A Comic Book Reading Order Guide For Beginners & Fans
Editor’s Note: Tarot Readings are a major thematic and stylistic component of the 2020 X-Men comics event, X of Swords. Since it’s not a field I know, I’m excited to bring in a specialist to provide unique readings based in the Tarot connections of the story. We’ll be running these Tarot examinations following each of the event’s 22 parts. Enjoy!
Chapter 9 in X of Swords, Excalibur #13
There’s a darkness spreading out from the heart of America. A darkness that finds its roots in the past, but whose evils are a reminder of our present suffering. It’s a darkness that Swamp Thing will discover for himself, even as he learns truths that will reshape his entire world.
Alan Moore’s run on Swamp Thing from 1984 through 1987 redefined the title as a modern existential classic that touched everything from the nature of identity to the legacy of comic books. From the internal reformation of “The Anatomy Lesson” to the cosmic love of “Rite of Spring,” the first half of Moore’s Swamp Thing run is intensely focused on the creature who once thought himself to be Alec Holland gaining a greater understanding of his true self and finding love with longtime friend Abigail Arcane. It’s a series of stories that slowly push into the mystical nature of reality and consciousness, and it’s that mysticism that violently collides with modern societal issues in a 14-issue arc known as “American Gothic
This week on Creannotators, I talked with novelist and comics writer Victor LaValle about his Boom Studios work on Destroyer, a modern sequel to Frankenstein! We talk about writing for comics vs. novels, upcoming comics work from LaValle, and the increasing social relevance of Destroyer among many other topics.
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/visual annotative guide to enjoying the intricacies and thinking in the art. Thanks for listening, and enjoy the comics!
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[Read more…] about Creannotators #22: Victor LaValle’s Destroyer Interview!Zack & Dave cover your questions, poll results, and recap the Marvel Comics of 1987 parts 1 & 2!
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[Read more…] about Marvel Year Twenty-Six: 1987 Variant Cover AWhen asked about great Black Widow stories, it’s easy for even a lot of her longtime fans to find themselves at a loss. Yes, there have been many great stories featuring Black Widow, but they tend to appear in fragments, across the greater Marvel Universe. Though Marvel has made it more of a point in recent years to write exciting new sagas for our beloved spy, it doesn’t change the fact that there were entire decades during which Natasha was more or less regulated to her position as a supporting character.
Still, even in relatively minor roles, Natasha is the kind of protagonist that makes a big splash. Her time as an elusive double agent is as much fun to read as her days with the Avengers, and she has remained fascinating over time precisely because of her mystery rather than in spite of it. We’re a lot happier now that there are whole series dedicated to the Widow’s lore, but we can’t deny that even on her worst day, she was always a heck of a lot of fun to read. Marvel is releasing a collection of some of her 1990s OGN team-ups and there’s no time like the present to revisit them. [Read more…] about Are Black Widow’s 1990’s Graphic Novels Worth It?