The Comics Canon

In this episode, a week ahead of the April 12 debut of the Hellboy movie, Curt and Kevin awaken ancient spirits to explore the origin of everyone's favorite wisecracking monster-hunter in 1994's Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola and John Byrne, published by Dark Horse Comics!

During World War II, the Russian psychic Rasputin conjures an otherdimensional being to help the Nazi war effort, resulting in the appearance of a young demon boy among Allied forces. Nearly 50 years later, that demon, now named Hellboy, is a paranormal investigator looking into the strange death of the man who raised him, Professor Trevor Bruttenholm. The case leads Hellboy (along with colleagues Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman) to a crumbling English manor where he faces hideous frog-men and the tentacled abomination known as the Sadu-Hem!

Can our hell-spawned hero stop the mad monk from freeing the demonic Ogdru Jahad and unleashing apocalypse upon the world? And can he scale the mountains of madness to reach that graveyard smash known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• The Right Hand of Doom
• Hellboy and Robotman: Separated at Birth?
• "Sadu Hem is a big dud!"
• Ron Perlman's performance and the Guillermo del Toro Hellboy movies
• The Case of Charles Dexter Ward podcast
• P. Lovecraft adaptations
• Mathilda: The Forces of Evil vs. The Third Grade
• Monkeyman and O'Brien

Join us in two weeks as we celebrate the 1000th issue of Detective Comics with a look at two early Batman stories—his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 (1939) and the first appearance of the Joker in Batman #1 (1940)!

Until then, don't forget our snazzy Comics Canon merchandise and the King Krackle digital brushes from our friends at Category 4!

Last but not least, please be so kind as to rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, Curt and Kevin wrap up their series on comics' Captains Marvel (and prepare for the April 5 release of Shazam!) with a look at the Big Red Cheese himself, the original Captain Marvel, aka Shazam, in 1940's Whiz Comics #2 and 2007's Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil, written and drawn by Jeff Smith and published by DC Comics!

In Bill Parker and C.C. Beck's charming origin story, homeless young orphan Billy Batson boards a crazy train to the subterranean lair of an ancient wizard who grants him magical superpowers seconds before dying a gruesome death! That fateful moment set the stage for one of the most popular comics of its day, a kid's wish-fulfillment epic filled with talking tigers, evil worms, mad scientists, and a whole family of super-powered siblings!

Almost 70 years later, Jeff Smith, award-winning creator of Bone, tries his hand at Earth's Mightiest Mortal, adding elements of Arabic folklore and post-9/11 sociopolitical commentary in a four-part story featuring giant robots, talking alligators, and lots and lots of roaches!

Can 1940s Billy Batson and his strapping alter ego stop the evil Dr. Sivana from ridding the world of terrestrial radio? Can their 21st-century counterparts stop him and Mr. Mind from destroying all of humanity? And can they make it into that Rock of Eternity known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• What Shazam stands for
• Shazam's connection to The Music Man
• The Seven Deadly Enemies of Man
• Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's Shazam!
• The Power of Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil
• Our Kingdom Come and Flashpoint episodes
• A horrible name for a circus act
• Sivana vs. Phoney Bone
• JSA: Black Reign
• The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson
• Miracleman
• Astro City #43 and the origin of the Gentleman

Join us in two weeks as prepare for the April 12 release of Hellboy with a look at the story that started it all: Hellboy: Seed of Destruction!

Until then, don't forget our snazzy Comics Canon merchandise and the King Krackle digital brushes from our friends at Category 4!

Last but not least, please be so kind as to rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, Curt and Kevin look toward the March 8 debut of Captain Marvel with a look at two key stories featuring Carol Danvers: In Pursuit of Flight (Captain Marvel Vol. 7, #1-6) and 1977's Ms. Marvel #1, published by Marvel Comics!

The former Air Force pilot has come a long way since her first outing as a superhero, which sees her flying into action against the backdrop of the women's liberation movement to … save bigoted magazine publisher J. Jonah Jameson??!

Thirty-five years later, writer Kelly Sue DeConnick charts a new course for Carol Danvers: Now an Avenger and one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, she finally takes the mantel of the late Captain Marvel, just in time to embark on a high-flying adventure featuring time travel, alien technology and some of the toughest woman pilots to ever take to the skies!

Can Ms. Marvel defeat a supervillain with a very phallic appendage? Will Earth's Mightiest Hero change the course of history … and lose her powers in the process? And has this Top Gun got The Right Stuff to join that elite squadron known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• Ms. Marvel's original costume
• Avengers #200
• Captain Marvel: The Ms. Marvel Years
• The real-life Mercury 13
• Captain Marvel: Higher, Further, Faster, More
• The Life of Captain Marvel
• Section Zero 1959 on Kickstarter

Join us in two weeks as our series on comics' various Captains Marvel concludes with a look at the Fawcett/DC Comics hero also known as Shazam! -- as seen in Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil and his origin in Whiz Comics #2.

Until then, don't forget our snazzy Comics Canon merchandise and the King Krackle digital brushes from our friends at Category 4!

Last but not least, please be so kind as to rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, Curt and Kevin prepare for the March 8 debut of Captain Marvel with the first of two episodes on Marvel Comics characters with that name! First up: the Kree warrior Mar-Vell, as seen in The Thanos War from Captain Marvel Vol. 1, #27-33! This Captain Marvel was an alien soldier who became a superheroic protector of Earth in order to capitalize on a lapsed trademark. In these issues from 1973 and 74, writer and artist Jim Starlin made the character more than just a savvy bit of brand management, tapping into the counterculture of the era to give him the power of "cosmic awareness," injecting his adventures with psychedelic flair—and introducing the world to the galactic menace of Thanos!

With the aid of professional sidekick Rick Jones and the mighty Avengers, does our groovy galactic guardian have what it takes to defeat an insane god? And can he survive the long, strange trip to that state of higher consciousness known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• The complicated history of the name "Captain Marvel"
• Similarities to Jack Kirby's Fourth World
• Why does Rick Jones have an Avengers ID?
• Mar-Vell's secret affair with an Avenger!
• The Time-Mind Sync-Warp!
• Thanos gets psychedelic, man!
• The Infinity Gauntlet
• Deadly Class
• The Death of Captain Marvel
• Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968

Join us in two weeks as our series on the Captains Marvel continues with a look at Carol Danvers in Ms. Marvel #1 (1977) and Captain Marvel: In Pursuit of Flight!

Until then, don't forget our snazzy Comics Canon merchandise and the King Krackle digital brushes from our friends at Category 4!

Last but not least, please be so kind as to rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, Curt and Kevin prepare for the Feb. 15 debut of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix with a look at The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite by Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá, published by Dark Horse Comics!

Brimming with inventive energy, this engaging miniseries follows a group of extraordinary children—each born to women showing no signs of pregnancy on the same night—adopted by inventor Sir Reginald Hargreeves, who grooms them to save the world. Decades later, these superpowered siblings, each haunted by physical or emotional traumas, come back together to bury their distant, demanding "father." But they're soon thrust into action against an old foe, as well as one of their own: their sister Vanya, now leader of an orchestra of madmen and murderesses bent on destroying the world!

Can this fractured family overcome their conflicting feelings for each other in time to avert Armageddon? And can they matriculate into that institution of higher learning known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• Spoiler warning
• Curt's mini-review of Aquaman
• Collider's Allison Keene likes Netflix's Umbrella Academy
• The Feb. 15 debut of Doom Patrol on DC Universe
• Darth Plageuis the Wise
• Grimjack
• Doom Patrol: Crawling From the Wreckage
• Runaways: Find Your Way Home and Best Friends Forever
• Doom Patrol: Brick by Brick
• Murder Falcon
• Tenacious D: The Metal

Join us in two weeks as we begin preparations for the March 8 debut of Captain Marvel with a look at the first Marvel Comics avenger to go by that name—specifically, Captain Marvel (1968) #27-33 by Jim Starlin!

Until then, don't forget our snazzy Comics Canon merchandise and the Benoda! series of typefaces by our friends at Category 4!

Last but not least, please be so kind as to rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, Curt and Kevin brave the fire-pits of Apokalips to discuss one of the most critically acclaimed series of the year, Mister Miracle #1-12 by Tom King and Mitch Gerads, published by DC Comics!

Something is wrong with Scott Free, the New God who is also the celebrity escape artist known as Mister Miracle. Following a failed suicide attempt, his perception is plagued by glitches and he sees things or people that aren't there. Along with his wife, the warrior Big Barda, he's called from Los Angeles to heavenly New Genesis to wage war against the demonic forces of Apokolips, the hellish world on which they were raised—a war that will force him to confront a terrible, unspeakable decision!

Can our haunted hero survive the horrors of combat, the trials of fatherhood, and a look into the face of God? And can he escape the Closing Jaws of Death and break into that eternal paradise of storytelling spectacle known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga
• Our episode on Groot and Kirby's Jimmy Olsen
• Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
• Jim Steranko, escape artist
• The trouble with sex scenes
• The ending of The Sopranos
• For the Man Who Has Everything
• How long should a podcast episode be?
• Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Who Is Scorpio?
• The 616 Society
• Batman: The Rules of Engagement

Join us in two weeks as we prepare for the Netflix debut of The Umbrella Academy with a discussion of The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite!

Until then, don't forget our snazzy Comics Canon merchandise and the Benoda! series of typefaces by our friends at Category 4!

Last but not least, please be so kind as to rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, Curt and Kevin take a break from graphic novels and caped crusaders for a look at two clever, contemporary comic strips … the webcomic xkcd and cartoonist Olivia Jaimes' take on the newspaper comic strip Nancy!

Created by Ernie Bushmiller, the original Nancy was hailed as a pinnacle of comic-strip architecture. When the pseudonymous Olivia Jaimes took the reins in April of last year, she gave it a fresh sensibility that has revitalized the 80-year-old strip and drawn rave reviews.

Created by Randall Munroe in 2005, xkcd alternates between sharply observant gags, complex commentaries on "romance, sarcasm, math, and language," and ambitious projects that redefine the parameters of what a comic strip can do in the 2st century.

Can these very different yet similarly smart examples of the form help revive interest in the ailing comic strip? And can they find themselves circulating in that firmament of the funny pages known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• How to Read Nancy
• Scott McCloud's 5-Card Nancy
• The Coyote Gospel
• "Sluggo is Lit" memes
• Vulture's interview with Olivia Jaimes
• Click and Drag and Time
• Should we expand the concept of The Comics Canon?
• Francesco Marciuliano and Medium Large
• Got any great webcomics to recommend?
• Spectacle Vol. 1 by Megan Rose Gedris
• The Reply All podcast
• Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History

Join us in two weeks as we return to more familiar superheroic territory – or do we? – with a look at Tom King and Mitch Gerads' Mister Miracle!

Until then, don't forget our snazzy Comics Canon merchandise and the Benoda! series of typefaces by our friends at Category 4!

Last but not least, please be so kind as to rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, Curt and Kevin discuss the graphic novel that inspired one of Curt's favorite movies of the year: The Death of Stalin, by Fabien Nury and Thierry Robin, published by Titan Comics!

In this satirical account based on actual events, Joseph Stalin, head of the Soviet Union, collapses from a severe stroke in February of 1953, setting off a chain of events that threatens to throw the socialist state into chaos as the members of the Soviet Central Committee bicker about what course of action to take. In the wake of Stalin's death (spoiler alert!), innocents are hauled off to prison or executed, and hundreds of mourners die as they march on Moscow to pay their respects.

Can Nikita Khrushchev and his allies prevent noxious Lavrentiy Beria, head of the Secret Police, from seizing power? And can this gripping tale of political perfidy and bureaucratic back-stabbing make it over the Iron Curtain into that capital of comic-book democracy known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• Content warning
• Liberties taken with the historical record
• Curt's top 10 films of 2018
• The Techmeme Ride Home podcast
• Aquacorn Cove
• The A.V. Club's best comics of the year
• Superman: Red Son

Join us in two weeks as we switch gears to discuss the recently revitalized comic strip Nancy and the webcomic xkcd!

Until then, don't forget our snazzy Comics Canon merchandise and the Benoda! series of typefaces by our friends at Category 4!

Last but not least, don't forget to rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

In this special crossover episode, Curt and Kevin welcome Chris Jordan, Lyric Eschoe and Kenneth Franklin of VOX ATL to discuss the new animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse! (Be advised: Spoilers are discussed.)

Topics discussed in this episode include the cultural importance of Miles Morales, the film's exciting visual aesthetic, Michael B. Jordan in Fantastic Four, the YA novel Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds, the legacy of social activism in comics, and the idea that "anyone can be Spider-Man."

Join us in just one week as we review the graphic novel that inspired one of Curt's favorite movies of the year: The Death of Stalin!

Until then, consider our fine line of Comics Canon merchandise and the Benoda! series of typefaces by our friends at Category 4 for all your holiday shopping needs!

Last but not least, don't forget to rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!

In this episode, Curt and Kevin take the plunge with a discussion of "nobody's favorite superhero," Aquaman! First up, they plumb the depths of the seafaring sentinel's first appearance in 1941's More Fun Comics #73! Can this freshman warrior of the waves sink the dastardly plans of a Nazi submarine crew?

Then, it's a deep dive into the character's 2011 reboot from Aquaman Vol. 7, as DC's defender of the deep goes toe to webbed foot with the man-eating menace of … the Trench! When these sharp-toothed humanoids come across the coastal town of Beachrock, they decide to put mankind on the menu!

Can Aquaman and his Atlantean gill—er, we mean girlfriend Mera save the inhabitants of Beachrock and adapt to life on the surface world? And can our titan of the tides endure a constant stream of snickers and insults and paddle his way to that sea of love known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• Curt's idea for an Aquaman movie trailer
• "I've oceans of love for you boys!"
• Super Friends and Aquaman's image problem
• Kevin has conflicting feelings about these carnivorous denizens of the deep
• What was the best version of Aquaman?
• Justice League Vol. 3: Throne of Atlantis
• Upgrade
• Drowned Earth
• Sanctum Vol. 1: USS Nebraska
• Dept. H Vol. 1: Murder Six Miles Deep

Join us in two weeks as we review the graphic novel that inspired one of Curt's favorite movies of the year: The Death of Stalin!

Until then, consider our fine line of Comics Canon merchandise and the Benoda! series of typefaces by our friends at Category 4 for all your holiday shopping needs!

Last but not least, don't forget to rate us on iTunes, send us an email, or hit us up on Twitter or Facebook, and we may read your comments in an upcoming episode. And as always, thanks for listening!