Bring Back Dawn Greenwood

Ravings

I just finished reading Dan Slott, Michael Allred, and Laura Allred’s Silver Surfer series, and I unabashedly want Dawn Greenwood back.

Dawn Greenwood Michael Allred Laura Allred Everygirl — Any Earthgirl who can make the Silver Surfer laugh deserves a second chance.

Many readers and reviewers have compared the Slott/Allred/Allred Surfer run to Doctor Who. In keeping with that comparison, I found myself feeling the same way about Dawn’s ending as I did Amy Pond‘s in Who. It was designed to give the character the “happy” ending she deserved, while also explaining why she would never, ever, under any circumstances show up again.

In attempting to balance these competing interests, Dawn’s send-off landed squarely in bittersweet territory. Dawn’s story is absolutely complete, and the creative team gave her a fittingly momentous send-off. But Dawn also had a ton of stories left in her, and the Marvel Universe would be a better place for bringing her back.

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Our Saturday at C2E2 2019

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At the time I’m writing this, we’re only a couple weeks out from C2E2 2019 … and to be honest, I’m still catching up on things! I was gone for a week and then out apartment hunting the week after, so I haven’t had a ton of time to think about comics.

C2E2 itself was a blast, and I figured y’all might want want to see what my convention experience was like. I attended Saturday with my wife Kat and my friends Pat and Mike. You’ve heard most of their voices if you’ve listened to our comics podcast, Waiting on the Trade.

Below are some of the best pictures from our day! Not pictured is me looking all nervous for the first couple hours of the con, as I waited to go interview Peter Tomasi …

Mike and Pat gaze upon Nerdhalla, and rejoice.
Our view looking left from the upper level food court …
… and our view looking right.
Mike and Pat learned how to play Keyforge while I was off doing interviews. It seemed fun? Kat was quite enthralled, at least.
My second favorite cosplay of the day.
My favorite cosplay of the day. Being an Infinity Gauntlet must’ve made walking the aisles very difficult.
This panel is the first event I’ve live-tweeted since reporting in Door County, WI. Much more fun than a County Board meeting.
Kat shows off a couple of our favorite items, as we exit the con.
Kat loves Portillo’s, so we ate there twice during our week in the Midwest. Had such a good day with these goons.
Kat’s portion of our swag. Rob Guillory signed that copy of Farmhand and gave it to Kat for free! Thanks, Rob!
My portion of our swag. I’ve been meaning to pick up a Kyle Starks book since I chatted with him for Multiversity Comics … and that Chicago-style Avengers variant is delightful.

Hitman Batman Vomit Puke Scene Tomasi Interview

Peter J. Tomasi Talks Hitman 1’s Vomit Scene

Ravings

At last month’s C2E2, I got the chance to chat with current Detective Comics writer Peter J. Tomasi for Multiversity Comics. We mostly talked about Tomasi’s plans for Batman’s big 80th anniversary celebration, but I also managed to ask Tomasi a bonus question about his time editing one of my favorite series: Garth Ennis and John McCrea’s Hitman.

Because that question didn’t fit with the rest of the interview, I’m posting it as bonus content here! Read on to learn Ennis and McCrea’s original plans for what is most certainly one of Hitman‘s most memorable scenes, as well as Tomasi’s thoughts on what other ’90s DC series deserves a complete collection.

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Saturday Morning Comics Featured Image Matt Reads Comics

A Saturday’s Worth of Comics

Ravings

Recently, I got to spend a particularly lazy Saturday catching up on comics I’ve either missed or been meaning to re-read. Rather than talk about one of those books in particular, I figured it might be nice to cover them all quickly in one post – and also share a look at my weekend!

Our first stop is The Revue Coffee Bar in Fresno, CA’s Tower District. As my wife, Kat, planned out her forthcoming Etsy store, I cracked open Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness’s Avengers.

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words for pictures featured image - matt reads comics

How Comics Help Me Write Marketing Copy

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About half a year ago, I started a new job as a Content Strategist and Copywriter at a marketing firm – and I am LOVING it. Marketing writing trips my trigger for numerous reasons, but one of the biggest is that it utilizes what I’ve come to call my Comics Brain.

My Comics Brain is the part of me that thinks and writes in the language of comics – in the language of page layouts, speech bubbles, captions, and art direction. It’s the part of me that’s read so many essays, books, and tutorials about “How to Make Comics,” but hasn’t always had a way to apply those lessons.

The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics - Matt Reads Comics — I think I’ve read this book … five times? Maybe six?

Well, now I do. Marketing copy doesn’t live by itself; it’s mashed up with web and email layouts, Facebook ads, videos, and a whole host of other media. As such, I’ve been thinking with my Comics Brain a lot lately, because it helps me better collaborate with the rest of my team.

Below, I’ll make the case for how thinking like a comics writer helps me write better marketing copy. And if you read to the end, I’ll set you up with a couple books and other resources you can use to begin building your own Comics Brain.

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