Show notes provided by Joe Peluso

World's collide! World's die! Time and space merge unleashing
apocalyptic chaos! And in the middle of it all are the greatest heroes and villains in the known universe! In advance of the coming void, new heroes debut to try to halt the coming cosmic disaster. The "old guard" is thrown into the breach where they find themselves battling forces of nature, time tossed Triassic terrors, and unknown heroes!
It's time once again to join your hosts James, Keith, and Joe as they revisit the DC Comics universe shattering classic tale of "The Crisis on Infinite Earths"!
     The issues discussed and dissected in this segment are: #'s four, five, and six. And the first thing that becomes abundantly clear is that the artwork of George Perez, with the addition of Jerry Ordway's inks, gets even more spectacular! The guys drool over this artistic tour de force and drill down on the sheer magnitude of characters put to page, and the skillful storytelling techniques employed to delineate such a feat.
     And what else can be said about the writing chops of Marv
Woflman, other than he puts the reader on his back as he rockets you through the vast DC Universe with surprises and shocks at every neck snapping turn!

Happy May the 4th listeners. This year your hosts James, Josh, John and Toby look back on Episodes I, II and III.

Show notes provided by Joe Peluso

What do you get when you take a police procedural, mix it with science fiction and super-heroes, throw in social and political overtones that reflect modern society--and--call it an origin story? You get one guess--and it has nothing to do with a dead planet named Krypton. Give up? Well, the answer is Timothy Truman's three issuemasterpiece--HAWKWORLD.
    Join you hosts Keith and Joe for another installment of "Thinking Out of the Longbox With Keith" as the boys strap on their Nth metal wings and fly into an adventure of dynamic discovery of one of DC's seminal characters--Hawkman. The later half of the decade of the 1980's saw many DC icons reimagined for a modern age as the Crisis on Infinite Earths opened the door to new, fresh version of Superman, Wonder Woman, The Batman, The Flash, Green Arrow, and the "winged
wonder" from the Planet Thanagar!
    Truman's Hawkworld is a gritty, commentary on the abuse of power, and how it can tear apart an individual who has had his life mapped out for him. Katar Hol is a man fighting demons of the heart and mind, as well as those that prey on the less fortunate in the real world.
The guys discuss the themes and tones such a world would impose on one man, and how he must fall from grace to eventually conquer all his demons so that he may become the beloved Silver Age version of Hawkman.
    And as they extol the virtues of Truman's dynamic and nuanced writing, they fairly flip their minds when they profusely praise his incredible art.
    This is a book the guys have been wanting to wax poetic about for a long time. We feel sure you will enjoy the discourse of this somewhat overlooked gem from comics best decade.And that classic exclamation "Look up in the sky!"--takes on a whole new meaning after reading Hawkworld!

Show notes provided by Arco Esposito

Secret Wars Part 2

Having just watched the Masters on tv, I find that is the perfect analogy for this podcast, though in this case we will say that we now enter the back 6 of the masterful Secret Wars limited series! You heard us introduce you to the concepts and ideas behind Marvels first 12 issue opus, and here we will tie it all with a bow, giving insight on not only the rest of the story, but key moments like the Death of the Wasp, the introduction of the New Spider Woman, and of course we can’t forget the very first appearance of Spider-Man’s black costume! Sprinkle in some conversation about writer Jim Shooter and a little talk about the fantastic artist Mike Zeck and we have ourselves a great ending to this two part podcast! Join James, Joe, Chris and Mint’s very own Marvel historian Arco as we bring you back to the middle of 1985 and the finale of the story line that started it all for many kids of the 80’s and beyond!

Show notes provided by Joe Peluso

Life has many joys, and not the least among these is, of course,
friends. And when you get to share in the success--and the realization of a friend's dream--the manifestation of that joy is heart-warming.
    Join your hosts James, Chris, and Joe in welcoming back to the podcast Richie Garofalo and a little gem he has created called: " The Mighty Little Lumberjack and the Enchanted Forest". Richie's first enterprise into the children's market is the tale of the restoration of a forest through the efforts of the titular hero and his wonderful friends. Yes, Mack (The Mighty Little Lumberjack) takes on the mighty task (working in concert with nature) to bring beauty and joy back into his world.
    The guys discuss the creation of the book from its initial stages through the processes that brought it to fruition. In further detail, Richie describes how this labor of love was both educational and inspiring. The final product is a mini "tour de force" that any adult (or older sibling) would be proud and pleased to read to a child.
    After reading this wondrous fable that recounts the true spirit of cooperation, and the admiration of nature's beauty, I am positive that I speak for both my co-hosts when I say our love and admiration for Richie is as expansive as Mack's enchanted forest.

Joe and Keith Wrap Up Season 1 of Dexter: Original Sin

Show notes provided by Arco Esposito

As comic book fans we all have a particular favorite era that we can either remember fondly or relate to in some way that makes it a bit more special than others. However, has there ever been a time in comics history that has graced the medium with as many memorable, and dare I say even legendary, characters as the run between Fantastic Four #44 through #66?? The Marvelous Marvel Minds of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby gave us the classic debuts of the Inhumans, The Black Panther and he would soon be called Adam Warlock! Classic villains such as Klaw and Doctor Doom would also feature prominently in a few stories but nestled in between all this grandeur was the piece de resistance, the jewel in what many call crowning glory of all that is Marvel: THE COMING OF GALACTUS! That’s right! The world devourer and his herald The Silver Surfer made their way to Earth in a three issue arc, #48-50, and comics were forever changed. For how can mere mortals even comprehend let alone fight against a virtual force of the universe?! Stan and Jack showed us the way and in doing so literally opened up the universe and all its wonderful characters to us. Join James, Joe and Arco, your guides through all that is Cosmic Marvel and listen in to the awe, joy and appreciation of how the Earth almost being literally eaten turned out to be one of the greatest stories ever told!

This weeks podcast  is a classic “Secret Origins” episode where we get to talk to a customer of Mint Condition. This podcast was created to build community and as a way for the the customers of Mint Condition to reconnect and this weeks guest is a part of the reason this store became a place to not just buy comics and cards but to hangout and make friends for your host James and John. 

Join James and John and guest Toby Bengelsdorf who was one of the first friends James and John made at the store, that started to knit together the community we now have on the podcast. This is a wide ranging conversation talking about CCG, Star Trek, Star Wars and more. 

Thoughts on Daredevil Born Again: Episodes 1 & 2

Show notes provided Joe Peluso

Worlds will live! Worlds will Die! And the DC Universe will never be the same!" That was the slogan--the catch-all that DC comics showcased in all their books in late 1984 for the coming company-wide event of 1985 that would make comic book publishing history! Characters, past events, time-lines, origins, and fifth years of publishing history, in an ever-expanding universe, was about to implode!
    Join hosts, James, Keith and Joe as they rocket into the
multiverse and try to stay ahead of the wave of destruction unleashed by master storytellers Marv Wolfman and George Perez. It was time for a change, and for twelve issues hitting the shelves every month in 1985, that change was steaming toward a cataclysmic and transformational conclusion of unprecedented proportions!
    Beautifully illustrated by the great George Perez, Marv Wolfman's scintillating script came to life in the most shocking, awe-inspiring way. Tragedy, self-sacrifice, and mind-blowing super-heroics assaulted the senses of avid DC fans for an entire year! To the devoted reader, it was the equivalent of discovering "the lost city of gold"!
   The boys deep dive into the first three issues with recollections, reviews, and raucous remarks that will delight and inform. If you have never read this seminal work, or are coming back to it after a period of time, join the guys as they are buffeted from one reality to the next as only this special medium of entertainment could exert! But be forewarned, there are spectral shadows of unspeakable peril that will terminate some of your favorite super-friends! The
multiverse is no place for the faint of heart!