Tag Archives: noir

Top 12 foreign-language film noirs

Posted on October 21, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

When I ranked my top 50 noir thrillers last month, I only included movies spoken in English. It was an easy way to curb the size of the list. However, this type of gritty, atmospheric crime stories has found an … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged Cold War, movies, noir, politics, World War II | Leave a comment

Gotham Calling’s top 50 film noir

Posted on September 15, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

Today is Gotham Calling’s seventh anniversary! I usually mark these occasions with a compilation of fifty images from Batman comics, showcasing the Dark Knight kicking people in the head or breaking through windows. Since the blog’s identity has been shifting … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged Alfred Hitchcock, Cold War, Frank Miller, Graham Greene, movies, noir, politics, The Spirit, World War II | 4 Comments

Another 12 cool sci-fi short stories

Posted on July 15, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

This year there was no entry into Gotham Calling’s winter tradition of spotlighting sci-fi war comics. I’ll compensate with yet another list of short stories that similarly treat science fiction, not so much as a challenging, head-scratching experience, but as … Continue reading →

Posted in FANTASTIC ADVENTURES | Tagged 2000 AD, Al Feldstein, Alan Moore, Bernie Krigstein, Bill Gaines, Christian Gossett, Cold War, David Lloyd, Del Close, Dezi Sienty, Edmond Hamilton, Epic Illustrated, Frank Frazetta, Gardner Fox, Geoff Johns, Harvey Kurtzman, Howard Nostrand, Jack Potter, Jerry Grandenetti, Jim Wroten, Joe Giella, John Higgins, John Ostrander, Jordie Bellaire, Lee Mars, Marie Severin, Martin DeMuth, Metal Hurlant, Mystery in Space, Nat Barnett, noir, politics, science fiction, Sid Greene, Snakebite, Steve Craddock, Strange Adventures, The Spirit, Time Warp, Tom Fowler, Tom King, Wasteland, Weird Fantasy, Weird Science, Will Eisner, Witches Tales | Leave a comment

Batman movies without Batman – part 1

Posted on April 22, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

The Dark Knight has starred in over a dozen theatrical films – plus a string of direct-to-video projects – and, in fact, his filmography has become a fascinating object in its own right. Not only are there extremely disparate takes … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged Carmine Infantino, Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer, Frank Robbins, Gene Colan, Gotham City, horror, Jae Lee, Kelley Jones, Mark Millar, movies, noir, science fiction, Steve McNiven | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (15 March 2021)

Posted on March 15, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

Your Eisneresque reminder that comics can be awesome… The Spirit: August 10, 1947

Posted in GLIMPSES INTO THE PAST | Tagged Abe Kanegson, Jerry Grandenetti, noir, The Spirit, Will Eisner | Leave a comment

2020’s books of the year – part 4

Posted on January 28, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

If you read last weeks’ posts, you know what’s going on. Here are four 2020 books that reminded me of why I love comics: 8. PULP The creative duo of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (known among some fans … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Al Feldstein, Blackhawk, British Ice, Cold War, Ed Brubaker, Eduardo Barreto, espionage, Grant Miehm, Harvey Kurtzman, horror, Howard Chaykin, Jacob Phillips, Jerry DeFuccio, Joe Kubert, Joe Sacco, Ken Bruzenak, Man and Superman, Mark Verheiden, Martin Pasko, Mike Grell, Milton Caniff, noir, Own D. Pomery, Pablo Marcos, politics, Pulp, Rick Burchett, science fiction, Sean Phillips, Steve Oliff, Steve Riggenberg, Terry Beatty, Thommy Burns, western, World War II | Leave a comment

2020’s books of the year – part 1

Posted on January 7, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

A couple of years ago, I started picking a Gotham Calling Book of the Year, spotlighting recently published comics that best engaged with this blog’s passions. To compensate for the lengthy silence, though, this time around I’ll do a longer … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Alan Grant, Andrea Sorrentino, Ann Nocenti, Arkham Asylum, Bog Bodies, Brüno, Chuck Dixon, Cold War, Declan Shalvey, Erica Henderson, Fabien Nury, Gary Kato, Gavin Fullerton, Graham Nolan, horror, J.H. Williams III, Jeff Lemire, Johnny Dynamite, Joker, Jordie Bellaire, Ken Fitch, Leonard Kirk, Mark Russell, Marv Wolfman, Max Allan Collins, Mickey Spillane, Ms. Tree, noir, Norm Breyfogle, Pete Morisi, politics, Rachel Dodson, Rebecca Nalty, Richard Pace, Second Coming, Steve Moore, Terry Beatty, Terry Dodson, Tom Peyer | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (19 October 2020)

Posted on October 19, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

One of the games going around since the beginning of the pandemic involves people recommending old movies that have acquired renewed resonance in these Covid-19 times – not necessarily because they presciently captured today’s reality, but because some of their … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged covers, Crime Must Pay the Penalty, Crimefighters, Dick Tracy, Frank Giacoia, Jim McLaughlin, Joe Orlando, Joe Simon, Justice Traps the Guilty, movies, noir, Ray Fehrenbach, The Spirit, Will Eisner | Leave a comment

10 noir short stories

Posted on September 10, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

Given the ongoing heated discussion over police reform and how to rethink public safety, I guess this is an appropriate occasion to highlight one of my favorite genres: crime fiction. As far as comic books go, although there were precedents, … Continue reading →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged Abe Kanegson, Al Feldstein, Alan Moore, Bernie Krigstein, Bill Gaines, Carl Wessler, Cold War, Crime SuspenStories, David Baron, Frank Miller, George Evans, Greyshirt, Jack Kamen, Jack Oleck, Jamison, Jim Wroten, Johnny Craig, Johnny Dynamite, Jules Feiffer, Marie Severin, movies, noir, Pete Morisi, politics, Reed Crandall, Rick Veitch, Shock SuspenStories, Sin City, The Spirit, Todd Klein, Tomorrow Stories, Will Eisner | Leave a comment

1990s’ Batman comics reading guide – part 6

Posted on September 3, 2020 by I.M. Baytor

Night Cries Back in part 3 of this reading guide, I mentioned how 1994’s crossover event Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! retroactively altered the DCU’s past and, thus, served to selectively revise (or fix) certain aspects of Batman’s canon. Rather … Continue reading →

Posted in BATMAN COMICS FOR BEGINNERS | Tagged Archie Goodwin, Barbara Gordon, Cliff Richards, Commissioner Gordon, Darwyn Cooke, David Mazzucchelli, Doug Mahnke, Ed Brubaker, Frank Miller, Greg Rucka, horror, Ivory Madison, James Gordon, Jeph Loeb, John Ostrander, Kelley Puckett, Kim Yale, Matt Wagner, noir, reading order, Rick Burchett, Scott Hampton, Tim Sale | Leave a comment