Dejah Thoris #1 Frank J. Barbiere (writer) , Francesco Manna (art), NEN (cover) Dynamite Comics February 2016 A review copy of this publication was provided by the publisher.
Tuskegee Heirs: A Thing I Can Get Behind (And Did)
A little over a month ago, WWAC posted an interview with Tuskegee Heirs creators Greg Burnham and Marcus Williams. They hadn’t launched their Kickstarter yet, and the concept was still more concept than product, but the two were more than willing to share about their vision, their goals, and their inspiration. After a nice push on social…
Review: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Issue #0
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #0 Kyle Higgins (Writer), Hendry Prasetya (Illustrator), Matt Herms (Colourist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer) for BOOM! January 13, 2016 I’m going to make something very clear first and foremost: I love Power Rangers. Maybe a little too much. I’ve been a fan since the very beginning—Saban’s Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers—as a fresh-faced chubby kindergartener,…
Fashion Comics! Fashion SUPERHEROINE Comics? Let’s Talk About This
The world of fashion isn’t always one explored in superhero comics, but recently many writers and artists are changing that. Whether it’s designing and sewing superhero (or supervillain!) costumes, or juggling fighting crime and working in fashion, comics are exploring the industry and mechanics of garmentry. We looked at Scarlett Couture from Titan (previously covered by Wendy), Heroine Chic,…
The Truth is Out There: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
There was a moment during The X-Files season ten premiere that made me sit up and cheer. It wasn’t seeing Mulder or Scully’s face again after all these years. It wasn’t about seeing an alien space ship crash, or an alien autopsy. The moment didn’t include explosions or romantic tension between our beloved protagonists. It…
Taboo Connection and Comics as Relics: The Staring Contest, Issue #1
When desirous of a means of getting insight into a person’s mindset and where they are any given point in time, I’ve always thought it would be a good idea to go through their journal. The taboo nature of going through someone’s recounting of their day and their innermost thoughts and desires relative to it. The only electronic text…
I Am Curious (Publishers): Lois Lane, Reprints, and Unintentional Ignorance
The phrase “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” isn’t something that most people take literally, on their path to understanding the harsh realities of life that another person can face due to systematic oppression. Unfortunately, in November 1970, the creative team on Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane (writer Robert Kanigher, artist Werner Roth, and inker Vince…
Feminism and Realism in John Allison’s Giant Days
Amongst the barrage of “best of” comics lists that closed out 2015, I was delighted to see John Allison’s Giant Days pop up in multiple places. The comic follows three friends—Esther De Groot, Susan Ptolemy, and Daisy Wooton—as they navigate their emotionally and academically tumultuous first year of university (a.k.a. college, for the Americans like…
The Force Awakens Awareness: On Movie Viewing, Spoilers, and Privilege
It is no secret that Star Wars fans have been excited about StarWars: The Force Awakens (SWTFA) for months since its announcement, only getting increasingly worked up from the moment we saw Harrison Ford’s crooked smile and heard him say, “Chewie, we’re home,” to reaching a fever pitch when the film opened in the US in mid-December.
“Educated into our freedom” – What We Talk About When We Talk About Charlie Hebdo
In the wake of Charlie Hebdo’s latest insult to people of color, The Comics Grid asked if I’d be interested in writing a commentary piece on the event. The end product was something more intensely personal than I expected—and not really in keeping with their academic tone (an assessment on my part, which led me…
Why I Game: I Tell You All The Time
Why do I game? The answer is basic. It’s because of my circumstances. I’m a human being. Therefore, I play.
Blood and Glitter: A Book of Art, Perspective, and Choices
“I don’t go into a session intending to make any kind of statement. I’m looking for the mysterious, how to explore the unique enigma of the situation. I think photography is as much about concealing as it is about revealing. The resolution lies in the art of freezing. The thrill is to seize the magic…