Category Archives: SPYCRAFT & WARFARE

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 →

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On Mission: Impossible, the film series

Posted on August 14, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

The last post was all about my love for the classic Mission: Impossible TV series. But what about the recent movie franchise? Well, that’s a whole other beast. Sure, there are superficial connections, the most obvious ones being the catchy … Continue reading →

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On Mission: Impossible, the original TV series

Posted on August 11, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

After a whole month looking at spy fiction, it’s only fair I give you my take on the latest summer blockbuster, the spy thriller Mission: Impossible – Fallout. I’ll do that in the next post, though. First, some words about … Continue reading →

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Spotlight on Polar

Posted on July 30, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

July is the month of spy comics at Gotham Calling. This year, I’ve discussed the black & white indie series Queen & Country and the over-the-top early adventures of the one-eyed super-spy Nick Fury. Today, I’m looking at a more … Continue reading →

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Spotlight on Jimmy’s Bastards

Posted on July 24, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

In the fourth week of this year’s Gotham Calling spy month, we’re looking at Jimmy’s Bastards, a recently completed mini-series about a thinly-veiled version of James Bond, called Jimmy Regent (because Bond and Regent are both London tube stations, get … Continue reading →

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

Posted on July 17, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

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.

Posted on July 10, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

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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Spotlight on Queen & Country

Posted on July 6, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

July is the month of spy comics here at Gotham Calling. Let’s kick things off with what is unquestionably one of the all-time greatest spy series in the medium: Queen & Country. Originally published between 2001 and 2007 by Oni … Continue reading →

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Spy comics: revisiting World War I

Posted on July 28, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

If you read the last posts, you know that this month I’ve been discussing cool spy comics.   Historically associated with imperial rivalry and pointless carnage in the public imagination, World War I doesn’t seem to have inspired nearly as … Continue reading →

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Spy comics: black ops

Posted on July 20, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

As you’ve probably noticed by now, this month at Gotham Calling is all about spy fiction.           The thing about spy yarns is that the tradecraft can be the real star of the story. Even when the leads aren’t … Continue reading →

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