is that DC, by regressing to the previous [...]
How Kurt Busiek (unwittingly) ruined Marvel and DC superhero comics!
Come along with me, as I generalize like crazy! It’s what you love, right?
Guest Spot: Scalped and the Stereotype That Wasn’t There
by John Lees (check out John’s column, Comic Book Club, at ProjectFanboy here) Okay, so who reads Scalped? For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Scalped is a sprawling crime drama by writer Jason Aaron and (for the most part) artist R.M. Guera, published by DC Comics’ celebrated Vertigo imprint. Set on the Prairie [...]
The political leanings of superhero comics … revealed!
No, this isn’t another post about Captain America #602. It’s partly inspired by that, but it’s much more far-reaching than that. You recall that every once in a while I like to generalize about comics in such a way that it sends people into paroxysms of rage? Well, here’s another one of those posts! They’re [...]
Posing Questions to Comic Book Fans on the Internet – A Demonstration
“What color do you like better, red or yellow?” “I hate red! So I pick blue.” “Name three colors, with one of them being orange.” “Purple, Red and Green.” “What is two plus one” “I hate math! I refuse to answer, but I think it is important to let you know that I am not [...]
My revelation regarding Secret Invasion
Yes, I had a revelation. I was like John of Patmos, munching on hallucinogenic mushrooms and seeing cities floating in the clouds, or Saul of Tarsus, hearing voices in a cloud asking why I’m persecuting him, or Sir Isaac Newton, just desiring to take a nap under a tree and getting bonked on the head [...]
Omar Karindu on Bendis’ Daredevil – Some Introductory Remarks
Here is Omar – BC. As threatened, I’m writing up some thoughts on the Bendis/Maleev run of Daredevil, a run which is an important one for a number of reasons.
Me vs. the Spider-Marriage
Ohhhh Boy. These here are some dangerous waters to be splashing around in. I understand that some of you really, REALLY like Mary Jane Watson and Peter “Spider-man” Parker being married. It’s sweet. The circumstances in comics that immediately led up to the marriage might have been a tad contrived, but the marriage itself totally [...]
Compressed storytelling versus decompressed storytelling: pros and cons
Greg Burgas wrote this piece over two years ago. However, these last couple of days, the topic has come up in a few different places online, and when three separate places all link to Greg’s two year old piece, I think it’s a sign that perhaps this piece is worth sharing with you folks. Enjoy! [...]
