Tag Archives: Frank Miller

Spotlight on The Punisher – part 1

Having looked at DC’s most renowned leftist vigilante last week, today Gotham Calling turns to Marvel’s notorious right-wing anti-hero, the Punisher. While he is usually quite a one-note guy (wears a skull on his chest, kills criminals, that’s it), what … Continue reading

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If you like Mask of the Phantasm…

With the possible exception of the Nolan trilogy, Mask of the Phantasm came the closest to capturing the feel of the coolest Batman comics and projecting it on the big screen. In fact, this movie spin-off of the awesome Batman: … Continue reading

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Top 5 stories of The Spirit, without Will Eisner

Let’s face it, what made Will Eisner’s The Spirit so awesome wasn’t its regular cast or profound themes, but the way in which Eisner kept coming up with innovative narrative techniques, exploring the potential of sequential art. This is why … Continue reading

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Batman and fascism

Some people apply the label ‘fascist’ to a specific early 20th century ideology, and perhaps to some later derivative political projects. Others use the term more loosely, applying it to people who come across as authoritarian, unapologetically violent, and/or intolerant … Continue reading

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Non-Batman crime comics – part 2

If you read the last post, you know what’s going on. Here are another 5 non-superhero crime comics for fans of Batman’s noirish side: Human Target Christopher Chance is a body guard who impersonates his clients, using his skills to … Continue reading

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On the lifespan of Gotham mayors

While no job in Gotham City offers worse conditions than being a henchman, working in local politics comes remarkably close. Seriously, even House of Cards’ Frank Underwood would be scared of this place. As if it wasn’t bad enough that … Continue reading

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Batman’s very long beginning

Between Christopher Nolan’s movies and the Gotham TV show, a new generation of fans really seems to be digging dark, pseudo-realistic takes on Batman. But with 75 years’ worth of comics to choose from, people don’t necessarily know what to … Continue reading

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Frank Miller’s goddamn Batman

                    All kinds of people have written Batman stories. Not just people: even Snoopy has done it. But one author has the particularity of having written both the most critically acclaimed Batman comics of all time, and the most … Continue reading

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Batman comics and the late Cold War – part 1

1980s’ sci-fi thrillers gave us some of the bleakest visions of the future. They dealt with either impending conflict between the US and the USSR – Escape from New York, The Day After, Red Dawn – or its post-apocalyptic outcome … Continue reading

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Mike W. Barr’s paradoxical Batman

Mike W. Barr’s Batman comics – particularly his work in the 1980s – tend to have a deeply recognizable authorial voice, for two very distinct reasons. On the one hand, you’d be hard-pressed to find a modern Batman writer able … Continue reading

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