The Comics Canon

In this episode, we kick off a decades-spanning series focusing on the hot new superhero team of 1997: the Thunderbolts! And we begin with some early Avengers issues introducing Captain America’s arch-nemesis Baron Zemo and his Masters of Evil!

But first, we begin with Avengers #4, in which the Sentinel of Liberty himself is fished out of the North Sea and joins the Marvel Universe!

Then it’s on to Avengers #6, in which Baron Zemo enlists the Black Knight, the Mysterious Melter and Radioactive Man in the inaugural lineup of the Masters of Evil, a team of supervillains that might have some role to play in the formation of the Thunderbolts some 30+ years later!

In Avengers #7, Zemo is joined by a pair of Asgardians, the Enchantress and the Executioner—who, in Avengers #9, hatch a scheme that involves the debut of future Avengers mainstay Wonder Man!

Will this concept of a villain who turns into a hero have some bearing on the Thunderbolts? Is Avengers #6 the silliest comic we’ve ever discussed on this podcast? And can these pulse-pounding issues pass muster with that eternally youthful Middle-Aged Brigade known as … The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

·       Curt’s dream, revisited

·       You know what this story needs? An alien who turns people to stone!

·       Seriously, what’s the deal with the Teen Brigade?

·       Rick Jones makes a boneheaded mistake

·       Twin Peaks: The Return

·       Venom: The Last Dance

·       Avengers Vol. 1 # 16: The Old Order Changeth!

·       Infamous Iron Man Vol. 1: Infamous

Join us in two weeks as we take a detour into the 1970s for a look at two pivotal moments in the life of Captain America: Secret Empire and The Coming of the Nomad!

Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter!

And as always, thanks for listening!

 In this episode, we relax our usual format a bit as Bryan Stratton, Robb Milne and Jamie Wenger from the Marvel by the Month podcast join us to discuss (and assign ratings to) some iconic -- and less-than-iconic -- Jack Kirby monsters from before Marvel's superhero era!

Monsters discussed in this episode:

·       Diablo, the Demon From the Fifth Dimension! (Tales of Suspense #9, 1959)

·       Taboo, the Thing From the Murky Swamp! (Strange Tales #75, 1960)

·       Groot, the Monster From Planet X! (Tales to Astonish #13, 1960)

·       Xemnu, the Living Hulk! (Journey Into Mystery #62, 1960)

·       The Blip! (Tales to Astonish #15, 1961)

·       Goom, the Thing From Planet X! (Tales of Suspense #15, 1960)

·       Googam, Son of Goom! (Tales of Suspense #17, 1961)

·       Fin Fang Foom! (Strange Tales #89, 1961)

Recommended in this episode:

·       The Ultimates

·       The Atlas Comics Library No. 1: Adventures Into Terror Vol. 1

·       The Shadow Over Innsmouth by Gou Tanabe

·       The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

·       Dracula Vol. 1: The Impaler by Matt Wagner and Kelley Jones

      Join us in two weeks as we look ahead to next year’s Thunderbolts movie with the beginning of a series of episodes exploring the origins of the Thunderbolts and the Masters of Evil through the decades, beginning with Baron Zemo in Avengers #4, 6, 7 and 9!

In this episode, we kick off a month of horror-themed comics with a look at Tatsuki Fujimoto’s incredibly popular manga Chainsaw Man, a fresh and creative mixture of body horror, supernatural devil creatures, superhero-adjacent action and 80s boob comedy!

In these chapters from Chainsaw Man volumes 1 and 2, we meet Denji, a down-on-his-luck teen whose body fuses with Pochita, a devil in the form of an adorable dog with a chainsaw sticking out from its head. Denji gains the ability to sprout chainsaws from his arms and face, and is soon conscripted by pretty Makima into a government devil-hunting agency and partnered with Power, a brash and uncontrollable blood fiend. But all he really wants is … to touch some boobs!

Can the not-too-bright Denji triumph over the fearsome Bat Devil and the creepy Leech Devil, not to mention his mentor Aki? Will he wise up and realize that Makima seems to be bad news? And can he join the hallowed ranks of those Devil’s Advocates known as … The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

·       What would Pitbull say?

·       The Substance

·       Exceptional X-Men #1

·       Faster, Purple Worm! Kill! Kill!

Join us in two weeks as our October festivities continue with a celebration of classic Marvel monsters including Groot, Diablo, the Blip, Fin Fang Foom and others!

With Joker: Folie à Deux rolling into theaters next, the time seems right to dive into Batman’s most famous nemesis, the Joker, with a trio of stories highlighting different, pre-Dark Knight Returns iterations of the Clown Prince of Crime!

First up is “The Man Who Wrote the Joker’s Jokes” from 1951’s Batman #67, in which everyone’s favorite mass murderer seeks a gag writer!

Then, in 1976’s The Joker #7, a scientific accident gifts the Joker with Lex Luthor’s intellect, and Luthor with the Joker’s madness!

Last but not least, we switch gears with 1978’s “The Laughing Fish” and “Sign of the Joker,” from Detective Comics #475-476, featuring one of the Ace of Knaves’ most bizarre schemes yet!

Can the Grand Mogul of Mountebanks win the day against Batman, Lex Luthor, and the Gotham City Copyright Commission? And do these stories have what it takes to win over the crowd at that Ha-Hacienda known as … The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

·       “With no legs, the frog becomes deaf!”

·       The Origin of The Comics Canon!

·       Bruce Willis goofs on Curt

·       Detective Comics #473: The Malay Penguin

·       Rebel Ridge

·       Batman and Bill

·       The Immortal Hulk Vol. 1: All Weather Turns to Storm

·       Please consider making a donation to The Hero Initiative

Join us in two weeks as we get ready for spooky season with a look at Tatsuki Fujimoto’s popular manga Chainsaw Man!

Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter!

And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we take a long-overdue look at one of the most acclaimed crimefighters in comics history, Will Eisner’s The Spirit!

Published in its own special insert in Sunday newspapers in the 1940s and early 50s, The Spirit featured seven- and eight-page stories about a masked hero in a suit and tie who helped the police of Central City fight criminal masterminds, underworld figures and slinky femmes fatales. Initially influenced by the pulps, The Spirit soon became known for short stories that showcased Eisner’s genre-defying imagination and visual invention—stories in which the Spirit himself often wasn’t even the main character!

Starting with the 1940’s “The Origin of the Spirit,” we dive into eight tales that demonstrate the wide range of this influential comic. But does The Spirit have what it takes to kick back in that tastefully appointed crypt known as … The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

·       Curt has a dream

·       Who was handling Paste Pot Pete’s branding?

·       Is The Spirit the Citizen Kane of comics?

·       Will Eisner’s Shop Talk

·       Two of the Spirit’s femmes fatales

·       The Story of Rat-Tat the Toy Machine Gun

·       Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Join us in two weeks as we mark the upcoming release of Joker: Folie a Deux and other Batman-related properties with a handful of stories featuring everyone’s favorite clown prince of crime, the Joker!

Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter!

And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we conclude our three-part look at V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, as collected by Vertigo/DC Comics!

V disables Norsefire’s surveillance apparatus, nudging the citizens of London toward revolution. Rose Almond takes action. Schemes are hatched as Helen Heyer and Peter Creedy vie to take control of the government. Detective Finch takes a bad trip. And Evey prepares to fulfill her destiny.

As society collapses, will any of our players get a happy ending? And will they finally step into the spotlight of that vicious cabaret known as … The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

·       V’s Bugs Bunny physics

·       We’ve got a fever, and the only cure is more Scottish brogue!

·       A surprise induction into The Comics Canon!

·       The Filth and the Fury

·       Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep and The Simple Art of Murder

Join us in two weeks as we take a long-overdue look at Will Eisner’s The Spirit!

Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter!

And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we continue our three-part look at V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, as collected by Vertigo/DC Comics!

Abandoned by V on the streets of London, Evey Hammond knows a brief moment of happiness before she’s captured, tortured and interrogated about her role in V’s crimes. Rose, widow of the late Derek Almond, suffers a series of humiliations. Meanwhile, V's body count grows as he issues an ultimatum to the people of London.

Can Evey hold on to that last little inch of herself, even if it costs her her life? And can our cast of characters make it past the bouncer into that Kitty Kat Keller known as … The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

·       Remember, remember the fifth this November

·       Boy, were we wrong about Dascombe!

·       V’s maybe not the greatest lyricist

·       Amy Lennox’s performance of “Cabaret”

·       Gen V

·       Rogue Trooper: Tales of Nu-Earth Vol. 1

Join us in two weeks as our three-part series concludes with Book 3: The Land of Do-As-You-Please!

Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter!

And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, for … oh, no particular reason … we kick off a three-part look at the classic graphic novel V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, collected by DC Comics!

 Originally published in serial form in the British anthology magazine Warrior, this dystopian fantasy follows the anarchist vigilante known only as V, clad in a creepy Guy Fawkes mask, who’s hell-bent on taking revenge on the staffers of a post-war “resettlement camp!”

This mysterious, magnetic revolutionary rescues a 16-year-old would-be sex worker named Evey from a horrible fate at the hands of the nation’s secret police, and soon enlists her in his one-man war to bring down the fascist British state!

But is there more to the strangely powerful V than first appears? (Spoiler alert: Yes!) And can he hope to silence that Voice of Fate known as ... The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

·       The scourge of … THE BEATNIKS!

·       Pynchon, V? Really?

·       Maybe we shouldn’t have given the guy in Room V so much freedom…

·       The Abominable Dr. Phibes

·       Kite Man: Hell Yeah!

Join us in two weeks as we roll merrily along with Book 2: This Vicious Cabaret!

Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter!

And as always, thanks for listening!

This episode contains explicit language and talk of sexual assault.

On this episode, we take a butcher’s at the book that begat the critically acclaimed streaming series The Boys—specifically, The Name of the Game, collecting the first six issues of The Boys by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, originally published by WildStorm Productions and later collected by Dynamite Entertainment!

When Hughie Campbell’s girlfriend is killed during a superpowered battle, he’s recruited by Billy the Butcher to join The Boys, a CIA-sanctioned squad of humans tasked with monitoring the superhero community and acting when they step out of line. Meanwhile, Annie January, aka Starlight, achieves her lifelong dream of joining the world’s premier superteam, The Seven—only to find that the world’s greatest heroes are corrupt, narcissistic, cruel ... and worse. And Hughie quickly learns that his new gig isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, either.

Can these two innocents navigate this unpleasant new world without losing their souls? And can this book filled with sex, graphic violence and gross-out gags survive a meeting with that Human Resources department known as ... The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

·         A Comics Canon news break

·         We need to talk about that hamster ...

·         A discussion of The Boys on Amazon Prime Video

·         Garth Ennis’ Red Team

·         The Mighty

Join us in two weeks as we begin a discussion of Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta!

Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter!

And as always, thanks for listening!

We’re back with a look at everyone’s favorite gruff, eyepatch-wearing super-spy (non-Samuel L. Jackson division) as seen in 1968’s Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, 2, 3 and 5, published by Marvel Comics!

Writer and artist Jim Steranko injects a dose of modern psychedelic and pop-art imagery and a strong sense of design into these four issues, creating a surreal visual experience the influence of which is still being felt in comics pages today. The stories those images tell, on the other hand ...

Can this tough-talking, shirt-shucking, gun-toting fireball of a secret agent stop a mad scientist from destroying the world, solve a ghostly mystery on the Scottish moors and uncover the identity his mysterious nemesis Scorpio? And can Marvel’s answer to the 1960s spy craze join the elite ranks of that Impossible Missions Force known as ... The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

·         Hey, what happened to that rocket sled?

·         There’s something familiar about this Centurius guy

·         Nick Fury Explains It All

·         Queen & Country: Operation Broken Ground and Operation Morningstar

·         Danger: Diabolik

·         Velvet Vol. 1: Before the Living End

·         Duck Soup

·         For Whom the Bell Tolls

Join us in two weeks as we discuss The Boys Vol. 1: The Name of the Game!

Until then:Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook, Bluesky or The Platform Formerly Known as Twitter!

And as always, thanks for listening!