The Comics Canon

In this episode, Curt and Kevin discuss another graphic novel that has taken on a new level of relevance in today's political landscape: the first volume of Marjane Satrapi's comics autobiography Persepolis. It's an engrossing and eye-opening account of the author's childhood in the late 70s and early 80s, as she comes of age against the backdrop of the Islamic Revolution and a subsequent war with Iraq—seismic events that placed her family in danger and took the lives of friends and loved ones including her beloved uncle Anoosh.

Will rebellious young Marjane survive life in an oppressive regime without getting arrested—or worse? And will this stirring memoir find its place in that library of historical works known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe
• The Handmaid's Tale
• Keith Haring
• "Iron Maiden? Those four brutes?"
• Persepolis the movie
• Curt puts Kevin on the spot
• Craig Thompson's Blankets and Habibi
• Palestine by Joe Sacco
• What Does This Button Do? by Bruce Dickinson
• Kevin's guest appearance on The Reelist podcast
• R.I.P., Stan Lee
• Stan's Soapbox column on racism and bigotry

Join us in two weeks as we gear up for the Dec. 21 release of the Aquaman movie with a look at Aquaman Vol. 1: The Trench, by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis!

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!

It's Election Day in the U.S., and we're marking the occasion by casting our ballots for a lesser-known gem: Shaun Tan's wordless 2006 graphic novel The Arrival. Set in a world similar to but slightly different from our own, this vividly imagined and beautifully illustrated tale traces one man's journey from his menacing homeland to a strange and fantastic new world. Along the way, he meets other immigrants who share their stories of hope and hardship.

Can our protagonist navigate this wondrous new land and reunite with his wife and daughter? And will The Arrival take up residence in that shining city on a hill known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• Shaun Tan on That Scene
• Our Zot! episode
• What are the canonical Supergirl stories?
• A nifty animation of The Arrival
• Barrier by Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin
• The Lost Thing animated short
• Flotsam and Sector 7 by David Wiesner
• It's a bird, it's a plane, it's … our Comics Canon merchandise store!

Join us in two weeks as we discuss another graphic novel examining the human side of politics, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi!

Until then, please 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 are off to never-never land as they conclude a look at game-changing DC horror comics with a discussion of The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes, collecting issues #1-8 of the Sandman by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg and Malcolm Jones III, published by DC Comics!

When an ambitious magician attempts to capture Death, he instead ends up Runnin' Down a Dream … that is, Dream, aka Morpheus, King of Dreams! When a weakened Morpheus finally escapes decades later, his quest to resume his throne forces him to confront a mentally unstable supervillain and the devil himself!

Can the Dream Weaver prevail against the hordes of Hell and stop the deranged Doctor Destiny from usurping control of the dream world that awaits behind the wall of sleep? And will he walk alone down that boulevard of broken dreams known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• The Sandman: Season of Mists
• Swamp Thing: The Anatomy Lesson
• Dave McKean's covers
• The next great buddy cop show
• The Manic Pixie Death Girl
• The scene that knocked out Curt
• The Dreaming
• Section Zero Vol. 0: There Is No Section Zero
• Violent Cases
• Neil Gaiman's Eternals
• The Devil Rides Out
• Not to mention our dreamy Comics Canon t-shirts and other merchandise!

Join us in two weeks as we switch gears with Shaun Tan's wordless, visually inventive depiction of the immigration experience, The Arrival!

Until then, please 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, October is here, Curt and Kevin get into the spirit of the season with a look at the comic-book origins of everyone's favorite muck monster! First up is 1971's House of Secrets #92, a kind of proof of concept giving us a proto-Swamp Thing that's a little light in the swamp department.

Next, it's on to Swamp Thing (Vol. 1) #1-3, detailing the (first) origin and early adventures of the swamp monster we all know and love, featuring the debuts of Anton Arcane and his niece Abby. And finally, as a companion piece to our previous Swamp Thing episode, a nod to the character's second origin at the hands of Alan Moore via Swamp Thing Vol. 2 #33, which folds the aforementioned House of Secrets story into contemporary continuity!

Can our favorite beast of the bayous prevail against the grotesque Un-Men and the … shall we say familiar figure of the Patchwork Man? And can he slog his way into that protected wildlife preserve known as … the Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• Curt's special visual aid for this episode
• Which came first: Swamp Thing or Man-Thing?
• DC Universe's new Swamp Thing series
• Star Trek TNG: "Second Chances"
• Star Trek TOS: "The Cage"
• The Parliament of Trees
• Our Anatomy Lesson episode
• Rite of Spring
• Curt's first-ever issue of Swamp Thing
• Sandman: Dream Country
• The Terror
• Not to mention sweet Comics Canon t-shirts and other merchandise!

Join us in two weeks as the horror continues with a look at Preludes and Nocturnes, collecting issues #1-8 of Neil Gaiman's magnum opus, The Sandman!

Until then, please 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, Kevin Moreau and "Ultimate" Curt Holman return to the Ultimate Universe to discuss the origin of the popular biracial Spider-Man, Miles Morales in the second half of an unofficial Ultimate Spider-Man two-parter, this time reviewing Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1-5 by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, published by Marvel Comics!

When young Miles Morales is bitten by a genetically modified spider, he quickly develops the ability to turn invisible and cling to walls, among other things. Miles wants no part of these awesome powers, wishing only to live a normal life and do well at his new charter school. But when Miles witnesses the tragic death of Spider-Man, he begins to realize that with great power comes great responsibility!

Can our 13-year-old hero live up to the heroic example set by his predecessor? And can he make the grade in that elite class of comic-book champions known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• Curt has a beef with his third-grade class
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
• The Death of Spider-Man
• The Death of Superman
• What role did Barack Obama and Donald Glover play in Miles' conception?
• How do you pronounce Ganke? (We got it slightly wrong)
• The significance of the number 42
• Ms. Marvel
• Comicsgate and the Miles Morales backlash
• Spider-Men
• Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 3: Amazing Fantasy
• Not to mention sweet Comics Canon t-shirts and other merch!

We return in two weeks, just in time for the scariest month of the year! And we get into the spirit of the season with a look at the origins of DC Comics' eerie elemental, Swamp Thing, specifically House of Secrets #92, Swamp Thing Vol. 1 #1-4 (or so), and Swamp Thing Vol. 2 #33!

Until then, please 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 prime the pump for the Oct. 5 release of the Venom feature film with a discussion of the sinister symbiote's origin story -- that is, as portrayed in issues 33-39 of Ultimate Spider-Man by Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley, published by Marvel Comics!

Peter Parker's childhood friend Eddie Brock reveals that their fathers were working on a cancer-fighting super-suit shortly before they died in a mysterious plane crash years earlier. When Peter investigates, the suit bonds with him, making him more powerful, and soon attempts to turn him into a homicidal monster!

When the suit bonds with a vengeful Eddie Brock, can Peter hope to prevail against this stronger, bloodthirstier version of himself -- and save his friend in the process? And can he swing his way into that worldwide web of comic book stories known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• The pronunciation of "symbiote"
• The Ultimate Comics line
• The history of Spider-Man's black costume
• What do we think about Venom?
• Ultimate Gwen Stacy
• Spider-Man 3
• The most recent Venom trailer
• The Venom episode of Spectacular Spider-Man
• Ultimate Six
• Birth of Venom
• Avengers #6
• Have we mentioned our TeePublic store?

Join us in two weeks as we return to the Spider-corner of the Ultimate universe to discuss the origin of that other popular web-slinger, Miles Morales, in Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man!

Until then, please 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 put superhero slugfests aside to confront a subject far more frightening than Doomsday, Thanos or the Annihilation Wave! That's right: We're talking about

the award-winning graphic memoir Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, written and drawn by Roz Chast and published by Bloomsbury!

Chast, a critically acclaimed cartoonist for the New Yorker, paints an unflinching portrait of the final years of her nonagenarian parents, anxious George and overbearing Elizabeth, as they come to grips with physical frailty, encroaching dementia, and leaving their cluttered Brooklyn apartment for an assisted living facility.

Can Chast, an only child suddenly forced to become a parent to her parents, successfully navigate the thorny thicket of managing their care and finances and prepare herself to say goodbye? And can this funny and heart-wrenching book earn a spot in that eternal resting place known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• Content warning
• The Poky Little Parkway
• Ozymandias
• Reliving high school as a senior citizen
• The fine T-shirts available at our new TeePublic store
• Michael Haneke's Amour
• Our Cancer Year
• God Country

Join us in two weeks as we return to more familiar territory (and prepare for the upcoming Venom movie) with a look at Ultimate Spider-Man: Venom!

Until then, please 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 turn their attention to one of the most famous Superman stories of all time—the headline-grabbing, multi-part event storyline The Death of Superman, written and drawn by a rotating cast of creators and published by DC Comics!

The hulking, mysterious figure who comes to be known as Doomsday arrives out of nowhere, destroying everything in his path! Not even the Justice League can slow this raging brute as he plods toward Metropolis, leaving death and ruin in his wake! Only one man has a chance against this inhuman monster. But is even Superman up to the task?

Can the Man of Steel stop Doomsday's relentless onslaught without paying the ultimate price? (Well, the title of the story is a dead giveaway.) And will his name be added to that memorial of monumental epics known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened?
• Vulture recounts the birth of Doomsday
• Extremely radical 90s bad guys
• Lex Luthor Jr. and Supergirl's creepy relationship
• Convoluted post-Crisis continuity
• The Garden of Gethsemane
• Glen Weldon's Superman: The Unauthorized Biography
• Superman's death scene done right
• Did we mention our Comics Canon TeePublic store?
• Superman/Batman Annual #1: Stop Me If You've Heard This One
• The Death of Captain America
• World Without a Superman

Join us in two weeks as we explore the topic of death from a different angle with a look at cartoonist Roz Chast's graphic memoir, Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?

Until then, please 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 observe the 25th anniversary of Scott McCloud's landmark Understanding Comics … with (what else?) a discussion of a pair of stories from McCloud's lighthearted comic Zot!: The Eyes of Dekko from Zot #17-18, and the webcomic Hearts and Minds!

Jenny Weaver, a high schooler from a world similar to our own, and her boyfriend Zot, a free-spirited superhero from another Earth, grapple with issues of teen angst, art, divorce and mortality as they clash with the insane cyborg Dekko, a formerly human artist who wears the Chrysler Building on his head!

Can Jenny and Zot prevent Dekko from killing a group of hostages – oh, and eradicating all of existence? And can they fly off into that alternate dimension of sequential storytelling known as … The Comics Canon?

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• Our Comics Canon TeePublic store
• Understanding Comics
• The comics fanzine Comic Effect
• Curt blows Kevin's mind
• Reinventing Comics
• The Infamous 6,000 Pixel-Tall Fall
• Getting to 99
• The Sculptor
• Why Art?
• Making Comics

Join us in two weeks as we turn our attention to one of the most famous (and infamous) comics stories of all time: The Death of Superman!

Until then, please 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 welcome singer-songwriter Paul Melancon! And despite some intermittent microphone issues, the three of them wrap up this four-part exploration of the World's Greatest Comic Magazine with a discussion of Fantastic Four: Three, by Jonathan Hickman, Steve Epting and many others, published by Marvel Comics!

These issues are jam-packed: Reed Richards fights to save an artificial counter-Earth before it's destroyed by the world-devouring Galactus! Susan Storm-Richards struggles to prevent an all-out undersea war! The Thing becomes just plain old Ben Grimm! And Ben, Johnny Storm, and the genius kids of the Future Foundation are all that stands between the Earth and an insectoid invasion from the Negative Zone!

Will all of the foremost family of super-powered science explorers live through these extraordinary ordeals? (Spoiler: No.) And can they break through into that alternate dimension of fascinating four-color fictions known as … The Comics Canon?

(Also, stick around after the episode to hear "Hyperventilate" from Paul's forthcoming album, The Get-Go's Action Hour!)

Things Discussed in This Episode:

• The Pouches Era
• "Well, gotta go, honey!"
• Is this the best Susan Storm ever?
• Is this the most likable Johnny Storm ever?
• Our first episode, The Coming of Galactus
• Fantastic Four: Forever
• Comic Book Librarian's Jonathan Hickman Marvel Reading List
• The dichotomy of Hickman's Avengers and New Avengers
• The Nightly News
• Dan Slott's Tony Stark: Iron Man #1
• The Get-Go's Action Hour! Kickstarter

Join us in two weeks as we do a little dimension-hopping with a look at Scott McCloud's Zot!—specifically, The Eyes of Dekko from Zot! #17-18 and the webcomic Hearts and Minds!

Until then, please 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!