Back Issue Bloodbath Archives - Geek Hard

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Gavin Stephens as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

There are certain comic creators that are revered by many as legendary figures in the industry for all the great stories they’ve provided over the years. Then there are superstar creators who have produced a great number of misses to go along with their hits. Jeph Loeb is of the second camp. When one looks back to The Long Halloween, Superman for all Seasons, Daredevil: Yellow, Spider-Man: Blue and Hush, it’s hard to argue that Loeb is a master craftsman in the art of telling a rippin’ comic yarn. But then this is also the guy who also brought us the Red Hulk. Not his finest moment if you ask us.

On this week’s Bloodbath, we take a look back on the career of Jeph Loeb, from his beginnings as a screenwriter, to his work with artist Tim Sale, his jump to T.V. and his most recent comic work. What made a once great creator dip his toe into mediocre waters? Not sure if we’ll have the answers to this mystery, but we’ll sure try to find out as we delve into Loeb’s history as a writer. It’s all coming your way RIGHT NOW!

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Gavin Stephens as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

This week, we talk about a couple of comics from the recent past. The first is just from last year: Amazing, Fantastic, Incredible, the autobio comic put out last year by Stan “The Man” Lee (with help from Peter David and artist Colleen Doran). No surprise here, the graphic novel covers the life and career of Stan Lee from his beginnings in the comic business to his most recent years involved in various projects of the movie and t.v. variety. Andrew breaks it down and tells you what he liked and didn’t like about it

For our second comic, Gavin presents his review of Marvel Zombies, the 2006 miniseries by Robert Kirkman with artwork by Sean Phillips. The Walking Dead scribe brought the zombie treatment to the Marvel U a decade ago and back then, zombies were not exactly the super craze they are now in pop culture and entertainment. “Marvel Heroes as villains bent on quelling their hunger by devouring not only their colleagues but also everybody else on the planet” is also a bit of a hard sell. What made this book catch on with fans the way it did in ’06? Find out as Gavin gives us his version of a grade 3 book report on the series.

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Gavin Stephens as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

There’s two things that you’re not suppose to talk about in mixed company. One is Religion. The other is Politics. Don’t worry, we’re not going to go down the religion road (at least not this time). Instead, we’re going to talk about politics, their influence on comics and vice versa. Politics have been present in comics since the beginning. From the types of messages told in the comics of the early thirties, to the comic book witch trials of the 50s, to the writers of comics today. If you look at titles like Captain America: Sam Wilson and Ms. Marvel, it’s hard not see the influence of the world around us affecting the stories being told in these books. That’s our focus this week.

Join us as we take a trip back through comics’ history and look at the various times that politics overtly affected the industry and stories being told. There’ll be talk of the Comics’ Code Authority, Frederick Wertham, the Spider-Man drug issues and more! You’re not going to want to miss this one as Gavin and Andrew speak candidly about where the marriage of comics and politics work and where it doesn’t. It’s all coming your way on an ALL NEW Back Issue Bloodbath. Take a listen.

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Gavin Stephens as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

FINALLY…..BACK ISSUE BLOODBATH…….HAS COME BACK TO GEEK HARD! It’s been a dreary two weeks without the show and we here at BIB are very sorry for the delays. As it has been said previously, we’ve had a series of unfortunate events plague us as of late. First, there was Gavin’s disappearance into another dimension and his battle with Time Wraiths to find his way back. Then last week, tragedy struck BIB HQ when marauders attacked and both Andrew and Gavin had to hold the fort in order to stop the destruction. But that’s all behind us now. We’re back and WE’RE NEVER LEAVING AGAIN!

Anyways, this week, we take a look back at a DC comic from the mid-nineties that is considered one of the best Batman Stories of all time…..and also the best Two-Face stories of all time. We’re of course talking about Batman: The Long Halloween. Considered the ultimate comic work of creator duo Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, The Long Halloween put this writer and artist on the map as comic book royalty. They would go to do great work at both DC and Marvel and leave a stamp on each of the characters they would showcase. But this is the big hit that cemented this team in the fans minds.

Join Andrew and Gavin as they peel back the layers on this tale and look at how the Bat is portrayed, the slow descent into madness that is showcased in each of the characters and classic “whodonnit?” devices at work in the story. If you’ve read the story before, you might find something you hadn’t thought of before. Take a listen to an ALL NEW Bloodbath.

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Gavin Stephens as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

It is with a heavy heart that we bring you the bad news that a new episode of Back Issue Bloodbath will not be available this week. No Back Issue Bloodbath, sorry. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were unable to get together for a recording. The full explanation is available in the short audio message that Andrew has included with this post. There’s also a recommendation on a new comic series that he thinks you should be checking out.

I know this week will be tough without a new episode of Bloodbath, but I am certain that you will be able to soldier on. You can get through this. And next week will be here before you know it! We’ve got episodes planned that look back at Batman: The Long Halloween, the career of comic scribe and television producer Jeph Loeb, the influence of politics on our comics and even some reviews of great and not-so-great graphic novels! It’s all coming your way in the next few weeks. So at least there’s something to look forward to, right?

As stated above, take a listen to the audio message included with this post where Andrew explains the situation for you all. Once you hear it, I’m sure you’ll 100% understand why we couldn’t do a show this week. But again, we’re sorry there’s no Back Issue Bloodbath this week.

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Gavin Stephens as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

On this week’s episode, Andrew and Gavin take a look back on a comic creator that had a hand in making them the men they are today. (That’s right, this guy is to blame). Larry – Freakin – Hama! Larry Hama is a man who is synonymous with G.I. Joe. He was the main writer on the original Marvel comic from the 80s as well as the guy who wrote all the file cards that came with each figure. He developed the backstories for each and every Real American Hero and Cobra Enemy. Larry Hama is essentially the Godfather of G.I. Joe. But his legacy doesn’t end there.

Larry is also known for his 8 year run on Wolverine. Most of the things we know about Logan come from his time on the comic. In a sense, Larry Hama is the best there is at what he does….and what he does is write comics. Take a listen as we look back on the man’s legendary run on G.I. Joe, including the iconic issue #21 (a.k.a. Silent Interlude), as well as his time on the old Canucklehead. We even chat a bit about what he’s up to now.

As an added bonus, we’ve included a snippet of Andrew’s interview with Larry Hama from a couple of years back. Keep your ears piqued for that one. Get to know Larry better on this creator spotlight episode of Back Issue Bloodbath.

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Gavin Stephens as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

In this week’s episode, Andrew and Gavin take a look at a few current comics on the stand. And to no one’s surprise, they’re both Marvel titles. Gavin gives his impressions of the first few issues of Dr. Strange. Written by Jason Aaron with art by Chris Bachelo, it’s a daring new take on the sorcerer supreme and fans have been really into it. Will Gavin share their sentiments?

Andrew’s only had one thing on his mind these past few months: Daredevil. So it makes sense that his review would be on the current series by Charles Soule and Ron Garney. The series has made some big changes from the last series. Matt Murdock’s back in New York, his secret identity is once again intact and he’s now serving as a junior prosecuting attorney. There’s also a new villain to contend with: Ten Fingers, a cult leader who’s attempting to become the next crime lord of Hell’s Kitchen. How does this all sit with Andrew, a man who you could say is one of the biggest Daredevil fans there is?

There’s lot’s to talk about and Gavin and Andrew are forthcoming with their opinions as always. This and more awaits you on an ALL NEW episode of Bloodbath!

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

 

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Gavin Stephens as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

This week, we take a look at a long running debate in the world of comicdom: the importance of continuity in the Big Two. For years, comic book continuity has been both a blessing and a curse at Marvel and DC Comics. Creating an interconnected history has made both fictional universes feel like real, tangible places. But it’s also created a heavy amount of backstory for a reader to pick up and remember. In the case of Marvel, they attempted to combat it with “soft” reboots over the past few decades, changing dates and story elements to keep them more modern. DC on the other hand has relaunched and in some cases rewritten their history in attempts to streamline it and make it more accessible to the reader. But the question remains if continuity is even relevant for today’s comic consumers. Is it necessary for each facet of either the Marvel or DC universes be mapped out and connected? Isn’t it more important to tell good stories?

Andrew and Gavin give their thoughts on the matter and present points for both sides of the argument on an ALL NEW Back Issue Bloodbath!

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Gavin Stephens as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

It’s Daredevil week here at Geek Hard and Back Issue Bloodbath is getting in on the action as this episode, we take a look back on the Man without Fear. Andrew has been a long time, unapologetic DD fan and Gavin has always had a soft spot for the blind protector of Hell’s Kitchen as well. Listen as they take a trip down memory lane and revisit the comic book history of Matt Murdock. From his humble beginnings in the pages of Daredevil #1 (from April 1964) to the dark days of Frank Miller’s run on the book to the sunnier side of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee’s recent series, we cover it all.

When the first title began, Daredevil was basically a Spider-Man knock-off that followed a blind lawyer instead of an insecure teen. Over the decades, the character has evolved into a hero that deals with much darker, more mature subject matter and has a vibe that is more crime noir than your typical “super hero vs. super villain” story. With acclaimed runs from such great teams as Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr., Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, and Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark, Daredevil has been one of the most sophisticated comics on the rack. Take a listen as we toast Daredevil on an ALL NEW Bloodbath.

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!

 

Welcome friends to Back Issue Bloodbath, a comics-centric podcast presented by Geek Hard. Join hosts Andrew Young and Gavin Stephens as they get down and dirty in the four-colour world of comic books, focusing on classic stories, new issues, comic creators and hot button topics.

This week, in our creator spotlight, Andrew and Gavin take a look back at a creator that is no longer with us but his work still impacts the industry to this day: Dwayne McDuffie. Dwayne’s work as a writer not only left a mark on the comics world but also animation as well. From his early days working at Marvel and creating the comedy title Damage Control to his work on Justice League Unlimted and other cartoons to his return to comics in the mid-2000s, we talk about it all. We also touch on Dwayne’s work at giving minorities more than just a “token” voice in the world of comic books, taking a look back at Milestone, a comic line with a multicultural sensibility.

A great man and creator, Andrew and Gavin discuss some of their favourite comics and television series that Dwayne had a hand in writing as well as their thoughts on the legacy that Dwayne has left behind and the resonance of his contributions to the industry.  There’s a number of projects out there that some are not even aware that McDuffie was involved. We talk about those and more as we tribute a man that gave us some great comic and cartoon memories. It’s all coming your way on an ALL NEW, ALL DIFFERNT Bloodbath.

Have an idea for a certain topic we should cover? Have an indie comic book you’d like us to review? Send us an email at [email protected] with “Back Issue Bloodbath” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!