When Marvel presented its Milo Manara variant cover to Spiderwoman #1, the internet exploded with people condemning both Marvel and the artist for the unnecessary sexualization of the character. The defenders of Manara’s work argue that you can find similar poses at a yoga studio or complain that male superheroes are sexualized, too. Some of…
The Apocalypse Isn’t The End of the World: Ragnarök and Reading Comics Narratives
After the initial media head-scratching about the announced title “Thor 3: Ragnarok,” people have latched on to the idea that the 2016 Thor movie will be about the end of the world. As a religion scholar, I have a hundred things to say about this! I’ll give you a few pointers for watching the end…
Marvel’s Driving Me Nuts With “Unbeatable Squirrel Girl” Ongoing
Sigh. I knew that name trademark was leading to something. Marvel’s announced an ongoing comic book series for joke superheroine Squirrel Girl. They’ve deigned to bestow the adjective of “Unbeatable” preceding her name. It will be written by Ryan North of Dinosaur Comics, Adventure Time, and The Midas Flesh, while it will be illustrated by…
Sequential Sartorial: The Wardrobe of Colleen Wing
Sequential Sartorial! It’s gonna be a new thing! Talking about costume design in comics: GOOD costume design. This week: Colleen Wing, 2006. First things first: does anybody want my copy of Daughters of the Dragon, trade number one (“Samurai Bullets”)? Pay the postage and it’s yours. I don’t need it in my house; it’s a…
Katherine Tanski’s Teaching Comics Part 2: The Amazing Spider-Man
This is part two of my retrospective/nostalgia journey through my time as a graduate student teaching comics in the “early days.” Part one, my love letter to Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics can be found here.
Review: Storm #3
Storm #3 Greg Pak (W) Scott Hepburn & David Baldeon (A) Marvel Comics Release date: September 24, 2014 As a lifelong Storm fan, I was admittedly more than a little worried to see that Forge would be the next person out of Ororo’s past that she encountered in only the third issue of her comic. Greg…
Crafting Geeky: Clench Up Legolas
If you know me (heck, even if you don’t), you know I love all things Hawk. My obsession with Hawkeye in particular began at my very first con, Emerald City 2010. I met Chris Giarrusso, picked up his Mini Marvels, and instantly fell in love. The portrayal was a character that everyone else forgot about…
Mighty Marvel Monday: Too Much Deadpool
This Marvel Monday is being written from a train! I am on my way home from a trip to Boston, so you get to enjoy some news composed while gazing out at the scenic backs of factories and vacant lots as I criss-cross this great nation the American way — on Amtrak, with significant delays!…
The Best at Being You: Mental Health, Self-Image, and X-Force
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,…
Queer Comics Panel At BCC
Whether you’re representing women or LGBTQ or any other minority in comics, there’s a lot of similarity in the issues. The Queer Comics panel at Boston Comic Con covered lots of ground including the progress being made in the mainstream, writing characters you don’t know, and encouraging more characters.
Staff Picks: September Comics
Madame Frankenstein #5 Jamie S. Rich, Megan Levens Image Comics We’re reaching the climax of this seven-issue miniseries, a reimagining of the Frankenstein story with a feminine perspective, set in the early 1930s. Levens’ black and white art is gorgeous and lively, and Rich’s story provides an interesting twist on the familiar tale. Nailbiter #5…
