The Bailey Planet Podcast

40 years ago this year John Byrne revamped Superman with a mini-series titled Man of Steel. This six issue mini-series is not only one of the most important events in the history of Superman, but was the foundation of what became "my era" of Superman and was, for the longest time, my favorite origin for the character.

Because of all of that I thought it would be fun to do a short, three episode series celebrating the anniversary of Man of Steel's release.

I'm calling it Man of Steel at 40. Which is not imaginative, but gets the job done.

This time out I am talking about the audio adaptations of Man of Steel and I am not alone. Joining me is Stuart Mulrain of the And Why Not Podcast. Stuart and I take a quick look at the MPI Productions comics on tape version of Man of Steel before getting into the main focus of the episode, which is The Adventures of Superman, which was originally presented as two series that aired on BBC Radio 4. Written, directed, and produced by Dirk Maggs, The Adventures of Superman adapts issues 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 of Man of Steel as well as Superman issues 1 and 2 and is a favorite of both mine and Stuart's.

Stuart and I talk a little bit about The Trial of Superman, the special that Maggs wrote in 1988, before diving into The Adventures of Superman. We start by talking about the cast and then get into how Maggs ripped Man of Steel apart and then put it back together again in audio form. We talk about the parts we liked, the few things we didn't, and generally wax Dirk Maggs' car. There is also a little bit of talk about the other Dirk Maggs Superman drama, Superman: Doomsday and Beyond.

During the course of the episode I mention that Superman was on the cover of the Radio Times around the time Superman on Trial aired and that there was a two-page comic drawn by Dave Gibbons. You can see those below.

Thanks again to Stuart for stopping by.

Feedback for the show can be sent to [email protected]. You can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible. This show is part of The Fortress of Baileytude Podcasting Network, which is on Patreon. This is a tip jar as I have no time for extra content at the moment, but if you like content I produce please consider contributing a dollar a month if you can.

The opening and closing theme is titled Journey and was composed by Pontus Rufelt. It is licensed from Shockwave-Sound.

Next time: I wrap up Man of Steel at 40 by looking at the various reprints and collected editions of Man of Steel that have been published over the years.

40 years ago this year John Byrne revamped Superman with a mini-series titled Man of Steel. This six issue mini-series is not only one of the most important events in the history of Superman, but was the foundation of what became "my era" of Superman and was, for the longest time, my favorite origin for the character.

Because of all of that I thought it would be fun to do a short, three episode series celebrating the anniversary of Man of Steel's release.

I'm calling it Man of Steel at 40. Which is not imaginative, but gets the job done.

For this first installment I picked ten things about Man of Steel to talk about. Ten things that helped define the series and, in some cases, were either controversial at the time or have become controversial over the past four decades. From the new version of Krypton to the new approach to Clark Kent to the Kents being alive to Lex Luthor to Lois Lane, I look at the ten things and talk about how I felt about them at the time I first read the series and how I feel about them now. I also talk about the first time I read the series, which wasn't in 1986.

I had a chance to read it in 1986, but I didn't. I tell that story too.

Feedback for the show can be sent to [email protected]. You can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible. This show is part of The Fortress of Baileytude Podcasting Network, which is on Patreon. This is a tip jar as I have no time for extra content at the moment, but if you like content I produce please consider contributing a dollar a month if you can.

The opening and closing theme is titled Journey and was composed by Pontus Rufelt. It is licensed from Shockwave-Sound.

Next time: Stuart Mulrain drops by to talk about the audio adaptations of Man of Steel!

This time out Andy and Mike talk about the main story from Detective Comics #359, which is the first appearance of the Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl. Now, some of you might be thinking that the Barbara Gordon Batgirl is quite popular, so how is her first appearance in comics in any way, form, or fashion "overlooked"? Mike actually makes the argument for why this version of her origin can be considered overlooked before the guys dig into "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!" Andy and Mike talk about the "New Look" era in general, Carmine Infantino's art, the general sexism and misogyny of the era and how that is reflected in the story, and more.

Then they look at the unaired Batgirl pilot that was produced between the second and third season of the 1966 Batman series. Pilot might actually be the wrong term to use. This was a seven and a half minute presentation reel used by the producers to show the studio and the network what a Batgirl would look like. The guys have a lot of fun talking about the reel, which is shockingly good and less misogynistic than the comic book introduction.

It may not seem like it, but Andy and Mike do like feedback even if they are crap at getting to it. The most direct way to do this is to email them, which you can do by directing your thoughts to [email protected]. You can also leave a comment over on their Facebook page. You can also leave a comment at the new web home of the show, The Bailey Planet.

Next Time: Andy and Mike talk about the stories in Detective Comics #1027!

The road to the end of It All Comes Back to Superman continues with a conversation about...fashion.

Back in 1983, the Powers That Be decided to revamp two of Superman's bad guys. They had creators pitch their ideas and finally landed on Marv Wolfman's new take on Brainiac (with a new robotic look by Ed Hannigan) and Cary Bates' ideas on how to take Lex Luthor to the next level, which involved a new suit of George Perez designed armor.

And it's the Lex part of this revamp that will serve as the subject for this episode. Joining me to talk about the stories where the armor was introduced is Chris Franklin of The Fire and Water Podcast Network, where he co-hosts shows like Super Mates, Batman: Knightcast and JLU Cast. Chris and I talk about the story from Action Comics #544 that introduced the story as well as the follow-up story in Superman #385 and 386. We also talk about Superman Annual #12, where we learn where Lex's armor actually came from. During our commentary we cover the Super Powers figure that came from this armor, the version of Lex that existed during this time period, how great the Action Comics story was and where the follow-up story fell a little flat, the art of Curt Swan, the backstory of this version of Lois Lane, and more.

I wanted to thank Chris once again for stopping by. This was a fun episode to record and I appreciated his perspective as someone that was reading the books around the time these stories were published.

Feedback for the show can be sent to [email protected]. You can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible. This show is part of The Fortress of Baileytude Podcasting Network, which is on Patreon. This is a tip jar as I have no time for extra content at the moment, but if you like content I produce please consider contributing a dollar a month if you can.

The opening and closing theme is titled Journey and was composed by Pontus Rufelt. It is licensed from Shockwave-Sound.

Next time: I go solo to start a series of episodes celebrating the 40th anniversary of Man of Steel.

The road to the end of It All Comes Back to Superman starts here!

The show is wrapping up with episode 50, but there is so much fun to have until then and this episode is a lot of fun. Andrew Leyland (of Hey Kids Comics and The Amazing Spider-Man from the Beginning) joins me to finish out our talks about the various times Superman and Spider-Man team-up to discuss the two recent specials that Marvel and DC published.

It was originally going to be two episodes, but given our commentary it was better to get it all done in one.

Anyway, Andy and I have a fun conversation about both of these specials. We talk about the covers (which, to be fair, we talked about previously but every episode is someone's first episode), what the two main stories had in common, how a lot of the back-up stories seemed to end just when the action was getting good, my thoughts on Superboy Prime, how one of the specials was slightly better than the other, and more. We also choose our favorite covers and which of the stories were our favorites and one of those was a real surprise and the other...wasn't. More than anything we just have a good time talking about a bunch of crossovers, some of which worked and some of which didn't.

Feedback for the show can be sent to [email protected]. You can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible. This show is part of The Fortress of Baileytude Podcasting Network, which is on Patreon. This is a tip jar as I have no time for extra content at the moment, but if you like content I produce please consider contributing a dollar a month if you can.

The opening and closing theme is titled Journey and was composed by Pontus Rufelt. It is licensed from Shockwave-Sound.

Next time: Chris Franklin stops by the talk about super-villain fashion changes.

This time out I sit down with writer William Bernhardt, author of The Daniel Pike Series, The Splitsville Legal Thriller Series, and the Ben Kincaid novels, to talk about his newest book The Superman Wars: A Battle for Truth, Justice, and an American Icon. The official description of the book is...

Up in the sky! Look! It's Superman! Almost everyone knows about the man from Krypton who, disguised as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent working with the fearless Lois Lane, fights for the vulnerable and the oppressed. But few know the truth about this indelible character's creation. From mobster tactics to decades-long courtroom drama, a beloved American myth was born, betrayed, and eventually reclaimed—almost eighty years after the character first appeared. New witnesses, unpublished manuscripts, personal letters, and more reveal the complex and dramatic history of Superman and his creator, Jerry Siegel. This is a David and Goliath clash with twists, turns, and devastating upheavals. An underdog tale of a creator who fought for his rights and finally found redemption in his battle for truth, justice, and the American Way. A story that has never been fully told… Until now.

There have been a number of books written about the history of Superman and what happened to Jerry Siegel, but this book shines a new light on the lives of Jerry, his wife Joanne and his daughter Laura. William humanizes Jerry and his family in a way that I have rarely seen and he also delves into the lives of Major Malcom Wheeler-Nicholson, Joe Shuster, Harry Donenfeld, Jerry's first wife Bella, his son Michael, and Jack Liebowitz.

During the course of this interview, William goes into who Jerry was as a person, who Joanne was, the argument of art versus commerce, commerce versus conscience, and how this might be a David versus Goliath story but it is not always a clear cut good versus evil tale. William talks about searching through the various court cases as well as talking with people who, for various reasons, haven't gone on the record until very recently. It was not only an informative conversation, but a fun one as well.

I want to thank William for sitting down with me for this interview. If you want to find out more information on William, his writing, and WriterCon you can check out his website. And if you want to order a copy of The Superman Wars, you can follow this link.

Feedback for the show can be sent to [email protected]. You can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible. This show is part of The Fortress of Baileytude Podcasting Network, which is on Patreon. This is a tip jar as I have no time for extra content at the moment, but if you like content I produce please consider contributing a dollar a month if you can.

The opening and closing theme is titled Journey and was composed by Pontus Rufelt. It is licensed from Shockwave-Sound.

Next time: Swear to God, the final chapter of Moving Kryptonian Images is coming. This interview came together kind of fast, but I will get to the massive feedback episode sooner rather than later.

This time out Andrew Leyland joins me once again to talk about a team-up between Superman and Spider-Man. Marvel Treasury Edition #28 came out in April of 1981 and not only heralded the return of the Marvel/DC team-ups but once again had Superman and Spider-Man teaming up as well. This time they join forces against Doctor Doom in a plot that could be described as the title of an album from the English rock band Slade.

(In case you're curious, that album was called Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply. To be fair, the original title was The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome, but that doesn't work for the bit.)

This action packed crossover has it all. Peter Parker finds he's in the doghouse with J Jonah Jameson and heads to Metropolis! Superman slams the hammer down on the Incredible Hulk! Doctor Doom hopes that The Parasite is ready to explode! Wonder Woman is left high and dry! My oh my, this story, by Jim Shooter, John Buscema, Joe Sinnott, and a host other inkers, is so much fun. Andy and I had a ball discussing the finer points of the story, the art, and even the house ads at the end of the book.

During the first segment I referenced several entries from the late Jim Shooter's blog, which is thankfully still live on the net. You can find those three entries here, here, and here.

Feedback for the show can be sent to [email protected]. You can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible. This show is part of The Fortress of Baileytude Podcasting Network, which is on Patreon. This is a tip jar as I have no time for extra content at the moment, but if you like content I produce please consider contributing a dollar a month if you can.

The opening and closing theme is titled Journey and was composed by Pontus Rufelt. It is licensed from Shockwave-Sound.

Next time: Swear to God, the final chapter of Moving Kryptonian Images! Not only do I go over all of the feedback I've gotten during this series, but I also rank the various Superman films!

Another year, another Superman Day, another Superman Day Special!

This year I decided to finally pull the trigger on an idea I've had for some time now and even planned to do last year but since I tend to be a work sky fop I never got around to it.

It happens. A lot. I'm working on it.

Anyway, Superman has had a number of series over the years. Because of that he has had a lot of number one issues. I thought it would be fun to look through the ones for his various ongoing series and talk about them a bit and here we are. I start all the way back with Action Comics #1 from 1938 and continue to Superman #1 from 1939, Superman #1 from 1986, Superman: The Man of Steel #1 from 1991, Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #1 from 1995, Superman: Confidential #1 from 2006, Action Comics #1 from 2011, Superman #1 from 2011, Superman #1 from 2016, Superman #1 from 2018, Superman #1 from 2023, and Superman Unlimited #1 from 2025.

I have never typed "Superman #1" so many times in a row in my entire life.

Over the course of an hour and forty-eight minutes I talk about why editor Vin Sullivan chose Superman for the first issue of Action Comics, why the first Superman #1 was historic, how my feelings on the 1986 issue one have changed over the years, why Superman: The Man of Steel #1 is so special to me, why I was so excited for Superman: Confidential when it came out, some thoughts on Superman in the new 52, why Superman Unlimited #1 was the perfect book for a new Superman fan, and more!

I hope everyone has a great Superman Day. See you in June for the other Superman Day.

Well, I'll see you before that but still.

Feedback for the show can be sent to [email protected]. You can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible. This show is part of The Fortress of Baileytude Podcasting Network, which is on Patreon. This is a tip jar as I have no time for extra content at the moment, but if you like content I produce please consider contributing a dollar a month if you can.

The opening and closing theme is titled Journey and was composed by Pontus Rufelt. It is licensed from Shockwave-Sound.

Next time: The final chapter of Moving Kryptonian Images! Not only do I go over all of the feedback I've gotten during this series, but I also rank the various Superman films!

Moving Kryptonian Images reaches its penultimate chapter...finally.

Yes. I know. It's been a minute. I feel a bit bad about that, but life got weird towards the end of last year.

Anyway, I finally get to the film that inspired this series in the first place. Superman, written and directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, came out last July and, by just about every metric, was a success. In terms of meeting box office expectations (despite what some people have tried to say) to bringing in new Superman fans to giving the world a Superman film that appeals to the widest possible audience, this new version of the Man of Steel did everything it needed to do and there is a lot to say about it.

Joining me to do that is Michael French, one of the founders of Retroblasting, the premier video channel specializing in humorous analysis and deconstruction of 1980s vintage toys and classic cartoons. Michael and I cover this film from stem to stern. From how the movie dealt with Superman to the lack of Clark Kent to why this was one of the best Lois Lanes we have ever gotten to the pros and cons of this version of Lex Luthor. We also go into how the Kents were portrayed, the role the other heroes played in the film, why Jimmy's hijinks took us out of the film occasionally, the costume, the comic book influences, and the one real issue I had with Krypto.

And yes, we do go into the "controversy" about Jor-El and Lara. Because we had to. The Internet wouldn't allow us to do otherwise.

I'd like to thank Michael for joining me for this episode. If you haven't already, check out his YouTube channel Retroblasting, which has some of the most fun and objective looks at classic lines you will find on the Internet.

Feedback for the show can be sent to [email protected]. You can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible. This show is part of The Fortress of Baileytude Podcasting Network, which is on Patreon. This is a tip jar as I have no time for extra content at the moment, but if you like content I produce please consider contributing a dollar a month if you can.

The opening and closing theme is titled Journey and was composed by Pontus Rufelt. It is licensed from Shockwave-Sound.

Next time: The final chapter of Moving Kryptonian Images! Not only do I go over all of the feedback I've gotten during this series, but I also rank the various Superman films!

This time out I finish my look at Superman: Birthright by having a conversation with the man who wrote it!

That's right, I got the chance to sit down (so to speak) with Mark to talk about Birthright. We talked about other things as well, but most of the conversation was about that series. We go over why DC wanted a new origin in 2003, why Mark kept the Kents alive despite his personal feelings on their deaths in previous versions of the origin, why Clark and Lex were friends during their time in Smallville, the "controversy" over making Clark a vegetarian, his take on Lois Lane, and what it was like seeing parts of this series end up in Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. You'll also get to hear the sad story of what happened to his first comic book collection, which of his stories he might want to see adapted into audio form, and which friend, Jimmy Olsen or Pete Ross, is the better friend to Clark.

I'd once again like to thank Mark for agreeing to be on the show and being so generous with his time.

Feedback for the show can be sent to [email protected]. You can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Audible. This show is part of The Fortress of Baileytude Podcasting Network, which is on Patreon. This is a tip jar as I have no time for extra content at the moment, but if you like content I produce please consider contributing a dollar a month if you can.

The opening and closing theme is titled Journey and was composed by Pontus Rufelt. It is licensed from Shockwave-Sound.

Next time: If I can find the time this week I might have a fun episode dropping this weekend. If not, you'll hear the penultimate installment of Moving Kryptonian Images!