Art by David Wynne. Prints available in the shop until 12/28, or contact David for the original! In which we play Six Degrees of Lila Cheney; Cannonball gets a makeover; Earth does not in fact blow up; the X-Men like their s’mores with thinly veiled allegories; and Magik dabbles in erotic friend fiction. X-Plained: Strong Guy Annuals New Mutants Annual #1 (Steal This Planet) Lila Cheney Both versions of Cats Laughing The Vrakanain Chris Claremont Book Club Uncanny X-Men Annual #8 (The Adventures...
Dec 21, 2014•47 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Art by David Wynne In which literally every character in Dazzler: The Movie is the absolute worst; Beauty and the Beast is secretly kind of awesome; Ann Nocenti is an editorial war-bard; Rachel issues a hat-related retraction; and we would read the hell out of Tales from the Heartbreak Hotel. X-Plained: The many mutations of Hank McCoy Alison Blaire Dazzler: The Movie Dazzler’s corporate origins The original plans for the actual unmade Dazzler movie Severely off-model Storm Ziggy the Butler Seve...
Dec 15, 2014•51 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Art by David Wynne. Prints available here through Sunday, December 14! In which we venture forth into an age undreamed of, there are so many reasons to have Northstar on your team, Selene is the worst guest, Rachel X-Plains Conan, Cyttorak is the Mordenkainen of the Marvel Universe, Miles loves Doctor Strange, we have some fairly serious Captain America feelings, the X-Men completely fail at hide-and-seek, and we make more D&D references in one episode than in the previous 34 combined. X-Plained...
Dec 08, 2014•53 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Art by David Wynne! Prints here, or contact David for the original. In which we dive into two crossovers; our DCU is the DCAU; the Greys just cannot catch a break; Darkseid is basically Santa Claus; the Phoenix Force has Cyclops feels; Baron Karza is the sonic screwdriver of supervillains; and the Enigma Force is aptly named. CONTENT NOTE: The Micronauts portion of this episode involves not-particularly-graphic but still fairly involved discussions of sexual violence. If that’s not something you...
Dec 01, 2014•53 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Art by David Wynne In which we hit the definitive arc of New Mutants; Bill Sienkiewicz blows our minds; Rachel gets choked up over a credits spread; Rahne gets a makeover; Doug Ramsey is justifiably flustered; and Warlock is a friend to household appliances. NOTE: This episode includes a lot of art talk. While doing so is not strictly necessary to follow the discussion, we recommend listening with the visual companion open. X-Plained: Warlock The transmode virus New Mutants #18-21 The Demon Bear...
Nov 24, 2014•51 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Art by David Wynne In which there is a whole, whole lot going on; we continue to have no use for Michael Rossi; Wolverine should be an advice columnist; Forge makes bold fashion choices; the health of a timeline is directly tied to the awesomeness of Storm’s hair; and the X-Men get their first dark-future refugee. X-Plained: Dire Wraiths ROM Tailoring Uncanny X-Men #182-188 Just how much story can be shoehorned into seven issues A dubious Silent Hill metaphor The people in Rogue’s head Inexorabl...
Nov 16, 2014•51 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Art by David Wynne In which the New Mutants are the Bobbsey Twins to the X-Men’s Sam Spade; Nina da Costa is Ms. Frizzle; New Mutants does a Rachel-and-Miles cold open; Selene is the Elizabeth Bathory of lava; Rahne likes Sam, Sam likes Amara, Dani likes Bobby, and Bobby likes everyone; Gil and Art are no Harvey and Janet; Miles has a Del Preston moment, Magma is a Horta; and if something super happens, you should tell a super adult. X-Plained: Selene Externals New Mutants #7-17 The da Costa fam...
Nov 09, 2014•46 min•Season 1Ep. 30
In which Cyclops is the worst at vacations, Mystique is your favorite MurderMom™, Havok is eternally ABD, Kitty Pryde does science, Callisto doesn’t give a damn about her bad reputation, Xavier has a Troy Barnes moment, Miles may be the only person with fond memories of Secret Wars, and Rachel finally gets to make Spalding Gray references. X-Plained: Fantomex Uncanny X-Men #176-181 Reset issues Scott Summers’s second-worst honeymoon Cephalopod disambiguation Project Wideawake (more) (again) Vale...
Nov 03, 2014•46 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Art by David Wynne. In which we welcome back Greg Rucka, Rachel makes a valiant effort to read Secret Wars, Earth-200500 is still the best Earth, Kitty Pryde and Wolverine is kind of dodgy, Ogūn is low-rent Mister Sinister, Miles talks about empathy, Greg has an Edna Mode moment, and we all love Kitty Pryde. X-Plained: X-Men #153 Kitty’s Fairy Tale Earth-5311 Earth-200500 (again) Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #1-6 Samurai eyefucking Ogūn Special cuddles Some really dodgy stuff The best Kitties Pryde...
Oct 27, 2014•44 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Storm #1 cover art by Victor Ibañez Rachel caught up with Greg Pak during NYCC--on no sleep, and on the con floor, so apologies in advance for the sound--to talk about Storm, Storm, team vs. solo titles, post-colonial X-Men, and more. Note: This was recorded on October 9, so the "last issue" referenced in the interview is Storm #3.
Oct 23, 2014•17 min
Adam X the X-Treme, updated by David Wynne! In which we sit down with two of our favorite X-artists for an hour of continuity, character design, and a lot of wine; Corsair is the coolest; Emma Frost is a secret viewpoint character; Bishop is the anti-Booster Gold; Adam X the X-Treme gets a new hat; and none of us know how to pronounce “Bachalo.” X-Plained: The secret X-origins of Kris Anka and Russell Dauterman Definitive books and artists Favorite characters and series Mephistoid spacesuit logi...
Oct 19, 2014•39 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Art by David Wynne. In which Danielle Moonstar is the Wolverine of the New Mutants, Henry Peter Gyrich is the Walter Peck of the Marvel Universe, Michael Rossi is no Peter Corbeau, Xavier is a Brood Queen (who is a jerk), Bob McLeod draws really good teenagers, the New Mutants do an after-school special, Chris Sims drops in for some emergency X-Plaining, Elsie Carson is the Harvey and Janet of Hydra, and Team America is generally sort of baffling. X-Plained Viper Brood stuff The original New Mut...
Oct 12, 2014•54 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Art by David Wynne, after Katsushika Hokusai. In which Wolverine gets his first miniseries, Yukio is still (and forever) the best, we categorically reject the classification “manic pixie dreamgirl,” everything is noir as hell, Wolverine gets an Iron Giant moment, Storm is too cool for your dress code, and we finally made “Probably a Summers Brother” t-shirts. X-Plained: X-23 The 1982 Wolverine miniseries Uncanny X-Men #172-173 Rachel’s Wolverine feelings An auspicious road trip Early Frank Mille...
Oct 06, 2014•48 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Art by David Wynne. In which Professor X is (canonically!) a jerk, Miles has Sidrian Hunter feelings, Kitty Pryde is Clarissa Darling with a dragon, we introduce a drinking game, the X-Men do Barbarella, Rachel has a ‘shipper moment, Rogue joins the team, Storm gets a haircut, Mastermind is still the worst, and Madelyne Pryor is underrated. X-Plained: Lockheed Uncanny X-Men #168-175 Reset issues A one-sided rivalry The lowest-drama X-romance The Cream of Wheat box as a metaphor for infinity Kitt...
Sep 28, 2014•38 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Art by David Wynne. In which Rachel and Miles return triumphant, the X-Men get a second ongoing series, we hit peak Moira MacTaggert, R-A-H-N-E is definitely pronounced “rain,” Sam Guthrie is the nicest henchman, Claremont is hit-and-miss on cultural diversity, and Bobby da Costa is the teenageriest teenager of them all. X-Plained: Nova Roma The New Mutants and The New Mutants Marvel Graphic Novels Greenberg the Vampire call-backs Karma Wolfsbane Sunspot Cannonball Mirage Whitewashing in superhe...
Sep 21, 2014•40 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Art by David Wynne In which Rachel and Miles celebrate an anniversary with a retrospective of one of the great romances of the Marvel universe; the Summers/Grey family tree is more of a transdimensional strawberry patch; the X-Men play some football; Professor Xavier is not a jerk; and Scott Summers and Jean Grey are the power couple of existentialism. X-Plained Summers kids Scott and Jean Feelings X-Men #32 The worst date ever Madelyne Pryor Plot-relevant prosopagnosia Three proposals X-Factor ...
Sep 07, 2014•41 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Art by David Wynne In which special guest Kurt Busiek is the J. Robert Oppenheimer of X-Men, Rachel and Miles learn to love the Silver Age, Cyclops gets a job, Bernard the Poet falls from grace, we really wish X-Men: The Secret Years was a real book, everyone recites poetry, and we still don’t get around to Marvels. X-Plained: METOXO, the Lava Man The true, secret purpose of Rachel and Miles X-Plain the X-Men The Phoenix retcon Archival pocket dimensions Enid Blyton’s X-Men Early-to-mid-20th Cen...
Aug 31, 2014•49 min•Season 1Ep. 21
In which Claremont levels up; the Brood are legitimately scary; Colossus is an ethical dude; Nightcrawler and Wolverine share beers in the face of certain death; Storm turns into a space whale; we are Carol Corps for life; New Mutants are really into Magnum, P.I.; Kitty meets a dragon; and Xavier dies (again). X-Plained: Broo The Brood Saga (X-Men #161-167) Paul Smith Space fashion A really terrible awards ceremony Tim O'Brien's X-Men The Brood How to tell a good Wolverine story Rocket sharks Th...
Aug 24, 2014•52 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In which we continue our delve into the eldritch end of the X-Universe, Illyana Rasputin has a rough childhood even by X-Men standards, Kitty Pryde is a Niven fan, Limbo is way metal, Vincent Price is our Belasco, and Rachel and Miles have feelings about female friendships in Claremont's X-Men. X-Plained: Mikhail Rasputin Hell dimensions, including but not limited to The Void The Dark Zone The Hill Limbo The other Limbo Yet a third Limbo Reincarnation Illyana Rasputin Magic vs. Magik Uncanny X-M...
Aug 17, 2014•40 min•Season 1Ep. 19
In which Dr. Nemesis is delightful, Bill Sienkiewicz foreshadows himself, Dracula hits on absolutely everyone, Blade Godwins a crossover event, Jubilee get a jet ski, the X-Men do Castlevania 2, Rachel and Miles pick a vacation destination, and Cyclops wants you to follow your heart. X-Plained: Dr. Nemesis A very good page of a very good comic Dracula variations X-Men #159 Appropriate use of holy symbols "The D" Tomb of Dracula Bloodstorm Carrotstorm Curse of the Mutants Jubilee Crossover events...
Aug 10, 2014•48 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In which we make our Comics Alliance debut, Cyclops makes a startling discovery, Carol Danvers joins the team (sort of), Chris Claremont calls out some bullshit, Havok still has terrible taste in hats, and Peter Corbeau gets his own theme music Content note: In this episode, we spend a lot of time talking about a rape that occurs in a previous Avengers arc, the community and narrative response thereto, and the larger landscape and ethics of portrayals of sexual violence in superhero comics. X-Pl...
Aug 04, 2014•35 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In which we correct a startling omission, explore the current state of the X-Universe, and speculate wildly; Quentin Quire has excellent fashion sense; Rachel gets a new accessory; Miles goes off-brand; the X-Men are somewhat complicated; Iron Man has poor decision-making skills; Charles Xavier dies for real; Beast might be a supervillain; we briefly forget Marc Guggenheim's first name; and the future remains a relative mystery. For purposes of continuity, it's probably worth noting that this ep...
Jul 28, 2014•40 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In which we announce exciting new developments, the ASPCA should probably have a word with Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde gets a new costume, Lee Forrester is still the best, Cyclops has an octopus on his chest, Magneto has a change of heart, and Wolverine embraces transhumanism. X-Plained: The Thomas Hardy novel of superhero comics Friendship X-Men #148-152 Unstable Denim Disco Dinner Clubs Caliban (a little) Kitty Pryde's amazing fashion sense Garokk the Unremarkable Atlantean couture Why Magneto is ...
Jul 20, 2014•40 min•Season 1Ep. 15
In which Canada is complicated, the X-Perts join Twitter, Rachel cares about a Wolverine story, Angel had one job, Kitty Pryde is pretty cool, Cyclops gets a hat, neither of us knows how to pronounce "Aleytys," Doctor Doom is a terrible date, and the X-Men have an awful lot of signature moves. X-Plained: Department H Department K Director X The Weapon Plus Program Weapon P.R.I.M.E. Weapons I-XVI The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage The new normal Stevie Hunter The Wendigo Berserker rage Yard work Wol...
Jul 14, 2014•51 min•Season 1Ep. 14
In which Jean commits genocide, the Shi'ar are total dicks (again), we have feelings about X-Men #137, Claremont and Byrne do what they do best, shit gets real on the moon, Kitty joins the team, and the Dark Phoenix Saga concludes. X-Plained: Inhumans The Kree The Terrigen Mist Teamwork The Dark Phoenix Cameos with cosmic implications The Phoenix event horizon Establishing scale Psychic battles The winged never-nudes of the Marvel Universe Danger-room exposition The Shi'ar's really dubious justi...
Jul 06, 2014•39 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In which we wade into the first arc of the Dark Phoenix Saga, Rachel does not like Sage, the Hellfire Club are the mean girls of the Marvel Universe, Cyclops and Phoenix have a Moment, Mastermind ruins everything, Emma Frost is a force to be reckoned with, Wolverine gets awesome, and we meet the Dark Phoenix. X-Plained: Sage The Hellfire Club The Inner Circle Jason Wyngarde (again) Sebastian Shaw Harry Leland Emma Frost Donald Pierce Hegemony and social politics of the Hellfire Club 18th Century...
Jun 29, 2014•43 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In which we answer 45 straight minutes of your questions and alienate everyone with our answer to Jean vs. Emma, Miles is probably too nice to win in a fight, we are really into The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Rachel is the Vega to Miles's Shepard, Excalibur is awesome, you should stop punching the DNA, Wolverine is Rogue, Longshot is the prettiest man, and Professor X is a pufferfish. X-Plained: Who would win in a fight The Rachel & Miles Fastball Special Cycloptometry Backissues, collections, a...
Jun 22, 2014•43 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In which Phoenix has nothing on Jamie Madrox when it comes to retcons, Pterosaurs have super punchable faces, Colossus gets laid, we are uninterested in the Savage Land, Wolverine and Storm are both pretty interesting, smiling costs extra if you're Doctor Doom, Banshee saves the day, Alpha Flight tries, Angry Hovercraft Guy comes back, and Proteus is fairly upsetting. X-Plained: X-Men #109, 114-16, 118-122, and 125-128 Multiple Man Metacontinuity The Savage Land Pterosaurs Shi'ar mustache techno...
Jun 15, 2014•46 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In which Rachel refuses to back down from a challenge, we reject a point of canon, Leprechauns know Wolverine's secrets, Erik the Red is (still) awful, Professor X is (still) a dick, the X-Men are your D&D party, the Shi'ar do a Star Trek riff, Phoenix is kind of a big deal, the circus comes to town, and Magneto gets creepy. X-Plained: Cassandra Nova More early Claremont Sound effects Cassidy Keep Seneschals Shillelaghs Image inducers Black Tom Cassidy Supervillain bromance Bronze-age pacing Lep...
Jun 08, 2014•47 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In which Chris Claremont defines the X-Universe; Sunfire quits the team (again); Nightcrawler is the best; the narrator is nobody's friend; Colossus is a good kid; Cyclops has a long series of bad days; everyone is a bondage Viking; Rachel is a space pedant, we meet the Phoenix, and Wolverine is the Batman of Marvel. X-Plained: Polaris's kinda-powers Our first crossover event How much we love you Chris Claremont, and why he's the definitive X-writer Comics In Focus: Chris Claremont's X-Men Why N...
Jun 01, 2014•42 min•Season 1Ep. 8
