Author Archives: I.M. Baytor

The return of Batman’s loud kicks in the head

This is Gotham Calling’s 700th post! I like to mark these occasions with something special and it occurred to me that it’s been a while since my last post celebrating the Caped Crusader’s tendency to acrobatically kick – or sometimes … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (26 February 2024)

War and comics tend to be a generative combination. The former has triggered politically charged works, it has shaped the background of popular characters (especially superheroes), it has inspired bonkers tales that counterintuitively mix fun and horrific elements , and … Continue reading

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Frank Miller’s objectivist Superman

As much as Frank Miller milked Superman’s symbolic potential, I also appreciate how much his comics simultaneously ‘humanized’ the character as well. Miller’s interpretation of the Man of Steel may be eccentric, but his Superman is an actual individual and … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (19 February 2024)

A reminder that comic book covers can be awesome… and also quite bizarre:

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Gotham Calling’s 120 Cold War movies – part 12

We’ve arrived at the end of Gotham Calling’s long-running Cold War cinema retrospective… And if you think depictions of the conflict were winding down in the final years, you’re in for a surprise. This is probably the bloodiest – and … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (12 February 2024)

Pre-Crisis Wonder Woman comics (from the 1940s to the 1980s) were marked by constant experimentation. Perhaps unsure about what to do with the character, creators kept throwing her into all sorts of genres, from war to fantasy, from adventure to … Continue reading

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Frank Miller’s symbolic Superman

Although Frank Miller is best known for his world-shattering – and controversial – takes on Batman since the 1980s, he has been doing comics about Superman for just as long… and his approach to the Man of Steel is actually … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (5 February 2024)

A February reminder that comic book covers can be awesome, Captain edition:

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Gotham Calling’s 120 Cold War movies – part 11

We are now entering the final stage of Gotham Calling’s mega-list of Cold War cinema… and we are firmly in Reaganite territory, including an obsession with foreign intervention along with a vigorous resurgence of nuclear panic. 101. Threads (UK, 1984) … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (29 January 2024)

One of the greatest additions to Batman comics in the 21st century was the introduction of Bruce Wayne’s hyper-arrogant, borderline psychopath son, who went on the become a particularly offbeat version of Robin. In fact, as flawed and uneven as … Continue reading

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