Some stories are charming and intricate because they offer multiple perspectives and characters to appreciate and consider. However, stories about stories show how the power of storytelling can shape lives by telling tales steeped in history, myth, and culture. In the medium of comic books alone, there are books, such as Marvel’s Loki: Agent of Asgard and the graphic novel memoir The Magic Fish
by Trung Le Nguyen, that have leads who use the power of stories to explore and express identity. Now, Juni Ba’s West African fantasy epic Djeliya
joins them with a blend of stunning art, thoughtful characters, and interconnected tales. [Read more…] about Djeylia Is A Gorgeous Tale About the Power Of Storytelling
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Krakin’ Krakoa: Abigail Brand’s True Plans for SWORD and the Mutant Space Program!
On my weekly livestream, Casual Krakoa Live, I review the week’s X-Men comics, and answer big questions about what’s going on with Marvel’s merry mutants! You can listen or watch below:
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[Read more…] about Krakin’ Krakoa: Abigail Brand’s True Plans for SWORD and the Mutant Space Program!X-Men Legends Vol. 1 Review!
X-Men Legends. At first glance, the title is a little confusing. Are the stories legendary, or the creators involved? The answer is a little bit of both. The stated mandate of X-Men Legends as a series is to tell X-Men stories set in various classic eras of the characters’ long history, designed to stoke nostalgia for and featuring creators with a previous connection to the era in question. Furthermore, the tales are set between specific issues, and though they are “legendary,” Marvel assured fans that these stories “count” from a continuity perspective: they are not Elseworlds or What Ifs? or Imaginary Tales. Instead, these are stories meant to reveal new information about the past.
X-Men Legends Vol. 1: The Missing Links collects the first six issues of the twelve-issue miniseries, but as of this writing, the series’ eighth issue has been published, with the general plots and creative teams involved for the remaining four issues all announced. So let’s dig into the series thus far and see how well it meets its mandate as a vehicle for nostalgia, a celebration of beloved creators, and a reinterpretation of past continuity. [Read more…] about X-Men Legends Vol. 1 Review!
Between Three Hawkeyes: Adaptational Interpretations of the Avengers’ ‘Everyman’
“Say you have to kill the Avengers. Make a list. Who do you kill first? The regular guy.”
“Clint Barton’s the last man I’d call a ‘regular guy’.”
“Tell yourself that when he bleeds out in his precious little apartment in Brooklyn”
Clint Barton: The ‘Regular Guy’
Clinton Francis Barton, a.k.a Hawkeye, made his Marvel debut in 1964’s Tales of Suspense #57. Clint’s entrance into super-heroism was essentially an effort in trying to prove himself, combined with good intentions gone wrong. Upon witnessing the teched-out Iron Man save the day at the very circus he performs at, Clint becomes adamant that his talents in archery and swordsmanship could allow him to become a superhero too. Overnight, the teenage archer creates his own superhero persona -‘Hawkeye’- complete with a cowled costume and an array of hand-made trick arrows. Clint was ready to show the world that you didn’t have to be poisoned by Gamma or fitted with state-of-the-art technology to be a hero.
Unfortunately, Hawkeye’s first outing as a defender of justice goes awry when the police immediately mistake him for a jewel thief and he falls for the mysterious villain, the Black Widow. He does get to be an Avenger-eventually- but his identity as a hero has continued to be instructed by the fact that, as highly talented as he is, he will always experience the limitations and flaws that come with being a ‘regular’ human. [Read more…] about Between Three Hawkeyes: Adaptational Interpretations of the Avengers’ ‘Everyman’
Creannotators #67: “Strange Adventures” with artist Evan “Doc” Shaner!
This week on Creannotators, I talk Strange Adventures with artist Doc Shaner. We talk about his feelings towards DC’s Adam Strange, the unique approach of sharing pages with artist Mitch Gerads, and Doc’s love of Aquaman: King of Atlantis. Plus a bunch more!
Some spoilers for Strange Adventures follow!
On Comic Book Herald’s ‘Creannotators’ I’ll be interviewing some of my favorite creators in comics about specific runs, graphic novels or series, looking for their insights on the inspirations behind the work and ideas or hidden material readers may have missed. Creannotators is an audio annotative guide to enjoying the intricacies and thinking in the art. Thanks for listening, and enjoy the comics!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
[Read more…] about Creannotators #67: “Strange Adventures” with artist Evan “Doc” Shaner!