For the past month or so, the key buzzword in comics has been “conversation.” At some point, the problem children of comics realized that shock was a loaded term and they needed to find a new way to absolve themselves of blame and guilt any time a questionable work of theirs received intense scrutiny and […]
What Conversation is Image Actually Willing to Listen to with Divided States of Hysteria?
Having even a slight interest in comics while being active on Twitter means witnessing more or less nonstop conversation about the industry, its works and the creators living within it. Comics is in a state of constant discourse, partially because even as its impact on culture grows, its world remains unbelievably small, making it easy […]
Midnight of the Soul is Howard Chaykin Channeling James Ellroy’s LA Quartet
I recently went through a heavy James Ellroy phase after finally tracking down some of his books that I had yet to read. The thing about reading Ellroy in chunks is that his prose is so fluid and readable it takes a while for the full weight of his viciousness to sink in. Burning through […]
Yellowed Pages: Howard Chaykin’s The Shadow
Sometimes we just want to talk about old comics we found in bargain bins or antique stores or in our garages. Is that so wrong? Today we’re looking back at The Shadow: Blood & Judgment, a four issue miniseries by Howard Chaykin that had the awesomely surly creator bringing the pulp icon into the ’80s kicking and […]
The Black Age: Exploring the New Wave of Neo-Noir Comics
Amid the resurgence of the cape-and-tight set due to the multimedia conglomerate cash influx of the last half-decade, there has been a spark in genre comics that has been commercially unexplored in comparison. They’re the books on the shelves with uncommon credits and covers that aren’t simulating starfire or stadium lights- they’re timelessly modern, a […]