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 Image Comics Villains
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our years on the Internet, it’s that there’s no aspect of comics that can’t be broken down and quantified in a single definitive list, preferably in amounts of five or ten. And since there’s no more definitive authority than ComicsAlliance, we’re taking it upon ourselves to compile Top Five lists of everything you could ever want to know about comics.
Image Comics is celebrating its 25th anniversary this week, and as a publisher it has such a breadth of stories and genres, that their roster of awesome and evil villains is as strong and varied as the comics themselves. With dozens to choose from and only five making the list, competition was hot but we narrowed it down to the five best and baddest Image Comics villains from over two and a half decades of comics.
Rogues’ Gallery: Who Is The Punisher’s Ultimate Enemy? [Poll]
When you cross The Punisher, the odds are good that you aren't going to stick around too long to be considered an arch-nemesis, but there are some resourceful and down-right lucky bad guys who have managed to get away by the skin of their teeth and live to talk about it. With a surprisingly strong roster of bad guys to choose from, who is The Punisher's number one nemesis?
Rogues’ Gallery: Aquaman’s Top Ten Villains
You voted to see who Aquaman‘s ultimate arch-enemy was, and we’ve tabulated the results and assembled a video counting down the definitive top 10. Did your favorite make this list? There’s only one way to find out!
The Many Loves Of Spider-Man: A Brief History Of The Webhead’s Love Life
There are lot of things that make Spider-Man one of the most interesting and captivating characters in the Marvel Universe, but one of the franchise's greatest strengths has always been his supporting characters, and even more specifically, his love interests. For a character known for his "Parker Luck", he's attracted the attention of several impressive, accomplished, and beautiful women. We've put together a guide to some of the most important romances in Spider-Man's life.
This Magazine Kills Fascists: Captain America And The Secret Empire
Captain America was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby to fight Nazis, but by the '70s the kind of threats the world faced were more subtle and complex than the time he was created. In 1974’s “Secret Empire,” by Steve Englehart, Mike Friedrich and Sal Buscema, Captain America and The Falcon learned the hard way how easily swayed a populace can be, and how high a corrupt politician can rise through the ranks.
Marvel Comics Finally Announces A Ms. America Ongoing Comic [NYCC 2016]
When Marvel Comics announced its new slate of books under the Marvel Now banner, one of the biggest holes in its line-up seemed to be the lack of a book featuring the fan-favorite character Ms. America Chavez. Today at New York Comic Con, the publisher finally acquiesced and unveiled plans for an ongoing title set to debut next year titled simply America.
Civil War Correspondence: The Character Assassination Of Carol Danvers By The Writer Brian Bendis [Recapping ‘Civil War II’ #5]
Civil War II has completely overwhelmed the Marvel Universe, with all of your favorite titles tangentially tying into the event in whatever way they can in hopes of a sales bump. With a founding Avenger dead and battle lines nearly drawn, it’s time to dig back into the story for more Civil War Correspondence, and review where I stand on the conflict. I reserve the right to flip-flop at will, although that’s looking less and less likely.
This month we're looking solely at Civil War II #5 as the heroes finally clash and the final page hits uncomfortably close to reality. Spoilers follow.
Titan Unveils Variant Covers For The Most Metal Comic Of The Year, Spurrier And Boyle’s ‘Hookjaw’
Sharks are really cool. This is something that is known from the youngest of ages, and something that is carried in the hearts of men and women throughout their lives. Sharks are inherently one of the coolest animals in the world. When it was announced that Titan Comics is reviving the classic sharksploitation strip Hookjaw, suddenly the dearth of shark-focused comics in the marketplace became readily apparent. Check out the variant covers courtesy of Titan!
Riri Williams Will Be Known As Ironheart In The Pages Of ‘Invincible Iron Man’
Last month it was announced that fifteen year old genius Riri Williams would be taking over the lead role in Brian Michael Bendis and Stefano Caselli's upcoming relaunch of Invincible Iron Man. There has been much speculation surrounding what her codename might be, and Marvel announced today that the new hero will operate under the alias "Ironheart".
In Space No One Can Hear You Die In Higgins, Siegel And Reis’ ‘Hadrian’s Wall’ [Preview]
Kyle Higgins, Alec Siegel and Rod Reis' COWL was a constantly rewarding and engaging take on superheroes, and next month the creative team is reuniting for a brand new miniseries titled Hadrian's Wall. Described as a locked room murder mystery in space, we've got a preview of the first issue to whet your appetite
Up, Up, And Away: Phil Jimenez’s ‘Superwoman’ #1 Shocks Fans With Controversial Ending
When DC Comics announced its slate of DC Rebirth titles, Superwoman was one of the books that really stood out as coming from left-field. For a time, we weren't sure who Superwoman would be, and when it was confirmed to be Lois Lane donning the costume, there were still more questions surrounding how she got her powers, and even which incarnation of Lois Lane it would be. (There have been two versions in the DC Universe since the reality-mashing events of Convergence.)
This week finally saw the release of Superwoman #1 by Phil Jimenez, Matt Santorelli and Jeromy Cox, which firmly establishes the new status quo for Lois Lane and Superwoman, while raising a lot more questions about the future of the comic and its lead than anyone was expecting. This article contains spoilers for the ending of Superwoman #1.
If You Loved ‘Suicide Squad’, Try These Comics Next
Suicide Squad is the latest film from DC Comics' cinematic universe, and while it has received mostly negative reviews, many die-hard DC fans have come away thrilled by the villain-centric romp.
If you're one of those that loved the film and want more comics in the same vein --- but you already know to check out the John Ostrander, Kim Yale and Luke McDonnell run on the series --- we've got a list of five independent comics to seek out next. Love that? Try this!