Welcome to the non-negative Year of the Knockoff on Women Write about Comics! Long ago in the wilds of October 2016, I wrote a guest post for the American Studies blog that discussed how Gene Luen Yang’s 2014 graphic novel The Shadow Hero seems like a rhetorical successor to Superman, particularly because its hero, Hank,…
Be Exceptional: Erik Larsen’s Savage Dragon #1-3
Erik Larsen’s Savage Dragon #1-3 was a 1992 miniseries that served to launch Larsen’s cartoonist career under the brand-new Image banner. Already a professional, having worked on various indies and as a penciller (and even cartooned Spider-Man) at Marvel, his “Dragon” was also previously “established” in 80s indie publications Graphic Fantasy and Megaton. Larsen takes great…
Can Panel Syndicate Sustain Their Idyllic Publishing Model?
For those who may not know, Panel Syndicate is burgeoning digital, online-only comics publisher that was founded by Marcos Martin (The Amazing Spider-Man, Daredevil) and Brian K. Vaughan (Saga, Paper Girls) in 2013. The idea behind this new comics publisher was to run things differently in a number of ways, not only for creators but…
The Archies #3: Chvches Help Archie “Bury It”
The Archies #3 Alex Segura and Matt Rosenberg (Writers), Joe Eisma, Matt Herms, Jack Morelli (Artists) Archie Comics December 13, 2017 As you can tell by the cover, the Scottish band Chvrches guest stars in this issue. I’ll admit that this was my main reason for reading it. I love Chvrches. They are one of…
Long Lost Issue #3 Offers Ritual Horror
Long Lost #3 Matthew Erman (Writer), Lisa Sterle (Artist) Scout Comics January 31, 2018 Reviewing each issue of Long Lost is making me think more deeply about horror than I usually do. Issue #1 made me think of the importance of character, while issue #2 made me think on confinement and dread. Issue #3 was…
Monthly Marvel Muster: Ring Out the Dead Year
Hello, I’m back with a backward-looking edition of Monthly Marvel Muster. This month I have a look at how Marvel chose to close out 2017, as well as a note about some of what to expect in 2018. It continues to be a slow turnover period for Marvel’s ongoing series right now. December brought one…
VIZWATCH: New Viz Manga in Early 2018
Happy holidays ya nerds! Here’s what I read from VIZ for the last half of November through December and January. Sorry this is so late! Life juiced lemons into my eyeballs for a few weeks and here we are.
Mech Cadet Yu Inspires and Entertains
Mech Cadet Yu is an homage to any manga where big robots fight bigger danger, a heartening story about friendship, and a glimpse into writer Greg Pak’s inspirations as a creator. I’m excited to go along for the ride.
Abbott #1: Know Her Name
Abbott #1 Saladin Ahmed (Writer), Sami Kivela (Artist) and Taj Tenfold (Cover Artist) Boom! Studios January 24, 2018 I’m a fan of the Lois Lane type (and the character who inspired it): a woman determined to get to the truth, do exceptionally well at her job, and knows she’s good at what she does. So saying that…
The Wedding Issue: Apollo and Midnighter
Aside from “Who would win in a fight?”, no debate gets comic fans more heated than the question of whether or not superheroes should marry. In this mini-feature, former Bride Rebecca Henely-Weiss and Bride-to-Be Kayleigh Hearn take a trip down memory lane to the most significant times comic companies took the plunge and got their…
Rosie Brand’s Wizard + Soft Pig Get Bound Up in ShortBox
ShortBox is an expertly curated quarterly box of independent comics and art from international creators selected by Zainab Akhtar, a.k.a. Comics & Cola. ShortBox #7 includes Rosie Brand, a UK artist based in Los Angeles. She’s an illustrator, ceramicist, and comic artist, and she’s also currently an artist in residence at Project Art in LA….
Hire This Hero: Whither Wander’d Wolverine?
Have you ever wished a certain superhero was on hand to help with a very specific task that they were perfectly suited for, only to have that hero be unavailable? Well, you’re in luck! Welcome to the first installment of HIRE THIS HERO, where we here at WWAC scour superhero employment records to find you…
