Published every Wednesday, Timothy Callahan examines the world of comics and graphic novel with indepth analysis in his new weekly column WHEN WORDS COLLIDE.
RECENT COLUMNS
Mon, February 8th, 2010
Tim stops time to look closely at the Daredevil work of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, this week through the lens of the four panel sequence that comprises the epic run's opening page. Comic book realism, exposed.
Mon, February 1st, 2010
This week Tim begins a three-part look at Brian Michael Bendis' greatest comic book work to date in his run on "Daredevil" while providing a bit of backstory on his personal interest in the superstar writer's rise to prominence.
Mon, January 25th, 2010
This week, Tim considers Matt Fraction's twenty-six issue run on "Punisher War Journal," the writer's first foray into mainstream superheroics, and thinks about the series' unlikely convergence with Shakespeare and Tom Stoppard.
Mon, January 18th, 2010
This week, TIm concludes his in-depth look at comic book archetypes as author Steven Withrow returns to discuss the superhero pantheon, looking at the essence of characters like Captain America, Batman and even Blue Beetle.
Mon, January 11th, 2010
Tim is joined by author Steven Withrow this week for part one of a lengthy conversation on the superhero archetype, discussing why characters like Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man matter so much more than the others.
Mon, January 4th, 2010
At long last, the wait is over! Tim celebrates the end of 2009 by sharing his picks for the Top 10 Comics of the Decade, including celebrated works from Grant Morrison, Alan Moore, Chris Ware, Matt Fraction and many other creators.
Mon, December 28th, 2009
What do "Batman: Year 100," "Planetary," "Walking Dead," "Immortal Iron Fist," and "The Human Target" all have in common? They're some of the Best Comics of the Decade, but they didn't quite make Tim's Top 10 list. The countdown begins!
Mon, December 21st, 2009
The year is coming to a close so it's only appropriate that Tim takes some time this week to talk about "Batman and Robin," "Scalped," "Scott Pilgrim" and other titles as he runs through his choices for the Ten Best Comics of 2009.
Mon, December 14th, 2009
Looking back at what is one of the best comics of the last decade, Timothy explores manga, allegory, and war in the sophisticated retelling of the classic Astro Boy story "Greatest Robot on Earth," "Pluto: Urasawa x Tezuka."
Mon, December 7th, 2009
Tim thinks about all the new characters from the last several decades who haven't stuck around all that long, and explains why the likes of Wolverine, Deadpool, and the Endless managed to make an impact while others haven't.
Mon, November 30th, 2009
As the end of the decade fast approaches, Tim reflects on Frank Miller's apocalyptic "Dark Knight Strikes Again" and Grant Morrison's also-apocalyptic "Final Crisis," and explains why one is so much better than the other.
Mon, November 23rd, 2009
As we enter the holiday season and prepare ourselves for the mad dash to the shopping centers, Tim provides the perfect gift guide of comic book collected editions for the most important person in your life: you.
Mon, November 16th, 2009
Reflecting on some of the major comic book events of the past decade, Tim discusses the good - and not-so-good - when it comes to Grant Morrison's popular yet controversial run as the writer of "New X-Men."
Mon, November 9th, 2009
While organizing and sorting through his comic book collection, Tim unearths a rare comic-related artifact from decades ago and reminds us all that comic books and classrooms didn't always mix.
Mon, November 2nd, 2009
As promised last week, Tim takes on the comics of Warren Ellis, ranking the likes of "Stormwatch/The Authority," "Astonishing X-Men," "Global Frequency," and "Desolation Jones," in the Warren Ellis Top 10.
Mon, October 26th, 2009
It seems as though every new Wednesday gives us yet another major Geoff Johns comic book, so this week Tim reflects back on the absolute best Geoff Johns comics of all time...and his list doesn't just stop at the Top 10 picks.
Tue, October 20th, 2009
This week, Tim takes a good long look at the first volume of Alan Moore's "Absolute Promethea," talks about the collection's place in the Absolute pantheon, and revels in the astounding artwork of J. H. Williams III.
Mon, October 12th, 2009
Tim revisits John Byrne's '80s Superman revamp and considers how the reimagining of an icon worked as a gateway to the DCU and what its legacy is today, after all the changes Byrne made seem to have been undone.
Mon, October 5th, 2009
This week, Tim cracks open the immense, oversized collection by Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons, "The Life and Times of Martha Washington in the Twenty-First Century," and considers - among other things - the trouble with Martha.
Mon, September 28th, 2009
Tim digs into his personal archive and unearths a piece of comic book journalism that hasn't yet been seen online. Ever wonder about how Apocalypse replaced the Owl? Or about Nightcrawler's peculiar parentage? Read on, true believer...
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