Deconstructing Comics

Tim

Comics reviews, topic discussions, interviews, and tips for creators

  • 1 hour 18 minutes
    #820 Jack Kirby’s “Eternals,” #14-16: The Coming of…. The Editor!

    Eternals 15

    Jack Kirby‘s The Eternals was not a conventional superhero book. It didn’t even seem to take place in the Marvel Universe. By issue 14, it appears that Marvel editorial must have been pressuring him to make it more Marvel Universe-y, which would account for the appearance of the Hulk in issues 14-16… except it’s not really the Hulk, leaving plausible deniability to the fact that this is really happening in the MU. But, along with New York City, the Pseudo-Hulk also smashed the direction of the series. Tim and Emmet sift through the damage.

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    20 November 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 57 minutes 32 seconds
    #819 We catch up with “The Re-up” and “Amazing Tales”

    The Re-up/Amazing Tales

    This week we catch up with the work of two DCP favorites, Chad Bilyeu and David Dye! Chad’s series The Re-up, about his time as a pot dealer 20 years ago, continues and has overcome the skepticism Tim had of the series at the start. David has released three more issues of Amazing Tales and gone in various directions: a Beowulf adaptation, a Burroughs-esque time travel story commenting on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and an EC-type horror comic! We review The Re-up issues 4-6 and Amazing Tales issues 6-8!

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    13 November 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 48 minutes 48 seconds
    #818 Requiems: “Ghost Band” and “Grimm’s Assistant”

    Ghost Band - Grimm's Assistant

    If you’ve ever felt like your city left you before you left your city, Jason McNamara’s Ghost Band is for you. Tim and Emmet discuss this post-apocalyptic look at San Francisco. Jason then taps in to explain the inspiration for the book and what happened to artist Vincent Gladnick 2/3 of the way through.

    Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the Grim Reaper has an apprentice, and he saves a girl’s life — temporarily. Grimm’s Assistant, by Mamode Ogbewele and Chigozie Amadi, might be a little too stingy with important story info, but sharp art and interesting ideas make it worth Tim and Jason’s time reviewing it.

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    6 November 2024, 1:00 pm
  • 1 hour 3 minutes
    “Avengers: Endgame” (2019)

    Avengers: Endgame

    Tim gets ever closer to catching up with the MCU! Tim and Mulele discuss Avengers: Endgame‘s time-travel explanation (and problems), Captain Marvel’s relative irrelevance to the film, how this movie set the stage for the upcoming TV shows, and much more. (Originally published on Patreon March 14, 2020)

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    30 October 2024, 12:00 pm
  • 1 hour 19 seconds
    #437 “Real” is a slam dunk

    Real

    FLASHBACK! Sports have rarely been subject matter for comics in the US; perhaps comics’ inherent static-ness has seemed antithetical to an activity with so much movement. But Japan has seen comics about various sports, and some of them have been quite popular, even iconic.

    Takehiko Inoue’s Real is not only about basketball, but about physical handicaps, relationships, and more. Kumar and Ilango find a whole lot to like about it — including the satisfying ways in which it translates sports action to the comics page. (Originally published February 16, 2015.)

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    23 October 2024, 12:00 pm
  • 34 minutes 32 seconds
    Critiquing Comics #240: “The Night Brigade” and “Joe Mallard”

    Night Brigade - Joe Mallard

    Most Americans know little about the Crimean War (1853-1856). Adam McGovern and Bruno Letizia’s The Night Brigade may go some way toward filling us in on that conflict, and it does give us several historical figures, including Florence Nightingale – but it also features a werewolf. Tim and Adam critique.

    Asante Amani‘s Joe Mallard gives us short detective stories that feel a bit like Matt Kindt’s work. Tim and Jason are hoping for more!

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    16 October 2024, 12:00 pm
  • 1 hour 18 minutes
    #817 Jack Kirby’s “Eternals”, 1977 Annual + #13: Fun “Eternals” stories with few Eternals

    Eternals Annual

    We left the Eternals joined together in the Unimind. The 1977 Annual doesn’t clearly fit into continuity, but features only one Eternal, Thena, together with Deviants Karkas and the Reject against a time-traveling threat! Back in the regular series, issue 13 gives us exactly two Eternals, trying to stop a Deviant attack on the Celestials. In spite of the lack of Eternals, these are two of the most fun issues Tim and Emmet have read yet!

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    9 October 2024, 12:00 pm
  • 1 hour 33 minutes
    #816 Chester Brown interview: “Paying for It,” the movie

    Chester Brown’s work has come up on this show a number of times over the years. We’ve discussed Ed the Happy Clown, Louis Riel, and Paying for It. He’s actually published 10 graphic novels since 1989, some of which are collections of his comics series. In connection with the recent premiere of the movie version of Paying for It at the Toronto International Film Festival, our own Koom got a chance to interview Brown for this week’s show!

    Check out Koom’s novel, Killing Shakespeare

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    2 October 2024, 12:00 pm
  • 1 hour 33 minutes
    #593 “Reading ‘Nancy’”, plus “Cat and Mouse”!

    How to Read Nancy

    FLASHBACK! A comic strip gag can be a deceptively simple thing. Once you take it apart — “deconstruct” it, one might say — you find that it actually has many moving parts.

    Click to enlarge

    Paul Karasik and Mark Newgarden‘s How to Read “Nancy” takes a close look at each of those parts — as well as arguing persuasively for Bushmiller’s underrated artistic chops, and giving us some comic-strip history as well. Tim and Patrick review.

    Cat and Mouse

    PLUS: Roland Mann, Dean Zachary, and Kevin Gallegly join Tim to talk about the return of Cat and Mouse! (Originally published May 21, 2018.)

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    25 September 2024, 12:00 pm
  • 40 minutes 49 seconds
    Critiquing Comics #239: “Let’s Go, Coco” and “Digital Bardos”

    Let's Go, Coco and Digital Bardos

    What does an 11-year-old do when her “only friend” moves away? In Coco Fox’s “sorta” memoir Let’s Go, Coco, she joins the basketball team. But when you’re a pre-teen, everything’s fraught with challenges. Tim and Adam discuss this book – aimed at middle schoolers, but recommended for all ages.

    As far from that world as possible is the first issue of King Klaus’ Digital Bardos (now live on Kickstarter). It introduces us to Darren — make that “All-Mighty Darren,” a digital god. The issue begins to answer the question of how he got that way. Tim and Jason critique.

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    18 September 2024, 12:00 pm
  • 52 minutes 11 seconds
    #338 Everything’s Archie!
    FLASHBACK! It’s been more than 70 years now since the debut of Archie comics, featuring (though not quite from the beginning) America’s favorite love triangle of Archie, Veronica, and Betty. Along with Jughead, Reggie, and the rest of the gang, these characters keep us coming back for more, changing with the times while still presenting … Continue reading #338 Everything’s Archie!
    11 September 2024, 12:00 pm
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