A few weeks ago, we asked writers, artists, readers, retailers, journalists – pretty much anyone who loves comics – to answer one question: With everything that’s happened this year, what is one thing the comics industry needs to do to evolve and thrive in 2021? As we’ve gotten in dozens of responses, the industry has…
There’s nothing like Halloween. The autumn air is crisp, the leaves crunch under your feet, kids are out trick-or-treating and you have an excuse to fill your yard with monsters. Well, in a normal year anyway. But just because we can’t party or go out with the kiddos doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a good…
I: The Point Of Conception II: Initial Process There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand. Mary Shelley III: Failure Under the strain of this continually impending doom and by the sleeplessness to which I now condemned myself, ay, even beyond what I had thought possible to man, I became,…
It’s Joe time. The Splash Here’s the deal: I could tell you that voting is a sacred democratic obligation, that so many before you have fought and died for the franchise that to simply pass on it as if it was some inconvenience is an insult to say the very least. But we are too…
If you read pretty much any coverage on Xavier Files other than my pieces (and if you are just reading my pieces, thanks, but there’s a lot of other great stuff on here. Go read that, too!), you will have seen a trend since the initial art previews for “X of Swords” were released. And…
Each week, Xavier Files staff offer their recommendations for what to read. New DC comics come out Tuesdays, everything else Wednesdays. Chris’ Pick X of Swords: Stasis: First of all, on behalf of XF nation: Fuck a Brett Booth. Now that that’s out of the way, GIVE US THE CROCODILE MONSTER. Jonathan Hickman, Tini Howard,…
We looked into the Xavier Files scrying pool to let you know what we are most excited about coming in the far off world of 2021 as we dig into our favorite things in Marvel’s January 2021 Solicits. Space Invaders While we don’t have a book yet, we know the Xenomorphs will be invading the…
Stop booking terrible, stupid finishes, Vince. The ‘Rasslin’ Report: Your ‘Rasslin’ Dictionary When you know your babyfaces (good guys) from your heels (bad guys), you can impress the smarks (the “smart mark” internet fans). fuck finish (noun): a contrived finish that serves only as a workaround for bookers and fails to answer the kayfabe question…
Robin is the greatest sidekick in comic history. Whether it’s the acrobatic joy of Dick Grayson, the angry young man that is Jason Todd, the brilliant mind of Tim Drake, or the snark and skill of Damian Wayne, Robin brings something to every Batman story. This week’s tie-in to DC’s ongoing “Dark Nights: Death Metal”…
I love the Marvel Handbooks. Really, any sort of reference guide to fictional universes is my jam, as they combine my affection for big, sprawling, narrative mythologies, history books, and pedantry. Back in the Olden Times, the first iteration of the Marvel Handbooks (specifically, the second, deluxe, edition) was my guide to a Marvel Universe…
Each week, Xavier Files staff offer their recommendations for what to read. New DC comics come out Tuesdays, everything else Wednesdays. Zack’s Pick Excalibur #13: Get ready for some hot Braddock-on-Braddock action (Wait …), all written by “X of Swords” co-mastermind Tini Howard and drawn by guest artist R. “Powers” B. “Of” Silva “X.” ($3.99)…
We’ve been pretty rough on DC lately. Maybe it was all those layoffs. Maybe it’s Watchmen fatigue. Maybe it’s all those comic shops that have complained about not getting their UCS/Lunar books on time. Maybe it was the Fandome virtual pep rallies (although to be fair, we’re out on virtual cons in general). Maybe it’s…
It’s hard to be a Teen Titan when you’re celebrating a 40th anniversary, but they’ll keep trying. Yes, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the definitive “New Teen Titans” run by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, a run that rivaled the X-Men at the height of its popularity. “New Teen Titans” helped define superheroes…
Building a wrestling promotion around being cute is not. The ‘Rasslin’ Report A wrestling promotion — like many other fallible human enterprises, really — is a lot like a sandcastle. It can be intricate. It can be sloppy. It can be impressive. It can be the product of hours of hard work, or it can…
The original New Mutants represented interracial (and sometimes interspecial) solidarity. The New Mutants movie does only barely that, if it does it at all. Initially, the movie was developed as a horror-Breakfast Club hybrid film. The Breakfast Club works because all the characters have social reservations and animosities they overcome together by the end of…