Kieran Shiach

We live in politically charged times, and it seems that more people are finding their voice and speaking out about the very many negative aspects of modern politics and politicians. If you have someone in your life that seeks to shake up the system and speak truth to power, we've assembled a holiday gift guide packed with comics perfect for the dissident in you life.

The Infinity Stones are the most important artifacts in Marvel’s Studios’ shared cinematic universe, and with the franchise building towards Avengers: Infinity War and a confrontation with Thanos, the hunt for the stones is more important than ever. While the movies have remained coy the full extent of the stones' powers, both together and separately, we can learn a lot about their abilities --- and Thanos’ intentions --- from the last forty years of comics.

Ahead of the launch of Boom Studios' officially licensed WWE comic, the publisher has released a jam-packed one-shot titled WWE: Then Now Forever, which features a story about the final days of The Shield by Dennis Hopeless and Dan Mora, and a ton of bonus content featuring the likes of The New Day, Sasha Banks and... Tugboat?! It's a very strange comic, but for fans of wrestling it shows a love of the sport that makes it a fun, authentic read.

A hero is defined by their villains, and the world of superhero comic books is filled with some of the scariest and silliest bad guys around. Rogues’ Gallery aims to settle the score and determine who is the true arch-nemesis for some of favorite superheroes, and we need your help to do it! Daredevil has one of the deepest rosters of diverse and deadly villains in all of superhero comic books, and his villains are known for making it much more personal than your average hero/villain relationship. However, which villain is Matt Murdock's number one nemesis?

There's something about being a comics fan that brings out the completion and the collector in us, and sometimes that manifests in tracking down old issues of a series you love, and sometimes it means that you can't help buying a comic you're not enjoying because it has your favorite character in it. Comic fans like to collect things, and this San Diego Comic Con, Comixology is appealing to that trait by releasing a wave of SDCC-exclusive trading cards celebrating some of the hottest creators of the modern era.

A hero is defined by their villains, and the world of superhero comic books is filled with some of the scariest and silliest bad guys around. Rogues’ Gallery aims to settle the score and determine who is the true arch-nemesis for some of favorite superheroes, and we need your help to do it! The Flash's villains aren't as scary as Batman's or as personal as Spider-Man's, but they are a collection of some of the strangest villains associated with any character in comics. Yet the question remains, which Flash villain can be considered his arch-nemesis?

George Pérez, born June 9, 1954, is one of superhero comics’ most enduring and iconic artists, with a bold, energetic style that helped define both the Marvel and DC visual universes, and an influence on the genre that has stood the test of time. Pérez first made his name at Marvel Comics in the mid-'70s, quickly graduating to high-profile titles such as Fantastic Four and The Avengers. His work on the Avengers story "The Korvac Saga" established one of his hallmarks; he was one of the best artists around if you needed a crowd shot packed with as many superheroes as the page would allow!

The movie rights for Namor The Sub-Mariner have been up in the air for years now, with confusion over whether he currently resides at Universal, Marvel Studios, or elsewhere. This confusion was seemingly put to an end this week as Joe Quesada asserted that Namor is back home at Marvel Studios --- but just how did the rights for one of Marvel’s oldest characters become so entangled?

Today saw the release of DC Universe Rebirth #1, DC Comics' big attempt to right some perceived wrongs the company may have taken over the past five years, and set the stage for a new DC Universe and a new slate of comics due out next month. Towards the back of the issue there is a two-page spread by Ivan Reis featuring the heroes of this new universe totaling over sixty characters, and we've combed through the entire spread and put a name to every face.

Steve Rogers is certainly the man of the hour at Marvel right now; star of one of the biggest superhero films yet, and he's just returned to his old role as Captain America working alongside Sam Wilson who also shares the title. This week saw the release of the new ongoing series Captain America: Steve Rogers by Nick Spencer and Jesus Saiz, which spins out of the events of the recent Avengers Standoff crossover. However, the issue contained a huge revelation about Steve Rogers' upbringing that may change how we look at the Sentinel of Liberty forever! Spoilers for the issue follow. If you want to read the book unspoiled, don't read this article; but if you need to know what everyone is going to be talking about this week, carry on.

The X-Men has been one of the most popular superhero franchises in comics for more than a generation, and the big screen adaptations helped kick off the current wave of superhero films, including X-Men: Apocalypse, which arrives in North American theaters this weekend. The world of the X-Men is packed with relatable themes, from the simple school setting to more complex ideas about alienation and persecution. If you love the X-Men and what they stand for, here are five of the best independent comics that reflect the themes and message of Charles Xavier’s gifted students.

Hamilton, the musical about the rise and fall of founding father Alexander Hamilton, is a non-stop pop culture phenomenon. If you're in New York and find it's quiet uptown, it's because everyone wants to be in the room where it happens by scoring a ticket to the hottest show on Broadway. Since the show's debut, its composer and star Lin-Manuel Miranda has become a household name and a staple of late night talk shows, and has even performed songs from the show for President Barack Obama at the White House. Last year Miranda composed a piece for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, to be used in the cantina scene, and today he performed it live for fans waiting to see Hamilton, alongside his right hand man, Star Wars director JJ Abrams.