Forum 2.0

No longer EEEEE-vil, Magneto will still be pretty naughty in new title

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

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Green Arrow emerges from makeover better armed to attract readers

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

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Familiar faces form a gathering of eagles at Dynamite

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

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Beware the Black Widow!

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

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New Constantine has same bad habits as old one -- which is good

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

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'Snowpiercer' an apocayptic metaphor chugging to the silver screen

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

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New books make history -- past and future -- fun

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

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It's 2014 -- do you know what Riverdale's teenagers are up to?

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.

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'47 Ronin' differs from legend, but still a great story

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

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Lawyers, stars and money: The Miracleman story

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

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Duo, famed for crime noir, signed to extraordinary deal at Image

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 –

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What's wrong with DC superhero movies?

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

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It's an Avengers World, after all

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).

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Dutch cartoonist blinds us with science

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

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DC 'Celebration' books tell histories of Superman and Lois Lane (and America)

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

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Soldiers, superheroes and talking trees: 2014 a good year for comics fans

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

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'Villains Month' fills in some blanks in The New 52

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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GNs teach about the blues, country music and Persia -- and entertain

Some graphic novels are as much public service as they are entertainment.

 

Take, for example, William Stout’s Legends of the Blues (Abrams ComicArts, $19.95). Not only is it gob-smackingly good, but it’s a treasure trove of information about the oft

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Long-running 'Fables' destined for climactic end

The end is coming for all of your favorite fairy-tale characters.

Well, obviously, that’s not entirely true, given all the movies and TV shows based on myth, legend and folklore currently littering the pop-culture landscape. It’s easy to see why that

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The last-minute Captain Comics Holiday Gift Guide!

Got a little geek or geekette in your family? Maybe some big ones? Here’s the Captain Comics gift guide for all my fellow nerds – of any size.

If you’re serious – and related to Bruce Wayne – you might consider the most awesome gift of the year: the

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