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The Cebulski thing is so utterly insane. Senior people at Marvel must have known and that's why they won't deal with it, because it would bring their position into question. "Akira Yoshida" was getting paid and must have had a contract, after all.

This is disconcerting.

DAN! DAN! DAN!

The special edition Full Tilt Boogie is on there too. That's a beautiful book.

Not particularly similar when you consider that many of these comic artists are still living and that their art was, in many cases, stolen. In any case, I don't think we should be judging our ethics by the fine art market, which is equally, if not more, morally bankrupt. And, by the way, operates pretty much as a money laundering scheme.

I've just re-read your reply and I think I misunderstood it. Apologies!

I'm enjoying that too, but I got a kick out of Gaiman's prose Norse Mythology book from a couple of years ago. P Craig Russell is reliably excellent.

I've never heard of that concept, but it sounds logical and fair. It is repugnant that the huge sums now in original comic art have completely bypassed the artists.

I'm going to leave aside the ethics of doing Watchmen spin off series, because its a thread in itself

I was somewhat surprised to discover that Tom King follows me on Twitter, and then I remembered that it was probably because I as good as called him a scab for taking on a Watchmen spin-off, then Bleeding Cool put it on their front page. :-)

Nice! That's taking snitch-tagging to a whole new level.

[Rorschach]

Rorschach #12. Tom King and Jorge Fornés' "All the President's Supermen" concludes. I'm going to leave aside the ethics of doing Watchmen spin off series, because its a thread in itself and because I'm a coward who doesn't want to face up to the morality of buying this comic. Anyway, shuffling around the enormous elephant in the room, we're left with an interesting conspiracy theory thriller owing a lot to 70s dramas. I suppose there's a joke here that the President in this case is Robert Redford, who had a memorable run making precisely those kinds of films.

To be honest, this doesn't really need to be part of the Watchmen at all. I suppose the Ditko figure and Frank Miller (complicit in a murder plot here. WTF?) would seem out of place. Anyway, this isn't King at his best, which is admittedly very good, but it is worth a read. The art channels those films and adds some interesting design choices. Much like the interesting tv series, this could have been strong enough to stand on its own.

I was interested, but like a lot Kickstarters, the postage was brutal. I'm glad to hear it's getting a general release (but understand your frustration).

This is a great idea.The covers of some of those books are amazing. I also remember the introductions and great stuff like the Zenith early character designs.

[Daredevil]

Daredevil #32-34. Bullseye rampages across NY, while Darelektra (Elektradevil?) hunts for him, producing some top quality violence. Typhoid Mary is hanging around as well.... Meanwhile Daredevil finds out what's going on in the prison, also giving the opportunity for some brutal and top quality violence. I have a feeling this is going to be remembered as one of the great Daredevil runs.

Amazing Spider-Man #74. Sadly, Nick Spencer's run is not going to be remembered that way. It started off well, and a lot of the earlier issues are a blast. Unfortunately the whole Kindred stuff got mired in some baffling and intricate continuity stuff and dragged on for ages. It's all a bit of a shame. Maybe some stronger editorial control would have prevented this? Anyway, new team next issue and hopefully easing up on the unrelenting existential angst.

Crossover #8. Back to the main team after the fill in #7. There's a couple of good gags playing with form in this loving homage to superhero books. I'm really enjoying this.

I was really unenthusiastic about the long proposed Joseph Gordon-Levitt vehicle, mostly because I consider him a wildly over-rated and unlikeable actor, but the excellent Audible version has made me think that Sandman adaptations might not be as daft an idea as I thought.

For what its worth, I liked the trailer.

I never especially liked his Batman films from the outset.  I can't take Batman as seriously as the films wanted me to - the concept of the character is too silly for me.  That might be why I like the Lego Batman movie and Batman Returns as much as I do.

Lego Batman and 1989 Batman are high water marks for the Caped Crusader on screen, and both embrace the absurdity.

[Dunkirk]

Disclaimer: I haven't watched Dunkirk.

I find him an interesting director, but he only has two films that have engaged me on an emotional level: Memento and The Prestige. It's hard to see past the artifice in the rest of his work, as you outline above.

His Batman films have aged particularly poorly, I think

[it's only when a change o fart happens]

... it's only when a change o fart happens that I can even tell when one story has stopped and a new one has started...

Best typo ever?

Is that when a run-of-the-mill ripper suddenly alters in nature, necessitating a rapid trip to the toilet?

Sorry, got a bit Roger's Profanisaurus there.