Star Wars Adventures: Forces of Destiny – Princess Leia Elsa Charretier (Writer and Artist). Pierrick Colinet (Writer), Sarah Stern (Colourer), Tom B. Long (Letterer) IDW January 3, 2018 Since 2015, we have had the pleasure of receiving a new Star Wars film every year. This is exciting for established fans who now not only have…
WWE Royal Rumble #1: Gettin’ Pretty Weird in this Station Wagon, YEAHHH!
WWE’s Royal Rumble match is a major yearly event, heralded as “The Beginning of the Road To Wrestlemania.” The match itself is massive: 30 participants, two starting the match, and the other 28 entering at 90 second intervals (give or take). The goal is to be the last person standing after everyone else has been…
I Guess We Still Need to Talk About Chris
This is a late, technical rebuttal: Chris Sims was never accused of sexual harassment by Valerie D’Orazio. I wrote the bulk of this piece soon after this Mary Sue piece re-lit the fuse on the old Catherine wheel and then forgot about it under the pressure of the season. Emma Houxbois, contacting me prior to…
The Comic Book History of Comics #1: Fun, Detailed but Limited
The Comic Book History of Comics: Comics For All #1 Fred Van Lente (Writer and Letters), Ryan Dunlavey (Artist), Adam Guzowski (Colours) IDW December 20, 2017 We all know the term “graphic novel.” Most of us have graphic novels on our bookshelves. But where did this term originate? How did comic strips lead to comic…
Next on Comics: Resolutions to Take Your Comics Inclusivity to the Next Level in 2018
Everywhere you turn, there seem to be new diverse characters, more diverse creators and more diverse stories. It’s a good start, but we want more! We need more. Let’s keep the momentum going by resolving to push the industry forward in 2018. Recruit your comics reading friends to do the same! Read, read, read! Read…
Go Ahead, Skip the Origin Stories
Action Comics #1 gets Superman’s origin story and “a scientific explanation of Clark Kent’s amazing strength” out of the way on the very first page, and the rest of the issue is devoted to his activities as a grown-up “champion of the the oppressed.” Though obviously his childhood with the Kents, and his infancy on…
Misfit City Is My Favorite New Series from BOOM! Box
Misfit City Kerstin “Kiwi” Smith (writer), Kurt Lustgarten (writer), Naomi Franquiz (artist), Brittany Peer (colorist), Jim Campbell (letterer) BOOM! Box, an imprint of BOOM! Studios Misfit City is my favorite new series from BOOM! Box. The story focuses on a small group of teen girls in a coastal Oregon town made famous by an ‘80’s…
Yoko Tsuno is a Heroine On the Edge
Yoko Tsuno: On the Edge of Life Roger Leloup (Writer and Artist) Cinebook August 16, 2007 There is something special about Franco-Belgian comics from the 1970s. The comics of Spirou Magazine, Tintin, and Pilote solidified the dominance of Franco-Belgian comics into the modern era. Large format, long-form narrative storytelling, complex characters, and clean, clear artistic…
Women Making Comics: Melina Chavarria and Jean Marie Pilario talk Creating Positive Latinx Representation in Comics
Comics have long been (incorrectly) seen as the realm of homogeneous white male creators. It’s not that marginalized creators haven’t always been making incredible comics, but that they have been exactly that: marginalized. Whether it’s the lack of representation in Big Two comics—Marvel infamously didn’t hire a black woman to write a single comic until…
The Perfect Squirrel Girl Shirt And Other Stories
It’s gift-guide season, and all through the house, we’ve got presents wrapping while we scream “what else??” The listicles listing the things we could buy make us ponder and wonder and start to ask why— Is it worth it to buy things all branded and fine? Are Pop Vinyls worth much when they lose Christmas…
BOOM! Bar: Every Detail Covered
Eight offerings from BOOM! this week—three licensed, five creator-owned. Of the licenses, only one (Adventure Time/Regular Show #5 of a six-issue mini from KaBOOM!) is a single issue; Planet of the Apes Archive and Sons of Anarchy (both BOOM! Studios) both see their volumes two, with the former being in hardcover and the latter soft….
Monthly Marvel Muster: Building A Legacy
Welcome once again to Monthly Marvel Muster… or bi-monthly Marvel Muster, as the case may be. My November was a trash fire, but I’m back now with two months of Marvel news and reviews all at once [Thank goodness! —Ed.]. A lot happened in the last two months. Marvel Legacy is now in full swing,…
