Content warning: suicide In this episode, our-decade-by-decade series on the Thunderbolts intersects with one of the biggest political scandals of all time as we discuss Secret Empire and the short-lived career of Nomad, as brought to us by Steve Englehart, Sal Buscema and Frank Robbins, published by Marvel Comics! First, the shadow of Watergate looms large over Captain America and the Falcon #174-176, as the Sentinel of Liberty and his partner-in-crimefighting take on the sinister Secret Empire, leading to a shocking moment that changes Cap’s life forever! … or at least for a few issues, as Steve Rogers adopts a new identity as the blandly generic Nomad is issues 180-183! These issues have everything: The X-Men! S.H.I.E.L.D.! The Sub-Mariner! The Serpent Squad! A cameo by the Red Skull! And the surprise guest appearance of 1974! But is all of that enough to earn membership in that clandestine cabal known as … The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·       Wheel! Of! MUTANTS! ·       A few words about Frank Robbins ·       What is up with the Gamecock? ·       What’s Redwing’s favorite music genre? ·       The Bog Wife ·       Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles Join us in two weeks as we discuss Avengers: Under Siege! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky! And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we kick off a decades-spanning series focusing on the hot new superhero team of 1997: the Thunderbolts! And we begin with some early Avengers issues introducing Captain America’s arch-nemesis Baron Zemo and his Masters of Evil! But first, we begin with Avengers #4, in which the Sentinel of Liberty himself is fished out of the North Sea and joins the Marvel Universe! Then it’s on to Avengers #6, in which Baron Zemo enlists the Black Knight, the Mysterious Melter and Radioactive Man in the inaugural lineup of the Masters of Evil, a team of supervillains that might have some role to play in the formation of the Thunderbolts some 30+ years later! In Avengers #7, Zemo is joined by a pair of Asgardians, the Enchantress and the Executioner—who, in Avengers #9, hatch a scheme that involves the debut of future Avengers mainstay Wonder Man! Will this concept of a villain who turns into a hero have some bearing on the Thunderbolts? Is Avengers #6 the silliest comic we’ve ever discussed on this podcast? And can these pulse-pounding issues pass muster with that eternally youthful Middle-Aged Brigade known as … The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·       Curt’s dream, revisited ·       You know what this story needs? An alien who turns people to stone! ·       Seriously, what’s the deal with the Teen Brigade? ·       Rick Jones makes a boneheaded mistake ·       Twin Peaks: The Return ·       Venom: The Last Dance ·       Avengers Vol. 1 # 16: The Old Order Changeth! ·       Infamous Iron Man Vol. 1: Infamous Join us in two weeks as we take a detour into the 1970s for a look at two pivotal moments in the life of Captain America: Secret Empire and The Coming of the Nomad! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

 In this episode, we relax our usual format a bit as Bryan Stratton, Robb Milne and Jamie Wenger from the Marvel by the Month podcast join us to discuss (and assign ratings to) some iconic -- and less-than-iconic -- Jack Kirby monsters from before Marvel's superhero era! Monsters discussed in this episode: ·       Diablo, the Demon From the Fifth Dimension! (Tales of Suspense #9, 1959) ·       Taboo, the Thing From the Murky Swamp! (Strange Tales #75, 1960) ·       Groot, the Monster From Planet X! (Tales to Astonish #13, 1960) ·       Xemnu, the Living Hulk! (Journey Into Mystery #62, 1960) ·       The Blip! (Tales to Astonish #15, 1961) ·       Goom, the Thing From Planet X! (Tales of Suspense #15, 1960) ·       Googam, Son of Goom! (Tales of Suspense #17, 1961) ·       Fin Fang Foom! (Strange Tales #89, 1961) Recommended in this episode: ·       The Ultimates ·       The Atlas Comics Library No. 1: Adventures Into Terror Vol. 1 ·       The Shadow Over Innsmouth by Gou Tanabe ·       The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ·       Dracula Vol. 1: The Impaler by Matt Wagner and Kelley Jones       Join us in two weeks as we look ahead to next year’s Thunderbolts movie with the beginning of a series of episodes exploring the origins of the Thunderbolts and the Masters of Evil through the decades, beginning with Baron Zemo in Avengers #4, 6, 7 and 9!

In this episode, we kick off a month of horror-themed comics with a look at Tatsuki Fujimoto’s incredibly popular manga Chainsaw Man, a fresh and creative mixture of body horror, supernatural devil creatures, superhero-adjacent action and 80s boob comedy! In these chapters from Chainsaw Man volumes 1 and 2, we meet Denji, a down-on-his-luck teen whose body fuses with Pochita, a devil in the form of an adorable dog with a chainsaw sticking out from its head. Denji gains the ability to sprout chainsaws from his arms and face, and is soon conscripted by pretty Makima into a government devil-hunting agency and partnered with Power, a brash and uncontrollable blood fiend. But all he really wants is … to touch some boobs! Can the not-too-bright Denji triumph over the fearsome Bat Devil and the creepy Leech Devil, not to mention his mentor Aki? Will he wise up and realize that Makima seems to be bad news? And can he join the hallowed ranks of those Devil’s Advocates known as … The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·       What would Pitbull say? ·       The Substance ·       Exceptional X-Men #1 ·       Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill! Join us in two weeks as our October festivities continue with a celebration of classic Marvel monsters including Groot, Diablo, the Blip, Fin Fang Foom and others!

With Joker: Folie à Deux rolling into theaters next, the time seems right to dive into Batman’s most famous nemesis, the Joker, with a trio of stories highlighting different, pre-Dark Knight Returns iterations of the Clown Prince of Crime! First up is “The Man Who Wrote the Joker’s Jokes” from 1951’s Batman #67, in which everyone’s favorite mass murderer seeks a gag writer! Then, in 1976’s The Joker #7, a scientific accident gifts the Joker with Lex Luthor’s intellect, and Luthor with the Joker’s madness! Last but not least, we switch gears with 1978’s “The Laughing Fish” and “Sign of the Joker,” from Detective Comics #475-476, featuring one of the Ace of Knaves’ most bizarre schemes yet! Can the Grand Mogul of Mountebanks win the day against Batman, Lex Luthor, and the Gotham City Copyright Commission? And do these stories have what it takes to win over the crowd at that Ha-Hacienda known as … The Comics Canon? In This Episode:   ·       “With no legs, the frog becomes deaf!” ·       The Origin of The Comics Canon! ·       Bruce Willis goofs on Curt ·       Detective Comics #473: The Malay Penguin ·       Rebel Ridge ·       Batman and Bill ·       The Immortal Hulk Vol. 1: All Weather Turns to Storm ·       Please consider making a donation to The Hero Initiative   Join us in two weeks as we get ready for spooky season with a look at Tatsuki Fujimoto’s popular manga Chainsaw Man! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we take a long-overdue look at one of the most acclaimed crimefighters in comics history, Will Eisner’s The Spirit! Published in its own special insert in Sunday newspapers in the 1940s and early 50s, The Spirit featured seven- and eight-page stories about a masked hero in a suit and tie who helped the police of Central City fight criminal masterminds, underworld figures and slinky femmes fatales. Initially influenced by the pulps, The Spirit soon became known for short stories that showcased Eisner’s genre-defying imagination and visual invention—stories in which the Spirit himself often wasn’t even the main character! Starting with the 1940’s “The Origin of the Spirit,” we dive into eight tales that demonstrate the wide range of this influential comic. But does The Spirit have what it takes to kick back in that tastefully appointed crypt known as … The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·       Curt has a dream ·       Who was handling Paste Pot Pete’s branding? ·       Is The Spirit the Citizen Kane of comics? ·       Will Eisner’s Shop Talk ·       Two of the Spirit’s femmes fatales ·       The Story of Rat-Tat the Toy Machine Gun ·       Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Join us in two weeks as we mark the upcoming release of Joker: Folie a Deux and other Batman-related properties with a handful of stories featuring everyone’s favorite clown prince of crime, the Joker! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we conclude our three-part look at V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, as collected by Vertigo/DC Comics! V disables Norsefire’s surveillance apparatus, nudging the citizens of London toward revolution. Rose Almond takes action. Schemes are hatched as Helen Heyer and Peter Creedy vie to take control of the government. Detective Finch takes a bad trip. And Evey prepares to fulfill her destiny. As society collapses, will any of our players get a happy ending? And will they finally step into the spotlight of that vicious cabaret known as … The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·       V’s Bugs Bunny physics ·       We’ve got a fever, and the only cure is more Scottish brogue! ·       A surprise induction into The Comics Canon! ·       The Filth and the Fury ·       Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep and The Simple Art of Murder Join us in two weeks as we take a long-overdue look at Will Eisner’s The Spirit! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we continue our three-part look at V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, as collected by Vertigo/DC Comics! Abandoned by V on the streets of London, Evey Hammond knows a brief moment of happiness before she’s captured, tortured and interrogated about her role in V’s crimes. Rose, widow of the late Derek Almond, suffers a series of humiliations. Meanwhile, V's body count grows as he issues an ultimatum to the people of London. Can Evey hold on to that last little inch of herself, even if it costs her her life? And can our cast of characters make it past the bouncer into that Kitty Kat Keller known as … The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·       Remember, remember the fifth this November ·       Boy, were we wrong about Dascombe! ·       V’s maybe not the greatest lyricist ·       Amy Lennox’s performance of “Cabaret” ·       Gen V ·       Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu-Earth Vol. 1 Join us in two weeks as our three-part series concludes with Book 3: The Land of Do-As-You-Please! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, for … oh, no particular reason … we kick off a three-part look at the classic graphic novel V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, collected by DC Comics!  Originally published in serial form in the British anthology magazine Warrior, this dystopian fantasy follows the anarchist vigilante known only as V, clad in a creepy Guy Fawkes mask, who’s hell-bent on taking revenge on the staffers of a post-war “resettlement camp!” This mysterious, magnetic revolutionary rescues a 16-year-old would-be sex worker named Evey from a horrible fate at the hands of the nation’s secret police, and soon enlists her in his one-man war to bring down the fascist British state! But is there more to the strangely powerful V than first appears? (Spoiler alert: Yes!) And can he hope to silence that Voice of Fate known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·       The scourge of … THE BEATNIKS! ·       Pynchon, V? Really? ·       Maybe we shouldn’t have given the guy in Room V so much freedom… ·       The Abominable Dr. Phibes ·       Kite Man: Hell Yeah! Join us in two weeks as we roll merrily along with Book 2: This Vicious Cabaret! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

This episode contains explicit language and talk of sexual assault. On this episode, we take a butcher’s at the book that begat the critically acclaimed streaming series The Boys—specifically, The Name of the Game, collecting the first six issues of The Boys by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, originally published by WildStorm Productions and later collected by Dynamite Entertainment! When Hughie Campbell’s girlfriend is killed during a superpowered battle, he’s recruited by Billy the Butcher to join The Boys, a CIA-sanctioned squad of humans tasked with monitoring the superhero community and acting when they step out of line. Meanwhile, Annie January, aka Starlight, achieves her lifelong dream of joining the world’s premier superteam, The Seven—only to find that the world’s greatest heroes are corrupt, narcissistic, cruel ... and worse. And Hughie quickly learns that his new gig isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, either. Can these two innocents navigate this unpleasant new world without losing their souls? And can this book filled with sex, graphic violence and gross-out gags survive a meeting with that Human Resources department known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         A Comics Canon news break ·         We need to talk about that hamster ... ·         A discussion of The Boys on Amazon Prime Video ·         Garth Ennis’ Red Team ·         The Mighty Join us in two weeks as we begin a discussion of Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

We’re back with a look at everyone’s favorite gruff, eyepatch-wearing super-spy (non-Samuel L. Jackson division) as seen in 1968’s Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, 2, 3 and 5, published by Marvel Comics! Writer and artist Jim Steranko injects a dose of modern psychedelic and pop-art imagery and a strong sense of design into these four issues, creating a surreal visual experience the influence of which is still being felt in comics pages today. The stories those images tell, on the other hand ... Can this tough-talking, shirt-shucking, gun-toting fireball of a secret agent stop a mad scientist from destroying the world, solve a ghostly mystery on the Scottish moors and uncover the identity his mysterious nemesis Scorpio? And can Marvel’s answer to the 1960s spy craze join the elite ranks of that Impossible Missions Force known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Hey, what happened to that rocket sled? ·         There’s something familiar about this Centurius guy ·         Nick Fury Explains It All ·         Queen & Country: Operation Broken Ground and Operation Morningstar ·         Danger: Diabolik ·         Velvet Vol. 1: Before the Living End ·         Duck Soup ·         For Whom the Bell Tolls Join us in two weeks as we discuss The Boys Vol. 1: The Name of the Game! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

Due to a family emergency, we weren’t able to get together and record a new episode for this week. So here’s an encore presentation of our Deadpool episode, With Great Power Comes Great Coincidence from May 2018. Please enjoy, and we hope to be back with you again in two weeks!

Richard McGuire’s 2014 graphic novel Here takes place in one location—the corner of a living room in a house in what is probably Perth Amboy, New Jersey—over the course of billions of years, from 300,000,500,000 B.C. to the far-off year 22,175. In between, we see slivers of events both dramatic and mundane, catching glimpses of ordinary lives and extraordinary creatures, and watch as small moments echo and comment on each other across the decades and centuries. It's a fascinating work that makes use of the comics medium in original and inventive ways, a seemingly unfilmable book that’s somehow being adapted into a major motion picture starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, directed by Robert Zemeckis, for release later this year. But is that enough to score a ticket to that Land That Time Forgot known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         An unlikely Forrest Gump sequel ·         Hey, it’s Ben Franklin! ·         The Reversible Man by Alan Moore and Mike White ·         Evil Season 4 ·         Reinventing Comics by Scott McCloud ·         Flash Gordon by Dan Schkade   Join us in two weeks as we discuss Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Who Is Scorpio? by Jim Steranko! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

On this episode, we use the popularity of the first season of X-Men 97 as an excuse to tackle a story we’ve long had our eyes on: The Brood Saga from Uncanny X-Men #162-167 by Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum and Paul Smith, published by Marvel Comics! The X-Men have been captured by the Brood (a race of nasty winged aliens) and implanted with eggs—when they hatch, the X-Men will transform into superpowered Brood queens! Can our beloved mutants (and their friend Carol Danvers) escape these evil ETs and save a race of space whales before turning into Brood 2.0? And can this spacefaring superhero saga make landfall on that forbidden planet known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         The 10 basic X-Men plots ·         Are convoluted X-Men stories a feature or a bug? ·         The influence of Alien on the Brood ·         Kitty Pryde is a great character ·         Chris Claremont’s Phoenix obsession ·         Curt has issues with the New Mutants ·         Immortal Hulk Vol. 10: Of Hell and Of Death ·         Sugar on Apple TV+ Join us in two weeks as we shift gears to discuss the graphic novel Here by Richard McGuire! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

 Mild parental advisory warning: The b-word is used once or twice. On this episode, the recent launch of the series “Ripley” on Netflix gives us a reason to discuss Flung Out of Space: Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith, by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer, published by Surely/Abrams ComicArts! When we meet the future author of “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” she’s struggling to overcome her attraction to women and escape her job as a writer of comic-book stories—a job she hates. While freelancing for a pre-Marvel Comics Stan Lee to pay for a psychiatrist to “cure” her, she falls for Virginia, a member of her therapy group who helps inspire her to write “The Price of Salt,” which would become a landmark of queer literature. Can a deeply conflicted Pat overcome her disdain for comics (spoiler: no) and herself? And will this moving graphic novel earn its way into that exclusive speakeasy known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         What if Patricia Highsmith worked in a comic book store? ·         Which previous episode should we “redo” next? ·         Ripley on Netflix ·         Vulture: Is Tom Ripley Gay? ·         Love Lies Bleeding ·         Fallout ·         Carol ·         Spider-Man and the X-Men  Join us in two weeks as we discuss Uncanny X-Men #162-167, better known as the Brood Saga! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! ·       And as always, thanks for listening!

One of our co-hosts is quarantined at home, so we’ve decided to postpone our next proper episode until we can be together in person! Meanwhile, Curt surprises Kevin with a pop quiz on quotes from books we’ve covered on the podcast. How good is Kevin’s recall? (Spoiler: It’s bad! Very, very bad!)

 Content warning (death by suicide) Our reexamination of Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns continues! How good IS this story, really? Will things go differently than they did in our fourth episode way back in 2016, allowing this universally acclaimed 1986 miniseries to avoid nuclear winter and score a ticket to that David Endocrine Show studio audience known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         The only Bartleby the Scrivener reference you’ll hear in a comics podcast this week! ·         What’s the deal with the flying bomber Garbage Pail Kids? ·         The 99% Invisible Power Broker Book Club ·         Robert Caro’s The Path to Power ·         Douglas Wolk’s Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean ·         Some Fantastic Four movie talk Join us in two weeks as we discuss Flung Out of Space: Inspired by the Indecent Adventures of Patricia Highsmith, by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

Explicit (a few swears scattered throughout) and content warning (brief mentions of death by suicide and attempted sexual assault) This isn’t a podcast—it’s an operating table, and we’re the surgeons! This time, we revisit one of our most controversial episodes (okay, pretty much our only “controversial” episode) with the first installment of a two-part, in-depth reexamination of Frank Miller’s 1986 landmark miniseries Batman: The Dark Knight Returns! Does this paradigm-shifting, game-changing series hold up to scrutiny nearly 40 years since its publication? And what are its chances of finally gaining entry into that Home for the Emotionally Troubled known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg ·         Buy-ins you have to make when reading a Batman comic ·         What’s the deal with the Mutant gang? ·         Curt gets something off his chest ·         Late Night With the Devil ·         Aard Labor, Tom Ewing’s breakdown of Cerebus, on Freaky Trigger ·         Christine by Stephen King ·         The unique terror of calling girls back in the landline era Join us in two weeks as we conclude this two-part look back and once again render judgment on The Dark Knight Returns! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!  

On this episode, it’s the return of “Miller March,” featuring a month of Frank Miller comics! First up is the 1982 miniseries Wolverine by Chris Claremont and the aforementioned Mr. Miller, published by Marvel Comics! The very first comic series to feature Wolverine’s name in the title takes Logan to Japan, where his lady love Mariko has entered into an abusive marriage arranged by her father, the crime lord Shingen. His heart broken by Mariko, humiliated by Shingen, Logan spirals into a dark night of the soul as he’s pursued by the deadly ninja clan known as the Hand! Will Logan’s new friend Yukio stop trying to make “Gotcha!” happen? Can Logan redeem himself, defeat his enemies and regain Mariko’s love? And can this miniseries fight its way ino that House of Flying Daggers known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         There sure are a lot of ninja in 1980s Japan ·         Does the Hand recruit from Cobra? ·         Avengers: The Impossible City ·         Shōgun ·         X-Men Epic Collection: The Fate of the Phoenix ·         Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Anthology ·         Curt’s appearance on The Origin Story Podcast Join us in two weeks as we revisit our most controversial episode with a FRESH NEW LOOK at Batman: The Dark Knight Returns! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

On this episode, we take a long-overdue look at one of the most influential manga of the last 50 years: Lone Wolf and Cub by Kazuo Koike and Goseki Kojima! Specifically, selected stories from Vol. 1: The Assassin’s Road, as published by Dark Horse Manga! Who is this taciturn assassin known as Lone Wolf and Cub? Why does he push his young son across feudal Japan in a wooden baby carriage with a banner that reads “Son for Hire, Sword for Hire?” How did he get to be such a proficient killing machine? And can father and son survive their harrowing journey along that Road to Perdition known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         “I’m Ogami Itto, and this is Jackass!” ·         Daigoro’s tricked-out baby cart ·         The return of everyone’s vampire-slaying pig! ·         Dune: Part Two ·         Fullmetal Alchemist Vol. 1 ·         House of R on the Lone Wolf and Cub trope Join us in two weeks as we discuss the 1982 Wolverine miniseries by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

Our two-part look at Hulk/Thing fights wraps up with a look at one of the twosome’s more recent titanic tussles in Fantastic Four Vol. 6, issues 12 and 13, by Dan Slott and Sean Izaakse, published by Marvel Comics! But first, because this episode drops on Valentine’s Day, we discuss the wedding of Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters in Fantastic Four Vol. 6 issue 5, most notably the story “4-Minute Warning” by Dan Slott and Aaron Kuder! Then it’s time for the main event, as the Immortal Hulk interrupts Ben and Alicia’s honeymoon, with a little help from Alicia’s father, the pernicious Puppet Master! Is this really our last episode discussing these Marvelous melees? (Who knows?) Can the Thing keep the Immortal Hulk from endangering an entire seaside resort before he reverts back to all-too-human Ben Grimm? And can either of them prevail against that titanic tag team known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Kevin responds to Curt’s song from last episode ·         We talk about whether we should talk about Cerebus ·         Curt’s article on the ends of Bone and Cerebus ·         Point of Origin from Fantastic Four Vol. 6, issues 14-19 ·         Do A Powerbomb ·         The Thing Vol. 1 #6, “Mindscape”     Join us in two weeks as we make a long-overdue return to the world of manga to discuss Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 1: The Assassin’s Road! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, IT’S CLOBBERIN’ TIME as we kick off a two-part look at one of Marvel Comics’ most storied traditions: epic slugfests between the Hulk and the Thing! Specifically, the first two face-offs between these fearsome foes in Fantastic Four #12 and #25-26, by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby! First, everyone’s on their worst behavior as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross enlists the FF’s aid in subduing the Hulk, who’s accused of sabotaging a military experiment! Then, with his teammates sidelined, it’s up to Ben to stop the angry green goliath from rampaging across New York City, in a knock-down drag-out brawl guest starring the Mighty Avengers! Can the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing prevail against the jade giant? And can these stories go the distance in a title match against ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         A literal card-carrying communist ·         How pretty young ladies can help their men ·         “Aunt Petunia was pretty hardcore!” ·         Giant-Man’s pill problem ·         What If? Season 2 and Echo ·         Doctor Who: The Angels Take Manhattan ·         Marvel Two-in-One #46 ·         Curt introduces an unscheduled order of business Join us in two weeks as we polish off this two-parter with a matchup of more recent vintage: The Thing vs. The Immortal Hulk from Fantastic Four (Vol. 6) #12-13! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!  

Content warning: Mentions of suicide; general gaslighting, psychological domestic abuse. In this episode, we look back at one of the best-reviewed books of 2023: A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll, published by First Second! Shy, awkward Abby is newly married to widowed dentist David and adjusting to domestic life with him and his pre-teen daughter Crystal. But David’s stories about his past wife, Sheila, don’t add up. And there’s more to Abby than meets the eye, as well – as becomes apparent when she strikes up a halting friendship with Sheila’s ghost! Can this gripping story survive a night in that haunted mansion of horror stories known as ... The Comics Canon? Recommended in This Episode: ·         Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein ·         Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller: The Man Who Created Nancy, by Bill Griffith Join us in two weeks as we kick off a two-parter looking back at historic matchups between the Hulk and the Thing! First up: Rounds 1 and 2, from Fantastic Four #12 and #25-26! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

In this not-so-mini mini-episode, we look back on the last episodes, each ranking our 10 favorites. How many titles did we agree on? We also discuss Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the Transformers movies, the current state of the Big Two publishers, comic strips, some things we’d like to cover in the coming year, and a possible reconsideration of one of our most controversial decisions! Plus: Curt opens a present live on-air! Join us in two weeks as we resume our regular programming with a look at Emily Carroll’s A Guest in the House! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

Just in time for Christmas, Emmy-winning writer (and co-host of The Flop House) Dan McCoy joins us to unwrap a trio of Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge stories by the late, great Carl Barks!  In “Only a Poor Old Man,” Uncle Scrooge’s first full-length adventure, everyone’s favorite spats-wearing billionaire fights to protect his fortune from the Beagle Boys in a rollicking heist tale! In “Luck of the North,” Donald drags his nephews to rescue his insufferable cousin Gladstone Gander in a madcap, Tintin-esque adventure.  And in “A Christmas for Shacktown,” Donald, Daisy and the boys try to raise money to give the denizens of Duckburg’s poverty-stricken neighborhood a memorable Christmas celebration. Can Donald and company prevail against industrious thieves, a polar bear and a bottomless pit? And can these tales safely find their way to that Island of Misfit Toys known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         There’s a lot to admire about the Beagle Boys ·         Isaac Asimov’s iCarly ·         Kevin shares an embarrassing story ·         Pogo by Walt Kelly ·         I Must Be Dreaming by Roz Chast ·         Eat the Rich by Sarah Gailey and Pius Bak ·         Iron Man # 215-216 Join us in two weeks as we pause to take a look back before plunging ahead into 2024! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or the platform formerly known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

It’s our bicentennial episode, and we celebrate by going back to 1976 for a momentous match-up between comics’ two most popular characters: Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru, published by DC and Marvel Comics! This first-ever inter-company crossover event finds the Man of Steel and Ol’ Web-Head going toe-to-toe (of course) before joining forces to combat the combined threat of criminal masterminds Lex Luthor and Doctor Octopus! Can the Man of Tomorrow and your Friendly Neighborhood Wall-Crawler rescue Lois Lane and Mary Jane Watson and thwart this dastardly duo’s perilous plan? And can our awesome allies win their way into that World’s Finest Two-in-One known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Great moments of 1976 ·         Curt’s beef with Superman ·         The Flying Octopus! ·         Our shirts are marvelous—a reader says so! ·         Godzilla Minus One ·         Monarch: Legacy of Monsters ·         JLA/Avengers ·         My Effin’ Life by Geddy Lee   Join us in two weeks as we make a return visit to Duckburg (and Carl Barks) for a special Christmas-themed episode! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or the platform formerly known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

Happy Bonesgiving! In this episode, we celebrate our favorite(?) holiday with another excursion into the world of Bone, this time skipping ahead to Bone Vol. 5: Rock Jaw, Master of the Eastern Border, written and drawn by Jeff Smith, published by Cartoon Books and Scholastic! Fone Bone and Smiley Bone are separated from the rest of the book’s main cast, attempting to set an adorable baby rat creature free into the wild, when they run afoul of the menacing mountain lion Roque Ja, who plans to turn them in to Kingdok, monstrous leader of the rat creatures and servant of the mysterious Hooded One! Can the Bones, the possum kids and a menagerie of cute young orphans evade these dangerous predators? And can they find shelter in that literary lion’s den known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         J’accuse, Smiley Bone! ·         Curt reads some love poetry ·         That time Lassie committed murder ·         Bone Vol. 6: Old Man’s Cave ·         The Marvels ·         Loki Season 2 ·         That Madame Web trailer ·         The Righteous Gemstones, Season 3 ·         Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner Join us in two weeks as we commemorate our 200xth episode (!!) with one of the most important comic book stories of all time: Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or the platform formerly known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

Content warning: sexual abuse and implied sexual assault In this episode, friend of the show and John Constantine authority Tracy Tanoff joins us in unpacking a defining moment in the life and career of everyone’s favorite street-level mage (and con man) with a discussion of John Constantine, Hellblazer #11: Newcastle: A Taste of Things to Come, by Jamie Delano, Richard Piers Rayner and Mark Buckingham, published by DC Comics! 10 years before the cataclysmic events of American Gothic, a young John Constantine and his band of occult amateurs investigates strange happenings at an abandoned rock club, only to quickly find themselves hopelessly out of their depth! Can John and his friends survive the monstrous Norfulthing? Can John rescue a young girl named Astra from the clutches of the demon Nergal? And can he bluff his way past the bouncer and into that hellish hole-in-the-wall known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Curt comes hard at Sting ·         Legends of Tomorrow: Bad Blood ·         Hellblazer: Rise and Fall ·         Carmilla: The First Vampire ·         Dracula Vol. 1: The Impaler ·         Mucous Membrane is having a moment ·         Your Band Sucks, by Jon Fine Join us in two weeks as we return to the world of Jeff Smith’s Bone with a look at Bone Vol. 5: Rock Jaw: Master of the Eastern Border! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or the platform formerly known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!  

One year (almost to the day) since we discussed the first half of American Gothic, we round out the scare-iffic month of October with a look at the final five issues (Swamp Thing #46-50) of this groundbreaking storyline by Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette and others, published by DC Comics! First, Swamp Thing and John Constantine rub elbows with DC’s superhero elite in the midst of the Crisis on Infinite Earths! Then things really get cooking, with a shocking revelation in the Amazon rainforest, a not-so-shocking betrayal in Brazil, and a star-studded battle against Darkness itself as Heaven hangs in the balance! Oh, and Abby Arcane is arrested as a sex criminal! Can the Avocado Avenger and his allies tip the scales in the climactic showdown of light vs. dark? And can this epic finale book passage on that prestigious Jungle Cruise known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Aren’t we over the Phantom Stranger’s shtick by now? ·         Curt comes after Mufasa of “The Lion King” ·         Double Walker by Michael W. Conrad and Noah Bailey ·         The Fisherman by John Langan ·         Reservation Dogs on Hulu ·         The Replacements’ Tim: The Let It Bleed Edition on Rhino Records Join us in two weeks as we visit a key moment in John Constantine’s past with a look at Hellblazer #11: Newcastle: A Taste of Things to Come! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or the platform formerly known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

Wait, where’s Swamp Thing: American Gothic, Part Two? Well, Curt and Kevin weren’t feeling so well this week, so they decided to take it easy and record a short mini-episode on the comics-related film and TV adaptations of the year so far. (Except, of course, it turned out to be not so short after all.) Mild spoilers abound as Curt (and occasionally Kevin) opines on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, The Flash, Secret Invasion, among others. Join us in two weeks as we no-really-this-time-we-mean-it return to Moore’s much-heralded American Gothic storyline with a look at Swamp Thing #46-50 (and revisit our episode on the first half to refresh your memory)!

(Note:You may just ever-so-faintly hear a neighbor's barking dog occasionally adding his two cents in the background for the first half or so of the episode.) A perennial Spider-Man foe gets a horror-monster makeover (and our Spidey Super Stories miniseries concludes) with 2010’s Shed from Amazing Spider-Man #630-633, by Zeb Wells, Chris Bachalo and Emma Rios, published by Marvel Comics! After a long struggle, scientist Curt Connors loses control of his scaly alter-ego, the Lizard, who’s clearly been working out during the offseason! The reptilian rogue immediately embarks on a killing spree, and Connors’ young son Billy is his next target! Can Ol’ Web-Head keep this cold-blooded criminal from turning all of New York into a mindless horde of murderous, lizard-brained zombies? And can he tip the scales in favor of inclusion in that tangled web known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Spidey’s relationship with Catwom—we mean, the Black Cat ·         The true villains of this story ·         Six Degrees of Peter Parker ·         Beef on Netflix ·         Why Curt’s interested in the Thunderbolts movie ·         Amazing Spider-Man #44-45: “Where Crawls the Lizard!” and “Spidey Smashes Out!” ·         Amazing Spider-Man: Civil War ·         Becoming Superman, by J. Michael Straczynski Join us in two weeks as we return to Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing: American Gothic arc with a look at Swamp Thing #46-50! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or the platform formerly known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

Despite popular demand, our recurring comics-themed quiz returns! This time, Curt surprises Kevin with a pop quiz on everyone’s favorite unstoppable X-Men villain, following last week’s episode on Amazing Spider-Man: Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut!

In this episode, we swing back into our Spidey Super Stories miniseries with a pair of acclaimed Spider-Man tales from the early 80s: The two-part Nothing Can Stop the Juggernaut from Amazing Spider-Man #229-230, and The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man, from Amazing Spider-Man #248! First, everyone’s favorite wall-crawler races to stop the X-Men villain Juggernaut from kidnapping the psychic Madame Web, only to find that such a task is easier said than done as the relentless behemoth leaves a trail of destruction in his wake! Then, Spider-Man pays a nighttime visit to his biggest fan. Join us as we ask the burning questions: Why does ol’ web-head reveal his greatest secret to young Tim Harrison? Can our overmatched, outclassed hero prevail against an unstoppable force as the Juggernaut? And can these stories make a dent in that immovable object known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Seriously, why does the Juggernaut need a force field? ·         Assistant Editors’ Month at The Daily Bugle ·         1977’s Iron Fist #11-12 ·         Silver Surfer: New Dawn and Worlds Apart, by Dan Slott and Mike Allred ·         Doctor Who: School Reunion ·         Nothing can kill the Grimace   Join us in two weeks as we wrap up our Spidey Super Stories miniseries with Shed from Amazing Spider-Man #630-633! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or the platform formerly known as Twitter! And as always, thanks for listening!

Media critic Matt Goldberg returns as we temporarily pause our Spidey Super-Stories miniseries to discuss the unstoppable cultural phenomenon known as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with a look at the book that started it all—Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (and also #2) by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird! Before the seven different movies (including the well-received new “Mutant Mayhem”), the animated series, the video games and the action figures, there was just a self-published black-and-white comic riffing on Frank Miller’s Daredevil run with a brilliant title. How did this modest 40-page comic spawn a decades-spanning multimedia juggernaut? And does it have what it takes to enter that Forbidden Kingdom known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         The Turtles Generation ·         The part of the Turtles’ origin that requires suspension of disbelief ·         “What if Ultron was a chicken?” ·         The 80s rash of Turtles “parodies” ·         Usagi Yojimbo ·         The Last Ronin ·         Lynda Barry's Poodle With a Mohawk ·         The Police Story trilogy ·         Batman: Failsafe Vol. 1 ·         Check out Matt’s Substack, Commentary Track Join us in two weeks as we swing back into Spidey Super Stories with a Juggernaut two-parter from Amazing Spider-Man #229 and 230 and The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man from Amazing Spider-Man #248! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, Spidey Super Stories swings into a different gear as we examine yet another version of everyone’s favorite wall-crawler with a look at Ultimate Spider-Man: Learning Curve, with a special emphasis on issue 13, Confessions, by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, published by Marvel Comics! We discuss the ways in which the Ultimate Universe Peter Parker and his supporting characters differ from their Marvel Universe counterparts, the sharp contrast between this title and Spider-Man comics from the 1960s through the 90s, and a conversation with Mary Jane more monumental than supervillain slugfest—especially when Aunt May barges in! Can this Peter Parker make it through his first meeting with this universe’s Kingpin? And more importantly, will he survive the scrutiny of ... Your Friendly Neighborhood Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Wait! What happens to Carson Daly??! ·         The Archie Comics era of Spider-Man ·         Zot! #35: The Conversation ·         Spider-Gwen Vol. 1: Most Wanted ·         Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 3: Double Trouble ·         Fantastic Four (2022) Vol. 1: Whatever Happened to the Fantastic Four? Join us in two weeks as we temporarily pause Spidey Super Stories for a look back at the origins of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

Bryan Stratton and Robb Milne from the Marvel by the Month podcast join once again us as Spidey Super Stories continues with a look at The Superior Spider-Man: My Own Worst Enemy, collecting The Superior Spider-Man (2013) issues 1-5 by Dan Slott, Ryan Stegman and Giuseppe Camuncoli, published by Marvel Comics! Doctor Otto Octavius, one of Spider-Man’s deadliest enemies, is in control of the wall-crawler’s body! And he’s vowed to be a better Spider-Man than Peter Parker ever was, utilizing his technological genius in a more aggressive approach to crimefighting in a story that not-so-subtly pokes fun at the Distinguished Competition’s Caped Crusader! Can Peter’s hapless spirit keep the former Doc Ock from ruining Spidey’s reputation—or wooing his ex, Mary Jane Watson? And does this “superior” Spider-Man have what it takes to Face/Off against ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Are there fewer “great” Spider-Man stories than there should be? ·         A good couple of minutes on the Spider-Buggy, of all things ·         Sandman Mystery Theatre Compendium One ·         Black Phoenix Omnibus ·         The Death of Captain Stacy from Amazing Spider-Man #88-90 ·         Marvel Masterworks: The Mighty Thor Vol. 5 ·         Radiant Black Vol. 1: (Not So) Secret Origin Join us in two weeks as Spidey Super Stories continues with Ultimate Spider-Man: Confessions! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

We kick off Spidey Super Stories, a series dedicated to everyone’s favorite web-slinger, Spider-Man, with a look at “Spider-Man No More!” from Amazing Spider-Man #50, along with two early clashes with the Kingpin in #51-52 and #69, by Stan Lee and John Romita, published by Marvel Comics! Fed up with a public that hates and fears him, Spider-Man hangs up his web-shooters to devote more time to his studies, his social life and his sickly Aunt May (not necessarily in that order) ... just as a mysterious crime lord known as the Kingpin is tightening his grip on New York City! Has the wall-crawler given up crime-fighting for good? (C’mon, what do you think?) More importantly, will he come to his senses in time to win over those Amazing Friends known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Spider-Man vs. the Spoiler ·         The stones on Frederick Foswell ·         The 1967 “Spider-Man” theme ·         Spider-Man: The New Sinister ·         Captain America and the Falcon #176-176 ·         Thor: Goddess of Thunder Join us in two weeks as Spidey Super Stories continues with Superior Spider-Man: My Own Worst Enemy! Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we wrap up our two-parter on The Sandman Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones, with a look at issues 64-69, published by Vertigo/DC Comics! Lyta Hall and the Furies descend on The Dreaming, intent on destroying the dream realm and killing the Dream King. Various characters meet untimely ends, while others move on to new locales and one steps into a new role. Can Morpheus defeat the Erinyes and save The Dreaming? And can he make his way past those dream warriors who stand guard at the gates of ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Curt reveals Kevin’s M.O.D.O.K. name ·         What Titanic has taught us ·         Morpheus makes a joke! ·         The Bear Season 2 ·         Our episode on New Avengers: Illuminati ·         New Avengers Vol. 7: The Trust and Mighty Avengers Vol. 3: Secret Invasion Book 1 ·         My Bad Vol. 2: Thirty Minutes or Dead ·         The Charlie Parker series by John Connolly Join us back here in two weeks as Spidey Super Stories, a miniseries on everyone’s favorite wall-crawler, swings into action with a look at Spider-Man No More! Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!  

In this episode, our series-within-a-series on The Sandman begins winding down as we kick off a two-parter on Vol. 9, The Kindly Ones, discussing issues 57-63, published by Vertigo/DC Comics! When her young son Daniel is abducted, Lyta Hall embarks on a quest to find the trio of goddesses known as the Furies and exact revenge on the being she holds responsible: Morpheus, the Dream King! Meanwhile, we revisit some old friends as this rich fantasy epic moves inexorably toward its violent endgame. What do returning characters Nuala, Thessaly and the Corinthian have to do with all of this? Why are Loki and the mischievous Puck gaslighting Lyta disguised as cops? And can this penultimate arc avoid apprehension by those Dream Police known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Marc Hempel’s artwork ·         A brief aside about Cormac McCarthy ·         Curt reviews The Flash ·         She-Hulk: Jen, Again ·         Jazzy John Romita and Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Vol. 3: Spider-Man No More ·         X-Men: Starjammers by Dave Cockrum Kindly join us in two weeks as we conclude this two-part dive into The Kindly Ones with The Sandman #64-69! Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

On this episode, we look ahead to the June 16 release of The Flash with a little story that established the concept of the multiverse as a canonical part of superhero comics: “The Flash of Two Worlds” from The Flash # 123, by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino, published by DC Comics! Performing for children at a fundraiser, the Flash (Barry Allen) vibrates at super speed and finds himself on another Earth! And it turns out this world is home to ... The Flash (Jay Garrick), whose “fictional” exploits thrilled Barry (and DC Comics readers) several years earlier! Faced with the existence of multiple realities, what do our heroes do? Why, team up to fight bad guys, of course! We also run through two subsequent Barry Allen/Jay Garrick team-ups: “Double Danger on Earth” from The Flash # 129 and “Vengeance of the Immortal Villain” from The Flash #137! How well do these stories stack up, six decades later? And do any of them cross over the finish line into that multiverse of madness known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Curt ... has some thoughts ... about the Flash’s super-speed powers ·         The Thinker leaves millions on the table ·         The Flash Vol. 2 No. 1: “Happy Birthday Wally!” ·         Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ·         Fear Agent Final Edition Vol. 1 Run, don’t walk, to join us in two weeks as we return to the world of The Dreaming for the first of a two-part look at The Sandman: The Kindly Ones! Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

On this episode, just in time for the May 24 debut of American Born Chinese on Disney+, we take a look at, well, American Born Chinese, written and drawn by Gene Luen Yang, published by First Second! This award-winning graphic novel moves between three characters: The Monkey King, a deity who chafes at being called a monkey; Jin Wang, a child of Chinese immigrants who sees his heritage as an obstacle as he falls in love with an American classmate; and Danny, a typical American teenager whose efforts to fit in at a new school are thwarted by his visiting cousin, a horrible Chinese stereotype named Chin-Kee! How do these stories eventually come together? Can our protagonists learn to accept themselves as they are? And can American Born Chinese gain entrance to that heavenly dinner party known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Is it okay to laugh at Chin-Kee? ·         Peeing in Coke cans: the continuing crisis ·         Hugonauts: The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time ·         Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki ·         American Barbarian by Tom Scioli Join us in two weeks as we visit one of the most pivotal stories in superhero comics history—The Flash of Two Worlds! Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

It’s one of the few superhero deaths that has managed to stick over the intervening decades. And it ties up Adam Warlock’s Magus Saga with a tidy bow. On this episode, we revisit Marvel Comics’ first-ever “graphic novel,” Jim Starlin’s The Death of Captain Marvel! He’s fought countless Earth villains and cosmic bad guys, but the man named Mar-Vell finally confronts a foe he can’t defeat: cancer. As the greatest minds on Earth and Titan work tirelessly to find a cure, one of the universe’s mightiest warriors must come to grips with his own mortality, eventually engaging in a psychic battle with his greatest enemy—Thanos! Can Captain Marvel avoid the literal kiss of Death and live happily ever after? (Spoiler alert: No.) More importantly, can he ascend to that enlightened state of cosmic awareness known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Everyone’s favorite space prospector ·         Hey, where’s Carol Danvers? ·         Marvel’s personification of Death vs. Vertigo’s Death ·         Dreadstar: The Price graphic novel ·         Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ·         Guardians of the Galaxy (2023) #1 ·         Adam Warlock: Rebirth #1   Join us in two weeks as we pivot away from Jim Starlin and cosmic Marvel for something completely different—Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese! Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

On this episode, we wrap up our two-parter on Marvel’s cosmic messiah, Adam Warlock, with a look at two stories that close the loop on Jim Starlin’s classic Magus Saga: Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2, published by Marvel Comics! In “The Final Threat,” Warlock, Captain Marvel, Moondragon and the Avengers are all that stands between Earth and an alien armada as Warlock’s onetime ally, Thanos, attempts to use the power of the soul gems to extinguish all the stars in the heavens! Plus, Adam Warlock meets Adam Warlock—for the second time! Then, in “Death Watch!,” Spider-Man and The Thing must rescue the captive Avengers before Thanos settles for his consolation prize: snuffing out our very own sun as a token of his affection for Death herself! Can Adam Warlock finally find peace? Can your friendly neighborhood wall-crawler help defeat the Mad Titan and save the world? And can these stories prevail against that Infinity Crusade known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         When Ben Grimm was the face of Marvel Comics ·         A little movie called Star Wars ·         Step by Bloody Step ·         Marvel Team-Up #55: “Spider, Spider on the Moon” ·         Marvel’s most fearsome villain, Equinox! ·         Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1: Legacy   Join us in two weeks as we explore the death of another cosmic character at the hands of Jim Starlin with 1982’s The Death of Captain Marvel! Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

Content warning: Suicide/self-murder On this episode, we kick off a two-part look at the definitive Adam Warlock story, The Magus Saga, aka The Strange Death of Adam Warlock, as featured in Strange Tales issues 178-181 and Warlock issues 9-11, written and drawn by Jim Starlin, published by Marvel Comics! Who is Adam Warlock, the mysterious character slated to make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? He’s an artificially created, super-powered space messiah, cursed with a gem on his forehead that devours people’s souls. And in this far-out tale, he faces off against the evil head of an intergalactic empire ... who just happens to be his future self!  With newfound allies Thanos, Gamora and Pip the Troll at his side, can Warlock prevail against his despotic shadow self? And will this cosmic comic receive the blessing of that Universal Church of Truth known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         The Adam Warlock rock opera ·         Our Thanos War episode ·         Elric of Melnibone ·         Jim Starlin’s Adam Warlock vs. Jack Kirby’s Fourth World ·         Fantastic Four: Life Story ·         For All Mankind ·         Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves ·         The Spider Man & Hulk Toilet Paper Infinity Comic Join us in two weeks as this saga (and our two-parter) concludes with Avengers Annual #7 and Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2! Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

With April Fool’s Day just around the corner, the time seems right for a long-overdue look at DC Comics’ Ambush Bug, who was breaking the fourth wall and spreading mayhem almost a decade before Marvel Comics’ Deadpool. Specifically, we take a look at his appearances in 1984’s Action Comics #560 and issues 1-4 of 1985’s Ambush Bug miniseries, by Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming! Combining elements of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Looney Tunes shorts and the superhero parody of Steve Gerber’s Howard the Duck, these issues find the chartreuse crackpot crossing paths with the despotic space-sock Argh! Yle!, the giant koala known as Quantis and even Superman himself! But can he survive a run-in with (gasp!) Darkseid??!! And can these twisted tales survive that Spanish Inquisition known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Kevin gets tape on a comic! ·         The Legion of Substitute Heroes Special ·         Curt shares some thoughts on Shazam: Fury of the Gods ·         Star Trek: Picard Season 3  Join us in two weeks as we look ahead to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with a two-part series on Adam Warlock! Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we look at the source material for one of the upcoming DC movies recently announced by James Gunn: The Authority Vol. 1: Relentless, collecting The Authority #1-8 by Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary, published by Wildstorm Comics! When the U.N. superhero team Stormwatch is slaughtered by xenomorphs from the Aliens film franchise (...wait, what?), The Authority steps out of the shadows, determined to save the world by any means necessary -- and to change it, as well. Can this team of attitude-heavy heroes defeat an army of flying super-terrorists and thwart an invasion from an alternate Earth? And can they muscle their way into that superpowered sphere of influence known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode ·         We need to talk about Kaizen ·         That Regis: He’s just so darn bad! ·         More nerdy speculation on upcoming DC movies ·         Tyler Cross: Black Rock ·         Peanuts from Dec. 10, 1973 ·         Grimjack: The Manx Cat Join us in two weeks as we engage in some pre-April first tomfoolery with a look at Ambush Bug! Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we follow up the controversial death of Robin, Batman’s surrogate son, with the debut of his actual flesh-and-blood offspring in Batman and Son from Batman #655-658, published by DC Comics! Superstar writer Grant Morrison begins their acclaimed Batman run with a bang, introducing Damian Wayne, the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Al Ghul. Trained by the League of Assassins, this preadolescent bundle of violence is intent on joining his father’s war on crime as the new Robin—which is bad news for the current Robin, Tim Drake! Can the Dark Knight Detective keep his homicidal heir in check while fending off his ex-girlfriend’s army of ninja Man-Bats? And can this Dynamic Duo secure a spot in that Daddy Day Care known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Curt’s Show and Tell ·         James Gunn’s plans for the DC cinematic universe ·         Did we mention Ninja Man-Bats? Because Ninja Man-Bats! ·         Kevin’s picks to join the DCU ·         Batman and Robin: Batman Reborn ·         Justice League vs. the Fatal Five ·         Batman: Son of the Demon ·         The International Club of Heroes (Batman #667-669) Join us in two weeks as we continue our exploration of James Gunn’s DCU slate with a look at The Authority: Relentless! Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!

Content warning: A minor is murdered. In this episode, we examine one of the most popular Batman stories of all time: A Death in the Family from Batman #426-429 by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo, published by DC Comics! In 1988, DC established a pair of 900 numbers to allow readers to vote whether Jason Todd, the second Robin, would live or die. Spoiler alert: He dies. But that’s not even the most memorable part of this truly bizarre tale that features a cameo appearance by the Ayatollah Khomeini and sees the Joker go from international arms dealer to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations! Can the Dark Knight Detective avenge the gruesome death of his teenage ward and stop the Clown Prince of Crime from killing a roomful of U.N. delegates? And is there any chance that this story achieves that diplomatic immunity known as ... The Comics Canon? In This Episode: ·         Visit Historic Crime Alley! ·         What is Iran’s endgame, exactly? ·         What does Superman sound like with his lungs full of gas? ·         A Lonely Place of Dying ·         Extraordinary on Hulu ·         If Books Could Kill ·         Direct Conversations: Talks With Fellow DC Comics Bronze Age Creators ·         Fantastic Four: Full Circle by Alex Ross     Join us in two weeks as we extend our stay in Gotham to discuss Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert’s Batman and Son! Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook! And as always, thanks for listening!