It's not about the plot. That's why Matthew Rosenberg was not worried about spoiling it all in the solicits for We're Taking Everyone Down With Us, his new Image Comics series done in collaboration with artist Stefano Landini, colorists Roman Titov and Jason Wordie, letterer Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and designer Becca Carey. For the writer, the comic is everything surrounding the narrative: character, emotion, theme, style, etc. AKA, the perfect Comic Book Couples Counseling comic.

The first issue of the new sci-fi spy thriller releases this Wednesday (March 26th) and celebrates numerous influences, but it's sharpened into something extraordinarily fresh. The tropes will be familiar to any James Bond obsessive, but We're Taking Everyone Down With Us shifts the perspective from problematic double o to the child of one of his greatest mad scientist rivals.

Thirteen-year-old Annalise merely wants more time with her father, but he's too busy plotting earthly destruction in his lab. So, she's stuck with her robot babysitters. We're Taking Everyone Down With Us starts with a bang, and it reveals a whole new world to the child, and that revelation will become quite the problem for any wannabe James Bond lurking in the plot.

Matthew Rosenberg makes his CBCC podcast debut, and we're eager to discuss the inspirations behind We're Taking Everyone Down With Us and his relationship with super spy melodrama. We also discuss the personal saga behind the story, our frustration with spoiler culture, and why no artistic expression feels as good as comic book collaboration.

Stay current on Matthew Rosenberg by following his Substack, Podcast, Bluesky, and Instagram.

This week's episode is sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.

We're also sponsored by the Beyond the Cape Podcast. If you enjoy Comic Book Couples Counseling, you'd undoubtedly enjoy their show. Beyond the Cape is a laid-back talk show in which every episode highlights their love of this beautiful comic book medium, their personal journey with it, and the respective artists they feature on each podcast. This June will mark their second anniversary, which we certainly recognize as a massive accomplishment. So, follow them on Instagram @BeyondTheCapePodcast and Spotify with The Uncensored Nerds Network.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

We Should Improve Society Somewhat by Matt Bors

How to Resist Amazon and Why by Danny Caine

This Ink Runs Cold Kickstarter

Support Your Local Comic Shop - Episode 2 - Now Or Never (San Diego, CA)

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

Join us at the Alamo Drafthouse in Winchester, Virginia, on 3/09 at 5:00 PM for Popeye, co-sponsored by Four Color Fantasies.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @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.

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 Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.