All posts tagged: Comics

why, as a scientist, I’m excited for the comics’ return

why, as a scientist, I’m excited for the comics’ return

Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future was a groundbreaking science fiction comic serial, first appearing in the UK comic The Eagle in 1950. Now, more than 75 years later, a reinvention of the series is underway, with the first new graphic novel written by Alex de Campi (Bad Girls and Madi) with art by Marc Laming (Marvel’s Star Wars). set for later this year. As science fiction enthusiast and a scientist, I am excited to see what it will be like. I’m sure I’m not alone, as a number of scientists – including the late astrophysicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking and planetary scientist Colin Pillinger – cited Dan Dare’s exciting vision of the future as instrumental in their decision to pursue science. Daniel McGregor Dare is an officer in the Britain-based Interplanet Space Force (ISF). Faced with overpopulation and starvation on Earth, the ISF is tasked with exploring the possibility of crop production or trade on Venus. After initial problems, Dan Dare and a small group of colleagues are able to reach the surface of …

The Day Horror Comics Died

The Day Horror Comics Died

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Today, most Americans associate comic books with superheroes. But in the early 1950s, horror comics were king, and the king of the horror comics was EC Comics. EC was known for pushing the envelope. Their horror and suspense titles often featured dark, gory tales that occasionally dipped into social commentary and almost always ended in a grisly murder. This made them very popular with readers, but it didn’t sit well with certain demographics, such as Christian religious leaders. They objected to the violence and to the bad morals these comics were allegedly teaching children. Most notorious of all was psychiatrist Fredric Wertham, who, as Dr. Carol Tilley showed in her 2012 paper, falsified data to make it seem as if comics—all comics—were contributing to juvenile delinquency. In response to these specious allegations, Congress convened the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency to hear testimony, mostly from people who disliked comic books, about the supposed negative influence of comics on …

AI Characters in Marvel Comics

AI Characters in Marvel Comics

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Iron Man #2, published late in 2024, features the start of a recurring gag where our hero has installed a new AI program, Iron.GPT, into his armor. Said program is outrageously incompetent. It’s a funny bit, but I’m not sure how well it works. Even granting that Tony Stark slapped this armor together with a box of scraps (no cave this time), the notion of him resorting to such an amateurish AI seems unlikely, given that far more sophisticated programs — including some invented or modified by Tony himself — have been commonplace in the Marvel universe for decades. It’s important to note that AI in the real world and AI in the Marvel universe are two completely different animals. Here in reality, the term “artificial intelligence” may refer to generative AI, which is mostly known for cranking out hallucinatory slop and turning lazy attorneys into internet laughingstocks, or to agentic AI, which has much greater problem-solving capabilities. …

6 YA Space Comics

6 YA Space Comics

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. With the recent popularity of the movie adaptation of Project Hail Mary, we may be having a space renaissance. Even more young kids may start dreaming of becoming astronauts, which can drive an interest in science fiction, especially science fiction having to do with space. The joy of YA space stories can run the gamut from how imaginative writers can be with alien creatures and what the edge of the universe is like, to depictions of realistic space travel This can be seen most of all in YA comics, the canon of which spans genres, even within the space category. From superheroes to thoughtful to adventure stories— comics and graphic novels offer multiple ways to engage with genre, style, and storytelling through their artwork. Below are six YA space comics that do just that. Out of this world space comics for teens On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden This is a major classic of the space comics genre, …

Sensational Comics by Celebrities

Sensational Comics by Celebrities

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Post Malone, Adrian Wassel, Nathan Gooden, and VAULT – the best in science fiction, fantasy, and horror graphic novels! The prayed for a miracle. They got 25 tons and 18 wheels of holy weapon. The Dark Ages… Demon hordes plague Europe as Hell invades Earth. The Six Petals, a secret sect of The Knights Templar, pray for a holy weapon to drive back the scourge. What crashes to earth instead is The Rig, a fully loaded tractor trailer. In the aftermath of its arrival, the only man left standing is an enigmatic former priest. He will become Trucker and lead the fight against Hell—with 25 tons and 18 wheels of demon-slaying machine. Created by Post Malone. Writers: Post Malone and Adrian Wassel. Artist: Nathan Gooden. I have to admit, I used to have a knee-jerk reaction to any comic written by a celebrity. It’s just a gimmick, right? Get a big name to write or ghostwrite a comic, …

Dark Romance Comics

Dark Romance Comics

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. 23rd St. Books, an imprint of Macmillan The devil has come to town. And he wants a library card. Star author Olivie Blake and artist Little Chmura kick off a deliciously dark graphic novel romance with Clara & the Devil, Volume 1. Clara has her life figured out—until an unusual tourist, tall, dark, and infernal, arrives and her careful plans unravel. While the stranger, who calls himself the devil, strikes up a situationship with her best friend Jonah, he tempts Clara with reckless talk of power, ambition, and lust. Over one sultry summer, Clara is forced to confront the desires she’s kept secret her whole life, even from herself. I often come across screenshots of TikToks about dark romance. They’re usually circulated for mocking purposes, and many present a strong man protecting a smaller woman. For the purposes of visualizing dark romances, they do the job they’re supposed to. The dark romance novels we’ve rounded up in the …