Welcome back to Collecting Issues, your monthly comic book club! To close out 2025, we are wading deep into the bog of Irish Myth to discuss Tuatha, the stunning one-shot from Irish creator Gavin Fullerton, published by IDW Comics.

If Samurai Jack and Hellboy had a baby and sent it on a grim quest across a war-torn ancient Ireland, it would look like this.

In this episode, Michael and Benjamin break down this largely silent visual masterpiece. We explore how Fullerton strips away the "Leprechaun Museum" version of folklore to reveal the gritty, bloody roots of Celtic legend.

Join us as we decode the hidden mythological references scattered throughout the book; from the Brown Bull of Cooley to the Dagda, and discuss why this might be the best visual storytelling of the year.

In this episode, we cover:

• Visual Storytelling: How Gavin Fullerton uses silent narrative and cinematic paneling to tell a story of grief and duty.
• Mythology Decoded: We identify the cameos from Irish Legend, including Queen Maeve, Cú Chulainn (maybe?), The Dagda, and Balor of the Evil Eye.
• The Vibe: Why this feels like "Dark Souls" meets an apocalyptic end to the Age of Myth.
• That Dog: Emotional damage and the fate of the protagonist's wolfhound.
• 
  

2026 Reading Schedule: We’ve announced our lineup for the first half of 2026! Get your copies ready:

• Jan: 100 Bullets, Vol. 1 by Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso
• Feb: Absolute Martian Manhunter, Vol. 1 by Deniz Camp & Javier Rodríguez
• Mar: Bone, Vol. 1 by Jeff Smith
• Apr: Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman
• May: Assorted Crisis Events by Deniz Cam
• Jun: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King & Bilquis Everly

Join the Club: We want to hear your thoughts on Tuatha! Did you spot the references to the Red Hand of Ulster? Did you catch the flashback?

Join the Discord and read along

Read Our Substack

Follow us on Instagram

Follow us on Tiktok

Watch us on Youtube

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps more than you know!

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction to Irish Mythology

00:37 Comic Book Club Overview

02:24 Engage with Us: Join the Discussion

05:22 Deep Dive into Tuatha Comic

07:49 Exploring Irish Mythological References

12:35 The Protagonist's Grim Mission

16:04 Mythical Encounters and Symbolism

29:34 The River Bandits and the Giant Deer

35:04 Irish Mythology and the Gay Bullock

36:09 Action-Packed Battle Scene

37:11 Encounter with WWE Superstar Finn Balor

38:04 The Forgotten God DDA

39:36 A Journey Through Irish Mythology

41:56 The Tragic Death of the Loyal Hound

44:37 A Vigil and a Journey Continues

50:15 Blood Magic and Mythical Struggles

55:48 The Island and the Final Resting Place

57:28 Reflections on Grief and Myth

01:00:25 Upcoming Comic Book Club Reads

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.