Pastiche Perspective is a new monthly column taking a look at pastiches of popular works, ideas, and characters in pop culture, and how they reflect back on their roots. We’re going to be exploring various works, from superheroes to superspies, and more! This first installment kicks off by taking a look at Barbalien: Red Planet by Tate Brombal, Gabriel Walta, Jordie Bellaire, and Aditya Bidikar. Part of the Black Hammer-verse owned and curated by Jeff Lemire, the mini-series explores its titular character, who is an explicit pastiche of DC Comics’ classic Martian Manhunter. [Read more…] about Pastiche Perspective: Barbalien and The Mechanics Of The Martian Manhunter
Reviews
The Old 52: DC’s New 52 10 Years Later – The Launch and What Went Okay
As with all major line-wide relaunches, the New 52 had plenty of books that filled out some gaps without really feeling innovative or must-read. Not everything can be a classic, and these kinds of stories serve as a baseline for the publisher. What’s fascinating about a lot of these books, though, is that they’re not just forgettable or unremarkable. No, a lot of these books took risks in their own way, even if they didn’t pay off as successfully as the creators or readers would have liked. Oftentimes these books are the ones most emblematic of a relaunch – which can’t be defined by its worst or its best offerings; it needs to be defined by the average of what it puts out. [Read more…] about The Old 52: DC’s New 52 10 Years Later – The Launch and What Went Okay
Loki: God Who Fell to Earth Review!
Marvel’s Loki deserves so much more.
To understand why I say this, it is important to know how I was introduced to the character in the comics. I had originally met Loki as a guilt ridden yet mischievous Kid Loki in Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s Young Avengers. Loki became one of my favorite characters because they were a fun “Stepford Smiler,” someone who cracked jokes and smiled while hiding immense personal issues.
In Young Avengers, Loki magically grew older and was slightly wiser by the end of the series. From there, I followed Loki to their solo series Agent of Asgard where Loki truly came into their own as a character. Learning that Loki’s character development appeared to be retconned after Agent of Asgard made me unwilling to read more until I learned about Loki: The God Who Fell To Earth. [Read more…] about Loki: God Who Fell to Earth Review!
The Great Pretenders: Regarding Wanda | A Look at the Character of the Scarlet Witch
Do you believe in magic in a young girl’s heart
How the music can free her whenever it starts? (…)
I’ll tell you about the magic, and it’ll free your soul (…)
If you believe in magic, don’t bother to choose
The Lovin’ Spoonful
Do You Believe in Magic
For decades, the Scarlet Witch has been an enigmatic character. Her “hex powers” have made stories more interesting, her life is filled with drama, and she has got hands-down the best of Jack Kirby’s “weird headgear and stage performer” aesthetics going. But she’s also been a runaway powerhouse, smashing through the Marvel universe, its laws, and her own good-will with fans. She’s a character that can do seemingly anything… so why is it these pitfalls happen? Why can’t Scarlet Witch’s character get out of this madness-shame-power-up pattern? And how could it be fixed?
We’ll take a deep-dive into Wanda and find out. I’ll be citing my references, but fans may still want to take a crack at our reading order for the Scarlet Witch before we begin. [Read more…] about The Great Pretenders: Regarding Wanda | A Look at the Character of the Scarlet Witch
Black Panther: Panther’s Prey Epic Collection Review!
The Black Panther franchise has seen its popularity soar since the cinematic adaptation hit theaters in 2018. The newest installment into the Epic Collection, Panther’s Prey revisits Don Mcgregor’s 1988 work of the same name, Panther’s Quest (Marvel Present #13-#37) and the spackling of Black Panther micro appearances in SOLO Avenger’s #1, Marvel Fanfare (1982 #60) and Fantastic Four Unlimited #1. After Panther’s Quest, the collection features Black Panther in a series of standalone appearances. In The Vanities of Philip Whitehead, Black Panther teams up with Hawkeye against Plant Man.
Don McGregor and Billy Graham are partially responsible for Black Panther’s ascension to the mainstream masses at a time where most superheroes were white men. Billy Graham had previously worked on Luke Cage, and McGregor was one of the few writers of his day who had an interest in telling a great Black Panther story, so when the two met it was a match made in Wakandan heaven. The two created the now legendary Jungle Action series, which delved into T’Challa’s life more than any other series had done at the time. [Read more…] about Black Panther: Panther’s Prey Epic Collection Review!