Caffeinated Comics on Radio Misfits

A streaming platform is poaching the “A” list Marvel and DC writers. As creative teams drop Batman, Spider-Man, X-Men and more, is this a win for talent, a blow for beloved characters or both? Plus, Hasbro releases the Fantastic Four, omnibuses lose their font and lots of streaming shows return. [EP240]

Is James Gunn off the leash or is DC pushing him to extremes? Jon, Steven and Elliott Serrano discuss the heavy R rating of Warner Brothers latest film, whether this new movie contains the depth of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and what Reagan-era values say about our culture today. Plus, everything is streaming, movie theaters are empty and no one is happy with the paycheck. [EP239]

“Black Widow” tanked in its second week at the box office and Scarlett Johansson is pissed. Jon and Steven talk about the shifting profits of blockbuster films and filmmakers that sue their own studios. Plus, Bob Odenkirk has a heart attack, Jodie Whittaker leaves “Doctor Who” and this week’s Galactus tally. [EP238]

Jon and Steven have a lot of old comics on the shelf. Some are nostalgic, some are classic. But which are worth going back to? They discuss the accessibility of long runs and where to start with runs that span multiple issues, or even volumes. Plus, the latest Galactus tally, the Clarke family history and a guest appearance from a thunderstorm. [EP237]

Disney Plus wraps up their latest series with a tease for everything? Was that Immortus? With a season 2 in the wings, will we not see Loki in Thor: Love and Thunder? Plus, Stveen is mad at Marvel omnibus spines and would you pay $400 for a Galactus Marvel Legend figure? [EP236]

Jon and Steven watched the new MCU movie in very different ways. They discuss the year delay of the film, Steven’s anticipation of Taskmaster and the blurring of theatrical releases and Disney Plus streaming series. Plus, casting parent actors the same age as their children. [EP235]

After 8 months of playing website slots, Jon finally got a Playstation 5 and in turn so did Steven. They discuss the chip shortage that is hurting distribution, what it means for other industries and how Trump is still to blame for bad things. Plus, when Paul Rudd was on “Friends”, the single issue spoiler of “Thunderbolts”, and how to keep Captain America in the 4th of July. [EP234]

“Amazing Spider-Man” is going back to a 3 times a month schedule with a rotating cast of writers. It worked in 2008 so what’s different now? Clones? Again? Plus, Hickman continues to astonish on “X-Men”, Dan Slott saves everybody’s bad stories except for Bendis, and why the new Shang-Chi trailer doubled down on MCU content. [EP233]

We’re in person for the first time since March 2021! As Jon struggles to run three microphones at once, he discusses the anniversary of his favorite movie with Elliott Serrano and Steven Brown. They talk the first time they each saw “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, the delicate balance of every genre in the picture, the inherent flaws in each of the sequels, and their hopes for the fifth film James Mangold is currently shooting.

First he was a lawyer. Then he owned a soda company. Now he’s a published author. Jon talks to high school friend Joe Gioconda about the twists and turns his career has taken over the years and what led him to tell the true story of a 15th century serial killer sanctioned by the church. Plus, how he got the rights of “Slice” from Pepsi and what he’s doing with the brand now. [EP231]