In Saga, Marko & Alana cannot escape sadness. Rather than running, they lean into it, and by sharing their sorrow, they gain strength. Any Star Trek V: The Final Frontier fans out there? Sybok knew what was up.

We race toward Saga's halfway point and the tragic cliffhanger ending to end all tragic cliffhanger endings, which is really saying something when discussing Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' sci-fi romance masterpiece.

As we did the last episode, we consulted Helen Russell's "How to Be Sad: The Key to a Happier Life: Everything I've Learned About Getting Happier, by Being Sad, Better." If she can help us embrace our sadness, maybe she can help Marko & Alana through their tumultuous journey.

Issued Covered in this Episode: Saga # 31 - 42, collected in trade paperback Vols. 6 & 7. They were written by Brian K. Vaughan, fully illustrated by Fiona Staples, and lettered by Fonografiks. Image Comics originally published the issues between November 2015 and January  2017.

Previous CBCC Saga Episodes: 

• Saga Volume 1

Other Relevant Links:

• Christian Holub's Entertainment Weekly Interview w/Vaughan & Staples

Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Saga is back! And if Saga is back, then we better get back to investigating Marko & Alana's tumultuous, universe-threatening romance. After we finished Saga Volume 4 on the podcast two years ago, we took a break, waiting for Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples to get back into the business of publishing rad comics. It took a little longer than we expected, but the single issues are flowing again, and it's time for us to catch up.

Knowing how challenging Saga can be on our emotions, we thought the best way to approach Marko & Alana this time around was through Helen Russell's self-help book, "How to Be Sad: The Key to a Happier Life: Everything I've Learned About Getting Happier, by Being Sad, Better." Sadness is not something to fight but embrace. Marko, Alana, and Helen will help us realize this natural human experience.

Issued Covered in this Episode: Saga # 25 - 30, which were collected in trade paperback Vol. 5. Written by Brian K. Vaughan, fully illustrated by Fiona Staples, and lettered by Fonografiks. The issues were originally published by Image Comics between February 2015 and July 2015.

Previous CBCC Saga Episodes: 

• Saga Volume 1

Relevant Helen Russell Links: 

• Depression Textline (US): Text HOME to 741741

CBCC Guest Appearances:

• Talkin' Sex Criminals w/The Comics Collective

Lisa's YA Free Period Column:

• Tiny Dancer

Support the Must Love Dragons Kickstarter 

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Battle! Action! To hear Garth Ennis explain it, these two British publications are responsible for the comic book landscape we're all living in today. Without their influence, the Briitish invasion would never have occurred in the states - no Watchmen, no Sandman, no Preacher. No, thank you.

This week, Garth Ennis joins us to discuss his upcoming Battle Action Special as well as his Hawk the Slayer sequel (wait, what? Yes!) from 2000 AD. From there, we gain a better understanding of how Garth Ennis became the writer we know him to be, and we delve into his philosophies around war fiction and how they fed his interpretation of Frank Castle, Marvel's The Punisher.

The Battle Action Special will hit comic shops in June and everywhere else in September. Hawk the Slayer #1 hits the UK in April and the US in May. You can learn more by visiting the 2000AD website.

Other Relevant Links:

• The Dolph Lundgren CBCC Interview

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Oh, Muffin Fluffer! Skottie Young joins us for a deep dive discussion about his creative process, his obsession with relationship stories, and what we can expect when I Hate Fairyland returns in July. Right now, we're witnessing a significant moment in his creative evolution. With books like Strange Academy and The Me You Love in the Dark, Skottie plunges into himself and pulls out relatable turmoil for all of us to consume. In the process, we all become better people.

Teaming up with fellow creators like Dean Rankine, Fábio Moon, and Gabriel Bá, Skottie Young is building toward I Hate Fairyland's return with his Stupid Fresh Mess Substack release, The Unbelievable, Unfortunately Mostly Unreadable and Nearly Unpublishable Untold Tales of I Hate Fairyland. By inviting others to his party, he solidifies his world as one of the greats.

After listening to the episode, you can continue the conversation through his website, his Instagram account, and Twitter feed. And you can subscribe to his Substack by clicking HERE.

Our next Couples Session begins next episode when we return to SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. We'll be covering trade paperback volumes 5 - 9. Make sure you catch up on our previous SAGA conversations:

• Saga Volume 1

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Five years since the first 5 Worlds published, comic creator Mark Siegel joins us to discuss the final graphic novel chapter, The Emerald Gate. These stories represent more than the epic quest they depict; they're a creative collision resulting from five artistic talents aligning in harmonious imagination. Like the characters within 5 Worlds, these collaborators were changed by the journey, and we were giddy to chat with Siegel about the impact his characters and their creation had on him and his partners.

As we've discussed recently on the show, we've connected deeply with many all-ages and young adult comics, and 5 Worlds is no different. This saga follows three adventurers as they jump planets, racing to unite sentient life across the universe before dark forces consume everything. You will find yourself within its pages.

5 Worlds: The Emerald Gate is now available from Random House Books. It's written by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel, and illustrated by Xanthe Bouma, Boya Sun, and Matt Rockefeller. 

Be sure to follow Mark Siegle on Twitter and on Instagram. Keep up to date on his projects by visiting his website.

Other Relevant Links:

• Lisa's AIPT Sundance 2022 Coverage

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

This week, comic creators Rob Williams and Warwick Johnson-Cadwell join us to discuss their new contributions to The Mignolaverse, The Sword of Hyperborea and Falconspeare. They're both incredible comics, totally different from each other, but they absolutely belong together within Mike Mignola's apocalyptic landscape.

The Mignolaverse commands a very special corner within the Love Nest. Mike Mignola's Hellboy comics were the first comics Brad ever put into Lisa's hands. It was an insane, and maybe foolish, risk - what if she didn't love them? Thankfully, she said yes...they are the greatest comics ever, and their relationship continued.

It was only a matter of time before these stories were celebrated on Comic Book Couples Counseling, and we're thrilled to have this party with Rob Williams and Warwick Johnson-Cadwell in attendance. And we get the impression that they're just as thrilled to be celebrating Mike Mignola as we are.

The Sword of Hyperborea is out now from Dark Horse Comics, and Falconspeare will hit shelves on 1/25. While you wait, however, what don't you nab Johnson-Cadwell's Mr. Higgins Comes Home and Our Encounters With Evil.

If you need further convincing, read Lisa's glowing Falconspeare review over on Comics Bookcase.

And, don't forget to check out our previous conversation with Rob Williams, talking about Judge Dredd: End of Days.

Be sure to find Rob on Twitter HERE, Instagram HERE, and visit his official website HERE. And you can do the same thing for Warwick Johnson-Cadwell by smashing follow on his Twitter HERE and Instagram HERE.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Here it is—The Best Comics of 2021 (Part Two). As far as comics were concerned, the year was simply too marvelous. We had to stretch the celebration across two episodes.

If you haven't already listened to The Best Comics of 2021 (Part One), you can find it by clicking HERE.

As with that previous episode, we invited numerous friends onto the show to help us with this party. We are humbled by their enthusiasm and their generosity. It's an honor to have them partake; please seek them out via the links below and share their good work often.

Award Category Timestamps:

• Best Cat Comic - 8:29

Episode Cameos: 

• Erin (@GirlsTalkComic1) from Girls Talk Comics

Other Relevant Links:

• Best Comics of 2021 by the Comics Bookcase Staff, including Lisa

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

Sorting through The Best Comics of 2021 was no easy task. In an utterly bugnuts year, the medium produced numerous brilliant works. Putting our heads together, we created thirteen categories (that are very CBCC) and split them over two EPIC episodes. Welcome to Part One, the Thunderdome.

With 2021 being a banger year for comic books, we invited some friends onto the show to name their favorites. You will hear some familiar titles, but we believe you'll also encounter several discoveries. And while you're putting these comics on your to-read pile, why don't you also add these brilliant podcasters and journalists to your regular comic book consumption list.

Our hope is that these two episodes will get your new year off to a joyous start. Below you'll find timestamps for each category as well as links to these fabulous guests and their websites. Seek them out and give them some words of affirmation.

Timestamps:

• Best Digital Release - 12:15

Episode Cameos:

• David Brooke (@Nosocialize) from AIPT

Other Relevant Links:

• Best Comics of 2021 by the Comics Bookcase Staff, including Lisa

STAY TUNED FOR THE BEST COMICS OF 2021, PART TWO...

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

We say goodbye to 2021 with our final conversation on The Second Life of Doctor Mirage. Carmen and Hwen are GOALS; they're a high-functioning power couple that work best when they rely on each other's exceptional skills. We need more comic book couples like this one, friends. We have more to learn from them than they do from us.

And we can certainly learn more from them than we can this week's "Love Ecccchhhhhspert." Lisa is still raging against the machine in this episode. Just sit back and enjoy the boiling contempt.

Issues discussed this week: The Second Life of Doctor Mirage #10 - 18, published by Valiant Comics between September 1994 and May 1995. They’re written by Bob Layton and Jim Perham, penciled by Bernard Chang, Jordi Ensign, and Yancy Labatt, inked by Ken Branch, colored by Todd Britton, Andrew Covalt, Eric Hope, Shree Boyd, Chrysoula Artemis-Gomez, John Cebollero, Knob Row, and Mark Csaszar, and lettered by Rob Johnson, Adam Niedzwiecki, Bethanne Niedz, and Santiago Vazquez.

Listen to our previous Doctor Mirage Episodes:

• The Deathmate Crossover Event with the Ten Cent Takes podcast

Further Reading:

• Best Comics of 2021 by the Comics Bookcase staff (including Lisa)

Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.

The Second Life of Doctor Mirage presents a rare commodity in comics, a functioning romantic couple. Carmen and Hwen are two butt-kicking parapsychologists with unique abilities that complement each other. They've experienced a lot of weirdness in their relationship, and it has prepared them for the ultimate paranormal trip - when Hwen becomes an incorporeal specter!

In this week's episode, we examine one of the most underrated couples in comics and discover heaps of inspiration for ourselves. Yes, we consult a love "expert" as usual, and they provide some surprising challenges.

Don't forget to check out our guest-spot on the Ten Cent Takes podcast, where we discuss the Image Comics/Valiant Comics crossover event, Deathmate. It's a strange dip into the 90s comics scene and provides plenty of historical context for our Doctor Mirage conversation.

Issues discussed this week: The Second Life of Doctor Mirage #1 - 9, published by Valiant Comics between November 1993 and August 1994. The comics are written by Bob Layton and Jim Perham (co-writing on #8), penciled by Bernard Chang and Mike Leeke (only on #8), inked by Ken Branch, colored by Maurice Fontenot and Mark Csaszar, and lettered by Rob Johnson, Joe Abelo, and Santiago Vazquez.

Be sure to follow the podcast on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-Star Review on Apple Podcasts.

SUPPORT THE PODCAST BY JOINING OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Aaron Prescott @acoolhandfluke, podcast banner art by @Karen_XmenFan.