Author Archives: I.M. Baytor

10 covers with minimalistic symbolism

Posted on April 27, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

As much as I enjoy psychedelic, surreal covers, sometimes a realistic image can be just as powerful in its own way. With this in mind, this week I present to you a selection (although not any kind of close analysis) … Continue reading →

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

I can’t get enough of adventure comics

Posted on April 18, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

It has been a year since ABC cancelled its witty adventure show Agent Carter and I’m still looking for something with the same jazzy panache and the ability to conjure that old-school type of silly, joyful escapades. Don’t get me … Continue reading →

Posted in FANTASTIC ADVENTURES | Tagged 2000 AD, Alan Gordon, Alan Moore, Art Adams, Brian K. Vaughan, Cara Sherman-Tereno, Chris Sprouse, Chuck Dixon, Cliff Chiang, Dave Gibbons, Descender, Doug Moench, Dustin Nguyen, Ed Brubaker, Evangeline, Gary Gianni, Ian Edginton, Jeff Lemire, Jerry Ordway, Jim Balent, John Statema, Judith Hunt, Mark Waid, Matt Wilson, Minck Oosterveer, Paper Girls, Peter Hogan, Red Seas, Ricardo Villagran, science fiction, space opera, Steve Moore, Steve Wands, Steve Yeowell, sword & sorcery, The Unknown, Todd Klein, Tom Strong | Leave a comment

Jim Aparo’s schlocky Batman

Posted on April 4, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

Batman #415 For some, it may sound odd to describe Jim Aparo’s Batman comics as ‘schlocky,’ given that not too long ago Aparo came in second at CBR’s poll of greatest Batman artists, right after the immensely talented Neal Adams. … Continue reading →

Posted in ART OF BATMAN COMICS | Tagged Alan Grant, Bill Sienkiewicz, Bob Haney, Christopher Priest, Flint Henry, James Sinclair, Jim Aparo, Jim Starlin, John Byrne, John Cebollero, Mark Buckingham, Mike W. Barr, Neal Adams, Peter Milligan | 11 Comments

Why Commissioner Gordon hates Mondays

Posted on March 27, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

The Phantom Stranger (v3) #1 Robin (v4) #8 Batman #443 Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special: Choices Batman #456 Batman #434 Bane NEXT: An iconic Batman artist.

Posted in GOTHAM INTERLUDES | Tagged Commissioner Gordon, GCPD, James Gordon | Leave a comment

Bernie Wrightson (1948-2017)

Posted on March 22, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

John Trumbull said it all. Hidden Treasures

Posted in ART OF BATMAN COMICS | Tagged Bernie Wrightson, horror | 2 Comments

Batman collections for casual readers

Posted on March 17, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

You know who Batman is. At least the gist of it. You’ve seen him in books or in films or on television, hopefully at his best. Probably, you’re even familiar with some of his supporting cast and rogues gallery, not … Continue reading →

Posted in BATMAN COMICS FOR BEGINNERS | Tagged Alan Grant, Archie Goodwin, Bob Haney, Brian Apthorp, Carlo Berberi, Carmine Infantino, Cary Bates, Chuck Dixon, Curt Swan, Dan Jurgens, David V. Reed, Denny O'Neil, Doug Moench, Eric Jones, Gardner Fox, Gerry Conway, J. Bone, J. Torres, Jack Abel, Jerry Serpe, Jim Aparo, Joe Giela, John Calnan, Kieron Dwyer, Landry Q. Walker, Len Wein, Linda Medley, Marshall Rogers, Mike Sekowsky, Neal Adams, Norm Breyfogle, Rich Buckler, Richmond Lewis, Stan Woch, Steve Englehart, Terry Austin, Tex Blaisdell, Tim Sale | 7 Comments

Classic hardboiled crime novels

Posted on March 9, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

If, like me, you dig pretty much everything noirish (even if it’s a highly derivative mash-up of familiar tropes, a weirdly pretentious cheapie about an incompetent hitman, a sleazy erotic thriller with contradictory gender politics, or a mystical, sluggishly paced … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged books without pictures, noir | Leave a comment

12 trippy Batman covers

Posted on March 2, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

I’ve often pointed out in this blog that, during the Silver Age, many Batman covers achieved a level of psychedelia akin to a bad acid trip. However, this phenomenon isn’t exclusive to the 1950s and 1960s… Here are a dozen … Continue reading →

Posted in COVERS OF BATMAN COMICS | Tagged Alex Ross, Alex Sinclair, Chris Burnham, covers, Dustin Nguyen, Ed Hannigan, Frank Quitely, Guillem March, Karl Kesel, Kelley Jones, Klaus Janson, Laura Allred, Michael Allred, Norm Breyfogle, Rich Buckler, Will Simpson | 1 Comment

Bruce Wayne, disco party animal

Posted on February 22, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

Chris McKay’s The Lego Batman Movie may be a genuinely funny absurdist comedy, an inventive visual delight with spot-on voice acting, a postmodern, good-natured spoof of superhero blockbusters as well as, at the same time, an action-packed mega-crossover adventure yarn … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Batman's personality, movies | Leave a comment

Doug Moench’s over-the-top Batman

Posted on February 14, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

After an (unfortunately still) underappreciated run in Batman and Detective Comics in the mid-1980s, Doug Moench took a break for about five years before returning to Gotham City with a new attitude. If his earlier work had an emphasis on … Continue reading →

Posted in WRITERS OF BATMAN COMICS | Tagged Dan Brown, Denny O'Neil, Doug Moench, espionage, Grant Morrison, horror, J.H. Williams III, John Beatty, Kelley Jones, Mick Gray, politics, Russ Heath | 1 Comment