Tag Archives: noir

On Joe Simon’s covers for Dick Tracy

Posted on September 21, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

This week we’re back to spotlighting comic book covers in Gotham Calling. I’m quite fascinated by the work of Joe Simon on the covers of Dick Tracy back in the early 1950s, when monthly issues collected Chester Gould’s iconic daily … Continue reading →

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Gotham Calling’s 120 Cold War movies – part 1

Posted on September 14, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

It’s Gotham Calling’s ninth anniversary! This past year was especially irregular in terms of posting because I had more classes than usual, but I’ve finally found a way to turn this in the blog’s favor. One of my courses looked … Continue reading →

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More Batman movies without Batman

Posted on June 22, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 I was hoping to be back to longer posts this month, but it has been one hell of a year, so I’ll just stick to the regular COMICS CAN BE AWESOME section for a while … Continue reading →

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (28 November 2022)

Posted on November 28, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

And here is another reminder that old copaganda comic book covers can be awesome, Headline Comics edition:

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If you like The Big Lebowski…

Posted on October 12, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these! After the critically acclaimed maturity and sensitivity of Fargo, Joel and Ethan Coen pulled yet another switch by delivering a stoner crime comedy packed with profanity (it was as if … Continue reading →

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Ed Brubaker’s mature Batman

Posted on September 8, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

Ed Brubaker is one of the most critically acclaimed comic book writers of the 21st century. Heavily influenced by crime fiction and by the superhero revisionist turn of the 1980s, he has continually sought to imbue American comics with a … Continue reading →

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If you like Fargo…

Posted on June 16, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

The film. Not the show. It’s easy to see why Fargo (1996) became the Coen brothers’ most acclaimed picture. The devastating story of a frustrated car salesman (an unnervingly anxious William H. Macy) who hires a couple of thugs to … Continue reading →

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A few loose thoughts on Matt Reeves’ The Batman

Posted on March 24, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

So, I finally went to see The Batman… Overall, I thought the movie was a baffling mess, although not entirely without merit. I kept trying to like it, but it kept fighting back. I’m not going to write a cogent … Continue reading →

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If you like Miller’s Crossing…

Posted on March 17, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

I still haven’t seen The Batman, but here is a great crime movie that I can wholeheartedly recommend: For fans of film noir, like me, few experiences can be more delightful than watching – and endlessly rewatching – Miller’s Crossing … Continue reading →

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COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (17 January 2022)

Posted on January 17, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

Your ‘true crime’ reminder that comic book covers can be awesome:

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