Comic book News, and Reviews I Animated Apparel Company

The term “underrated” is thrown around way too often, but there are really very few cases when it actually looks the part and this is the case of artist Darryl Banks. The man has been one of the finest artists in the comic book industry in the last thirty years or so and contributed to the creation of the Green Lantern of the 90s, Kyle Rayner (who also happens to be my favorite character).

But Banks’ career doesn’t stop there, having created more characters, collaborated on some very good runs and overall leaving his mark on the industry. I had the opportunity of talking with him for an interview and I got his insight on many different topics.

The X-Men, Superman, Spider-Man, Cable… Art Thibert has done it all in the industry. As an artist, inker and writer, this veteran of the comic book industry has proven time and time that he is one of the most reliable talents in the medium while being one of the most positive and uplifting guys in the industry.

Nowadays, Art left the big two and he is currently promoting his independent comic book, Chrono Mechanics, which you can back here. I had the opportunity of doing an interview with him and we discussed multiple aspects of his career and the industry as a whole.

Hope is a concept that is strongly tied to heroism and therefore to superhero comics: the notion that no matter how dark and adverse the situation is, we can always overcome it and be the best version of ourselves. And I have come to believe that, by and large, that is the core message of the Supermen, Batmen and Spider-Men of the world of comics: to show themselves as the best possible reflection of ourselves and serve as an inspiration of what we should always strive for.

Wally West, the third generation Flash, is a similar character in that regard: a very human character that wanted to protect, to love and to do the right thing. Someone that was both extraordinary and very relatable, becoming perhaps the only character capable of becoming more beloved and popular than the original wielder of his mantle (in this case, Barry Allen).

Secret Origin is a delightful reintroduction to the Green Lantern mythos and to the character of Hal Jordan for those that perhaps forgot the tale about his origin and a great starting point for new readers that want to familiarize themselves with the best run this titles ever had. It maintains the classic elements from the Silver Age plus it includes a lot of different tidbits and subplots that only enhance what was already there.

Geoff Johns did a great job injecting new life to the Green Lantern franchise with his run and Secret Origin is yet another achievement in terms of storytelling and enjoyment.

Social media platforms have provided many benefits for many types of people. It allows businesses and artists of many mediums to promote their work, to interact with others and overall get their messages out to a much wider audience. But there is also a huge drawback, which is that, being social media platforms are a digital medium, people can say whatever they want and not face any consequences, regardless of how damaging or illogical their statements may be.

In that regard, the world of comic books is not exempt from this, with a lot of people often dropping very controversial and inflammatory statements that don’t really hold up once you start analyzing them. I normally don’t pay attention to people giving out their opinions on social media platforms, but this week there was a very notorious push by certain individuals about a narrative that men shouldn’t be allowed to draw women because they objectify them and are, by and large, sexist.

Obviously, there is a lot to unpack in this topic and it covers a lot of different elements, but there is a big truth above all else: people are allowed to draw whatever the hell they want and that’s a good thing.

The late 80's were a very joyous time for Batman fans due to the high number of quality stories that were coming out of the comics and Tim Burton’s first Batman movie became a classic of the superhero genre, but Ten Nights of the Beast should be highly regarded by it's great writing, skillful artwork and for having one of the Dark Knight’s most challenging foes.

After the climax that was Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a process of reinvention after the exit of some of their main characters and Disney has decided to expand their biggest franchise through multiple series, with some of them being Falcon and the Winter Soldier, She-Hulk, Loki and more. But one character that has the potential to surprise fans that are not familiar with Marvel Comics is Moon Knight.

Despite being a minor character in the vast world of Marvel Comics, Moon Knight has a very strong following and some of the most experimental works of Marvel's long history, so it’s exciting to finally see Marc Spector in a live action depiction.

But, who is Moon Knight and why should we care about this character? Here we are going to tell you all you need to know about this dark Avenger of the night.

Writer Mark Poulton is one of those indie comic success stories: after a stint with DC’s Savage Hawkman and working with Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld on his personal comic book, Avengylne, Mark broke out on his own and created his own superhero team, Graveyard Shift, with former Cable, Thunderbolts and Jawbreakers artist, Jon Malin. An enthusiast of comic books, a devoted father and someone that is always constantly churning out new stories in various formats, Mark is a great defender and believer in crowdfunding and indie comics being a step in this art form’s evolution and in this interview we had the opportunity to hear his take on many different topics. Hope you enjoy it.

At its core, The Return of Wally West is not only the return of the Flash of a generation, but also a great return of DC’s heroes to be what they should be: inspirational. It’s a great tale of learning how to cherish your past and value your present, always trying to move forward. It has everything you could ask for in a classic superhero tale: great action scenes, a few funny moments, character progression, a lot of adversity and overall a very pleasant conclusion.

DC Rebirth did a lot of great things during that 2016-2018 period, but above all things proved once again that classic heroism still has a place in this modern world and Wally West became the perfect representation of that in this great story.