Culture

The Guardian has a series of comics up called A cartoonists worldview and it's a fantastic series of thoughtful comics by an all-star line-up. It's also a reminder that social commentary has always been one of the most powerful and direct uses of the comics medium. We're lucky to have so many insightful practitioners using that medium today.

12 dead, 50 injured when James Holmes opens fire in a crowded Aurora, Colorado, movie theater screening "The Dark Knight Rises" at Midnight.

Anyone who has been to the San Diego Comic Con can tell you that a large number of the attendees require a little extra help moving around, as there is a small but significant portion of disabled con-goers.  And as demonstrated by the recent Comic Con Talk-Back panel, working to ensure that disabled patrons can enjoy their Con experience as the able-bodied can be a big challenge for organizers, even with the best intentions.

By Jeff Trexler

-- Other comic news sites are reporting a bombshell development in DC's legal fight to hold onto the Superman copyright: on Monday, the company filed a court document asserting that the Shuster estate had actually sold its share of the Superman copyright back to DC in 1992 and affirmed this sale in subsequent correspondence.

The Comic Con International: San Diego holds a Talkback Panel every year to try and figure out what went right and what went wrong. The format of the Talkback Panel does not lend itself to formation of easy narrative. One representative from CCI sits behind a desk and answers questions from the line of convention attendees, taking down notes and suggestions, and responding when necessary. This year, the task fell to John Rogers, President of Comic Con International’s Board of Directors, to moderate the panel.

We're not going to stay on San Diego too long, but if the surge of traffic that just swamped the site is any indication — people just got home and want to see what they missed. Darlene Horn has a fantastic write-up onthe food at the show, from Anthony Bourdain to the kids who recreated the Avengers at the Shawarma shop.

Although eclipsed by the showbiz extravaganza's in the popular mind, the Masquerade may just be the most spectacular live event at Comic-COn with amazing costumes that people slave over all year. The winners of Saturday's main event are now up, and here's the grand prize winners, Project Runway All Star Wars

Bryan Talbot, author of one of the most diverse bodies of work in the contemporary comics canon (Luther Arkwright, Tale of One Bad Rat, Alice in Sunderland) is getting an honorary Doctorate of Letters for his body of work by Northumbria University at their annual degree ceremony in Newcastle. It's being presented in a ceremony tomorrow. He's already an honorary Doctor of Arts, having received it four years ago from Sunderland University. Bryan tells us this makes him the first British comic creator to be awarded a doctorate twice.

Check out Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward signing comics for the kiddies at San Diego Comic Con

I suspect part of the rhetoric is an attempt to differentiate Marvel Now from the New 52, but in a video interview with Newsarama, Marvel EIC Axel Alonso sure does make it sounds like the only changes happening are fallout from AVX.

OK, so it's supposed to be the Iron Man 3 panel. And it is, but they started out by confirming a few thing for the second phase of the MCU. MCU? Marvel Cinematic Universe. What is there to be confirmed? Here's a handy list:

We always knew Shaq liked comics and it predated his turn as Steel on the big screen. Looks like he's going to publish them. Come to find out, Shaq has two comics lined up for the "Shaq Comic Book Company." This venture is a partnership between Shaq Entertainment and New Kingdom Entertainment. New Kingdom operates The Fanboy's Guide website.