On the stiff, lightly plaited, coral-red rear cover of Top Shelf’s Far Arden, Carl Hays of Booklist describes writer/author Kevin Cannon as “one of the comics world’s most energetic storytellers.” That, in so many words, sums up Far Arden, a kind of glorious pulp throwback so enthusiastically exuberant it may have just punched, …
comics
Emanata: Lois Lane, Hidden Reporter
The most talked-about preview of a comic book this week has been for something that wasn’t actually intended to be a comic book and will never be published. A couple of years ago, Dean Trippe came up with an idea for a series of young adult novels: Lois Lane, Girl Reporter, about 11-year-old Lois’s adventures in investigative journalism. …
The Comic Book Club: Captain America and Batroc, FF, and Stumptown
This is what happens when Techland goes to the comic book store: we end up discussing what we picked up. This week, Douglas Wolk, Evan Narcisse and Graeme McMillan talk about the Captain America and Batroc one-shot, FF #1 and the first collection of Stumptown.
DOUGLAS: Captain America and Batroc the Leaper #1 was the surprise treat of …
Emanata: Cartoonists, Moment By Moment
There’s a little trend in comics blogs that’s turned up over the past few months: Tumblrs devoted to a specific creator’s work, reprinting a single panel or a single page at a time, out of their original context. A Moment of Moore, one of the more prominent ones, is dedicated to Alan Moore’s work. Whoever’s maintaining it has been …
The Comic Book Club: Xombi and Fear Itself: Book of the Skull
This is what happens when Techland goes to the comic book store: we end up discussing what we picked up. This week, Evan Narcisse, Graeme McMillan and Douglas Wolk talk about Xombi #1 and the Fear Itself: Book of the Skull one-shot.
DOUGLAS: The first rule of superhero comics is: Everything always comes back. No, seriously, …
Emanata: Where Is the Romance?
The most fascinating comic book I’ve seen this week came out in the spring of 1968, and has never been reprinted. You can see a little bit of the gorgeous cover of Falling In Love #99 up at the top of the page, drawn by the late Cuban-American artist Ric Estrada. A mod-looking young woman is wearing a turtleneck sweater beneath a …
The Comic Book Club: Night Animals and Batman Inc.
This is what happens when Techland goes to the comic book store: we end up discussing what we picked up. This week, Evan Narcisse, Graeme McMillan and Douglas Wolk talk about Brecht Evens’ Night Animals and the third issue of Batman Inc.
EVAN: I didn’t know anything about Night Animals when Douglas suggested it, except that he …
The Comic Book Club: Uncle Scrooge, Takio and Axe Cop
This is what happens when Techland goes to the comic book store: we end up discussing what we picked up. This week, Graeme McMillan, Evan Narcisse and Douglas Wolk talk about three all-ages comics: Uncle Scrooge #401, the debut volume of Takio, and Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth #1.
DOUGLAS: I was talking a couple of days ago with a friend …
Emanata: How to Survive Comics Convention Season
Comic book convention season officially opens today, with the beginning of Emerald City ComiCon in Seattle. Between now and the middle of October, a whle lot of people in the American comics industry will be crisscrossing the country on a regular basis, digging through their pockets to come up with big announcements for every show, and …
The Three Songs You Need to Download This Week
There’s a lot of music online–more than most people have time to keep up with. That’s why you’ve got us. Every week, we’ll point you toward three excellent new downloads or videos from chart-topping stars, cult favorites and unknown geniuses.
1. Those of you who are inclined toward geek-rap should note that Adam WarRock–the most …
Emanata: Remembering Dwayne McDuffie
Dwayne McDuffie, the comics and animation writer, editor and producer who died this week following complications from surgery, wasn’t a particularly flashy writer: His aesthetic was to get out of the way of the way of the story. But he was a forward-thinking creator, and he quietly wrote a stack of comics and animated TV shows that stuck …
The Comic Book Club: Fantastic Four’s Finale and Avengers #10
This is what happens when Techland goes to the comic book store: we end up discussing what we picked up. This week, Graeme McMillan, Evan Narcisse and Douglas Wolk talk about Fantastic Four #588 and Avengers #10.
DOUGLAS: Fantastic Four #588 has a big FINAL ISSUE banner festooned across its front cover. And I’m sure it will indeed …