The TradeWaiters

We’re going back to 1987 to read "Kraven’s Last Hunt" by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck, which collects issues from The Amazing Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man, and Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man. This is a classic capes and tights story about how some men will fight a decade-long battle to best Spider-Man in hand-to-hand combat rather than go to therapy. Several content warnings apply to this journey through Peter Parker’s emo phase, but you don’t need to be steeped in nostalgia to appreciate the trip.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "Banned Book Club" by Kim Hyun Sook, Ko Hyung-Ju, and Ryan Estrada.

It’s time for another Gutter-Take. Webcomics are harder to find than ever. Or is it the opposite? Where do you find your webcomics, and how do you get readers to find yours? Jeff, Jam, and JD have questions and also answers.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "The Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt" by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck.

Our panellists are back with volumes 3 and 4 of "Our Dreams at Dusk" by Yuhki Kamatani. This time we get to talk about all the characters in depth, including matters of life, death, marriage, and friendship. We finish off the series knowing a lot more about the characters, but not everything! We also talk about the founding of Cloudscape, and the difference between understanding and acceptance.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on The Amazing Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck.

This week Jam, Jeff, and JD read the first two volumes of "Our Dreams at Dusk" by Yuhki Kamatani. As Jeff says in the episode, this is a deep dive into queer culture in Japan that celebrates the importance of community and third spaces. Join us as we visit the town of Onomichi, with its cats and old houses, its queer drop-in centre and its many photogenic bridges. This is a different kind of manga, and a unique story in comics.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on volumes 3 and 4 of this series.

We’re doing something different for this episode. In between our regular panels on great graphic novels lies the gutter (get it?). And in the gutter this week, Diamond Distributors, who once held a monopoly on delivering comic books to readers, just filed for bankruptcy. What does this mean for comics? What even is “distribution?” Jeff, Jam, and JD are here to let you know, in our first mini episode on topics behind the scenes in comics.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "Our Dreams at Dusk" by Yuhki Kamatani.

We’re back to read volumes 2 and 3 of "O Human Star" by Blue Delliquanti. This time we get into the trans text and subtext of the series, how metaphor and text support each other, and break down the main characters to see what makes them tick. We’ve got an alternate political universe, a true AI singularity, disability representation, a long-expected Astroboy moment, and some unexpected difficulties with pho to get through. Let’s go!

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "Our Dreams at Dusk" by Yuhki Kamatani.

This episode is on the first volume of "O Human Star" by Blue Delliquanti. Read the webcomic and then listen to our thoughts on planning a webcomic, the best uses of science fiction, and the unique advantage that a limited colour palette has for comics. Fair warning we spend like half of this episode griping with where the conversation on AI has gone since this book was finished, but I promise this book and this episode will make it worthwhile.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on volumes 2 and 3.

For this episode on "As the Crow Flies," by Mel Gillman, Jam, Jeff, and JD are joined by Ryan Estrada. We talk about one of Ryan’s favourite banned books. Is this a thoughtful story of alienation, doubt, microaggressions, and faith? Or is it, as one book banner summed it up, just “gender chaos?” We’ll talk about the power of traditional media (by which I mean pencil crayons), libraries, and how not to be uncomfortable in nature.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "O Human Star" by Blue Delliquanti.

This week we return to "Thunderbolts Volume 1: Justice, Like Lightning," by Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Sal Buscema, Peter David, Mike Deodato Jr., Steve Epting, and others. We look deeper into the main cast of the series, and propose a wish list of changes (thirty years too late). We’ll see henchmen doing hench things, learn about incels and doxxing before those terms existed, talk about mall gothery, and discuss the importance of metaphors for six year olds.

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will be on "As the Crow Flies" by Mel Gillman

This is the first part of a two-parter on "Thunderbolts Volume 1: Justice, Like Lightning," by such people as Kurt Busiek, Mark Bagley, Sal Buscema, Peter David, Mike Deodato Jr., and Steve Epting. We brave the Marvel Universe in the mid 90s to ask important questions like, what happens when a gang of super-villains switches sides? Are nazis real? What happens when the biggest comics publisher goes bankrupt? And, what’s the deal with the “Marvel Method?” Buckle up, true believers!

Music by Sleuth.

Our next episode will continue the discussion on "Thunderbolts."