I have been thinking today of an essay Neil Gaiman wrote almost thirty years ago, for an edition of Fritz Leiber’s The Swords of Lankhmar. It begins: “It is too often a sad and unwise thing to go back and read a favourite book. Favourite books are the treasure-chests of memory; just thinking of theContinue reading “The Neil Gaiman Thing”
Tag Archives: DC Comics
The Mysterious Shapeshifting USS Surak
If you were to ask a Star Trek fan on the street, “What happened between Star Trek III and Star Trek IV?” you would almost certainly be told, “Not much of anything. Kirk and crew spent their time on Vulcan after Spock’s resurrection on the Genesis Planet.” But a knowledgeable fan will tell you somethingContinue reading “The Mysterious Shapeshifting USS Surak”
Decorating the Bedroom
Late last year, acclaimed comic book creator George Pérez announced that he has terminal prostate cancer. Since then, the outpouring of love for the artist of Crisis on Infinite Earths, The Infinity Gauntlet, New Teen Titans, Future Imperfect, JLA/Avengers, and too many other projects to name from the comics world has been both massive andContinue reading “Decorating the Bedroom”
The Calculus of Future Comics Purchases
A few days ago I decided I just had to tackle the piles of graphic novels sitting on my living room table. I have reluctantly concluded I must go out and buy another bookcase; the question then will be, where will it go? One of the graphic novels among the piles was Batman: Gotham byContinue reading “The Calculus of Future Comics Purchases”
Batman Vs. Dracula
On Halloween, I usually watch a Dracula movie or two. Sometimes I’ve watched the classic Universal Dracula or one of its sequels. Last year, I watched the first Hammer Dracula film, Horror of Dracula, with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. In the run-up to Halloween, I couldn’t decide which one I’d put in the DVDContinue reading “Batman Vs. Dracula”
Watchmen, Rebirth, and the DC Universe
When I saw the first trailers for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, my reaction was, basically, “That looks as much like a sequel to Watchmen as it does a sequel to Man of Steel.” To be clear, by Watchmen, I’m referring to Zack Snyder’s 2009 movie based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ 1986Continue reading “Watchmen, Rebirth, and the DC Universe”
The Meaning of Superman
With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice out next month, The Atlantic takes a look at Superman’s history and asks whether or not DC Comics and Warner Bros. understand how and why the character works. It’s not a spoiler to say that the article’s conclusion is that sometimes they do, but that mostly they don’t.Continue reading “The Meaning of Superman”
Things I’ve Been Reading: Batman Adventures Volume 2
Batman Adventures Volume 2 DC Comics Written by Kelley Puckett Art by Mike Parobeck and Rich Burchett If you were to ask me who my three favorite Batman artists were, you could make a decent guess at my age. Or at least, when I was really reading comic books. Those three artists would be JimContinue reading “Things I’ve Been Reading: Batman Adventures Volume 2”
Harlan Ellison’s Batman ’66: The Lost Episode
Batman ’66: The Lost Episode DC Comics Written by Len Wein, based on a television treatment by Harlan Ellison (inspired by “The Crimes of Two-Face” by Bill Finger) Art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez For the last two years, DC Comics has been publishing original comics based on the Adam West Batman television series, ranging fromContinue reading “Harlan Ellison’s Batman ’66: The Lost Episode”
Why Harlan Ellison’s Batman Story Isn’t “Lost”
At San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, DC Entertainment announced Batman ’66: The Lost Episode, an adaptation by Len Wein and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez of a Harlan Ellison story for the Adam West Batman television series that would have seen the Caped Crusader do battle with Two-Face. A Harlan Ellison-penned story for Batman? you say. HowContinue reading “Why Harlan Ellison’s Batman Story Isn’t “Lost””