Episode 209: Flung Out of Space

Posted on May 8, 2024 by Kevin Moreau

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:
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Quizzical Canonical 5: Word Balloons

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Kevin Moreau

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!)

 

 

 

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Episode 208: Return of The Dark Knight Returns Part 2

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Kevin Moreau

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:
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Episode 207: Return of The Dark Knight Returns Part 1

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Kevin Moreau

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:
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Episode 206: Wolverine (1982)

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Kevin Moreau

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: Continue reading →

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Episode 205: Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 1 – The Assassin’s Road

Posted on February 28, 2024 by Kevin Moreau

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?

 

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Episode 204: Hulk vs. Thing – The Last Round?

Posted on February 14, 2024 by Kevin Moreau

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:
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Episode 203: Hulk vs. Thing, Rounds 1 and 2

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Kevin Moreau

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:
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Episode 202: A Guest in the House

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Kevin Moreau

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!

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One-Shot: The Comics Canon All-Stars 2024 (The Best of Our Second 100 Episodes)

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Kevin Moreau

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 Facebook or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter!

And as always, thanks for listening!

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