shathley Q

We’ll Stay Quiet: Comics in an Age of Social Media

By shathley Q

In the comics industry, the hit-driven economy was already decimated in the early ‘90s. It is in this way that comics' recent history becomes a roadmap for the navigations that await the major genre of the popular culture mainstream. [22 October 2009]

Hollow “Victory”: J Michael Straczynski ‘Reboots’ the Mighty Thor

By shathley Q

J Michael Straczynski's storytelling stands out as one of the most inventive in recent mainstream superhero comics. [6 October 2009]

The Devil’s Due: What Ed Brubaker Did to Reinvent Daredevil

By shathley Q

Could Ed Brubaker have written the definitive version of a character renowned for its production of 'definitive' visions? [29 September 2009]

The Devil You Know: Mignola’s Hellboy in the Chapel of Moloch and the Old Debate

By shathley Q

Modernist drama around the popularizing of the cultural archive, or postmodernist deliberation on the redemptive value of art in world awash in mass consumerism, the story of Mignola's Hellboy is also the story of comics' struggle for legitimation both as art-form and industry. [28 August 2009]

The Legacy of Mike Wieringo: The Flash Years

By shathley Q

The true legacy of Mike Wieringo is his radical redefining of the comics industry's obsession with navel-gazing. [11 August 2009]

Collapse: 1989’s Legion of Super-Heroes

By shathley Q

This comic offers a profound meditation on the far-reaching effects the confluence of a literary revolution, engineering miracle and scientific doctrine would have on popular culture. [7 July 2009]

The History of Comic Conventions

By shathley Q

This edition of "Iconographies" looks at the rise in popularity of the comics convention, and the pop-cultural changes conventions have brought to comics. [17 June 2009]

The Death of Captain America

By shathley Q

"The Iconographies" is a series of weekly features focusing on iconic moments, creators, characters or publications in the ongoing 'biography' of graphic literature. This edition looks at the 2007 death of Marvel superhero, Captain America. [9 June 2009]

Superheroes Versus Comics

By shathley Q

There can be no doubt that the summer of 2008 stands as a high-water mark for superheroes. But in the wake of a superhero renaissance and the growing cultural legitimacy of the genre, the question must be posed: Has the superhero genre evolved beyond the comics medium? [27 January 2009]

A Spirited Friendship

By shathley Q

Given the respective careers of Will Eisner and Frank Miller, the root of their friendship becomes apparent. For both, the comics medium takes precedence above all else. [5 January 2009]

Vengeance Of The Moon Knight #1

By shathley Q

Series reboot storyarc 'Shock And Awe' opens with a powerful comment by writer Gregg Hurwitz distinguishing Moon Knight from the more recognizable vigilante of a competing publisher. [15 October 2009]

Wolverine: Weapon X #1-5

By shathley Q

Possibly the most literate vision of the character since its inception, Writer Jason Aaron's Wolverine taps tropes from the works of Margaret Atwood and the perennial Jack Kerouac. [6 October 2009]

Dark Reign: The List - Daredevil #1

By shathley Q

Andy Diggle is perhaps the greatest reboot writer of our generation, yet even he is outshined by artist Billy Tan. [1 October 2009]

Moon Knight: The Death of Marc Spector

By shathley Q

The Moon Knight we should not remember, but still do. [30 July 2009]

Ghost Rider

By shathley Q

Corporate compromise or faulty execution the tale of a Ghost Rider addict cannot be told. [25 June 2009]

The Strange Deaths of Batman

By shathley Q

Cynical merchandizing, or an attempt at regaining readers trust? DC make an implicit argument for sustaining the recent 'death' of Batman Bruce Wayne. [23 June 2009]

Stray Toasters

By shathley Q

On the one hand, Sienkiewicz's art is vivid, semi-abstract. On the other hand, Sienkiewicz exceeds in storytelling, not only visual but literary as well. [2 June 2009]

Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest

By shathley Q

Millar presents something new, and infinitely engaging; superheroes facing the cultural ramifications of global disaster. [28 May 2009]

Bat-Manga: The Secret History of Batman in Japan

By shathley Q

Kuwata's Batman stories are Japan's stories of the 1960s. [28 April 2009]

The Alcoholic

By shathley Q

Ames writes like a cartoonist while Haspiel draws like a novelist. [7 April 2009]

The Winter Men

By shathley Q

Can a six-issue story work when told over a four year span? [12 March 2009]

The Invincible Iron Man, Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares

By shathley Q

Fraction's brilliant characterization makes "The Five Nightmares" an engaging character study. He exposes Tony Stark as a character not in pitched battle against his own successor, but one for whom obsolescence, inadequacy and fear of failure are baseline states, and equally powerful motivational drives. [5 March 2009]

Local

By shathley Q

From the opening chapter where Megan makes powerful decision to jettison her boyfriend's codependency to the final chapter where Megan confronts the memory of her mother in their family home, Local demonstrates the need for a greater 'oppositional'. [11 December 2008]

Graphically Speaking: These Ghosts Haunt Me Still… [30 October 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Red Menace in the Mirror: Identity, Politics and Identity Politics in Superman Red Son [16 August 2009]

Graphically Speaking: The Flash #91: Unfrozen [10 August 2009]

Graphically Speaking: The Legacy of Mike Weiringo [9 August 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Captain America: ‘The Death Of The Dream’: An Empty Suit [27 July 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Ultimate Secret: The Human Drama Begins [24 July 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Starman #54: ‘A Rich Man’s Folly’: What Dreams May Come [23 July 2009]

Graphically Speaking: MAD Magazine: Flesh Garden: The Empty Rocketship [22 July 2009]

Graphically Speaking: The Ultimates: Grand Theft America: Looking Up [21 July 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Orbiter: Learning to Look Up Again [20 July 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Sin City: The Hard Goodbye: ‘Only Happy When It Rains’ [17 July 2009]

Graphically Speaking: A Contract with God And Other Tenement Stories: Crying in the Rain [16 July 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Criminal: Lawless: The Christmas Getaway [15 July 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Flash #119: ‘Pray for the Dawn’: Through Layers Of History [14 July 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Hellblazer #160: ‘...Freezes Over’ part three: The Wink [13 July 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Fantastic Four #60: ‘Inside Out’: It Was Never About the Costumes [26 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: The Authority: Relentless: ‘Shiftships’: I Can Do This [25 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Doom Patrol: ‘Imaginary Friends’: Unconcern [24 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Ultimates Volume 2: ‘Gods and Monsters’: Dropping In [23 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: JLA #33: ‘Altered Egos’: The Reply [22 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Collapse: 1989’s Legion of Super-Heroes [21 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Spider-Man’s Tangled Web #14: ‘The Last Shoot’: A Jump Over the Top Rope [19 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Hellblazer Joyride: “In At the Deep End”: What You Really Want [18 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Starman: Grand Guignol: More History Still [17 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Reinventing Comics: Bill of Sale, Bill of Rights [16 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Green Lantern #146: “Hand of God, Day One”: Ulp! [15 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Planetary #10 “Magic & Loss”: What Should Have Been [12 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: El Diablo: No Gun Mojo [11 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: The Flash: Blitz: “You Need to Let that Go” [10 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: House of Secrets #7: A Perfect Narrative Line [9 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Uncanny X-Men Annual, 2001: What I Remember [8 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: The Death of Captain America [7 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Peanuts, 11/30/57: Down the Line [5 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Sandman #72: No Going Back [4 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Domu: Alienation, Illustrated [3 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Last Day in Vietnam: A Multi-Dimensional Drama [2 June 2009]

Graphically Speaking: Daredevil #95 - Hanging in the Air [1 June 2009]