In this weeks episode, Ryan makes Jamie read Fantastic Four issue 262, "The Trial of Reed Richards". Written and art by John Byrne with colours by Glynis Wein. They also discuss the legal system of the Marvel Intergalactic Universe, does The Watcher ever actually just watch, and how did Galactus produce a daughter? Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 05:00 - Comic Talk Starts 07:22 - Comic Credits 08:11 - Starting with the Arting 20:09 - Tangent About the 60's and 80's 23:23 - Jamie Tells Us The Story and G...
Jul 28, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 132
In this weeks episode, Ryan makes Jamie read some of the weirdest Superman Stories from the 60's and 70's. They also talk about the power creep problem with Superman, some of the history of Muhammad Ali, the new James Gunn Superman film, and whether or not Superman did blackface. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 01:49 - Superman's New Power 15:22 - Superman vs. Muhammad Ali 28:07 - Was Superman Doing Blackface? 33:07 - Back to the Comic 36:17 - Superman Almost Makes A Sex Tape 46:00 - James Gunn's Superm...
Jul 21, 2025•52 min•Ep. 131
In this week's episode, Ryan makes Jamie read the 2020 comic series, Superman: Up In The Sky. Written by Tom King with art by Andy Kubert. They also go on tangents the origins of the comic from Walmart, Aquaman's "trident", British Prime Ministers fighting crime, and the confirmation of the age old question "Does Captain America cry during sex?" Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 01:32 - Comic Credits and General Thoughts 03:54 - Starting with the Arting 07:23 - Aquaman's "trident" and British Prime Minist...
Jul 14, 2025•57 min•Ep. 130
In this week's episode, Ryan makes Jamie read the 2025 limited series, Animal Pound. Written by Tom King, illustrated by Peter Gross, colour by Tamra Bonvillain, and lettering by Clayton Cowles. They also go on big tangents about comparing this to the original Animal Farm by George Orwell, the political events that inspired this adaptation, and a lot of ramblings about British and American politics in general. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 05:32 - Comic Talk Starts 06:13 - Comic Credits 07:08 - The Th...
Jul 07, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 129
In this weeks episode, Ryan makes Jamie read the 2017 two part special, Batman/Elmer Fudd, Written by Tom King and art by Lee Weeks and Byron Vaughns. They also discuss the DC/Looney Tunes crossover, whether speech impediments exist in internal thoughts, the complex moral alignments of the Looney Tunes characters, and Jamie's geese story. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 01:52 - Comic Credits 03:58 - The DC/Looney Tunes Crossover 05:17 - Basically Starting With The Arting 17:04 - Story (No Spoilers) 35:3...
Jun 30, 2025•59 min•Ep. 128
In this week's episode, Ryan makes Jamie read issues 583-587 of 2010's Fantastic Four series. Written by Jonathan Hickman, pencils by Steve Epting, and colours by Paul Mounts. They also go on tangents about why Doctor Doom is has always been such a multi-dimensional character, is Namor just a big ol' simp, how Robert Downey Jr will portray Doom in the MCU, and should Politicians carry swords again? Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 03:29 - Comic Credits 03:56 - Overall Thoughts 10:35 - Starting with the A...
Jun 23, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 127
In this week's episode, Ryan makes Jamie continue reading the currently ongoing series, Ultimate X-Men. Written and art by Peach Momoko. They also go on tangents about general Wolverine stuff, what happened in the Shadow Realm, and the effects that the success of Manga have had on the western comic book industry. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 03:53 - Comic Credits 04:36 - Mostly Talking About The Art 13:35 - Which Wolverine Is It? (Spoilers and general Wolverine talk) 23:53 - Back to the Art (kind of)...
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 126
In this week's episode, Ryan makes Jamie continue to read the currently ongoing series, The Ultimates, as well as the One Year In one-shot. Written by Deniz Camp, art by Juan Frigeri, and guest art by Chris Allen and Jonas Scharf. The also go on tangents about the 616 and Netflix versions of Luke Cage, the lesser known Human Torch, the references to original Norse Mythology made by issue 11, and a recital of Chip Zdarsky's James Gunn/Kevin Feige fan fic. Unfortunately, there was a technical issu...
Jun 09, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 125
In this week's episode, Ryan tried to make Jamie read issues 1-7 of the currently ongoing series, Absolute Superman. Did he succeed? Listen to find out. They also discuss the many problems with the execution of this comic, is Absolute Superman secretly anti-vax propaganda?, the Joker-fied Brainiac, and the upcoming Marvel/DC crossover with Batman and Deadpool. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 01:24 - Comic Credits 02:37 - Did Jamie Read the Comic? 03:48 - Starting with the Arting 06:04 - Story with Spoil...
Jun 02, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 124
In this weeks episode, Ryan makes Jamie read some of the 2025 Eisner Award nominees for Best Single Issue/One-Shot. These include Ice Cream Man issue 39, PeePee PooPoo issue 1 (or is it?), and Abortion Pill Zine: A Community Guide to Misoprostol and Mifepristone. The also go on tangents about who might win this category and why, the history of punk zines and music, and a mostly sensitive discussion about reproductive health in the US & UK (had between two dudes) Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 04:03...
May 26, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 123
In this weeks episode, Ryan makes Jamie read the currently ongoing series, Ultimate Wolverine issues 1-5. Written by Chris Condon and art by Alessandro Cappuccio. They also go on big tangents about how the MCU will make Magneto's origin fit their universe, fantasy casting the MCU's X-Men, and the latest series of Black Mirror for some reason. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 03:44 - Comic Talk Starts 06:03 - Starting with the Arting 23:18 - Story with spoilers for issues 1-5 25:19 - Big Magneto/X-men tan...
May 19, 2025•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 122
In this week's episode, Ryan makes Jamie read a non-superhero comic to keep him sane. That comic being issues 1-7 of the currently ongoing series, Redcoat. Created by Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch, inked by Bryan Hitch & Andrew Currie, and colurs by Brad Anderson. They also go on tangents about the wider "Unnamed" comic universe from Ghost Machine, the pros and cons of immortality, the trend of fictionalized historical events, and whistling (for some reason). Plus, a mini Thunderbolts* review....
May 12, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 121
In this week's episode, Ryan makes Jamie read the 2000 limited series, Sentry. Written by Paul Jenkins and art by Jae Lee. They also go on tangents about marvel characters inspired by Superman, the big twist of the Sentry story, and who exactly are The Thunderbolts? Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 05:09 - Comic Talk Starts with Comic Credits 09:17 - Starting with the Arting 13:38 - Story 40:09 - Vision tangent 44:50 - Back to the Comic 46:31 - The Big Sentry Twist (from 25 years ago) 53:35 - Who Are The...
May 05, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 120
In this weeks episode, Ryan makes Jamie read Action Comics issue #775, What's So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way? Written by Joe Kelly, penciled by Doug Mahnke and Lee Bermejo, and inked by Tom Nguyen, Dexter Vines, Jim Royal, Jose Marzan, Wade Von Grawbadger and Wayne Faucher. They also go on tangents about how The Authority influenced this story, the real life inspirations behind Manchester Black, and how to tell a ideological debate in superhero comics. Timecodes 00:00 - Int...
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 119
In this week's episode, Ryan makes Jamie read 1986's Superman: What Ever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Written by Alan Moore and art by Curt Swan and George Pérez. They also discuss Moore's interesting relationship with Superman, the homage of the comic to the 60's/70's, and why DC needed a universal reboot with Crisis on Infinite Earths. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 02:02 - Comic Talk Starts with credits 10:05 - Broad Thoughts 12:15 - Starting with the Arting 15:10 - Why DC needed Crisis on Infin...
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 118
In this week's episode, Ryan makes Jamie read the 1993 limited series, Daredevil: Man Without Fear. Written by Frank Miller and art by John Romita Jr. They also debate whether the art is great or terrible, the surprising lack of Catholicism in this interpretation, and what if Daredevil had a dog sidekick? Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 03:38 - Comic Talk Starts with Comic Credits 04:48 - Starting with the Arting 29:13 - Story with Spoilers 01:04:18 - Historical Corrections for Last Week's Episode YouTu...
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 117
In this weeks episode, Ryan makes Jamie read issues 1-5 of the ongoing series, Absolute Wonder Woman. Written by Kelly Thompson, art by Hayden Sherman, and colour by Jordie Bellaire. They also discuss the Greek mythology of the comic, comparing the magic of this title to Harry Potter (for some reason), and the wild and true story of Wonder Woman's creator. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 01:33 - Comic Credits 02:41 - Starting with the Arting 11:59 - Story with Spoilers 43:57 - The Story of Wonder Woman'...
Apr 07, 2025•55 min•Ep. 116
In this weeks episode, Ryan makes Jamie read part of the currently ongoing comic series, Batman: The Dying City. Written by Chip Zdarsky and art by Jorge Jiménez. They also use this comic as an example of the problems with modern superhero comics, how the medium can restrict creativity, and why so many great writers seem to do their worst work on Batman. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 02:00 - Comic Credits 02:53 - Broad Thoughts 10:59 - Starting with the Arting 14:56 - General Story Talk 25:54 - The Pr...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 115
In this weeks episode, Ryan makes Jamie read issues 48-50 of the original comic series, The Fantastic Four. Written by Stan Lee and art by Jack Kirby. They also discuss how 60's comics looked different to how we see them now, how The Fantastic Four broke the comic book conventions of the time, and why The Thing has eyebrows. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 02:19 - Comic Credits 05:16 - Starting with the Arting 22:18 - Story with spoilers from 60 years ago 01:09:38 - How The Fantastic Four broke the comi...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 114
In this week's episode, Ryan makes Jamie read the limited series sequel to "A Nice House On The Lake", 2024's The Nice House By The Sea. Written by James Tynion IV, art by Álvaro Martínez Bueno, and colours by Jordie Bellaire. They also discuss why sequels are rarer in comic books, how sequels can sometimes be overshadowed by the original, and the representation of gay and trans characters in fiction Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 02:20 - Correction From Last Week 03:14 - Comic Talk Starts 04:45 - Comi...
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 113
In this weeks episode, Ryan makes Jamie read the 1986 comic story arc, Daredevil: Born Again. Written by Frank Miller and art by David Mazzucchelli. They also talk about the standard of comic books in the 80's, how censorship impacted the way comic books told mature stories, and how Daredevil as a character was used to tell more grounded stories. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 01:14 - Comic Talk Starts 02:19 - Comic Credits 07:13 - Starting with the Arting 22:08 - General Daredevil Talk 25:56 - Story w...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 112
In this weeks episode, Ryan makes Jamie read the currently ongoing Image series, The Power Fantasy. Written by Kieron Gillen and art by Caspar Wijngaard. They also discuss the real world history that inspired the comic, the current state of global politics, and comparing this comic to Alan Moore's Watchmen. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 01:30 - Broad Thoughts of the Comic 02:44 - Comic Credits 06:02 - Starting with the Arting 06:54 - What's The Plot? (and real life inspiration) 11:48 - Back to Arting ...
Mar 03, 2025•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 111
In this week's episode, Ryan makes Jamie read the issues 1-5 of the currently ongoing series, Absolute Batman. Written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Nick Dragotta. They also discuss the differences to DC's mainline Batman, comparing this to Marvel's Ultimate Universe comics, and whether this Batman is absolutely cool or cringe? Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 03:11 - Comic Talk Starts 07:41 - Broad Thoughts 08:17 - Comic Credits 08:50 - Starting with the Arting 14:39 - Story with Spoilers 30:48 - J...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 110
In this weeks episode, Ryan makes Jamie read the 2006 story arch, Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Written by Ed Brubaker and art by Steve Epting. They also go over the history of the Bucky Barnes character, and how this comic has a huge influence on the modern day Marvel Cinematic Universe. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 02:26 - A Brief History of Cap and Bucky 12:50 - Comic Credits 14:27 - Starting with the Arting 19:26 - Story with Spoilers 1:09:22 - Comments Corner YouTube- https://www.youtube....
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 109
In this week's episode, Ryan makes Jamie read the 2009 comic book series, Chew. Written by John Layman and art by Rob Guillory. They also go on tangents about the similarities to alcohol prohibition, which foods they think are the sexiest, and the combination of porridge and oat milk for some reason. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 02:34 - Comic Talk Starts 04:18 - Comic Credits 05:06 - Overall Thoughts 11:14 - Starting with the Arting 24:32 - Story of issues 1-5 1:04:07 - Porridge and Oat Milk Tangent ...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 108
In this weeks episode, Ryan and Jamie return to the Marvel Ultimate Universe. Going over Ultimate Spider-Man issues 6-12, Ultimate X-Men issues 7-11, and The Ultimates issues 7 & 8. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 05:34 - The Ultimate Universe 07:17 - The Ultimates issues 7 & 8 22:12 - Ultimate Spider-Man issues 6-12 46:50 - Ultimate X-Men issues 7-11 1:04:04 - To Surmise 1:06:54 - Fan Comments YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_2GA9q40JoBmnbOrkjGuJg Apple Podcasts- https://podcasts.app...
Feb 03, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 107
In this weeks episode, Ryan regrets making Jamie read the 2005 limited series, All Star Superman. Written by Grant Morrison, art by Frank Quitely, and inked by Jamie Grant. The also spend most of the episode debating the quality of the comic, as well as a couple of tangents about Grant Morrison's beliefs about magic and sigils. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 01:05 - Comic Credits 04:45 - Starting with the Arting 15:56 - Story with some spoilers 31:46 - Full Spoilers From Here 1:04:08 - Morrison Magic T...
Jan 27, 2025•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 106
In this week's episode, it's opposite day as Jamie makes Ryan read an ongoing (hopefully) and long running manga series, Vagabond. Written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue. They also get in to the back story of the series, the real person from Japanese history that it's based on, the history of the Ronin, and whether this series will be finished before A Song of Ice and Fire? Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 01:38 - Manga Credits and Backstory 05:49 - Broad Thoughts 10:50 - Jamie explains the history of...
Jan 20, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 105
It's the best bits of The Comic Literate Podcast 2024! Specifically from June to December for reasons that are explained in the intro (laziness). They've been loosely grouped into sections which are time coded below. Timecodes 00:00 - Intro 01:12 - Bits about the Podcast 07:48 - Superhero Shenanigans 33:45 - Moore Moore Moore (the Alan Moore section) 57:07 - Monster Mash (Aliens, Witches, Gillman etc) 1:10:11 - A Bit of Bond 1:12:39 - Jamie's Bit about Censored Swearing 1:16:23 - Miscellaneous B...
Jan 13, 2025•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 104
In this weeks episode, Ryan and Jamie go over the comics that were released in 2024, that they read, to determine which were the best of the year. Categories include Best Corporate Synergy, Best Horror Comic, Best Panel Layout, Best Art, Best Writing, and of course, Best Superhero and Non Superhero comics. Timecodes 02:01 - Best of the Year talk starts 03:57 - Best Corporate Synergy 08:06 - Worst Jank Face 11:45 - Best Horror Comic 21:50 - Ryan's Dexter Tangent 23:01 - Best Christmas Comic 25:58...
Jan 06, 2025•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 103
