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
Marvel Comics
X-Men Reload Era Review: Mutants in Grant Morrison’s Shadow
In the build to Jonathan Hickman’s takeover as Head of X, Marvel lauded four cornerstones in X-Men history that delivered the kind of imminent change House of X / Powers of X promised: 1975’s Giant-Sized X-Men #1, 1991’s X-Men #1, 1995’s Age of Apocalypse, and 2001’s New X-Men. Not only is 2001 the most recent comparison, but Grant Morrison’s takeover of the X-Men franchise was undoubtedly the most similar in terms of creator star power and uncompromised vision for changing Marvel’s merry mutants. [Read more…] about X-Men Reload Era Review: Mutants in Grant Morrison’s Shadow
X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills — The Extended Edition Review!
God Loves, Man Kills is a well that’s hard to return to. This doesn’t stop it from happening, however.
The most successful of these returns, 2003’s X2: X-Men United
Even it took liberties with the material, but this is to be expected. [Read more…] about X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills — The Extended Edition Review!
The Essential Galactus Reading Order!
I’ve been thinking about it for a hot ten minutes now, and you’d be hardpressed to find a more famous hungry character than Galactus. The cosmic planet eater created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee is right up there with Scooby and Shaggy, Kobayashi, and Garfield for famous personas revolving around eating.
Of course, Galactus has plenty more going for him, starring in arguably the first Marvel Comics event, and functioning as the center of the entire Marvel Cosmic universe for decades since the Silver Age. Galactus inevitably brings a presence – and yes, a hunger – to any story, enhancing the stakes and consistently taking traditional “beat ’em up!” solutions off the table. [Read more…] about The Essential Galactus Reading Order!
Should You Read Jack Kirby’s Eternals Before The MCU Movie?
The Eternals – written, drawn, and edited by Jack Kirby beginning in 1976 – is visually stunning, a bombastic treat loaded up with the King’s singular creativity. For 20 issues (including one Annual), Kirby and his collaborators – John Verpoorten on inks and letterers Gaspar Saladino, John Costanza, and Irv Watanabe handling the first four issues, Mike Royer taking over both for the rest of the series, and Glynis Wein neé Oliver supplying colors throughout – have assembled a fun, if inconsistent, comic book epic that practically rattles with potential. The new Eternals: Complete Collection is worth a read, though best when taken on its own terms. [Read more…] about Should You Read Jack Kirby’s Eternals Before The MCU Movie?