Comics

Comic books and graphic novels

Tue
23
Mar

Vampirella vs. Purgatori is Pokemon for Demons

Vampirella vs Purgatori #1

There are a small number of Vampirellas appearing at Dynamite Comics. Depending on which book you select, you may get an alien princess from the planet Drakulon, or you may get an immortal spawn of Lilith, mother of monsters. She's getting a history more muddled than Hawkman used to have.

Thu
18
Mar

Joker #1 an Amazing Character Study -- of Jim Gordon

Joker #1 2021

The Joker. Since his inception, there's been a charisma to the character that keeps readers coming back. He began as a killer. He evolved into an obsessive criminal who plotted crimes and capers with a theme, and he'd leave a body or two behind. He was a criminal genius with a psychotic focus.

In the years since The Dark Knight Returns, he's become something more -- and something less. He's a mass murderer with an obsession over Batman. Which is supposed to make him more of a monster, but has made him far, far less interesting as a character.

Persistent recurring appearances haven't helped. He's a villain who's overstayed his welcome.

Thu
18
Mar

10 Gift Ideas for a Comic Book Fan

Gifts for Comics Fans

Do you have a friend or family member who's a fan of comics or superheroes? Are you having difficulty coming up with gift ideas for his or her upcoming birthday? Worry no more because this article will provide you with brilliant gift ideas that your comic loving friend will love.

In this list you’ll be able to find something suitable for every age, gender, and even budget. Here are some gift ideas for friends and family who are passionate comic book fans.

  1. Comic Character T-shirt

Turn something ordinary into something unique by shopping for a comic character t-shirt with awesome prints or witty quotes. Unleash the nerd in them with shirts that show off how proud they are of being a comic fan.

Tue
16
Mar

Crisis Hits Vampirella: The Dark Powers

Vampirella: The Dark Powers #4

Vampirella: The Dark Powers got off to an unsteady beginning, both artistically and editorially. Thankfully, just as the arc is about to end, the ship has been mostly righted and we're cruising into the climactic battle that will pit Vampirella -- now a full-fledged superhero and member of the pan-dimensional Project -- against her fellow heroes from other Plural Earths.

Sun
14
Mar

It's Good to be Bad: Crime Syndicate #1

Crime Syndicate #1

The pre-Crisis DC Universe was a maelstrom of imagination, with all the different variant Earths in a multiverse of adventure. One of my favorite Earths was Earth-3, the home of the Crime Syndicate -- a mirror universe where the members of the Justice League were villains, and where corruption was frequently the victor over the meager forces of good.

The Crime Syndicate has gone through a number of iterations since the Crisis -- or, rather, since the New 52 brought back the parallel worlds concept. Grant Morrison's Earth-2 was a structurally beautiful way of contrasting the two worlds (even if it did put them on the wrong titular Earth -- forgiveable as there was not a multiverse at the time and the good/bad mirror universe setting made for a nice balance). In later years Geoff Johns spun the Syndicate into the bad guys in a major story arc in Justice League, modernizing the team to reflect changes in the New 52 team. 

Tue
09
Mar

5 Most Famous Comic Book Love Couples

Vision and Wanda

Comic books are exciting and addictive. You can’t read just one. Have you ever noticed beautiful love stories in comic books? This article will focus on those. It’s all about love today; the world will be saved tomorrow.

In ordinary life, meeting a like-minded partner and building a connection can be simple, especially online, by following the easy steps described on the blk review. But it's always interesting how fictional characters get involved in relationships. Let's take a look at Top 5 Romantic Couples from Comics.

 

The Joker & Harley Quinn

We’ll start with a bit of an unusual couple. A crazy man on a mission to destroy Batman manipulates a sexy nurse to fall in love with him while he’s in Arkham. You’re right, we’re talking about the Joker & Harley Quinn.

Fri
05
Mar

DC's Generations Forged: Too Big to be Ignored, Too Bad to be Forgiven

Generations Forged #1

DC Comics' Generations Forged is a handsome book. A big book. It's squarebound and demands a ten-dollar premium for the right to own it. And it looks gorgeous, with a Liam Sharp cover. It even looks good on the inside if you flip through the pages to give them a cursory glance. The imagery evokes the greater moments of DC's vast history -- the Crisis, the Zero Hour, and other iconic events.

Stop there. Let yourself believe that's what this book is. Whatever you do, however badly you're tempted, do not read it. And it pains me beyond measure to say this, because it's written by Dan Jurgens, Robert Venditti, and Andy Schmidt, all of whom should know better than to perpetrate the story elements contained in these pages.

Thu
04
Mar

Life on Cora: Oktaz Climbs

Life on Cora #3: Oktaz Climbs

The world of Cora is unlike a typical world. Instead of a sphere that orbits a sun, it is broken chunks of continents that float about a central power core that pulses with a blue light. It teems with many creatures, some of whom have not encountered each other due to the fractured state of the planet and the impassible gulfs of space between the fragments.

The series, thus far, has been a methodical process of world building, focusing on one race and how it engages with its environment before moving on to the next race, in the next issue. In this third installment of Life on Cora, "Oktaz Climbs," writer Martin Fisher and artist Mike Jimmy De Bruin introduce a race of rock creatures called the R'K'Hola who collectively make up a mountain. Their society is caste-like, with the higher ranking citizens existing higher up the mountain.

Thu
04
Mar

After One Day, Bad Idea Expels First Comic Shop from Program

Bad Idea

March 3, 2021 was a momentous day for comic shops around the world. Or, at least, it was for some of them. Bad Idea Comics is an upstart publisher with some interesting principles for adding value to the titles they plan to publish, one of them being that stores have to qualify to be allowed to carry their titles in the first place. Ostensibly, this gives the qualifying stores a leg-up on their competition, as the number of outlets is limited to a finite number. Yesterday saw the release of the publisher's first title, Eniac #1.

Within less than 24 hours, the first store had been expelled from the distribution network. A statement from Bad Idea was released today that read simply as follows:

Thu
04
Mar

Glyn in Monster Land

Glyn in Monster Land

While Kevin Philpott's Glyn in Monster Land may appear, at first glance, to be a comic for young girls, it has a story that goes deeper than its visual aesthetic. Yes, the whimsical Glyn and company, rendered by the talented pencils of Luisa Russo, seems tailor-made for the toy market, fitting right in with the Strawberry Shortcake and Monster High girls. But as with all comics, the art is only half the equation, requiring a good story to truly make it a success.

Fortunately, Glyn in Monster Land has one.

Wed
24
Feb

Bloom #1 Lays Cosmic Cornerstone for Entire Hero Tomorrow Universe

Bloom 1 Hero Tomorrow

The universe of Hero Tomorrow comics is a small but very cohesive, tightly-knit one. The hero -- Apama -- is an everyman imbued with the animal powers of a creature from myth, and since his emergence the supervillains have sprung up to oppose him -- some odd, all bizarre.

But there is one who is deeply connected to Apama's origins, yet pre-dates his arrival by nearly forty years. Regina, who first appeared in Apama, The Undiscovered Animal #5, gets her origin story with Bloom #1, coming soon to comic shops and currently funding through Kickstarter.

Set in 1969, Bloom begins with Ramsey, an auto mechanic and would-be comic book artist obsessed with the idea of his comic book villain and the arcane glyphs that came to him in a dream state while tripping in the forest -- at a location that will be quite familiar to fans already following the Apama comic.

Mon
22
Feb

5 of the Best Educational Comics for College Students

Educational Comics for College Students

One of the most common misconceptions about comics is that this type of book doesn’t have any educational meaning. However, it is important to keep in mind that graphic novels are designed for young readers taking into consideration their personal study needs. Such books cover hard for comprehension topics in an easy way and grab the full reader’s attention. Via storytelling and visualization, students can follow the plot, and find the contextual clues that make the story coherent. In its turn, students develop both creative and analytical skills, so here are 5 simple educational comics that can change the perception of the world.

 

Mon
15
Feb

Comic book Villains Who Love Gambling

Royal Flush Gang

The best comic book heroes, whether villains or superheroes, introduce some fun and originality to the story. They have quickly evolved from paper to screens, and games. Through the ages, some of the most popular villains have also been gambling enthusiasts. Here are a few of them:

 

The Penguin

Oswald ‘Penguin’ Cobblepot is a thief, mobster and a persistent Batman enemy. He also runs a nightclub and casino. The DC Comics villain is one of Batman’s worst foes. He is eccentric and most known for his shady businesses and trick umbrellas. The Iceberg lounge is a front, and he runs lots of illegal businesses.

Sun
14
Feb

A Red Sonja Romcom is Dynamite's Valentine to Comic Fans

Red Sonja Valentine's 2021

When one calls to mind Red Sonja, the She-Devil with a Sword, "romantic comedy" isn't one of the phrases that usually jumps out at you. And yet, with Dynamite's 2021 Red Sonja Valentine's Special, Bill Willingham and Giuseppe Cafaro somehow make it work.

The story opens with Sonja preparing to collect on one of her mercenary jobs by collecting the head of a witch who gave a man a false fortune. But Sonja is about to discover that this witch is not some mere charlatan, and the revelations had here set the stage for the second part of our story -- after a brief intermission to learn some of "Red Sonja's Do's & Don'ts of Dating."

Thu
04
Feb

Horror and Action Give Way to Comedy as Readers Select Best Comics Writers of 2020: Todd Livingston and Nick Capetanakis

Todd Livingston, Sonya Devereaux, and Nick Capetanakis

During a year where people were forced to huddle in their homes, sequestered from the populace in order to stave off the Zombie Apocalypse / Andromeda Strain pandemic, comic books -- especially small press and crowdfunded comics -- too off in a big way. And while people still loved to be scared and thrilled by an ever ready stream of horror and superhero titles, ultimately people wanted to laugh this year, and they showed it in their votes.

While the "big two" of DC and Marvel made a far more impressive showing than they did in the Best Comic and Best Comic Artist categories, there was still the undeniable presence of the upstart, bellying up to the bar and shouldering the giants aside to sit among them as equals.

Thu
04
Feb

Suitable for Fraiming: The Best Comic Artists of 2020 are Twins -- Brian and Brendon Fraim

Fraim Brothers

Given what has been an unprecedent year for comics, culminating in an overwhelming number of nominations from independents and crowdfunded titles vying for the honor of Best Comics of 2020, it isn't surprising that the competition for the Best Comic Artist would be just as heavy. A sign of this is that "Other" -- a housekeeping category that usually represents about 1% of total votes every year from write-ins, gathered up a sizeable 9% this year, representative of just how many new up-and-coming artists are on the horizon. In fact, "Other" is the faceless hominid standing in the bronze position of our Comic Artist Olympics, having placed third among all other nominees and write-in candidates! So congratulations, Other, and better luck next year!

Wed
03
Feb

Sonya Devereaux, Hollywood's 306th Best Actress, Comes First with Best Comic of 2020

Best Comics of 2020 - Starring Sonya Devereaux

Every year, Critical Blast opens up the polls to our readers to select the best of everything entetainment, in multiple categories. And while some categories slimmed down this year due to the spread of coronavirus forcing people to stay home, the comic book business has seen a boom, thanks largely to a number of independent creators who have turned away from the traditional publishing market and toward crowdfunding to get their four-color fantasies fit to print and into the hands of readers.

Tue
02
Feb

Into the Sonja-verse: Too Many Sonjas Makes Sonjaversal #1 a Messy Read

Sonjaversal 1

While I appreciate that Dynamite Comics is embracing the whole "many worlds" theory and integrating their diverse titles, the journey has led to a state of crossover fatigue, the nadir of which may actually be manifest in this new miniseries, Sonjaversal, in which Red Sonja, the infamous She-Devil with a Sword, crosses paths with... Orange Sonja.

Yes, Orange Sonja, herself fresh from watching a mech battle a dinosaur -- who were Purple Sonja and Green Sonja, respectively. And, yes, color-coded lettering is included in the story.

Thu
28
Jan

Vampirella: The Dark Powers #2 All About Everything Vampirella Isn't

Vampirella: The Dark Powers #2

The misguided attempt to turn Vampirella into Supervamp continues with this second issue of Vampirella: The Dark Powers. The Dynamite Comics concept of "plural worlds" is the tableau against which Project; Superpowers gathers all its members from various alternate Earths, finding Vampirella on Plural Earth 0666. The majority of the membership isn't comfortable with her being on the team, partly because in their last adventure her methods of attack was responsible for one of their members being put in critical condition. Also, plunging in without knowing the facts about the enemy allowed the enemy to regroup with an even larger threat, adapted to what it has learned of Vampirella's power set.

Thu
14
Jan

Red Sonja: The Superpowers

Red Sonja The Superpowers 1

Dynamite has, for quite a while now, been pulling off crossover comic book miniseries with their licensed characters -- most recently in the very entertaining zombie epic, Die!Namite. But with Red Sonja: The Superpowers (in conjunction with Vampirella: Dark Powers), it appears that Dynamite is building up something larger, and much more audacious: they're creating a cohesive multiverse, with Red Sonja a part of it.

The story opens as your typical sword-and-sorcery tale: Red Sonja has been approached and hired to remove an evil wizard who has been subjugating people who don't have the means to fight back. Sonja vows to do the deed, and battles the wizard's henchmen who have been sent to stop her. As she rages her victory cry to the sky, declaring that she is coming for him... things get weird. A strange lightning streaks across the night sky, and Sonja realizes that perhaps this wizard isn't your usual charlatan with tricks.

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