The Absolute Geek Podcast

Marvel just brought the Defenders back together at New York Comic Con 2026... so why is Daredevil: Born Again ending with Season 3? On today's The Morning Grind, Matt breaks down the biggest Marvel and DC news from NYCC, including Charlie Cox, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, the new Zodiac series, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 and the black symbiote suit, plus Jason Aaron's Green Lantern: The Dying of the Light.

We're also talking Funko and Walmart Collector Con exclusives. Geek Court asks if convention-exclusive footage should be released to everyone. Grounds for Concern looks at the new Stone Kite creator studio. Worth the Grind has your weekend picks.

. Grab your coffee, join the chat, and Fuel Your Fandom.

Did Marvel just make a HUGE mistake by ending the Ultimate Universe? Jonathan Hickman has revealed that Marvel's original plans were very different from what fans expected, and now we're asking whether Marvel killed one of its best ideas too soon!

Welcome to **The Morning Grind**, your morning dose of comic book news, Marvel, DC, and everything geek culture!

☕ **ON TAP TODAY:**

🕷️ **Jonathan Hickman's Ultimate Universe Bombshell** — Was Ultimate Spider-Man originally supposed to continue with a new creative team?

🔥 **Marvel's Midnight Universe Hits 1 Million Copies** — A massive launch for Midnight Spider-Man, Midnight X-Men, and Midnight Fantastic Four. But do big retailer orders mean long-term success?

⚡ **The Big Grind: Did Marvel Kill Its Best Idea Too Soon?** — Why ending the Ultimate Universe could be a missed opportunity for Marvel Comics.

⚖️ **Geek Court: Marvel on Trial!** — Should Marvel have kept Ultimate Spider-Man going, or is a planned ending the better choice?

🚨 **Grounds for Concern** — Are comic book publishers becoming too focused on relaunches, sales numbers, and the next big event?

🦇 **DC's Absolute Universe Heads to NYCC 2026** — With New York Comic Con kicking off, what could be next for Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, and Absolute Wonder Woman?

👍 **Worth the Grind?** — Is Marvel's new Midnight Universe worth picking up?

💬 **JOIN THE CONVERSATION:**

Did Marvel make the wrong call ending the Ultimate Universe? Would you keep reading Ultimate Spider-Man with a new writer? And is DC's Absolute Universe doing a better job of keeping comic fans excited?

Drop your thoughts in the comments!

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☕ **THE MORNING GRIND**

Fuel Your Fandom.

**Stay Geek. Stay Absolute.**

#MarvelComics #UltimateSpiderMan #JonathanHickman #TheMorningGrind #AbsoluteBatman #DCComics #NYCC2026 #ComicBookNews

Paramount and Warner Bros. are officially under one roof — and the new Skydance now controls an insane amount of geek culture. We're breaking down what the massive merger could mean for DC, Warner Bros. Games, Harry Potter, Star Trek and more.

Plus: Michael Bay is reportedly in early talks to return to Transformers while Steven Spielberg takes a bigger creative role, a Christmas-themed Ghostbusters movie is reportedly in development, Gates McFadden is writing a Beverly Crusher Star Trek comic, a retailer is facing fallout after burning copies of Absolute Batman #23, and NYCC starts tomorrow.

Grab your coffee and Fuel Your Fandom with The Morning Grind.

The Morning Grind is back for Day 2!

Matt breaks down the biggest geek-culture stories from the last 24 hours, including production temporarily pausing on The Batman Part II, Marvel replacing Marvel Unlimited with its new Webtoon-powered Marvel Comics app, the fallout from the Lanterns season finale, NYCC comic news, and one absolutely ridiculous RuneScape AI disaster.

Plus: The Big Grind, Matt's Morning Rant, Geek Court, WTF Are We Doing?, Quick Grinds and Worth the Grind?

Grab your coffee and Fuel Your Fandom.

The Morning Grind — weekday mornings on Absolute Geek.

Welcome to Episode #1 of The Morning Grind, your weekday morning shot of comic books, movies, TV, gaming, collectibles, and everything happening in geek culture.

Today we're asking the big question: Has being a geek become exhausting? With Marvel, DC, streaming, video games, endless comic events, collectibles, conventions, and new announcements every damn day, keeping up with everything we love is starting to feel like a full-time job.

Plus, we're talking Batman: Justice Year, Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel's new Midnight Universe, Midnight Spider-Man, New York Comic Con, and more.

☕ ON TODAY'S GRIND:

The Morning Pull — The biggest geek news you need to know

The Big Grind — Has Being a Geek Become Exhausting?

Matt's Morning Rant — Stop Announcing Shit Years Before It Exists

Geek Court — Should Toys Be Considered Spoilers?

Grounds for Concern — Scalpers, Toy Hoarders & Grown-Ass Adults

Quick Grinds — More stories you need to know

Worth the Grind? — Midnight Spider-Man #1

Grab your coffee, join the conversation, and start your morning with us.

🔥 FUEL YOUR FANDOM.

⚡ STAY GEEK. STAY ABSOLUTE.

#TheMorningGrind #ComicBookNews #GeekCulture #Marvel #DCComics

WWE Just Found Its NEXT STAR! Zilla Fatu EXPLODES ! Solo Sikoa SWERVE Coming by We Talk movies/Tv, Comic Books, Music, etc. Similar to Nerdist, Hollywood Babble-on, SMODCAST, Kevin Smith, I Sell Comics

Stan Lee Deserved Better... Stan Lee The Final by We Talk movies/Tv, Comic Books, Music, etc. Similar to Nerdist, Hollywood Babble-on, SMODCAST, Kevin Smith, I Sell Comics

What happens when one of the hottest creators in comics sits down with Absolute Geek Podcast?

In this exclusive interview recorded at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, I talk with Patrick Horvath, the Eisner Award-winning creator of Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, about the breakout horror phenomenon that shocked comic readers around the world.

We also dive into his terrifying new Archie Comics series, Archie in Hell, discuss his creative process, horror inspirations, storytelling philosophy, and what's next for one of comics' most exciting creators.

Whether you're a longtime fan of horror comics, independent comics, or just discovering Patrick Horvath's work, this interview is packed with behind-the-scenes insight you won't want to miss.

If you enjoy comic book interviews, creator spotlights, horror comics, indie comics, and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, make sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.

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In this exclusive interview, filmmaker Jon Bolerjack sits down with the Absolute Geek Podcast to discuss his highly anticipated documentary, Stan Lee: The Final Chapter. We dive deep into the documentary, the controversy surrounding Stan Lee's final years, the backlash Jon has faced, the ethics of documenting those events, and the difficult questions many fans have been asking.

We also discuss the allegations surrounding forged Stan Lee memorabilia, what they could mean for collectors if substantiated, and how this documentary may reshape the conversation about Stan Lee's legacy.

This isn't a promotional interview—we ask the difficult questions while giving Jon the opportunity to share his perspective on one of the most talked-about comic book documentaries in recent years.

In this interview:

✅ The making of Stan Lee: The Final Chapter

✅ Jon Bolerjack responds to criticism surrounding the documentary

✅ Stan Lee's final years

✅ The ethics of documenting history

✅ Allegations involving Stan Lee memorabilia and autographs

✅ The future of Stan Lee's legacy

✅ Questions comic book fans have been asking

Whether you're a lifelong Marvel fan, comic book collector, or documentary enthusiast, this conversation explores one of the most important stories surrounding one of comics' greatest legends.

What do YOU think?

Did this interview change your perspective? Let us know in the comments below.

👍 If you enjoyed this interview, be sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit the 🔔 so you never miss our exclusive interviews, movie reviews, comic book discussions, wrestling podcasts, and convention coverage!

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Keywords

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The controversy surrounding Amazing Spider-Man #1000 just took another shocking turn. After fans heavily criticized the original John Romita Jr. cover, Marvel reportedly pulled the artwork from retailer ordering... only to now reportedly bring it back!

So what happened? Did Marvel cave to fan backlash? Or did they cave to the backlash over the backlash?

In this episode of Absolute Geek, we're breaking down:

🕷️ The Amazing Spider-Man #1000 cover controversy

🎨 Why John Romita Jr.'s artwork divided the comic community

📚 Marvel's decision to remove—and reportedly restore—the cover

🤔 Has social media gained too much influence over comic book publishers?

💥 Does this set a dangerous precedent for future artists like Frank Miller, Bill Sienkiewicz, Peach Momoko, Skottie Young, and more?

🔥 Should publishers stand behind the creators they hire, or should fan backlash shape editorial decisions?

This isn't just about one Spider-Man cover—it's about the future of comic book publishing, artistic freedom, and whether Marvel has created a precedent that could impact every controversial cover moving forward.

💬 What do YOU think?

Did Marvel make the right call?

Should they have stood behind John Romita Jr.?

Or is listening to the fans always the right move?

👇 Let us know in the comments!

👍 If you enjoyed the discussion, be sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and turn on NOTIFICATIONS so you never miss the latest comic book news, reviews, interviews, and hot takes from Absolute Geek!

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