Comichron and ICv2.com released their 2020 comics sales numbers and there is much debate to what it all means. The traditional Western comic book industry (Marvel, DC, Image) numbers are down but not as much as many predicted coming out of the pandemic. This has led to some in the industry to pretend that stagnant growth isn’t an issue. (00:00:00) Perch from the Comics, by Perch Podcast joins Wes to take a deeper look into the 2020 comic sales numbers. (00:21:39) Leah Williams X-FACTOR series came to an end with controversy this week. Williams and others in the X-Men office have made it a point to court fringe elements of comic book readership. Perch and Wes talk about it coming back to bite them this week. (00:42:56) United States OF CAPTAIN AMERICA is supposed to be a celebration of 80 years of Cap. Washington Times journalist Doug Ernst talks about why it reads more like a eulogy. (00:59:53) As recently as 2019 writer Larry Hama maintained that his G.I. JOE creation Snake Eyes should not be Asian. Mark Pellegrini and Wes talk about his sudden 180 degree turn. (01:27:23) Mark then talks about the entertainment industries insistence on portraying irredeemable villains like Cruel as heroes in modern entertainment. (01:46:54) Comic super-fan Eric Breen and Wes discuss the growing trend of downplaying and marginalizing the importance of classic creators like Rob Liefeld, Bill Willingham and others. (02:13:53) Finally, writer Aaron Sparrow joins the pod to discuss why some companies can’t let go of hated characters like Admiral Holdo and the Ghostbusters reboot team (02:34:17) and then reviews LOKI episode 4 with Wes. The best episode of the series so far. (02:57:28)

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