Comic books and professional wrestling are both long-form media told through complicated continuity, intensely emotional character arcs and, of course, lots of punching. In “Panel Per View,” Charlie Davis and Robert Secundus create recommendation lists for comic fans. They hope that more comic book readers will be able to engage with a new medium telling…
“The Masquerade keeps us safe. The Masquerade is everything.” In the godless times of 1991, there arose a TTRPG system so goth, so theater-kid horny, it was only played in the darkest of basements and dingiest of industrial clubs. That system was Vampire: The Masquerade. Now, the lunatics at Vault Comics have resurrected this goth…
Selfcest. Autovore. Moondragon/Moondragon/Phyla-Vell. When Moondragon lost Phyla-Vell her whole life shattered. Broken, beaten and poisoned by the Dragon of the Moon, she pushed forward for reasons unknown. At least until she realized that another Moondragon, a perfect version from a utopian alternate universe, had slipped into the 616. Misguided and filled with venom, she sets…
Grim solutions start to percolate, a desperate plea is made, and no one is as they seem in Empyre #4 by Al Ewing, Dan Slott, Valerio Schiti, Marte Gracia, and Joe Caramagna! Mr. Chris Eddleman: Christi, sun and moon of my life, it is awfully odd skipping issues, even though we do it for our…
Empyre burns on as the situation on Genosha gets messier and messier. Hordeculture and some demons join the zombies and plant aliens as Gerry Duggan, Ben Percy, Leah Williams, Lucas Werneck, and Nolan Woodard present Empyre: X-Men #2. Nola Pfau: Allison. Warren. Allison Senecal: Nola. WARREN. The hair. NP: The hair. The himbo. The legend….
It’s an all new Giant-Sized X-Men! This time with science experiment, master thief, and fake Frenchman extraordinaire Fantomex! In this issue, we look at Fantomex’s history and borderline obsession with the extratemporal World in which he was born with Giant Size X-Men: Fantomex #1 by Rod Reis and Jonathan Hickman. Vishal Gullapalli: I’ve been excited…
Superman stands for three things: truth, justice and the American way. In many respects, the Man of Steel and his values are in direct conversation with every action comic that has come since his first one. Villains and anti-heroes are identified in comparison to Superman’s three guiding principles. He is the Jungian archetype of all…
Each week, Xavier Files staff offer their recommendations for what to read. New DC comics come out Tuesdays, everything else Wednesdays. ZACK’S PICK: Giant-Size X-Men: Fantomex #1: Remember that time Jonathan Hickman casually mentioned in an interview that the version of Xavier we saw in HOX/POX was the version that had commandeered Fantomex’s body? Man,…
Sister Act Captain Marvel #17 (2004): Peter David (writer), Paul Azaceta (pencils), Chris Sotomayor (colors) Captain Marvel #18 (2020): Kelly Thompson (writer), Cory Smith (pencils), Adriano Di Benedetto (inks), Tamra Bonvillain (colors) All Captain Marvel families are alike, but every Captain Marvel family is unhappy in its own way. Two years ago, Margaret Stohl and…
Hedra took my breath away. I’ve read it three times, each time unearthing something different. It may be wordless, but it’s left me with a lot to say. Writer and artist Jesse Lonergan is the powerhouse behind Hedra, published by Image Comics. Translating the comic’s name from the ancient Greek, Hedra means “face of a…
High noon in a desert town. Two men face off, hands on the butts of their holstered revolvers. [Grote’s note: Heh heh, butts.] A blur of motion, a crack of gunfire, and one (or both) falls. This scene is a hallmark of the American Western, a genre that was popular in comics throughout the 1950s…
Hello friends and readers, Empyre sinks in deep as we cover the highs and lows of this week’s crop of tie-ins. Zack Jenkins has some heavy thoughts about Empyre: Captain America #1 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Ariel Olivetti, Rachelle Rosenberg, and VC’s Ariana Maher and Joe Caramagna. Then we join the extreme team of Conan…
Raise your swords and get ready for date night. Nathan Christopher Charles Dayspring Askani’son Summers goes to Philly to find a missing baby, and bites off more than he can chew. Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto take us out on the town in Cable #2. Ian Gregory: I loved the first issue of Cable, and…
The Fantastic Four and Avengers find themselves at the center of a war, between who? Find out in Empyre #3 by Al Ewing, Dan Slott, Valerio Schiti, Marte Gracia, and Joe Caramagna! Tony Thornley: Oh my goodness, what a month. Hi again Allison! So we’re back and what a whirlwind our heroes have been through…
As Empyre rages on, another fire burns deep inside Gabriel Summers. Vulcan greets his new neighbors and reflects on that which is growing inside him. Jonathan Hickman, Leinil Francis Yu, and Sunny Gho bring us X-Men #10. Chris Eddleman: Ahhhhh! After ten thousand years [Ed. note: 4 months] we’re free! It’s time to talk Krakoa!…