When Words Collide

By Timothy Callahan, Columnist/Reviewer

Published every Monday, Timothy Callahan examines the world of comics and graphic novel with indepth analysis in his new weekly column WHEN WORDS COLLIDE.

Mon, July 29th, 2013

Tim returns to AFTER THEY WERE FAMOUS with a look at a Green Lantern story in which the hard-travelling heroes face their greatest challenge: terrible comics.

Amidst the Comic-Con International madness, Tim discovers Harlan Ellison and Paul Chadwick's recently-released original graphic novel "7 Against Chaos," and decides that it is a rather pleasant surprise.

Mon, July 15th, 2013

Tim actually read some new-ish comics this week, including work by Matt Fraction, Howard Chaykin, Michael DeForge, Si Spurrier and Joe Casey, and he weighs in with a handful of reviews.

Mon, July 8th, 2013

This week, Tim screens "Cartoon College" and "The Story of Rock ‘n' Roll Comics," two relatively-recent-to-DVD documentaries, examining the perils of a comics education and the threat of the New Kids on the Block.

Mon, July 1st, 2013

Tim takes his annual look back at the Top 10 Best Comics of the Year So Far, featuring work by Mark Millar, Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Matt Fraction, Michael DeForge and more!

Mon, June 24th, 2013

This week, Tim presents a special installment of his popular AFTER THEY WERE FAMOUS pieces with a look at the post-Steve Ditko "Amazing Spider-Man" featuring John Romiata and the return of Stan Lee.

Mon, June 17th, 2013

Tim reflects on the extradimensional invasion that never was as he contrasts the quiet-but-spectacular successes of Free RPG Day with the weird misalignment that happens with the better-known Free Comic Book Day.

Mon, June 10th, 2013

In this, the week of Superman-mania, Tim casts his view sideways in order to identify the Top 10 Not-Quite-Supermen in the history of comics.

Mon, June 3rd, 2013

Tim cracks open the Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez Superman hardcover collection and explores some of the early work by one of the most iconic artists ever to work at DC Comics.

Mon, May 20th, 2013

Last week, Tim caught up with some comic book reading. Today, he discusses what he discovered, including some classic Batman stories, "Uncanny Avengers," "FF," "Happy" and more.

Mon, May 13th, 2013

Tim talks with Greg Smallwood, artist of Dark Horse's upcoming "Dream Thief" series, about comics, process, crime films of the 1970's and the influence of Eclipse, circa the mid 1980s.

Mon, May 6th, 2013

Tim takes a look at Michael DeForge's "Very Casual" collection from Koyama Press and finds a disturbed Peter Parker, troubled relationships, peculiar organisms and plenty to love.

Mon, April 29th, 2013

Tim reflects on Brian Michael Bendis and Bryan Hitch's "Age of Ultron" and its time travel conceit, pitting the series's intricacies and plot against the empty history of DC Comics' New 52.

Mon, April 22nd, 2013

In this week's installment of WHEN WORDS COLLIDE, Timothy Callahan looks at Mike Mignola, Roger Stern and P. Craig Russell's "Superman" #23, the issue following the end of John Byrne's run on the Man of Steel.

Mon, April 15th, 2013

Tim returns from the new-and-improved MoCCA Festival 2013 with a stack of comics worth talking about, including new releases from Dash Shaw, Matt Seneca and Blutch.

Mon, April 8th, 2013

Tim conducts a multifaceted conversation with writers Adam P. Knave and Sean E. Williams about Mark Twain, "Fables," and the dangerous edges of "Artful Daggers."

Mon, April 1st, 2013

This week, Tim answers questions about Jonathan Hickman's "Avengers," Grant Morrison's "Action Comics," the most overlooked series of the past decade and more!

Mon, March 25th, 2013

Tim returns from Minnesota with tales of role-playing and camaraderie, stories of Mythic Fiction and the pleasures of good company. This is no mere convention report. This is Fabletown and Beyond.

Mon, March 18th, 2013

Tim checks out a handful of recent releases, including Keith Giffen's return to the Legion, the tragedy of Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham's "Batman Incorporated," a fresh new voice via Monkeybrain and more!