Gobbledygeek

The truth is out there: season 3 of The X-Files is the show's strongest season. That is, if you can trust Paul, Arlo, and the inimitable Wesley "Wezzo" Mead as they have another of their periodic discussions of Chris Carter's '90s masterwork. What makes season 3 work so well? It might have something to do with the series' expanded tonal range--a tense thriller in "Pusher," Satanic panic meetsHeathers in "Syzygy"--and the confidence with which it tackles both the monster-of-the-week hours and the increasingly complex (or is that convoluted?) mytharc installments. Then there are the Darin Morgan episodes ("Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose," "War of the Coprophages," and "Jose Chung's From Outer Space"), which are something else entirely. Plus holy cow, UK politics have gotten super depressing since the last time Wezzo stopped by. Next: Paul and Arlo return to Boneville, site of last year's Four-Color Flashback, for a look at the newly published Bone: Coda.

Q: How many drugs was Matt Wagner ingesting during the creation of Grendel? A: All of them. Paul and Arlo arrive at this conclusion in another Four-Color Flashback installment discussing Wagner's comics magnum opus, after reading chapters 1-6 of the "God and the Devil" storyline, collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 3 - Orion's Reign. After the four-part "Incubation Years" arc leapt through time in bold and bizarre fashion, "God and the Devil" finds our heroes (just kidding, there are no heroes) in the year 2530. The world has gone to shit, with the Catholic Church going back to its Inquisition roots under the reign of Pope Innocent XLII. Meanwhile, both corporate auditor Orion Assante and drugged-out street rat Eppy Thatcher fight to bring down the Church...only one of them wears the mask of Grendel, but will both be consumed by his/its force? Plus, Arlo's sick again and the boys pay tribute to Gene Wilder and David Lavery.

Next: Wesley "Wezzo" Mead returns for another episode in our ongoing series discussing the seminal sci-fi show The X-Files. This time, we dig into season 3; yes, that's the one with "Jose Chung's."

Laika, the studio behind Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls, has gifted us with a new film: Kubo and the Two Strings, wherein a young one-eyed Japanese boy plays his magical shamisen and pals around with a Monkey and a Beetle while evading the evil grandfather looking to steal his other eye. As one does. Paul and Arlo get in tune with Kubo, digging into the film's symbolism, its unusual (for a mainstream animated film) themes of grief and impermanence, and how it perfects the nearly dead artform that is stop-motion animation. Is it suitable for kids? What does its underwhelming box office performance say about what audiences expect from animated films? And what does that polarizing ending mean? All this and more, plus Arlo saw an actual Beatle.

Next: for another great story that deserves a wider audience, Paul and Arlo continue their year-long Four-Color Flashback exploration of Matt Wagner's Grendel with "God and the Devil, Part 1," collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 3, pp. 115-270.

Ever gotten so low you've thought about building a machine that'll transport your consciousness inside a tricaster? Yes? Well then, buddy, have we got the movie for you. (And if you're asking yourself what a tricaster is, you also should watch this movie!) Joseph Lewis, original Gobbler and one-third of the Three Heathens, tells Paul and Arlo all about his feature film directorial debut A/V. The gang discusses production highs and lows, the challenges of fight choreography on a shoestring budget, what it's like to hand a copy of your movie to Kevin Smith, and how Arlo plays the most crucial role in the film. This heathen's made good.

Next: Paul and Arlo tune up for Kubo and the Two Strings.

Suicide is painless, so they say. But is Suicide Squad? That's up to Paul and Arlo to decide, as they slather on clown makeup and hide their fuzzy pink unicorns to discuss the third film in the DC Extended Universe. Joining these Mostly Marvel Men is DC fan and opinionated tweeter Scott Stamper, known to the common folk as @DerfelMarek. Does the movie live up to its hype? Does it point to a bold new direction for the DCEU following the disappointments of Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? As usual, there is disagreement. Whod'a thunk it. Plus, Paul and Scott dive into the 2015 animated film Justice League: Gods and Monsters while Arlo listens.

Next: original Gobbler and proud member of the Three Heathens, Joseph Lewis stops by to talk about his feature directorial debut, A/V.

Willie Nelson, John Wayne, preachers, bloodsuckers, angels, and arsefaces. Welcome to the world of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's classic Vertigo comic book Preacher, which has now been adapted into a television series on AMC courtesy of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Breaking Bad's Sam Catlin. Paul and Arlo previously analyzed the comic book on the blog back in 2012 and now set their sights on the show's recently wrapped first season. The show takes an interesting route in exploring this tale of a small-town preacher cursed with the Word of God; namely, the ten hours that aired this year feel like a prologue to the series proper. The boys discuss the effectiveness of that approach; the spot-on casting of Dominic Cooper, Joseph Gilgun, and Ruth Negga as the unholy triumvirate of Jesse, Cassidy, and Tulip; how the series stays true to the spirit of Ennis and Dillon's work, even without being able to drop an F-bomb; and what they hope they'll see in the second season. Plus, Paul travels No Man's Sky and Arlo becomes a beach bum.

Next: film buff Scott Stamper makes a pact with Paul and Arlo to discuss Suicide Squad.

This week on Gobbledygeek, Arlo has Pokémon fever! That's right, he has become one of the hordes of mindless zombies trawling their backyards and local establishments for Japanese pocket monsters via the Pokémon Go mobile game. Then, Paul reports live from San Diego Comic-Con 2016 (sort of)! He and Arlo give their scalding hot takes on footage from Wonder Woman, Justice League, and more! They get into the icky, misogynistic controversy surrounding the new animated film version of Batman: The Killing Joke! Is all of this a ploy to get you to actually listen to the next episode in our year-long Four-Color Flashback series analyzing Matt Wagner's Grendel? Why, yes! Yes, it is! No one cares, but this week, the boys dig into the bold, bizarre, brazen "Incubation Years," collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 3 - Orion's Reign, pp. 10-112! It's good, we swear!

Next: after a week off, Paul and Arlo return to discuss the first season of AMC's Preacher adaptation. What's that? You haven't watched Preacher yet? Go watch Preacher.

Can you dislike Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot without being a woman-hating, frothing-at-the-mouth MRA cave troll? Well, Paul and Arlo sure hope so. While championing the concept of a female-led Ghostbusters movie and praising the comic abilities of the girls in gray--Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones--the boys deconstruct the problems not just with this film but modern mainstream comedies in general. They also dig into how this film's story breaks the mold set by the original movies, its attempts at social commentary, and its action- and CGI-stuffed climax. Plus, Paul delves into Stranger Things and reminds us he used to train Pokémon.

Next: it's Grendel time again, which means it's time for us to badger you--or anyone!--to read along with us. Our Four-Color Flashback exploration of Matt Wagner's epic tale continues with "The Incubation Years," collected in Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 3 - Orion's Reign, pp. 10-112.

The Geek Challenge. It's a time-honored tradition: Paul makes Arlo watch some silly '80s cheesefest, Arlo subjects Paul to a stuffy revered classic. Everyone loses. In the interest of restoring some spontaneity to this well-worn custom, this time Arlo forces upon Paul perhaps the cheesiest movie of the '80s, Y.K. Kim's 1987 cult "classic" Miami Connection, in which a group of power balladeers do battle with cocaine ninjas; while Paul finally makes Arlo watch 1956's Forbidden Planet, a retro-futuristic take on Shakespeare's The Tempest and a legitimate classic of the sci-fi genre. Once again, the boys try to get at what makes the other tick and just what makes a great movie anyway. Also, you'll never guess the very tenuous connection between the two films. No, really. You won't.

Next: there's somethin' strange in your neighborhood, and it's Paul Feig's distaff Ghostbusters reboot.

Descents into madness on the hellish streets of New York City. The tragic inevitability of violence. Bitter, brutal punchlines. This is the world of Matt Wagner's Grendel, which Paul and Arlo continue to explore in this year's Four-Color Flashback series. This time, the boys dip into Grendel Omnibus: Vol. 2 - The Legacy, pp. 377-549, for "The Devil Inside," wherein happy-go-lucky San Franciscan Brian Li-Sung has become corrupted by NYC and possibly some other forces; and "Devil Tales," in which an elderly Wiggins spins two yarns of the original Grendel, Hunter Rose. Paul and Arlo discuss the change of pace from the twelve-issue Christine Spar epic to smaller, self-contained stories; the indie comix stylings of Bernie Mireault; and how Wagner continues to push the boundaries of comic book storytelling. Plus, Arlo is allergic to podcasts!

Next: the boys take the week off to get all patriotic for July 4th, then return with another Geek Challenge. The tables will turn, with Arlo challenging Paul to a ludicrously awful '80s movie, Miami Connection; and Paul challenging Arlo to a genuine classic, Forbidden Planet.