Talking in Circles

Greg and Dan discuss Marvel's Secret Empire event and why Dan is actually invested in it despite event fatigue, DC's The Button crossover between Batman and Flash (and why it's genuinely great), the American Gods TV adaptation, the upcoming Defenders Netflix series, and what's coming for Free Comic Book Day. They also cover what they've been reading lately and the current state of Marvel and DC comics.

On this week’s show we talk trailers including Justice League and Spider-Man. Greg continues his new anime craze, and Chuck gives us thoughts on the Batman- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover. All that and a review of Marvel’s most recent Netflix series Iron Fist

Greg and Dan count down their five favorite NES games from childhood, discussing what made each one memorable and how they hold up today. The list includes classics like Super Mario Bros. 2 and 3, Mega Man 2, Batman, and more, with stories about using cheat codes, Game Genie, and revisiting these games as adults.

Dan discusses Pete Holmes' HBO comedy series Crashing, Chuck covers the X-Men show Legion, and the hosts dive into a full review of Logan. They debate the film's violence, the clone character, Logan's death scene, and the newly introduced mutant children, with notably different takes on how well it all works.

Dan and Greg discuss a frustrating restaurant experience, dive into the YouTube escape room show "Race to Escape" and Geek and Sundry's celebrity escape room series, and run through recent entertainment news including a Batman and Elmer Fudd comic crossover by Tom King, a Rufio prequel Kickstarter campaign, Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob reboot plans, Ben Affleck as Batman casting, and a local comic book collection fire.

The crew discusses the Super Bowl LI comeback, reviewing trailers from Logan, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Iron Fist, Stranger Things season two, and Baywatch. Greg shares his experience reading the original Batman comics from the 1930s-40s, discussing how the character has evolved and the surprising differences between classic and modern interpretations. Dan also reviews the new Darth Maul comic series and talks about the challenges of reading and appreciating classic comics.

Greg and Dan are back after a break to discuss what they're excited about in 2017 across comics, TV, movies, and more. They cover upcoming comic releases from DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, and indie publishers—including The Button, Black Hammer, American Gods, and Jughead: The Hunger—plus TV shows like Legion, 24: Legacy, and the Marvel Netflix series, and a wide range of films from superhero movies to indie projects.

The hosts dive into Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, discussing Jyn Erso's character arc and how the reshoots softened her initially cold demeanor, the standout supporting cast including Donnie Yen and K-2SO, and Director Krennic as an effective villain. They explore how the film expands the Star Wars universe by showing multiple rebel factions working against the Empire, appreciate the seamless integration of archived A New Hope footage in the dogfighting scenes, and highlight Darth Vader's brutal hallway sequence as one of the year's best moments. The conversation also touches on the Death Star's hyperspace capabilities, the beach planet battle, and where Rogue One ranks among the Star Wars films.

The crew explores gift ideas for geeks this holiday season, ranging from novelty tech like a Back to the Future flux capacitor USB charger and motion-activated bed lights to toys like remote-controlled flying sharks and the Nerf Nuke. They also discuss practical gifts including LEGO sets, picture frames for displaying artwork, and MoviePass subscriptions, plus quick reviews of Dark Horse's Lady Killer, Marvel's Nova #1, Ernest Cline's Armada, and David Grann's The Lost City of Z.

The hosts take time around Thanksgiving to share what they're grateful for in geek culture and beyond. Before diving into gratitude, Dan reviews a graphic novel and discusses Thanos #1 with Chuck, covering the return of Young Justice, X-Men comics, and Marvel's character rights deal that brought Ego the Living Planet to Guardians of the Galaxy. The episode closes with thoughts on favorite Thanksgiving foods.