Tag Archives: science fiction

Alternative Batmen

          The Dark Knight and his supporting cast have become so deeply familiar to comic book readers – and to consumers of pop culture in general – that sometimes the mere gesture of recontextualizing their imagery is enough to generate … Continue reading

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More brilliant sci-fi short stories

Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone has started off on the wrong foot. It’s not just that most episodes so far have been weaker than 90% of Rod Serling’s original series  (or, at least, 90% of the first three seasons, since … Continue reading

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Two-fisted cyberpunk comics

Every once in a while, the zeitgeist hits the world of cinema with just the right creative force for it to spit out a bunch of simultaneous gems with a similar mood. For example, 1981 was clearly one of the … Continue reading

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Brilliant sci-fi short stories

As much as I enjoy sci-fi epics, I’m also a huge sucker for a tauter brand of science fiction.  Short stories are an ideal form for this genre: since sci-fi often revolves more around ideas than characters, it can be … Continue reading

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Weird futuristic war comics

It has become a kind of winter tradition here at the blog to do a post spotlighting cool sci-fi comics about warfare. This started out years ago, as a one-idea post prompted by Rogue One, but there is an endless … Continue reading

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2018’s book of the year

This is the time of the year when bloggers share their best-of-the-year lists. I don’t usually play along because I mostly read old stuff and don’t have enough of a grip on current publications to make any authoritative claim about … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (August)

Your monthly reminder that comics can be awesome… Aetheric Mechanics Captain America #106 East of West #5

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

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

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

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

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More minor but cool sci-fi comics

I did one of these last month, after watching Annihilation. Now, to celebrate the return of Westworld, I’m spotlighting another half-dozen underrated sci-fi comics:   OCEAN It’s a testament to Warren Ellis’ creative mind and writing skills that Ocean is … Continue reading

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