By Andrew A. Smith
McClatchy Newspapers
Free Comic Book Day is back, bigger and better than ever. So big, in fact, that the following guide is necessary
First, the details: On Saturday, May 3, participating comic shops will give away free comics. (To
Valiant Comics, which went out of business about 12 years ago, made a comeback under new ownership in 2012. And it only took the new guys two years to achieve Unity.
Unity is the name of Valiant’s version of “Avengers” or “Justice League” – it’s a bo
Read more…By Andrew A. Smith
McClatchy Newspapers
April 1, 2014 -- Last week, the box office charts domestically and internationally were topped by different American movies – and both have comic-book roots.
The big hit was Captain America: The Winter Soldier,
Read more…Magneto, the long-time X-Men foe, is getting his own ongoing title. And, thankfully, he’s going to be a villain – again.
That last bit might not make sense to folks who have only watched the X-Men movies, or older fans who drifted away a couple of de
Read more…By Andrew A. Smith
McClatchy Newspapers
When DC Comics rebooted all of its superhero titles in 2011, some of them got better. But some didn’t, like Green Arrow – which just got a lot better.
First, what they did wrong: In Green Arrow #1 in September
If you’ve got a favorite adventure character you haven’t seen lately, chances are you can find she, he or it at Dynamic Forces.
While most publishers tend to avoid licensing characters – paying for the license cuts into profits – Dynamic Forces, publ
Read more…Despite her star turn in Avengers, Black Widow isn’t getting a solo movie (yet). But she is getting a new comic book, which she richly deserves.
‘Twas not always so. Black Widow has a long history in comics, one that until relatively recently would m
Read more…There’s a new John Constantine in town. But as two recent trade paperbacks demonstrate, he’s the same old “hellblazer.”
Yes, I’m talking about the same Constantine who starred in the movie of that name in 2005, starring Keanu Reeves. That film was ba
Read more…No one seems to know if or when the movie Snowpiercer will open in the U.S. Having read the graphic novel, I hope it will – and soon.
Snowpiercer’s road to American pop culture has been a long, strange journey. It began as a French graphic novel that
As several new books demonstrate, history can be fun.
First up in order of awesomeness is Star Trek: Federation – The First 150 Years (Titan, $29.95). As you can guess from the title, it’s a history book of events that haven’t happened yet – and yet
Read more…There was a time when Archie Comics was famous for being rigidly conservative. Now it’s gaining a reputation for being the most experimental comics publisher in America.
Most of the company’s progressive efforts aren’t obvious to the casual observer.
Yes, Virginia, there is a real “47 Ronin” story. But it isn’t exactly the same one in the movie that premiered Dec. 25!
Which isn’t to say that film, starring Keanu Reeves, is a bad thing. Actually, it looks fantastic – in both senses of the word.
In
On Jan. 22, Marvel Comics shipped Miracleman #1 to comics shops across America. Miracleman isn’t a very well-known character, but he is one with a rich history, one whose book has boasted some of the finest talent in the biz and one who has attracted
Read more…Image Comics, the third-largest comics publisher in America, just announced at its annual convention a host of imposing projects by A-list creators. I blame Robert Kirkman.
Kirkman is the writer and co-creator of The Walking Dead, a comic book that –
Read more…On Jan. 17, Warner Bros. announced that the debut of the next Superman movie – the one tentatively titled Batman vs. Superman – has been pushed from July 17, 2015, to May 6, 2016. Injuries? Script problems? We don’t know. What we do know is that the
Read more…It’s an Avengers World, and we’re just living in it. Literally!
That’s not just because the Avengers movie made a bajillion dollars (although it did). Or because the number of Avengers titles at Marvel Comics have been expanding (although they have).
Read more…If you read last year’s Philosophy: A Discovery in Comics, then you already know who Dutch cartoonist Margreet de Heer is. If not, you’re in for a treat.
Philosophy explored the history and status of that field via comics, with our guides being carto
Read more…Most people probably think that Superman, Lois Lane and Clark Kent put the “eternal” in the eternal love triangle. But two books out this week demonstrate just how much Lois and Superman/Clark have changed over the decades.
The Adventures of Superma
The year 2013 was a pretty good one for comics fans, with blockbusters like Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World cementing the superhero as king of Hollywood –- and comic books as the source of choice for moviemakers. Which means 2014 is only going to
Read more…Sept. 24, 2013 -- The villains have won at DC Comics. But will the readers?
Here’s the poop: In the last couple of months, the Crime Syndicate -- an evil analog of the Justice League from a parallel Earth -- has invaded the 52 monthly superhero boo
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