2015 was an incredible year of reading for me. I read as many books as I could get through and was fortunate enough to meet several of my writing idols—David Mitchell (for the second time), Junot Díaz, Elizabeth Gilbert, and John Hodgman. As December’s calendar pages fly off the wall all too readily, I’d like […]
Fabiana Cabral
Greetings, humans. We have genre variety this month to keep your reading palate happy. Two novels, two biographies, a collection of essays about America’s most famous playwright, and a collection of sketches of some of the greatest writers working today: Books In Hand: Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life I excitedly impulse-bought Yanagihara’s book after hearing […]
Marty Chodorek
At the risk of losing any comics-related credibility I may have established in your eyes to this point, gentle reader, I must admit that I was first won over by the character of John Constantine as he was portrayed by Keanu Reeves in the 2005 film simply titled Constantine. That’s where I was introduced to […]
Marty Chodorek
One of the most satisfying side effects of a popular culture rooted in mass media, in my occasionally humble opinion, is the plethora of milestones available for one’s nostalgic reflections. There was definitely a moment after my private Catholic high school days and post-secondary conservatory theatre training during which my worldview shifted from West Side […]
Marty Chodorek
Montréal is one of my favourite cities to visit. Perhaps it’s the surreal experience of walking down a city street, not entirely unlike a Toronto street, and seeing familiar corporate logos with unfamiliar French names. The feeling of stepping into an alternate reality where things are just different enough that you’re forced to pay attention […]
Marty Chodorek
I don’t think I would’ve become as big of a fan of comic books as a medium, now, if it weren’t for the general trend, which started a while ago, towards more complex characters and storylines. I’m not talking about dark and broody caped crusaders or anti-heroes. I mean compositions that are sufficiently patient and […]
Fabiana Cabral
Broadway. The term, encompassing both an urban location and the style of theater produced therein, is so familiar, so loaded with rich cultural history, that we almost can’t conceive of American theater without it. But while the term may conjure up images from decades of iconic performances, or discussions of an impressive financial, touristic, and […]
Marty Chodorek
The last time I dug into a comic book written in the fantasy genre, my focus was on a story derived from the world of Dungeons & Dragons. And, though modern writers may push the envelope of that world of swords and sorcery, there was a defined framework upon which it was built – a […]
Marty Chodorek
I get enthusiastic about comics anthologies for the same reason I enjoy attending fringe-y theatre and film festivals. There’s something magical about being able to immerse oneself in a range of stories and styles in one place. In that setting, I find myself more willing to step out of my comfort zone and try something […]
Marty Chodorek
There’s something deeply satisfying about discovering a competent, innovative cover version of one of your favourite songs. I have a great deal of admiration for artists who not only re-record someone else’s tune, but reinvent it and put their own spin on it in a way that showcases just as much artistry as the source […]
Fabiana Cabral
When I heard about the shootings at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, I immediately thought of the religion scholar Stephen Prothero. More specifically, I thought about his book God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World, which I finished reading just about a month ago. Prothero’s main argument is […]
Marty Chodorek
I’ve never been particularly patient with serial or otherwise long-form storytelling. If I’m not grabbed from the start of something, there’s a good chance I won’t hang around for whatever the creator considers the point of the endeavour. After watching the pilot episode of Lost when it first aired, I was convinced that that television […]
Fabiana Cabral
Everyone loves lists, and at the end of the year there is no lack of Top Lists that reflect on and revamp our cultural excitement about the past twelve months. Although we frequent playhouses and movie theaters to see new works/productions on stage and screen (barring the occasional revival or vintage screening), our reading habits […]
Marty Chodorek
It’s a shame that the perceived fast pace of life means so many new things get boiled down to X Meets Y. There’s certainly an argument to be made for having a quick answer to the frequently asked “So, what’s this new comic all about?” but the more new series I read, the more frustrated […]
Fabiana Cabral
“How angry am I? You don’t want to know. Nobody wants to know about that.” It almost makes you regret knocking. Or was it she who knocked on your door? From the first line, we find ourselves wondering how to deal with the Woman Upstairs. We could keep ignoring her; we’re used to doing so. […]
Marty Chodorek
Perhaps one day I’ll review a comic book and become a mighty geyser of vitriolic verbage, but today is not that day. Maybe it stems from reading as many comics as I do and my tendency to see something good in every one. I end up using this forum as a way to recommend my […]
Marty Chodorek
Just when you thought my rambling comics commentaries couldn’t get any geekier, this past week saw the launch of a new comic book series set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. How could I possibly resist? Doubling Down with D&D! The 40th anniversary of the original epic tabletop role-playing game franchise has already been […]
Marty Chodorek
For as long as it’s true, I’ll continue reminding people that I’m fairly new to the act of talking(and writing) about comics. I don’t think of it as an excuse so much as a justification for my palate-in-progress. I know enough about myself, though, to admit I have an open mind to trying new things, […]
Marty Chodorek
I identify as a geek. I identify as a fanboy. I use fanboy as a verb when becoming exuberant about things like the release of new comics in a series I enjoy or when I have the opportunity to be in the same room as a creator I admire. And, despite the prevailing voices of […]
Marty Chodorek
As a skeptic, I’m confident that there are lots of complex, often interconnected, rational answers for the things I don’t know. As someone who often dabbles in and reflects upon creative processes, I enjoy attributing phenomena to more nebulous, metaphysical forces. I particularly revel in ruminating upon impulses that comfortably loiter at the intersection of […]
Marty Chodorek
Generally speaking, modern superheroic interpretations of the maxim “with great power comes great responsibility” are incomplete. There are, naturally, supervillains to thwart, crises to avert, and days to save. But tropes like rescuing a cat that’s stuck in a tree are rarely(if ever) tied back into a superhero’s responsibility. Despite being overqualified for sorting out […]
Tim Collins
I don’t often read classics, but when I do I’m pleasantly surprised. Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca is the kind of classic novel that immediately appeals to me. It’s well known, but not too well known, and it has a female protagonist. It also has gothic appeal which I’m all for. So with all those things […]
Brian Balduzzi
Sometimes, you want a little magic in your life. Erin Morgenstern crafts a National Bestseller with her The Night Circus, chronicling a circus that arrives without warning. Amidst the wonder of acrobatics, contortionist, tarot card readers, and kittens that jump through hoops, we follow two magicians raised almost since birth to compete in a mysterious […]
Brian Balduzzi
With a Cape Cod vacation ahead of me, I browsed the bookstore for an equally satisfying beach read. My eyes caught the title: The American Heiress. Well, this book had everything that I wanted; it had historical romance, loads of money and class, and a smart writer with the brains and spunk to infuse in […]
Tim Collins
The Martian is the kind of novel that begs to be made into a movie. So it’s no surprise that the rights have reportedly been purchased. Generally, I tend to be the type who prefers to read a book before seeing the movie/television version (I’m currently reading the tome that is Under the Dome because […]
Brian Balduzzi
I’ve become a dog person. There, I said it, and I joined the millions of Americans (as well as others around the world) who worship their dogs. My boyfriend has an agreeable and adorable Cava-Poo (a King Charles Cavalier and Poodle mix) that is impossible not to love. But like looking at a newborn-adopted baby […]