And now, the conclusion of our grand list, picking up at the letter ‘S’! Continue reading “Greatest Comic Covers of All Time – Part 4”
Greatest Comic Covers of All Time – Part 4
Greatest Comic Covers of All Time – Part 3
Part 3 of our greatest covers list! Be sure to check out Parts 1 & 2, if you missed them! We pick up alphabetically at the letter “I”: Continue reading “Greatest Comic Covers of All Time – Part 3”
Greatest Comic Covers of All Time – Part 2
The list continues! In alphabetical order as before, not by any kind of ranking or preference. Check out Part 1 in case you missed it! Continue reading “Greatest Comic Covers of All Time – Part 2”
Greatest Comic Covers of All Time – Part 1
Alright alright alright, it’s time to showcase my choices for the best comic covers evah! I’m splitting this into however many columns it takes, and listing them alphabetically, not by preference. As always, these are just my opinion, and they are not ranked, as that would be too difficult to do. All art is subjective, but I think these choices really stand out for the following criteria: a) Is it iconic and memorable, b) Is it clever or unique to whichever character it belongs to, c) does it work specifically as a comic book cover in and of itself? I deliberately left out pieces that, while they were technically good art, were not saying anything specific about a character and could just be interchangeably found on any wall. The logo and trade dress is also taken into account; I tried to not count it against covers where it didn’t work, but when they works in tandem, it enhances the “kitschy” appeal immensely. I tried to not gravitate toward extreme minimalist covers (ie, the artist was lazy) that were mostly great due to a superior color choice- with a couple exceptions. And finally, I did not discount covers that were technically pin-ups with no narrative, as hey, a cool Spider-Man cover is still a cool cover! Please keep in mind that if your favorite is missing, all good art is in the eye of the beholder. And here… we… go! Continue reading “Greatest Comic Covers of All Time – Part 1”
Batman #50: “The Wedding”- NOT
So Batman #50 hit this week, and boy there were some unhappy people. I don’t care enough about whatever nonsense Tom King is doing to get worked up in the first place, but if I was invested in reading it, I’m sure I’d be pissed. Everyone on the face of the planet knows what happens by now, but just in case, “spoiler alert.” I say, much like a peeping tom, look at your own peril!
Continue reading “Batman #50: “The Wedding”- NOT”
Recent Comic Roundup: Teen Titans Special
Wanted to get a quick one out today (that’s what she said) and talk about some recent comic releases, something I haven’t really done thus far. Plus what’s coming up for the site next month. Here we go. Collectors be warned: You may actually want to pick up the seemingly pointless Teen Titans Special, in stores today. I have no idea if this issue will catch heat, depends on what in the issue actually sticks, but it could very well be a key moving forward. You have been warned… Continue reading “Recent Comic Roundup: Teen Titans Special”
Time’s Up: One More Look at Spider-Man’s One More Day
With Dan Slott’s monumental 10-year run on Amazing Spider-Man finally coming to an end this month, it’s a good time to look back at the event that kicked off this strange new era for Spider-Man, the immensely controversial and divisive “One More Day” anti-saga. In the Fall of 2007, Marvel serialized the storyline in Amazing Spider-Man #544-545, Friendly Neighborhood #24, and Sensational #41. Hyped for nearly a year, the exact details of the story were not made specific, but fans were aware it was going to accomplish three things: end J. Michael Straczynski’s tenure as writer of the flagship title, set up the new “thrice-monthly” shipping Brand New Day status quo, and somehow change Spider-Man’s world dramatically. Rumors were flying left and right, to the point where even the most naive fan went into the story arc aware that it was likely going to somehow result in the ending of the marriage between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. And end, it indeed did. Continue reading “Time’s Up: One More Look at Spider-Man’s One More Day”
Why Collecting Comics Matters To Us
To me, the reading of comics is inextricably linked to the collecting of them. There’s no separating the two. Now, I understand some might find that notion ridiculous; after all, going to the movies is not linked to saving movie tickets. It is, however, linked to buying Blu-rays or DVDs or digital copies of a film you like, and I think that comes from the sense of when you like something, you want to own a part of it, to stake your claim. I would describe it as leaving your mark, in some small way, to put out your opinion and hope it mattered in the grand scheme of things. To bring some kind of internal validation to yourself and calm the worry that you spent so much time with, essentially, all these piles of paper that ain’t gonna mean anything in the grand scheme of things. As Alan Moore says in Watchmen, “No meaning other than what we attach to it,” leaving us to create our own meaning and give items totemic symbolism, more or less. So I guess with comic collecting, it becomes about: why bother? How can it possibly be worth the effort, and matter at all? Continue reading “Why Collecting Comics Matters To Us”
Let the Crime Fit The Punisher: Analyzing the 2004 Film
Released in Spring 2004 to middling reviews, little fanfare and a lousy box office take, The Punisher is often seen as the red-headed stepchild of the Marvel films, not a good film by any measure but a distinctly vexing one, let down by a weak budget and an inexperienced director more so than being a complete fiasco. The tone, borrowed heavily from Garth Ennis’ seminal Marvel Knights run of stories, is wildly inconsistent, alternating between mean-spirited sadism and downright wacky slapstick comedy. Eventually, over-the-top ultraviolence and silliness overtake the sorry spectacle, and it’s remembered not as a high watermark in comic book film but a hiccup before Marvel Studios got their hand on the characters, and they started to actually get away from Avi Arad’s death grip. Still, there are many many things to analyze, most of which relate to the story and the choices made- some of them not good. Strap yourselves in folks, as we take a look at the very first (second I guess, if you count the Dolph Lundgren version) big screen adaptation of our favorite judge, jury and executioner rolled into one skull-faced package. Continue reading “Let the Crime Fit The Punisher: Analyzing the 2004 Film”
Carousel: The Circular Nature of Comic Books
In the first season finale episode of Mad Men, Jon Hamm’s dapper Don Draper is trying to sell a version of Kodak’s Carousel home slide projector, which was ostensibly a product in 1960. Making a pitch while he rifles through pictures of his family and himself in better times, Don delivers a monologue so moving that even hapless Harry Crane wheezes tearfully from the room. He narrates, “In Greek, nostalgia literally means pain; the pain from an old wound. It’s a twinge, in your heart. Far more powerful than memory alone. This device isn’t a spaceship, it’s a time machine. It goes backwards, forwards. It takes us to a place, where we ache to go again. It’s not called ‘The Wheel,’ it’s called ‘The Carousel.’ It lets us travel in the way a child travels. Round and round, and then back home again. To a place where we know- we are loved.” Continue reading “Carousel: The Circular Nature of Comic Books”