Welcome! Historia is a brand new bi-monthly series that will be examining The Amazing Amazon’s rich history. The feature will span the war-haunted Golden Ages in which she was forged, through the sweeping currents of The Silver Age, the shifts of The Bronze Age, the trials of The Dark Age, all the way to The Renaissance and The Prismatic Age of the modern century. We’ll be looking at and discussing the various influences and archetypal antecedents that underlie the Wonder Legend, the power of the conceits it upholds, the politics of the whole enterprise, the terrifying nature of myths and narratives, and how the character and property have changed, evolved, or even regressed. What is this curious little experiment that began under a polyamorous polymath psychologist that became an icon of the feminist movement and a vital corporate symbol? Let’s dig in. [Read more…] about Wonder Woman Historia Part One: Conception
Comics Guides
Set Boundaries, Keep Them: Colleen Doran’s Comics Profile & Chronology
Teen Titans Spotlight #19 – 1985
Early in her career, Colleen Doran did some fill-in work on the legendary Wolfman/Perez run of Titans. And while it’s just the one issue, it’s hard to imagine that the work didn’t either inform something in the young artist or else reinforce it.
Even in the 80s, Perez was famous for his layouts and his expressive faces. And to be sure, the artist does a fine job of replicating both of those things here, but what I find most fascinating is in the way she departs from Perez’s established formula.
Note how in Perez’s illustrations, the face is made “soft” by giving half circles to describe Starfire’s apple cheeks. See also how her eyes are enormous and high up, showing that she’s innocent, intelligent, and curious.
Now, look at Doran’s. She gives the subtlest hint of the cheeks through her use of laugh lines around the mouth and distorting the lay of the top lip. Then she makes your eye focus on those tiny details by downplaying the nose until it’s just nostrils. See how she keeps the eyes higher, but she puts them further back in the head by using that little divot shape. This not only ads realism, but it scales back the innocence rather than remove it entirely. Even at rest, Colleen’s face feels capable of closing up just like that.
It’s that balance between Perez’s masterful cartooning and a classic illustration/printmaking that we’ll see again and again.
[Read more…] about Set Boundaries, Keep Them: Colleen Doran’s Comics Profile & Chronology
Best Comics of the Decade: The 2010s!
Welcome to Comic Book Herald’s best comic books of the 2010’s decade! We spent the final months of 2019 finalizing our favorite 70 comics of the entire decade, and have compiled them all together here for easy review.
As you’d expect, many of these selections come from Comic Book Herald’s 500 best comics of all time, of course editing for those that have been released in the past 10 years. The list will inevitably leave out plenty of very exciting comics, so let us know what would make it onto your list in the comments! [Read more…] about Best Comics of the Decade: The 2010s!
The Best Comics of 2019
Maybe it’s just where I’ve been focusing my attention, but 2019 has felt like a lot of good comics, without the introduction of (many) absolute knockouts that feel like potential all-timers (Aug ’19 update: This is what I get for writing my introduction before House of X / Powers of X!). As a result, my favorites for the year are a mix of ongoing series continuations and new title launches.
Likewise, publishers Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, Boom, Dynamite, and Vault are represented with at least one selection below (Image leading the charge with just under half of the picks). [Read more…] about The Best Comics of 2019
Best Marvel Comics of 2019
2019 feels like the first year in the last four when Marvel wasn’t still mired in a post-Secret Wars (2015) malaise. While it’s far from a slam dunk, 2018’s “Fresh Start” helped Marvel feel less aimless and more consistent. Plus, the 2019 event initiatives are genuinely exciting, whether it’s War of the Realms, Jonathan Hickmen’s X-Men, or Absolute Carnage.
Below you’ll find my favorite Marvel Comics of 2019! [Read more…] about Best Marvel Comics of 2019