X Is For Comics: An X-Men Podcast

Marvel is reinventing their universe with GODS by Jonathan Hickman & Valerio Schiti while dialing into the past of the MU with Marvel Age 1000. One book seeks to develop the future, unifying the complexity and in-the-moment magics and sorcery of the Marvel Universe while the other “includes contributions from some of the most storied creators in Marvel history, as well as a few surprises, as the classic days of Marvel are explored in depth!” Can Marvel shape their future and while meaningfully examining their past in the same editorial cycle? Can a company like Marvel have it both ways? Examining the preview pages, interviews, & trailers for GODS, Marvel Age #1000 (along with the #1000 issues for Deadpool, Wolverine, Spectacular Spider-Man, Amazing Fantasy, Marvel Comics (& #1001)), & even Immortal Hulk #1, the team turns an eye to the future (and past) of Marvel. PLUS As always, we had an amazing time at Flame Con, the annual two-day queer comic convention hosted by the amazing folks at Geeks OUT! This year, we hosted a wonder panel where we presented the live premiere of our brand-new game show, DEAL BREAKERS! In this round, we dared to ask the question: WHICH HERO HAS THE BEST LOOK? We had Nico, Jonah, and our special guest, friend & drag performer D'Manda Martini, each pick 3 family looks while moderator TK set the rules for what "best look" must mean. Who came out on top? You'll have to watch to find out!

X Is For Show is your premiere place for web content where we discuss your favorite media, from comics to film & television to gaming and beyond! You can find the Action Pack here every week, so be sure to tune in and join us for all the fun.

One of the most famous friendships in all of comics, Spider-Man and Daredevil have their first team-up in their long careers in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #16. Their brotherhood is first defined here, where Matt and Peter meet and face off against the Ringmaster, an odd turn considering last issue of DD, DD faced off against another mind-controller. Nico and Tori fall for DD and Spidey falling for each other. Also, Daredevil’s head appears twice in Amazing Spider-Man #18. So that comes up. Then – Early Daredevil is punctuated by unusual, and sometimes forgettable villains – Matador falls somewhere between. In an issue filled with strange appropriation, advances for the romance subplot, and more “is Daredevil a coward” nonsense, Daredevil #5 is a pinnacle 60s issue of the hornhead’s adventures. There’s crazy costumes, wild backstories, and more as Nico and Tori continue to understand the world of Murdock and Nelson and navigate their adventures in The Billy Club. Last – Daredevil enters his biggest adventure so far as Nico and Tori follow Daredevil into his first multi-villain challenge. Mr Fear calls together the Fellowship of Fear to take on the Man Without Fear, enlisting the help of Ox and Eel. The Yellow Suit makes its final original run appearance which leads the Billy Clubbers to consider the entirety of the Yellow Suit era and the changes the Red Suit bring to the title.

X Is For Show is your premiere place for web content where we discuss your favorite media, from comics to film & television to gaming and beyond! You can find the Action Pack here every week, so be sure to tune in and join us for all the fun.

X Is For Podcast ran unbroken from September 2018 through November 2022 when the team made the jump to YouTube for regular live broadcasts! But it turns out there's just too much comic and too much X-Men, Spider-Man, & Daredevil to keep to the streaming channel alone! So, Nico & TK are back to kick off a new season, starting with an end-of-summer-classic-standard -- THE YEAR IN OMNIBUS REVIEW! Plus news, an update about the future of the show, and where to find some of the other amazing programs on our channel, this is a SEASON PREMIERE not to miss! 

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Join Daredevil fans Nico & Tori as the two begin a journey through the History of The Man Without Fear (or as he starts out, The Yellow-Bellied Fear-Man). Each episode of The Billy Club focuses on a single Daredevil story, covering every appearance of Daredevil, Matt Murdock, and more -- from the swashbuckling 60s to the harsh light of the 90s, The Billy Club is your #1 Daredevil hangout for fun, facts, history, heart, and of course, hornhead himself. Then – The journey into Hell's Kitchen continues for Nico & Tori as they examine the UNBELIEVABLE second issue of Daredevil! The Man Without Fear (or as he still is, The Yellow-Bellied Fear-Man) takes on Spider-Man's nemesis, Electro, and even meet The Fantastic Four! But also, throws a car engine, flies a spaceship, and more wildness. Next – An all-time fav foe of Daredevil's flies into Hell's Kitchen as Nico & Tori examine the game-changing third issue of Daredevil, as the book finally introduces THE OWL! The saga of Karen Page and her complicated relationships with the men in her life and her own independence continues to unfold in the pages of one of the most defining early issues of Daredevil ever. Finally – He’s here! Run! Hide! It’s Killgrave, the Purple Man, in his first absurd, terrifying appearance! Killgrave goes on to menace the Marvel Universe like few foes before, and this is where he gets his start against ol’ hornhead. For the first time – and far from the last, Matt’s strength-of-self dictates his ability to overcome the odds, and Nico and Tori cannot shut up about ANY of this.

X Is For Show is your premiere place for web content where we discuss your favorite media, from comics to film & television to gaming and beyond! You can find the Action Pack here every week, so be sure to tune in and join us for all the fun.

Post-Flame Con, the Action Pack is back to talk comics! With the Zdarsky run of Daredevil coming to a close, X-Men coming out of a time of great, but isolated prosperity and books like Uncanny Avengers tying them closer to the Marvel Universe it seems we may be looking at a new Era for Marvel. We’ll discuss what makes Marvel eras unique, where we are now, where we’re going and of course talk about some recent releases while we’re at it.

Lots of us make top five lists in our head. Lots of us can say why we picked those characters. But what if it wasn’t just in our heads? Enter: DEAL BREAKERS. Get a topic, make your top 5 list, and the 3 rules you think everyone in everyone’s top five should follow. Then, come to the game, and pit your list of faves and rules against your opponents to see who’s choices have the fewest Deal Breakers. Filled with fandom fun, nerding out, and lots of laughs, Deal Breakers is the game show you’re always playing in your head – this time, out loud! This week: Who Is The Most Underrated Marvel Hero? Find out who wins on an all new X Is For Show!

It’s the first new New Comic Wednesday post-SDCC. And everything is different? Right? Isn’t it? They’ve announced an AoA-looking X-Men book; a book called New X-Men; a title in 2024 (announced in July 2023?); there’s a new Punisher now that the Punisher looks after kids in one of the Weirdworlds; they revealed the never-done-plans-for-Hickmans-original-X-Men-pitch-sorta; and the trailer for The Marvels dropped. This doesn’t even compare to a single day of the D23 Expo. Why is Marvel promoting a 2024 event in mid-2023 with a 2023 event yet to start, a new old-Daredevil miniseries of an era that saw the least creative success for the title, and where were the announcements for the big books? The team talks an SDCC that leaves our heads scratching on an all new X Is For Show!

It’s Wednesday New-Comic-Day News on X Is For Show! First we look at Deadpool: first it was joining the MCU, then it was adding Hugh Jackman (and more!), now it’s ON-SET PICS! The Action Pack discuss costumes, set pieces, and potential stories. Then we turn to The Flash as it passes $260 mil, and compare it to Marvel’s 2022 multiversal “misfire” with Doctor Strange & The Multiverse Of Madness. If Doc Strange made twice as much in one week last year as The Flash made in three weeks this year, what makes them different? Are we seeing comic fatigue, or is it merely situational? Plus, we have Shang-Chi in Thunderbolts (the comics) but no movie (til 2026??), Jean & Scott break up, Mary Jane as Jackpot, major Midtown sales, comic claws, and more - all on a new XI4S!

"Nerdy guy gets bit by a radioactive spider" seems a universe away… or does it? “Evolve or die.” The Action Pack talks about the evolution of Spider-Man and the massive leap the character took in J. Michael Straczsynski's Amazing Spider-Man. From the focus on just a few supporting characters (Aunt May, JJJ, MJ) to the reintroduction of the origin of Spider-Man (we're looking at you, Spider-Gods), JMS redefined ASM in ways that are still shaking the Spider-Verse today. Swing into it! It's all this and more on an all new X Is For Podcast -- we hope you survive the experience!

"Nerdy guy gets bit by a radioactive spider" seems a universe away in Across The Spider-Verse. The Action Pack take a look at the recent sequel as well as the most recent story in the Spider-Verse franchise, Spider-Man #1-7 by the guy who came up with the Spider-Verse, Dan Slott, and Ultimate Spider-Man co-creator, Mark Bagley. The team looked back on every page of Spider-Verse so far, some of the runs they have devoured on this title, and more as they crawl further down the web. More Spider-Puns! Swing into it! It's all this and more on an all new X Is For Podcast -- we hope you survive the experience!