Monthly Archives: April 2013

Batman 101: Introduction to the Dark Knight

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Thomas Mets

It’s probably easier to introduce Batman to a new reader than any other comic book character. There are three self-contained stories that are at the top of any “Best Of” list—among the five best comic books ever according to a … Continue reading →

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Wizard’s Top 40 Comic Book Stories Circa 2000

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Thomas Mets

Speaking of Wizard lists, my favorite issue of the magazine was probably #105, where they decided to celebrate the new millennium with best of lists, including the 40 greatest comic books ever. circa 2000. There was some good stuff that … Continue reading →

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Wizard’s How to Fix Spider-Man Circa 1997

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Thomas Mets

The other Wizard article on Spider-Man that probably influenced my take on the character  was their take on Spider-Man from 1997.           Wizard continued their affair with Roger Stern’s Amazing Spider-Man, including seven panels from the … Continue reading →

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Wizard’s Top Ten Spider-Man Stories Circa 1998

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Thomas Mets

In 1998, Wizard published a special one-shot devoted to Spider-Man. I probably read it more than most Spider-Man comics. The highlight may have been a top ten list by Andrew Kardan. I don’t agree with it completely, but each of … Continue reading →

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Essay on Kalevipoeg

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Thomas Mets

This was an essay I wrote a few years ago about the Estonian epic Kalevipoeg. Like Kalevala was for the Finns,Kalevipoeg was a conscious attempt to create the Estonian nation’s version of Greek epics such as The Iliad, and The … Continue reading →

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Spider-Man 101 And The Best Of..

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Thomas Mets

Earlier, I made a list of good Spider-Man comics for anyone looking for an introduction to the character. Most of the included issues tend to appear on the lists of the greatest Spider-Man stories. Anyone interested in how the the recommended … Continue reading →

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Ginger British Atheist Weird Al

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Thomas Mets

I became aware of Tim Minchin this weekend, thanks to a spotlight on the musician-comedian in The New Yorker podcast. Presumably, there is an article about him in The New Yorker as well. As a Weird Al fan, I am … Continue reading →

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Spider-Man 101: Introduction to the Wall-Crawler

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Thomas Mets

The first strategy is to recommend a stretch of issues, perhaps a complete creative run. There may be some questions about the backstory, but it will be much easier to follow transitions issue by issue, rather than trying to figure out … Continue reading →

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Superman 101: Introduction to the Man of Steel

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Thomas Mets

Today is considered the 75th anniversary of the publication of Action Comics #1, with the first appearance of Superman (and Lois Lane.) That new Man of Steel trailer looks rather impressive. So there’s likely to be a high amount of interest … Continue reading →

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When Margaret Thatcher Met the Estonian Prime Minister

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Thomas Mets

From what I’ve read, Margaret Thatcher did great things for Britain. There’s obviously some residual anger about a few of her policies, but much of that is what you would expect to happen to someone who, as Lawrence O’Donnell put … Continue reading →

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