Tag Archives: martial arts

Yep, it’s another 50 kicks in the head

Yesterday was Gotham Calling’s fifth anniversary. I tend to celebrate these by paying tribute to Batman’s longstanding tradition of noisily kicking his opponents in the head (and mostly having a pretty good time doing it), a tradition that often involves … Continue reading

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Alternative Batmen

          The Dark Knight and his supporting cast have become so deeply familiar to comic book readers – and to consumers of pop culture in general – that sometimes the mere gesture of recontextualizing their imagery is enough to generate … Continue reading

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (January 2019)

I had so much fun doing these last year that I’ve decided to carry on… Here are another three pulpy splash pages to remind everyone that comics can be awesome: The Unknown Soldier (v2) #10 The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master … Continue reading

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More chopsocky covers

Last month, I did a post about Batman covers reminiscent of chopsocky movies, which got me thinking about my relationship with this subgenre… In particular, I was reminded that my interest in kung fu action has always been mostly connected … Continue reading

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12 chopsocky Batman covers

The chopsocky boom of the 1970s gave us lots of memorable action movies and TV shows bursting with thrillingly choreographed martial arts, over-the-top sound effects, outrageous villains, and plenty of terrible dubbing. Cult classics like Fist of Fury and Drunken … Continue reading

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Another year, another 50 kicks

Today is the third anniversary of Gotham Calling. As usual, I’m celebrating by posting fifty images of Batman kicking people and monsters in the head, accompanied by evocative sound effects as well as the occasional thoughtful, witty remark. Have fun! … Continue reading

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Another 50 images of kicks in the head

Today is Gotham Calling’s second anniversary, so you know what that means… Another year of compiling lists with questionable suggestions, writing down geeky rants and factoids, and thinking way too long about the characters, creators, and politics of Batman comics … Continue reading

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3 sleek fights by Bret Blevins

Bret Blevins has drawn a bunch of cool Batman comics and, in the process, delivered some truly rousing fight scenes. Although Blevins doesn’t always hit the mark (especially when working with inkers or colorists that screw up his crispy pencils), … Continue reading

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A symphony of kicks in the head

There is probably no cliché Batman fans hate more than ‘BIFF! ZAP! POW! COMICS ARE NOT JUST FOR KIDS ANYMORE!’ It’s bad enough that you don’t realize comics haven’t been *just* for kids for a very looooong time… but do … Continue reading

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