Tag Archives: noir

Collections of Batman stories – part 1

Among the countless Batman books out there – old and new, classic or disposable – there is a whole subsection that strikes me as an ideal gateway for those who have heard of this Bruce Wayne fella but are still … Continue reading

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Spotlight on The Shadow Strikes!

The mid-to-late ‘80s were the true golden age of comic books. For a few years, the industry was set on trying out all kinds of ideas and outright bombarding readers with one memorable comic after another, featuring both new and … Continue reading

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Spotlight on Greyshirt

If you read the last posts, you know that this month I’ve been discussing eccentric vigilante comics. Hence Greyshirt. I have little doubt that the seeds for Greyshirt grew from Alan Moore’s contributions to The Spirit: The New Adventures, in … Continue reading

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Remaking Night of the Stalker!

A few weeks ago, I talked about remakes in comics. The thing about this medium, though, is that a lot of the time remakes are not explicit. In fact, it’s not unusual for storylines to share (and usually extend) a … Continue reading

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Comics for Tarantino fans – part 1

Hitman #1 It makes sense that Garth Ennis chose to put this amusing riff on Reservoir Dogs’ opening lines in the very first issue of Hitman. Ennis shares with Quentin Tarantino a penchant for dark humor, graphic dismemberment, and lengthy … Continue reading

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Top 20 Batman: Black & White stories

It’s no secret that many of the greatest Batman short stories are black-and-white. There’s something about the mood, between art house and classic Hollywood (serials aside), the urgent page count, and the overall sense of bare-bones minimalism that seems to … Continue reading

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Film noir detective stories – part 2

If you read the last post, you know what’s going on. Here are more film suggestions for fans of noir detective stories: DEAD RECKONING (1947) -Put Christmas in your eyes and keep your voice low. Tell me about paradise and … Continue reading

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Film noir detective stories – part 1

Although film noir was a product of the 1940s and (arguably) the 1950s, since then its serpentine plots, mordant dialogue, and shadowy atmosphere have persistently inspired spoofs as well as straight-faced pastiches, including several Batman comics. With that in mind, … Continue reading

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If you like Mask of the Phantasm…

With the possible exception of the Nolan trilogy, Mask of the Phantasm came the closest to capturing the feel of the coolest Batman comics and projecting it on the big screen. In fact, this movie spin-off of the awesome Batman: … Continue reading

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Kick-ass Crimes of Catwoman

Writing about standalone Catwoman stories last month, it occurred to me that Selina Kyle has committed quite a diverse range of robberies throughout the decades. From no-holds-barred heists to madcap capers that seem straight out of Blake Edwards’ The Pink … Continue reading

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