Make Mine Multiversity

We're continuing our trek through Eternals history with the aptly named Thor and the Eternals: The Celestial Saga. Or is it Thor: The Eternals Saga? Depends on the collection! We read Thor (Vol. 1) #283-291, which is Roy Thomas' attempt at completing the story Kirby left dangling less than a year prior. Does it work? Well, we got a vampire-themed pro-wrester Eternal and a lot of Odin dunking. We also spend a lot of time flying around with Thor yelling ENOW and HIE. You decide, true believers!

If you are reading along at home, you can find these issues on Marvel Unlimited and Hoopla. Trade readers can find them in "Thor: The Eternals Saga" Vol. 1 or the first half of “Thor and the Eternals: The Celestial Saga” or in "Eternals: The Complete Saga Omnibus."

Next time, the rest of the issues (#292-301). Find them in the same place as above (and in "Thor: The Eternals Saga" Vol. 2, of course.)

Our gargantuan book club series rolls on! This week, we finish up Jack Kirby's Eternals series, which means "Eternals" issue #11-19, plus the first annual. There's a lot that's the same in this installment, but we also see some first appearances, and some disappointing villains. Which doesn't include the Deviants, who are not villains, but the secret protagonist of Eternals comics. Join us to hear all about it!

Will the Eternals ever move past their smugness? Will the Celestials ever make sense? Is this a story too wrapped up in 70s racism? Will Jaina and Elias ever remember the name of Dr. Damien's daughter? All that and more in episode 101.

100 episodes! This is a milestone we've been thinking about for months and we wanted to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for listening this long, be this your first episode, your fifteenth, your fiftieth, or your hundredth. We've got a lot of fun things planned for the next 100 (or at least the next 15-20) and we hope you'll join us for the ride.

To kick our 100th episode off, we're starting our walk through Eternals history - another mammoth book club series, though one a little less coherent than the Annihilation Saga - by chilling with the King and reading the first ten issues of the series that started it all: "Eternals" (1976.) Jaina and Elias debate the merits of the series, the demerits of the premise, and decry the sexism that pervades the book...and the eternal smugness of our protagonists.

If you are reading along at home, you can find these issues on Marvel Unlimited and Hoopla. Trade readers can find them in "Eternals By Jack Kirby," Vol. 1 or the first half of the “Complete Collection” or in "Eternals: The Complete Saga Omnibus." And yes, we know the first volume has #1-11, not #1-10 but it was a cleaner breaking point.

Next time, the rest of the issues (#11-19 and Annual #1). Find them in the same place as above (and in "Eternals By Jack Kirby," Vol. 2, of course.)

And a big thank you to Carol Romo for our new theme, "Excelsior." Isn't it just grand, true believers?

We are about to embark on a huge reading journey, so we are checking in with our Krakoan friends one more time. Turns out, the X-Books are better than ever. New creators are shaking things up, and some familiar folks take their work in a fun new direction. We have as lot of gushing to do about books we like, and maybe a few critical things to say about a couple of books in particular. If you keep up with us, you probably know what's coming.

Next time is our hundreth episode and we are starting a supersized book club. If you are reading along at home, we are starting with the first 10 (not 11) issues of Jack Kirby's "Eternals" from 1976. Hoopla and Marvel Unlimited both have easy access to these issues. Trade readers can find these issues in "Eternals By Jack Kirby", Vol. 1 or the first half of the “Complete Collection” or in "Eternals: The Complete Saga Omnibus." And yes, we know the first volume has #1-11, not #1-10 but it was a cleaner breaking point.

We've been talking about it for nearly 2 years and it only took the threat of the next book club for Jaina to finally convinced Elias to read the 2010 "Taskmaster" mini-series. Spoilers: I liked it! Much like the last Van Lente series. Well, maybe not quite like that one. In this episode, we discuss the series written by Fred van Lente, illustrated by Jefte Palo, colored by Jean-Francois Beaulieu and lettered by Dave Lanphear and it's many successes and oh so many flaws. It...has not aged like fine wine. Or is it like week old baklava at a greek diner?

Wait. What was I writing about again? Hold on. I have to eat some chicken souvlaki.

If you are reading along with our book club, our next big read begins, starting with the first 10 (not 11) issues of Jack Kirby's "Eternals" from 1976. Hoopla and Marvel Unlimited both have easy access to these issues. Trade readers can find these issues in "Eternals By Jack Kirby", Vol. 1 or the first half of the “Complete Collection” or in "Eternals: The Complete Saga Omnibus." And yes, we know the first volume has #1-11, not #1-10 but it was a cleaner breaking point.

We talk about the Avengers a whole bunch of this podcast. And Spider-Man. We spent a long time with the Guardians of the Galaxy. But it's been too long since we've checked in on Marvel's first family. It's a fascinating run; Dan Slott's vision is brought to life by a plethora of talented artists. The series had some incredible highs, but some dreadful lows. Unfortunately, the latter probably eclipse the former, but that's what makes the conversation interesting!

If you are reading along with our book club you'll want to check out "Taskmaster: Unthinkable" from 2010. It's four issues and collected in a single trade. Not a tough read at all! Find it through your local library or back-issue bin. The issues are also available through Marvel Unlimited.

It's Hawkeye time! Again! Specifically the second half of 2012's classic by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Matt Hollingsworth, and Chris Eliopoulos (with Annie Wu and Francesco Francavilla rounding out the regular artists.) Jaina and Elias are digging into the tumultuous last 12 issues (that's #12-22 and an annual, for those keeping score at home,) the contemporaneous history of the issues, and fighting to figure out what order to talk about the dang issues in. Seriously! It's nearly as complicated as some of the "War of Kings" stuff.

Next book club, we're reading the blessedly short "Taskmaster: Unthinkable" from 2010. It's four issues and collected in a single trade. Easy! Find it through your local library or back-issue bin. Next episode however, things take a turn for the fantastic. Excelsior!

It's Hawkeye time! Specifically 2012's classic by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Matt Hollingsworth, and Chris Eliopolous (with Annie Wu and Francesco Francivilla rounding out the regular artists.) Jaina and Elias revisit the first eleven issues of this seminal classic about a sad sack avenger, a different sad sack YOUNG avenger, and an apartment building in Bed-Stuy. Does it hold up? Yes. Duh. Is it still a perfect masterpiece? Welllllllll.....

Next episode, things get coastal as we check in on the back half of "Hawkeye" with #12-22 and the annual! That's volumes 3 & 4 of the trades and there is no set order because existence is pain and trust us we get into it. Comics!

After quite a number of episodes away, our monthly (now quarterly-ish) look at every X-book published since "House of X/Powers of X" returns with a new title and a new coat of paint. In addition, there's a small detour into one of the X one-shots we loved: "Giant-Size X-Men: Thunderbird" #1. Oh, and apparently Elias is British or has been reading Kieron's newsletter too much because he kept spelling Judgment as Judgement.

Next time, we're digging deep legendary "Hawkeye" comic series by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Annie Wu et al. Join us for the first 11 issues and a discussion of how we've been pronouncing David Aja's name wrong all this time.

This year we've read comics, we've even read a book, but in this episode we are doing neither. This is an episode all about a TV show. A short-lived, pretty fun TV show about everybody's favorite big evil head, MODOK. You know MODOK? The Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing? George Tarelton if you're feeling nasty. Turns out Marvel released a weird animated sitcom about the guy on Hulu. Though now cancelled, we discuss the series highs and lows, as we dream of a future with more MODOK.

Still keeping up with our book club? Well get ready for some good old fashioned comics! Our next book club episode is all about Hawkeye. The Matt Fracion/David Aja run to be exact. This is going to be a two parter, so read the first twelve issues for next time. You should read the annual too!