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The Best Darth Vader Comics!

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The Star Wars comic book universe has spanned many decades (actually debuting right before A New Hope hit the theaters in 1977). The books have gone from canon to extended universe and back again, switched publishers multiple times, and often been mostly forgotten by fans of the films. Still, there are a heck of a lot of Star Wars comics that are easily on par with the films, and, with the exception of a few times during which the franchise lost its direction, there have always been great Star Wars comics.

Some Star Wars heroes and villains specifically benefit from their comic book counterparts receiving greater focus than the movies could allow, and one of those characters is Darth Vader. Despite his heavy focus in the films and The Clone Wars TV series, there are always going to be questions left unanswered when it comes to our tempestuous Anakin Skywalker. The comics delve further into his background, but perhaps more importantly, there are a whole lot of issues where he is fully the terrifying force of destruction we saw in the films. In the fleshing-out of his story, Vader only becomes more villainous. [Read more…] about The Best Darth Vader Comics!

How to (Re)Read the Hickman Era of X-Men: Powers of X #4, Year One

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I. Something Sinister This Way Comes

A. Is Something Sinister Staring Us in the Face?

POX4 cover

On a first read, R.B. Silva’s dramatic POX 4 cover doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the contents of the issue, as if this cool picture he just happened to draw was too good not to be one of the covers.

Something random about HOX/POX?! Perish the thought.

Related:

Hickman X-Men Reading Order

Krakin’ Krakoa!

More in this series!

[Read more…] about How to (Re)Read the Hickman Era of X-Men: Powers of X #4, Year One

The Old 52 – Heavy is the Head: The Influence of The New 52 on Aquaman

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When you talk about Aquaman at any length, there’s always a certain conversation that hangs in the background: that of his relevance. For years, he was the butt of jokes, the man who talked to fish, the “also attended” of the Justice League. Despite numerous reinventions, despite his role as a founding member of the Justice League, the image of Aquaman in the public consciousness remained that of a spandex-clad seahorse riding buffoon. That stigma surrounding the character remains to this day, a permanent mark on the cultural zeitgeist that, in all honesty, will probably never truly go away. What I find fascinating about Aquaman, however, is that he exists as a part of a duality. You have your Super Friends incarnation, sure, but there is simultaneously a vision of the extreme that can ultimately be traced to Peter David’s post-Crisis treatment of the character. While directly at odds with the former “softer” interpretation, this rough-around-the-edges outlaw incarnation has carved its own space in the minds of the general audience, coexisting in an endless push and pull for cultural relevance. [Read more…] about The Old 52 – Heavy is the Head: The Influence of The New 52 on Aquaman

Creannotators #44: “Thirsty Mermaids” Interview With Creator Kat Leyh!

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This week on Creannotators, I talk with Kat Leyh about Thirsty Mermaids. We talk about creating graphic novels vs. single issue comics, creating Thirsty Mermaids right after the release of Snapdragon, and much more!

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!

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X-Force: Zero Tolerance Collects X-Force’s Road Trip Years

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X-Force #70, written by John Francis Moore, art by Adam Pollina, Mark Morales, and Marie Javins, lettering by Richard Starkings

Often referred to as “the road trip era” of X-Force, X-Force: Zero Tolerance recollects the team’s relatively minor role in the Zero Tolerance conflict. Perhaps more importantly, it also rounds up the period during which its members quit the team and rode off on a doomed road trip where they made questionable romantic decisions, hitchhiked with the literal Scooby Gang, and got attacked by Selene at Burning Man. All very regular things that many of us do in our twenties when we’re trying to figure stuff out.

For better or worse, X-Force was one of the X-Books that defined the ’90s, and not just within Marvel. Characters like Cable were at the forefront of mainstream comics, but as the decade wore on, interest (and sales) waned. Writer John Francis Moore spent over thirty issues working on X-Force, and characters that generally didn’t get a lot of attention underwent a great deal of growth during his run. The changes they experienced were many, not the least of which was saying goodbye to Cable and figuring out how to be heroes on their own terms. Market fatigue was certainly a major factor for late ’90s X-Books, but though sales nearly halved during this run, it holds up surprisingly well today.

Collects: X-Force #67-84 and #-1 [Read more…] about X-Force: Zero Tolerance Collects X-Force’s Road Trip Years