Jace chats with comic creators Jemma Young and Chad Hardin about the Kickstarter campaign for the second issue of their Temerity series. From Chad's desires to have their ship the Temerity become a sci-fi icon, to Jemma's detailed character histories, it's clear that these two creators are passionate about this project. Plenty of talk about how they fell in love with comics and the craziness of the Harley Quinn ear and conventions also. The real takeaway here though is what a fun and cosmic stor...
Feb 03, 2021•46 min
Jace and Jay talk about a few of the comics that hit stands the week of February 3, 2021. It's a bit of a lighter week, but there are still tons of great books. Canto II #5 brings that volume of the clockwork knight to an end, but it sets everything up for the next volume starting in April. It's still one of the best books for kids out on the stands today! Inkblot continues to be a fun magical adventure with the cutest cat in comics getting into all kinds of mischief. We have a brand new world t...
Feb 03, 2021•58 min
Jace breaks down three DC Comics titles. We explore the world of present day in which the Nazis won World War II. For years after the war the heroes of the Freedom Fighters were hunted and eventually killed, but now a new generation of heroes has emerged. They are taken up the name and fight of their fallen forebears and giving their all to bring about the return of Uncle Sam and achieve a final victory over the Third Reich. In the pages of Justice League #20 we get a look at a Utopian world, th...
Feb 02, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Jace chats with YouTube creator Danny Malt about his early origins falling in love with comics and eventually that leading him to want to share that love by creating content on YouTube. We discuss the nuts and bolts of how Danny puts together episodes as well as some of the challenges and setbacks he has faced and overcome.
Feb 02, 2021•47 min
Jace and Jon-Paul dive head long into what may be the most important comic of the while Hickman era. House of X #2 gives is a look at Moira MacTagert in a way we've never seen before. Her mutant power of reincarnation, unrevealed before now, gives her a unique perspective on the human-mutant condition. Her many lives are spent in an orderly and scientific manner testing many different scenarios to allow mutants to survive or even thrive in a world dominated by normal humans. Which solution is co...
Feb 02, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Jace talks about the Oberon series from AfterShock. It's a fanciful adventure filled with fairies, goblins and magic, much like you would expect from a story mostly set in the World of the Fae. However, the themes explored go far beyond just your usual adventure story of this type. Ryan Parrot explores ideas of love, loyalty and truth in a very powerful way. This is the perfect type of story to share with children from about the age of 9 and older. It makes for a wonderful bedtime story and can ...
Feb 01, 2021•43 min
Jace chats with writer Ryan Parrot about the incredible AfterShock series Dead Day. It starts with such a simple question, what would you do if your loves ones got to come back from the dead for one night? From that simple question comes a world and story with limitless possibilities, from the ideas of righting wrongs to taking revenge to having a chance to say goodbye. It is such a huge idea because not only are there consequences for the dead, there are so many implications for the living. It ...
Feb 01, 2021•48 min
Jace covers Superman #10 as the mystery of Jon's time jump in age is answered. The loop is closed here for Jon's trip to outer space, his relationship with Jor-El and being thrown onto Earth-3. We get some great moments between Jon the child as Lois and Clarks as his parents. That pain and anguish of the time missed for these two with their only child is so obvious. We also get some amazing facial expression and emotion from Ivan Reis. The cosmic-ness of Superman as a hero and character is very ...
Jan 31, 2021•22 min
Jace dives into Supergirl #27 as the Omega Men and Supergirl fight to escape the clutches of Hokum. Meanwhile Z'ndr and Gandelo face off and we find out the relationship and connection they share. We are reminded of the greatest strength of Supergirl, which is her compassion and empathy, but will it be enough to stave off the ultimate plan of Hokem even as she teams up with the Omega Men?
Jan 31, 2021•29 min
Jace chats with writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson about his work on Future State Superman Worlds of War. They also discuss worldbuilding in story especially as it pertains to The Last God Black Label title Phillip did for DC. There is also a lot of discussion about respecting the work that comes before, the unique challenges of writing the Man of Steel and the challenge of creating story for characters that have been around for such a long time. There is a lot of great info in this episode from Sup...
Jan 31, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Jace breaks down Silver Surfer #35 as Thanos is indeed back among the living. He introduces himself to the Surfer and gives the reasons for being resurrected by Death. They ring a bit hollow to Jace, but fans of the MCU will find them sounding familiar. Despite the fact that the Silver Surfer has never met Thanos it takes no time at all for him to begin to be suspicious of Thanos's actions. Once Thanos lays his plans bare and even reveals how he has already manipulated the Surfer it is clear tha...
Jan 30, 2021•28 min
Jace chats with Newsarama senior editor Chris Arrant about a variety of comic book industry subjects. How has the industry weathered the Coivd-19 pandemic? What are Chris's thoughts about some of the changes we saw in 2020? Also the guys discuss what changes we may still see coming in the next year or so. What is the feeling of creators in a general sense based on conversations Jace and Chris have had with the writers, artists and editors who make these books? What have the sales numbers been li...
Jan 30, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Jace is joined by Trevor form Dark Knight Nation and Rocky from Comic Boom! to discuss the third week of Future State. They talk art and story, what they liked and what they didn't. Breaking down both the plot and sequential storytelling in the main stories as well as all the backups. There are spoilers here so be sure you have read the books already if you plan too. Overall the guys feel like this is the best week yet in terms of quality of the books, but there is still a lot of room for improv...
Jan 29, 2021•2 hr 8 min
Jay and Jace break down some titles from the week of January 27, 2021 without giving away spoilers. For Jay his favorite book of the week was Batman Black & White #2 which showcased some gorgeous artwork and showed, once again, how the versatility of Batman is as a character allows for so many different types of stories to be told. We also got the next chapter of Captain Marvel's story in a possible Marvel Universe future that may lead into Carol gaining some the magical powers that have bee...
Jan 27, 2021•1 hr 22 min
Jace is joined by writer Kyle Higgins and editor/designer Michael Busuttil to talk about Radiant Black. Launching from Image Comics on February 10, 2021, this is shaping up to be one of the biggest launches of the year. Already 70,000 copies have been sold and it seems like the guys may have a hit on their hands. Kyle gives us the origins of the story, how his experiences as a freelancer and his love of the super hero and tokusatsu genres have all come together to create this story. We hear a bi...
Jan 26, 2021•57 min
Jace and Jon-Paul tackle Powers of X #1. Jonathan Hickman uses an accelerated story structure to give a glimpse into 4 distinct eras of the X-Men. First we look into the past as the very idea of the X-Men has just occurred to Charles Xavier very soon to be followed by him meeting Moira Mactaggert for the first time. Then we see the world of the X-Men as it is in present time, just as we saw in House of X #1. When we look 100 years into the future things are not looking so bright as a huge war ha...
Jan 26, 2021•1 hr 21 min
Jace continues his look at the chronological history of one of Marvel most enduring villains, Thanos. As hard as it is to believe, after Thanos's apparent death at the end of Marvel Two-in-One Annual #2, he was gone from the pages of Marvel comics for over a decade. However, once Jim Starlin returned, so did the Mad Titan. Silver Surfer #34 begins the epic tale which eventually leads to the Infinity Gauntlet story that so many know from the similar story told in the MCU. Not only does this bring...
Jan 23, 2021•30 min
Jace chats with Chad Bokelman of The Lantern Cast about his origins with the show and comic books themselves. They also talk about the balancing act necessary for covering comics you simply may not like. Also who is Chad's favorite Green Lantern, the answer may surprise you. We talk about the different eras of Green Lantern and which one Chad likes best. Jace and Chad also look to the future and discuss what the upcoming Infinite Frontier Green Lantern title may be like. There's TONS of behind t...
Jan 23, 2021•1 hr 6 min
Jace is joined by some other stellar comic book pundits as they return to the future of the DC Universe for the second week of Future State. Overall, most of the guys felt like the quality improved in the second week, but there is still plenty of room for more improvement. Always the trend of cramming too much story into too few pages continues, as did the tendency for the art to let us down, even from creators whose work we normally love. So while the highs were higher the second week, the lows...
Jan 22, 2021•1 hr 45 min
Jace and Jay break down some DC books in depth with spoilers. They start with Wonder Twins #2 as it straddles the juggles the genres of humor, satire & all ages superheroes. With so many different thematic goals, can it accomplish any of them? Next up is The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight #1. In writer Scott Snyder's own words, this is what happens when you cross Batman with the Punisher. It's safe to say all criminals better beware, but does his thirst for vengeance go beyond justice? I...
Jan 22, 2021•1 hr
Jace, Jay and Manny talk about a few of the books they have read that hit stands this week. Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1 and Future State: The Next Batman #2 are both a little uneven but have their moments. Maestro: War and Pax is action packed with plenty of Hulk Smash! Scumbag is a title both Jay and Jace have been enjoying for both it's irreverence and its unlikable, humorous and some how endearing lead. King in Black #3 continues the big Marvel event from writer Donny Cates and Jay...
Jan 20, 2021•1 hr 29 min
Jace is joined by writer, fellow podcast and all around awesome guy Jason Inman to discuss his latest Kickstarter project. Jason is tapping into his deep love of superheroes and Superman in particular to craft a relevant story about friendship, self-worth and social media in the digital age. Packed with tons of great artwork that pays homage to some of our favorite comic images from the past, this story introduces us to Mattie Moore, the best friend of Captain Terrific. Things take a turn for th...
Jan 20, 2021•34 min
Our second Marvel Monday of the week focuses on several books that Jace and Jay break down. Captain Marvel #2 from Kelly Thompson continues the adventures of Carol as she tries to regain her footing not that she is back on earth. Things don't go real well though when the Nuclear Man shows up and throws a wrench in the works. Over in Avengers No Road Home, we return to the weekly format for Avengers as Voyager returns bringing some bad news about an enemy that is powerful enough to take out the g...
Jan 18, 2021•1 hr 27 min
This Marvel Monday breaks down a few books in detail. Jace starts off with a look at the deal offered by Mephisto and why Miles Morales and Amadeus Cho may be tempted to take it. Issue #13 of Immortal Hulk finishes off the second act of that book as we gear up for a lot of action coming in the next few issues. Over in Killmonger #4, things go completely sideways for Erik, we see him turn away from any last chance at peace or redemption and fully embrace his need for vengeance. Old Man Quill give...
Jan 18, 2021•1 hr 18 min
Jace and Jon-Paul do a deep dive into House of X #1. What lead to this event? How long was Hickman working on it before it was announced? How does it compare to what came before? As for the story itself, we are thrown into the deep end so the guys go over the events of the first issue and talk about both what happens as well as the significance of the events. This is especially true of the role Magneto plays in the book. It's just as complex as you would expect a Hickman book to be, so there is ...
Jan 18, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Jace chats with writer Zack Kaplan about the recently released Join The Future TPB. Zack talks about building this story as a look at technology and security versus tradition and freedom. Not looking at is a political issue but something much more personal. It doesn't get much more personal than Clementine Libbey having to grow up in a hurry while seeking justice for the loss of her brother, her father and her town itself. There's a lot to unpack in this one and the guys dive into all of it. Plu...
Jan 18, 2021•44 min
Jace continues the Thanos reading order with an incredible powerful tale that was an instant classic from the moment it was released. The Death of Captain Marvel was the first ever graphic novel from Marvel comics. This new format which has come to dominate comic sales over the last few decades started with the story of how the Marvel Universe lost it's most powerful cosmic champion. Filled with incredible Jim Starlin art and emotional character moments, this story still is just as powerful near...
Jan 16, 2021•1 hr 3 min
Jace and Jay take a very deep look at a few DC titles. They examine Heroes In Crisis #6 from the perspective of the trauma displayed by the three characters closely followed in this issue, plus Jay takes about PTSD from the perspective he gained while serving in the army. The guys chat about the spectacle that is Justice League #19 and how the structure of the epic story Scott Snyder is playing out. They finish up with Shazam #3 a really wild and fun book that may have been a bigger hit if it ha...
Jan 15, 2021•1 hr 23 min
Jace is joined by some other stellar comic book pundits as they dive deep into the first week of Future State. Be warned there are tons of spoilers in this episode and nothing is off limits. The guys talk about what worked and what didn't. They also speculate on the changing editorial dictates of DC affecting the structure and pacing of this titles. Jace has a lot to say about the art and many of the others agree. There is not much they agree on though, as many of the titles draw differing opini...
Jan 15, 2021•2 hr 1 min
Jace looks at the penultimate issue of Arcanum from Brandon Peterson. The Avatars of Good find the ancient temple they were seeking, but all is not as it seems. Matthew Royale is one step ahead of them and just why does the Baron show up? An appearance by the embodiment of death is never good news for the avatars. It's an eventful issue as we head for the series finale.
Jan 14, 2021•21 min
