comics
From Marvel to DC, Geeks explores the popular and independant comic titles in the geek universe.
When Clea Ruled: The Neglected Love of Dr. Strange
Roger Stern and Peter B. Gillis defined Dr. Strange in the 80s, and Stern was especially noteworthy in chronicling Clea’s rise to power in the Dark Dimension, peaking with Clea’s defeat of her mother, Umar the Unrelenting, in Dr. Strange Vol. 2, number 73. Despite some recent depictions of Dr. Strange as a Tony Stark-like ladies man (and despite some superficial similarities, he is definitely not Tony Stark) Doc maintained, for several decades, a monogamous relationship with Clea who even became his wife (by cosmic common law, whatever that means) and may still technically be married to him though the status of this former Dark Dimension queen remains in limbo (the Dark Dimension and Limbo are completely different dimensions in the Marvel Universe, but the limbo I’m referring to here is called “Writers not caring as much as I do about Clea”). She remains one of the most egregiously neglected characters in Marvel history as she has remained a dangling cliffhanger since the late 90s, yet in this peak moment of defeating her mother, Clea fully manifested as one of the greatest female counterparts to a superhero title character in all of comics, becoming stronger than her husband who is himself one of Marvel's strongest superheroes.
By F. Simon Grant9 years ago in Geeks
The Sexy Dystopia
I want to start this off by saying I am passionate about supporting indie comics and publications, so after reading this I urge you all to try and get hold of a copy of Metal Made Flesh. The art is truly phenomenal and the story possesses some very interesting concepts and a ground shaking plot twist in the middle that I did not at allsee coming.
By Soph Price9 years ago in Geeks
1997: The Year The Superhero Died.
Superhero movies have been enjoying a measure of success as of late, with the genre making a total of $16 trillion dollars at the box office. Since the late 1930s, superheroes have captivated the minds and hearts of young people all around the world with comic book characters like Superman and Batman swooping in to save the day. The first superhero movie was released in 1941 as a 12-part serial based on the Fawcett Comics hero Captain Marvel. But the first full-length theatrical adaptation of a superhero wouldn't come until 1966 with Batman: The Movie which is based on the popular 1960's tv version of the DC character. Marvel got into the superhero movie business as well, but on a smaller scale with television movie adaptations of Spider-Man in 1977 and Doctor Strange in 1978. It would be that same year that we would get our first serious superhero film with Superman: The Movie. Superman is considered the first superhero so it would only make sense that he would be the one to put superhero movies on the map.
By Mickell Ford9 years ago in Geeks
Jellybean Dream Anthology
Jellybean Turner of Jellybean Dream. Art by @goat1408 To all my comicheads... allow me to introduce you all to Jellybean (Jelly) Turner. She is the protagonist of my series Jellybean Dream. Starting June 14th until June 20th 2017, The Jellybean Dream Anthology (PDF version) will be available for only $2!!! Earlier this month was the 2nd anniversary of the anthology's release. This is the first appearance of Jellybean Turner and other key characters from the series. The anthology is a collection of art from several independent artists doing their take on Jellybean and other characters. Included is a six-page story from the early life of Jelly as well as the layouts from Jellybean Dream Issue 1.
By Slim Jim Longfoot9 years ago in Geeks
Darby Burl's No Bullshit Reviews: Wonder Woman
Let's look past the fact that battle armor that don't cover your keister is as ‘bout as useful as tits on a bull. And the fact that a black-haired Amazonian on an island of warrior women ain't got no fuzzle in her underpits.
By Darby Burl9 years ago in Geeks
The DC Extended Universe Movies Have Been (Mostly) Fine
With the recent release of Wonder Woman, it appears as if the public as a whole is warming up to the DC Extended Universe. Here we have a film that has not only embraced and beautifully demonstrated an empowering female character, but it has also seemingly started a restoration; it is the first movie so far in the DCEU that is critically acclaimed while also creating a sense of awe, and more importantly intrigue, in the minds of the consumers. The financial success has always been there for them, but that's always been despite the reviews, not because of them. The creative individuals behind Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad have just not been able to get the momentum going.
By Tyler Selig9 years ago in Geeks
Superman: Evolution of Power
Created at the hands of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Superman is the quintessential superhero. The one that started the entire genre, inspired by circus strongmen and the fantasies of outsiders. Heroes that came afterward would leave a mark in their own way, but only one was Superman. Many would not only carry the idea of Superman, but would take on a name of and attributes from a second source, in the case of Batman, he would take the form of a Bat and strike fear in the hearts of his enemies, “for Superman, the name and costume both contribute to the impression of him as “super” – a mighty Other.” [Brownie, Graydon. 2015:12] But the Superman introduced in Action Comics #1 1938, differs greatly from the Superman we have come to know and love now.
By Mikayla J. Laird9 years ago in Geeks
Electricomics
The medium we know as comic books have existed since the 1930’s. They have been described as “a technology all its own”, “that [have] been accumulating and progressing” [Kamen] ever since. Longer if you consider early cave paintings a form of comics. But, as the mediums of television and film have evolved with the ever-changing abilities of modern technology, comics seem to have remained engraved purely in ink and paper. Even with the ubiquitous use of e-readers and e-book apps, comic apps have been content to simply “replicate the experience of the printed page” [Barnett].
By Mikayla J. Laird9 years ago in Geeks
The Enigma of Miracleman
The name Alan Moore holds a lot of weight in the comic book community. Even those with only a passing interest in the subject have come across some of his work, most likely the highly rated and critically acclaimed Watchmen and V for Vendetta. Some may have even immersed themselves in the likes of From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the fact of the matter being that Alan Moore is celebrated for a reason. During a conversation several weeks ago, I had a number of comic recommendations given to me. This one conversation included titles such as Grant Morrison’s Zenith, Jess Nevins’ League companion Heroes & Monsters, and an Alan Moore title I had never come across before. Miracleman.
By Mikayla J. Laird9 years ago in Geeks
The Forgotten and Undying Ones: The Most Compelling Dr. Strange Stories You Probably Missed
In anticipation of the movie version of Dr. Strange, my favorite character since I started reading comics, I attempted to reread all the Dr. Strange comics in my possession and often such a massive reread leads to out-of-body, who-did-I-used-to-be? shame and terror, especially since the decade I started reading was the 1990s, a decade notoriously prone to such why-did-we-ever-think-that-was-cool? experiences: the Gambits of our youth simply have dumb gloves and headgear with the wisdom of age, and that all the Avengers are wearing matching leather jackets seems less cutting edge and more like the forced cool of ill-conceived family photos. Plus, Dr. Strange was always an exponentially nerdier and niche-ier comic than the X-Mens and the Avengerses of that era, which makes a comprehensive retrospective a little easier; a singular character with a stuttering start-and-stop publishing history makes the full publishing history easier (and cheaper) to cover, but the lack of central editorial focus makes quality a total gamble.
By F. Simon Grant9 years ago in Geeks
Review of 'Logan' (Spoilers)
Today I sat down with my parents to watch Logan. I’m going to tell you here what I thought about it. They were both surprised by the amount of swearing and violence. This is not your typical superhero movie, that’s for sure. My father was unhappy to see this darker interpretation of Wolverine. Personally, I loved it. I thought that this was exactly the film that needed to happen. I’ve heard that Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart aren’t going to be doing any more X-Men films after this one, which I’m happy to hear because this is a perfect send-off. The film ends with Wolverine dying and it is one of the most emotional death scenes ever.
By Stephen Pace9 years ago in Geeks
