History of Violence articles

History of Violence: The Brief History of Erika Storn

History of Violence: The Brief History of Erika Storn

In 2021 I wrote an article that briefly talked about DC Comics’ first Pride-themed comic anthology. I listed over a dozen of DC’s earliest queer characters who received no mention or reference in DC Pride, such as Coagula, Wanda, Masquerade, and Shvaughn Erin. I regret there was at least one other character whom even I

The Legion’s Lightning Rod: The Growth and Evolution of Lightning Lad

The Legion of Super-Heroes are one of the oldest teams in the history of DC Comics. What began as three time travelling teens who made an appearance in Adventure Comics #247 evolved into a group with such history and depth, by the 1980s they received their own Who’s Who series just to keep track of

Sigrid Nansen: Icemaiden to Glacier

When the DC Pride anthology was released last summer, I must admit I found it rather underwhelming and somewhat performative. As an autochorissexual, the overall lack of asexual representation beyond Tremor’s silent role in the JLQ story left me feeling annoyed. Beyond that, I had frustrations over the lack of presence many of DC’s earliest

Once and Future State: Revisiting DC’s LEGENDS OF THE DEAD EARTH

With characters from DC Future State comprising a not-insignificant amount of DC Comics’ publishing slate — from Superman: Son of Kal-El and Superman and the Authority to I Am Batman, Wonder Girl, and Aquaman: The Becoming — I thought it’d be interesting to look back on one of the other times DC had their books jump

Father’s Day Special: Devin Grayson on ARSENAL and Lian Harper

In reviewing the line-up for DC’s Green Arrow 80th Anniversary Special, many fans were in fact overjoyed when they learned Devin Grayson was included in the line-up of creators. Their excitement doubled when Grayson announced on her twitter account that she would be writing a story about Roy Harper, and in her words: he would

The Other History of Rape in the DC Universe: The DEATHSTROKE Problem

Let’s not beat around the bush. Sexual abuse and rape are topics which are difficult to talk about in any format, but it’s especially hard when it comes to discussing it through superheroes. DC and Marvel Comics have both proven they tend to lack certain… nuances in the ways they portray rape and sex abuse.

History of Violence: WONDER WOMAN, The Blue Snowman, and “Gender Issues”

One aspect of Wonder Woman’s mythology that’s always drawn my attention was her plethora of bizarre, colorful villains during the Golden Age. While she fought against more commonly known enemies such as Giganta and the original Cheetah, Wonder Woman also tangled against the likes of Baroness Paula von Gunther, Doctor Psycho, the Duke of Deception,

Doom and Bloom: Rachel Pollack and the Evolution of the DOOM PATROL

If you’ve been paying attention to the Doom Patrol in the past two decades, you might notice a key oversight. That is, how transgender author Rachel Pollack’s time as their writer has been largely ignored by DC’s marketing and editorial teams. Even John Arcudi’s run and John Byrne’s critically lambasted run (which even received its

From Earth Angel to the Grave: Burying Peter David’s SUPERGIRL

During this period of upheaval and death due to the COVID-19 pandemic, who among us doesn’t fear for the future? Alongside trying not to get sick, I’m worried about keeping my comic shop open, the health of my parents, and the life of my grandfather (who just suffered a major stroke and has the virus).

REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA and its Debt to Shinji Wada

Do you know? Do you know? Have you heard this story before? A pink haired young girl seeks to protect her friend, a bullied young woman with a bindi mark on her forehead. What the pink haired girl doesn’t realize is there’s more to her friend then she’s able to recognize and the girl with

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