Storied Arcs

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"I put the gun in their hands and I trusted them to use it wisely. Just like Tunisia. Just like Sirine. And they used it to kill. I have to stop them. There's no other choice, this is my responsibility. It's on my hands."

This week, Social Media Summer continues with Hacktivist Volume 2 (issues #1-6) from Boom Studios by Alyssa Milano, Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Marcus To. Mike and Alex start by airing some of things that they bumped on in this volume with regards to some of the specifics in the storytelling choices before discussing the overall theme of actions and consequences, which they quite liked. They dive deep into the underlying naivety present in this volume (a product of it's 2015 publication), where our tech bro protagonists learn an important lesson but are still shown to be righteous in their beliefs, and how that aged like milk over the past decade. Social media in real life hadn't plummeted to the depths of despair yet when this book came out, but you can already see the signs of what could, and would, come in its pages. Another example of a comic foreseeing the future, but not the good parts.

Our journey through social media's history in comics continues next week as we intro the next book in our series, Unfollow! See you back here next week as we get you primed for our next discussions!

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"It's Moore's Law. Every two years, transistors double on integrated circuits. This is a constant since 1958. That means that we the people, the ones with the technology, we're getting more powerful by the day."

Welcome to the first entry in Social Media Summer! This week, Mike and Alex are jumping back to 2014 to dive into Hacktivist Volume 1 (issues #1-4) by Alyssa Milano, Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Marcus To from Boom Studios. The guys reminisce about social media's stature and place in society in 2014 and discuss how different it looks now through a 2025 lens. They examine the main thesis of the book- what if tech billionaires were actually the good guys?- and look at how that desirable, and maybe even believable, fantasy a decade ago is now so farcical, it wouldn't make it past the pitch meeting. They guys also praise the visuals throughout the comic, from Marcus To's art to Ian Herring's colors to Deron Bennett's lettering (which I think is some of the best depictions of foreign languages I've ever seen).

Social Media Summer is just getting started. Next week, we're finishing up Hacktivist before introing the next book in our series, so go find Hacktivist Volume 2 (issues #1-6) wherever you get your comics and join is here again to be apart of the conversation!

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In this episode, Mike and Alex introduce their latest themed set of books (see: Death Month from January 2025), only this time, instead of just a month, it's going to stretch all season. They're calling it Social Media Summer and they're focusing on four comics that utilize and comment on society's relationship with technology, specifically social media. And those books are: Hacktivist by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Marcus To from Boom Studios, Unfollow by Rob Williams and Michael Dowling from Vertigo/DC Comics, Thumbs by Sean Lewis and Hayden Sherman from Image Comics, and Mindset by Zack Kaplan and John Pearson from Vault Comics. 

Then the guys intro the first offering in Social Media Summer, Hacktivist from Boom Studios. Co-creators Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Marcus To were discussed a few weeks back in the intro to Joyride, and here, the rest of the creative team is covered, including actress Alyssa Milano, colorist Ian Herring, and letterer Deron Bennett (and if you haven't heard the interview with artist Marcus To about Joyride, the origins of Hacktivist are mentioned as well).

We'll be covering these books in chronological order as they were originally published in order to track the depiction of technology and social media within each story along side society's relationship to them at that time. That's January 2014 to January 2023; a fair amount  changed in the world in that time span, and we're excited to examine it through the lens of these four comics. So go find Hacktivist Volume 1 (issues #1-4) wherever you get your comics and join us here next week to kick off Social Media Summer!

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This week, Mike and Alex are honored to be a joined by artist Marcus To, one of the co-creators of Joyride! They start with an quick overview on Marcus' work on Hacktivist with Alyssa Milano, Jackson Lanzing, and Collin Kelly (a comic you may want to consider picking up soon for discussion on this podcast) before diving into Joyride. Marcus lets us in on the origins of Joyride and how sci-fi storytelling, specifically Star Trek, impacted him as a storyteller and creative, as well as how he and the Hivemind workshopped and developed the ideas of the book. They go into the publication history of the comic, going from an initial 4-issue miniseries to an ongoing, and what kind of effect that had on their storytelling choices and the story's ultimate conclusion. Marcus also shares an incredible story about one of his main inspirations for the Earth we see depicted in Joyride and why the themes of art and music and creativity are so central to the narrative. Finally, they examine how the comic feels more relevant now than it might have when it first came out, and how the the overarching themes in it remain as important as ever to consider and keep in mind. Marcus was so generous with his time and we can't wait to see what projects he has coming out next!

You can follow Marcus at his website as well as on Instagram, Bluesky, and whatever we're calling Twitter. You can also purchase his original art at The Artist Bullpen.

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

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"Good and bad, humanity can transform anything into something. We express. We create. Even when we're under a dictator. Even when we can't see the stars, we imagine them."

In this week's episode, Mike and Alex return to Earth to wrap up their discussion of Joyride from Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Marcus To with deep dive into Volume 3 (issues #9-12). The guys start by looking at how the story wrapped up, both in a narrative sense (which they both generally enjoyed) and a structural sense (which they both felt was a little rushed). They offer up some potential external factors that may have lead the pacing of the final arc to feel off, and acknowledge that those factors are just a reality of the industry. They guys also imagine a version of this story with just a little more runway to reach its conclusion and ponder what just a few additional issues might have added to this comic. And finally, while examining the ultimate message behind the story of Joyride (see the pull quote above), Mike and Alex spend way too much time wondering if the youths today can identify blind song lyrics from The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, N.W.A., and Radiohead. 

We really hope you enjoyed this look into an early work from some creators who are now mainstays in the industry, and another book that's become relevant again, years after its original publication (and not for the fun reasons). We'll be back next week to kick off the discussion for another great comic (or comics, perhaps)!

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"The dead are dead-- and their sacrifices kept me alive. They made this place possible. They made me possible. Moments like this... they matter 'cause they end."

This week, Mike and Alex throw a planet-wide rave and jump into Joyride Volume 2 (issues #5-8) by Jackson Lanzing, Colin Kelley, and Marcus To. The guys start by discussing the heavy character focus this volume takes, and how that (mostly) pushes the narrative forward. They also praise the art team of Marcus To and colorist Irma Kniivila for their incredible work, from dynamic splash games to creative paneling, and examine how that work enhances the storytelling throughout the book. Finally, they look at this volume's cliffhanger ending and contemplate what this series might have looked like had it run longer versus setting up for a landing in four issues. 

The discussion wraps up next week with Joyride Volume 3 (issues #9-12) so find it wherever you get your comics and join us again and be a part of the conversation!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

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"Right now, you gotta get it through your propaganda-themed brain that you're not the one giving me the choice. It's 100% the other way around. I'm not going back to a world without stars."

Kicking off this season of Stories Arcs, Mike and Alex hijack a spaceship and head out into the unknown as they dive into Joyride Volume 1 (issues #1-4) by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Marcus To from Boom Studios. The guys chat about how the story pacing feels for this first volume, knowing that for at least one issue, this was only meant to be a 4-issue miniseries, and what things (if any) might have been altered as the plan shifted into a longer run. Then they break down the three main characters- Uma, Dewydd, and Catrin- and examine the ways each of them both reinforce and subvert the conventional character architypes they fulfill for this kind of coming-of-age story. Finally, they take a look at the ways in which the fictional totalitarian world of Joyride kinda maybe sorta has more relevance to the real world in 2025 than it did when it was first published in early 2016, and wonder a bit if that contributed at all to the publication of its recent complete collection edition. Probably just a coincidence.

The journey into deeper outer space continues next week, so go find Joyride Volume 2 (issues #5-8) wherever you get your comics and join us here for the next discussion!

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For this season of Storied Arcs, Mike and Alex are heading back into outer space to dive into Boom Studios' Joyride from co-writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly (aka the "Hivemind"), artist Marcus To, and colorist Irma Kniivila. The guys run through the comic book history of the full creative team (including letterer Jim Campbell), along the way noting on how and when each of them first came across the book, and discuss how the creators are far more recognizable names now than they were when the book first came out. Then they talk a little about what drew them to the story and give a spoiler-free tease for the series. It's another version of the kids-on-bikes setup (think Paper Girls or Outpost Zero), but instead of bikes, the kids here just steal a whole spaceship.

This is a really fun, early work from some creators who are now mainstays in the industry, and we're excited to jump in. So go find Joyride Volume 1 (issues #1-4 if you're reading the floppies or have the recently-released complete collection edition) and join us here next week to get into it!

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“Just look above you. Do you see? That is called the Immense Board of Lights. And there is the Great Black. And, strewn across it, small and surrounded and vulnerable and brave… there is the Great White.”

This week, Mike and Alex wrap up their discussion of Top 10 by Alan Moore, Gene Ha, and Zander Cannon with Volume 2 (issues #8-12) of the initial run. They guys jump right into issue #8, The Overview, and discuss the major themes it presents. They also delve into why the issue so highly regarded and the effect it has over how the entire series is remembered. From there, the move into the remainder of the issues, touching on how the book shifts into a more conventional, everything-is-connected superhero-type story construction and diving into how that meshes with the more procedural storytelling presented into the first volume. The guys wrap things up with some legacy talk about Top 10 and its influence on the cop comic genre going forward.

We hoped you enjoyed this look at a critically beloved comic from one of the masters of the craft, and while we aren't covering them on the show here, we definitely recommend checking out the Top 10 sequel and spin-off stories (Smax, The Forty-Niners, Beyond the Furthest Precinct, and Season 2) because what is being a comic reader if not being a completionist.

We'll be back next week to kick off a new discussion into another great comic. See you then!

Thanks for listening to Storied Arcs

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"Listen, I got a call for you and Slinger. Irma and Li are at Seventh and Macaroni handling some kind of psychokinetic Santa."

Welcome to a new season of Storied Arcs, and Mike and Alex are here to dive into Alan Moore, Gene Ha, and Zander Cannon's Top 10 Volume 1 (issues #1-7) from America's Best Comics/DC Comics. The guys jump right in, discussing the denseness of Alan Moore's writing and the way he, Ha, and Cannon build their world so it feels both new and recognizable at the same time. They talk about the dissonance the comic creates in the reader's mind, playing off the preconceived notions of both police procedural and superhero stories, and how that dichotomy can be a little confusing at first. They guys also discuss what this book would have been had it be published 15-20 years later (and had Alan Moore not been the writer) and how the bones of Top 10 make it a perfect candidate for the current comic trend of micro-universes. There are, of course, sequels and spin-off (which we won't be covering), but a more modern-thinking approach to the publishing could have really expanded the world.

Next week, we're diving into Volume 2 (issues #8-12), which includes one of the more celebrated single-issue stories of recent memory, so go find the remaining issues of Top 10 by Alan Moore, Gene Ha, and Zander Cannon and join us here again 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
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