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Category: Comics

Stuff about comic books and graphic novels! Excelsior!

Red October, Halloween, Etc.

Published by Adam on October 29, 2022

I’m from Philadelphia, so let’s get this out of the way…

GO PHILLIES! WOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Philly Phanatic cheering for the Fightin' Phils!
The one and only Philly Phanatic / Credit: Sports Illustrated

OK! Thank you for your indulgence. In case you didn’t know, or you’re reading this in the future and have forgotten most everything about 2022 (that must be nice), the Phillies are in the World Series! And last night, they took Game 1 from the Astros in an improbable, come-from-behind victory in Houston. Down five runs! With an amazing game-saving catch from Nick Castellanos! So yeah, I’m pretty excited!

Oh shoot, I’m still talking about the Phillies, aren’t I? Once again, I thank you for your indulgence.

A spooky Victorian house that one can only assume is haunted.
A spooky Victorian house / Photo by Arianna Tavaglione

All right, moving on for real this time! It’s Halloween, so I thought I’d share a cool article from the Washington Post about why haunted houses are Victorian in so many books and movies.

I haven’t written much horror, other than a kind of silly short story called “The Roommate.” But I’ve always loved the genre. My favorite recent haunted-house thing was The Haunting of Hill House miniseries on Netflix. The Haunting of Bly Manor (Mike Flanagan did both but they’re different stories) was also pretty good. I’m hoping to check out Flanagan’s Midnight Club real soon, once I finish all the other peak-TV shows in my queue.

I’ve been reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. It’s my first Murakami book though I’d been hearing good things for a while. It’s a fairly strange, yet gripping novel. It’s got a little of that David Lynch vibe where a lot of it is dream-like and you’re not entirely sure what’s really happening. If that doesn’t scare you off, I’d recommend giving it a try.

You might know I’m kind of a comic book geek. I found really fascinating a biography of Stan Lee called True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee by Abraham Riesman. It’s not exactly a glowing depiction of Stan The Man, revealing that the guy probably didn’t create the Marvel Universe all by himself as many people think. It also chronicles a lot of truly crazy sh** that happened in Lee’s later years. Even if he didn’t necessarily create all those classic superheroes, though, you definitely get the sense that Lee was a master marketer and that Marvel probably wouldn’t be what it is today without his passionate self-promotion.

On the gaming front, I just picked up Mario+Rabbids Sparks of Hope on Nintendo Switch and am absolutely having a blast playing it.

Screenshot of Mario+Rabbids Sparks of Hope for Nintendo Switch
Mario+Rabbids Sparks of Hope / Credit: Nintendo

I loved the original Mario+Rabbids Kingdom Battle, and I’m happy to say the sequel has the best parts of that game with a whole lot more polish. Seriously, they couldn’t have been 100% confident when developing the original that people would embrace an XCOM-style strategy game teaming gun-wielding (ray guns, but still) Mario characters with weird bunny-things from Ubisoft’s Rayman series. However, it was obviously a winning concept, and the powers-that-be clearly gave the developers a big budget to run away with it in Sparks of Hope. It’s a pretty addictive videogame, and just writing about it makes me want to leave you mid-sentence to— 

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Adam Bender Reads… America’s Good, Bad and Ugly

Published by Adam on July 5, 2020

This July 4 weekend, I’ve been thinking a lot about America — the good, the bad and the ugly.

It’s a strange time to be an American. We are seeing a lot of ugly fighting between fellow citizens — all in the midst of a deadly virus that doesn’t differentiate between races or parties.

At the same time, I feel an undercurrent of hope. Because more people are recognizing our nation’s problems, maybe we are just at the beginning of a movement toward progress and a better America.

I have been trying to widen my own eyes through reading and discussion. A few friends and I are diving deep into the issue of white privilege through Layla Saad’s workbook, Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor. It is by no means easy to confront the internal prejudices we all carry — no matter how progressive we think we are. However, I recommend giving it a try.

Here are a few other books I’ve been reading lately that have made me consider what it means to be an American.

There There by Tommy Orange

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


There There reveals the very real problems of an overlooked Cheyenne population that has never recovered from America’s colonization. There are many stories about the killing of this land’s Indigenous people set in the past as it happened, but I can’t remember one that so well shows the continuing consequences today.

The subject matter can be heavy, covering poverty, alcoholism and violence. However, Tommy Orange writes with an urgency that keeps the pages moving. I enjoyed how the author mixed in pop culture references to keep the story feeling current and now.

The cast of characters is large, making the list of names at the front of the book a valuable feature, but this does offer the reader a fuller range of perspectives. The approach might work even better as a two-hour film where seeing actors might make it easier to remember who everyone is and how they are related.

Definitely a book all Americans should read.

Superman Smashes The Klan by Gene Luen Yang

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book had me from the title! What better way to make Superman relevant than to write a story about the prejudices faced by immigrants? Superman is, after all, an alien.

What’s really cool about this book is that it’s targeted at a younger audience. With art by the guys who do Avatar comics, this is a fully accessible way to start teaching your kids about America’s history with racism and hate groups like the Klan. It also provides an under-told perspective of the struggles faced by Chinese American families in the late ’40s.

Bitter Root, Vol. 1: Family Business by David F. Walker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a fun introduction to a family that fights demons that fuel racism in America. Bitter Root is like the social justice version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Creators Walker and Brown keep the pages turning with a lot of movement on each page. The characters each have their own personalities, keeping things light even in the face of true horror. I haven’t seen monsters this gruesome since Animal Man, Volume 1: The Hunt.

I’m hoping subsequent volumes go a little deeper into each Sangeyre family member’s backstory. For a cold open, volume one really gets the reader’s attention. Excited to see where the story goes from here…

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A great follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale that should please fans of that book and the TV show alike. Overall, this is a more optimistic book that’s far less brutal than what we’re used to in this world. Not that bad stuff doesn’t happen, but hope permeates throughout. Probably, that is the very kind of dystopian novel we need in these unusual times.

Atwood has a fluid way of communicating that makes reading this novel a breeze, even though she never dumbs things down or writes sensationally like typical mainstream fare. This could have been a lazy money grab after the success of the TV show, but Atwood has written a worthy sequel that should stand the test of time just like its forebearer.

How Long ’til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Great collection of fantasy and sci-fi short stories by an author with a unique, refreshing voice. Enjoyed how Jemisin brings in New Orleans and other elements unusual to the genre. Some stories are stronger than others, but there are quite a few collected here with no real clunkers in the set. If you’ve been looking for something new in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, this is for you.



View all my reviews on Goodreads!

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Meet Ben Mcleod, cover artist for The Wanderer and the New West

Published by Adam on October 23, 2017

My next novel — The Wanderer and the New West — is getting closer to publication! A key part of that process is designing a cover, and I’m thrilled to announce illustrator Ben Mcleod will be taking on this important job.

Hailing from Manchester, Ben has created art for an array of cool clients like Disney and 20th Century Fox, working on such popular franchises as Star Wars and X-Men! Check out some of his recent work below and on his Tumblr blog.

I’ve seen some of Ben’s ideas for The Wanderer and am thrilled with the direction. Can’t wait to share the cover with you when it’s complete!

The Time Machine
Credit: Ben Mcleod

Star Wars
Credit: Ben Mcleod

Big Hero 6
Credit: Ben Mcleod

1984 by George Orwell
Credit: Ben Mcleod

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Adam Bender reviews… Comics!

Published by Adam on March 7, 2017

Reading comics is one hobby that’s stayed with me since childhood. A new crop of writers and artists are keeping the genre fresh and telling smart stories that even mature readers can love.

Here’s some of my recent Goodreads reviews, reprinted for your bloggy enjoyment. Let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions on what I should read next!

Batman, Volume 1: I Am GothamBatman, Volume 1: I Am Gotham by Tom King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After the great Snyder / Capullo run, I was skeptical of a fresh creative crew coming on board, but the new team of King and Finch really works! It’s a bit of a slow start with the initial “Rebirth” comic (which happens to be co-written by Snyder), but I raced through Batman #1-6, enjoying every minute.

King packs in the action without losing the intelligence of a good Batman comic. And whereas I felt Snyder sometimes gets a little excessive with trying to be epic, King’s narrative approach feels a little leaner and more streamlined. Finch’s art is also exceptional — it just has a real classic feel with action that’s easy to follow.

I also loved King’s superb work on The Vision, so I’m excited to find out where he takes Batman next!

Speaking of King’s Marvel Comics series…

The Vision, Volume 2: Little Better than a BeastThe Vision, Volume 2: Little Better than a Beast by Tom King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, Tom King knocks it out of the park again in the second half of his Vision story. This book’s got everything — a clever premise, memorable characters, beautiful art, robots with feelings… If you like sci-fi, even if you don’t necessarily consider yourself a comics fan — you owe it to yourself to read this book. King is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers in comics today.

No need to have any background on The Vision, though you’ll definitely want to start with The Vision, Volume 1: Little Worse Than A Man. Maybe watch the second Avengers movie if you want a quick take on his origin, but not necessary.

Superman: American AlienSuperman: American Alien by Max Landis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fresh spin on Superman, this mini-series captures what it’s like to grow up feeling like an alien. It gives the Kryptonian a humanness that often gets left out of stories about the Man of Steel. The artwork varies in style with the tone of the story, showcasing some of the best artists in comics today.

The hardcover edition is beautifully presented with vivid colors and interesting extras showing original sketches and layouts. One complaint with that edition, however, is that occasionally part of the image and even text gets caught in the fold due to the way the pages are bound together.

Descender, Volume Three: SingularitiesDescender, Volume Three: Singularities by Jeff Lemire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Volume 3 loses some of the momentum of previous books, with each issue focusing on flashbacks to flesh out the backgrounds of various characters. These characters needed more fleshing out, so it’s good to get to know more about them. Also, the issues about the robots characters are particularly clever. But like season two of Lost — when it took many episodes to resolve a single, short event — this book doesn’t do much to resolve the cliffhangers from Volume 2.

Of course, it’s hard to nitpick a book that looks this good. Nguyen’s watercolors shine once more, transporting the reader to a fully envisioned sci-fi universe. And Lemire continues to do a great job mixing action, humor and the bittersweet.

Just don’t come into this one expecting much progression of the main plot.

Well that’s all for today! Follow me on Goodreads to keep tabs on what I’m reading!

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Haunting ‘Secret Path’ Tells Tragic Indigenous History Through Art and MusicSecret Path by Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire

Haunting ‘Secret Path’ Tells Tragic Indigenous History Through Art and Music

Published by Adam on November 11, 2016

In 1966, an indigenous Canadian boy named Chanie Wenjack ran away from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School. He attempted a 400-mile walk home along the railroad through freezing weather, without knowing if he was even going the right way.

Through Chanie’s journey, Secret Path — an innovative combination of music and graphic novel available on Amazon as a paperback/MP3 download —  illuminates a darker part of North American twentieth-century history. Gord Downie of Ontario band The Tragically Hip wrote the words and music, while fellow Canadian and breakout comic book star Jeff Lemire drew the sequential art.

The first time I experienced Secret Path, I read the graphic novel with the music on in the background. The book is short enough to read within the album’s 41-minute running time, and is split into sections by song, so it’s easy enough to take this approach. Taken together, the music and art flow together well, with the images enhancing the words sung by Downie and the mostly acoustic folk rock bringing out the emotions in Lemire’s expressive character-work.

Since then, I have listened to the album quite a few times on its own. The music definitely can stand on its own. With the additional talent of Dave Hamelin from The Stills (another Canadian favorite of mine), Downie’s album carries the listener through the emotional highs and lows of Chanie’s walk, effortlessly evoking images of the boy’s tragic walk.

And as I listened, I found myself flashing back to the beautiful artwork by Lemire. I’ve been a fan of Jeff for some time — especially his more indie work like The Underwater Welder and Essex County, but also some of his writing credits for DC Comics including Animal Man. Lemire has a unique art style that I recall actually put me off the first time I laid eyes on it. But when I pushed ahead anyway, Lemire’s haunting compositions transported me to another world. From the first page of Secret Path, Lemire makes readers feel instantly sympathetic to Chanie’s plight. And he leaves us angry with the country that let such tragedies occur.

Angry, perhaps. But also glad that these fine creators have exposed this hidden history through such accessible storytelling. It’s beyond cool to see a project with such important purpose come together into an artistic masterpiece. What’s more, proceeds from the project will be donated to The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

So don’t wait — take the Secret Path. It’s a road worth traveling.

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Adam Bender | adambenderwrites.com | watchadam.blog