Storied Arcs

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For this season of Storied Arcs, Mike and Alex will be dipping back into the world of horror as they get ready to discuss the "farm noir" zombie (question mark?) story Revival by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton from Image Comics. As usual, the guys start off by talking about what drew them to this book and how they came initially read it, given that neither particularly trend to horror. Then they go through some of the comics history of its creators, Tim Seeley and Mike Norton, as well as series regular cover artist Jenny Frison. Finally, the guys wrap up with a spoiler free tease for the comic to get you into the story (mostly spoiler free, that is; Mike drops a minor spoiler for issue #1, but he was reading Image's official description of the series compendium, so whose fault is it really?).

There are several ways to find and read Revival (including the aforementioned compendium, which is scheduled for release September 25, 2024), and like with similar length comics we're covered before, we will be using the Deluxe Editions as our discussion breaks. The issues breakdown as follows:
Deluxe Edition Volume 1: issues #1-11 + Free Comic Book Day 2012 story
Deluxe Edition Volume 2: issues #12-23 + Chew/Revival #1
Deluxe Edition Volume 3: issues #24-35
Deluxe Edition Volume 4: issues #36-47
[Each Deluxe Edition is also two trade paperbacks combined.]

We can't to jump into this story, so go read Revival Deluxe Edition Volume 1 (issues #1-11 + FCBD 2012 story) wherever you get your comics and join us back here next week to kick off the discussion!

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"They are the history behind the history. The hands that turn the world. We are their beasts. Their reckoning."

Here at Storied Arcs, we like to celebrate completed runs and stories of independent, creator-owned comics. Sometimes, that means a book wraps up after 24 or 30 or 54 issues because that's what the story required. And sometimes, that means a book is canceled after its first arc because that's just how it goes. Romulus (issues #1-4) by Bryan Edward Hill and Nelson Blake II from Image comics is one of the latter, but that doesn't mean there aren't things to enjoy and celebrate about it. Mike and Alex dive deep into this short-lived comic that is ultimately little more than a really good pilot episode for a TV series that wasn't picked up, discussing everything from the panel layouts to coloring choices to the character designs. They also let their story-pilled brains run free with pitches for the hypothetical next issues and arcs that will never be but they can't help to consider because the world presented in Romulus had so much potential. It's a bummer when a book gets canceled before it really has a chance to do the things it wants to do, but that's comics. They'll break your heart.

Thanks as always for listening and following along! We'll be back next week, ready to dive deep into another great comic (one with an ending this time, hopefully)!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

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Welcome to a new season of Storied Arcs! This time around, Mike and Alex will be driving deep into Romulus (issues #1-4) by Bryan Edward Hill and Nelson Blake II from Image Comics. Never heard of it, you say? Not surprised. Neither Mike or Alex have ever met another person who's read this book other than each other. In fact, this book was a topic of discussion the first time the guys had a conversation at the comic shop, thus one could argue that without it, there would be no Storied Arcs. But it's more than that. It's a book that had a lot of promise in its setup that never got a chance to live up to its potential, be it great or terrible, because it was canceled after four issues when there were clearly more stories to be had. And that possibility of "what if?" head canon is what the guys are interested in exploring. So after running through the comic resumes of creators Bryan Edward Hill and Nelson Blake II, Mike and Alex will try and sell you on why you should read a comic with zero conclusion and no hope of every being continued (it's not as bleak as it sounds; this is fun book, even if it's ultimately just an prologue for would have come later).

So next week, it's a one-shot discussion of Romulus Vol. 1 (issues #1-4), the only volume of Romulus there is or ever will be, which should hopefully be available wherever you get your comics. Find it, read it, and join us back here next week to break it all down.

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

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"I guess when you look at the way my life turned out so far, it's about the only way you can look at it. Good after bad. Kind of amazing."

In the final installment of Storied Arc's look into the selected works by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, Mike and Alex swing into Spider-Man: Blue (issues #1-6), the second book in the Loeb-Sale Marvel Colors Quadrilogy (which is totally a word). The guys again start with their personal histories with the character of Spider-Man, before jumping right into the book. Mike had a lukewarm reaction to it back when he first read it (he's higher on it now), and Alex feels it's one of the best Spider-Man stories every told, so they unpack those viewpoints and try and work through where and what the divide is. They also discuss how Blue would work as someone's first Spider-Man story, and why it might not be as successful as a introduction as some of the other Loeb and Sale collaborations we've discussed on the show. 

We really hoped you've enjoyed this little detour into the world of Big Two Superhero Comics over the past handful of weeks. There's always a chance we'll do it again sometime, too, because as far as we're concerned, good stories are good stories, regardless of who publishes them. But in the meantime, we will be here next week to dive back into the familiar waters of independent, creator-owned comics. See you then!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

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• Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/storiedarcs
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"I had promised my dad I would never ben an 'uneducated pug' like him. He wanted me to be a lawyer and I made good on that. But it wasn't enough. I had seen how the law- which I still steadfastly believed in- wasn't always the same as justice."

Mike and Alex are back diving deep into the selected works of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, this week moving over to Marvel Comics for Daredevil: Yellow (issues #1-6). They guys open with their personal reading history for Daredevil, one of the few characters Mike has read more of than Alex, before discussing how they feel this book works, or maybe doesn't, as an introduction to the world of Matt Murdock. They also break down some of their favorite panels and pages in the comic as a way to highlight the evocative storytelling of Loeb, Sale, and the entire creative team (and Alex gets to talk about one of his favorite gimmicks in comics, the De Luca Effect). The guys close by trying to decide whether or not Daredevil: Yellow can work as a compelling story for a reader who has zero prior knowledge of Daredevil as character, and whether or not that's even the point of the book.

We down to the final week of our Loeb/Sale examination, and we're closing out with the second book in the Marvel Color Series, Spider-Man: Blue (issues #1-6). This one should be more readily available than Daredevil: Yellow, so go find it wherever you get your comics and join us back here again next week!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

• Find us on your favorite podcast platform and leave a 5-star review!
• Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/storiedarcs
• Or specifically, find us on BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Twitter/X.
• Learn more about our hosts, the show, or where to find us at www.storiedarcs.com

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"Folks tend to call him 'The Man of Steel' nowadays. I guess that he's the most famous person in the world... not that he was ever interested in being famous in the first place."

Welcome to another week of the Storied Arcs podcast as Mike and Alex continue their look into the works of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, this time diving in Superman For All Seasons (issues #1-4), Loeb and Sale's retelling of the earliest years of the Man of Steel. The guys discuss how they feel this comic captures the essence of Superman and try and parse out why that essence has been so hard to translate on to the big screen (small screen, less of a problem, though). They also talk about some of the differences in presentation between For All Seasons and the book they covered last week, Batman: The Long Halloween, such as the warmer color palette and story narration. What follows is an examination into the core of who Batman and Superman are as characters (as they see them) and how those cores are expertly reflected in these two stories from Loeb and Sale. This is the Superman story to give to someone who says they don't "get" Superman.

Next week, we're jumping across the proverbial publishing street as Loeb and Sale begin their Color Series over at Marvel with Daredevil: Yellow (issues #1-6). This one might be a little harder to track down (in a physical copy, at least) because it hasn't been reprinted as much, but we're confident it's out there to be found. Go read it and join us back here again next week to break it all down!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

• Find us on your favorite podcast platform and leave a 5-star review!
• Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/storiedarcs
• Or specifically, find us on BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Twitter/X.
• Learn more about our hosts, the show, or where to find us at www.storiedarcs.com

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"I made a promise to my parents that I would rid the city of the evil that took their lives. No matter what that evil looks like or becomes. I believe someday I will make good on that promise. I have to. I believe in Batman."

In this very special (and very long) episode, Mike and Alex are pleased to welcome their good friend Drew (aka the person we're pretty sure is responsible for getting Mike into comics in the first place) to the show to discuss the first entry in their Jeph Loeb and Tim sale deep dive, Batman: The Long Halloween (issues #1-13). They start by getting a little backstory on Drew's history with both Loeb and Sale and The Long Halloween, and then jump right into discussing the comic. They break down Sale's iconic and unique art style and character design, and how combined with the use of color and shadow (and the lack of color) by colorist Gregory Wright, it created a storytelling atmosphere that so many Batman creators have chased in the years since. The trio also breakdown the mystery whodunit aspect of the story and delve into how Loeb's storytelling style holds up to multiple re-reads of this comic. in general, it's a love-fest for one of the best Batman stories every told, one that's been evergreen on the store shelves for the past 25+ years and will continue to be as long as there are comics to be sold.

Next up, we go from Gotham City to Smallville and Metropolis as we pick up our next Loeb and Sale collaboration, Superman For All Season (issues #1-4). A beloved Superman story, go find it wherever you read your comics and join the conversation with us next week as we dive into it!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

• Find us on your favorite podcast platform and leave a 5-star review!
• Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/storiedarcs
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And now for something (not entirely) completely different.

For this season of Storied Arcs, Mike and Alex are taking a detour away from creator-owned, independent comics and stepping into the caped and cowled world of mainstream, Big Two (that's Marvel and DC) superhero comics. But with a twist. The through line of the season isn't a character or title, but creators, writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale (RIP), and the guys will be examining four of this dynamic duos more revered and celebrated works. Those books are (in the order in which we plan to cover them):

Batman: The Long Halloween (issues #1-13)
Superman For All Seasons (issues #1-4)
Daredevil: Yellow (issues #1-6)
Spider-Man: Blue (issues #1-6)

In this zero episode, the guys discuss their history with the team of Loeb and Sale and how they first came to read their books (hint: it involves Batman). They also give a quick rundown of Loeb and Sale's comic history, both separately and together, as well as a brief tease as to why they picked the four comics that they did.

We're super excited for this next round of episodes and hope you will be, too. Batman: The Long Halloween is a hefty book to get through, so go find it wherever you get your comics and we'll see you back here next week to dive right in!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

• Find us on your favorite podcast platform and leave a 5-star review!
• Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/storiedarcs
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This is a very special one-off episode. Alex and Mike were asked to host a meet-up night at a local Cincinnati Manga shop (Manga Manga.) We recorded the entire discussion and you can hear us discuss western comics, manga, and more!  Keep your notes app open since there are a ton of great recommendations we gathered from people in attendance. 

Here are some of the recommendations: 
Witch Hat Atelier
Digimon
Land of the Lustrous

A few apologies for the audio quality: 

1. We were outdoors so there is some traffic noise and crowd noise at all times. 
2. There was a 30-second stint where Mike's daughter paused the recording so don't be alarmed if you miss a few seconds. 
3. The audio interface only has two mic inputs so we used two condenser mics for everyone involved. After the first few minutes Mike is behind the mic but you can still hear him pretty well. 
4. Something happened to the last 30 minutes where we do trivia and it is garbled and digitized so we cut that out. Still, you get to hear all the great recos but none of the wild guesses in the trivia time!

Thanks to Manga Manga for the invite, if you want to buy anything you heard about you can find the shop or buy from there here: https://www.mangacincinnati.com/.

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

• Find us on your favorite podcast platform and leave a 5-star review!
• Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/storiedarcs
• Or specifically, find us on BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Twitter/X.
• Learn more about our hosts, the show, or where to find us at www.storiedarcs.com

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"I... I want purpose. To contribute. I want to be accepted by society... live in a world I don't have to hide in... make choices without being in constant fear of them destroying me or the ones I care about."

Mike and Alex are here to dive deep into the final arc of Alex + Ada (issues #11-15) and they do so by hitting on what they think may be the secret theme of the whole book. Artificial intelligence is used in stories for all manner of metaphors, and the guys have honed in on one they really like for this comic and go deep in exploring it. Then as usual, they talk about the ending; less so about what happens and more so about how Vaughn and Luna got there. Whether you think the final panels are happy or sad (or something in between), the guys break down how satisfying and earned it was (or wasn't; could go either way).

We hoped you enjoyed this look into a perhaps lesser-known indie comic. Stay tuned next week for the start of a brand new season of Storied Arcs that will take us away from the prime directive, but one that we're very excited to dive into. See you then!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

• Find us on your favorite podcast platform and leave a 5-star review!
• Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/storiedarcs
• Or specifically, find us on BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Twitter/X.
• Learn more about our hosts, the show, or where to find us at www.storiedarcs.com

Subscribe on Spotify, iTunes, Pocket Casts, Overcast, Google Podcast, or anywhere else fine podcasts are found!