Episode 71 – The Arrival

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

It’s Election Day in the U.S., and we’re marking the occasion by casting our ballots for a lesser-known gem: Shaun Tan’s wordless 2006 graphic novel The Arrival. Set in a world similar to but slightly different from our own, this vividly imagined and beautifully illustrated tale traces one man’s journey from his menacing homeland to a strange and fantastic new world. Along the way, he meets other immigrants who share their stories of hope and hardship.

Can our protagonist navigate this wondrous new land and reunite with his wife and daughter? And will The Arrival take up residence in that shining city on a hill known as … The Comics Canon?

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Episode 70 – The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin are off to never-never land as they conclude a look at game-changing DC horror comics with a discussion of The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes, collecting issues #1-8 of the Sandman by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg and Malcolm Jones III, published by DC Comics!

When an ambitious magician attempts to capture Death, he instead ends up Runnin’ Down a Dream … that is, Dream, aka Morpheus, King of Dreams! When a weakened Morpheus finally escapes decades later, his quest to resume his throne forces him to confront a mentally unstable supervillain and the devil himself!

Can the Dream Weaver prevail against the hordes of Hell and stop the deranged Doctor Destiny from usurping control of the dream world that awaits behind the wall of sleep? And will he walk alone down that boulevard of broken dreams known as … The Comics Canon?

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Episode 69 – Swamp Thing Origins

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, October is here, Curt and Kevin get into the spirit of the season with a look at the comic-book origins of everyone’s favorite muck monster! First up is 1971’s House of Secrets #92, a kind of proof of concept giving us a proto-Swamp Thing that’s a little light in the swamp department.

Next, it’s on to Swamp Thing (Vol. 1) #1-3, detailing the (first) origin and early adventures of the swamp monster we all know and love, featuring the debuts of Anton Arcane and his niece Abby. And finally, as a companion piece to our previous Swamp Thing episode, a nod to the character’s second origin at the hands of Alan Moore via Swamp Thing Vol. 2 #33, which folds the aforementioned House of Secrets story into contemporary continuity!

Can our favorite beast of the bayous prevail against the grotesque Un-Men and the … shall we say, familiar figure of the Patchwork Man? And can he slog his way into that protected wildlife preserve known as … the Comics Canon?

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Join us in two weeks as the horror continues with a look at Preludes and Nocturnes, collecting issues #1-8 of Neil Gaiman’s magnum opus, The Sandman!

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 68 – The Miles Morales Episode

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Kevin Moreau and “Ultimate” Curt Holman return to the Ultimate Universe to discuss the origin of the popular biracial Spider-Man, Miles Morales in the second half of an unofficial Ultimate Spider-Man two-parter, this time reviewing Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1-5 by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, published by Marvel Comics!

When young Miles Morales is bitten by a genetically modified spider, he quickly develops the ability to turn invisible and cling to walls, among other things. Miles wants no part of these awesome powers, wishing only to live a normal life and do well at his new charter school. But when Miles witnesses the tragic death of Spider-Man, he begins to realize that with great power comes great responsibility!

Can our 13-year-old hero live up to the heroic example set by his predecessor? And can he make the grade in that elite class of comic-book champions known as … The Comics Canon?

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Episode 67 – Ultimate Spider-Man: Venom

Posted on September 12, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin prime the pump for the Oct. 5 release of the Venom feature film with a discussion of the sinister symbiote’s origin story — that is, as portrayed in issues 33-39 of Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, published by Marvel Comics!

Peter Parker’s childhood friend Eddie Brock reveals that their fathers were working on a cancer-fighting super-suit shortly before they died in a mysterious plane crash years earlier. When Peter investigates, the suit bonds with him, making him more powerful, and soon attempts to turn him into a homicidal monster!

 

When the suit bonds with a vengeful Eddie Brock, can Peter hope to prevail against this stronger, bloodthirstier version of himself — and save his friend in the process? And can he swing his way into that worldwide web of comic book stories known as … The Comics Canon?

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Episode 66 – Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin put superhero slugfests aside to confront a subject far more frightening than Doomsday, Thanos or the Annihilation Wave! That’s right: We’re talking about the award-winning graphic memoir Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, written and drawn by Roz Chast and published by Bloomsbury!

Chast, a critically acclaimed cartoonist for the New Yorker, paints an unflinching portrait of the final years of her nonagenarian parents, anxious George and overbearing Elizabeth, as they come to grips with physical frailty, encroaching dementia, and leaving their cluttered Brooklyn apartment for an assisted living facility.

Can Chast, an only child suddenly forced to become a parent to her parents, successfully navigate the thorny thicket of managing their care and finances and prepare herself to say goodbye? And can this funny and heart-wrenching book earn a spot in that eternal resting place known as … The Comics Canon?

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Episode 65 – The Death of Superman

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin turn their attention to one of the most famous Superman stories of all time?the headline-grabbing, multi-part event storyline The Death of Superman, written and drawn by a rotating cast of creators and published by DC Comics!

The hulking, mysterious figure who comes to be known as Doomsday arrives out of nowhere, destroying everything in his path! Not even the Justice League can slow this raging brute as he plods toward Metropolis, leaving death and ruin in his wake! Only one man has a chance against this inhuman monster. But is even Superman up to the task?

Can the Man of Steel stop Doomsday’s relentless onslaught without paying the ultimate price? (Well, the title of the story is a dead giveaway.) And will his name be added to that memorial of monumental epics known as … The Comics Canon?

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Episode 64 – Zot!: The Eyes of Dekko and Hearts and Minds

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin observe the 25th anniversary of Scott McCloud’s landmark Understanding Comics with (what else?) a discussion of a pair of stories from McCloud’s lighthearted comic Zot!: The Eyes of Dekko from Zot #17-18, and the webcomic Hearts and Minds!

Jenny Weaver, a high schooler from a world similar to our own, and her boyfriend Zot, a free-spirited superhero from another Earth, grapple with issues of teen angst, art, divorce and mortality as they clash with the insane cyborg Dekko, a formerly human artist who wears the Chrysler Building on his head!

Can Jenny and Zot prevent Dekko from killing a group of hostages … oh, and eradicating all of existence? And can they fly off into that alternate dimension of sequential storytelling known as … The Comics Canon?

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Join us in two weeks as we turn our attention to one of the most famous (and infamous) comics stories of all time: The Death of Superman!

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 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!)

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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.

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