In this episode, Phillip and Eric are talking about the reboot of Marvel's Ultimate line with Ultimate Invasion by Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch. They break down its differences verus Mark Millar's Ultimates twenty years ago, Hickman applying his radical worldbuilding and high-concept sci-fi to the Marvel line, and Phillip and Eric react to the Magic: the Gathering cards of Marvel characters!

In this episode, Phillip and Eric conclude their retrospective on the DC Comics/Wildstorm political superhero series, Ex Machina, by Brian K. Vaughn and Tony Harris. They discuss its twist ending, the culmination of the series' sci-fi and superhero elements fusing with 2000s-era politics, and Eric asks Phillip to join him in launching his campaign to replace Eric Adams as mayor of New York.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric discuss the penultimate part of the DC Comics/Wildstorm political superhero series, Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughn and Tony Harris. They talk about the series's most out-there foray into genre space, Mayor Mitchell Hundred's descent into greater political ambitions, and Eric asks Phillip about New Yorker stereotypes.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric continue their retrospective on the DC Comics/Wildstorm political superhero series, Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughn and Tony Harris. They share their feelings on this being the weakest part of the series, the outdatedness of the political issues it tackles in this portion, and Phillip educates Eric on Mayor Eric Adams and NYC's checkered mayoral history.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric continue their retrospective on the Wildstorm/DC political superhero comic series, Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughn and Tony Harris. They break down Harris's exquisite art style, discuss the comic's approach to terrorism and supervillains, and Phillip educates Eric about New York subways and ferries.

Just in time for election season, Phillip and Eric kick off the first part of their retrospective on the DC/Wildstorm political superhero series, Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughn and Tony Harris. They talk about the comic as a time capsule of post-9/11 New York, its approach of a former superhero becoming mayor of New York and putting out political fires, and The Omnibus gives its official endorsement for 2024 US presidential race!

In this episode, Phillip and Eric return to the shonen action manga Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto. Now that Eric is finally caught up, they discuss their reactions to Denji's character development, the differences between Part 1 and Part 2, and Eric tells Phillip on what he's learned from rewatch binge of Law and Order: SVU.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric discuss the Image horror graphic novel Houses of the Unholy by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. They break down this legendary duo's stretching their usual noir stories by adding a horror twist, the use of satanic ritual abuse hysteria as a storytelling device, and Eric accuses Phillip of worshipping the devil.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric talk the Image superhero comic Local Man by Tim Seely and Tony Fleecs. They break down how it approaches the '90s superhero genre with affectionate mockery, its use of two (and later three) distinctly different art styles to establish an unique visual language that pays homage to the eras of Image Comics, and Phillip educates Eric on the obscure '90s action show, Vanishing Point.

Phillip and Eric conclude their retrospective on Grant Morrison's epic Batman run with the final part of BATMAN INCORPORATED with Chris Burnham, featuring the death of Damien Wayne and the final showdown with Talia Al'Ghul. They also discuss Eric's new fascination with cat manga, Phillip failing to materialize Damson Idris into the MCU, and how Phillip still hasn't seen On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric continue their breakdown of Grant Morrison's epic Batman run with the second part of the Batman Incorporated arc debuting during the New 52 with artists Chris Burnham, Frazier Irving, and more! They discuss Morrison's deep dive into the backstory of Talia al Ghul, Chris Burnham's rough and tumble art style, and reveal the global expansion of The Omnibus Incorporated!

In this episode, Phillip and Eric talk the first part of the third act of Grant Morrison's epic run on Batman with Batman Incorporated, featuring art by Yanick Paquette, Chris Burnham, and more. They talk about Morrison's reinvention of Batman as a global crimefighting organization, the reintroduction of the Golden Age Batwoman and the extended Bat family, and figuring out who's in charge of the all the spy agencies in the DC universe.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric discuss the conclusion of the second act of Grant Morrison's Batman epic with The Return of Bruce Wayne and the final part of Batman and Robin with Frazier Irving. They break down Frazier Irving's surreal, moody art, discuss the philosophy of "vibes, not plot", and weigh in on the stupid Drake/Kendrick Lamar feud.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric go over the first part Grant Morrison's Batman and Robin featuring the debut of Dick Grayson as Batman and Damien Wayne as Robin, with art by Frank Quitely, Phillip Tan, Chris Burnham, and more. They discuss the new dynamic of the new Dynamic Duo, the meta-commentary of the return of Jason Todd on post-Watchmen superheroes, and Phillip reacts to a clip from Titans to juice the algorithm!

In this episode, Phillip and Eric are continuing their breakdown of Grant Morrison's run on Batman with the big epic DC event, Final Crisis and Superman Beyond with art by J.G. Jones, Doug Mahnke, et al. They discuss this tangential yet essential tie-in to the death of Bruce Wayne story arc, debate on the quality of the story choices Morrison makes within Final Crisis, and Eric asks Phillip if it's racist to exclude Martian Manhunter from the Justice League.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric continue their discussion of Grant Morrison's Batman run with Batman R.I.P., drawn by Tony Daniel. They break down Morrison's revamping of Silver Age campiness with a dark twist, their ultimate statement on what it takes to be Batman, and Eric confides in Phillip about some romantic troubles he's been having with his girlfriends Mitsuru and Aegis.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric continue their breakdown of Grant Morrison's Batman run with the second arc, The Black Glove with J.H. Williams III and Tony Daniel. They discuss Morrison's reintroduction of campy Silver Age elements like the Club of Heroes and Bat-Mite but with a darker twist, go over J.H. Williams's exquisite panel design, and debate whether the X-Men have privilege.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric kick off the first of a multi-episode breakdown of Grant Morrison's definitive Batman run with Batman and Son with art by Andy Kubert. They talk about the introduction of Damien Wayne, Grant Morrison being a true auteur artist within mainstream superhero comics and laying the foundation for their take on the Batman mythos, and Phillip and Eric voice their hot takes on the latest trends to juice the algorithm!

In this episode, Phillip and Eric are breaking down the Denpa manga Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack - Beltorchika's Children by Uroaki Sabisi and Takayuki Yanase. They go real deep into the lore of the Gundam franchise, debate of whether a primarily adapted property works well in comics, and Eric makes fun of Phillip for spending money on Gundam toys.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric are discussing the Black Dynamite comic by IDW, written by Brian Ash and drawn by a multitude of artists including Ron Wimberly, Jun Lofamia and more. They discuss the translation of the movie's humor into comic form, quote the movie back and forth, and Eric subjects Phil to a test of his blackness.

In this episode, Phillip asks Eric about two of the comic series personally edited by the latter: the Tapas webtoon series, The Undefeatable Swordsman and the manga series on J-Novel Club, The Frontier Lord Begins With Zero Subjects. They go over the behind the scenes work of webtoon and manga localization, Phil's distaste of light novel titles, and give a brief overview of the critical and commercial bomb that is Sony's Madame Web movie. Check out the series here: The Frontier Lord Begins With Zero Subjects: Tales of Blue Dias and The Onikin Alna The Undefeatable Swordsman

In this episode, Phillip and Eric wrap their discussion on the Image series The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie. They break down the whether the plot threads came together, the use of differing artists and prose pages for time jumps, and Eric tries to prove how cool he really is to Phil.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric continue their breakdown of the Image series, The Wicked + The Divine written by Kieron Gillen and drawn by Jaime McKelvie. They talk McKelvie's use of logos and graphic design, debate the ease of following the plot, and Eric schools Phillip on notable black figures in history!

In this episode, Phillip and Eric continue their discussion of the Image series The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen an Jamie McKelvie. They discuss the next installment's use of guest artists and Phillip schools Eric on Kanye West albums.

In this first part of a four episode series, Phillip and Eric discuss the first eleven issues of the Image series The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie! They talk about its unique premise of combining godhood with celebrity culture, its basis of its characters off of famous music icons, and Phillip tests Eric's knowledge of Billie Ellish songs.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric discuss the Yen Press manga memoir My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness by Kai Nagata. They discuss its unique visual style compared to other manga, its candid discussion of the author's mental health struggles and visiting a lesbian escort agency, and how Phillip has the three strikes of being problematic by not having watched Echo yet.

In this episode, Eric and Phillip kick off 2024 by going back to their roots and revisit the very first comics they ever read: Venom on Trial by Marvel for Eric and The Death of Superman for Phil. Listen to how these comics have and haven't aged very well, plus Eric lambasts Phil for his continuing failure to improve diversity and inclusion by not catching up on the Hulu Wu-Tang show.

Phillip and Eric close out 2023 by finishing their watch and commentary on The Flash movie. Hear Eric's moans of pain as the mediocrity deadens his brain, their suggestions on a variety of different movies and tv shows that would be better to watch, and how Phil is still racist for not having watched Blue Beetle.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric are talking two award-nominated manga series: the slice of life comedy Cat + Gamer by Wataru Nadatani, and the demented shonen action series Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto. Plus, they announce a bold new direction for their webcomic that's sure to juice the algorithm! Read their kung-fu crime webcomic Black Ghost on the following platforms: WEBTOON Tapas

In this episode, Phillip and Eric are talking the French graphic novel series, The Killer written by Matz and illustrated by Luc Jacamon and being adapted into a Netflix film directed David Fincher. They discuss its influences from the existential hitman genre and noir genre, its novelistic structure and writing style, and Eric continues to lambast Phil for killing cinema.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric didn't have time this week to finish reading the comic they wanted to discuss, so here's a prerecorded episode back in August, a commentary for The Flash movie. They slog through the first half and hear their moans of pain and apathy for this thoroughly average movie. Also, Eric gushes about watching Blue Beetle and calls Phil racist for not having seen it yet.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric discuss the manga, Goodbye, Eri by Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto. They discuss Fujimoto's unique blend of the coming-of-age story with his characteristic dash of genre fantasy, its cinematic visual framing to emulate movies, and Eric shames Phil for contributing to the death of cinema.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric are talking about the Harvey Award nominated horror Webtoon series, Everything is Fine by Mike Birchall. They discuss its superb use of tonal dissonance between the cartoony art and dark story for creepiness and suspense, its use of using the parameters of weekly publishing on Webtoon to inform its visual choices, and their experiences growing up and living in the horror of middle-class American suburbia.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric go over the manga series MW by the legendary Osamu Tezuka, "the Father of Manga." They discuss his adapting his cartoonish style to the then-emerging industry trend of gritty, darker manga, the complexities of human morality in its thriller with political undertones, and whether Eric would be evil for saving a woman and a baby out of the path of a speeding bus and pushing a criminal in their place instead.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric discuss It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth, an Image Comics graphic novel memoir by Zoe Thorogood. They talk about its unique visual style that can only work in the comics medium, Thorogood's spinning a narrative out of her breakdown of being told she's the future of comics, and Eric confesses how he suffers from Human Target syndrome.

Phillip and Eric conclude their watch of Shin Ultraman! Eric pontificates on the resonant themes of this film's statement about humanity, while Phillip just asks for more Ultraman fanservice.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric continue their series on the Hideaki Anno's Shin Heroes reboot with Shin Ultraman, directed by Shinji Higuchi and written by Ano himself. Phillip schools Eric on the history of this beloved Japanese franchise, and Eric reviews a disgustingly sweet Ultraman drink.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric are conclude their watch and commentary of 2023's Shin Kamen Rider, written and directed by Hideki Ano. Eric continues to press Phil for his Kamen Rider knowledge, only to be disappointed for his lack exhaustive memory.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric are mixing it up and taking a slight break from talking comics to talk Shin Kamen Rider, the 2023 film written and directed by Hideaki Anno. They talk Phillip's longstanding love for the Kamen Rider franchise, Eric's love for the works of Anno, and rebranding the podcast to just "K" a la Elon Musk and X.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric are talking a break from talking comics to talk about possibly the best movie based on a comic property, as well as the best superhero movie and best movie of 2023, Across the Spider-Verse. Plus, Eric chastised Phil not watching Shin Kamen Rider.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric are discussing Abrams Comicarts's Flung Out of Space by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templar, the graphic novel about author Patricia Highsmith and Eisner nominee for Best Reality-Based Work. They discuss its use of color and superb layout design, its refusal to shy away showing its subject's many flaws, and Eric calls Phillip out on still not having watched Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric are talking the IDW Star Trek series by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Ramon Rosanas, nominated for Best New Series, and Marvel's She-Hulk, by Rainbow Rowell, Rogê Antônio, Luca Maresca, and Takeshi Miyazawa, nominated for Best Continuing Series. This is mainly Eric lecturing Phillip on 40 years of Star Trek for 45 minutes.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric discuss the Eisner-nominated manga Look Back by Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Chainsaw Man. They also give a sobering discussion of the #comicsbrokeme hashtag and revelations that came out about scumbag indie comic publishers like Iron Circus, and the realities facing comic creators today. Music by rodneyretro. https://traktrain.com/rodneyretro

In this episode, Phillip and Eric discuss Image/Skybound's Clementine by Tille Walden, a Walking Dead graphic novel based on the character from the Telltale games. They discuss the blending of Tille Walden's YA sensibilities with Robert Kirkman's and Telltale's established Walking Dead universe, her keeping to the black and white color scheme of that universe, and they pitch a YA graphic novel featuring Spawn, Savage Dragon, and the Youngbloods as teenagers. Music by rodneyretro. https://traktrain.com/rodneyretro Twitter thread from a Webtoon artist on reformatting webtoon for print.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric start their breakdown of the 2023 Eisner nominees! They do a quick run-over of this year's nominations, their thoughts on the controversy around Thomas Woodruff, and analyze the physical print edition of Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe. Music by rodneyretro. https://traktrain.com/rodneyretro Twitter thread from a Webtoon artist on reformatting webtoon for print. https://twitter.com/Pluvias_/status/1646153438969880581?s=20

Phillip and Eric finish the rest of the wretched Black Adam movie starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Hear Eric cry as his neurons shut down, discuss their pitch for a Cyclone YA graphic novel, and debate why Dr. Fate can make magic shields, but the JSA still needs a jet to get anywhere in this movie. Reach us by email at [email protected]. Music by rodneyretro. https://traktrain.com/rodneyretro

Phillip and Eric travel back to the '90s to break two signature Image books of the era, Todd MacFarlane's Spawn and Sam Keith's The Maxx. They talk about the ridiculousness of peak '90s superhero books, what has aged well and not aged well, and Eric lambasts Phillip for his taste in video games. Reach us by email at [email protected]. Music by rodneyretro. https://traktrain.com/rodneyretro

In this episode, Phillip and Eric switch things to watch and commentate on anime adaptations of three popular manga series: Mob Psycho 100, Hellsing: Ultimate, and Spy x Family. That's right, they caved in to juice the algorithm. Reach us by email at [email protected]. Music by rodneyretro. https://traktrain.com/rodneyretro