Capes On the Couch - Where Comics Get Counseling

• Intro
  • 3rd Anniversary - first episode came out March 7, 2018
  • First episode of BatMarch - more exciting episodes to come

• Background
  • Batman & Commissioner Gordon (6:54)
    • Gordon gives Batman cover in GCPD - Batman is Jim's work spouse
    • Both men provide the other with an honest ear (14:30)
  • Batman & Barbara Gordon (18:51)
    • ...it's complicated
    • Barbara as Oracle - reminder of his failure (25:26)
  • Batman & Lucius Fox (32:49)
    • Blending professional and personal lives
  • Batman & Superman (40:16)
    • VERY different views of how to accomplish the same goals, yet willing to still work together
  • Batman & Joker (48:56)
    • Nature of their relationship?
• Ending
  • Next episodes: Professional roundtable, Batman by the fans
  • Plugs for social

References:

• 112 - "Peaches & Cream" - Anthony (0:38)
• Venom episode - Anthony (1:02)
• 100th episode - Anthony (1:38)
• Joker episode - Anthony (49:44)
• Batman & Dracula: Red Rain - Doc (52:20)
• Mick Foley - "testicular fortitude" - Anthony (56:03)
• Gonads and strife (NSFW) - Doc (56:19)

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• Intro
  • Last chance for Batman voice clips - email [email protected] by 2/28
• Background (2:05)

• • Mojo created by Ann Nocenti and Arthur Adams in Longshot #3 (Nov. 1985)
  • Residents of what became the Mojoverse were driven mad by energy waves from our world - turned out to be our TV transmissions
  • A race of spineless beings used technology to avoid having to do any manual labor, and instead forced slaves to do their bidding
  • Mojo used television to gain a measure of control over the world, and used it to dominate the world and the slave trade
  • Longshot, a stunt performer in Mojoverse, escaped to Earth 616, where he befriended Dr. Strange and several heroes - went back to free the remaining slaves, but was captured
  • Mojo then captured Psylocke and implanted cameras in her eyes to broadcast what she saw to his TV audience - although he was defeated by the X-Men, the battles created high ratings, so he remained popular
  • Longshot did eventually free the slaves, and Mojo was replaced with a humanoid clone, Mojo II: The Sequel, but he was also defeated by Longshot, and the original Mojo returned
  • At one point, captured most of the X-Men and recreated important points from their history, all while broadcasting it across the Mojoverse - simultaneously attempted to terraform NYC into the Mojoverse - defeated by an electromagnetic pulse that destroyed his equipment
  • In addition, the Howard the Duck movie is canon in the comics - Mojo filmed an alien in a duck costume interacting with Lea Thompson as part of a reality series on Howard the Duck

• Issues (9:07)
  • Mania
  • Gluttony/hedonism (14:28)
  • How much of it is his fault? (21:12)
• Break (28:42)
  • Plugs for Cult of Domesticity, Talk Me Into, and Chris Claremont
• Treatment (29:59)
  • In-universe - Install an M-Chip to block him from accessing signals and unpry his eyes
  • Out of universe - (33:10)
• Skit (39:25)
• Ending (47:11)
  • Recommended reading: X-Men: Black - Mojo, Mojo Worldwide
  • Next episodes: Batman & relationships, Fan thoughts on Batman, Roundtable with professionals
  • Plugs for social

References:

• A Clockwork Orange - Anthony (07:44)
• Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World - Doc (11:33)
• Beetlejuice cartoon - Doc (27:40)
• Uatu episode - Anthony (31:27)

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• Intro
  • Email us voice recordings of your thoughts on Batman & what he means to you for upcoming episode - [email protected]
• Background (1:13)

• Superman: Red Son, written by Mark Millar with artwork by Dave Johnson, Andrew Robinson, Walden Wong, Killian Plunkett, colors by Paul Mounts - released June 2003
  • Elseworlds tale that asks: What if Superman landed in the Soviet Union? - takes both familiar DC characters and real-world people and combines them into an interesting story
  • In 1953, the Soviets reveal Superman to the world, leading CIA agent James Olsen to ask Lex Luthor to create a metahuman for the USA
  • Pyotr Roslov, head of the KGB and Stalin's illegitimate son, resents Superman for disrupting his plans to take over the country - after Stalin's death, Superman takes over the USSR
  • By 1978, only the US and Chile are not part of the Warsaw Pact, and all communist nations are under the heel of Superman - any dissidents are turned into robots with mind-control technology
  • Luthor works with Brainiac to shrink Moscow, but shrinks Stalingrad instead - Superman takes control of Brainiac and reprograms him to help
  • Batman, orphaned son of parents killed by Roslov, leads a Soviet resistance against Superman, and manages to use Wonder Woman to lure Superman into a trap using red-light lamps that turn him mortal - unfortunately Wonder Woman breaks free of the restraints and destroys the device, which leads Batman to kill himself as a martyr
  • Luthor then uses the ship that landed in Roswell in 1947, and its green ring, as a weapon to create an army of Green Lanterns
  • In 2001, Luthor, now President, has turned the US into a profitable nation once again, and eggs Superman to attack after breaking into his Winter Palace
  • Superman assaults the East Coast, and defeats both the Green Lantern Corps and the Amazonian forces - when he reaches the White House, he sees a letter from Luthor saying "Why don't you just put the whole world in a bottle?"
  • Superman instantly regrets everything he's done, and tells his team to stand down, but Brainiac refuses and says this was all part of his long plan to take over - Luthor, who was scheduled for mind control surgery, shuts down Brainiac from within, but not before Brainiac could start a self-destruct countdown
  • Superman flies the ship into space, and it explodes, seemingly killing Superman
  • The world enters a period of peace and prosperity under Luthor, who unites the world into a collection of countries - in a distant future, Jor-L (a distant descendant of Lex) sends his son into the past to save the planet from certain destruction

• Issues (15:59)
  • Superman: The warped use of "Might is Right"
  • Pyotr Roslov: Will never get Stalin's approval as an illegitimate son (21:03)
  • Wonder Woman: Soured relationship with Superman over his sterile view of the world (27:38)
  • Batman: Goes farther than his mainstream counterpart in support of his ideals (35:37)
  • Lois Lane: Why does she stay with Luthor in a loveless marriage? (44:54)
  • Lex Luthor: Functions as a hero but with the motivation of a villain (50:45)
• Break (58:09)
  • Plugs for Scotch N Sports, Popcorn Psychology, and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
• Treatment (59:21)
  • In-universe - Superman gets treated in red room and gets refocused on helping mankind; Lex (62:32)
  • Out of universe - Start by addressing differences in backgrounds, and go from there
• Ending (69:20)
  • Next episodes: Mojo (Matt), Batman Month 1, Batman Month 2
  • Plugs for social

References:

• The Who - "Won't Get Fooled Again" - Anthony (4:47)
• Dexter - Doc (52:50)

Apple Podcasts: here

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• Intro
  • Shoutout to Ms. Yarbrough's class - listened to episode on Xavier/Magneto
  • Email us voice recordings of your thoughts on Batman & what he means to you for upcoming episode - [email protected]
• Background (4:54)
  • Levana Blackburn created by Marissa Meyer, introduced in Cinder, published July 2012
  • Antagonist of the Lunar Chronicles, particularly the first book Cinder
  • Based on the Evil Queen from fairy tales
  • Levana is queen of Luna, a colony of Earth set in a future where cyborgs and magic are real
  • Had an older sister who was mercilessly cruel to her as a child, and pushed her into a fire, scarring half her face and most of her body
  • She spends all of her time using a "glamour" - magic that allows Lunars to alter their appearance
  • At 15, her parents are killed, and her sister ascends to the throne, but is more interested in promiscuity and cruelty
  • Levana has a crush on a palace guard at least 10 years older than her, Evret Hayle
  • After Evret's wife dies in childbirth, Levana changes her glamour to look like his dead wife in an effort to convince Evret to fall in love with her - when it doesn't work naturally, she uses Lunar magic to persuade him to marry her
  • Levana's sister has a child out of wedlock, but then dies shortly thereafter - Levana becomes queen regent until the girl, Selene, is of age - Levana plots to have her die in a fire so she can remain queen
  • Later decides that she must take over Earth to get its resources, and the only way to do that is to have a marriage of convenience with an Earthen ruler, so she has Evret murdered - later marries Prince Kai after sending Lunar soldiers to massacre Earthens
  • Discovers Selene survived the fire and was smuggled to Earth, now known as Cinder - now tries to have her murdered because she is the rightful heir to the Lunar throne
  • Is also responsible for sending a plague to Earth to decimate the population so she can show up with an antidote and be seen as a savior
  • Dies in a battle with Selene

• Issues (10:18)
  • Ashamed of appearance, and always uses glamour to hide
  • Parents were distant and sister is cruel - Evret's kindness is the first affection she's been shown (16:05)
  • Lust for power then overrides that (22:04)
• Break (29:58)
  • Plugs for Freudian Sips, Bedknobs & Broomflicks, and Cullen Bunn
• Treatment (31:31)
  • In-universe - Use glamour as a treatment
  • Out of universe - (33:16) Use the King's Speech as a basis - acknowledge the fault
• Skit (feat. Brittney from Popcorn Psychology as Levana) (39:39)
• Ending (45:09)
  • Recommended reading: Cinder & Fairest
  • Next episodes: Superman: Red Son (Brian), Mojo (Matt), Batman Month 1
  • Review read: Mike Buhtanic - 5 stars - Combining psychiatry and Super Heroes! What a great concept! I listened to the Maxwell Lord episode and loved it. Definitely going to go through the backlog. Would recommend completely! Check it out!
  • Plugs for social

References:

• Chris Rock - Doc (19:40)
• Of Mice and Men - Doc (21:25)
• The King's Speech - Doc (33:58)
• Hamilton - "Burn" - Doc (47:28)

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• Intro
  • Reminder to email voice clips to [email protected] for Batman episode
• Background

• How PKJ got started in writing
• Last Sons of America
  • What was impetus for story
  • Commentary on white America
  • Jackie & Julian - Jackie ever the "older brother", Julian the "smarter" one (13:00)
  • Harper Rowe - double agent of sorts playing the long game (18:55)
• Kill a Man (22:00)
  • Commentary on hypermasculinity of MMA world
  • Duality of title - not just death of DJ Bellyi, but of James' secret
  • Xavier Mayne - difficulty of living with what he did, plus the stigma (38:43)
  • How the ending was crafted (41:07)
  • Discussion of the artwork (46:00)
• The Last God (47:38)
  • Where did you come up with the idea of parallel timelines for the story?
  • How much work was put into world building for additional stories? (53:07)
• Superman & Alien (58:46)
  • What can we expect from the Superman run?
  • How much of the existing Alien mythology is going to be in the book? (65:04)
• Ending
  • Next episodes: Levana Blackburn (Lunar Chronicles), Superman: Red Son, Black Mask
  • Plugs for social
  • Phillip's website

References:

• Last Sons film option - PKJ (20:55)
• Emile Griffith - Doc (23:26)
• Superman Annual 10 - PKJ (61:08)
• Ariel's review

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Issue 107 - Catwoman

• Intro
  • Email us voice recordings of your thoughts on Batman & what he means to you for upcoming episode - [email protected]
• Background (2:50)

• Catwoman, Selina Kyle, created by Bill Finger & Bob Kane in Batman #1 (Spring 1940)
• Originally known as "the Cat", she was a jewel thief who disguised herself as an old woman, until she was captured by Batman - she would go on to be a recurring nemesis for several years until the Comics Code prevented her from being written as evil
• Resurfaced as a major player in 1987 - Batman: Year One revamped her origin as a prostitute, working with a young girl Holly Robinson - they encounter Batman one night and after Holly stabs him, Selina fights him but gets knocked out - they decide to start burgling the rich, and Selina gets rescued by Bruce after robbing Carmine Falcone
• 1989 solo series expands upon this - she was a dominatrix whose sister Maggie was a nun - her pimp Stan attacks Maggie to get to her, and Selina kills him in revenge
• Starts operating as an anti-heroine, while still robbing the wealthy - begins an on-off relationship with Batman, and they learn each other's identities
• Is reformed for a period - later revealed due to a mindwipe from Zatanna
• Became a mother during Infinite Crisis - Slam Bradley Jr. is the father, and she leaves the Catwoman identity for a while while Holly takes over - later gives the child, Helena, up for adoption and returns to being Catwoman
• Takes on a sidekick for a short while - Catgirl is the daughter of Carmine Falcone
• New 52 - her origin story resembles Batman Returns, and she joins the Justice League for a time
• Rebirth - Catwoman is blamed for the death of 237 children after an orphanage explodes - Batman believes she's innocent, and helps clear her of the charges - he then proposes to Selina - they battle Talia al Ghul
• Selina leaves Bruce on their wedding day, as she believes making Bruce happy would "kill" Batman, and Gotham needs Batman more than she needs Bruce

• Issues (11:31)
  • Why does Selina have such a hard time reforming? Does she even want to reform?
  • Why does she steal? (20:38) - thrill of the chase
  • Has a habit of taking in orphans (26:13) - takes one to see one to know one
  • Only tried to reform because Zatanna brainwashed her (27:41) - her consent was violated; similar to ECT in real people
  • Why does she love Bruce? (33:20)
• Break (38:02)
  • Plugs for Cage's Kiss, Ocho Duro Parlay Hour, and Gail Simone
• Treatment (39:45)
  • In-universe - "Benevolent white-hat Riddler" - set up heists for her that help reveal things about herself she wouldn't otherwise access
  • Out of universe - (42:52)
• Skit (Guest Kate from IWB as Selina) (48:05)
• Ending (55:54)
  • Recommended reading: Catwoman series from 2001 by Ed Brubaker
  • Next episodes: Phillip Kennedy Johnson interview, Levana Blackburn, Superman: Red Son
  • Review read: Fab! This was awesome. These two definitely know what they are talking about and provide a unique view on their topics.
  • Plugs for social

References:

• "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" from Hamilton - Doc (27:18)
• "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul - Doc (33:20)

Apple Podcasts: here

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Issue 106 - Clones

• Intro
  • President level slot open in Patreon - $10/mo gets you pick of episodes and characters
• Background

• Spider-Man Clone Saga
• Jean Grey/Madelyne Pryor (17:08)
• Superman/Bizarro/Kon-El (25:03)
• Jamie Madrox (35:26)
• Issues for "original"
• Issues for "clone"
• Real-world analogues
  • Family history not what it was
  • You were lied to about your past

• Break (65:39)
  • Plugs for I Never Saw That, plus Saladin Ahmed
• Treatment (66:11)
  • In-universe - bring it back to basics of cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Out of universe - validate emotions and go from there
• Ending
  • Recommended reading: Clone Saga
  • Next episodes: Catwoman, Levana Blackburn, Superman: Red Son
  • Plugs for social

References:

• The Boys from Brazil - Anthony (12:11)
• The Beatles - "Why Don't We Do It In the Road" - Anthony (14:08)
• Quipping episode - Doc (14:59)
• T-Pain - "My Girl Got a Girlfriend" - Doc (22:16)
• Liar Liar "I've had better" - Anthony (24:45)
• Metal Gear Solid - Doc (26:55)
• Damian Wayne episode - Anthony (35:17)
• Superboy Prime episode - Anthony (35:19)
• Jurassic Park "Your scientists were so preoccupied…" - Anthony (41:38)
• Jamie Madrox episode - Anthony (41:56)
• Henrietta Lacks - Doc (49:04)
• Dennis Green - "They are who we thought they were" - Anthony (54:00)
• Bobby Darin - Anthony (62:30)
• Imitation of Life - Anthony (68:55)

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• Intro
  • WW84 review
• Background (03:30)

• Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in The X-Men #4 (March 1964)
• Vision created by Roy Thomas, Stan Lee, and John Buscema in Avengers 57 (Oct. 1968)
• Both were villains originally opposed to Avengers before joining their ranks
• Wanda and Quicksilver are twins, born of Magda, wife of Magneto - originally believed they were the children of the Whizzer, before becoming Magneto's children, and then not actually mutants - raised by Bova, a half cow woman genetically enhanced by the High Evolutionary - BECAUSE COMICS, PEOPLE
• Vision has the body of the original Human Torch, Jim Hammond, with the brain patterns of Simon Williams, aka Wonder Man - he was created by Ultron-5 in an effort to battle against Hank Pym - later learned that Immortus split Hammond into 2 entities, in an effort to prevent Wanda from having children
• In 1970, Wanda rejoins the team and soon becomes romantically involved with Vision, despite their obvious differences
• They get married in Giant Size Avengers #4, and later star in 2 limited series titled Vision & Scarlet Witch - they move to Leonia, New Jersey
• Wanda uses her hex powers to give birth to twins, William and Thomas
• Vision is dismantled, and when he's rebuilt he no longer has Simon's brain waves, so he is an emotionless android
• The children are revealed to be fragments of Mephisto's soul, and are reabsorbed into him - this drives Wanda mad
• She uses chaos magic to create distractions and attack the Avengers, including taking control of Vision's body and using it to launch Ultron drones - She-Hulk rips Vision in half
• Wanda's insanity leads to House of M, where she recreates reality to a world where Magento and his family rule the world - as the heroes fight back, Wanda finally snaps and declares "no more mutants" - the world returns to "normal", but the overwhelming majority of mutants have lost their powers, leaving only a few hundred with abilities
• Wiccan and Speed from the Young Avengers believe themselves to be reincarnations of William & Thomas, and seek out Wanda, hoping to undo her insanity
• Vision gets reassembled by Tony Stark, and although he forgives Jen for ripping him apart, he does not forgive Wanda for using him to attack their friends, and forbids her from entering Avengers Mansion

• Issues (25:18)
  • Wanda - uncertainty about her past and family connections
  • Vision - constantly questioning validity of his emotions, and whether he can truly feel connected to anyone (33:16)
  • Marriage - constantly under threat not only from external forces, but their own unique pairing (41:35)
• Break (52:49)
  • Plugs for Frigay the 13th, Huuh?, and Jeremy Whitley
• Treatment (54:43)
  • In-universe - Doc and Wanda do journaling; ask Vision who and what he wants to be
  • Out of universe - (58:36)
• Ending
  • Recommended reading: Vision & Scarlet Witch miniseries
  • Review read: dcdc23 - Fantastic show! If you're a fan of superheroes and also fascinated by the human mind then You'll love this show. Both the hosts are a delight and I'm so glad I found this podcast!
  • Next episodes: Clones, Catwoman (Ariel), Levana Blackburn (Ruby)
  • Plugs for social

References:

• Hank Pym episode - Anthony (08:53)
• Rent "La Vie Boheme" - Doc (46:36)
• Triple H - I am the Game - Doc (64:22)

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• Intro
  • Welcome back for Season 5
  • Describe changes to show
    • New website
    • Patrons now guest on trade paperback reviews
    • Ariel's column - Some Of Its Parts
• Background (03:52)

• Maxwell Lord created by Keith Giffen, JM DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire in Justice League #1 (May 1987)
• Father was a businessman who committed suicide after a product he created caused cancer, and his mother convinced him that powerful people cannot be trusted
• In the post-Crisis world, he wanted to bring the Justice League together - was actually under the control of a supercomputer created by Metron
• Later breaks free of the control of the computer, and befriends the League
• Gains mild telepathy during the Invasion event, and instead of using the powers for good, begins to distrust the metahuman community - using the powers gives him a nosebleed
• After being injured in a battle, he gains a cyborg-like body, but has to battle Kilg%re the computer for control
• Countdown to Infinite Crisis - he kills Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle, and reveals that he is in control of a global surveillance network on the Justice League
• Controls Superman to have him attack Batman and Wonder Woman - Diana snaps his neck to stop him, but the footage goes viral and her reputation is destroyed
• Booster Gold tries to go back in time to prevent Lord from killing Ted Kord, but all it does is make things worse, so Booster realizes Ted has to die for a better future
• Lord is resurrected during Blackest Night/Brightest Day, and uses technology to boost his powers, making the world forget him - then uses tech to create an army of robots to attack the Justice League, and kills Jamie Reyes, the third Blue Beetle, the same way he killed Ted
• New 52/Rebirth - reboots him as head of Checkmate, a secret government organization - he is the Black King, and uses his position and power to pit metahumans against one another
• Later ends up as part of Amanda Waller's Task Force XI, aka another Suicide Squad
• Issues (7:56)
  • Distrust of metahumans despite being one of them
  • Overbearing mother (17:30)
  • Need to be in control (25:20)
• Break (33:43)
  • Plugs for Not If I Reboot You First, Parent Quest, and Howard Mackie
• Treatment (35:53)
  • In-universe - Use fibers of Lasso of Truth to keep Maxwell more honest and self-aware
  • Out of universe - Use ketamine in place of lasso to help person experience things outside their immediate sphere
• Skit (42:14)
• Ending (49:52)
  • Recommended reading: Justice League/Justice League International (The Giffen/DeMatteis years), Infinite Crisis
  • Next episodes: Vision/Scarlet Witch relationship, Clones, Catwoman
  • Plugs for social

References:

• Booster Gold episode - Doc (6:28)
• "Parents Just Don't Understand" - Anthony (25:12)
• She-Hulk episode - Doc (27:38)
• Lex Luthor episode - Anthony (41:49)
• Wilson Fisk episode - Anthony (41:50)

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Hi everyone, we're releasing this mini-episode for a few reasons:

• We want to test our RSS feed and make sure things still work correctly with the new site.
• To tell everyone about the changes to the website and our new domain!
• To let everyone know Ariel will be writing a column for us this year, "(Some Of) Its Parts".
• To tell everyone about the new additions to our Patreon, and how Patrons will be able to join us on our TPB review episodes!

There's more to come in 2021, but we wanted to give you a sneak peek of what we're cooking up!

-Anthony