Tag Archives: noir

On Harvey bullock – part 1

Posted on December 19, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

Harvey Bullock is one of the most beloved supporting characters in Batman’s cast, probably because he is such a fun counterpoint to the Caped Crusader: a cigar-chomping, donut-munchin’, overweight, unkempt police detective with a penchant for flashy ties and massive … Continue reading →

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No-frills crime films

Posted on November 21, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

At the risk of making Gotham Calling look like a Letterboxd account, this week I’m turning back to movies, spotlighting half-a-dozen stripped down crime thrillers that, in the grand tradition of classics like The French Connection, make the most out … Continue reading →

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Even more Batman movies without Batman – cult movies edition

Posted on October 24, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

I get a huge kick exploring various connections within pop culture, including the thematic and stylistic links between Batman comics and cinema. To be fair, many of the comics are quite open about their influences, to the point that one … Continue reading →

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (26 August 2024)

Posted on August 26, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

Today’s reminder that comic book covers can be awesome pays tribute to badass detectives:

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Spotlight on Slam Bradley

Posted on January 25, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

The Dark Knight isn’t the only detective in Batman comics. In fact, having finally read last year’s six-part mini-series Gotham City: Year One, my mind has been on the astounding significance gained by one of the oldest detectives around: Slam … Continue reading →

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Catching up with crime comics – Ed Brubaker edition, part 2

Posted on November 16, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

As much as Ed Brubaker’s work can be hit-and-miss for me, he remains one of those writers – like Garth Ennis or Warren Ellis – whose comics I always end up checking out, sooner or later. For one thing, their … Continue reading →

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Catching up with crime comics – Ed Brubaker edition

Posted on November 2, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

Last time I did one of these ‘Catching up with crime comics’ posts was a year ago, back in November 2022, looking specifically at Texas-set yarns (in the meantime, I’ve finally read Ethan Hawke’s and Greg Ruth’s Meadowlark, a superb-looking … Continue reading →

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Gotham Calling’s 120 Cold War movies – part 3

Posted on October 12, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

Welcome back to Gotham Calling’s ongoing list of notable films that gave an audiovisual expression to the Cold War (previous installments here and here). This time around, many of my choices are less explicit, as by the mid-1950s sci-fi horror … Continue reading →

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (2 October 2023)

Posted on October 2, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

October’s first reminder that comic books can be awesome is a tribute to the voluptuous femmes fatales who were all over the covers of Golden Age comics:

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Gotham Calling’s 120 Cold War movies – part 2

Posted on September 28, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

The second post in this 12-part series about Cold War cinema focuses on the early 1950s, when the conflict reached its first peak, in Europe as well as in Asia. The films below are all profoundly shaped by the booming … Continue reading →

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