Assistant editor at ComicsAlliance and responsible for recurring features such as This Magazine Kills Fascists and Rogues' Gallery. He is also the co-host of the podcasts Journey Into Misery and Animal Crackers, as well as a contributor to various independent 'zines. John Cena is my patronus.
Kieran Shiach
Fantastic Five: Best Marvel Speedsters
While DC Comics is known for having the most popular characters with super-speed, Marvel Comics has its own deep roster of dudes and ladies who can run like, really fast. Whether it's cosmic alien gods, petty criminals or even World War II-era vampires, anyone can be a speedster and we've assembled a countdown of five of the best in an all new Fantastic Five.
Rogues’ Gallery: Who Is The Ultimate Marvel Cosmic Villain? [Poll]
The Marvel Universe boasts many cosmic beings capable of conquering worlds and bending reality. Whether it's primordial beings that have existed since before time itself, or lowly men who gained power far beyond their understanding, there are cosmic villains of all shapes and sizes. We need to know which one is the best, and we need your help to find the answer.
This Magazine Kills Fascists: Superman vs The Justice League of Earth
In the wake of a shocking election, much of the world is stunned that a man as hateful as Donald Trump could be elected President of the United States. In this This Magazine Kills Fascists, we’ll look at times comic books and superheroes have dealt with tyrannical, corrupt and outright fascist world leaders — not because we think we can find a solution, but because art can provide inspiration in the face of oppression.
This week we’re going to the far future to see what happens when hatred, fear and xenophobia can corrupt the ideals of a utopia in Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s “Superman and The Legion of Super-Heroes,” which ran in the pages of Action Comics #858-863. The storyline not only showed the effects of gaslighting an entire population, but just how quickly a new regime can become the new normal.
Chip Zdarsky And Kris Anka Bring Peter Quill Down To Earth In ‘Star-Lord’ #1 [Preview]
Thanks to Civil War II, the Guardians of the Galaxy are grounded on Earth and for Peter Quill that means he's stuck on his homeworld for the first time in decades. While his situation might be grim, his new ongoing series should be anything but, thanks to the creative team of Chip Zdarsky and Kris Anka, and Marvel has provided us with a preview of Star-Lord #1.
Get A History Lesson Van Lente And Dunlavey’s In ‘Comic Book History Of Comics’ #1 [Preview]
As a medium, comics has grown and shifted in so many interesting ways over the past century, and even further beyond that. Originally self-published in black and white, IDW are re-releasing Fred Van Lente and Ryan Dunlavey's enormously entertaining and informational The Comic Book History of Comics with colors by Adam Guzowski and the publisher has provided us with a look at the first issue.
Letters Of Note: How Lettering Improves ‘Wonder Woman’ And DC Rebirth
Lettering is an art form that doesn’t get enough recognition in comics, and when it’s done well you’ll often not notice it. However, Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka, Nicola Scott, Romulo Fajardo Jr, and Jodi Wynne incorporates the lettering in a few unique ways that add extra layers to the storytelling, and is emblematic of how a new approach to lettering is improving DC Comics on the whole.
To Infinity And Beyond: The History Of The Infinity Stones Explained
The Infinity Stones are the most important artifacts in Marvel’s Studios’ shared cinematic universe, and with the franchise building towards Avengers: Infinity War and a confrontation with Thanos, the hunt for the stones is more important than ever. While the movies have remained coy the full extent of the stones' powers, both together and separately, we can learn a lot about their abilities --- and Thanos’ intentions --- from the last forty years of comics.
If You Loved ‘Doctor Strange’, Try These Comics Next
The weekend numbers are in, and Marvel Studio's latest, Doctor Strange, is a hit! It takes the now classic Marvel origin formula and gives it a fresh coat of mystical paint while expanding what we know about the shared universe and offering innovative solutions to world-ending problems. Comic books outside of the Big Two superhero universes are full of stories about magic, demons and alternate dimensions and we've put together a list of five of the best independent titles for you to try next.
All He Needs Is Hate: A Tribute To The Punisher
On October 30th 1973, Marvel Comics published The Amazing Spider-Man #129, and introduced readers to Frank Castle, The Punisher. Although originally portrayed as an antagonist, The Punisher proved a breakout character for the publisher like few others, and helped launch the enduring popularity of anti-heroes in superhero comics.
The ComicsAlliance Halloween Costume Spooktacular 2016
After a month of anticipation, "Treehouse of Horror" binges, and spooky Twitter names, Halloween is finally upon us. This special day means so much to so many people, and one of the greatest joys it gives us is licensed costumes based on comic book properties. Some of them are incredibly detailed and accurate to the source material, some of them are hilariously bad, and some, somehow, manage to be both.
We've rounded up some of the best comics-themed Halloween costumes from this year to provide you with some last minute inspiration for the big night.