Detective Comics just released their milestone 1000th issue, so of course we had to read it! But of course we had to take a look back in time and visit the first appears of Batman aka “The Bat-Man” in Detective Comics #27 as well.
Did Detective Comics #1000 do better or worse than Action Comics #1000?
Then we approach the end of Secret Wars with issue #11.
Next Time: Avengers Forever (1998) 1-6 + Secret Wars Finale!
It’s our 100th episode!
And as we do with every anniversary, we celebrate with Batman! This time it’s Batman: Year 100 by Paul Pope, a story that takes place in 2039...aka Batman's 100th year.
Then we continue our read of Secret Wars with issue 10. Galactus may be defeated, but Doom's about to Doom.
We also marked this momentous occasion the only way three nerds know how: by talking about more nerdy things. Here’s to 100 more!
Next Time: Batman reaches his own anniversary with Detective Comics 1000 (out on store shelves today!) and we read the first appearance of Batman in Detective Comics 27 (May 1939)
We continue our last episode by finishing off the Kree Skrull War from Avengers 94-97.
We’re not entirely sure when the war started, but we do know that a fake senator (alien in disguise!) is trying to take down the Avengers by making the public scared of aliens. Bad move, dude.
And then the Inhumans show up?
We're also nearing the end of Secret Wars with issue 9.
Next Time: We celebrate our 100th episode with Batman: Year 100!
We’ve been talking about a lot of “Event” comics recently, and this week we’re going back to what could arguable be called the first big Marvel event, the Kree-Skrull War from Avengers 89-97.
We’re splitting it up into two parts, reading issues 89-93 this time, plus the continuation of our Secret Wars read with issue 8.
Two different Marvel events in one episode?
They said it couldn't be done.
Next Time: Kree-Skrull War Conclusion! (Avengers 94-97)
For Valentine’s Day, we wanted to cover a comic book couple that we haven’t spent much time with: Dick Grayson & Barbara Gordon. Turns out Nightwing: Year One didn’t have quite as much Batgirl in it as we thought it would, but don’t worry…
Smooching.
Does.
Happen.
Join us for Nightwing 101-106 and Secret Wars 7.
Next Time: We get ready for Captain Marvel by checking out the Kree-Skrull War Part 1 (Avengers 89-93)
We tried to read Spider-Man: The Death of Jean DeWolff, but I think we must have picked up the wrong comic.
DeWolff, Spider-Man’s long-time friend in the NYPD, was barely in it!
We did get a little story about Daredevil and some villain named Sin-Eater?
And then we talked about politics even though we promised we wouldn’t. Plus Secret Wars rolls on with issue 6!
Next Time: Nightwing: Year One (Nightwing 101-106)
We don't want to spoil how Death of Superman ends, so we'll keep this brief. Let's just say that a certain "Superman" meets his "death" because he gets "punched many times in the face."
Join us for this milestone event from the early 90s as well as our continuation of Secret Wars with issue #5.
Next Time: The Death of Jean DeWolff in Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man 107-110.
In 1988, DC Comics urged the American people to exercise their right to vote by calling a 900 number and deciding the fate of Robin #2, Jason Todd.
The people were not kind to Jason.
We read “Batman: A Death in the Family” from issues 426-429 by Jim “Infinity” Starlin. Does anybody actually call him that? Anyways, this book doesn’t get very cosmic, but we do get the Joker/Ayatollah team-up we didn’t know we needed.
All this, plus Secret Wars #4!
Next Time: The Death of Superman!
With the passing of Stan Lee, we took a look back at some of his classic origin stories in Fantastic Four #1, Amazing Fantasy #15 and Avengers #1.
We celebrated this legend’s life the only way we knew how: debating what credit he should actually receive and how much should go to Ditko & Kirby.
Then we continued Secret Wars with issue 3 in which lots of stuff maybe happened. Blink and you’ll miss it!
Next Time: Batman: A Death in the Family (Batman 426-429)
We’re back! After a little break, we’re picking up right where we left off with a Halloween episode in December.
We read Volume 1 of Afterlife With Archie, which of course led us to some discussion about Netflix's "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and the CW's "Riverdale" TV series.
We also continue reading Secret Wars with issue 2 and Vince fills us in on how his personal Justice League is coming along.
Next Time: We remember Stan Lee with Amazing Fantasy 15, Fantastic Four #1, and Avengers #1!
We’ve reached the final issue of Crisis on Infinite Earths!
And as our first long-read book ends, we jump right into our next one and begin Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars (yes, that’s the full title).
We look back at the entirety of DC’s first event and what it meant for comics as a whole before reading Secret Wars #1 to see what direction Marvel took for their first event.
And we’ll keep reading an issue of Secret Wars every episode to see how the story progresses!
Next Time: Afterlife with Archie
You want teeth? Venom’s got teeth!
As his first movie approaches release, we thought we’d read his first titular miniseries, Venom: Lethal Protector from 1993.
Venom travels through time*, fights five different versions of his own symbiote spawn, and deals with three different dudes in suits.
And we’ve got a special no-prize going out to the first listener to count all the teeth in these issues!
PLUS! We read the penultimate issue of Crisis on Infinite Earths...and it's good?
Next Time: We wrap up Crisis on Infinite Earths with issue #12 and start our next long reading project, Secret Wars (1984) #1!
*Venom does not travel through time.
When Batman is dead, who gets to take over Detective Comics? Batwoman!
With issue 854, Kate Kane became the star of the title and creators Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III made sure she stepped up to the plate.
It’s not often that we get to talk about werewolves and lesbian tuxedo meet-cutes in the same episode, but here we are. Join us for Batwoman: Elegy.
Also, we near the homestretch of Crisis on Infinite Earths with issue 10, as our characters abandon the issue's plot halfway through to do something way more interesting. And Wildcat once again is nowhere to be seen.
Next Time: Venom: Lethal Protector!
Even the undead fear… The Goon! But who is The Goon? We take a look at Eric Powell’s strange pulpy horror adventure crime comic series about a tough guy who beats up spiders and zombies and elves and cows and anyone else who needs a beating.
We’re looking at 4 issues (and a color special) that were self published by Eric Powell, but that Dark Horse later released as Volume 1 of the Goon.
We’re also getting close to the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths with issue #9 of our continuing series.
Next Time: Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka & JH Williams III
It’s Eisner season again! This year we took a look at the winner for best single issue, Hellboy: Krampusnacht.
But of course one issue’s not enough for us. We thought we’d also visit our old friends (and previous Eisner winners) Beasts of Burden in their team-up with Hellboy called Sacrifice before moving on to our continuing read of Crisis on Infinite Earths with issue #8. We’re two-thirds of the way through!
Next Time: The Goon
In this episode, we honor Steve Ditko's memory by reading one of his rare solo creations as both writer and penciller with Charloton Comics' Blue Beetle #1-5 from 1967.
These issues also featured backup stories with The Question, so we take the time to talk about some of these early Charlton characters before they made their way to the DC Universe.
Also: Crisis on Infinite Earths heats up with the double-sized Issue #7! We finally get a backstory, stakes, a villain with an understandable motive, and emotional payoff! Spoiler-alert for what happens on the cover: Supergirl dies!
Next Time: The 2018 Eisner Award winner for Best Single Issue "Hellboy: Krampusnacht"! And we'll revisit the Beasts of Burden when they crossed over with Hellboy in 2010's "Beasts of Burden/Hellboy: Sacrifice".
Now that Cable and Domino have appeared on the big screen in Deadpool 2, the team of X-Force is all the more well-known.
We take a look at one of the best eras of X-Force with issues 70-75, when some of the other characters spread their wings and leave Cable behind.
And stick around afterwards for our continued read of Crisis on Infinite Earths with issue #6. Halfway there!
Next Time: We remember Steve Ditko with Blue Beetle (1967) 1-5
Happy 4th of July!
Last year we talked about Prez, the 1st teen president, so this year we decided to celebrate America’s upcoming reboot by reading the Prez reboot from 2015.
This time it’s a teenager named Beth Ross in the year 2036 who takes on robots, cat flu, and evil corporations like Pharmaduke.
Join us to find out if Transylvania sends any vampires again.
Plus, we continue our look into Crisis on Infinite Earths! Things are finally starting to get good!
Next Time: We get into some classic 90s X-Men with X-Force 70-75!
We continue our tradition of celebrating Marvel movies by looking at the time that hero took over the Fantastic Four. This time, it's Scott Lang's turn!
The Fantastic Four have gone away for a bit and they've left some other heroes in charge of the Future Foundation to look after all those smart kids.
Ant-Man, She-Hulk, Medusa, and Miss Thing do their best in issues 4-8 of FF (the 2013 reboot) by Fraction and Allred.
The trade collection will confuse you by calling itself FF Vol 1: Fantastic Faux.
Also, we continue our look at Crisis on Infinite Earths, with Issue 4, in which...the plot continues...?
Next Time: Prez (2015)!
Doctor Doom loves to steal powers!
After touching on it in our last episode, we wanted to see more of his crazy schemes, so we went back to Fantastic Four 57-60 from the mid 1960s to watch him steal the Silver Surfer’s cosmic powers.
Ol’ Stan and Jack really had a good time with this one.
We also continued our read of Crisis on Infinite Earths with issue #3 which is getting slightly easier to understand. Slightly.
Next Time: FF (2012) #4-8 - "Fantastic Faux"
It’s a major milestone for the Man of Steel as we read the newly released Action Comics #1000, filled with stories honoring Superman as well as Brian Michael Bendis’ first story after his move from Marvel to DC.
And since we’re reading something so modern, we figured we’d take a look at various offerings from this year’s Free Comic Book Day.
AND on top of all that we’re starting our deep dive into the classic Crisis on Infinite Earths by reading the first issue. That’s a lot of stuff!
Next Time: Infinity War and Crisis on Infinite Earths #2
Time to head back to outer space!
After the events of Annihilation, Marvel’s reinvigorated galactic universe gets taken over by robots. Sequel time!
Annihilation: Conquest brings back Nova, Quasar, Moondragon, Star-Lord and a whole slew of outer space favorites.
Rocket and Groot make their modern debuts too. We say modern because Groot’s 1st appearance was back in Tales to Astonish #13 from 1960. But he was a little… different. If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that trees will always be popular in comic books.
Next Time: Action Comics #1000, Crisis on Infinite Earths #1, Free Comic Book Day 2018 selections!
It’s our 3-year anniversary, so we had to continue the tradition by reading Batman: Year 3 from 1989 by Marv Wolfman with art by Pat Broderick.
No really, we had to, we’re thankful there’s no Year Four.
Originally from issues 436-439, it appears to be a story retelling Robin’s origin. And then they pasted the “Year Three” title on it. Then they changed “Three” to a "3" for some reason. Look, we don’t know.
Next Time - Annihilation: Conquest
Has anyone even heard of Moon Knight?
We read the first 6 issues from his ongoing series in 1980 and we’ve learned that he might be crazy or he might be dead.
Or both.
And he has multiple personalities.
He also might have werewolf blood.
There’s a lot to unpack here. Join us while we try!
Next Time: Batman: Year Three (Batman 436-439)