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.

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!

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 on Bloodbath, Andrew and Gavin give an in depth review of the first 5 issues of Captain America: Sam Wilson, written by Nick Spencer with art by Daniel Acuna. In this series, Sam’s broken away from S.H.I.E.L.D. and is out to stand up for his beliefs. Touching on current topics in the media, this comic is attempting to take a relevant stance on subjects that matter in today’s society. That’s not to say that there isn’t a lot of fun to be had. Spencer also weaves in classic Cap villains and supporting cast, bringing a balance of superhero action and topical messages that is not seen anywhere else in mainstream comics. But is this balance working?

Both Andrew and Gavin are big fans of Nick Spencer, but does that mean that this book is up their alley? Is a book worth your comic buying dollars? Find out what they think of the series as they break down the book and look at some of the surprising plot points (Cap Wolf, anyone?). It all goes down right now with an ALL NEW edition of Back Issue Bloodbath. Give it 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.

This week, Andrew and Gavin take a look at The Big Two: Marvel and DC. The top 2 companies in the comics industry. For years, these two groups have battled it out for #1 on the sales charts, overtaking one another time and time again. But as of last year, there has been a steady decline in the sale of comics. This is the first time in seven years where there has been a decrease in sales for these companies and it’s cause for some alarm. The big question to come from this is “How will each combat this situation?”

Both Marvel and DC have their strategies. Marvel is known for flooding the market with new #1 issues and putting out as many titles as they can. DC, who rebooted their entire continuity back in 2011, is poised to do so again with the company wide “Rebirth” event, designed to combine the pre and post New 52 timelines. Needless to say, neither side has a definitive answer on whether or not this will work.

Take a listen as Andrew and Gavin dissect the situation and chime in on whether The Big Two will remain industry leaders or bring about the next big Comics Bust. Will they be the saviors of their own demise? Or will they be destroyers of worlds……..and jobs? Time will tell and so will we. Here comes 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, Andrew and Gavin take a look back at the first EVER Marvel Miniseries – Contest of Champions! Originally released in June to August of 1982, this was Marvel’s first kick at the can for the summer blockbuster comic series. Sporting top name creative talent with writers Mark Gruenwald, Bill Mantlo and Steven Grant, along with artists John Romita Jr. and Bob Layton, this series was an instant hit back in the day and paved the way for Marvel’s Secret Wars and all that came after.

The idea of this story was to showcase some of the biggest names in the Marvel Universe, like Captain America, Daredevil, Storm, Angel, and Wolverine, along side lesser known and brand new  characters. The series also played with the idea of a global heroes network, including heroes from Russia, Isreal, Ireland and more.

The big question is does this comic stand the test of time? Do the ideas and themes touched on in this series seem out of touch and dated in 2016? Is the level of sophistication that we associate to Marvel comics from that era like Daredevil and Uncanny X-Men present in the story being told here? Or is it some childish tale that isn’t worth your time? Andrew and Gavin break down the story and try to answer all these questions and more as they look at Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions! All this and more is coming your way in an ALL NEW, ALL DIFFERENT* episode of Back Issue Bloodbath.

(*Note – It’s different, but we can’t guarantee if it is in fact “ALL” Different.)

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, Gavin and Andrew put the spotlight on another great comic creator who’s had a legendary run in comicdom, the one and only Chris Claremont. Claremont is one of the creators given the credit for “changing the game” in the late seventies/early eighties by writing characters that were more three dimensional than the typical heroes and villains of the time. By infusing realistic personalities and problems into his storytelling, he got a whole new generation of comic fans hooked on the crazy adventures of Marvel’s merry mutants, the X-Men. His work on the X-characters is still felt to this day and many look back on his run on Uncanny X-Men (with artists Dave Cockrum, John Byrne & Paul Smith) as the glory days of the Marvel Universe.

If you’re a long time fan of this creator’s work, take this opportunity to relive some of his greatest achievements as we look back on his storied career. If you’ve never read any stories by Chris Claremont, allow us to give you a taste of some of his best work and inform you on what books to pick up. And as a special bonus, we’ll also be featuring an excerpt from an interview that Andrew and Mr. Green had with the man on Geek Hard back in 2014. Here comes another hearty helping of comics knowledge from two guys that love their funny books as much as the next fearless fanboy. It’s all happening right here, right now on an ALL NEW episode of Back Issue Bloodbath.

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, Andrew and Gavin talk new comics they’ve been following. Gavin lets us know what Tyler Durden is up to in Fight Club 2 and Andrew gives his thoughts on the work of Brian Michael Bendis on Invincible Iron Man. A psychological thriller and a superhero romp. What more can you ask for from these two guys? Listen as Gavin and Andrew drop some comics knowledge on your asses! Find out if you should be buying Fight Club 2 and Invincible Iron Man. It’s all happening, right here, on an ALL NEW episode of Back Issue Bloodbath.

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.

If you’ve listened to the show, you know we love talking about Marvel and DC Comics. One thing that has been a constant problem with the Big Two in the past couple of decades is the lack of new characters created in their respective universes. The House of Ideas appears to retread a lot of their old ones. And since the New 52, the Distinguished Competition has been rehashing/revamping/retelling older origins and story arcs. While there’s a few new heroes and villains produced each year, the majority of stories focus on characters created over thirty years ago. What’s the reason for the lack of new characters? That’s what we’re trying to find out on an ALL NEW Bloodbath!

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 our first Episode of 2016, we take a look at the current state of DC Comics and our love of Animal Man. We take a brief look at Jeff Lemire’s run on the title and spend a bit more time talking about the work done by Grant Morrison with the character back in the late 80’s. There’s also some talk about Scott Snyder and why Andrew will never forgive him. Hear it all on the latest episode of Back Issue Bloodbath.

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 our last episode of the year (and last episode featuring Sammy Younan of Girth Radio…for now) we take a look at one of the modern masters of the comics world: Ed Brubaker. From his early work at Vertigo and DC to his time at Marvel to his current creative endeavours at Image, we talk about it all. Join us for a slightly longer, more in depth look at one of the best creators in comics today!

(Programming note: Back Issue Bloodbath will be on hiatus over the holidays. We will return on Wednesday, January 13th for your listening consumption.)

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’re joined once again by Sammy Younan, Program Director at Girth Radio and host of the show My Summer Lair, to talk about one of the best DC miniseries to come out in the past ten years: New Frontier. Join us as we look back at the book that put Darwyn Cooke on the map on an all new Bloodbath.

If you’re gonna geek out, GEEK HARD!