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The God of Preacher
The Christians I dissociate myself from are the ones usually found in films like Saved! or in comics like American Virgin: generally linked with sexism, homophobia, racism, fundamentalism, and...
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All for One, One for All — The Super-Hero Story
I had originally planned to write this article at a later date, but after reading Cody Walker and Julian Darius’s columns this past week, I couldn’t resist the temptation to jump ahead. I’ve been...
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A Place for Bold: Understanding Frank Miller
No one seems to get Frank Miller. Despite the flurry of digital ink spilled over him, most critics seem to be left scratching their heads. Indeed, the entire body of Frank Miller criticism can now… [more]
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Reading Holy Terror’s First Act
After its three-page thematic introductory sequence, Holy Terror shifts to the Fixer chasing Cat Burglar across Empire City’s rooftops. It’s a sequence not without its charms, including a few powerful...
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On Robert Crumb’s The Book of Genesis Illustrated, Genesis Chapter 22
What to do when trapped with a front-line, world-class bore? At the point of throttling Randolph Churchill during a wartime mission to Yugoslavia, Evelyn Waugh and Freddie Birkenhead bet the then-Prime...
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Sequart Sponsors Tufts University Live Chat with Artist JT Waldman
Sequart Research & Literacy Organization is proud to sponsor a free live online chat with JT Waldman, collaborator with Harvey Pekar on the graphic novel Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me. The...
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Live Chat with Artist JT Waldman at Tufts University
This is the page for the live chat with JT Waldman, artist of Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me, the final graphic novel by autobiographical comics legend Harvey Pekar. The chat was recorded live…...
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Theology and Bullshit
To be honest, the end of the world has always scared the shit out of me. To be clear, I’m not referring to the threat of nuclear war or massive global climate change that would… [more]
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Absolutely Puerile?: Shameless? Part 13
Continued. But more than anything else, Millar’s depiction of a demon-dominated Catholic Church was a playful, and often deliberately silly, reflection of his personal experiences and tastes. Few comic...
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Jesus Christ Superman
The irony of Superman in the age of Postmodernism is that our world has no need for saviors. Often I find myself in the middle of arguments where I defend Superman to my peers as… [more]
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“Let Them Serve as Signs”: Graphic Adaptations of Christian Texts
In issue number 301 of The Comics Journal, there are articles critiquing two major spiritual works in the graphic tradition. One of these works is R. Crumb’s Book of Genesis, the other Dave Sim’s...
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“I Only Wanted To Be Loved”: Shameless? Part 35
Continued from two weeks ago. Canon Fodder reads as if two distinct stories had been awkwardly spliced together. In its first half, it’s the tale of how the Canon, Doctor Watson and Mycroft Holmes...
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Making Love the Will Eisner Way: Intercourse Discourse in A Contract with God
In a 2013 interview, former DC president, author, and comics historian Paul Levitz posed the question “why was Contract with God important? It was an early graphic novel, but not the first – there are…...
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When the Transformers Got Religion (in Transformers: The Movie)
There are a lot of reasons why Transformers: The Movie was revolutionary, when it was released in 1986. Its level of animation was spectacular for anything but a Disney film. Akira hadn’t yet been...
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They Were Lost in Space-Time and Then They Found God
Written by Steve Englehart and drawn by Al Milgrom, the Lost in Space-Time saga ran from West Coast Avengers #17 to 24. The real meat is between 18-23, with the others serving as a prologue… [more]
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We Are All Children of the Atom: Marvel’s X-Men Gold Controversy, the Qurʾān,...
[Note: This article originally appeared on Mizan Pop on the 10th of April, 2017. Since its publication, Marvel has terminated Syaf’s contract.] The recent launch of the new comic series X-Men Gold has...
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A. David Lewis on Being a Religion and Comics Scholar, and His New Book...
A. David Lewis is a scholar of religion, literature, and comics studies. He has published graphic novels and several academic works that explore convergence of religion and comic books. His latest...
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Chapter 1: Paradise in House of X #1: The...
“You see, I know how you humans love your symbolism, almost as much as you love your religion.” This bold statement of Magneto towards the end of House of X #1 not only serves as… [more]
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Chapter 2: Visions of the Future and the Past...
Chapter 2: Prophecy – Visions of the Future and the Past in Powers of X #1 – The Last Dream of Professor X Writer: Jonathan Hickman Penciler: R.B. Silva Inker: R.B. Silva with Adriano Di… [more]
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Chapter 3: Reincarnation in House of X #2
Chapter 3: Reincarnation in House of X #2 – The Uncanny Life of Moira X Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Pepe Larraz Color Artist: Marte Gracia Cover Art: Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia It would be… [more]
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Chapter 4: Ascension in Powers of X #2
Chapter 4: Ascension in Powers of X #2 – We Are Together Now, You and I Writer: Jonathan Hickman Penciler: R.B. Silva Inker: R.B. Silva with Adriano Di Benedetto Color Artist: Marte Gracia Cover Art:…...
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Chapter 5: The End Times in Powers of X #3
Chapter 5: The End Times in Powers of X #3 – This Is What You Do Writer: Jonathan Hickman Penciler: R.B. Silva Inker: R.B. Silva Color Artist: Marte Gracia Cover Art: R.B. Silva and Marte… [more]
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Chapter 6: Doubts and Fears in House of X #3
Chapter 6: Doubts and Fears in House of X #3 – Once More unto the Breach Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Pepe Larraz Color Artist: Marte Gracia Cover Art: Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia Cyclops asks…...
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Chapter 7: Martyrdom in House of X #4
Chapter 7: Martyrdom in House of X #4 – It Will be Done Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Pepe Larraz Color Artist: Marte Gracia Cover Art: Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia Deeply tragic and yet strangely…...
View ArticleEvolution of the Islamic Superheroine: Post-9/11 Representation of Muslim...
Introduction The primary purpose of this piece will be to discuss the history regarding the increased representation of Muslima, or female adherents of Islam, within fictional mediums such as superhero...
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Chapter 8: Evil Beings in Powers of X #4
Chapter 8: Evil Beings in Powers of X #4 – Something Sinister Writer: Jonathan Hickman Penciler: R.B. Silva Inker: R.B. Silva Color Artist: Marte Gracia Cover Art: R.B. Silva and Marte Gracia At the...
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Chapter 9: Resurrection in House of X #5
Chapter 9: Resurrection in House of X #5 – Society Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Pepe Larraz Color Artist: Marte Gracia Cover Art: Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia “I will deliver this people from the...
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Chapter 10: The Soul in Powers of X #5
Chapter 10: The Soul in Powers of X #5 – For the Children Writer: Jonathan Hickman Penciler: R.B. Silva Inker: R.B. Silva Color Artist: Marte Gracia Cover Art: R.B. Silva and Marte Gracia One theory…...
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Chapter 11: Commandments in House of X #6
Chapter 11: Commandments in House of X #6 – House of X Writer: Jonathan Hickman Artist: Pepe Larraz Color Artist: Marte Gracia with David Curiel Cover Art: Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia Who decides...
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Chapter 12: Prophecy in Powers of X #6
Chapter 12: Prophecy – Foreknowledge Motivating Change in Powers of X #6 – I Am Not Ashamed Writer: Jonathan Hickman Penciler: R.B. Silva with Pepe Larraz Inker: R.B. Silva Color Artist: Marte Gracia...
View ArticleYou Humans Love Your Symbolism, Epilogue: Altruism in House of X / Powers of X
“MUTANTS—feared and hated by the world they have sworn to protect. These are the STRANGEST heroes of all!” These words greeted readers of Uncanny X-Men in an introductory caption-box at the top of the...
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Thor ’77-’78: On the Never-Ending Road to Ragnarok, Part 1
The Mighty Thor #262: My favorite Marvel character in August 1978 was The Mighty Thor. What follows is an examination of every issue of his Marvel comic book, from August 1977 to July 1978, issues… [more]
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Thor ’77-’78: On the Never-Ending Road to Ragnarok, Part 2
The Mighty Thor #263: The story: all the Asgardians (Thor, Sif, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg), with the Recorder, battle against the Odin-force body, created and controlled by the alien within the...
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Thor ’77-’78: On the Never-Ending Road to Ragnarok, Part 3
The Mighty Thor #264: In this issues, Loki sits on the throne because Balder, though left in charge of Asgard, departed to visit Karnilla, Queen of the Norns. The throne was left empty. Now that… [more]
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Thor ’77-’78: On the Never-Ending Road to Ragnarok, Part 4
The Mighty Thor #265: This one is truly an ALL BATTLE ISSUE! We left off with The Destroyer, a suit of indestructible-looking armor, powered by someone’s spirit force, crashing into battle with Thor....
View ArticleThor ’77-’78: On the Never-Ending Road to Ragnarok, Part 5
The Mighty Thor #266: Neither Thor nor Sif realize Balder’s life force is powering the Destroyer, so they don’t understand why Karnilla has ended her attack on him. Thor continues the fight alone, but...
View ArticleThor ’77-’78: On the Never-Ending Road to Ragnarok, Part 6
The Mighty Thor #267: After an epic battle with the Destroyer, Asgard needs major reconstruction. Balder takes charge and repairs are happening swiftly. Odin banishes an unrepentant Loki to Midgard...
View ArticleThor ’77-’78: On the Never-Ending Road to Ragnarok, Part 7
The Mighty Thor #268: Damocles escaped from Thor, but events take place leading Thor right back to him. To begin this issue, the police contact Dr. Blake and ask him to contact Thor. Being one… [more]
View ArticleThor ’77-’78: On the Never-Ending Road to Ragnarok, Part 8
The Mighty Thor #269: The splash page shows Thor reading a newspaper at a New York City newsstand. As a crowd gathers, he gets pressured into signing autographs. Telling his fans he has duties to… [more]
View ArticleThor ’77-’78: On the Never-Ending Road to Ragnarok, Part 9
The Mighty Thor #270: Blastaar, the Living Bomb-Burst, engages Thor in battle and prevents him from retrieving his hammer. Conveniently though, before Thor can change back into Don Blake, Blastaar...
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