BEYOND THE PANELS

Jazz Lines and Heroes: A Journey Through the Art of Darwyn Cooke

Darwyn Cooke Reading Order: How to Explore the Best of a Modern Comics Legend If there's any consensus on the comic world is this: Darwyn Cooke had an...

Superheroes, Robots, and Redcoats: Welcome to Ghost Machine by Geoff Johns

The 90s are calling cause’ Image Comics imprints are the frenzy once again!   What Is a Ghost Machine? Think of them as a creative media studio that...

From Laughter to Gut Punches: The World According to Chip Zdarsky

Reading Chip Zdarsky is akin to taking a ride on an emotional rollercoaster. On one page, you will be roaring with laughter, amused by the ridiculous situation the...

Capes, Chaos & Coming of Age - These Are the Young Avengers

“Teenagers scare the living sh*t out of me” were wise words from My Chemical Romance. What else do teenagers do? Well, they piled up my reading lists. I...

How Former Teacher Jed MacKay Took Over Marvel - One Hero at a Time

Did you guys know that teachers are cool? Readers of this merry little blog are very cool people as well, so I would assume you respect the teachers...

Why Kingdom is one of the BEST Historical Manga out there!

As you may or may not know, I am a huge history nerd. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that one of these days I would write an article...

Marvel's Ultimate Universe Is THE ULTIMATE Reading Experience for New and Old Fans!

'Starting-Again' is super heroes comics in a nutshell. The constant reframing — to know everything can be revised — can bring either a freedom not all media can...

Land of the Lustrous – A Hidden Gem You Cannot Miss!

X-Men’s Lost Years: From Messiah Trilogy to the O5 Era

So, it has been a month since I last wrote about the X-Men, but with the recent and upcoming releases (as well as announcements!), it’s time to go...

What If Your Favorite DC Heroes Lost ABSOLUTEly Everything?

Written by Matheus Filmmaker by day, Wishlistmaker by night. Kamala Khan’s unofficial PR team since 2014. DC's Absolute Universe has been the talk of the town these last...

How Berserk Represents the Ultimate Indomitable Human Spirit!

It has been about 3 months since I started writing for Walt’s Comic Shop. In my articles I have discussed a lot of different Manga from a lot...

Manga + Superheroes = Does That Even Work?

What is the difference between Manga and Comics?  To most of us, this question is pretty simple to answer. Both are mostly the same type of printed media...

Silver Surfer - Condemned to Shine

Great cosmic one, I ride ahead once more, not to scout fragile worlds for you to devour, but to hunt for something far stranger… Marvel Comics recommendations. You’ve...

Eisner Awards 2025 - The Best Graphic Album Nominees

Final Cut by Charles Burns (Pantheon) – by Matheus This is where I start to think that every choice I made - every nominee I decided to cover...

Eisner Awards 2025 - The Best Limited Series Nominees

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern, by Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey (DC) – by Matheus Queer superhero books are plagued by demands. They need to be representative, but...

Eisner Awards 2025 - And The Nominees Are…

On July 25th, fans, nerds and geeks around the world will once again celebrate the very best in Comics and Manga. From brilliant stories to talented writers and...

Eisner Awards 2025 - Best Continuing Series Nominees

The Department of Truth by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds (Image) - By Petar I was a bit hesitant to get into The Department of Truth. While I...

Eisner Awards 2025 - The Best New Series Nominees

Hey dear readers, Petar and I are teaming up once again for a new series of articles, this time diving into the Eisner Award nominees across the main...

Shin’ichi Sakamoto: Where History Bleeds Into Ink

Whenever I pick up a new manga or comic, one thing that always catches my attention is historically inspired stories. Whether I’m following a Viking, a knight, or...

From Panels to the Big Screen: Your Guide to the New Age of Superman

So… who’s excited for Superman hitting the theaters in just a few days? I know I certainly am! It’s not just that James Gunn – the man who...

The Worlds Tom Taylor Built

To be honest with you guys, I was never the biggest fan of DC cosmology. Not because I think it’s boring or silly (which I don’t), but because...

These are the Must-Read Manga for the Anime Summer Season 2025!

There are many reasons to look forward to summer… Some people get excited about their well-deserved holidays, while others simply enjoy the warmer and sunnier weather at home....

Gail Simone Will F*ck You Over, Fix You, Then Do It Again

If you ever read someone saying something silly about Wolverine online and thought “Oh I need to respond to this", chances are you got Gail’ed. Between trapping incels...

The X-Men Revolution: How the 2000s Changed Marvel’s Mutants Forever

The year is 2000. There were a couple of super hero movies in the past few years that you remember fondly (and maybe not so fondly). Blade with...

Forging the Soul of Iron Man: How Marvel Made Its Most Human Hero

As soon as that surprise explosion hit, the comic book industry changed forever. In 2008, Marvel Studios, lacking their most lucrative properties, hitched all their wagons to a...

Boys’ Love Is One of the Bestselling Manga Genres – But What Is the Hype All About?

One of the most common questions I get asked when people around me want to learn more about Manga is: What is the most popular genre? While the...

Al Ewing: Marvel’s Visionary Writer for Cosmic Epics and High-Concept Comics

When I'm looking for high concepts and cosmic-scale machinations, I always turn to Al Ewing.  

Too Much Harley? Never. Here’s What to Read Next

When characters like Harley kick their way out of the bubble like she did, we should be offering a Harley story for every senior or up-and-coming author around.

Why Boys Run The Riot Is a Masterclass in Authentic Trans Representation

What makes Boys Run The Riot truly special is that it not only gives us the perspective of a trans character – it’s also created by a trans mangaka.

Mutants, Misfits, and Marvels: Why We Still Need the X-Men

When you feel like the weirdo no one wants to play with, you’ll find your pack of weirdos in the X-Men.

From Mad Love to Multiverse Mayhem: A Harley Quinn Guide by a Reformed Hater

Once every full moon, a character comes along and becomes a phenomenon.

Looking for Great Girls’ Love Manga? Try Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games

It’s not just funny – it’s a clever take on stereotypes and self-discovery.

Jim Lee: Legendary Comic Artist Behind X-Men, Batman, and DC’s Biggest Hits

"Comics. Trauma. Art. That was the be-all, end-all of my childhood".

Meet Jon Kent: Superman’s Son and Best Friend of Damian Wayne

You would be surprised with the amount of people out there who have no idea Superman has a son – let alone a bisexual son.

Must-Read Modern Spider-Man Comic Runs

What happens to superheroes after their origin? Where do they go once they've moved beyond high school heartbreaks, early successes and failures, and the battles with heroes and...

Why Representation Matters – 3 Surprising Mangas for Pride Month

At the time of this article’s release, it will be the first week of Pride Month 2025 – so happy Pride Month!

How Takehiko Inoue Captures the Human Spirit in Vagabond, Slam Dunk, and Real

What makes Comics and Manga truly special? Everyone may answer this differently. For me, the special thing about this type of storytelling is the fusion of painting and writing...

Daniel Clowes: From Eightball to Monica – Genius or Overhyped Weirdo?

I don't think this would get the most traction, but if we were to rank “Names that appear in favorite comics lists,” it would be a very competitive...

Your Guide to Classic Spider-Man: Comics, Characters, and History

Alright, we’re doing this one last time, I swear! Nerd. Spider bite. Big mistake. Power and responsibility. Spider-Man. Y’all know the story! Let’s talk Peter Parker!

How Vinland Saga Can Change Your Life – It Did Change Mine

A few days ago, I watched the amazing movie Thunderbolts* by Marvel Studios. It deals heavily with themes of mental health and past trauma...

The Quiet Power of Tillie Walden

Written by Matheus Filmmaker by day, Wishlistmaker by night. Kamala Khan’s unofficial PR team since 2014. Between surreal landscapes of stunning fantasy worlds and a glimpse into the...

Superheroes, TV Shows, Graphic Novels - Jeff Lemire Has Done It All

“You know, there are only two ways to be completely alone in this world: lost in a crowd, or in total isolation.” – Jeff Lemire, Essex County, Vol....

How Witch Hat Atelier Can Bring Back the Magic of Your Childhood

When was the last time you truly felt the wonders and magic of childhood? For some, it may have been just a few years ago – for others,...

Captain America – A Symbol of American Idiocracy, Propaganda, and Overblown Capitalism?

Alright, Captain America. Once, one of my professors at uni went on about good ol' Steve Rogers as being the pure symbol of American idiocracy and overblown capitalism....

The Energon Universe Transforms Nostalgia Into Something New

Picture this – it’s 2021, and you’ve learned that IDW, the publisher of probably the best Transformers comic (More than Meets the Eye and its sequel Lost Light),...

The Many Shades of The Green Lantern(s)

When I saw Green Lantern in the list of topics for the blog, I jumped as fast as I could to say, “Me! Pick me!” This is my...

How Solo Leveling Brought Manhwa to The West!

It doesn’t happen often that my friends who enjoy Manga and Anime agree on something.Some are fans of the classics, while others are more into new-gen Anime.Some enjoy...

Daniel Warren Johnson: Heart, Humanity and Heavy Metal

I should be careful about this one – ’cause I’m pretty positive Walt adores Daniel Warren Johnson. And how could you not? The man’s style is so recognizable...

Tom King Isn’t Afraid to Tell Hard Emotional Truths (One of His Comics Needed CIA Approval)

There is often this stereotype that comics are childish, immature stories in which strong men, women, and people outside this binary punch each other until they cannot punch...

Here's The Thing: The "Rock Guy" From Fantastic Four Has A Name – And A Heart

Well (you know I’m gonna do it)... uhnn (yeah, it’s coming), it’s Clobberin’ Time here at Walt’s for our last Fantastic Four deep dive. And we didn’t leave...