Here we are, finally, at the final installment of perhaps my most ridiculously titled series of non-fiction ever, Guy Gardner Has a Bowl Cut. Last time, the series that we’re covering changed names and… well, levels of quality. As Justice League became Justice League International, it shed some of its narrative crutches that kept the […]
Author Archive | Pat Shand
GUY GARDNER HAS A BOWL CUT Part Four: Justice League International #8 (1987)
On the last installment of Guy Gardner Has a Bowl Cut, we witnessed Guy Gardner get knocked out by Batman. A one hitter quitter, no less. We left off with a Creeper-related cliffhanger, but you know what? We’re crazy out here in these streets. Let’s skip ahead a bit, because get this… the title of […]
GUY GARDNER HAS A BOWL CUT Part Three: Justice League International #8 (1987)
On the last installment of Guy Gardner Has a Bowl Cut, we witnessed Booster Gold join the team under dubious circumstances. As the series continues, Guy Gardner remains the loudmouth contrarian, Batman is the team leader, and Maxwell Lord manipulates from – well, I was going to go with “afar” but actually last time he […]
GUY GARDNER HAS A BOWL CUT Part Two: Justice League #4 (1987)
On the last installment of Guy Gardner Has a Bowl Cut, we saw 1987’s Justice League sit down for their “Here’s how it’s gonna be” board meeting. It didn’t go well. Everyone hates Guy, Guy attacks everyone, everyone attacks back, Guy’s haircut makes him look like the bodily appendage that he acts like – it […]
GUY GARDNER HAS A BOWL CUT Part One: Justice League #1 (1987)
I can’t lie… I missed you. I dipped away for a moment, but Blastoff’s modernist is back. My name is Pat Shand, and I’m here at Blastoff talking about comics new and old… though we’re focusing a bit more on the old this month. I’m diving into 1987’s Justice League run by J. M. DeMatteis, […]
Ms. Marvel, Then and Now, Part Four: Ms. Marvel #1 (2015)
With this final installment of Ms. Marvel, Then and Now, we’re taking a look at the history and present of she who bears the name of the House of Ideas. We’ve covered Ms. Marvel’s lowest moments of writerly depravity, the character’s restoration to greatness under the pen of Chris Claremont, and finally Carol Danvers’ last […]
Ms. Marvel, Then and Now, Part Three: Ms. Marvel #1 (2006)
This month, we’re taking a look at the history and present of she who bears the name of the House of Ideas… Ms. Marvel. Last time, Chris Claremont sought to make recompense for the sins of other writers – and he did a pretty thorough job of it. Now, with Ms. Marvel back where she’s […]
Ms. Marvel, Then and Now: Part Two – Avengers Annual #10
This month, we’re taking a look at the history and present of she who bears the name of the House of Ideas… Ms. Marvel. Last time… yikes. Ms. Marvel was violated by a cosmic entity named Marcus that gave birth to itself through her, and then, because of reasons, Ms. Marvel figured she’d sort of […]
Ms. Marvel, Then and Now, Part One: Avengers #200
This month, we’re taking a look at the history and present of she who bears the name of the House of Ideas… Ms. Marvel. We’re kicking it off with two classic Carol Danvers stories, checking in with Carol in the present, and then finally closing out by introducing Kamala Khan, the young Avenger who has […]
The Mad Titan, Finale: Thanos #13
This month, I’m on a journey to learn more about the comics version of Thanos as a celebration of his triumphant debut in Avengers: Infinity War. We’ve covered the 1992 comic book crossover from which the movie took its name, 2013’s cosmic Infinity event, took a break to see what Earth’s Mightiest Heroes were up […]
The Mad Titan: Intermission – Uncanny Avengers #1
This month, I’m on a journey to learn more about the comics version of Thanos as a celebration of his triumphant debut in Avengers: Infinity War. Last time, I dove into Jonathan Hickman and Jim Cheung’s ambitious, beautifully drawn Infinity #1 that sought to create a sci-fi epic that spanned the entirely of the Marvel […]
The Mad Titan, Part Two: Infinity #1 (2013)
This month, I’m on a journey to learn more about the comics version of Thanos as a celebration of his triumphant debut in Avengers: Infinity War. Last time, I dove into the comic from which the movie took its name and found that it was actually the centerpiece of a Thanos-focused trilogy rather than the […]
The Mad Titan, Part One: The Infinity War #1 (1992)
I feel as if every time something major happens in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – a new franchise begins, a beloved hero or villain from the comics appears, or a movie takes on a specific and well-known storyline – the comics industry has a huge opportunity for growth. Comic book movies are bigger than ever, […]