Dear Watchers: an omniversal comic book podcast

Grab your magic girdle, it's getting stormy out! This week, we return to the world of Amalgam comics to discuss the Wonder Woman and Storm mashup that is Amazon! After some quick backstory on both WW and Storm, we talk Wonder Woman's reboot courtesy George Perez and company in 1987 before diving into John Byrne's Amazon #1. We continue to follow Amazon as she teams up with the JLX (the JLA meets the X-Men) as the team battles Fing Fang Flame in a one-off issue from Christopher Priest and Oscar Jimenez. We also talk the future of amalgam and Amazon as a character and who else we would combine Wonder Woman or Storm with. 

Ep. 130 What if Wonder Woman and Ororo Monroe (Storm of the X-Men) were amalgamated & became Amazon?
from Amazon #1 (Amalgam Comics / Marvel & DC 1996)
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We are thrilled to be back in the world of Amalgam Comics as we discuss Amazon - the mashup of DC's Wonder Woman and Marvel's Storm. We head back to 1987 to talk Wonder Woman's big reboot before touching on what makes Storm such an amazing character. After some background history on Amalgam Comics, we talk some of Amazon's appearances in her own book and teaming up with the JLA meets X-Men team, the JLX. We wrap up by pondering Amazon and Amalgam's future and why Storm is a hard character to pair with. Plus, some thoughts on X-Men 97! 

Reading / Watch List:

• Wonder Woman #1 (DC Comics 1987)
• Giant-Size X-Men #1 (Marvel Comics 1975)
• Amazon #1 (Amalgam Comics 1996)
• JLX Unleashed #1 (Amalgam Comics 1997)

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Grab your quarters and blow in your cartridge, we are exploring the world of X-Men video games! We talk 15+ X-Men video games from the classic 1992 arcade game to Arcade's Revenge! We then head the the alternate world of 1994's X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse for SNES that sees Wolverine, Cyclops, Beast, Gambit and Psylocke tangle with Apocalypse, Magneto, the Brood, Sentinels and more. But of course, we also talk the fun Mutant Apocalypse promo comic from Jim Krueger and Karl Kerschl  too. So many X-Men, so few quarters! 

Ep. 129 What if the X-Men battled Apocalypse, Sentinels, the Brood, Juggernaut, Omega Red, Murder World, Mojo World, Exodus and Magneto all in one day?
from X-Men: Prelude to Perdition #1 & X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse video game (1995)
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We are back in the world of the X-Men, this time courtesy video games (and comics). We talk some of the key X-Men video games from 1989's NES mess to the latest releases (and some that aren't coming out until 2030!) before we turn our attention to the the world of X-Men Mutant Apocalypse from Capcom and its promo / tie-in semi-prequel comic from Jim Krueger and Karl Kerschl that sees the team tangle with a host of villains (real and imaginary). We also debate what makes a good X-Men comic, why Wolverine and Cyclops are always present, the would-be all female game we never got, and much more. 

Reading / Watch List:

• X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (SNES Capcom video game 1995)
• X-Men: Prelude to Perdition #1 (Marvel comics 1995)

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Guido and Rob return to the world of Storm, Wolverine and company as it's X-Men time once again! This week's episode focuses on the two-part What If from Kurt Busiek and Tod Smith from 1993 that sees the X-Men turn against each other, Cable fight Wolverine, Magneto in the White House, Sentinels conquering the world, an atomic bomb explosion and much more! But first, we travel back to the seminal start of Chris Claremont and Jim Lee's collaboration where our favorite mutants go from the Shi'ar to the Savage Land. We wrap up by discussing X-Men 97, Deadpool & Wolverine and the eternal question, X-Men movie or X-Men tv show. 

Ep. 128 What if Cable had destroyed the X-Men & Magneto took over the USA?
from Marvel Comics What If Volume 2 #46 & 47 (1993)
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It's back to the world of the X-Men! We start off with covering a classic run from writer Chris Claremont as he first partners with artist Jim Lee. Wolverine, Storm, Jubilee and Forge battle Skrulls, Deathbird and much more in outer space as they reunited with Charles Xavier (or do they?) while Magneto and Rogue join forces with Ka-Zar & Nick Fury in the Savage Land as they face off against Zaladane. Then we ask the question: What If Cable had destroyed the X-Men and Magneto took over the USA in an epic two issue What If that features appearances from the Fantastic Four, The Avengers, and almost every X-Men villain. We wrap up by speculating on the future of the X-Men on screen. 

Reading / Watch List:

• Uncanny X-Men #273-277 (Marvel Comics 1991)
• What If #46-47 (Marvel Comics 1993)

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Great Scott! It's the co-creator of the current miniseries "Alan Scott Green Lantern", the amazing writer & storyteller TIM SHERIDAN! After meeting Tim at NYCC, we are thrilled to finally chat with him about writing for (and respecting) pre-existing characters, the role of fans in comics & TV, becoming friends with Geoff Johns, why Marv Wolfman's name will be on his tombstone and the projects he still wants to work on  (calling Star Trek & Doctor Who!). We also talk to Tim about his recent work on Netflix's Masters of the Universe series! 

Ep. 127 CREATOR INTERVIEW: Tim Sheridan
Follow Tim at Instagram
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Grab your power ring and join us for an interview with Tim Sheridan, co-creator with Cian Tormey of DC's Alan Scott Green Lantern that sees the original Lantern confront homophobia and his own past in a riveting new series. Tim is also the writer behind Teen Titans Academy, Batman: The Long Halloween film plus the Masters of the Universe: Revelation & Masters of the Universe: Revolution on Netflix. If you like the JSA, DC, He-Man and general nerd stuff, you aren't going to want to miss this pod! 

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We blast off with Riverdale's favorite girl group as Josie and the Pussycats rocket into outer space, first on TV and later in a 2020 comic. We start with the first episode of Josie and the Pussycats very Scooby-Doo original animated series in 1970 before the gang gets "lost in space" in the 1972 follow up. Finally, we launch into the 2020 five-part series that is surprisingly scary! (Think Josie meets John Carpenter's The Thing). All this plus insights from our Josie expert, Ethan from MakeMineAmalgam. 

Ep. 126 What If Josie and the Pussycats went into outer space?
from Comixology & Archie Comics' Josie and the Pussycats in Space #1-5
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In space, no one can hear you scream...for your favorite rock band! Josie, Valerie, Melody, Alan and the Cabot twins are off to outer space, first on their 1972 animated tv series and then in a 2020 ComiXology original comic from Alex De Campi and Devaki Neogi that goes into some surprising horror territory. But first, we talk Josie's first tv series plus where else we'd love Josie and the gang to end up (or what about a meet up with Jem and the Holograms!) All this on this space-tactic episode. 

Reading / Watch List:

• Josie & The Pussycats Episode 1: The Nemo's A No-No Affair (TV show 1970)
• Josie & The Pussycats In Outer Space Episode 1: Where's Josie (TV show 1972)
• Josie & The Pussycats In Space #1-5 (ComiXology Originals / Archie Comics 2020)

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We head to jolly olde Britain to ask the question, what if Superman was British? We tackle 2004's Superman: True Brit, written by Monty Python co-founder John Cleese and Monty Python scholar Kim Howard Johnson with art by John Byrne. This story sees Colin Clark coming of age in rural Britain before moving to the big city to work for a famous tabloid. We talk our love for British comedy, the Elseworlds history of Superman and speculate on what other location or time periods Superman could pop up in. Grab your headphones and a cup of tea and listen up!  

Ep. 125 What If Kal-El arrived to earth in rural England to become Colin Clark, repressed British Superman?
from DC Comics' Superman: True Brit #1
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Forget "truth, justice and the American way", it's time to have a stiff upper lip and carry on as Superman is raised British! We cover official Elseworld's Superman: True Brit, co-written by British comedy legend John Cleese and drawn by comics legend John Byrne. This nearly 100 page story sees Superman save The Rutles, impale someone with a cricket bat, meet the Queen and a whole lot more. We also talk Superman's long history in Elseworlds (from the USSR to Tarzan), our backgrounds with Monty Python, where else we'd want to see Kal-El's spaceship crash land and could Batman be as successful in a small rural village? Turn off the BBC and tune in to Dear Watchers! 

Reading / Watch List:

• Superman: True Brit #1 (DC Comics 2004)

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What If...we covered Series 2 of What If? We discuss the return of Uatu to Disney+ in nine new episodes focusing on such characters as Happy Hogan, Nebula, Tony Stark, and many more including the return of Season 1's iconic Captain Carter and Strange Supreme plus film favorites The Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) and Hela (Cate Blanchett). We rank the  nine episodes, discuss the ramifications on the MCU multiverse as a whole and make our suggestions for Season 3. 

Ep. 124 What If we ranked What If Series 2 and tried to better understand the MCU multiverse with it? Plus pondering future possibilities!
from the Marvel Cinematic Universe's What If TV Season 2 on Disney Plus
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We are your guide to vast new realities as we discuss Season 2 of What If on Disney+. We walk through all nine episodes in spolier-ific detail including our thoughts on the new character Kahhori. We also speculate on what we'd like to see in Season 3 of What If (cue The X-Men), the power of a good onscreen pairing, the future of Captain Carter and much more. Guido and Rob also share some highlights from 2023 and what they are looking forward to in 2024. 

Reading / Watch List:

• "What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?" | Stephan Franck | Matthew Chauncey | December 22, 2023
• "What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes?" | Bryan Andrews | Matthew Chauncey | December 23, 2023
• "What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley & Matthew Chauncey | December 24, 2023
• "What If... Iron Man Crashed into the Grandmaster?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley | December 25, 2023
• "What If... Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley | December 26, 2023
• "What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World?" | Bryan Andrews | Ryan Little | December 27, 2023
• "What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings?" | Bryan Andrews | Matthew Chauncey | December 28, 2023
• "What If... the Avengers Assembled in 1602?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley & Ryan Little | December 29, 2023
• "What If... Strange Supreme Intervened?" | Bryan Andrews | Matthew Chauncey | December 30, 2023

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It's a queer Christmas! DC meets It's a Wonderful Life as we ask What If Extraño showed Bunker the former Teen Titan a world without him, before heading to a JLQ Christmas party? First we talk Miguel Jose Barragan aka Bunker's first appearance courtesy Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth back in 2011 before jumping to December 2023 that sees elder gay Extraño teach Bunker a thing or two while battling an evil Teen Titans in a new story from Josh Trujillo and Andrew Drilon. We also discuss if we'd want an JLQ series (yes, please!) and which other DC characters should get the George Bailey treatment. 

Ep. 123 What If Extraño showed Bunker the former Teen Titan a world without him, before heading to a JLQ Christmas party?
from DC Comics 'Twas The Mite Before Christmas Holiday Special #1 (2023)
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Forget Judy and Mariah, the new queens of Christmas are Extraño and Bunker in the LGBTQ+ Christmas story from DC comics that sees former Teen Titan Bunker get the It's a Wonderful Life Treatment from writer Josh Trujillo and artist Andrew Drilon. We also talk Bunker's first appearance, the history of the Justice League Queer (JLQ) in comics and what could be next for this unique team, the "It's a Wonderful Life" plot device in media and much more. Don't be a scrooge and give this episode a listen! 

Reading / Watch List:

• Teen Titans #3 (DC Comics, 2011)
• ‘Twas The Mite Before Christmas (DC Comics, 2023)
• It's a Wonderful Life (RKO, 1946) 

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Boot up your modem, we're going cyberpunk! We're cover What If? The X-Men from 2018 that sees our favorite mutants go full Matrix as Charles Xavier, Cable and Domino tangle with Magneto in cyberspace. Then we head back to this universe as we see a digital Wolverine face off against a multi-armed Silver Samurai in a 2019 follow-up. Plus we talk the first time we saw The Matrix, The Net, Caprica and whether cyberpunk is still a vital sub-genre. 

Ep. 122 What if the X-Men were cyberpunk? AKA the X-Men meets the Matrix!
From What If - X-Men #1 (2019)
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I hope your sister is off the phone and you have your free AOL CD-Rom ready because this episode we are going cyberpunk as The X-Men go full hackers in this 2018 What If issue from Bryan Edward Hill, Neil Edwards and Giannis Milonogiannis that sees Professor X recruit Cable and Domino to take down a plugged in Magneto. We then head back to this world in 2019 courtesy Zac Thompson, Lonnie Nadler and André Lima Araújo in a backup story that has "Wolverine" battling a cyber monster. We also chat about The Matrix and the entire cyberpunk sub-genre plus why we don't see more genre mashing in Marvel. Hop into the chatroom and join us! 

Reading / Watch List:

• X-Men #1 (Marvel comic book 1963)
• The Matrix (movie 1999)
• What If? X-Men #1 (Marvel comic book 2018)
• Marvel Comics Presents Vol. 3 #9 (Marvel comic book 2019

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Gobble Gobble! We are celebrating Thanksgiving, the multiverse and Harley Quinn with this week's STUFFED episode that's certainly no turkey. We start with a history of Harley Quinn in comics, tv and film before discussing her first official appearance in the DC Comics Universe in 1999 from co-creator Paul Dini and Yvel Guichet. We then jump to 2020 to see Harley traveling the multiverse to destroy all DC comic book events while also trying to save her family Thanksgiving after the death of her mother in an issue from Sam Humphries that balances the tragic and the comic. All this plus our thoughts on holidays in comics! 

Ep. 121 What if Harley Quinn tried to destroy all DC comic book events while saving her family Thanksgiving?
From Harley Quinn #67 (2020)
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We celebrate Thanksgiving with a trip to Gotham City in this Harley Quinn themed episode. We start by talking about Harley's appearances in TV and film from Batman the Animated Series to Margot Robbie plus her first appearances in comic books. We then talk Batman: Harley Quinn #1 from 1999 that sees Harley partner with Poison Ivy, double cross Batman and take revenge on the Joker. Then we head to the dinner table with a Thanksgiving themed issue that sees Harley and Booster Gold traveling the multiverse as Harley attempts to stop all DC comic book events as a revenge for the death of her month while back in the "real" world, she is desperately trying to bring together her family for a Thanksgiving meal. All this plus Days of Our Lives, Lady Gaga, Deadpool, comic books in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and much more. 

Reading / Watch List:

• Batman: Harley Quinn #1 (1999)
• Harley Quinn #67 (2020)

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