Tag Archives: horror

More brilliant sci-fi short stories

Posted on May 23, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone has started off on the wrong foot. It’s not just that most episodes so far have been weaker than 90% of Rod Serling’s original series  (or, at least, 90% of the first three seasons, since … Continue reading →

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The despicable pre-Crisis Man-Bat

Posted on May 8, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

Man-Bat isn’t one of the most inspired concepts in Batman comics. Taking to the extreme the notion that great villains are an inversion of the heroes, Man-Bat’s name is a literal reversal of Batman’s… As for his origin, it’s just … Continue reading →

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3 striking uses of red by Greg Wright

Posted on February 28, 2019 by I.M. Baytor

I don’t write much about colorists in this blog. Coloring is one of those ungrateful tasks that, while absolutely vital to the feel of a comic, tends to go unnoticed when it’s merely done well. According to mainstream coloring conventions, … Continue reading →

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2018’s book of the year

Posted on December 26, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

This is the time of the year when bloggers share their best-of-the-year lists. I don’t usually play along because I mostly read old stuff and don’t have enough of a grip on current publications to make any authoritative claim about … Continue reading →

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10 Jokerized covers

Posted on December 12, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

I’ve talked before about my fascination with covers featuring the Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime is one of the all-time great sinister villains in popular fiction. His resonance after all these decades of mayhem and, especially, his signature maniacal … Continue reading →

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A wonderfully grotesque Swamp Thing double page spread

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

Because no Halloween is complete without revisiting the greatest horror comic book series of all time. Swamp Thing (v2) #61

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Going to the movies in Gotham City

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

Longtime readers won’t be too surprised to find out that, as an unabashed cinephile, I am fascinated by Gotham City’s film culture. In fact, throughout the years, I think I’ve managed to piece together some of its key features… Batman #459 … Continue reading →

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Minor but cool sci-fi comics

Posted on March 22, 2018 by I.M. Baytor

After the remarkable Ex Machina, Alex Garland has now put together another tense, intelligent science fiction film in the form of Annihilation. The movie feels like a welcome reminder that, even though cinema tends to simplify the dense, heady tales … Continue reading →

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A year of sci-fi movies and shows

Posted on December 12, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

The Last Jedi hits the screens this week and we’ll see what comes out of it. So far, Rian Johnson is OK in my book. He did Brick, so I know he’s into film noir. He did The Brothers Bloom, … Continue reading →

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3 Scarecrow-induced hallucinations

Posted on October 30, 2017 by I.M. Baytor

One of the reasons the core of Batman’s rogues gallery has proven so lasting is the fact that many of his foes are super-functional storytelling devices. The Joker is a clown, so he always looks scary. The Riddler has a … Continue reading →

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