Author Archives: I.M. Baytor

Spotlight on Jim Steranko’s Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Posted on July 17, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

In 1966, Jim Steranko took over the adventures of Marvel’s secret agent Nick Fury. The result was one of those comic book runs in which a creator was able to carve out a personal project at the core of the … Continue reading →

Posted in SPYCRAFT & WARFARE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spotlight on Jack Kirby’s and Stan Lee’s Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Posted on July 10, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

Last week, I wrote about a 21st century comic that followed the footsteps of novelists like John le Carré and Len Deighton, depicting the world of espionage with downbeat realism and literary sophistication. This week, we’ll look at a very … Continue reading →

Posted in SPYCRAFT & WARFARE | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spotlight on Queen & Country

Posted on July 6, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

July is the month of spy comics here at Gotham Calling. Let’s kick things off with what is unquestionably one of the all-time greatest spy series in the medium: Queen & Country. Originally published between 2001 and 2007 by Oni … Continue reading →

Posted in SPYCRAFT & WARFARE | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (July)

Posted on July 2, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

Your monthly reminder… Polar: Eye for an Eye Atomic Robo and the Savage Sword of Dr. Dinosaur Saga #7

Posted in GLIMPSES INTO AWESOMENESS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why Commissioner Gordon hates Tuesdays

Posted on June 26, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

Vengeance of Bane Shadow of the Bat #33 Shadow of the Bat #60 Robin (v2) #3 Legends of the Dark Knight #133 Batman #495 Batman / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5

Posted in GOTHAM INTERLUDES | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Anatomy of Batman #372 and Detective Comics #539

Posted on June 19, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

Back when I discussed Doug Moench’s 1980s Batman run, I singled out as its most striking features Moench’s literary emphasis on symbolism, characterization, politics, and intertextuality. This week, I’ll zoom in on one story in particular which powerfully combines all … Continue reading →

Posted in POLITICS OF BATMAN COMICS | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When Batman comics meet the boxing world

Posted on June 12, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

While I don’t particularly care for boxing in real life, I’m a huge sucker for boxing in fiction. I’m a fan of Brian De Palma’s Snake Eyes and Raoul Walsh’s Gentleman Jim. Hell, Robert Wise’s The Set-Up is up there … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (June)

Posted on June 5, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

As you can probably guess by the title and content of this blog, I’m a big fan of DC characters and comic books – and not just the ones set in the DC Universe, but also the stuff published through … Continue reading →

Posted in GLIMPSES INTO AWESOMENESS | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On Return of the Caped Crusaders

Posted on May 24, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

I tend to give DC a lot of flak for their frustrating live-action movies in recent years. The best one, by far, was Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman, which had a handful of cool scenes and broke some new ground by … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

10 WTF Batman covers, by Neal Adams

Posted on May 17, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

Neal Adams’ work in Batman comics is often associated with gothic art. The tales he drew in the early 1970s (collected in stark black & white in Showcase Presents: Batman, volumes 5 and 6) are mandatory reading for any fans … Continue reading →

Posted in COVERS OF BATMAN COMICS | Tagged , | Leave a comment