Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Episode 25: Halloween

Henny's out of town again and lucky for us Matt Page is available to help us chat about all things creepy in comics. We go over some of our favorite halloween (creepy horror spooky kinda) comics.


Jonas's Pick
The Last Days of American Crime #1 Starts @ 2:00
Jonas finally decides to put all his differences aside and pick up a Radical published comic for the first time ever.

The U.S. government has perfected a broadcast signal that will extinguish criminal thoughts. Enter fifty-four-year-old burnout, Graham Brick, a grifter who, with only 10 days before the signal goes live, discovers the crime of the century that he’d been planning suddenly transformed into the last crime in American history—if he can pull it off.


Robot6 at CBR interview Rick Remender Here. It's also got some cool previews of Tocchini's character sketches nice work and one to look out for.

Creators: STORY BY: Rick Remender / ART BY: Greg Tocchini

John's Pick
Violent Cases Starts @ 6:38
I still am stunned this is the first book put out by award-winning author Neil Gaiman and the artist Dave McKean. Set only in the memory of its author, (who looks like Neil) this brillant short story meanders through levels of recollection surrounding a childhood injury. After dislocating his arm, a young boy is taken to see a doctor - an aged osteopath who was once the doctor of legendary gangster Al Capone. Gorgeously illustrated in mixed media by Dave McKean, Violent Cases is a sensuous and thought-provoking meditation on our memories.

Also hear my memory of someone stealing my pillow in the middle of the night (why do I have a strawberry shortcake pillowcase Sean?)

Creators: STORY BY: Neil Gaiman / ART BY: Dave Mckean

Special Guest Matt Page's Pick
Daredevil: Return Of The King Starts @ 25:30
Matt likes this book just because its the last run of Brubaker! Rude. "Return of the King" is a five-issue Daredevil story arc appearing in Daredevil (vol. 2) #116-119 & 500 (the volume being renumbered). We also talk about the retarded numbering system being used by Marvel's seemingly random numbering policy. After the woman he loves and her children are killed by the Hand led by Lady Bullseye, the Kingpin returns to the United States and teams up with Daredevil to take down their common foe.

Creators: STORY BY: Ed Brubaker / ART BY: David Aja Michael Lark

Sean's Pick
DHouse of Mystery, Halloween Annual Starts @ 35:30
48-page annual contains a framing story by the regular HOUSE OF MYSTERY creative team of writer Matthew Sturges and artists Luca Rossi and Jose Marzan Jr. Also included is a series of short stories from a few regular Vertigo titles including HELLBLAZER by Peter Milligan, Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini and MADAME XANADU by Matt Wagner, Amy Reeder Hadley and Richard Friend as well as a special MERV PUMPKINHEAD tale (the first in over 8 years!)by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham and Kevin Nowlan! In addition, you'll be treated to a yarn spotlighting the upcoming new monthly series I, ZOMBIE by Chris Roberson and Michael Allred!

We also talk about 30 Days of Night and the second trade Dark Days.
• The Junji Ito Manga Uzumaki
• Andrew Crosby and Jason Alexander's Damn Nation
• Eric Powell's The Goon
• Mike Mignola's Hellboy
• Daniel Bremerton's Nocturnals
• John J. Muth's Dracula.

Then the whole podcast breaks down into twilight giggling.
Shoot us now. Sorry.

Also if your so inclined you can join us now on facebook
Or if you prefer even more obnoxious means of communication we are also on twitter!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Episode 24: Locke & Key


Jonas's Pick:
WormWood Starts @ 1:03
Just when John Constantine was starting to be a bit rumpled, along comes another nattily dressed smart-ass who does business with the unholy darkness; this time, he's a little closer to being one of them. Templesmith's Wormwood is a preternaturally cheery corpse with an ever-present cigarette and pentagram tattoo on his forehead to match the psychotic grin. In this debut, the gentleman corpse comes across a plot by a cabal of demons to infiltrate the world of humans and generally lay waste to it all in the nastiest way possible.

Ben's Flickr Photostream is pretty awesome and offers some real insights into his process well worth checking out.

Creators: STORY BY: Ben Templesmith / ART BY: Ben Templesmith


Sean's Pick:
WormWood Starts @ 8:13
Nick Fury and a long-dormant spy now reactivated continue their top secret mission while the kids get in way over their heads as they go up against members of the Dark Avengers and the Thunderbolts...and while no one else is looking, HYDRA's grand plans continue to unfold. All that and Ares is finally reunited with his son - watch the sparks fly!

Creators: STORY BY: Johnathan Hickman / ART BY: Alessandro Vitti


Henny's Pick:
DareDevil #501 Starts @ 12:52
In 1964, Stan Lee and Bill Everett unleashed one of Marvel’s longest running titles on the comic reading public, The Daredevil! A young boy blinded by a terrible accident but compensated by gaining extraordinary abilities, he has been in continuous publication since his first issue in 1964. Last month he celebrated his 500th issue, and this week we look at issue 501 and a new creative team.

Creators: STORY BY: Andy Diggle / ART BY: Roberto De La Torre


John's Pick:
CRIMINAL The Sinners #1 Starts @ 16:49
I'm not going to say anything more about how amazing this series is buy the damn thing.

Surebeatsworking is Sean Phillips blog go check it out if your not sold by my review here. He is so flipping talented its scary folks. The covers alone sell this book for me check out #4! Seriously go buy this or Incognito or even the first CRIMINAL trade Coward.

Creators: STORY BY: Ed Brubaker / ART BY: Sean Phillips

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Episode 23: Old Man Logan


Jonas's Pick:
Olympus #1 Starts @ 2:30
What do you get when you take 'Boondock Saints,' smash them together with 'Ghostbusters,' and pepper the fusion with a modern look at Greek myth? You get 'Olympus,' an ambitious book by Image that is certainly demanding of its audience, but is well worth the effort.

The story is fairly straightforward, but has a charm all its own: Castor and Pollux are the immortal enforcers of Olympus, as they hunt down rogue demigods who might upset the natural balance of 21st century Earth.

Creators: STORY BY: Nathan Edmonson / ART BY: Christian Ward

Can anyone help us determine what the balls is going on in this panel from the most recent Thor annual? His hand on a leg, arm, baby fetus? What the crap, man? None of us have any idea and Henny is really concerned about it being some crucial point to the storyline that we're all missing. Click the image for a larger version.

Sean's Pick:
Hellblazer #251 Starts @ 10:25
Sean's favorite story run in comics of all time! Issue #251 is an interesting, amusing, and slightly disgusting look at one of the quieter periods of Constantine's life. He isn't battling demons for his very soul this time. He's merely trying to fan the flames of romance with a girl who should, by all rights, know better than to hang around a bloke like him. And just when things are looking up for the would-be Romeo, he develops a nasty skin infection of dubious mystical origin.

Yup, just another day in the life of John Constantine. This story is broken up by a handful of flashbacks starring a factory worker who betrayed his worker's union. Also, he seems to have his own case of black magic skin rash.

Creators: STORY BY: Peter Milligan / ART BY: Giuseppe Camuncoli - 'Cammo' with fill in issues by SIMON BISLEY!

John's Pick:
New Mutants #5 Starts @ 16:23
WARLOCK IS BACK! Everyone's favorite alien robot is back on Earth, but why? Also, see the effects that UTOPIA had on Illyana and the rest of her crew and witness the most vicious fight ever to grace the pages of NEW MUTANTS. The combatants? Cannonball and Dani Moonstar. I'm really stoked about the new art by Zachary Baldus and colorist James Campell's work is pretty unique and makes me decide to continue to pick up this title. New Mutants was on the chopping block for me for sure. Omnilingual Translation is still a crap power Henny.

Creators: STORY BY: Zeb Wells / ART BY: Zachary Flagg Baldus - 'Zachary Flagg'

Henny's Pick:
Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant-Size (2009) - #1 Starts @ 26:15
How can they make Wolverine any cooler? According to Jonas make him 100' tall hence the Giant-Size Wolverine annual
Millar made readers wait eight solid issues for Wolverine to unsheathe his claws, and then a further wait followed for this, the climactic chapter, in which he actually uses them. With Logan's family dead -- killed for fun by the Hulk clan -- there's no longer anything left for Logan to lose, and his story will end the same way it started: by fighting the Incredible Hulk.

Creators: STORY BY: Mark Millar / ART BY: Steve McNiven

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Episode 22: General Comic Book Discussions

Whoo, this one's a doozy folks. We just came off a late night bender from previewing ZombieLand! (starts @ 40:58) Wow. It's well worth the price of admission. In fact, since we saw it for free, now we will have to go see it seven more times. It opens up in theaters Oct 2nd. Sean Leslie's already seen it thrice. Sheesh.


"Only thing it was missing was boobs and it was so good I didn't even notice there weren't any boobs in it."




Henny's Pick:
Blackest Night #3 Starts @ 6:40
As the dead attack in full force, Green Lantern is faced with an impossible decision and the scattered remains of the Justice League suffer a terrible loss. Who can stop the Black Lanterns? Why are they rising? And how can the Spectre help? Will any of us even ever know? Henny picks this one purely based on the cover alone. This guy.... Don't worry Sean lets him have it later in the show.

Creators: STORY BY: Geof Johns / ART BY: Oclair Albert (cover by Ivan Reis)

Jonas's Pick:
The Walking Dead #65 Starts @ 7:38
Hmmm... surprise surprise, Jonas picks another issue of Walking Dead. Seriously people, it's just that good. It's not that the other books out right now aren't good, this one is just that much better, so, you know, if you're not reading this, PICK IT UP! Part 4 of the "Fear the Hunters" storyline. Of all the twists in The Walking Dead so far, I'm surprised we didn't see the idea of cannibalistic human hunters coming a mile away. It fits perfectly with Robert Kirkman's twisted view of humanity post-zombie outbreak.

Creators: STORY BY: Robert Kirkman / ART BY: Charlie Adlard

Henny's Pick: For real this time...
Adventureland Comics #2 Starts @ 11:30
Is it possible that our dear Henny has gotten sick of zombies, stabbings, blood, guts, and gore? Does he really just want to cuddle up with a cute little romantic comedy? Yep. What?! My dude is sensitive, he likes some teen romance. His favorite movie of the year was '17 again.' Henny's on the money with this one, as they tell the tale of the revived Conner Kent, as Superboy settles back into life in Smallville. But all is not well in Superman’s hometown. And while Conner reunites with Wonder Girl to discuss their future, Lex Luthor, and Brainiac form a partnership that will put the entire DCU at risk.

Creators: STORY BY: Geoff Johns / ART BY: Francis Manapul

John's Pick:
28 Days Later #2 Starts @ 13:20
Ok, back into the blood and guts of it, that's what I'm talkin' about! A real man's pick! I picked this issue almost exclusively because of this blog. They are by their own admission, a bunch of surly irish professionals who happen to work in comics and post to the blog daily. I have to admit my favorite consistently on the blog has been Declans's work, so when I heard tell he was starting up this book with 'Boom' I had to check it out and to my surprise (well not really) the books quite well written as well! So be sure to check it out as well as the mick's page it's well worth the gander once a day, my sweet Irish heritage demands it. (Isn't it strange that I make fun of Blackest Night, yet I have never read any of it? Just a thought)

Creators: STORY BY: Michael Alan Nelson / ART BY: Declan Shalvey

Sean's Pick:
The Sword #19 Starts @ 27:21
Dara's epic quest to avenge her family continues, and her last target is Malia, the air goddess who murdered Dara's father. Dara has already fought Malia's brothers - the water god, Zakros, and the earth god, Knossos - but Malia's power over air isn't the only thing that makes her more formidable than her siblings.

Creators: STORY BY: Jonathan Luna, Joshua Luna / ART BY: Jonathan Luna


Sean also waxes poetic about The List (starts @ 30:24) Norman Osbourne's new quest to kill off all of Marvel's biggest money makers. Is ANYONE really going to die? Nah....









We also talk about Matt Fraction's new take on Iron Man's revised origin (starts @ 33:57) is it really more timeless if his origin reflects the movie or should it stay the same as it always was?