Supergirl’s season 4 premiere (“American Alien”) was pretty excellent. There was more to cheer about than not, even though the show tackled some difficult, relevant social issues. I mean, Kara was forced to confront her privilege, since she can “pass” for human. That was no small deal, and I loved that Alex reminded her to […]
Archive | Guest Columns
A Future Family Reunion on THE FLASH
The Flash’s season five premiere (“Nora”) was equal parts funny and touching. Mad props have to be given to Jessica Parker Kennedy, for her wide-eyed turn as Nora, Iris and Barry’s daughter. (Confession: I loved her on The Secret Circle, and I’m still mad that show got canceled. Don’t judge me.) Earnest, self-depreciating (“I’m not […]
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 […]
The One(s) Where Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel Dated
Spider-Man has some of the most infamously bad romantic luck of any character in fiction. His love interests have, to name a few, been thrown off bridges, been on-again-off-again supervillainesses, and been retconned out of a successful marriage (still pretty bitter about that one.) But one that often gets overlooked is the extremely brief fling […]
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 […]
So Many Goodbyes on SUPERGIRL
Supergirl’s 23rd episode (“Battles Lost and Won”) had some really great moments. Sam encountering her dead mom (“All that remains of me is my love for you. Please you have to believe me.” Betty Buckley forever, please and thank you), who helped her overcome Reign. Alex and Kara bonding on the couch at the episode’s […]
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 […]
SUPERGIRL: (Kryptonian) Witch, Please
Supergirl’s 22nd episode (“Make It Reign”) was full of a lot of great moments, even if there were difficult ones. For one thing, Sam (Odette Annable, crushing it) finally apologized to Ruby for keeping her not being honest with her in the past: “We’re going to call Lena and Alex, and they’re going to get […]
You Can, and Can’t, Go Home Again on SUPERGIRL
Supergirl’s 21st episode (“Not Kansas”) had a lot of brilliant moments, even if it was a little bit slow in its storytelling. First and foremost, the social commentary about guns, gun control, and how those who make their money from guns are often woefully neglecting the human cost—well, it was brilliant. This was particularly chilling: […]
Reunions and Self-Reflection on SUPERGIRL
Supergirl’s 20th episode (“Dark Side of the Moon”) had some interesting twists and surprisingly emotional moments. Surprise! Alura isn’t dead! At first, I was naturally suspicious of her and Argos. But it was a nice turn to have her be so remorseful, so grateful to see her daughter again. I’m still annoyed they recast the […]
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 […]
An Avengers Secret
If you haven’t seen Avengers: Infinity War, your bucket list isn’t done. But the movies have missed a theme of the Avengers and its spin-offs in the comics. Criminals keep joining. They commit crimes and then sooner or later afterwards, they join the Avengers and you’ll be surprised how many Avengers that includes. And in […]