DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Season 1, Episode 16: “Legendary” Story by: Greg Berlanti & Chris Fedak Teleplay by: Phil Klemmer & Marc Guggenheim Directed by: Dermott Downs Airs Thursdays at 7pm ET on The CW DC’s Legends of Tomorrow ends its first season on a deft, compelling cliffhanger that opens a number of possibilities. The …
Darwyn Cooke’s impact on the medium of comics will never be forgotten as he brought the heroes of Golden Age and Silver Age to the children of the Internet Age, and my thoughts and those of the rest of the Pop Optiq comics team are with his family and friends. The best way to remember him is to support, marvel at, enjoy, and, most of all, smile at the comics and films he made, and much of his work from his DC stories to his Parker graphic novels is easily available on Comixology.
Batman #51 Written by Scott Snyder Drawn by Greg Capullo and Danny Miki Colored by FCO Plascencia Lettered by Steve Wands Published by DC Comics Gotham is… Gotham is an ever changing city. The only eternal constant is Batman as the city changes every couple of years. Through the words and art of Bob Kane …
Once again, the backup story outshines the main story in The Dark Knight III #4 as Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson provide some iconic imagery, especially in the scenes featuring the Atom and Superman’s execution, but Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello’s storyline jumps around and portray the characters not named Bruce Wayne, Carrie Kelly, or Ellen Yindel in an arbitrary way. Plus there is that always problematic Islamophobia, which is starting to set in as the Kryptonians call Batman an “infidel”. Last time I checked, this wasn’t Holy Terror.
Stewart, Fletcher, and Tarr’s run on Batgirl won’t just be remembered for the iconic redesign of Batgirl’s costume, which has found its way into other mediums, like the DC Comics Superhero Girls toy line or the Batman Bad Blood animated film, or the cyberpunk-meets-Williamsburg aesthetic of Burnside. It will be remembered as a comic that showed that not all DC superhero books had to have art that looked like Jim Lee’s, kicked ass while still being stylish as hell, and most of all for having a diverse, multifaceted cast of characters that fans of all genders, races, sexual orientations, body types, and disability status could see themselves in.
Superman #51 Written by Peter J. Tomasi Art by Michael Janin Published by DC Comics Released April 6, 2016 The first page of this comic is an uncomfortable close-up on Superman’s distressed face, as he seemingly looks the reader right in the eyes and says “I’m dying.” Grant Morrison’s long-awaited Wonder Woman Earth One graphic novel …
I was at DC’s big Rebirth announcement on Saturday (second row, natch!) and I’m full of mixed emotions and big prognostications. Stick with me here, but I think that one-hour presentation effectively epitomized all the weird conflicts and awkward contradictions at this particular moment in superhero comics: everything good & bad, pure & cynical, innovative …
Batman #50 Written by Scott Snyder Drawn by Greg Capullo, Danny Miki and Yanick Paquette Colored by FCO Plascencia and Nathan Fairbairn Lettered by Steve Wands Published by DC Comics WARNING: SPOILERS! The dramatic payoff to the “Superheavy” arc was the last issue when Bruce Wayne regained his memories and became himself again. Wayne telling …
‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ will probably give you what you expect, but not what you’re looking for.
Though Superman hasn’t always been the most popular superhero (these days, Batman, Spider-Man, Wolverine and heck, probably Iron Man and a few other Avengers most likely outpace him in that department), he was the first superhero, and superhero comics as they exist today wouldn’t without Superman. Even beyond the blatant knockoffs that cropped up in the wake of his immense popularity shortly after his debut (issues of his comics routinely sold in the millions throughout the forties), Superman can be pointed to as either a direct or indirect inspiration for nearly every superhero that followed. The entire field of superhero comics, the most dominant form of sequential art in American comic books, exists because of Superman.
With the beautiful color combinations and punk aesthetic, Black Canary offers a female-centric comic that doesn’t fall into Batgirl’s discussions of touchy-feely emotions and make-up tips. Though Dinah takes some warming up to, ultimately she proves layered and sympathetic.
From that title you can probably already get an idea of what my stance is on the recent news that Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice will be receiving an R-rated cut for its blu-ray release. Like many vocal fans on the internet, the very idea of an R-rated movie featuring Batman and/or Superman seems ridiculous to …
Throughout Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, and Babs Tarr’s run, Batgirl has proven that it is the visual crown jewel of DC Comics, and issue 49 is a victory lap, especially thanks to the powerful work of Ming Doyle and James Harvey along with the sunny, suburban Stepford horror of Roger Robinson. It is also a tour de force into the beautiful and damaged psyche of Barbara Gordon and a real turning point in her arc in the New 52. Issue 50 can’t come soon enough.
Midnighter is a title that knows what it is and what it’s aiming for. It is a comic about a gay superhero designed for a gay and bi male readership but with plenty to offer every other reader too. The artwork is inventive and gorgeous, even as it depicts gruesome violence. It knows how to use a metaphor in clear, nuanced ways. It balances grit, hard choices, and vigilante glee.
While Batgirl is an effective detective and crime-fighter, and her fights with villains are a blast, that’s only half of the story. The other half is her relationships with her friends, her father, and her love interests. Although anyone could easily enjoy Batgirl, the title is acutely suited for teen girls and young women.
An interview with Swamp Thing and Miracleman artist John Totleben at London Super Comic Con.
The life of Victor Stone has hit its stride. Between recent personal reveals concerning his family, fighting crime with Shazam, and using comedy to get through even the most dangerous situations…everything is looking up for Cyborg. Of course, all that means it will come crashing down rather quickly, sooner or later.
Superman: Coming of the Supermen #1 is one of Neal Adams’ worst comics.
When it’s not awkwardly taking shots at texting young people, making non-statements about the media, various world leaders, striking up a Strange Fruit-esque conversation about race involving only white people , or turning Bruce Wayne into a Randian hero with Carrie Kelly as his mouthpiece and Superman as his attack dog, The Dark Knight III #3 is an intergenerational superhero epic that boasts Andy Kubert’s best artwork of his career and flaming post-apocalyptic palette from Brad Anderson.
Justice League #48, which is part 8 of the DC Universe spanning event “Darkseid War, is winding up for a slamming finish. There’s a lot to be said for an event sized book being told mainly in one title and one-shots over the course of the run. Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok, and Brad Anderson continue to maintain a level of epic sized awesome inside this core title and not one part of this book dissapoints.
In late January, DC Comics’ editor Dan Didio tweeted this mysterious image. Almost immediately, the internet started doing what it does best: wildly speculating. The most common interpretation was that this was the beginning of the end for DC’s current comics universe, referred to as “the New 52”. The controversial new continuity timeline began in 2011, …
Landis offers his own take on this monumentous moment in Superman: American Alien #4, contextualizing the confrontation as the capstone to Clark’s arrival in the Big Apricot and his fateful first encounters with a number of its most prominent denizens
Ever since Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo revealed that an amnesiac Bruce Wayne was still alive in Gotham City, the “Superheavy” arc of Batman has been building to this issue