It’s easy to be cynical about pop culture references in dialogue. It’s easy, and often enough, it’s fair. I don’t much need to explain why. What I do want to consider is an example of the opposite, when a pop culture reference in a piece of written dialogue becomes intensely concentrated communication, contextually useful and…
Blade of the Immortal: Brutally Beautiful
Blade of the Immortal Omnibus V Hiroaki Samura (Art and Story), Dana Lewis & Toren Smith (Translation and English adaptation), Tomoko Saito (Lettering and Retouch) Dark Horse Manga 27 March 2018 Blade of the Immortal began its manga run in 1993, finally finishing in 2012. During this nearly 20 year run, it spawned one anime…
Comic Book Name Game: Week Three
It’s the Year of the Knockoff here at WWAC, and to illustrate just how samey comic book characters have been, I’m going to chain together all of their names, using an element of the last one to pick the next one. I’ll also mention their other name(s) and where they’re “from.” For the sake of…
Just Say No: Jersey Shore’s Awkward Situation
The Situation #1 Paul Jenkins (writer), Talent Caldwell (artist), Paul Mounts (colorist), Bill Tortolini (letterer) Wizard World July 2012 Some days you wander Comixology, only to come across an undiscovered gem of a comic, and the heavens shine down on you. Other days, you find The Situation.
Thorgal: A Folk Metal Song in Pictoral Form
Thorgal Jean Van Hamme (writer), Grzegorz Rosiński (illustrator) Cinebook Thorgal is a silly name. It doesn’t inspire confidence. The art is what attracted me to reviewing this classic European series—one that still goes on today, albeit with writers changed out. Grzegorz Rosiński’s art is extraordinarily well-composed, to the point of being cinematic. Scouring the pages was…
Mermaid Project: Whiteness and Capitalism in a Soft Cyberpunk Murder Mystery
Mermaid Project Volume 1 Leo & Fred Simon & Corine Jamar, Europe Comics, izneo.com IZNEO HAS PROVIDED WWAC WITH A VIP ACCESS PASS. Mermaid Project tracks a young woman trying to prove herself as a detective in the Paris of the near future. She becomes unexpectedly linked to an international, industrial scandal and is sent to America…
Eternal: A Beautiful and Savage Viking Tale
Eternal Ryan K Lindsay (Writer), Eric Zawadzki (Artist), Dee Cunniffe (Colours) Black Mask Studios 29 January, 2018 The Viking village of Hvallatr no longer has any men. Shieldmaiden Vif has gathered a group of strong female warriors, and together, they protect their village against hordes of invaders. Their greatest enemy, however, is Bjarte, a magician…
Quickstep, Tango, Foxtrot: Let’s Dance a Waltz
Let’s Dance a Waltz, Volumes 1-3 Natsumi Ando (story and art) Kodansha April/June/August 2015 There’s a romance inherent in the flowing dresses, crisp tuxedos, intricate footwork, sweeping turns, and bright-eyed smiles of ballroom dance. This makes it a perfect partner for a love story, even (especially?) when the dancers are teenagers, and Let’s Dance a…
Treasures in the Vault: the Women In Front Covers Initiative
If you don’t know about it already, Vault Comics is an up and coming indie comics publisher that Women Write About Comics has covered several times. Vault Comics, or Vault, is a privately owned independent comics publisher founded in 2016 by two ambitious and enthusiastic brothers, Damian and Adrian Wassel. They partnered with Art Director Nathan…
