Tag Archives: World War II

Spotlight on the Unknown Soldier, 1997

Posted on March 20, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

After being absent from the stands for about eight years, in 1997 the spy/war comic Unknown Soldier got the Vertigo treatment. By then, the Vertigo imprint had come to specialize in getting edgy (usually British) creators to reimagine third-tier DC … Continue reading →

Posted in SPYCRAFT & WARFARE | Tagged Axel Alonso, Cold War, espionage, Garth Ennis, James Sinclair, Killian Plunkett, politics, Tim Bradstreet, Unknown Soldier, World War II | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (26 February 2024)

Posted on February 26, 2024 by I.M. Baytor

War and comics tend to be a generative combination. The former has triggered politically charged works, it has shaped the background of popular characters (especially superheroes), it has inspired bonkers tales that counterintuitively mix fun and horrific elements , and … Continue reading →

Posted in GLIMPSES INTO THE PAST | Tagged covers, Ira Schnapp, Irv Novick, Jack Adler, Jerry Grandenetti, Joe Kubert, Russ Heath, Star Spangled War Stories, World War II | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (22 May 2023)

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

This weeks’ reminder that comics can be awesome is a tribute to the long history of tank covers at DC:

Posted in GLIMPSES INTO THE PAST | Tagged covers, G.I. Combat, Ira Schnapp, Jack Adler, Joe Kubert, Russ Heath, World War II | Leave a comment

Catching up with war comics

Posted on January 18, 2023 by I.M. Baytor

Every once in a while, Dead Reckoning – an imprint of the U.S. Naval Institute’s book-publishing division – sends me graphic novels to review in Gotham Calling. Last year they sent me The Lions of Leningrad and The Stretcher Bearers, … Continue reading →

Posted in SPYCRAFT & WARFARE | Tagged Garth Ennis, Jean-Claude Van Rijckeghem, Lion & the Eagle, Lions of Leningrad, Matt Milla, PJ Holden, politics, Reid Beaman, Rob Steen, Ryan Beaman, Stretcher Bearers, Thomas du Caju, World War II | Leave a comment

COMICS CAN BE AWESOME (12 December 2022)

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

This has been a year marked by war. I know, I know, aren’t they all? Sure, but the stakes feel more global than they had felt in a while – and, yes, this conflict’s impact hits closer to (my) home. … Continue reading →

Posted in GLIMPSES INTO THE PAST | Tagged covers, Gaspar Saladino, Ira Schnapp, Irv Novick, Jack Adler, Jack Sparling, Jerry Grandenetti, Joe Kubert, Mlle. Marie, Star Spangled War Stories, World War II | Leave a comment

If you like Barton Fink…

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

By 1991, Joel and Ethan Coen had done three very different pictures, but they all shared some connection to crime fiction, not to mention a fondness for labyrinthic plotting. With their next project, though, the Coen brothers truly defied everybody’s … Continue reading →

Posted in WEBS OF FICTION | Tagged A Small Killing, Alan Moore, Coen brothers, Cold War, Dave McKean, Duncan Fegredo, Grant Morrison, horror, Jon J. Muth, Kyle Baker, movies, Neil Gaiman, Oscar Zarate, Peter Milligan, politics, World War II | 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 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

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

Animal war comics – part 1

Posted on December 23, 2021 by I.M. Baytor

Once again, the folks at Dead Reckoning have sent me one of their graphic novels to review: Four-Fisted Tales: Animals in Combat, in which Ben Towle spotlights the historical role of different creatures in various wars. Like last time, I … Continue reading →

Posted in SPYCRAFT & WARFARE | Tagged Art Spiegelman, Brian K. Vaughan, Cat Shit One, Cesar Lopez-Vera, Cold War, Dodderio, Enemy Ace, Joe Kubert, John Wagner, Juan Arancio, Motofumi Kobayashi, Niko Henrichon, Pat Mills, politics, Ramon Solá, Robert Kanigher, Shako, Vietnam, World War II | Leave a comment