Tag Archives: noir

Brian Azzarello’s off-the-wall Batman

Posted on March 10, 2015 by I.M. Baytor

Batman #620 Since 1939, there have been plenty of offbeat Batman writers, but I get a special kick out of the fact that Brian Azzarello has been allowed through the gates. After all, Azzarello seems mostly at home telling viciously … Continue reading →

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Top 5 stories of The Spirit, without Will Eisner

Posted on March 5, 2015 by I.M. Baytor

Let’s face it, what made Will Eisner’s The Spirit so awesome wasn’t its regular cast or profound themes, but the way in which Eisner kept coming up with innovative narrative techniques, exploring the potential of sequential art. This is why … Continue reading →

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Top 20 stories of The Spirit, by Will Eisner

Posted on March 2, 2015 by I.M. Baytor

To celebrate Will Eisner week, today Gotham Calling pays homage to The Spirit, Eisner’s crime series from the 1940/50s whose legacy has been echoing around Batman comics ever since. Cue moody saxophone. The thing about The Spirit is that the … Continue reading →

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Smells Like Will Eisner’s Spirit

Posted on February 5, 2015 by I.M. Baytor

Detective Comics #600 In terms of stylish, offbeat crime stories featuring a masked vigilante and a pipe-smoking, irresponsibly lenient police commissioner, it’s hard to beat Batman comics. However, while The Spirit didn’t have such an engaging protagonist, such a fascinating … Continue reading →

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Spotlight on Batman: The Animated Series – part 1

Posted on January 6, 2015 by I.M. Baytor

A couple of months ago I recommended films for fans of Batman comics, so I figured this time I’d suggest some TV shows. Once again, I tried to think of different types of connections, including shows with resourceful, anti-gun action … Continue reading →

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Non-Batman crime comics – part 2

Posted on December 11, 2014 by I.M. Baytor

If you read the last post, you know what’s going on. Here are another 5 non-superhero crime comics for fans of Batman’s noirish side: Human Target Christopher Chance is a body guard who impersonates his clients, using his skills to … Continue reading →

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Non-Batman crime comics – part 1

Posted on December 8, 2014 by I.M. Baytor

As much as I love the outlandish side of Batman comics, with characters like Pee-Wee, the Talking Penguin, I’m actually a huge fan of Dark Knight stories that deploy tropes such as hardboiled dialogue, elaborate capers, twist-filled mysteries, and single-minded … Continue reading →

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Frank Robbins’ oddball Batman

Posted on November 17, 2014 by I.M. Baytor

The 1970s were a great time for the Caped Crusader, even if, looking back, we did miss out on the chance to see Batman with a turtleneck or Catwoman with an afro (problem solved). After the kitsch of the ’60s … Continue reading →

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The Batman spirit on the silver screen – part 2

Posted on November 6, 2014 by I.M. Baytor

If you read the last post, you know what’s going on. Here are another 10 movies that fans of Batman comics can enjoy instead of Zack Snyder’s upcoming blockbuster: Ed Wood Forget Tim Burton’s Batman films. It’s in this biopic … Continue reading →

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The Batman spirit on the silver screen – part 1

Posted on November 4, 2014 by I.M. Baytor

While I couldn’t be more cynical about the ridiculously titled Superman v Batman: Dawn of Justice (is it a court case exposé?), I’m here to argue that cinephile fans of Batman comics should have nothing to fear. If you dig … Continue reading →

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