If you’re looking for an all-ages comic that combines humour, heart, history, and adventure, then look no further: The Time Museum is an absolute delight from start to finish, and while it hits many of the familiar beats of the ‘young hero attends fantastical school/camp/institution’ genre, the characters, style, and concept are so utterly enduring […]
*This article contains full spoilers for recent DC Comics – most notably Batman #21 and the recent Superman arc* On paper, what I’m about to pitch is going sound like one of the worst ideas in comics history…but there’s a mad, meta-brilliance to it that might make it out to be one of the best. […]
Though it may not be quite as contradictory to my Canadian self-identification as my dislike of maple syrup, I’ve never felt particularly drawn or sympathetic to the character of Wolverine. I’ll grant he’s somewhat endearing when portrayed in films by that charming Aussie song-and-dance man – and a less mystifying object of admiration than Deadpool […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
I’ll remember 2014 as the year I got back into comics in a big way. I enjoyed a lot of what I read, but I know I also just didn’t have time for the volume of good comics and graphic novels that arrived this year. How exciting to think that there’s a new year full […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]