Tag Archives: Chuck Dixon

Political thrillers in Gotham City

Detective Comics #801 Political thrillers are one of my favorite genres. I crave witty, cunning characters and intricate plots that combine micro and macro scales while turning the political process into thrilling suspense and clever maneuvers, both because it’s a … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (12 June 2023)

Just in case you needed another reminder that Batman comics can be awesome… Batman: Earth One Gotham After Midnight #2 Joker: Last Laugh #2

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Ornate panel borders by Quique Alcatena

One of the things I enjoy doing at Gotham Calling is to quickly zoom in on specific skills and quirks of the many awesome artists of Batman comics, from Don Newton and Tim Levins to Graham Nolan and Frank Robbins. … Continue reading

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On Santa Prisca

I’ve long been obsessed with the DCU’s fictitious geography and the way it condenses, combines, and caricatures cultural stereotypes – just like Gotham does for New York and other urban centers of the USA (over time, the city has become … Continue reading

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On Blackgate Penitentiary

Prison stories are basically their own genre, what with the dangerous, claustrophobic environment, the parallel rules of life in a world of outlaws, full of both comradery and suspicion, and the occasional trope of elaborate escape plots (which are kind … Continue reading

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Gotham crime graphic novels

The trailer for the upcoming The Batman movie looks pretty darn awful, once again doubling down on the gloom without any hint of what makes the source material so much fun in the first place. That said, I suppose the … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (27 December 2021)

It turned out Spider-Man: No Way Home was the final positive surprise of 2021. After the disappointment of the tired, hacky Black Widow and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, we’re finally back on track with a … Continue reading

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On Batman’s sexuality

          The announcement, last month, that Robin (or at least one of several Robins, Tim Drake) is bisexual predictably revived old discussions about the Dynamic Duo’s sexuality, so I figured I’d put together a few loose thoughts to add … Continue reading

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Batman movies without Batman – part 2

If you’ve read last week’s post, you know I’ve been listing films that somehow feel like Batman movies, even though the Caped Crusader is nowhere to be found… Knives Out Many classic Batman comics used to be about fun mysteries … Continue reading

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Yet another long post about Batman’s humorous villains

Gotham Calling’s 400th post! This is the kind of benchmark I usually celebrate by spotlighting oddball members of Batman’s rogues gallery who don’t get enough love. While the Dark Knight has some of the most popular rogues out there, Gotham’s … Continue reading

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