Episode 63 – Fantastic Four Part 4: Three (With Paul Melancon)

Posted on July 18, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin welcome singer-songwriter Paul Melancon! And despite some intermittent microphone issues, the three of them wrap up this four-part exploration of the World’s Greatest Comic Magazine with a discussion of Fantastic Four: Three, by Jonathan Hickman, Steve Epting and many others, published by Marvel Comics!

These issues are jam-packed: Reed Richards fights to save an artificial counter-Earth before it’s destroyed by the world-devouring Galactus! Susan Storm-Richards struggles to prevent an all-out undersea war! The Thing becomes just plain old Ben Grimm! And Ben, Johnny Storm, and the genius kids of the Future Foundation are all that stands between the Earth and an insectoid invasion from the Negative Zone!

Will all of the foremost family of super-powered science explorers live through these extraordinary ordeals? (Spoiler: No.) And can they break through into that alternate dimension of fascinating four-color fictions known as ? The Comics Canon?

(Also, stick around after the episode to hear “Hyperventilate” from Paul’s forthcoming album, The Get-Go’s Action Hour!)

Things Discussed in This Episode:
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Comics Onscreen – To Infinity War and Beyond!

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

Photo by Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios

In this episode, Curt and Kevin take a long look at the current landscape of comics-based movies?a landscape dominated by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With only one big-ticket DC Comics film (that would be Aquaman) on the horizon for 2018, we’re truly living in the Marvel Age of Movies.

Spoilers are as thick on the ground as armored rhinoceroses as we ponder whether Marvel Studios can the critical, commercial and cultural one-two punch of Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, which have conquered a staggering $3.3 billion and counting. We also dive into Deadpool 2, and put Ant-Man and the Wasp under the microscope.

Last but not least, we tune in to the current slate of comics TV properties, including the latest seasons of Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Legion and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; a quick sprint through The Walking Dead; a flash of Black Lightning; and a brief interrogation of Cloak and Dagger.

Things Discussed in This Episode:
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Ant-Man and the Wasp Enjoys Playing With Proportion But Short-Changes the Characters

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

Review by Curt Holman

Marvel Studios

Fans of Star Wars and Marvel superheroes alike expressed concern when Disney bought their respective parent companies, envisioning their favorite fantastical epics reduced to kiddie fare.

But so far, the only film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to seemingly reflect a Disney influence is the 19th installment, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and that seems entirely deliberate on the part of the filmmakers. After the universal threats of Avengers: Infinity War and the MCU’s other cosmic adventures, Ant-Man and the Wasp embraces more modest, whimsical ambitions that feel closer to the Disney tradition of The Absent-Minded Professor, Now You See Him, Now You Don’t and, of course, Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. It’s not a sprawling spectacle – it’s not even terribly memorable – but it’s cute.

After the events of Captain America: Civil War, Scott “Ant-Man” Lang (Paul Rudd) Continue reading →

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Episode 62 – Fantastic Four Part 3: Unthinkable

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin continue their Fantastic Four-part series on the World’s Greatest Comic Magazine with a discussion of the FF’s greatest villain via two very different tales: The Fantastic Origin of Doctor Doom from Fantastic Four Annual #2, and Unthinkable, from Fantastic Four Vol. 3 #67-70 and #500, published by Marvel Comics!

First, it’s a quick time-hop back to the 1960s as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby recount the not-so-humble beginnings of everyone’s favorite mad monarch, Victor Von Doom! Then it’s on to 2003, as Mark Waid and the late Mike Wieringo depict a demonic deal that may defeat Marvel’s quintessential quartet once and for all!

Having embraced his sorcerous side, will Victor finally emerge victorious? Or can our science-loving squad outsmart their arrogant arch-nemesis and thus gain entry into that Magic Castle known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:
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Episode 61 – Fantastic Four Part 2: The Trial of Reed Richards

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin continue their four-part exploration of Marvel Comics’ first family of super-powered science adventurers! This time around, they turn their attention to two titanic beings who cast a large shadow over the World’s Greatest Comic Magazine – the cosmic entity Galactus and writer-artist John Byrne – with a discussion of Fantastic Four #242-244 and #261-262!

Terrax, the evil herald of Galactus, forces a fight between the Fantastic Four and his world-devouring master. When Galactus falls, near death, Reed Richards saves his life, earning the wrath of the many races whose worlds Galactus has destroyed.

When Mister Fantastic is captured and forced to stand trial for saving the planet-eating giant, can the rest of the Fantastic Four convince an armada of angry aliens not to execute their elastic leader? And can they convince the galaxy’s toughest jury that this story deserves to be sentenced to that murderer’s row known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:
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Episode 60 – Fantastic Four Part 1: The Early Years

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin launch into a four-episode deep dive into the world’s greatest comic magazine, The Fantastic Four, with a look at three key stories from the 1960s and 70s!

First up, it’s the book that started it all (and gave birth to the Marvel Universe): Fantastic Four #1! Who are these mysterious figures who answer a strange signal in the sky? Where and how did they get their fantastic abilities? And when bizarre monsters attack atomic plants across the globe, can they stop the reclusive Mole Man from destroying the surface world?

 

Next, it’s a race against time in Fantastic Four Annual #6! Reed Richards, Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm must brave the outlandish antimatter universe known as the Negative Zone to save the life of Susan Richards and her unborn child. But can they survive the murderous warlord Annihilus and his dreaded Arena of Execution?

After that, it’s on to the swingin’ 70s for Fantastic Four #140-141! Annihilus is back, and he’s got Susan and the Richards’ young son Franklin in his deadly clutches! To save the universe, Reed Richards pays a terrible price, resulting in The End of the Fantastic Four!

Do these fantastic fables have the pedigree to join that First Family of fabulous funnybooks known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

Join us in two weeks as we time-travel into the 1980s for a look at two titanic figures–John Byrne and the world-devouring Galactus–in Fantastic Four #242-244 and #261-262!

Until then, please rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

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Episode 59 – Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin answer the eternal question “Why the last man?” with a discussion of Unmanned, the gripping first volume of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra’s post-apocalyptic series Y: The Last Man, published by Vertigo/DC Comics!

After a catastrophic event kills seemingly every mammal with a Y chromosome, only two living males remain?unemployed escape artist Yorick Brown and his monkey, Ampersand! With the aid of top-secret operative Agent 355, Yorick reluctantly sets off to discover why he, of all people, is now the last man on Earth!

On his quest to save the world and reunite with his girlfriend, can Yorick survive a cult of aspiring Amazons, gun-toting Congressional wives, an Israeli commando and an out-of-work supermodel? And can he mansplain his way into that boys and girls club known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:
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Deadpool 2’s Superhero Spoof Still Gets Laughs But Starts to Feel X-Forced

Posted on May 18, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

Review by Curt Holman

20th Century Fox

As a character, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool is a violent, foul-mouthed smartypants and bad role model who goes for the obvious joke too many times.

Nevertheless, it’s kind of nice to have him as a movie star.

With so many superhero films and TV shows being produced and crowding out other genres, Deadpool’s self-aware, satirical shtick proves quite welcome. In the trailer for Deadpool 2, he quips to an adversary, “So dark – you sure you’re not from the DC universe?” You can enjoy today’s seemingly inescapable superhero movies and still find them ripe for parody.  Continue reading →

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Episode 58 – Deadpool: With Great Power Comes Great Coincidence

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin gear up for the upcoming release of Deadpool 2 with a look at one of the Merc With a Mouth’s most popular adventures: the time-traveling tale With Great Power Comes Great Coincidence from Deadpool vol. 1 #11, by Joe Kelly and Pete Woods, published by Marvel Comics!

But first, they take a quick detour to Forest Hills, Queens, circa 1967, to dissect a (let’s be honest) somewhat ridiculous story involving Spider-Man, Norman Osborn, Kraven the Hunter and Gwen Stacy rocking  some sweet dance moves: In the Hands of the Hunter! by Stan Lee and John Romita, from Amazing Spider-Man #47!

Can Deadpool (and Spider-Man) defeat that most fearsome of leopard-print-wearing predators before he totally harshes the buzz of Flash Thompson’s going-away party? And can they Twist, Mashed Potato and Loco-Motion their way into that American Bandstand of superhero sagas known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

Join us in two weeks as we take a break from talking about Marvel Comics to discuss Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned, by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra and José Marzán Jr.!

Until then, please rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

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Canonical Conversations: Ed Piskor (X-Men: Grand Design)

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this special bonus episode, Curt and Kevin welcome writer and artist Ed Piskor (Hip-Hop Family Tree) to discuss X-Men: Grand Design, his six-issue “remix” of Marvel mutant history through the end of the Chris Claremont era! (A “Marvel Treasury Edition” collecting the first two issues is available now.)

Things discussed in this episode include the Twitter conversation that started this ambitious project, the X-Men story arcs covered in the next two installments, the unexpected role Carol Danvers plays, Chris Claremont’s relationship with his characters, the surprising X-Man the cartoonist identifies with most, the storytelling challenges inherent in time travel, and the current state of Piskor’s apartment! All that, and Kevin’s dogs make a cameo appearance!

Join us next week as we prepare for the May 18 release of Deadpool 2 with a look at With Great Power Comes Great Coincidence! from Deadpool #11 and In the Hands of the Hunter! from Amazing Spider-Man #47!

Until then, please rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

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