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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Episode 57 – The Infinity Gauntlet (With C.D. Brown)

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin welcome filmmaker and author C.D. Brown as they wrap up their preparations for Avengers: Infinity War with a look at the landmark limited series The Infinity Gauntlet by Jim Starlin, George Perez and Ron Lim, published by Marvel Comics!

Oh, crap! Thanos the mad Titan has the six infinity gems, granting him dominion over the mind, the soul, space, time, power and reality itself! And in an attempt to please Death herself, he’s eradicated half of all life everywhere!

Can the assembled might of Earth’s heartiest heroes, cosmic champions and assorted space gods possibly be enough to outwit this omnipotent oppressor? And can this mind-bending saga gain the favor of our own Living Tribunal and gain entry into that pantheon of power-packed periodicals known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:
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Episode 56 – Looney Tunes Crossovers

Posted on April 11, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin make a left turn at Albuquerque to discuss a pair of stories featuring crossovers between DC Comics heroes and Looney Tunes characters: Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1 by Tom King and Lee Weeks, and Grant Morrison and Chas Truog’s The Coyote Gospel from Animal Man #5, published by DC Comics!

First, a fearsome hunter tracks his prey through the mean streets of Gotham City. His name is Elmer Fudd, and he’s hunting pwayboys … specifically, a biwwionaiwe by the name of Bwuce Wayne! When the urban vigilante crosses paths with Gotham’s Dark Knight Detective, Fudd and the Batman discover they have something in common: the femme fatale known as Silver St. Cloud!

Then, the hunter becomes the hunted as a crafty coyote (who bears a striking resemblance to a certain Warner Bros. character) is stalked by an unnamed man across the California desert. But a grief-stricken pursuer is the least of this wily carnivore’s worries as he endures an eternal cycle of death and resurrection at the hands of a capricious creator!

Can Animal Man, the Caped Crusader and their animated cohorts prevail against the unseen adversaries manipulating them from behind the scenes? And can they sneak their way into that superheroic sanctuary known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

Join us in two weeks as we look forward to a little movie you may of heard of called Avengers: Infinity War with a look at the 1991 Marvel Comics miniseries The Infinity Gauntlet!

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 55 – X-Men Origins

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin conclude their trilogy of Marvel origins episodes with a look at the comic book beginnings of everyone’s favorite mutants! Then, they gear up for the new season of FX’s Legion with a look at the issue that inspired a key moment from the show!

First, the comic that started it all: X-Men #1! Who are these mysterious teenagers with bizarre super-powers? Who is their stern, slightly scary taskmaster? And when the mysterious master of magnetism known as Magneto threatens a U.S. missile base, can our milquetoast mutants save the day?

Next it’s the book that launched the X-Men as we know them today: Giant-Size X-Men #1! When the X-Men are captured by a mysterious foe, Charles Xavier assembles a new squad to rescue them. This international mishmash of mutants – including Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler and Colossus – has some impressive powers and even cooler costumes. But when it comes to defeating Krakoa, The Island That Walks Like a Man, do they have any chance atoll?

And last but not least, Charles Xavier recounts his own quasi-origin story in Uncanny X-Men #117, including a no-holds-barred psychic skirmish with the nefarious Shadow King – a mental melee dramatized (after a fashion) in Legion’s first season!

Do these uncanny tales have what it takes to graduate to the top of that class of peerless periodicals known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

Join us in two weeks as we make a left turn at Albuquerque to discuss a pair of stories that pair DC superheroes with Looney Tunes characters: The Coyote Gospel from Grant Morrison’s Animal Man and 2017’s Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1!

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 54 – Avengers Origins

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin look forward to the April 27 release of Avengers: Infinity War by reviewing the first appearances of the original lineup of Marvel Comics’ Avengers!

It’s a whirlwind lightning round of takes on Phase One of the comic-book Avengers:

“The Man in the Ant Hill!” (Henry Pym, Tales to Astonish #27)
“The Hulk” (The Incredible Hulk #1)
“Thor the Mighty and the Stone Men From Saturn!” (Thor, Journey Into Mystery #83)
“Iron Man is Born!” (Iron Man, Tales of Suspense #39)
“The Creature From Kosmos!” (The Wasp, Tales to Astonish #44) And finally, “the first in a star-studded series of book-length super-epics” … “The Coming of the Avengers” (Avengers #1)!

Can the combined power of the Avengers defeat the sinister spells of Loki, god of evil? And can Earth’s mightiest heroes gain entry into that awesome assemblage known as ? The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:  Continue reading →

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Episode 53 – Alias: The Secret Origins of Jessica Jones

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this episode, Curt and Kevin once again set aside their “clean” rating as they prepare for the second season of Netflix’s Jessica Jones by snooping around Alias Vol. 4: The Secret Origins of Jessica Jones, collecting issues #22-28 of Alias, published by Marvel Comics! (Please be advised: Mature subject matter is discussed.)

First, as the title implies, the origins of everyone’s favorite super-powered sleuth are explored, as young Jessica Campbell Forrest Gumps her way around the early days of the Marvel Universe on her way to gaining extraordinary abilities!

Then, our former superhero turned private eye is hired to confront Zebediah Killgrave, The Purple Man, who can make his victims do whatever he wants. To do so, she’ll have to face her painful past as Killgrave’s physical and emotional plaything.

Can Jessica finally defeat Killgrave and put this dark chapter of her life behind her? And can she crack the code that will grant her entrance to that hall of hard-boiled heroes known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

Join us in two weeks as we begin our preparations for Avengers: Infinity War with a look at the origins of the comic-book Avengers, starting with the first appearances of Henry Pym (Tales to Astonish #27), The Incredible Hulk (The Incredible Hulk #1), Thor (Journey Into Mystery #83), Iron Man (Tales of Suspense #39) and the Wasp (Tales to Astonish #44), all leading into Avengers #1!

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 52 – Love and Rockets: Heartbreak Soup

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Kevin Moreau

In this Valentine’s Day episode, Curt and Kevin discuss a tale of love, longing and murder: Heartbreak Soup (or Sopa de Gran Pena) and its prologue, Chelo’s Burden, written and drawn by Gilbert Hernandez, from the long-running series Love and Rockets, published by Fantagraphics Books.

In the small Latin American town of Palomar, a violent breakup finds dazed, drunken Tip in’ Tip in’ taken under the wing of headstrong 11-year-old Carmen. Meanwhile, Pipo, Carmen’s 14-year-old sister, is quickly falling in love with Manuel, the town’s baby-faced lothario. But that doesn’t sit well with hot-headed Gato, who carries a major torch for Pipo.

When this love triangle turns deadly, will all three live to tell the tale? Can Chelo, the town’s bañadora, survive a little competition from beguiling newcomer Luba? And can this indelible cast of characters move on up to that magnificent metropolis known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:
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