comics – Archaeology of the Frivolous – Comics, Culture, Criticism

Is Captain UK Irish?

Deep in the 80s, this possibility never occurred to me. The foreshadows of the Captain Britain Corps who turned up in the Alan Moore Captain Britain run – Linda McQuillan herself, Captain England, Captain Albion – suggest that the sheer multitude of Captains just riff on the CB identity with minimal fuss. We’re just meantContinue reading “Is Captain UK Irish?”

Did Captain Britain vote for Brexit?

Well? Did he? We’ve all been wondering since 2016, haven’t we? Let’s review the evidence. This guy – I’m not sure this guy even votes. Voting is beneath him. Voting is for the small folk, buffeted by the vagaries of destiny, sustained democracy’s necessary illusions, the pretence that just occasionally, just for the blink ofContinue reading “Did Captain Britain vote for Brexit?”

Frank Miller Writes Daredevil

Two panels drawn by the incomparable Mazzucchelli this time. But it’s Miller I want to talk about here. Sometimes I wonder if the reason Miller has become so hard to talk about is because he started to believe that the noir tropes he loves so much are actually real life. Noir undoubtedly made Miller theContinue reading “Frank Miller Writes Daredevil”

Mazzucchelli draws Batman

A few short notes on the brilliance of David Mazzucchelli, based on the extraordinary kinetic energy of this panel. A single panel arrests, freezes, a single moment, or perhaps two or three – depending on how many speech bubbles there are. No speech here – although we might take Batman’s narration to spread the actionContinue reading “Mazzucchelli draws Batman”

Rereading Mark Gruenwald’s Squadron Supreme: 4. Shoot them with the bop gun

When Nighthawk says he is going to legalise guns again, what kind of guns is he talking about? We know that the police are now packing pacifier pistols (I alliterate to channel the spirit of Smilin’ Stan), which incapacitate by flooding the target with positive vibes. Now, when you think that Watchmen and Dark KnightContinue reading “Rereading Mark Gruenwald’s Squadron Supreme: 4. Shoot them with the bop gun”

Rereading Mark Gruenwald’s Squadron Supreme: 3. S/S

Maybe – or maybe it’s just me – looking at the loading of all these layers across a couple of pages has put you in mind of Barthes’ S/Z. It has, hasn’t it! Go on, you can admit it! Barthes, in S/Z, devises a series of codes that underpin the interpretation – the act ofContinue reading “Rereading Mark Gruenwald’s Squadron Supreme: 3. S/S”

Rereading Mark Gruenwald’s Squadron Supreme: 2. This is the rhythm of the fight

Here’s Foxfire, gunning for Nighthawk, even when it looks like the story’s over. Now, this is cut between Nighthawk’s monologue with Hyperion – we talked about this in the last post. After this three-panel clip, we will cut back to Nighthawk arguing that the real problem with the Squadron’s utopia program is its assumption thatContinue reading “Rereading Mark Gruenwald’s Squadron Supreme: 2. This is the rhythm of the fight”

Rereading Mark Gruenwald’s Squadron Supreme: 1. Inside the Hibernacle

Is there any way to begin thinking about Squadron Supreme (1985-86) other than with this moment? Nighthawk’s “Redeemers” have won; the Squadron are a page or two from formal surrender; the battlefield is littered with the dead and injured. Now, let me tell you – I was all of thirteen when I read this, andContinue reading “Rereading Mark Gruenwald’s Squadron Supreme: 1. Inside the Hibernacle”