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Series: Comics


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Reading Comics, Part 5

Brad Hawley continues his series on How to Read Comics. If you missed the previous columns, be sure to start with Part 1: Why Read Comics? (Or find the entire series here.) Reading Comics, Part 5: Good Reference Material

by Dr. Brad K. Hawley

In my first four-part essay (see links above), I offered reasons for reading comics and suggested how one go about appreciating the art of comics by paying attention to what often goes unnoticed at first, much as one might not notice how important film angles or film editing is to the art of cinematography.


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Superman: The High-Flying History of America’s Most Enduring Hero

Superman: The High-Flying History of America’s Most Enduring Hero by Larry Tye

It’s hard to imagine that there is anything more to say about Superman than has already been covered in the slew of books published on the topic. But, since I’ve not read many of those books (though I have read a lot dealing with superheroes in general), I’m not the one to say how much new material Larry Tye covers in his retrospective entitled Superman: The High-Flying History of America’s Most Enduring Hero (2012).


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The Battle of Blood and Ink

The Battle of Blood and Ink by Jared Axelrod (author), Steve Walker (illustrator)

The Battle of Blood and Ink: A Fable of the Flying City (2012) is a graphic novel by author Jared Axelrod and illustrator Steve Walker set on the flying city of Amperstam. What keeps the city flying is a bit of a mystery, and one girl who hates mysteries is Ashe, who does her own investigating, writing, and publishing for her broadsheet The Lurker’s Guide. As one might expect,


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Bayou Vol 1. by Jeremy Love

Bayou Vol 1.  by Jeremy Love

I read Bayou Vol. 1 while it was still available online via Zuda comics and was blown away.

This is the story of Lee Wagstaff, a little African-American girl living in the South in the 30’s. This alternate reality South is populated not only by the real people and tensions of our world, but by the gods and monsters bred by them. After Lee’s friend, Lily, a little white girl, goes missing and Lee’s father is wrongly beaten and imprisoned for it,


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The Forest King: Woodlark’s Shadow

The Forest King: Woodlark’s Shadow by Dan Mishkin (author) & Tom Mandrake (illustrator)

Justin’s family has moved to the town where his dad grew up, and they now live in a house on the edge of an ancient forest. Justin knows something evil is lurking in the forest but faces ridicule from his friends and disbelief from the adults. When his friends get hurt by a strange creature playing in the forest, Justin knows that he has to act to save everyone he cares about from danger.

Woodlark’s Shadow (2006), 


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SKULLKICKERS Vol. 1: 1000 Opas and a Dead Body

SKULLKICKERS Vol. 1: 1000 Opas and a Dead Body by  Jim Zub (author) & Chris Stevens (artist)

Note: Vol 1. collects issues #1-5

No one knows the names of these two monster slayers for hire. One is a dwarf who wields two short battle-axes and the other a big bald brute that carries an almost unknown weapon: a pistol. For the right price, this pair will do any killings you require. They can out-fight, out-drink, and usually out-smart most anything — man, beast, or creature. They are the SKULLKICKERS.


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Reading Comics, Part 4

Brad Hawley continues his series on How to Read Comics. If you missed the previous columns, be sure to start with Part 1: Why Read Comics? Reading Comics, Part 4: Mind the Gutter

by Dr. Brad K. Hawley

We could proceed to talk about the way comics use words to tell stories, but in many ways, they share much in common with all fictional narrative. A book on interpreting literature, then, is helpful for reading comics, and it should come as no surprise that I’ve found English majors well-prepared to analyze the way comic books communicate meaning.


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Reading Comics, Part 3

Brad Hawley continues his series on How to Read Comics. If you missed the previous columns, be sure to start with Part 1: Why Read Comics?
(Or find the entire series here.) Reading Comics, Part 3: Look at the pictures

by Dr. Brad K. Hawley

Now you know some of the factors involved in the production of this type of art. But how should you go about reading a comic book? How hard can it be if you read novels on a regular basis? Well, if you’re like me, you’ll need this important bit of advice: Look at the pictures.


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Reading Comics, Part 2

Brad Hawley continues his series on How to Read Comics. If you missed the previous columns, be sure to start with Part 1: Why Read Comics?
(Or find the entire series here.) Reading Comics, Part 2: Terminology and Production

by Dr. Brad K. Hawley

Assuming that you have found a more adult-themed comic book (I’ll give some recommendations in a later installment of this essay), what do you need to know to begin to appreciate what happens in it? First, understanding key terminology and the production of the comic book as a commodity seems necessary.


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Reading Comics, Part 1

FanLit welcomes Brad Hawley to our team of reviewers. Dr. Hawley received his Ph.D. in English from the University of Oregon in 2000, specializing in ethics and contemporary fiction as well as rhetoric and composition. After teaching for two years at Jacksonville State University and a short break from teaching to be a stay-at-home dad, he now teaches at Oxford College of Emory University. During the past fifteen years, he has taught courses and independent studies in composition, Crime Fiction, Comic Books, Beat Literature, twentieth-century poetry, and Shakespeare. His wife, who also teaches English at Oxford College, thinks he has too many comic books.
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