The Comics Canon

In this episode, an actual Greek myth gets retconned as Myth Takes, our miniseries on comics and mythology, rolls on with a discussion of three stories from the Sandman collection Fables & Reflections—specifically, Thermidor, The Song of Orpheus and Ramadan!

You may be familiar with the myth of Orpheus, the balladeer who journeyed to the underworld to retrieve his lady love Eurydice. But you might have skipped class the day they covered the fact that Orpheus was the son of Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams!

Did Orpheus's bodiless head really help bring about the downfall of Robespierre, one of the architects of the French Revolution's bloody Reign of Terror? What role did the Dream King play in the storied history of ancient Baghdad? And will these stories make their way into that campaign of myth-information known as ... The Comics Canon?

Discussed in This Episode:

• Content warning for The Song of Orpheus
• Destruction vs. the other Endless
• The Sandman stories August and Soft Places
• I, Claudius (and I, Podius)
• Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino
• Elric Vol. 1: Elric of Melnibone
• Ron Randall's Trekker: Reckoning on Rigel on Kickstarter

Join us in two weeks as our Myth Takes miniseries wraps up with a discussion of James Sturm's The Golem's Mighty Swing!

Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

And as always, thanks for listening!

(Explicit warning: A couple of swear words are used.) In this episode, Myth Takes, our series on comics and mythology and folklore, continues with The Sandman: A Game of You, collecting issues 32-37 of The Sandman, published by DC/Vertigo Comics!

Atlanta actress and friend of the show Jennifer Lee returns for a lively discussion that goes deep into Sandman lore as we get into this 30-year-old story arc that offers an incredibly timely take on the issue of trans identity.

Can Barbie save the Land, her childhood dreamscape, from the sinister forces of the Cuckoo? And can this moving tale of growing up and moving on unlock the door to that fabled Barbie Dreamhouse known as ... The Comics Canon?

Discussed in This Episode:

• Similarities to A Doll's House
• Neil Gaiman's Tumblr post about Wanda
• Curt has some strong words for Morpheus
• What IS the Cuckoo, exactly?
• Brazil
• The Saga Compendium
• Astro City Special: Beautie #1

Join us in two weeks as we extend our stay in the Dreaming with a discussion of The Sandman: Fables and Reflections!

Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we follow up the anthropomorphic samurai of Usagi Yojimbo with a menagerie of talking animals as Myth Takes, our miniseries on comics and mythology, takes a slight detour into fairy tale territory with a discussion of Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm, published by Vertigo/DC Comics!

In Bill Willingham's long-running series Fables, the characters from all your favorite childhood tales have been driven from their homes by the mysterious Adversary and are living under the radar in New York. But when the Farm—home of the animal Fables—is rocked by the vicious murder of one of the Three Little Pigs, tensions between human and non-human Fables threatens to escalate into deadly political revolution!

Can Snow White defeat the militant Goldilocks—not to mention her own sister Rose Red—and prevent a bloody civil war? And can this tale as old as time win entry into that Happily Ever After known as ... The Comics Canon?

Discussed in This Episode:

• Myths and folklore in popular culture
• Raunchy versions of children's stories
• Fables Vol. 6: Homelands
• The Personal History of David Copperfield
• Shelly Bond's Filth & Grammar Kickstarter campaign
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
• Savage Avengers
• Some thoughts on She-Hulk

Join us in two weeks as we kick off a Sandman two-parter with a look at A Game of You!

Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, Myth Takes, our miniseries on comics and mythology, continues with a look at Stan Sakai's Eisner Award-winning Grasscutter saga from Usagi Yojimbo Vol. 3, issues #13-22, published by Dark Horse Comics!

Usagi Yojimbo, Sakai's long-running series featuring rabbit ronin Miyamoto Usagi, draws from Japanese history and folklore to create a fully realized world populated by anthropomorphic rabbits, cats, bears and other animals, all rendered in Sakai's detailed yet accessible art style.

Can Usagi keep Grasscutter, the legendary sword of the gods, out of the hands of a shadowy cabal—and survive an encounter with his mysterious nemesis, the sinister and murderous wolf Jei? And can he and his friends find safe passage to that Hidden Fortress of comic-book epics known as ... The Comics Canon?

Discussed in This Episode:

• Runaways (the Usagi story, not the Marvel comic)
• The Hidden Fortress
• Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits
• Groo the Wanderer
• Space Usagi and Senso from The Usagi Yojimbo Saga: Legends
• Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles

Join us in two weeks as we discuss Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm!

Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, Myth Takes, our miniseries on comics and mythology, continues with a discussion of everyone's favorite teenage God of Chaos, Kid Loki, in Journey Into Mystery: Fear Itself (specifically, Journey Into Mystery issues #622-626 and #628-629) by Keiron Gillen, Doug Braithwaite and Whilce Portacio, published by Marvel Comics!

When Cul the Serpent, God of Fear and brother of Odin the All-Father, threatens the Nine Realms in the 2011 crossover event Fear Itself, a newly reincarnated Loki sets out to prevent another Ragnarok. Using all his trademark cunning and guile, the godling must assemble a ragtag team of companions to help him in his quest—even though doing the right thing comes at a terrible personal cost!

Can the teen trickster save the world for once, rather than destroy it? And can he cross the rainbow bridge to that hallowed hall of heroic tales known as ... The Comics Canon?

(Programming note: The god of mischief bedeviled us with some odd Zoom-related glitches for the first few minutes; things get better just after the 13-minute mark.)

In This Episode

• Norse vs. Greek mythology in comics
• War of the Realms
• The Sandman and Explorer's Guide to Wildemount
• An early 90s Image Comics flashback
• Thor Vol. 1 by J. Michael Straczynski
• Resident Alien on SYFY
• Journey Into Mystery # 627
• Young Avengers: Style > Substance

Join us in two weeks as we move from Asgard to ancient Japan to discuss Usagi Yojimbo: Grasscutter!

Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, we kick off Myth Takes, a miniseries on the intersection of comics and mythology, with a book in which an A-list superhero gets a mythological upgrade: Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Blood, by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang, published by DC Comics!

This companion piece of sorts to our previous Wonder Woman episode explores the character's reboot as part of the 2011 New 52 relaunch of DC titles—a reboot that takes the Greek mythology that's always been a part of her world and moves it front and center by revealing her to be the daughter of Zeus, king of the Greek pantheon!

Can Diana navigate her new family (and some less-than-ideal tropes) while protecting her human friend Zola from the wrath of Hera? And can she scale that Mount Olympus of comic-book epics known as ... The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

• Are comics the new mythology, man?
• Anatomy Lesson Syndrome
• Split happens
• Can you get better from being a statue?
• Some striking character designs
• John Constanti—we mean, Lennox
• Our Dangerous Habits episode
• Wonder Woman: Dead Earth
• Wonder Woman/Conan

Join us in two weeks, when we discuss Journey Into Mystery: Fear Itself!

Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

And as always, thanks for listening!

Content warning: Depictions of wartime violence and PTSD symptoms are discussed.

In this episode, we discuss one of the most acclaimed storylines from the Pulitzer Prize-winning comic strip Doonesbury, as collected in The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time and The War Within: One More Step at a Time, published by Andrews McMeel!

These strips follow the physical and emotional ordeal of long-running character B.D., who loses his leg (and his signature helmet) while serving in the Iraq War. After undergoing painful physical therapy and receiving a new prosthetic leg, he returns home, where he begins showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, including nightmares and increasingly heavy drinking.

With the help of his family and friends—and his counselor Elias, a fellow veteran and amputee—can B.D. confront his memories of that fateful day in Fallujah? And will this acclaimed narrative be awarded that badge of honor known as ... The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

• Our YUGE! episode
• A brief history of Doonesbury
• Iron Maiden vs. Queensrÿche
• That third act reveal, though
• Mel's Story: Surviving Military Sexual Assault
• Beta Ray Bill (2021) #1

Join us in two weeks when we discuss Wonder Woman (2011) Vol. 1: Blood!

Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

And as always, thanks for listening!

Podcaster Alonso Duralde (Linoleum Knife, Who Shot Ya?, Breakfast All Day, A Film and A Movie) returns to discuss Justice League International by Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire, published by DC Comics!

Debuting in 1987, Justice League International came out of the gate with a light and often absurd tone that bucked the "grim and gritty" trend of the late 80s, with Batman and a roster of B- and C-list trading zingers as often as they engaged in fisticuffs.

This risky move, coming on the heels of the poorly received Justice League Detroit era, restored DC's premier superhero team to prominence. But is that enough to land it a spot in that Hall of Justice known as ... The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

• The "Snyder Cut" joke we didn't get to use
• Is Kevin Maguire the MVP of JLI?
• Superior Foes of Spider-Man
• Brother to Brother
• Cobra Kai
• The Gray Man
• Fate (1987)
• A 5-minute discussion of Zack Snyder's Justice League
• The Owls on Culture Podcast
• Preorder I'll Be Home for Christmas Movies at your favorite indie bookseller!

Join us in two weeks for Doonesbury: The Long Road Home!

Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

And as always, thanks for listening!

Debuting as a webcomic in 2012, Nimona became an Eisner Award-winning sensation after its publication as a graphic novel in 2015. Noelle Stevenson's tale of a playful shapeshifter who turns out to be something more was even on its way to an animated adaptation until the closing of Blue Sky Studios last month left that project's future in doubt.

We may not ever get to see that feature film, but we can get answers to these burning questions: Can Nimona overcome her dark side and her deep desire for revenge? Can villain Ballister Blackheart reconcile with his former friend and partner, Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin? And can this charming and moving book join the ranks of that Institute of First-Class Fantasy Epics known as ... The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

• Similarities to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
• How it started and where it's going
• The Adventure Zone: Graduation
• We want to see a Meredith Blitzmeyer spinoff
• The subtleties of Blackheart and Goldenloin's relationship
• Sound of Metal
• Wonder Woman: The Lies
• In Real Life

Join us in two weeks as we commemorate the "Snyder Cut" of Justice League with (what else?) Justice League International!

Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

And as always, thanks for listening!

Combining corporate intrigue, James Bond-style espionage and more than a hint of social relevance, it's perhaps the defining Iron Man storyline—and arguably informs Robert Downey Jr.'s mega-popular portrayal of the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this episode, we strap on the jet skates to discuss Demon in a Bottle—specifically, The Invincible Iron Man issues #123-128, by David Michelinie, John Romita Jr. and Bob Layton, published by Marvel Comics!

As the pressures of being a billionaire industrialist superhero begin to mount, Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) increasingly turns to alcohol. When unscrupulous competitor Justin Hammer takes control of Stark's armor, causing the death of a foreign diplomat, even his best friend James Rhodes and professional bodyguard Bethany Cabe may not be able to pull him out of his downward spiral.

Can the Armored Avenger prevail against a dozen super-villains—and his growing addiction? And can this famous story infiltrate that island fortress known as ... The Comics Canon?

In This Episode:

• "You rentable clodpate!"
• Death Be Not Proud
• Some LGBTQ+ comics recommendations
• Some thoughts on our Tintin episode
• Iron Man Epic Collection: Stark Wars
• Invincible Iron Man: World's Most Wanted

Join us in two weeks as we discuss Nimona by Noelle Stevenson!

Until then: Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

And as always, thanks for listening!