Category Shelby Peterson

Shelby Peterson, Editor, Designer
shelby@retcon-punch.com

Location: Chicago

History With Comics: While the X-Men will always hold a special place in her heart, Shelby’s first love was Batman. Between Michael Keaton and Kevin Conroy, she fell hard. Like many, her first graphic novel was The Watchmen in college, followed by a handful of the Batman must-reads. Fast forward to last year: Shelby discovered the awesomeness of the DC universe through Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern Rebirth and Blackest Night. She once again fell in love with a comic book character, but this time it was Neil Gaiman’s Morpheus from his Sandman series, and now all her thoughts are translated into 8 or 9 panels per page with the occasional 2-page spread.

New 52 Favorites: Batgirl, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Batman

Other Favorite Comics:

May 9 2014

Rat Queens 6

rat queens 6

Today, Spencer and Shelby are discussing Rat Queens 6, originally released May 7th, 2014.

Spencer: If you asked me to describe the members of Rat Queens, I’d probably start by calling them “young punk rock Golden Girls as D&D characters,” and while there’s certainly an element of humor to that, I think there’s also more than a little truth. How many of you have actually watched Golden Girls? The four leads were the best of friends, close as family, but they didn’t meet until they were all in their 50s or 60s, meaning that they were constantly hearing stories or meeting people from each other’s pasts that they had never heard of before. I was reminded of this while reading Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch’s Rat Queens 6; it’s obvious how close our adventurers are and how much they care about each other, but it’s just as clear that they know absolutely nothing about each other’s pasts. Continue reading →

May 8 2014

Detective Comics 31

detective comics 31Today, Shelby and Scott are discussing Detective Comics 31, originally released May 7th, 2014.

Shelby: I love magic tricks. Granted, I understand it’s not actually magic; I am an adult, after all. Even knowing it’s all just slight of hand, I still fall for it every time. Personally, I think the most effective illusions are the most simple; some quick misdirection, maybe some witty repartee, and suddenly there are three foam balls in my hand when I could have swore I started out with one. That’s one of the reasons I like Batman as much as I do; he’s got the fancy gadgets and whatnot, but at its core his act is one of illusion and misdirection. We look for what he leads us to believe is there, and gives us something completely different while our backs are turned. Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul have adopted a similar approach with Detective Comics, and it’s just as effective as any close-up magic I’ve seen.

Continue reading →

May 5 2014

Batgirl Annual 2

 

batgirl annual 2Today, Shelby and Drew are discussing Batgirl Annual 2, originally released April 30th, 2014. 

slim-bannerShelby: A couple years ago I saw Melancholia in the theater, I believe with the esteemed Retcon Puncher Taylor. Spoiler alert: it’s probably the most depressing move I’ve ever seen. Beautiful, but calling it a downer would be an understatement. In it, Kirsten Dunst plays an extremely depressed woman; at one point, she is physically incapable of getting out of bed, relying completely on her sister’s aid. For me, it raised the question of how much leeway should we give people suffering from mental illnesses such as depression. While I was watching the movie, I was distracted by how seemingly mean the rest of the characters were to this severely ill woman, but you have to step back and think about the impact her illness has had on their lives. At what point do those closest to someone with this sort of disease finally snap from dealing with it, and can we really blame them for doing so? And finally, what happens when that mental illness manifests itself as super-powered criminal activity? (Okay, that last question is more about the Batgirl annual than Melancholia, but you get the idea.)

Continue reading →

May 2 2014

Batman Eternal 4

Batman eternal 4Today, Shelby leads a discussion on Batman Eternal 4, originally released April 30th, 2014.

Shelby: Last week, Spencer referenced the breakneck speed at which the Batman Eternal crew was giving us our story. While I do think this story is progressing along at a pretty good clip, I think it has more to do with us adjusting to a weekly story instead of a monthly one. Each issues gives us as much story as we’re used to, but now we’re getting 4 times the dosage every month. The weekly release schedule makes the story so much more effective — like Bruce, we are astounded and somewhat alarmed at how quickly events unfold.

Continue reading →

Apr 30 2014

Lazarus 8

lazarus 8Today, Shelby and Spencer are discussing Lazarus 8, originally released April 23rd, 2014.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Traditional

The nail which sticks out gets hammered down.

Japanese Proverb

Shelby: Two opposing ideas: one, that speaking up about problems is the only way to call attention to them and get them fixed, the other, that maybe standing out from the crowd and speaking out is more dangerous than it’s worth. I am firmly in the former camp; I believe dissent is the first, important step to affect change. After all, if no one knows there’s a problem, how’s it going to get solved? But maybe I only feel that way because I’ve had the luxury of never being in a situation where that would be the more dangerous approach.

Continue reading →

Apr 30 2014

Daredevil 2

daredevil 2Today, Patrick and Shelby are discussing Daredevil 2, originally released April 23rd, 2014. 

Patrick: If every issue is someone’s first issue, then every series must be someone’s first series. That’s precisely why Daredevil has kicked back to number one in the first place — to act as an easy access point for new readers. Mark Waid and Chris Samnee seem to be both embracing the possible newness of their readers while playing against the expectations of old readers with the character of Max Coleridge, The Shroud. Part Batman-homage, part Dardevil-mirror-match, part call-back to the scariest villain of the previous series, The Shroud is an interesting indicator of what we can expect from Matt Murdock’s adventures in San Francisco. Continue reading →

Apr 29 2014

Guardians of the Galaxy 14

guardians of the galaxy 14

Today, Drew and Shelby are discussing Guardians of the Galaxy 14, originally released April 23rd, 2014.

Drew: Anniversaries tend to be opportunities to look back. In comics, they seem to be opportunities to deconstruct. Detective Comics and Daredevil both had big anniversary issues this year, and both seized on the opportunity to ask what really defines these characters. The answers those issues posited were buoyed by the strength of their characters, but what about a team series — especially a team with a relatively smaller history? Guardians of the Galaxy 14 sets out to answer this question in the most unexpected ways, separating the characters (or even eliminating them altogether) to examine what makes the Guardians work as an abstract concept.

Continue reading →

Apr 27 2014

C2E2 2014 – Confessions of a Cosplayer

comic con punch2

One of the more ubiquitous things about cons is cosplay. It’s like Halloween, only not scary (and usually, less slutty). People take pride in their costumes, and can easily make a day of simply existing in those costumes around the show floor. Retcon Punch’s own Shelby Peterson dressed up for the second day of the show, and as such, had an adventure totally separate from Patrick and Drew. This is us asking her about it.

Retcon Punch: First of all, Shelby, who were you?

Shelby: Xena. The Warrior Princess.

Shelby and Seline as Xena and Gabrielle

Continue reading →

Apr 25 2014

Justice League United 0

justice league united 0

Today, Shelby and Spencer are discussing Justice League United 0, originally released April 23rd, 2014. 

Shelby: We’ve seen a few different ways to handle zero issues. Not, “I have no issues, and I don’t know how to handle it,” or “I have issues with the mathematical concept of null value,” but with comic book issues numbered 0. I’m a big fan of Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti’s execution of the zero with Harley Quinn 0, which established the character and setting, but more importantly established the tone of the title. Heck, if you really want to explore the gamut of what a zero issue can do, check out our insanely full coverage of DC’s Zero Month two and a half years ago. A zero issue can be whatever the creative team wants to make of it, and Jeff Lemire and artist Mike McKone seem so eager to start this story they just want to dive right in.

Continue reading →

Apr 22 2014

Sinestro 1

sinestro 1Today, Patrick and Shelby are discussing Sinestro 1, originally released April 16th, 2014.

Patrick: Thaal Sinestro is a complicated character, driven by exactly as many conflicting emotions and values as the Great Hal Jordan. While the yellow ring-slingers bear his name, he was always underserved by that characterization. Sinestro is no monster, but the Sinestro Corps is nothing but. He’s a Green Lantern. He’s a patriot. He’s a hero. Cullen Bunn and Dale Eaglesham take the first issue of their new series to explore the gulf between what Sinestro is and what Sinestro is supposed to be. Continue reading →