Why, Will - COMICSXF https://comicsxf.com The comics criticism you crave Thu, 22 Apr 2021 13:31:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://i0.wp.com/comicsxf.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/cropped-orange-favicon-2.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Why, Will - COMICSXF https://comicsxf.com 32 32 107498702 The X (Ten) Spot: A Dark Interlude’s Density and the Joy of Sweet Smut https://comicsxf.com/2021/01/01/the-x-ten-spot-a-dark-interludes-density-and-the-joy-of-sweet-smut/ Fri, 01 Jan 2021 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=10334 I have experimented with different columns and different formats over the five or so years I’ve been writing about comics, but you, Loyal Content Consumer, don’t necessarily care about that; no, you care about the comics, and I want to care about the comics with you. When I’m curled up in my big ratty office...

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]]> 11450 Why, Will: The Cowards of the Country https://comicsxf.com/2020/11/19/why-will-the-cowards-of-the-country/ Thu, 19 Nov 2020 17:00:29 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=9601 Everything is bad. And there are a few people to blame. The Splash When I’m good and angry and I want to wreck someone and the facts fit the moment, I reach for something special. It’s not “asshole” (vague, common), nor “bastard” (weak) nor “motherfucker” (got a nice sound to it, but it’s not angry...

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]]> 9601 Why, Will: How Did Donny Do It? ‘Crossover’ and the Magic of Fair Use https://comicsxf.com/2020/11/11/why-will-how-did-donny-do-it-crossover-and-the-magic-of-fair-use/ Wed, 11 Nov 2020 20:00:34 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=9459 Beyond this point lie spoilers for “Crossover” #1. Ye be warned… The Splash “Crossover,” the meta comic-book-about-comic-books from the mind of writer Donny Cates and artist Geoff Shaw, has a heap of stuff to talk about — the merits of which have already been ably discussed by Big Boss Zack and Dan “the Man” McMahon....

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]]> 9459 Why, Will: An Election Day Message, Turtle Power, Casting ‘Smokey’ & More of Your Questions https://comicsxf.com/2020/10/29/why-will-an-election-day-message-turtle-power-casting-smokey-more-of-your-questions/ Thu, 29 Oct 2020 14:00:05 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=9246 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...

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]]> 9246 Why, Will: Casting an All-Mutant SNL (You’ll Never Guess Who’s Chevy) https://comicsxf.com/2020/10/22/why-will-casting-an-all-mutant-snl-youll-never-guess-whos-chevy/ Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:00:07 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=9115 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...

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]]> 9115 Why, Will: Kayfabe is OK, Really https://comicsxf.com/2020/10/14/why-will-kayfabe-is-ok-really/ Wed, 14 Oct 2020 19:00:24 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=8899 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...

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]]> 8899 Why, Will: Hi, I’m Will. I’m a Mark for Colorized ‘Walking Dead.’ https://comicsxf.com/2020/10/09/why-will-hi-im-will-im-a-mark-for-colorized-walking-dead/ Fri, 09 Oct 2020 19:00:17 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=8830 You got me, Robert Kirkman. The Splash There is something so unabashedly commercial in re-releasing “The Walking Dead” in color that I can’t help but like it. Tellin’ fans it won’t be collected and makin’ ’em snap up those floppies? For a series that’s already made dump trucks of television and licensing* money? It’s so...

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]]> 8830 Why, Will: Conspiracies, Wrestling Tweaks and Echidna Business https://comicsxf.com/2020/10/01/why-will-conspiracies-wrestling-tweaks-and-echidna-business/ Thu, 01 Oct 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=8700 It’s all true. The Splash Tuesday was not a good day. And while none of you came here for presidential debate analysis, it’s worth noting that what was once a sacrosanct observation in our national political tradition became so messy and vapid that CNN personality Dana Bash called it a “shit show” only minutes after...

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]]> 8700 Why, Will: Stupid Wrestling, ComiXology Sales and Duck Business https://comicsxf.com/2020/09/23/why-will-stupid-wrestling-comixology-sales-and-duck-business/ Wed, 23 Sep 2020 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=8563 Because we can’t start with wrestling *every* week. William C. Nevin Memorial Pick of the Week Bourbon. Comics. Whatever. It’s my pick.  This week? A big-ass IDW sale at comiXology. In prepping for our next “Assigned Reading” piece here at Xavier Files, I hit up comiXology to grab the first trade in the IDW TMNT...

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]]> 8563 Why, Will: Worrying about Miro, and whether ‘The Boys’ has ‘Watchmen’ vibes https://comicsxf.com/2020/09/16/why-will-worrying-about-miro-and-whether-the-boys-has-watchmen-vibes/ Wed, 16 Sep 2020 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=8418 The Best Man Miro might be in trouble. The ‘Rasslin’ Report If I owned stock in Miro — which I don’t, because he’s the professional wrestler formerly known as Rusev — I’d call in a hold or maybe even a sell order into my broker, because I’m down as hell on his AEW debut, primarily...

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]]> 8418 Why, Will: Video game ‘Avengers,’ AEW bookers disappoint https://comicsxf.com/2020/09/09/why-will-video-game-avengers-aew-bookers-disappoint/ Wed, 09 Sep 2020 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=8195 When even low expectations can’t save a thing. A Short Review of ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ (PS4) It ain’t great. The ‘Rasslin’ Report AEW’s “All Out” was a middling affair, but there’s only so much you can do when half your main event participants are either too old (Jericho, and I am sorry, but he can’t keep...

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]]> 8195 Why, Will: Hazing Xavier Files style and the top 10 heel turns of all(ish) time https://comicsxf.com/2020/09/02/why-will-hazing-xavier-files-style-and-the-top-10-heel-turns-of-allish-time/ Wed, 02 Sep 2020 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=8046 The mailbag? Yeah, it’s full as hell. And Now, Your Questions Tweet me (@willnevin) or just scream at me with some stupid thing you want answered. If you don’t ask me questions, I’ll find you and beg you for them. Don’t make me beg.  @BigDadEnergy_: What lessons from pushing the Inhumans can Marvel apply to...

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]]> 8046 Why, Will: Here’s How to Do a Best Batman Bracket https://comicsxf.com/2020/08/26/why-will-heres-how-to-do-a-best-batman-bracket/ Wed, 26 Aug 2020 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=7913 If you’re going to do a thing — any stupid thing at all — it should be done right. The Splash I don’t know who runs social media for IMDb (which, by the way, is one more part of the Amazon empire if you didn’t know), but they should be fired — preferably into the...

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]]> 7913 Why, Will: Every comic is disposable — even the ‘great’ ones (aka Will read ‘Cerebus’) https://comicsxf.com/2020/08/17/why-will-every-comic-is-disposable-even-the-great-ones-aka-will-read-cerebus/ Mon, 17 Aug 2020 22:13:09 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=7695 Nothing is so important that we must sacrifice decency or respect for others. Last Time on ‘Why, Will’ Imagine this conversation 50 years from now: “Pep Pep, was there *really* a coronavirus pandemic? And more than 150,000 people died? And the United States kinda did nothing?” “That’s all true, kiddo. It was a nightmare. Daily!”...

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]]> 7695 Why, Will: Let Stan Lee rest https://comicsxf.com/2020/08/10/why-will-let-stan-lee-rest/ Mon, 10 Aug 2020 20:25:58 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=7496 Heroes die. We must be ready to let them go. The Splash Stanley Martin Lieber was born Dec. 28, 1922. He died Nov. 12, 2018. In the 95 years in between, Stan Lee was an entertainer, a creator, a publisher, an entrepreneur, a charmer, a bit of a grifter, a figurehead, a lovable scamp and...

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]]> 7496 Why, Will: Let’s Revisit the Good ol’ ‘Man of Steel’ Discourse https://comicsxf.com/2020/08/03/why-will-lets-revisit-the-good-ol-man-of-steel-discourse/ Mon, 03 Aug 2020 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=7362 Remember 2013? When Lance Armstrong copped to being a drug cheat and “Star Trek Into Darkness” beat “The Final Frontier” and “Faith of the Heart” as the worst Star Trek thing ever made? And you could go outside? Those were the days. The Splash The hallmark of a Zack Snyder movie — outside of his...

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]]> 7362 Why, Will: Tom King was right (but we all still lost) https://comicsxf.com/2020/07/27/why-will-tom-king-was-right-but-we-all-still-lost/ Mon, 27 Jul 2020 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=7229 Just when you think you have all the answers, it’s time to change the questions. The Splash In the fracas between writer Tom King, artist Jae Lee and comic book fans who want works created by people who aren’t intolerable assholes, there are no winners. Not King, who now looks like a bully for taking...

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]]> 7229 Why, Will Weekly Planner: DC’s New ‘Rorschach’-Style Slate of Books https://comicsxf.com/2020/07/20/why-will-weekly-planner-dcs-new-rorschach-style-slate-of-books/ Mon, 20 Jul 2020 17:35:27 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=7044 Big, big news that I am proud to break this week. Let’s get right to it. Today (July 20): DClassified: Week of Announcements Begins After last week’s news that DC will be releasing Rorschach, a 12-issue maxiseries by writer Tom King and artist Jorge Fornés that represents a mystifying return to the Watchmen well, the...

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]]> 7044 Why, Will Weekly Planner: Let’s Float with Bill (Guest column) https://comicsxf.com/2020/07/13/why-will-weekly-planner-lets-float-with-bill-guest-column/ Mon, 13 Jul 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=6895 Dear Content Consumer, Please forgive me. You see, I’m taking this week off after the heaviness of our last time together. But don’t worry — I’ve arranged for my brother Bill to take over my duties this week. Bill is 43, a successful concrete contractor and is Extremely Offline. We are not close. And forgive...

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]]> 6895 Why, Will weekly planner: Another week in the dark https://comicsxf.com/2020/07/06/why-will-weekly-planner-another-week-in-the-dark/ Mon, 06 Jul 2020 19:00:00 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=6760 Last week when I said I need to write? This was one of those weeks. Today (July 6): Clifton Park, New York’s Adirondack Taekwondo Reopens “The virus is with us, but with need to live with it.” That’s what the anonymous Trump administration official told NBC News, and I swear to Christ it was the...

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]]> 6760 Why, Will Weekly Planner: Where Are The Dang Comics?! https://comicsxf.com/2020/06/29/why-will-weekly-planner-where-are-the-dang-comics/ Mon, 29 Jun 2020 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.xavierfiles.com/?p=6649 Hi, Xavier Files friends, family and fiends — I’m Will (a Libra, bourbon fan and fake doctor), and I’ll be here every Monday with your weekly planner, the thing that’s gonna keep you on track for success. Or keep you informed. Or something. Look, I can’t figure out for this bit whether I’m your secretary...

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