Tag Archives: politics

On Tunnels

Posted on March 31, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

When I chose The Department of Truth as Gotham Calling’s 2021 Book of the Year, I made a point of stressing that I still hadn’t managed to read Rutu Modan’s Tunnels, which was bound to be one of my favorite … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Joe Sacco, politics, Rutu Modan, Tunnels | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged Batman's personality, Gotham City, movies, noir, Penguin, politics, Riddler | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in HARDBOILED CRIME | Tagged Blue Note, Coen brothers, Mathieu Mariolle, Mikaël Bourgouin, movies, noir, politics | Leave a comment

Spotlight on The Unknown Soldier, 1988-1989 – part 2

Posted on March 10, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

As I started to discuss last week, 1988-9’s exhilarating The Unknown Soldier limited series is miles apart from Joe Kubert’s original iteration of the character. For one thing, instead of a fully-committed agent of an unquestionably righteous American war effort, … Continue reading →

Posted in SPYCRAFT & WARFARE | Tagged Bob Haney, Christopher Mooneyham, Christopher Priest, Cold War, David Michelinie, espionage, Ivan Plascencia, James Owsley, Joe Kubert, Phil Gascoine, politics, Unknown Soldier, World War II | Leave a comment

Spotlight on The Unknown Soldier, 1988-1989 – part 1

Posted on March 3, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

At a time when pavlovian pundits and politicians seem keen to revive Cold War rhetoric and imagery, (mis)applying it to the conflict taking place in Ukraine, perhaps it is worth remembering that even during the Cold War itself there were … Continue reading →

Posted in SPYCRAFT & WARFARE | Tagged Carl Gafford, Christopher Priest, Cold War, Denny O'Neil, espionage, James Owsley, John Costanza, Phil Gascoine, politics, Unknown Soldier, Vietnam | Leave a comment

Spotlight on The Adventures of Tintin – part 2

Posted on February 3, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

If you just look at the artwork in The Adventures of Tintin, it’s hard to deny the series’ ethnocentrism, since Hergé’s drawings – as was usual at the time – tap on recognizable stereotypes. If you look closely at the … Continue reading →

Posted in FANTASTIC ADVENTURES | Tagged Bob de Moor, Cold War, Hergé, movies, politics, science fiction, Tintin | Leave a comment

Spotlight on The Adventures of Tintin – part 1

Posted on January 27, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

Something I would like to do more this year is to write about Eurocomics – especially the old Franco-Belgian bande dessinée albums that were such a huge part of my childhood. Today, let’s have a closer look at just a … Continue reading →

Posted in FANTASTIC ADVENTURES | Tagged Alfred Hitchcock, Hergé, politics, science fiction, Tintin, World War II | Leave a comment

2021’s book of the year

Posted on January 13, 2022 by I.M. Baytor

First, a disclaimer: Rutu Modan’s latest graphic novel, Tunnels, has been translated to English and published by Drawn & Quarterly last year… and whenever a new Modan book comes out, the chances of it being my favorite comic of that … Continue reading →

Posted in BOOKS OF THE YEAR | Tagged Aditya Bidikar, Barry Windsor-Smith, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave Stewart, Department of Truth, Dylan Todd, Elsa Charretier, EPHK, horror, James Harren, James Tynion IV, Juni Ba, Martin Simmonds, Matt Hollingsworth, politics, Roman Titov, Rus Wooton, science fiction, Tyler Boss, Ultramega | Leave a comment

Animal war comics – part 2

Posted on December 29, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

If you read last week’s post, you know I’ve been discussing war comics that prominently feature animals. This week, let’s start by looking at 2004’s science-gone-wrong mini-series We3, about a trio of weaponized animal cyborgs (a dog, a cat, and … Continue reading →

Posted in SPYCRAFT & WARFARE | Tagged Ben Towle, Brahm Revel, Dogs of War, Four-Fisted Tales: Animals in Combat, Frank Quitely, Grant Morrison, Guerillas, Jamie Grant, Luke Pearson, Nathan Fox, politics, science fiction, Sheila Keenan, Todd Klein, Vietnam, WE3, World War II | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (27 December 2021)

Posted on December 27, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

It turned out Spider-Man: No Way Home was the final positive surprise of 2021. After the disappointment of the tired, hacky Black Widow and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, we’re finally back on track with a … Continue reading →

Posted in SUPER POWERS | Tagged 1963, Alan Moore, Astro City, Calendar Man, Carmen Carnero, Chuck Dixon, Dave Gibbons, Don Simpson, Glenn Whitmore, Joe Staton, John Costanza, John Roshell, Kurt Busiek, movies, Peter Pantazis, politics, Rick Veitch, Spider-Man, Stephen Bissette | Leave a comment