Some people think Mike Hodges' 1980 Flash Gordon movie is cheesy trash and hate it; others think it's over-the-top hilarious and enjoy it. But some weirdos truly LOVE this exercise in tonal whiplash, and your humble hosts are two such men. We'll talk about the film as an adaptation of both the original Alex Raymond source material and the Buster Crabbe serials, and how it proudly defies Star Wars' revisionist sci-fi aesthetic. But we'll also try to dig underneath the spectacle to expose the genuinely rousing humanistic heroism at this movie's core. Plus: more beloved character actors than you'll know what to do with!

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When Marvel let their license to produce Star Wars comics lapse in 1986, Return of the Jedi was three years in the rear-view mirror and it seemed possible there would never be any further installments in the franchise. But Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy’s 1991 miniseries Dark Empire would begin Dark Horse Comics’ 23-year run of Star Wars comics and help launch the Expanded Universe. Set six years after the Battle of Endor, Dark Empire sees Luke Skywalker tempted to the Dark Side by the newly revived Emperor, Han Solo and Leia Organa fleeing bounty hunters, and a new Imperial doomsday weapon threatening the galaxy. We’ll look at the long and rocky development of the series, how involved (or not) Lucasfilm was in the story, and how it compares to its prose sister project, Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy. 

This is the only podcast where you can hear two grown men arguing (politely) about Star Wars!

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It looks like Kyle Rayner and Donna Troy have broken up. In an effort to avoid both the consequences of his own self-sabotage and improve his approach to being Green Lantern, Kyle decides to go on a cross-country trip to seek advice from Batman, Captain Marvel, and Wonder Woman. He’ll also stand with Adam Strange and the Darkstars against Darkseid’s secret son and seek his own long-lost father with the help of new Green Arrow Connor Hawke. If that’s not enough superhero guest stars, wait till you see who shows up to Hal Jordan’s funeral!

Discussed in this episode: Green Lantern #71-82 and Annual #5 (1996), plus crossover issues of Green Arrow.

Take The Dirty Dozen, populate with supervillains and obscure DC characters, and plug them into Mission: Impossible-style plots. This is the recipe that John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell used to launch Suicide Squad, a series that takes place in the same mainstream post-Crisis DC Universe inhabited by Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern, but takes a very different look at the place of superhumans in it, while also casting a suspicious eye on Cold War-era U.S. interventionism. We’ll discuss how Ostrander spun this series out of little more than a name recycled from the Silver Age, his working method with McDonnell, and one of this run’s most enduring legacies in the DCU: Amanda Waller.

WARNING: Does not contain Harley Quinn (despite what some trade paperback covers may suggest).

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In our continuing series on the Iron Age Green Lantern, twentysomething ‘90s dude Kyle Rayner gets a new girlfriend (Donna Troy, formerly known as Wonder Girl, currently serving as a Darkstar), goes on a space adventure with his teammates in the Titans, meets Iron Age Flash Wally West and former Corpsman John Stewart, and is tempted to make a deal with the (literal) devil. But his biggest challenges will be confronting Major Force (the man who killed his previous girlfriend) and justifying his stewardship of the Green Lantern legacy when Hal Jordan returns and demands the ring back. And if he survives all that…he just might screw things up with Donna.

Discussed in this episode: Green Lantern #59-70 and Annual #4 (1995), plus crossover issues of Guy Gardner: Warrior, New Titans, Darkstars, and Damage.

Still bummed that Kraven the Hunter’s solo film career failed to launch? We ease the pain with a look at the celebrated 1987 storyline by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck that made the character’s reputation in the first place. “Fearful Symmetry” (later known as “Kraven’s Last Hunt”) is an unusually dark and generally atypical adventure for Aunt May’s favorite nephew, but it speaks to the central appeal of the hero and remains one of the most celebrated Spider-Man stories of all time. We’ll look at the genesis of this story as a Wonder Man pitch, DeMatteis’ love of Russian literature and interest in making Peter Parker’s recent marriage add some emotional heft to the proceedings, and Zeck’s moody and cinematic storytelling. Plus, don’t miss the podcast’s first (and probably last) edition of “Poetry Corner”!

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Beginning an in-depth look at the life and times of Kyle Rayner, a new Green Lantern for a new era! It’s 1994, sales on the Green Lantern comic are down, and with anniversary issue #50 on the horizon, DC is looking to revitalize the title. New writer Ron Marz is brought on board with a mission: replace Silver Age stalwart Hal Jordan with a new character (in a new costume designed by incoming regular penciler Darryl Banks). The introduction of freelance-artist-turned-superhero Kyle led to Green Lantern climbing the charts, but it also courted controversy by turning Hal into a megalomaniacal villain and through a scene that would later inspire Gail Simone to create the website “Women in Refrigerators.”

Discussed in this episode: Green Lantern #48-58 and #0, plus crossover issues of R.E.B.E.L.S. ‘94 and New Titans

When was the last time you actually sat down to watch Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin? Jim had never seen it, and Justin hadn't seen it for years and years. Is it worth a second look? (Or in Jim's case, a first?) In this Patreon-exclusive episode available now, we try to keep a cool head about a movie that provoked a lot of vitriol to have a clear-eyed discussion about what works and what doesn't. Want to hear the rest? Support us at patreon.com/ironageofcomics!

It’s the 50th regular episode of the podcast, and to celebrate, we’re finally doing a deep dive on a comic that helped ushered in the Iron Age and still stands as one of its most enduring accomplishments: Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight (better known in collected form as The Dark Knight Returns), aided and abetted by inker Klaus Janson, colorist Lynn Varley, and letterer John Costanza. But after 39 years of attention from the comics industry and mainstream media alike, is there anything left to say about arguably the most celebrated Batman comic ever published? Rather than try to reduce this landmark comic to a tidy message or thesis about “what it means,” we embrace the glorious messiness of DKR. By examining all the complexities and contradictions of the series, we try to foster an honest and true appreciation of this landmark work.

Thanks to everyone who's listened to us over the past two years and 50 episodes. There's a lot more great stuff to come. You can help us out in our endeavors by pledging support at patreon.com/ironageofcomics

It’s the final lap of our epic look at every issue of this legendary run! With Linda Park erased from history and Wally West merged with the Speed Force (again), a grimmer and grittier speedster takes over Flash duty. We’ll talk about the end of Mark Waid’s (and Brian Augustyn’s) tenure on the title, the transition to the Geoff Johns era, and the awkward batch of issues in between. Plus, we offer our highlights and lowlights of the entire run and reflect on the big picture: what these hundred-plus issues meant to us and to the development of superhero comics as a whole.

Discussed in this episode: The Flash #151-163, plus other stories.

We couldn't have done this without the support of our backers! Help support us at patreon.com/ironageofcomics !