Comic books have been the source for television programmes before – Batman, Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, and Smallville are perhaps the most famous live-action series, and there are many animated series as well – but these were based on well-known franchises. Now, things are different, and…
This blog is officially a Before Watchmen-free zone (see here for my thoughts) but that doesn’t mean I don’t try new comics. However, as the post title states, trying new comics is a gamble, and not one that always pays off. For example, the ‘new’ DC universe of titles. As discussed in…
Comic book companies boast of the large numbers of characters in their universes when trying to sell themselves as franchise opportunities, usually referring to them as assets. With the increase in the number of films based on comic books, and the huge number of actors available to play roles in…
I think this is the first comic book convention I have attended which gave me an actual, not metaphorical, headache at the end of the day; I’m trying to work out if it was because I enjoyed the con too much or if I’m an inexperienced attendee. Despite coming home…
The news is official: DC will be publishing Before Watchmen, seven prequel mini-series to what is widely regarded as the greatest superhero comic book series of all time (well, so far), the only comic book to make Time’s list of 100 Best Novels. Twenty-five years after the original series was…
The first title in the ‘new’ DC universe of titles (I refuse to call it DCnU, which I think is very silly indeed but seems to have caught on) arrived yesterday in stores and online, both legally and unfortunately illegally, so it seemed about time to talk about the titles…
The National Collectors Marketplace is a regular mart for comic books, trading cards, books and merchandise related to science fiction, film and TV. According to the website, it is the largest of its sort, hosting 130 tables in the Royal National Hotel near Russell Square in central London. When I arrived…
It seems the right time to talk about this book after my long rambling review of X-Men: First Class. My love of the X-Men might have had some impact in my enjoyment of the film, but that doesn’t affect my enjoyment of the books I read as a teenager nor…
I haven’t been to a convention since I attended the London Film and Comic Con in 2008, so it was about time I exposed myself to another celebration of geek culture. Mark Millar’s Kapow! might have been oriented more towards mainstream comic book (matching my tastes), but tickets for that…
Although Free Comic Book Day has been going since 2002, this was my first time actually venturing into comic book shops on the day itself. It hasn’t been a big deal here in the UK (I believe that the shipping charges, even for free comics, make it an expensive promotion…