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Mark Millar’s The Ultimates, Part 5: The Return
After Ultimates 2, Millar stepped away from the Ultimate universe for a couple of years. During his absence, Jeph Loeb took over forUltimates 3 and while it was a more traditional super-hero story, it still had… [more]
The Linking Myth
So why do I claim that “archetypal criticism” should be a principal (if not exclusive) means to understand the connections between mainstream and art comics?
The Walls of Samaris, Part 2: The Trompe-d’Oeil and You
Having introduced The Obscure Cities and walked through its first volume, The Walls of Samaris in some detail, I ended with that book’s conclusion. I’ll pick up there, so it’s necessary that you read part… [more]
O Captain, My Captain (Part 3)
“There’s no patriotism like American patriotism, and there’s no patriotic superhero like Captain America.” So proclaims Bosch Fawstin in his recent post on the conservative blog site FrontPageMagazine.com. My only problem with Fawstin’s statement is… [more]
Further Defending the DC Relaunch — Superman
The air has been cleared a bit regarding Superman’s status in the DCnU, and (of course) it’s caused people to flip out a bit. Here is a quick rundown of the major changes: 1) A… [more]
Light Can’t be Translated: Alan Moore and the Green Lanterns as Colonizing Force
Is there anything more intensive and fundamental to learning a language than vocabulary? Of course not. To learn how to use language without vocabulary is like learning to play hockey with out a puck, stick,… [more]
Upgrade Your Vision: 3D Comics and Narrative Purpose
Within the narrative of Final Crisis, Morrison wrote a two-issue mini-series called Superman Beyond 3D (2008-2009). This story was placed into the Final Crisis collected publications, forming an integral part of the complete narrative.
Mark Millar’s The Ultimates, Part 4: More Betrayal
After numerous issues of in-fighting and build up, all of the pieces are in place for Millar’s endgame and he takes the series to its only logical conclusion — America’s arms race backfires. It’s the… [more]
How to be a Super-Hero in Five Minutes Flat
J. Michael Straczynski and Esad Ribic’s Silver Surfer: Requiem is one of the best comics I have read in recent memory.
The Simple, Elegant Way to a DC Cinematic Universe
There’s a simple solution to DC’s motion-picture woes: stop following Marvel’s model. Marvel’s shared cinematic universe only proceeded the way it did due to accidents of history.
I Appreciate Lady Gaga on a Much Deeper Level than You Do
I saw The Matrix long before I ever picked up my very first The Invisibles comic, so as I read the comic, I looked for all of the alleged idea theft that had occurred when… [more]
O Captain, My Captain (Part 2)
As I explained in part 1 of this post, Captain America was very much a product of his times. He was created to oppose the tyranny, bigotry, and brutality of the original Axis of Evil: Nazi Germany,… [more]
Confined Spaces: Morning Glories and the Escape from Cynicism
It is not hyperbole to say cynicism has become a problem. It would also not be over dramatic to say the problem has ballooned into great proportions with each passing generation. While there are plenty… [more]
Super-Hero Comics and Reader Textualization: Participation and Narrative Construction
This is a piece that explores the idea of textualization in super-hero comics and how these stories are constructed. More than that, it is an introduction to exploring purpose — why are super-heroes so engaging… [more]
Mark Millar’s The Ultimates, Part 3: Saying Something
Volume 2 of The Ultimates (sometimes referred to as Season 2) is not only vastly superior to the first, but I would argue that it is the best work of Millar’s career. It’s a fascinating… [more]
Another Reality: The Spatial Imperative, Part 2
Two weeks ago, I discussed the importance of space in storytelling, and the power of two-point perspective. I left you all with the notion that two-point perspective, while powerful, was not really the whole story —… [more]
The Walls of Samaris: A Classic French Comic You Probably Haven’t Read
Many fans of The Obscure Cities (which I introduced here) will tell you that the first volume, The Walls of Samaris, first collected in 1983, represents a freshman effort, despite the acclaim it’s won.
O Captain, My Captain (Part 1)
Captain America and Superman are pretty much universally recognized as the superheroes who best exemplify the values of justice and freedom that have been held up as our nation’s greatest achievements and still elusive goals since… [more]
On Feeling Compelled to Boycott Greg Land’s Uncanny X-Men
I can’t do it, I just can’t. It doesn’t matter how much I admire Kieron Gillen as a writer, and admire him I most certainly do. He’s undoubtedly one of the best half-dozen writers currently at… [more]
Vulnerable, Disabled Children: Mark Waid, Grant Morrison, and Inspirational Super-Heroes
The Joker laughs manically as he holds Batman, supposedly dead. Despite the large amount of blood on the weapon and on Batman, this isn’t even the shocking part.
Why Continuity Matters
Continuity. The word alone strikes terror into the hearts of editors everywhere. When you disregard it, people will want it back. When you keep it, new readers complain it’s too much to ask of them.
Mark Millar’s The Ultimates, Part 2: Something More Traditional
After the first six issues of Millar’s The Ultimates had established the team as a group of celebrity soldiers with little ethical or moral backbone (except for Thor who is considered insane by the others),… [more]
The Future of a Re-Fusion
Not long ago, I saw a post on the the Comics Beat by former Comics Journal contributor Robert Boyd remarking upon the virtual separation of the world of “mainstream comics” and “artcomics.” Boyd didn’t comment… [more]
Sex and “The Man who Has Everything”
Long before Alan Moore delved into literary pornography with Lost Girls, he was infusing his work with a broad understanding of human sexuality as natural. And this wasn’t limited to auteur projects like Lost Girls… [more]
Justice for All
Fourth Age of Comics is an excellent blog site that examines modern comic book storytelling with a particular focus on the types of issues superheroes can effectively be used to address.
