Author Archives: I.M. Baytor

Spotlight on The Unknown Soldier, 1975-1976

Posted on July 10, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

In the early 1970s, the Unknown Soldier feature of Star Spangled War Stories told exciting spy adventures set in World War II, starring a disfigured operative turned master-of-disguise who undertook secret missions under direct orders from Washington. As I explained … Continue reading →

Posted in SPYCRAFT & WARFARE | Tagged Cold War, David Michelinie, espionage, Gerry Conway, Gerry Talaoc, Joe Orlando, politics, Unknown Soldier, World War II | Leave a comment

Spotlight on The Unknown Soldier, 1970-1974

Posted on July 5, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

There is a whole branch of spy fiction focusing on World War II going back to the time of the conflict itself. In cinema, the British kicked things off with thrillers such as Night Train to Munich and Contraband. Hollywood … Continue reading →

Posted in SPYCRAFT & WARFARE | Tagged Archie Goodwin, Bob Haney, espionage, Frank Robins, Jack Sparling, Joe Kubert, movies, politics, Robert Kanigher, Unknown Soldier, World War II | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (July 2019)

Posted on July 2, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

July is Spy Fiction Month here at the blog. Before going on my yearly marathon of posts about foreign intrigue and counter-intelligence, though, let us all just take a moment to contemplate the fact that comics can be many different … Continue reading →

Posted in GLIMPSES INTO AWESOMENESS | Tagged Adrienne Roy, Blankets, Bob Lappan, Craig Thompson, Eduardo Barreto, Fiona Staples, Marv Wolfman, New Teen Titans, Romeo Tanghal, Saga | Leave a comment

3 ‘silent’ sequences by Tim Levins

Posted on June 25, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

If there is one Batman run that doesn’t get enough praise, it’s the strand of highly entertaining stories published in Gotham Adventures #15-60, from 1999 to 2003, written by Scott Peterson, mostly with pencils by Tim Levins, inks by Terry … Continue reading →

Posted in ART OF BATMAN COMICS | Tagged Batman: The Animated Series, Lee Loughridge, Scott Peterson, Terry Beatty, Tim Levins | 3 Comments

Batman comics on drugs – part 2

Posted on June 18, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

If you read the last post, you know I’ve been looking at Batman comics about drugs. Today I want to briefly discuss two stories from the early 1990s that approached this topic in extreme ways. In his many adventures, the … Continue reading →

Posted in POLITICS OF BATMAN COMICS | Tagged Adrienne Roy, Alan Grant, Batman's personality, Denny O'Neil, drugs, Ernie Chua, Gerry Conway, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Norm Breyfogle, politics, Russel Braun, Steve Oliff, Todd Klein, Trevor von Eeden | Leave a comment

Batman comics on drugs – part 1

Posted on June 11, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

Drugs have traditionally played a substantial role in Batman comics (hell, in the whole medium). The Dark Knight has put away his share of drug dealers – from run-of-the-mill villains (your prototypical crime fiction trope) to the kind of outlandish … Continue reading →

Posted in POLITICS OF BATMAN COMICS | Tagged Adrienne Roy, Alan Grant, Batman's personality, Bob Smith, Dave Taylor, Doug Moench, drugs, Gene Colan, Pamela Rambo, politics, Ricardo Villagran, Robin, Stan Woch | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (June 2019)

Posted on June 6, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

Your June reminder that comics can be awesome… Man-Thing #1 The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot #1 The Invisibles (v2) #19

Posted in GLIMPSES INTO AWESOMENESS | Tagged Bill Spicer, Chris Weston, Claude Legris, Daniel Vozzo, Dave Hunt, Frank Miller, Geoff Darrow, Grant Morrison, Invisibles, John Costanza, Man-Thing, Ray Krissing, Sal Trapani, Steve Gerber, The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, Todd Klein, Val Mayerik | Leave a comment

Places to visit in Gotham City

Posted on May 30, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

If you happen to be passing by Gotham City and are only around for a day or a night, make sure you use your time wisely. There are plenty of monuments worth checking out, but among the most original ones … Continue reading →

Posted in GOTHAM CITIZENS | Tagged Alan Moore, Garth Ennis, Gotham City, John McCrea | 1 Comment

3 gleeful Dark Knights, by Frank Miller

Posted on May 15, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

Frank Miller’s 1986 mini-series The Dark Knight Returns was, more than any other book, largely responsible for the grimmer tone of Batman stories in subsequent years. Its legacy is still felt today – not just in the overall atmosphere of … Continue reading →

Posted in ART OF BATMAN COMICS | Tagged Batman's personality, Frank Miller | Leave a comment