Author Archives: I.M. Baytor

Spotlight on Lucky Luke, 1958-1967 – part 2

As mentioned last week, I’ve been rereading the first decade of René Goscinny’s run on the Belgian series Lucky Luke, illustrated by Morris, and trying to figure out what made those comics work (and why they resonated so much with … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (6 May 2024)

Given the terrifying escalation of war, nationalism, and climate crisis, to which we can now add mass arrests of students protesting against genocide, it is not surprising that we’re in the midst of a surge of mainstream dystopias, from Civil … Continue reading

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Spotlight on Lucky Luke, 1958-1967 – part 1

Once again, it’s that time of year when I revisit Eurocomics that marked my childhood, now read through older eyes, and write about some of the dimensions I missed as a kid. Today, I’ll focus on the first decade of … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (29 April 2024)

This week, a reminder that comic book covers can be FUN:

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Some thoughts on Alex Garland’s Civil War

Just some loose thoughts on the Civil War film… No, not the MCU one, I’m talking about the one set in a dystopia where secessionist states are fighting against the US president. Matt Zoller Seitz has summed up the initial … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (22 April 2024)

Another reminder that comic book covers can be awesome… and another tribute to renditions of facial acting and the art of the close-up:

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Some thoughts on 21st-century spy shows

Secret agents and international intrigue have really come back with a vengeance in the past decade or so. The War on Terror and, later, the renewed tension between the West and Russia seem to have stimulated the public’s appetite for … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (15 April 2024)

This week, a reminder that X-Men comics can be surprisingly meaningful and morally complex… but also very, very horny. It’s right there on the covers:

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Another damn busy week…

MONDAY Tenses #2 TUESDAY Batman & Robin Adventures #10 WEDNESDAY Batman / Toyman #3 THURSDAY Batman: Black & White (v3) #4 FRIDAY Kings of Fear #1 SATURDAY Batman: Universe #3 SUNDAY Detective Comics #482

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (8 April 2024)

This week’s reminder that comic books can be awesome is yet another tribute to Carmine Infantino’s talent for cover composition:

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