Why You Should Be Reading Pretty Deadly
I always have a hard time figuring out which new comics I want to pick up. There are some choices that are easy, sure – I already know that I’ll…
Disability and Representation: Or, the Barbara Gordon Conundrum
Here’s something you probably don’t know about me: I’m blind. I’m not completely without sight; with glasses and magnification, I see well enough to read and write. I get almost…
What Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Might Give Us
The newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is here: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had its one-hour premiere earlier this week, and it was a solid start to what I feel…
So What’s With Batwoman?: Why This Is Important
By now, you’ve probably heard about DC’s rather public PR nightmares from last week. One involved Harley Quinn and a dubious-at-best decision by DC editorial regarding soliciting artwork for an…
Deconstructing Comics: Why Deadpool is Different
There’s no one set format in which all comics are written. Things vary – sometimes wildly – from writer to writer, and from book to book. For instance, an author…
Expectations and Reality: Batman Incorporated
Even if you don’t read DC comics or are uninterested in the Batman family, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard of Batman Incorporated. The fourteen-issue series, which wrapped up…
Batman and the Batgirls (or, Bat Family Matters Redux)
Earlier this week, Eric took a look at how Bruce Wayne interacts with his sons and with Barbara Gordon. Today I’m going to do a similar thing, but instead of…
Comics Time Capsule: 1991 (Robin: A Hero Reborn)
It’s really interesting to think about how quickly the world changes around us. Whether we’re talking about popular culture, politics, or technology, things are constantly moving. The media produced during…
What (Else) Makes a Hero?
Last week I took a look at four superhero characters – Batman, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, and Starfire – and what made them decide to put on their costumes and…
What Makes a Hero?
Mainstream comics have traditionally featured superheroes or, more recently, anti-heroes. Whether it’s Batman, Starfire, Captain Marvel, or Iron Man, the characters that inhabit most of the comics published by the…
Comic Events and Consumer Affairs: Age of Ultron
Events and crossovers are a longstanding tradition in the world of comics. They provide a means of telling a larger story than can normally be told, and they give a…
Retelling Origins Without Erasing History: Teen Titans: Year One
I tend to read comics backwards. Well, not entirely, but usually I don’t start at the beginning and go on from there. For one, that’s a really intimidating number of…