In my grand tradition of waiting much too long to read good comics, I didn’t read the new X-Force by Si Spurrier and Rock-He Kim until late last month. It’s ridiculously enjoyable, with a cast that features a non-fetishized Psylocke, strong representation of LGBTQ people, and deeply flawed characters. The members of X-Force are hot-tempered,…
Nine Worlds: Days 2&3
Saturday/Sunday: Life is not non-stop suffering and the meanness of white people My second day at Nine Worlds began with a very well-attended debate between several writers – including Joanne Harris, author of The Gospel of Loki – over which was better: dragons, werewolves, vampires, or warlocks. Topics covered included each species’ body odor, fashion…
Review: Judge Dredd Mega-City Two: City of Courts
Judge Dredd Mega-City Two: City of Courts (TPB) Douglas Wolk (W) Ulises Farinas (A) IDW Judge Dredd Mega-City Two: City of Courts does what so many other Dredd stories have done—take Dredd, stick him somewhere that isn’t Mega-City One, and watch the culture shock unfold—but with panache and a firsthand cultural understanding that make it…
Nine Worlds Diary: Day 1
This past weekend was full of thoughtful analysis, lovely people, and cheesy dance moves. Ideally that’s what all my weekends would be like, but this particular one was spent at Nine Worlds Geekfest in London. Nine Worlds is distinct for its focus on inclusivity and exploring the relationships between geek media and its fans. As…
Game of Thrones to Add Two Women of Colour to Cast Next Season
The announcements coming out of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con were, as usual, a barrage of news about movies, TV—oh, and comics too. One of the most exciting announcements was that in Season 5 of Game of Thrones, two of Oberyn Martell’s daughters will be played by Jessica Henwick and Keisha Castle-Hughes.
My Week in Comics Events, Part 2: Party Time
Long before it hit the shops, everyone was talking about Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s new Image Comics series The Wicked + The Divine, about gods who incarnate into the bodies of teenagers and become pop stars for two years before dying. It’s mortality, youth, fame, glamour, and myth all wrapped up into one stylish…
My Week in Comics Events, Part 1: (Super)Hero with 1000 Faces
Last week Monday, I attended the (Super)Hero with 1000 Faces event at the British Library. The event was associated with the Library’s Comics Unmasked exhibit, which focuses on themes of rebellion and anarchy in British comics. The lineup was a mix of academics and creative professionals: Drs. Sarah Zaidan and Will Brooker in the first…
Judge Anderson Makes Her IDW Debut
This August, IDW will expand its Judge Dredd universe with upcoming series Judge Anderson: Psi-Division, which chronicles the early adventures of Mega-City One’s favorite telepathic Judge. Written by 2000AD editor Matt Smith with Carl Critchlow on art, the series takes place before IDW’s main Judge Dredd title. The first story arc, “King of the Six…
Alan Grant On His New Black Hearted Press Book, with John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra
Exciting news out of Glasgow, where independent comics publisher Black Hearted Press has announced an upcoming comic by creators John Wagner, Alan Grant, and Carlos Ezquerra. The first official details will be released at this year’s Glasgow Comic Con in July, and the comic is scheduled for publication in July 2015. I was lucky enough…
Accent Status, A Review of the Constantine Trailer
As a Hellblazer reader with very strong opinions about adaptations, I wasn’t planning to watch the trailer for NBC’s upcoming Constantine. However, the reactions to it across my social media networks were pretty positive, so I thought I should give it a chance. Immediate reactions to the trailer, in real time: If this is set…
FCBD Review: DC Comics
Future’s End #0, by Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens, Keith Giffen, Ethan Van Sciver, Patrick Zircher, Aaron Lopresti & Art Thibert, Dan Jurgens & Mark Irwin, and Jesus Merino & Dan Green “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.” And then imagine someone…
Disenchanted with the Urban Experience: An Interview with Si Spurrier
As a performance storyteller, I have a soft spot for comics that bring mythology into the present day–such as the urban fantasy webcomic Disenchanted, which focuses on creatures from European folklore living in the 21st century. I asked Disenchanted author Si Spurrier about the uses of folklore in his work, writing for digital vs. print…