I’ve always felt underwhelmed by the magical landscapes of Marvel and DC. I grew up reading a lot of prose with deep and varied magical lore, and the Big 2’s versions of magic always felt weirdly half-baked and overly complex. DC has at least had some ambitious endeavors to explore the space – Books of Magic, Shadowpact, and Justice League Dark are all fairly modern attempts to flesh out this side of the universe. Marvel, on the other hand, has only really had James Robinson’s really rough Scarlet Witch and the Doctor Strange side of things in recent years. They’ve been in desperate need for something to shake that corner of their universe up for a long time. [Read more…] about Strange Academy Vol 1: First Class review!
Reviews
How to (Re)Read the Hickman Era of X-Men: Powers of X #1 Pt. 1
R. B. Silva’s stunningly beautiful cover to Powers of X #1 sets a high bar for things to come. Like Pepe Larraz, Silva is a master of deep textural designs and dynamic perspectives, ideal for the cinematic quality of the storytelling and Hickman’s penchant for cryptic symbols and motifs. But where Larraz’s line is more smoothly fluid, Silva’s is a bit more angular—a nice contrast for the interweaving titles. (Similar contrasts could be drawn between Alan Davis and Stuart Immonen—and that comparison to past masters is justified by the level these younger artists are working at.)
Related:
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The Old 52: “Gotham… is a mystery” – On Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman
Out of all of the New 52 launch titles, the only one to get close to its issue 52 without cancelation or new creative teams coming in was Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman (the final issue would be taken over by frequent collaborator, James Tynion IV). This 51 issue epic exploring the Dark Knight, the history of Gotham, and the inexplicability of the Joker ran the gambit of genres from post-apocalyptic nightmare to detective story. But at its heart was the story of Bruce Wayne and his impact on Gotham City. What follows is a retrospective of the run that highlights what it was, for good and ill.
“Something bad has come back to Gotham, Bruce.” [Read more…] about The Old 52: “Gotham… is a mystery” – On Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman
Thor and the Eternals: The Celestials Saga Review!
Roy Thomas’ run on Thor isn’t generally considered one of the all-time greats, but it sure is long, and this is where we start to see it all wrap up. Ending with #297, it goes out on a suitably bizarre note, with countless unresolved plot threads and more questions than when we first started reading.
Jack Kirby’s Eternals series ended only a year and change before this arc began, but it wasn’t the first time the Eternals made an appearance in the pages of Thor. In fact, the Eternals and the Celestials played a fairly large role in Roy Thomas’ run, and this edition recaps recent events involving our beloved demigods. The long and the short of it is that the Celestial Arishem has begun a fifty-year-long judgement of humanity that will wrap up sometime in the far-flung future of 2026. Considering how the last forty-five years have gone, the idea of a cosmic judge overseeing and evaluating us based on their merits sounds a bit horrifying, but we’ll see how the next five years go. Go easy on us, Celestials. [Read more…] about Thor and the Eternals: The Celestials Saga Review!
Don’t Turn the Page: The Horrors and Joys of Junji Ito
Greenlight Comics is a local comic book store in my home town of Adelaide, Australia, and it holds a very special place in my heart. Not only do I have a great many memories of exciting books and friendly conversations, but it was also the place that let me publish my very first reviews! It’s thanks to them that I’m able to speak to you today, and I’m incredibly grateful for that fact… but today, I want to bring particular attention to their business model.
Unlike many other LCS’s that I know of, Greenlight is particularly special in that it prides itself on how it prioritises independent and creator-owned books over the likes of Marvel and DC. While there is the usual superhero shelf, it’s hardly bigger than the shelves you might see on local creators, biographies, crime and LGBTQ content. In presenting itself like a bookstore, I’m able to find content I never would have read had I visited another store, like Barrier or Animus. Image tends to be what sells the most at their store, from bestsellers like Saga or The Black Monday Murders. It’d take a lot to outsell the entirety of that company at a store like Greenlight. It’d certainly be absurd to think all of Image’s sales numbers are overshadowed by a single man.
So, let’s talk about Junji Ito. [Read more…] about Don’t Turn the Page: The Horrors and Joys of Junji Ito