Tag Archives: tony shasteen

Before I begin, I want to acknowledge and mourn the passing of comic artist, Tom Lyle. For me, his Scarlet Spider will always stand out as one of the most recognizable character designs in comic history. Rest in peace, Mr. Lyle, and for your work, we are thankful. The theme …

If there’s anything that brings me a sense of relief in the world, it’s a sense of trust. The knowledge that I can rely on someone who’s “got my back” fortifies my resolve to push on. I mean, we all need friends, right? But more importantly, we need to know …

It’s the end of the summer and September is often a month associated with new beginnings. For a lot of people, me included, I think the beginning of the school year has a lot to do with that. We’re looking at new beginnings this week, so without any delay, let’s get to …

You know, I’ve always been fascinated by betrayal. Okay – it’s not like I’m actively looking to screw someone over, but the whole concept of disavowing a friend, stabbing an acquaintance in the back or even just talking crap about someone in order to minimalize their position and maximize yours …

Decisions, decisions decisions. This week’s comic list includes titles that are about looking back with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight and examining the nature of the decision-making in the story. There’s nothing like the tangy flavour of regret to make a story palatable, is there? But choices are integral to …

The end of November always has such a feeling of anticipation for me. There’s an accelerated intensity as we get closer to the Christmas shopping season and the comic retailers add new products to their shelves. It’s a magical time that only seems to get better with every week of …

I love stories – always have. Whether they were read to me at an early age or I grew skilled enough to decipher them on my own, I have always been fascinated by the power of creative thought. I think, though, that awe has contributed to a mental laziness on …

DC Comics Action Comics #984 Not the definite conclusion I was expecting out of this arc but an enjoyable one nonetheless. I have to confess, I like the concept of opposing families. Now Zod has a family to match Superman’s, so there are parallel storylines in Superman’s future. This last …

The first review of the New Year! Why isn’t there a band around when you need one? Seriously … too much to celebrate this holiday season, yet every new comic review is a chance for celebration. I’m extremely pleased with the selection I’ve managed to assemble tonight. There’s some epic …

It’s hardly what I call a long list for this week, but the good thing about a short list is that you can take your time and savour the experience of reading a good comic. After all, now that winter is here, the best remedy for a cold evening is …

The American election made for a light reading list this week. After all, it’s hard to read comics when reality makes for more fascinating story-telling than fantasy. Here’s the list we’re looking at this week. DC Comics Action Comics #967 All-Star Batman #4 IDW Comics Star Trek: Boldly Go #2 …

I’m considering the nature of criticism this week. In my class, I constantly wrestle with how to mete out criticism. People forget that one of the toughest jobs of teaching isn’t the teaching itself, it’s the assessment. After all, if you have a teacher who you really respect, doesn’t it …