Episode 157 – The Moon Knight Episode

Today marks the debut of the new Moon Knight series on Disney+, and to mark the occasion, we’re diving into the career of everyone’s favorite multiple-personality Avenger with a look at a few different eras of Moon Knight comics, published by Marvel Comics.

First, we review 1980’s Moon Knight #1  Doug Moench and Bill Sinkiewicz, followed by a two-part team-up with the Werewolf By Night in Moon Knight #29-30! Then it’s a look at 2011’s 12-issue run by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, and we wrap up with the mysterious Mr. Knight as depicted by Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey.

Join us as we ask the burning questions: Why hasn’t the Fist of Khonshu broken into the A-list of Marvel heroes? And can any of these stories break into that subterranean tomb of the comic-book gods known as … The Comics Canon?

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Episode 156 – Batman: The Long Halloween

Our Batman two-parter concludes with a discussion of Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, published by DC Comics!

This popular miniseries serves as a de facto sequel to Batman: Year One, despite marked differences in size, tone and style, as a serial killer known as Holiday terrorizes Gotham City’s underworld over the course of a tumultuous year, providing the backdrop for a shift in the city’s criminal power balance from organized crime toward garish supervillains like the Joker, Scarecrow and Poison Ivy.

Can District Attorney Harvey Dent bring down Carmine “The Roman” Falcone with his sanity intact? (Spoiler alert: No.) And can this influential tale survive a night in that haunted house of crime capers known as … The Comics Canon?

In This Episode!

  • The January Man
  • The Godfather and other movie reverences
  • Solomon Grundy not have salad fork!
  • Batman: Dark Victory and Batman: Joker War
  • The Penny Plunderers
  • The Big Heat
  • Tales of the Batman: Steve Englehart

Join us in two weeks as we get ready for Moon Knight on Disney+ with: The Moon Knight Episode!

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!

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Episode 155 – Batman: Year One

We’re back, baby! Just in time for the March 4 release of The Batman, we discuss Batman Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, published by DC Comics!

Following on the heels of 1986’s acclaimed The Dark Knight Returns and DC’s post-Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot, this four-part origin story (originally published in Batman #404-407) is steeped in the hard-boiled atmospherics of pulp, noir and gritty 70s crime flicks.

Will grizzled police detective Jim Gordon prevail against Gotham City’s corrupt police force? Will a newly returned Bruce Wayne become the Dark Knight Detective we all know and love? And will this bare-knuckled take on Batman’s beginnings take flight in that dimly lit back alley known as … The Comics Canon?

In This Episode!

  • Was the bat all in Bruce Wayne’s head?
  • The Roman: A missed opportunity
  • Selina Kyle’s apartment
  • Daredevil: Born Again
  • The City of Glass graphic novel adaptation
  • The Batman: Year One animated movie
  • Curt likes The Batman

Join us in two weeks as we extend our stay in Gotham City with a discussion of Batman: The Long Halloween!

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!

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Episode 154 – The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect

(Content warning: Sexual assault)

Our two-parter on comics legend George Perez continues with a look at The Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect, published by Marvel Comics!

Eisner Award-winning writer Peter David brings a light touch to this alternate-future tale set in the appropriately named Dystopia, where a warlord known as The Maestro rules with an iron fist. A band of rebels travels to the past (and our present) to bring back the one “studly” who can take down the Maestro—the Hulk! Oh, and did we mention that the Maestro and the Hulk are one and the same?

Can Future Imperfect overcome outdated future slang and some rather problematic elements to leap feet-first into that shining citadel of post-apocalyptic periodicals known as … The Comics Canon?

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Episode 153 – Wonder Woman (1987) Vol. 1: Gods and Mortals

(Content warning: Sexual assault)

In the first of a two-part series on George Perez, we discuss one of his most famous runs as a creator, the 1987 reboot of DC Comics’ Wonder Woman!

Spinning out of the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths (also drawn by Perez), the series redefined the character in ways that are still felt today, from the comics to the recent Wonder Woman movies. And as plotter as well as penciller, Perez was the driving creative force behind these changes.

These groundbreaking comics gave Wonder Woman new depth and cemented her ties to Greek mythology. Can they also lasso their way into that Paradise Island known as … The Comics Canon?

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Episode 152 – Far Sector

In N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell’s Far Sector (from DC Comics’ Young Animal imprint), Green Lantern Sojourner “Jo” Mullein is assigned to the City Enduring, a sprawling megalopolis of some 20 billion souls at the far end of space, where she becomes embroiled in a twisty plot involving politics, corruption and murder.

Can this timely sci-fi thriller, with its scenes of voter suppression and peace officers firing on protestors, blast off to that galaxy far, far away known as … The Comics Canon?

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Episode 151 – Green Lantern: Agent Orange and the Larfleeze Christmas Special

Larfleeze Navidad! Just in time for the holidays, we unwrap not one but TWO tales featuring everyone’s … favorite? … DC Comics ring-slinger, Larfleeze, with a look at Green Lantern Vol 4 #39-42 and Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special!

First, Hal Jordan struggles to wield the blue light of hope as he and the rest of the space cops in the Green Lantern Corps face off against the menacing (and somewhat comical) Larfleeze, wielder of the orange light of greed!

Next, in a lighthearted change of pace, Larfleeze seeks vengeance on Santa Claus when the jolly old elf skips his house on Dec. 25!

Can Hal Jordan unlock the sinister secret of his avaricious new adversary—and teach him the true meaning of Christmas?

And can these salmon-tinged stocking stuffers find their way under the tree of graphic goodness known as … The Comics Canon?

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Canonical Conversations: All of the Marvels With Douglas Wolk

Author and podcaster Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics; Voice of Latveria) joins us to discuss his excellent new book, All of the Marvels, which examines the Marvel Universe as one single connected narrative that unfolds over six decades and 27,000+ issues.

We also look at a pivotal moment in Marvel Comics history from three different vantage points: Avengers (1963) #16, Thunderbolts (1997) #9 and Avengers (2016) #1.1!

 

 

Issues Addressed in This Episode:

  • The surprising central character of the Marvel Universe
  • The Life of Reilly
  • The prescience (and odd timing) of Dark Reign
  • How will we look back on the comics of 2021?
  • New Avengers Vol. 6: Revolution
  • Radioactive Man comics
  • The French Dispatch
  • House to Astonish and The Lightning Round
  • The Marvels by Kurt Busiek and Yildiray Cinar
  • Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons #1

Join us in two weeks as we ring in the holiday season with … wait, this can’t be right, can it? What’s that? It is? Okay. Join us in two weeks as we ring in the holiday season with Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special #1 and Green Lantern: Agent Orange!

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!

Listen Now

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One-Shot: The Quizzical Canonical!

In an exclusive deleted scene from last week’s Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? discussion, Curt surprises Kevin with a pop quiz covering the first 150 episodes of The Comics Canon!

 

 

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Episode 150 – Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

In 1986, after decades of sneering supervillains, mad scientists and interplanetary despots, the Man of Steel was finally confronted with a foe even he couldn’t defeat—an editorially mandated reboot!

But before he could fly off into the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths sunset, he’d have to deal with deadly new versions of some of his classic foes in the two-part farewell Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, courtesy of superstar writer Alan Moore, quintessential Superman artist Curt Swan and legendary editor Julius Schwartz! (Content warning: Things get a bit dark.)

And as if that weren’t enough story for our landmark 150th episode, we also crack open The Superman Super-Spectacular from 1963’s Action Comics #309, featuring a guest appearance by none other than President John F. Kennedy!

Can 60s Superman protect his secret identity from Lois Lane and Lana Lang for the umpteenth time? Can 80s Superman protect his friends—and himself—when his rogues gallery gets a lethal upgrade? And can these stories survive a trip to that Bottle City of Comic-Book Candor known as … The Comics Canon?

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