ComicsAlliance » Opinion

Comics Alliance Presents: Why We Love Comics

CA Staff — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 23:35:56 +0000

Comic books are just fantastic, and we here at ComicsAlliance really believe that. While the name "ComicsAlliance" might have stopped making sense as a phrase and just become the name of the website around six or seven years ago now, it's something we strive for in how we cover and represent the comics and communities we feature. Comics bring us together, and things that bring us together should be celebrated. With that in mind, we asked our staff why they love comics, and while it's a broad question, there's something in each answer worth thinking about. Continue reading…

Jughead, Bughead, And The Need For Asexual & Aromantic Heroes In Comics

Andrew Wheeler — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 20:00:31 +0000

Queer representation in comics has been making small but appreciable advances in recent years, but there are some queer identities that comics and all media seem to struggle to get to grips with. Asexuals --- people who do not experience sexual attraction --- and aromantics --- people who do not experience romantic attraction --- are still incredibly rarely represented in fiction, with Archie Comics' Jughead one of the few notable examples.

ComicsAlliance spoke to four comics fans and creators who are asexual, aromantic, or on the asexual spectrum, to get their thoughts on representation in comics, Jughead, Riverdale, and the best comics out there for young ace/aro readers.

Costume Drama: The Ever-Changing Look of America Chavez

Alex Spencer — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 19:00:26 +0000

After a couple of years as the undisputed champion of ‘character most bafflingly lacking their own comic’, Ms America Chavez finally has a solo title. With the second issue about to land, it’s a good time to look at one of the very best things about the character: her costume design.

'Riverdale' Post-Show Analysis, Season 1 Episode 8: 'The Outsiders'

CA Post-Show Team — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 18:30:07 +0000

This week, Veronica throws a party, Alice Cooper throws a righteous fit, and a couple of guys throw punches at Moose. Poor Moose. Guy just wanted to lift some rocks. "The Outsiders" was written by Julia Cohen and directed by David Katzenberg.

Reading List: The Ten Essential Jack Kirby Stories

Elle Collins — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 17:30:39 +0000

Obviously Jack Kirby is the greatest comic book artist of all time, but most will agree he's also one of the medium's greatest writers. He wrote the way he drew: Big and loud and primal, but with a surprising amount of intricacy and nuance waiting to be discovered amid the crackling explosions. We've put together a list of the ten essential stories that you should read if you want to get more familiar with the King. Continue reading…

Screen & Page: Meet Anime's Olivia Benson In 'Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex'

Tom Speelman — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 15:00:21 +0000

This weekend the live-action Ghost In The Shell film starring Scarlett Johansson hits theatres. Early reviews haven't been kind, and the audacious whitewashing at the heart of it all irritates me so much that I don't plan to see it. Instead, I decided to dive into the West's favorite chapter in the long-running GiTS franchise: Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex! Continue reading…

Good Thing: Smile Because It Happened With 'See You Again'

Charlotte Finn — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 13:40:06 +0000

With Fate of the Furious --- the eighth thunderous installment of that most improbable of superhero franchises --- fast (and furiously) (and fatefully) approaching, it’s a good time to appreciate the music video for Furious 7’s “See You Again.” Continue reading…

The Case for Better Black Supervillians

Aaron Reese — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 20:00:10 +0000

Black superheroes have undergone a necessary evolution over the last 50 years. Luke Cage was originally a jive-talking hero-for-hire, but he's become an altruistic mainstay of the Marvel heroes. Storm leads the X-Men, while Black Panther makes decisions that gravely affect the state of the universe. The growth and variation of black superheroes has brought them out of the shadows.

But we're still lacking the same sort of evolution and diversification for great black supervillains. Off the top of your head how many can you name? And of those, how many are iconic?

Reading List: The Ten Essential Neil Gaiman Comics

Emma Lawson — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 19:00:55 +0000

With Neil Gaiman’s American Gods coming to television soon, what better time to explore his work? While his writing career is extensive, including short stories, novels, movies, kids' books, and more, we’re going to focus on his work in the field of comics.

Gaiman is considered to be part of the British Invasion, a group a British writers of American comics who rose to prominence in the late 1980s. They tended to move away from traditional superhero tales or, like Gaiman, repurposed old comic characters to tell new stories. Since then, Gaiman has been sharing his delightfully dreamy but creepy sensibility with comic readers, for which we are very grateful.

The Eye In Team: What Do We Lose When A Comic Doesn't Have Its Own Artist?

Kieran Shiach — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 18:00:36 +0000

Recently, the subject of rotating art teams in superhero comics reached a tipping point, and people have started to wonder if the concept does more harm than good in the long run. With double-shipping in superhero comics becoming more prevalent and artists’ contributions are becoming seen as interchangeable, it’s important to stop and ask: Are rotating artistic creative teams good for comics in the long-run, or does it start us down a path of recognizing the writer’s contributions as inherently more important to the finished product?