Goodbye Comic Vault, Hello Comic Philosopher

This is an announcement that The Comic Vault website is no longer active. I’ve enjoyed publishing content through the years and thank you to everyone who’s continued to check out the website.

It’s time for the next stage and you can find me over at my new Substack Comic Philosopher.

What Is Comic Philosopher?

Comic Philosopher, a newsletter dedicated to exploring the intersection of mental health, leadership and superheroes.

Pop culture is a treasure trove of wisdom for applying to daily life and strengthening our mental health routines, pushing us to be the best version of ourselves.

We see that in classic comic characters, TV shows, movies that tug on our heartstrings and worlds that teach us timeless lessons about the human condition.

What can you expect?

In the free version of the newsletter you get:

• Weekly insights into the minds of history’s greatest comic characters

For $6 a month or $40 for an annual membership, you get:

• Mental health deep dives on applying leadership lessons
• Superhero philosophy essays
• Graphic novel reviews and breaking news stories
• Curated audio and video content

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Guest Post: John Bryne’s Man Of Steel: The Ultimate Superman

By James Quinn

 Despite what the movies would have you believe, Superman has a lot of great stories in the comics that have not been adapted into film such as Superman: For All Seasons, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, Superman: Red Son, and even All-Star Superman. 

However, as well-regarded as those stories are, many of the good Superman stories are stand-alone graphic novels and one-shots. Many of the best superhero characters have good runs: Frank Miller on Daredevil, Dennis O’Neil on the Question, Mike Grell on Green Arrow, Brian Azzorellow on Wonder Woman and many others. Most of the comic book discourse isn’t on the great Superman runs but merely the most famous story-arcs and changes to the lore. 

For this post, I would like to shine some light on what I would consider one of my favourite runs not only on the big blue boy scout, but for comics overall: John Bryne on Superman. 

Changing With The Seasons: Poison Ivy And The Experience Of Seasonal Affective Disorder

Batman’s rogue gallery has long been revered for featuring some of the most complex, nuanced villains in the history of pop culture. Characters like Two-Face and The Riddler have displayed mental health conditions that skew their perspectives of the world and another character who belongs in that category is Poison Ivy. 

Poison Ivy is traditionally portrayed as a seductress who uses her powers to make others do her bidding. But to only see this side of her does a disservice to the character. Ivy is motivated to protect nature against humanity, a crusade that’s exacerbated by her suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Why You Should Trust Collectibles Investment Group to Appraise Your Comic Book Collection

If you’re looking to sell your comic book collection, you might not know where to start. You may have no idea how much to expect your collection to sell for, and doing the research yourself takes seemingly endless time and energy. Since there are so many intricacies, you’re actually likely to end up with the wrong information.

It makes much more sense to turn to a reputable appraiser that can look through your collection and give you a fair and accurate value. That’s why the team at Collectibles Investment Group has dedicated themselves to helping collectors of all kinds determine a fair price for their valuable items.

Why Vandal Savage Is One Of The Greatest Villains In Pop Culture

The DC Universe features some of the most prolific and recognised supervillains in pop culture. From the insanity of The Joker, to the cold intellect of Deathstroke, DC have a knack for creating compelling villains with a dark magnetism. Another supervillain that has tested the might of DC’s greatest heroes is Vandal Savage.

An immortal who has plagued humanity since its earliest days, Vandal Savage is a man with a singular purpose of crushing anyone who gets in his way.

Guest Post: Revenge Of The Blerds

My Name is Rob and I’m black. I’m a nerd. I’m a blerd. Now that I’ve declared my tribe let me explain. I’ve always had an interested in pop culture paraphernalia over sports. I’ve been more easily attached to watching cartoons and reading comics over throwing a football or dunking a basketball. And, for the longest time, I’ve been hit with this idea that “black kids don’t do that” – the crux of the Unofficially Black Podcast.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve suppressed my joy in geeky, nerd things to be cool. Being the cool guy mattered more to me that just enjoying what I liked. So those earlier declarations we’re a source of pride or even acknowledgment – it was a thing about me. Not until becoming an adult and recovering from corporate conditioning acting in a persona did I realise that I should just be myself and I’d have deeper, more fulfilling relationships. We all crave acceptance and be a part of something. To find our tribe.

Why Is Namor More Interesting Than Aquaman?

There are many comics characters that share similarities with each other, but few have more in common than Namor The Sub-Mariner and Aquaman. With similar powers and backstories, both have received their fair share of attention over the years, yet Aquaman is better known, thanks to TV and movie adaptations. Despite Aquaman’s mainstream appeal, I find Namor to be a more relatable character. Read on to find out what makes The Sub-Mariner so compelling.

Why The Batman Who Laughs Is Scarier Than The Joker

The Joker is considered to be one of the most horrifying villains in pop culture. The amount of pain and misery he’s caused Batman over the years is indescribable. Despite Joker being a terrifying villain, I would argue there’s one character who is even scarier: The Batman Who Laughs. A twisted combination of Bruce Wayne and Joker, The Batman Who Laughs is Batman’s greatest nightmare come to life. The Comic Vault is looking into the history of the character to see what makes him an even bigger threat than Joker.

The Brutality Of Black Manta And The Nature Of Human Consumption

If you asked me to name the lamest superhero, I’d say it was Aquaman. The character has a history of not being taken seriously. With the casting of Jason Momoa and the release of Aquaman, DC have hoped to repair damage that has built up over decades. Having seen the film, I can say it was entertaining. But the character who stood out to me was Black Manta. Considered to be Aquaman’s archenemy, Black Manta has one of the most unique appearances of any supervillain. Far from being lame, Black Manta is a villain worth knowing about.

An Examination Of Deathstroke’s Personal Arsenal

When it comes to fighting, street level comic characters rely on gadgets to give them an edge in combat. A character like Deathstroke has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. As the world’s greatest assassin, Slade Wilson has earned a reputation for getting the job done at any cost. Over the years, Deathstroke has utilised a range of weapons to help him deal with a target. So, what kind of gadgets does the Terminator use to cut a bloody swathe through the DC Universe and take out his enemies?