[SPEAKER_03]: What's up everybody.
[SPEAKER_03]: Welcome to the stack on the Alex.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm Justin on P and on the stack we talk about a bunch of books that come out this week and Oh, boy, do we have a big stack for you today versus all the previous ones.
[SPEAKER_03]: I know I say this every show But it's really true this show because we are kicking it off with DC KO number five
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, man, he's in comics, written by Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson, art by Havie Fernandez, Zermeneco, and Wes Craig, who's growing the tournament to an end here and setting the stage for what's next from the DC universe.
[SPEAKER_03]: Now, I probably don't need to mention this, but I will anyway spoilers pass this point for absolutely everything that we're going to be talking about in the stack, particularly this, because there's so many twists and turns last issue we found out that Lex Luthor was the one of the one, the tournament.
[SPEAKER_03]: Of course he was it.
[SPEAKER_03]: There's more going on.
[SPEAKER_01]: Go to bed, Lex.
[SPEAKER_03]: Lex thinks that he's going to be taking on dark side for the fate of the universe, but actually thanks to the machinations of the time-trapper aka Skinny Doomsday.
[SPEAKER_03]: Superman has been saved in a pocket universe and given enough alpha and omega energy to battle dark side for the face of fate of everything by the end.
[SPEAKER_03]: You won't believe this, but the DC universe wins.
[SPEAKER_03]: Superman has left for a little bit, which we kind of knew anyway because we knew it was going
[SPEAKER_03]: but we found out why, and you're also not going to believe this, it kicks off DC's next big event.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's something that never happens at the end of events and comics.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm obviously being a little glib.
[SPEAKER_03]: I had later on, of course, we should check in with our DCK of brackets and see how close we all came.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we'll talk about good event.
[SPEAKER_01]: We ended the brackets.
[SPEAKER_01]: They're over.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know bad.
[SPEAKER_03]: Super bad one.
[SPEAKER_03]: I did.
[SPEAKER_03]: I think I chose super bad.
[SPEAKER_03]: So I'm feeling bad.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's why you want to go back to the wreckage.
[SPEAKER_01]: There we go.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: I guess we've done the brackets then.
[SPEAKER_01]: Technically.
[SPEAKER_03]: How more seriously, how do you guys feel about this issue?
[SPEAKER_03]: How do you feel about this event as a whole?
[SPEAKER_03]: Now that it has come to a close.
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, it's interesting.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's this ended up being a lot more like a crisis than I could have ever imagined.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, it felt so like different and, you know, irreverent in its own way and just like doing its own thing.
[SPEAKER_01]: This issue where Superman literally remakes the DC universe from the Big Bang.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, how did they sneak a crisis into the ending?
[SPEAKER_01]: And then this is a spoiler for the very end of the issue, but like they tease another crisis He's coming and I was like, I know that's the whole thing, but I was really fooled this time into thinking they're not doing a crisis.
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you guys feel that way at all?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, I enjoyed this.
[SPEAKER_00]: I liked the ending.
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought this was a blast.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, it was one of those things where I'm reading and I was like of course Superman.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why did I think
[SPEAKER_00]: Superman would be, you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_01]: I was just going to tell when you were building your bracket.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_03]: I just, you would have, you would have won like I did, and now you guys, I believe, have to be my butlers for years.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_01]: So this motherfucker who doesn't know how any sport works or whatever I can't blame.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: Little and snake draft or brackets, and he's like,
[SPEAKER_03]: I actually say, Poutsick off what you were saying, Pete, I do think that comes down to Scott Snyder doing a good job of figuring out how to get us to think as readers.
[SPEAKER_03]: The thing that we know is going to happen is not going to happen.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_03]: Because everybody going into this is like, oh, it's going to be super bad versus dark side.
[SPEAKER_03]: And he's been five inches being like, absolutely not.
[SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely not.
[SPEAKER_01]: Don't go away.
[SPEAKER_03]: The way we're like this, right?
[SPEAKER_03]: I think that's not going to happen.
[SPEAKER_03]: It comes in, you're like, oh, you got us.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was like, hell yeah, good thing Superman showed up.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, what?
[SPEAKER_01]: I didn't need you.
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't.
[SPEAKER_01]: I didn't pull it off.
[SPEAKER_00]: I never thought I'd say this, but a great use of emo doomsday.
[SPEAKER_00]: So first time I was like, happy he was there, and I thought that was a good, I'll be honest with you.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know whether that.
[SPEAKER_03]: I think those were these Amatico pages, but that is the first time that I've liked Haskini, emo doomsday looked.
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought there was a nice mix of the time-trapper look and doomsday.
[SPEAKER_03]: They figured out a good midpoint there.
[SPEAKER_01]: I really loved the use of a time-trapper here, even the moment where time-chaper when he's like, hey, take my resurrection situation and he sort of tears his shirt open.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, what's happening?
[SPEAKER_01]: What are these guys up to?
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was like, I was like, hey, doomsday, you didn't need to do that.
[SPEAKER_01]: What?
[SPEAKER_01]: That was about because he just like shoots Alpha energy out of his hands or whatever.
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, so like that was I thought that was great.
[SPEAKER_01]: I do have like and I did enjoy this.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think This event was just excellent.
[SPEAKER_01]: I thought top to bottom.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was surprised.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was so light and airy and this issue was doing a lot of work
[SPEAKER_01]: Yet, I'm still like, oh, I don't quite know how Alpha and Omega energy worked together or separately.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it felt like I thought Superman was going to overpower the Omega with Alpha energy, but instead it felt like he just sort of took all the energy.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I don't know what that means.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it felt like he did reinvent the universe from an Alpha energy perspective.
[SPEAKER_01]: Was he resetting it?
[SPEAKER_01]: Or is this a technical new universe?
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I don't.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_03]: We'll probably know more once they start giving interviews about this or anything.
[SPEAKER_03]: But my takeaway that was this wasn't like a crisis.
[SPEAKER_03]: This wasn't a reboot or anything.
[SPEAKER_03]: This isn't even necessarily like a soft reboot where they realign timelines, particularly because they just put out new history of the DC universe.
[SPEAKER_03]: I think instead what they're just.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but hold on a second there.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you can say that all you want.
[SPEAKER_01]: This story was built around the fact that Superman trapped dark side at the Big Bang, Big Bang, and reinvent the universe from that point forward.
[SPEAKER_03]: But I think that's the flimsyos of excuses for them to be like, here's our next level titles, with a classic two-page splash of work and I have a Jota Hex title and Legion of Super Heroes and all of these things, like I don't think this is even,
[SPEAKER_03]: zero-hour level of reboot, or anything like that.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's just being like, this is a fresh start.
[SPEAKER_03]: And it's really realigning it under what I think I was under the impression they were doing anyway was that the absolute universe was formed on dark sides, negative energy, like you can call it.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm a big energy or whatever you want.
[SPEAKER_03]: But it's basically like, this is a universe built on evil and somehow heroes are rising out of it.
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought they were already saying like the DC universe is kind of like powered by Superman in a certain way and now they're just kind of formalizing it like Superman is the DC universe and all comes from the goodness of Superman But also is fatal flaw of leaving dark side alive at the end so the dark side's like oh you thought this was my only plan I've got one million other plans going out at the same time
[SPEAKER_00]: let me quickly ask you guys if you had to recreate the universe since the big bang are you going to change anything or you're just going to go exactly how it is
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, I would, I would get rid of corn beef hash really.
[SPEAKER_00]: Wow, bold.
[SPEAKER_00]: Interesting.
[SPEAKER_00]: I would.
[SPEAKER_00]: Uh, vegetables and candy.
[SPEAKER_00]: So vegetables taste like candy candy in, you know, I mean, so that was interesting.
[SPEAKER_01]: So you're saying candy is health.
[SPEAKER_01]: Are you saying like you're finally one.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll do a fun dip that tastes like carrots and broccoli.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I just think that more kids would eat vegetables.
[SPEAKER_00]: It wouldn't be this thing of like, eat your vegetables if it was like, the problem, the problem is the taste, be it.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what I'm saying.
[SPEAKER_01]: Can you take, you work on this?
[SPEAKER_01]: You work on this for RFK or the Trump administration?
[SPEAKER_01]: Or what?
[SPEAKER_01]: How real is this?
[SPEAKER_01]: You're part of this?
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm just saying, put down your beef towel, your glass of beef towel, I'm just like, explain this to us like we're fine.
[SPEAKER_03]: Speaking of which, I wouldn't change anything.
[SPEAKER_03]: I think everything's going great.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, wow.
[SPEAKER_01]: Really.
[SPEAKER_01]: Procedure.
[SPEAKER_01]: I have no notes.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's take off that red cap that you're wearing.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's a flash cap for our listeners.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's the flash.
[SPEAKER_03]: My favorite heroes.
[SPEAKER_03]: to get back to this comic book for a second and not talking about it for a while, but uh, Justin, I think what you're going to get out at the beginning, which I kind of felt like there were beats that I liked in this issue, but I did miss the abject ridiculousness of issues one through four.
[SPEAKER_03]: This was a little more like what Scott did over in Justice League with perpetua and all of this universe, full things to have for a fight.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't need to see these big heads come out of a portal again and make the universe.
[SPEAKER_03]: I've seen that a bunch of times and do you see we can kind of we can move on we can do something different and the beats like
[SPEAKER_03]: Superman and Darkside falling back through various events as they fight backwards in history was cool Darkside being like I've cornered you at the big bang and superman big like all shocks.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's an old cazzist trick Plants want I played awesome and I was like that's great, too.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is fun I did enjoy that very much So there are bits that I enjoyed in there, but all of the like
[SPEAKER_03]: actually get into the plot of alpha or bigger energy, not any of the ridiculousness of the tournament.
[SPEAKER_03]: I miss that a little bit.
[SPEAKER_03]: Right.
[SPEAKER_03]: You want a more bragged.
[SPEAKER_01]: I want a more ridiculous that's well, and let me say it's also interesting how little this was this was truly a Superman story.
[SPEAKER_01]: I thought with the trickery of Batman and all of that and the earlier part of KO felt very Batman heavy, he was almost a non-factor at the end of this, which I was really surprised about.
[SPEAKER_01]: Same with Wonder Woman, really.
[SPEAKER_01]: So that seems that just feels not at all what I expected, not that that's not a negative comment at all, just very surprised.
[SPEAKER_03]: And the last thing I'll say about it, which kind of touched my touches on what we were saying before, is I do think it did hammer nicely the point of super bad being heroic, which is a dumb thing to say out loud, but like just coming a rep thing, putting him in this impossible situation where it just pushes him in directions of becoming dark side and him ultimately figuring out how to solve the problem by being
[SPEAKER_03]: from.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm thinking the moment where this is all powered by the heart of a apocalypse, which I don't know if you, as readers, while I'm reading it, I'm like this feels wrong.
[SPEAKER_03]: It feels wrong to be like, I'm the heart of a apocalypse that everybody would be like, okay, let's go.
[SPEAKER_03]: Let's do this thing.
[SPEAKER_03]: We're going to listen to you.
[SPEAKER_03]: You're running the tournament.
[SPEAKER_03]: And the fact that Superman figure does it is own way ripping the heart of a apocalypse out of his heart and freeing all of his friends.
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought was a really lovely moment.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I'd also like to just shout out the art some real epic panels.
[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of amazing fight sequences done really well.
[SPEAKER_03]: Particularly West Craig's art at the end have been back after the DC all in special overie did the Dark Side Side of the Flipbook.
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought was very cool.
[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, ending though those last couple pages that were the West Drew I thought were awesome.
[SPEAKER_03]: All right, next up, Pete's favorite book of the stack.
[SPEAKER_03]: But eat the trees where nobody sees right of spring, number six from IDW by Patrick Horvath.
[SPEAKER_03]: And the last issue Sam Strong was revealed as the murderer.
[SPEAKER_03]: She is, as she pulled out a couple of the whole well-loaded style booby traps right into her shop, killed some cops, killed some other people.
[SPEAKER_03]: This issue gets
[SPEAKER_03]: crazy.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is the 12 issues.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is the craziest issue I think I've read, but if the tree is where it gets downright, apocalyptic at the end year.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's wild.
[SPEAKER_01]: What I love about this is something that I feel like a lot of writers don't have the sort of fortitude to pull.
[SPEAKER_01]: We've been riding with this character in that dexter way of like, ooh, I love how we get to sort of follow them, like, s-killing, but not very much, and it's just like lying to everyone, and being so nefarious.
[SPEAKER_01]: And this issue, like Sam does awful things.
[SPEAKER_01]: And we are, both seeing the victims of what she sets up, and how horrible it is, and then some heroism from them.
[SPEAKER_01]: But at the end of the day, we're still in the head of Sam, and I was like, wow, that is a bracing choice that I enjoy.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, no other book is telling a story like this, so I really enjoy that, both from how dark it is.
[SPEAKER_01]: and the fact that we, there's more, I think, we're going to get more of this.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, we are getting a third series of this, which I know Pete is very excited about, and I'll let you talk.
[SPEAKER_03]: I know you're champing at the bit, but I really do appreciate the audaciousness here.
[SPEAKER_03]: The art is great as always from Patrick Corvatt, and I also appreciate how it came together or something that I think we talked about before with this
[SPEAKER_03]: many in particular is how much time he spent fleshing out the residents of the town as we see time with them and that really pays off in a big way in this issue another fantastic mini-series series of mini-series.
[SPEAKER_03]: Pete let's hear your praise for this book take it away.
[SPEAKER_03]: And I should mention for any of our listeners right now Pete is vivisecting a dock live on camera to date as a fan he's just being a fan.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just think that the art is so a captures not only like this tension, this like ominous, the stillness is so creepy as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know we're just saying because it's in comic book forms, of course it's still, but I just wanted to kind of talk about how well the artist captures this kind of horror or this underlying
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a that a fuel of nightmares.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how you guys read this book.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a haunts me and that I hate the fact that we have to read it.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the art is such a next level achievement.
[SPEAKER_01]: I go down to the newborn children's part of the house, my local hospital and I just show these pictures and read this a lot.
[SPEAKER_00]: Smart, smart.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, kids again.
[SPEAKER_01]: Story time.
[SPEAKER_03]: I actually usually bring it out to the home depot and be like you see these paint cans in this book Those are the ones that I need you have any of those.
[SPEAKER_03]: I need those and stock
[SPEAKER_03]: And so far, I've gotten all of the keep selling.
[SPEAKER_01]: You've met a lot of really interesting people that way.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's great.
[SPEAKER_01]: How's it going to be?
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll see you at the Home Depot.
[SPEAKER_01]: Just checking in.
[SPEAKER_03]: Just checking in, do you see that?
[SPEAKER_03]: I got points.
[SPEAKER_03]: I got to get that card punched.
[SPEAKER_03]: The Home Depot card.
[SPEAKER_03]: Dude, you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: That's a lot of time.
[SPEAKER_02]: You haven't been to the Home Depot since the 90's.
[SPEAKER_02]: Oh, they're all the time.
[SPEAKER_02]: Card punched.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think you're thinking of a coffee shop, eh.
[UNKNOWN]: Oh, yeah.
[SPEAKER_03]: Avengers number 36 from Marvel written by Jed McCay art by Farid Kurami.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is Jed McCay's final issue of the Avengers is run and in fact the final issue of Avengers for a while most likely because the summer we are getting the Armageddon event which is supposed to redefine the Avengers in the same sort of way Avengers disassembled the did all the way back in Avengers 500 probably leading into a new Avengers series sometime in the
[SPEAKER_03]: I have some thoughts about Avengers as a franchise.
[SPEAKER_03]: I could offer up at a second, but I'm curious to hear from you guys about this issue first.
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, reading this issue, this has like smash, smash this team energy throughout.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like from the very beginning, it's like,
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I quit, it's like, it's like, every cat in Marvel's quitting, everyone's like, I'm done doing this, I got other stuff to do, and I was like, oh, what a strange tone to strike here from the very start.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I do think this is the last of this team, and perhaps this even type of team we're going to get.
[SPEAKER_01]: It feels like whatever this reset is going to be is going to be a new Avengers style reboot where it's going to take like a pantheon of like popular characters and bring them together.
[SPEAKER_01]: to become the Avengers and so like that is is good I think I think we're ready to do that I'm sure it was exciting especially for you Alex is say goodbye to the twilight court And the name come on and capital out there like where are we going to space where we live Yeah, good I say hi to say hi to the ash and combine for me
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I thought this was a nice send off, you know, like a baseball issue or something where they're just kind of having fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: I like the idea that Carol would kind of meet with everybody and be like, hey, you know, this is what I'm thinking.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to kind of gauge how you're feeling.
[SPEAKER_00]: I felt like there was real.
[SPEAKER_00]: realism in that and that like if you were on a team, you would want to kind of, you know, how did the team to kind of pull you aside and kind of give you a chat and see how you're feeling and being like, okay, this is what I'm thinking, you know, how much is that screw up your plan?
[SPEAKER_00]: So I appreciated the time and energy that she took as the leader of the Avengers to kind of
[SPEAKER_01]: I agree with you so hard Pete, except that just the tone of everyone like to Chalo is like, yeah, I've, I've been done with all that.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm a king.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't need this.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm pretty busy.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, you surely you was like this a little bit.
[SPEAKER_01]: We are fans of yours.
[SPEAKER_01]: Storm is like, yeah, I have this whole other thing going on.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I don't know, whatever you're doing over here.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like everyone was so just over it.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, what a weird idea to have everyone be beyond the Avengers, something that I want to look up to.
[SPEAKER_03]: So you wonder if this was part of the problem that I was having with this title is they all felt like casual co-workers.
[SPEAKER_03]: like they didn't have a reason to be there and I think even the conversation that Sam and Carol having this issue were like well we had all these problems we solved and we didn't know at the beginning that was the thing we were solving but that's was and now we're done.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm like all right but I want
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't need to watch casual co-workers together in a title.
[SPEAKER_03]: I want to see that drama, I want to see a motion.
[SPEAKER_03]: I want to see some sort of connection, and that's not necessarily what we got here, which kind of segues what I was going to say earlier.
[SPEAKER_03]: And I'm sure I've said this before on the show.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm sure there's business reasons for this, but I find it mind-boggling that both from Marvel and DC, you don't have Avengers as the center of the Marvel Universe and Justice League as the center of the DC Universe.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like they should be in theory the anchors of this thing and instead every single time in the modern era,
[SPEAKER_03]: like they make gestures to it, but they always back away and move on and it's crazy.
[SPEAKER_01]: I agree with you.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's crazy that this title is going to go away for a while on the DC side that they're like, you know who we're featuring now?
[SPEAKER_01]: Firestorm.
[SPEAKER_01]: Dead man.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm like, what?
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, I think the stories.
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's do it.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think the stories are good.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's not my point.
[SPEAKER_01]: 100%, but I'm just like, why are you backing away?
[SPEAKER_01]: This should be like the, I, this should be the brass ring for your creators to be like, get me on that title.
[SPEAKER_01]: I have an idea.
[SPEAKER_01]: And reading this, like, I agree with you, Alex.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I missed even just the moments in Jason Aaron's run where like, she Hulk was hooking up with Thor.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, those two people have a relationship.
[SPEAKER_01]: These people, I feel like are like,
[SPEAKER_01]: Hey, what's up?
[SPEAKER_01]: Hey, what's your name?
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm I'm the one who does storms and I'm like, oh, okay You guys know each other and make it mean that Carol meets a scarlet witch She's like, yeah, I got a lot going on.
[SPEAKER_01]: She's a me too.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm quitting and she's like, I quit so long ago
[SPEAKER_01]: But this is like being working in an office and who are no one talks to each other.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, this is gonna sound dismissive to each advocate.
[SPEAKER_03]: I really 100% do not mean it as such, but I wonder if it needs like a strong, I know what I'm doing.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm in charge personality at the top of my game, selling titles like Jonathan Hickman or Brian Michael Beddys who comes in there and they're like, Brian is like, yeah, I'm gonna kill all the Avengers and make a new Avengers.
[SPEAKER_03]: What do you guys think about that?
[SPEAKER_03]: That's my pitch and everybody's like, okay, sounds good, you're gonna sell the billion copies.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I don't think I don't think I'm not saying it's a flaw in what Jen McKay did.
[SPEAKER_01]: It feels like a choice.
[SPEAKER_01]: It feels like this reminds me of actually a lot of Justice League runs where everyone is an icon and they're coming and doing their stuff, but there is in a lot of cohesion and chemistry on the team.
[SPEAKER_01]: and like I really liked a lot of the like the impossible city and all that stuff.
[SPEAKER_01]: I enjoyed that.
[SPEAKER_01]: I like the wild array of like villain teams that the jeds run was all about.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like I like it was very like big and mythological.
[SPEAKER_01]: It just this issue just showed so much of what would have a lack of heat or like chemistry there was between these characters in here.
[SPEAKER_01]: And that felt like a choice that was just bearing this sort of strange, uh, final issue fruit.
[SPEAKER_00]: I hear you, I just feel that, like, as far as finale's go, you know, you kind of honor your run, wrap it up, and then kind of hand it over to the next person.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I thought it was an interesting idea to be like, hey,
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, let's sit in on all the exit interviews, you know, like, how do you dismantle the Avengers, like, how does that work?
[SPEAKER_00]: And so it was kind of, you know, sometimes I don't want to be a flying the wall, but, you know, to hear somebody break apart the Avengers, I was like, I'd love to sit in on this and see how this conversation goes.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I do think that like, I agree with what you're saying, but if people were like,
[SPEAKER_00]: Fuck you, I want to be on the vendors it'd be hard to end.
[SPEAKER_00]: So having them be busy is kind of like a choice It's like hey, we're kind of naturally.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is coming to an end.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is not an organic ending So I hear you, but I also think it was a well executed idea Well nothing to say shout out to Wonderman being at the absolute center of this cover My guy
[SPEAKER_01]: He, and I'm like, this man is featured not at all.
[SPEAKER_00]: Not at all.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's funny that you're like, yeah, because this is very deceiving.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you're a Wonderman fan, you'll be like, oh, sick.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's gonna be at the center of everything.
[SPEAKER_01]: But this cover is awesome.
[SPEAKER_01]: You got Wonderman, you have Moon Dragon strangely featured spider woman, Jarvis, just like on the sneaks.
[SPEAKER_03]: I love Jarvis on the quarter being like, I'm also here, I'll say.
[UNKNOWN]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: In a full suit, I'm like, okay man, take it easy.
[SPEAKER_01]: Is that your uniform got U.S. agent?
[SPEAKER_01]: Just a while.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and this is part of a like gatefold or a full-doubt cover.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yes, got over the past couple of issues.
[SPEAKER_03]: I think we've got co-blitched at it, but I'm probably right.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's really lovely cover.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know if we ever talk about the covers, but yes, I wish we would.
[SPEAKER_03]: I wish somebody would let us know what the covers are cool.
[SPEAKER_03]: Hey, this is a cool cover.
[SPEAKER_03]: All right, a little too to a kind of a number seven from DC Comics written by Matt Fraction art by Jorge and then as we add Matt Fraction on the show a couple of weeks ago We did not this very issue Which brings Batman face to face with a Joker who has been chemically castrated essentially
[SPEAKER_03]: uh... or mentally a cell or has he or has he he's in a back to tank he wants to warn his friend batman about something and have a little tent a tent in a safe room i thought this was a great issue just a nice conversation between batman and joker with that man sort of doctor girlfriend listen again just very focused really well done
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think this is like, I mean, one hell of a last panel.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I enjoyed the Batman Joker back and forth.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I also love the Batman was buying it, you know?
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm like, what is the deal with therapists following for this Joker guy?
[SPEAKER_00]: Even in this vat, this therapist lady's like, I would do anything for him.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, but this was a blast of an issue.
[SPEAKER_00]: The art, the splash pages, the pull-out pages, the just really epic kind of Joker timeline and history and fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, it seemed like Matt Fraction just said the artist's like,
[SPEAKER_00]: have added and it's uh... what we got is just kind of magical so i would definitely recommend buying this uh... in the store just because uh... the pull out and it's gonna be worth it
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, the pullout is amazing.
[SPEAKER_01]: Check out our interview with Matt because he talks about how that's like hard to know when to try to ask for from your publisher and all that really interesting just behind the scene stuff.
[SPEAKER_01]: My narrative, like, the person I believe the most in this comic right now is the Joker.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, what?
[SPEAKER_01]: What?
[SPEAKER_00]: Batman's walking in his phone for the shoot?
[SPEAKER_01]: Here's the thing though, like, yes.
[SPEAKER_01]: But, like, I really like the character that was introduced a couple of issues back that Bruce has the date with, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: This is the same person, the donner.
[SPEAKER_01]: And so, like, we have this thing where the doctor's like, hey, don't mess with the Joker.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's my patient.
[SPEAKER_01]: That means like he's an asshole to your bad for trusting him.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm good.
[SPEAKER_01]: You have a weird lab with defend a lot of danger.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm happy to take off the shoes before you go in.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like really weird for me to see Batman's feet.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I was not okay with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean great for me.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, check out Alex's bad.
[SPEAKER_00]: All of your fans, we're just saying things like that.
[SPEAKER_01]: No, that's really nice.
[SPEAKER_01]: How do you see my feet then?
[SPEAKER_01]: My question on the Batman taking off his shoes moment.
[SPEAKER_01]: No socks.
[SPEAKER_01]: How bad are those boots stinking?
[SPEAKER_01]: That's disgusting.
[SPEAKER_01]: His entire body stinks.
[SPEAKER_03]: He has to have a roof top.
[SPEAKER_02]: What was he going to do?
[SPEAKER_02]: Bad socks on?
[SPEAKER_02]: You can't have them in socks.
[SPEAKER_01]: You're telling me, have you ever worn boots without socks?
[SPEAKER_01]: That he must smell like a dead horse.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm just saying that, and put that out there, and I think that's evocative.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like he's walking in the car, I mean, if he's not wearing stocks at all, it makes me think he's wearing underwear, what's he got going on here?
[SPEAKER_01]: Is it just nude all the way down?
[SPEAKER_01]: Because then he's he stinks up to bottom.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, they didn't show up, but like, maybe he had socks on, and he just took them off, man.
[SPEAKER_00]: What do you hit him?
[SPEAKER_03]: He's hiding his socks?
[SPEAKER_03]: That's even a winner.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, there should have been a fold out if it balling up his socks.
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't think he's got a little thing on his utility belt to put socks, bro?
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I love that you're defending Batman, you're like, he's got socks.
[SPEAKER_02]: He's not gross.
[SPEAKER_03]: I promise you, my dad has socks, have little bats on them.
[SPEAKER_03]: like they're yellow socks with little black bags of them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe like the ones before it's time to do laundry saw for notes like oh god.
[SPEAKER_01]: I would love to see Batman pose boots off he's wearing mismatched dress socks.
[SPEAKER_01]: The different patterns I he's like, sorry, laundry.
[SPEAKER_01]: I just didn't want his Alfred died.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what I'm doing.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love if he took the socks that pictures I have my Alfred on it, you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you have socks at the you and your dad, I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: I got pictures with you and that guy out of there.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm not saying Alex.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_00]: No bad.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_01]: Who's the dad and who's the kid?
[SPEAKER_01]: Nobody knows.
[SPEAKER_01]: Anyway, that's one.
[SPEAKER_01]: We just talked about one panel for three to four minutes, but I do love this.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think Batman is being sort of a dick and he is punished by the end of the issue for being that way.
[SPEAKER_01]: I like the what just you're in you're writing with joker.
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like in this story.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's so hard to get about right the way the story feels he's like, look here's who I am.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm all for it, but he's like, I'm capable of doing what you think I'm doing, but I'm not doing it.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm beyond that right now and I think it's right now.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, sure.
[SPEAKER_01]: Of course, you're like Batman, but Batman standing in a brightly lit lab wearing blue and gray spandex.
[SPEAKER_01]: and a cape that the lady's like, hey, your cape, don't let your cape get you electrocuted.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's the one who seems out of place.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's super smart and intentional for math, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: I love this run.
[SPEAKER_01]: Each issue feels like such a narrative chunk.
[SPEAKER_01]: It feels like such a meal.
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's so exciting and economic to get.
[SPEAKER_01]: Because each of the last three issues have been so different.
[SPEAKER_01]: yeah still building toward this larger super story the reveal at the end of this issue is so good and so big like it's if this is just building to such an epic run.
[SPEAKER_03]: I love the last page too.
[SPEAKER_03]: The one thing I wanted to say about it without spoiling anything that I thought was very funny is Batman has three little red surprise lines over his head like he's a cartoon which given the gravity of what happens in that last page I just thought was a
[SPEAKER_03]: Fuddy little juxtaposition, that's all.
[SPEAKER_03]: Why don't we move on, talk about our next book, which is sleep number eight for the image comics by a larger cat and this the final issue of this series that I think we all have been loving quite a bit about a guy who probably turns into a monster every time he falls asleep and has been decimating a small town.
[SPEAKER_03]: It has been innovative, inventive, and gorgeously drawn every issue.
[SPEAKER_03]: that all comes down to this uh... would you guys think about this last issue well i'll tell you one i did not see this coming
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a wild issue from a story perspective, but I felt like the art was elevated even higher in this issue.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like the design on sort of the monster and the man inside the monster, I thought was so smart.
[SPEAKER_01]: I've never seen anything quite like this before, but I thought it was really cool.
[SPEAKER_03]: I agree with you.
[SPEAKER_03]: I was after a story that hasn't necessarily been straightforward, but certainly seems like it has been leaning in directions that I understand or I'm striving to understand.
[SPEAKER_03]: This was hard to hold on to a story once, blah, blah, blah.
[SPEAKER_03]: So it was a little tough to figure out exactly what was going on or how this connects to the previous seven issues, the Brown.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's still about a very intriguing and gorgeous look at.
[SPEAKER_03]: But like you said,
[SPEAKER_03]: weird end to this book.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, it felt like it was telling the story.
[SPEAKER_01]: Sorry, if you're telling a story of new characters, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Characters that we didn't really know about.
[SPEAKER_01]: And so this was just a, if I can not to be guessing about this at this point as we're reviewing it.
[SPEAKER_01]: But like, it felt like this was an observation about how this town is so corrupt that he's not the monster that the people are the monster here.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was, it felt like what it was.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was like, oh, so strange.
[SPEAKER_01]: So much of this whole series was like, he's a monster.
[SPEAKER_01]: What does it feel like to be a monster that doesn't want to be a monster?
[SPEAKER_01]: And I felt like it was dealing with like anxiety, regret, guilt, and those things.
[SPEAKER_01]: And this flipped to something totally different in the final issue, which I feel like you just never see.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, I was expecting and wanting one reveal.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then we got kind of like a big swing and a different kind of,
[SPEAKER_00]: reveal as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's kind of a double reveal in this issue, and I was kind of like holy shit.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is really twisting and turning in ways that I wasn't ready for or expecting.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, the trigger warning for this thing, but
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I don't know man.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was having a great time.
[SPEAKER_00]: I wanted it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was like just kind of let me see the other side of it and we got that so super happy, but then like something I was happening.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was like, well, the fuck.
[SPEAKER_00]: Interesting, really grabs you, it doesn't let you go.
[SPEAKER_00]: And, but man, it, you've been the biggest fan of this.
[SPEAKER_01]: How does you feel about this, was it?
[SPEAKER_03]: I would be very curious to go back and read it again because I know you're saying, and this is certainly my feeling that like, have we met any of these characters before that we meet in this issue?
[SPEAKER_03]: And I would guess that we probably have because I do disagree that like,
[SPEAKER_03]: There's definitely been there as darkness and weirdness in this town.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_03]: While this main character is grappling with his own humanity or lack of humanity.
[SPEAKER_03]: So I do wonder if there are things been bubbling in the background that I don't necessarily remember because this came out over a year plus I don't remember exactly how I came out for.
[SPEAKER_03]: But yeah, I don't know.
[SPEAKER_03]: It felt like it turned the focus off of him and what ultimately had with him.
[SPEAKER_03]: It doesn't give it a easy answers, but I do think it's well worth reading regardless, even if it's not necessarily a satisfying last issue.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I mean, it's just different.
[SPEAKER_01]: And what I expected in this was going to be, we were finally gonna see just the monster.
[SPEAKER_01]: And we're gonna see him doing stuff and then maybe like,
[SPEAKER_01]: The end of it was going to be where his humanity comes in the monster stops from killing his friend or something This friend that we've met who was like sort of working for the government agency So like I thought that's where we were headed and this is like Another way to redeem the monsters to create a more mundane worse every day monster
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think that's what is done here.
[SPEAKER_01]: But that left me sort of like, oh, good, but oh, no, oh, everything's bad.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think artistically, though, it's worth checking out for that alone, because just the use of color, just the use of storytelling, the white, you thought like the red was the evil, but it turns out like the white stripe was also talking about the evil, so like,
[SPEAKER_00]: you know, just really the use of color and storytelling was just, you know, really impressive.
[SPEAKER_00]: As an artist, you should check this out just because it's such a cool way to pull focus, to pull your eye, to make you kind of look at things differently.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, uh, artistically, really impressive.
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, yeah.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I wonder if the takeaway here and I know we're not giving any specifics about this book, because I do think it's worth reading and kind of deciding for yourself.
[SPEAKER_03]: But I wonder if the takeaway here is like, most of the book is about, we all feel like we're good people, but we all have evil inside.
[SPEAKER_03]: How do you grapple with that in a world?
[SPEAKER_03]: with other people and the ultimate conclusion is like well actually the whole world's bad so period and that's upsetting to hear but maybe also true for Mr. Perspective so I don't know I don't know
[SPEAKER_03]: We're threeding again, I think.
[SPEAKER_03]: Moonstar, number one for Marvel, written by Ashley Allen, Art by Eduardo Audito, Ashley Allen, previously written magic.
[SPEAKER_03]: Excuse me, Moonstar, in the magic title, that was so, so good.
[SPEAKER_03]: And we like quite a bit.
[SPEAKER_03]: Now, Moonstar is spinning out into her own adventure that ties very heavily into her past as a falcary.
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought this kicked ass.
[SPEAKER_03]: What did you guys think?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, also cool cover that's got here.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I agree.
[SPEAKER_01]: I really enjoyed this, especially it's especially hard to do something that is relying on a lot of continuity that, you know, we know because we read this pretty hardcore every week and minute of our lives, but like you have to know some deep Danny Moonstar history as well as the sort of must have read the magic series to get caught up with what she's been doing lately.
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's definitely helpful to know all of that.
[SPEAKER_01]: But I just really like we really get to know Danny in this comic and this the writing is so with her that it makes it pulls you in no matter how.
[SPEAKER_01]: If you even if you don't know about this stuff, I was just mentioning and she's just an exciting character.
[SPEAKER_01]: She's a powerful Marvel character that we is rarely featured.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm excited that this is happening.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I agree.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was a little surprised how in continuity for like a number one, you would think it would just be kind of like a reset for the character or origin or whatever.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I was surprised with all the other stuff going on and I love the kind of evil sword story and all that kind of stuff that they were laying on there.
[SPEAKER_03]: uh... but and the art was fantastic and very interesting uh... uh... set up so i'm excited for what's to come so i've been evil sword uh... i will say to sort of bring both of your comments together i thought the first half of the issue was very heavy on exposition like it was a lot to get through and a lot laid out there
[SPEAKER_03]: But once Danny gets together with these two other like dorsed mystical dudes and his fighting and evil Norris bid with a giant sword who eats ghosts.
[SPEAKER_03]: I was like, this is cool.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is fun.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, this is good.
[SPEAKER_03]: So there's a big off-ram at the front half of the book But once it gets past that exhibition and set up, it that's the part that I think really kicks ass So I'm excited to see what's next
[SPEAKER_03]: Next up, absolute flash, number 12, from DC Comics, written by Jeff LeMier, art by Nick Robless and AL Kaplan.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's the final issue of this arc, though the series is continuing as Wally Battles, E. Abarthon, who is in giant monster, in Fort Fox, leading to a new status quo.
[SPEAKER_03]: And spoiler warning because I wanted to talk about this because it was the first thing I talked about.
[SPEAKER_03]: Pete, you've been very suspicious of adorable tiny little grove this entire time.
[SPEAKER_03]: How do you feel about the fact that adorable tiny little grove is actually just adorable?
[SPEAKER_03]: And his dad is the grove who's bad.
[SPEAKER_00]: That was such a fucking, I was like, y'all, man, you fuckers, like every couple of panels you would put a little adorable grud there and now I'm like, I can't trust it, can't trust it.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then it was just like, I wanted a better pay off than that.
[SPEAKER_03]: What are you talking about?
[SPEAKER_03]: You found out that he is good and he just loves his daddy, who is evil.
[SPEAKER_00]: What's wrong with that?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: I guess that's one way to go with it.
[SPEAKER_01]: Have you been suspicious of punch the monkey, the internet sensation?
[SPEAKER_01]: Always.
[SPEAKER_01]: You're suspicious of them, monkey.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: What are you worried about?
[SPEAKER_01]: You think he, like, baby King Kong, or he's up to something?
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm worried that I too love bananas and peanuts and stuff like that, so like, don't cover my stuff.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: Wait a second.
[SPEAKER_01]: Are you saying like this monkey you love bananas and peanuts and you're worried that you are the You're worried the monkeys are coming for your stuff.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, exactly.
[SPEAKER_03]: They're coming for my fat as a pita So this is a message you're putting a message out to the bunkies right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, I am not I'm not saying that I have a stash
[SPEAKER_03]: Open and it's in peanuts in that you are saying you have a You I don't know how often you look at our audience demographics for the podcast, but it is 50% monkeys Yes, we have a lot of fans in champagne.
[SPEAKER_01]: See you world.
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, let us do this reach to mention patreon.com slash comic book club if you are a monkey and you listen to the show
[SPEAKER_03]: We have $5.00 and up it's a lion free tier lion will not attack you if you give us $5.00.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh wow.
[SPEAKER_03]: Feel free to subscribe.
[SPEAKER_01]: And at the top, I know you will have access to all of Pete's peanuts in this.
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't even know.
[SPEAKER_03]: There's a Pete's fash level.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, peanuts, how many peanuts you see in that?
[SPEAKER_00]: My goodness.
[SPEAKER_00]: I love peanuts, but it's a lot more.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I'm going to be to a bar with like peanut shells.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's basically, yeah, that's, yeah.
[SPEAKER_03]: All those exactly.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's Pete's house.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, shells in the floor, baby.
[SPEAKER_00]: Anyways, that's a bad attitude.
[SPEAKER_00]: Uh, I, I, I, I am enjoying this flash story.
[SPEAKER_00]: I felt like Jeff Lemir did a great job with this flash.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not one of my fairy characters, but I did enjoy this.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was a little upset that the, the grud, it wasn't going to then turn into the grud that we know and fear, but, uh, yeah, they, they got me on that one.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, for man loves King Kong.
[SPEAKER_01]: You really suspicious of this little QD little grad mungi.
[SPEAKER_01]: I also really like this.
[SPEAKER_01]: I thought the the emotional resonance here.
[SPEAKER_01]: I thought really worked.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I feel like it gets me excited for the second year of this.
[SPEAKER_01]: We get end of year one here.
[SPEAKER_01]: But.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's gonna be building toward the next big emotional reveal on this and it's a it'll be a much more focused enterprise I feel like going forward, which it will be exciting
[SPEAKER_03]: Next up, Narko, number one of your image comics written by Doug Wagner, art by Dave Hilliard, and if I had a nickel for every time, image comics published a comic book about a guy who falls asleep and gets accused of killing people.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't have two nickels, which is not a lot, but it's weird, it's happened twice.
[SPEAKER_03]: Anyway, this comes from the team who did vinyl and plastic and plush.
[SPEAKER_03]: I wanna say as well as I was a fashion school serial killer, which I liked quite a bit.
[SPEAKER_03]: bit.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is more in line with that last one a little bit, at least now, though the team has a tendency to go off the rails.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like I said, it's about a guy, well, kind of intubated.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's about a guy who has dark elapsie has big crush on the girl who lives next door to head.
[SPEAKER_03]: And by the edge of the issue, may have watched her get horribly murdered.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, this, you know, this is kind of like a sleep scenario where we don't know the comic sleep that we were just talking about, um, uh, where we don't know what to go to.
[SPEAKER_01]: Go to sleep.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it could be they's going to sleep, but he also could be turning into a giant bug monster and we don't know you know I mean, so you got to kind of hold back on that a little bit there yourself a try I thought this was a really for soft and tense cover But that last panel was almost a bit much where I'm like well
[SPEAKER_00]: seemed like the person I was pulling for just died so I probably shouldn't pick up the next issues and they're dead for their their relationship.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I love a good will they won't they story and if you're just going to kill off one of those characters?
[SPEAKER_01]: I think won't they?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so that's uh, it's a tough one to kind of then want to go back for if you're like, well, my fair character's dead.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, maybe then the issue will, this is called Narco when you really necrow and he'll like, I'll go up with the dead body, I'll be like, God, and then Narco, I don't know what that means, but a lot of potential, a lot of potential there.
[SPEAKER_01]: I really enjoyed this.
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like this book really threw you in, like Narco being the only clue about sort of what's happening with him.
[SPEAKER_01]: and then we just like he's just a kid who is like trying to meet meet up with his girly legs he has some friends and if his heart rate gets too high he fully passes out.
[SPEAKER_01]: And they let the story happen.
[SPEAKER_01]: I thought it was a great little mystery at the end there.
[SPEAKER_01]: And really using just the comic book medium.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like we just get a sort of bubbly blurry look.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's maybe the killer.
[SPEAKER_01]: Maybe it's the victim.
[SPEAKER_01]: We don't know anything about what's happening, but I'm very drawn in by this.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I, to be clear, I really like this team, but they do have a tendency to go absolutely insane off the rails, we'll see what they do here, but I'll pretty much follow the many where I really like the style that they work in, it's arch, it's funny, it's different to every time out of the game.
[SPEAKER_03]: Amazing Spider-Man, number 23 from Marvel Written by J.
[SPEAKER_03]: B. K. Art by Anne McKinnis, is the second part of the death spiral storyline as torment new character as coming after Peter Parker, and Eddie Brock and Mary Jane by killing all of their family line all the way down to them.
[SPEAKER_03]: carnage is manipulating things of the background unbeknownst to Eddie Brock, who is his current host.
[SPEAKER_03]: And also, Mary Jane thought she told Peter that she was venom, but she actually told Ben Riley, and this issue, Peter finally finds out, and it is a whole thing.
[SPEAKER_03]: The Peter's clapping for it because they talked.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, ah, let's just take a moment.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, let's just take a moment.
[SPEAKER_00]: You got you got MJ and Peter on the cover here together What a great winner each other just like we always want and we are covered in venom goop and ready to fight I'm not fighting each other.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just think that what are you talking about?
[SPEAKER_01]: They were not getting along.
[SPEAKER_00]: They talked.
[SPEAKER_00]: They had a heart to heart and I'm excited.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, this is really exciting.
[SPEAKER_00]: What this means, the ramifications of this talk, what this means for these two huge characters moving together forward, maybe.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what's going to happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is just very exciting.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're finally talking to each other.
[SPEAKER_00]: It, uh, one exciting time to be alive.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's so funny you think that because that's what I wanted out of this.
[SPEAKER_01]: I wanted them to have that moment of like,
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, look, you're back.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, my God, you went through so much.
[SPEAKER_01]: You're going through so much.
[SPEAKER_01]: We're both so mixed up in this spider-man stuff and have a little bit of chemistry, heat.
[SPEAKER_01]: I like a young, younger, peela page.
[SPEAKER_01]: I want this romance to start now.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's time, it's time for this to start, I think.
[SPEAKER_01]: And in this issue, they are not getting along.
[SPEAKER_01]: They are sort of fighting.
[SPEAKER_01]: And Mary Jane is like, oh, you're annoying.
[SPEAKER_01]: You're life's annoying.
[SPEAKER_01]: And you don't understand my life at all.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, they are fighting like people who have been dating, but we're not getting the pleasure of the romance side of it.
[SPEAKER_01]: and i feel like that's that's what i want here i think the horror this is great i like the larger story and i see i like this story i'm just i'm yearning for some positive connection between same and i feel like you know a lot of the times and and romcom's to make characters start off fighting
[SPEAKER_03]: So thank this comic book and I really like this crossover so far.
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought the first issue the one shot was great I thought this was great as well.
[SPEAKER_03]: Torment seems to be actually a really interesting and terrifying villain Very excited to see what happens with him.
[SPEAKER_03]: I agree with you that the conversation between Peter and MJ was the highlight of the issue But I don't want to downplay vet him also being there which is very funny.
[SPEAKER_00]: It is fun.
[SPEAKER_03]: It was the way that
[SPEAKER_03]: wrote that down wrong.
[SPEAKER_03]: Now Joe Kelly wrote that was so funny just they better the conversation you forget the vet-up also loves Peter and wants to be with Peter so him him putting his head out of it being like I'm also here touching.
[SPEAKER_01]: There was more chemistry between Venom and Peter than MJ and Peter and I was like how is this?
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll take it.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll take it if that's what he does.
[SPEAKER_03]: I am all in on this.
[SPEAKER_03]: Also RIP to a classic Spider-Man villain this issue, which that is the only thing that gave me a little pause.
[SPEAKER_03]: That sort of a tired trope to be like, you see this new villain.
[SPEAKER_03]: He's so badass.
[SPEAKER_03]: He killed this old villain.
[SPEAKER_03]: What do you think about that?
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm like, all right, it's fine.
[SPEAKER_03]: You don't need to do that.
[SPEAKER_03]: We know that he's been killing everybody's
[SPEAKER_00]: Are you rooting for this relationship like I do you think it may be this is the start of something or is that not I'm working our shocker is that he's talking about people To think Pete sells to the Alex he needs he needs an end do you think there's any I don't know I think it's gonna work out with Peter and Shay like they have so much in common for example That's what she has a face.
[SPEAKER_03]: He has a face They both have first names.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm not sure about the last names thing, but
[SPEAKER_03]: You don't Peter as the last name Parker, not sure about shade, but I don't know.
[SPEAKER_03]: We'll see.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think they really got something there poison ivy number 42 for the DC comics written it's me Mifisto I'll bring in may be extra life if you leave shade What kill shade kill
[SPEAKER_03]: Place that I have a number 42 from DC Comics, by J. G. Will Wilson, art by Marcio Takara.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is a very surprising issue because last issue we got, Poison IV being like, maybe I'll run for mayor of Gotham City.
[SPEAKER_03]: This issue, she's mayor.
[SPEAKER_03]: We skipped the whole election, we're right in it.
[SPEAKER_03]: Getting back to what we were to think about DCKO.
[SPEAKER_03]: I think this is part of the act to DC all in.
[SPEAKER_03]: And I think if anything, the change that happened was not a reboot, it was just like, let's skip ahead to the good stuff like why bother with the whole
[SPEAKER_03]: Ivy running for mayor election storyline when we can just get to it and do it and it is really interesting.
[SPEAKER_03]: Ivy got what she wanted.
[SPEAKER_03]: She's off her game.
[SPEAKER_03]: She's dealing with vandal savage.
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought this was a really cool issue of this book.
[SPEAKER_01]: I agree with you.
[SPEAKER_01]: I love the time dash.
[SPEAKER_01]: I love that we get the reveal at the end, which I will say.
[SPEAKER_01]: I will spoil right now.
[SPEAKER_01]: is that she and Harley broke up, which I thought was just a great, great punch, great exclamation point at the end of the issue.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it also seems like she's sort of with, Janet from HR is referred to as her partner lover at a point.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm like, I was like, oh, sort of, but then I'm like, oh, are we about to get that?
[SPEAKER_01]: And like, that's something as someone who's been reading this since the jump.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm like, that relationship in this comic anyway.
[SPEAKER_01]: has the juice.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm very curious to see what we're going to see happen there.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then we just get poisoned Ivy just trying to be mayor while it's being visited by Fungus God, dealing with magic assistant.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like it's all really fun.
[SPEAKER_01]: We jumped like you said Alex, we jumped to the fun part.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if we jumped to the fun part.
[SPEAKER_01]: This was Pete loves political campaigns.
[SPEAKER_01]: So he's missing the man.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, I love, you know, you got to get out there shakes in the hands, kiss in babies.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just think that what's upsetting to me as someone who has a ship in this race here is that poison IV and Harley worked together then all of a sudden, Karen from HR,
[SPEAKER_00]: Fuck that whole thing up and we watched his poison ivy was like, yeah, fuck Harley Quinn I'm gonna get with this and it was like okay, but why and then in this issue we reveal that she's like Oh, I think I made the wrong choice by choosing HR over ivy and over Harley and I'm like yeah
[SPEAKER_00]: I could you tell you that a while ago, so it's upsetting that like we fast forward to deep into this timeline that I don't want to be in.
[SPEAKER_01]: P.S.
[SPEAKER_01]: someone who understands HR, do you feel, you don't feel any connection to Janet?
[SPEAKER_00]: Um, yeah, I mean, that is correct and that is correct.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know if you would have tried to email trial answer yeah well anyway why don't move on talk about lands unknown the skinless man number one for dark horse comics by Ben standback this is per the name part of the lands unknown which is a new universe created by Mike Minuala and Ben standback
[SPEAKER_03]: that is absolutely nothing to do with their Hellboy universe.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's entirely separate and entirely fresh and entirely different.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's not the sort of book that you would find associated with Hellboy or any of those characters at all.
[SPEAKER_03]: Instead, it's about a skinless man on a quest or rather a man who beats a witch and has told a story about a skinless man who is on a quest which again, I want to be very clear.
[SPEAKER_03]: you would never see from Michael Neola and or Ben Stentback in any of the Hellblood books.
[SPEAKER_00]: Go ahead, come on, come on, this was awesome.
[SPEAKER_00]: I really thought this was a cool crazy tale.
[SPEAKER_00]: Loved all the action, amazing art,
[SPEAKER_00]: uh... yet one hell of a first issue i cannot rate wait to read more i thought it was a fun kind of twist of the the witch kind of being like you know i'm telling the story of this skinless man so yeah i don't know i thought this was a plan this man would you like to hear a story yeah yeah i'm a great question i don't trust the babies with eyes of gold i'll tell you that much uh... man i i love a golden eye baby
[SPEAKER_00]: Really I would just kind of like push that basket farther down the river if that came across me You know, you want to question for you though, Pete.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm surprised you like this so much because don't you feel like the skin is the best part like the good crispy skin, you know Like you love peo and that off eat that sure do
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, nice and crispy and crunchy.
[SPEAKER_00]: You were missing it when you were reading this book.
[SPEAKER_00]: I wasn't.
[SPEAKER_00]: I thought it was a fun choice.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I hear you with what you were saying in the beginning, but sometimes a good story is a good story.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I was just enjoying it.
[SPEAKER_03]: No, yes.
[SPEAKER_03]: And I'm being very sarcastic.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's fine.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's just funny to be either through like a checkout or a new universe.
[SPEAKER_03]: like, I don't know, this is a lot like the old unit of course.
[SPEAKER_03]: Please, please just make out boy again, I, uh, no, that's fine.
[SPEAKER_03]: They can make something new.
[SPEAKER_03]: They're clearly very excited about this.
[SPEAKER_03]: It isn't gorgeous, brok, like bed step back.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, it's some really beautiful creatures throughout this book.
[SPEAKER_03]: And this, get this bad looks cool.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, but yeah, you kind of know what you're getting.
[SPEAKER_01]: Do you think, do you think that we're going to feel the lot of calls from the skinless man's dermatologist?
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, man.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, okay.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's out of her job.
[SPEAKER_01]: I've heard from you in a while.
[SPEAKER_03]: No, but everything was okay.
[SPEAKER_03]: Skivedop by the Golden Baby?
[SPEAKER_03]: No, the Golden Baby was pretty creepy.
[SPEAKER_03]: But the Red Kelly, the Hellboy book, Carmen Redglow, that also has a creepy baby.
[SPEAKER_03]: So again, I was like, I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, creepy babies are a thing.
[SPEAKER_01]: I felt very seen by the adventurers, which is a man with a gray beard, a woot-talking wolf, and a talking rabbit.
[SPEAKER_01]: I felt like that's, I felt very much that's really nice.
[SPEAKER_01]: No, you're the gray bearded one.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_03]: Wait, what were the other two?
[SPEAKER_03]: The rabbit and the wolf.
[SPEAKER_01]: Talking rabbit, talking like wolf.
[SPEAKER_03]: What if you had the rabbit?
[SPEAKER_03]: Sure.
[SPEAKER_03]: You could be, yes, of course.
[SPEAKER_03]: You could be back here.
[SPEAKER_00]: Amen.
[SPEAKER_03]: Why don't we talk about X-Men, annual number 1 for Marvel, written by Ryan Stegman, Art by Steve Scrochee, Sanford Green, and Ryan Stegman.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is a absolutely wild book that ties into uncanny X-Men.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's the new Orleans X-Men, the Galsamo, and usually writes, Jean Grey, Phoenix, comes back to Earth because there is a mutant who has reemerged, I believe he's called the creationist.
[SPEAKER_03]: who has the ability to create everything you can imagine, but he doesn't have a lot of imagination.
[SPEAKER_03]: So he is kidnapped, Ryan Stegman, and said for greed, and he's using their brain to create monsters.
[SPEAKER_03]: And you get to see there art integrated with each other.
[SPEAKER_03]: It is very winky about the big of the book.
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought this was a awesome issue.
[SPEAKER_03]: I loved it.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and it's very, I mean, I hate to just say what the metaphor is in my estimation.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's AI, what is that?
[SPEAKER_01]: And, but I really like, I thought it was going to be a little harsher on our creationist character.
[SPEAKER_01]: But at the end of the day, he's the mutant, and they're like, all me even so accepted.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's like, I'm ready to learn.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I thought that was such an interesting takeaway from a story that is like, going so hard at the reality connection point.
[SPEAKER_01]: To be like, maybe we just need to teach people who think AI is the way to create things from that one that it's not the way that you have to use your brain, not just say nine words into your type nine words into your AI image generator.
[SPEAKER_00]: The person making the cartoon move is just, you know, or making the panel, the comic book, the Roger Rabbit, though, you know, we've seen it done so many times.
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's hard to be like, oh, wow, you know, but I did love the kind of art and it was kind of fun to see Wolverine kind of pop out.
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought it was, I hear you, but I thought it was beautifully done and to the point that Justin was making.
[SPEAKER_03]: I also thought it was very empathetic and very client.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is a good gene gray story.
[SPEAKER_03]: We haven't seen her character like this in a really long time, and having her come in and just slowly talk this guy down, it felt very true to the X-Men in a way that also we haven't been really getting from the X-Men books lately.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and obviously it made me like what is the Phoenix's place in the X-Men right now?
[SPEAKER_01]: It feels strange throughout the last, you know, six months.
[SPEAKER_01]: I, Jean-Race has been in space.
[SPEAKER_01]: She had a book where she was dealing with some stuff that felt just very not connected to anything else happening in the X universe.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I, I hope they have find a place for her.
[SPEAKER_01]: She's such an important character yet.
[SPEAKER_01]: She seems,
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like everyone's like, what do you do with the Phoenix?
[SPEAKER_01]: She's too powerful and it's like, well, then change that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's change that or figure it out.
[SPEAKER_03]: All right, here's another character who might be too powerful.
[SPEAKER_03]: Absolute Superman number 17 from DC Comics, written by Jason Aaron, art by Juan Ferreira.
[SPEAKER_03]: Superman has been tangling with the Hawkman of the Absolute Universe when in walks parasite attacking metropolis and consuming everything around him or it, depending on how you look at it.
[SPEAKER_03]: and Superman decides to take it on, but it's all a distraction to free racial goal from prison.
[SPEAKER_03]: Does he want to go?
[SPEAKER_03]: I guess we'll find out by the end of the issue.
[SPEAKER_03]: Justin, you're a big fan of this title.
[SPEAKER_03]: What do you think about this one?
[SPEAKER_01]: I like it.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think we get some, the art on this by Juan Ferraris is wild.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like we get some real visceral parasite stuff happening here, which I think is really cool.
[SPEAKER_01]: The racial goal stuff is the part that I was sort of the most intrigued about.
[SPEAKER_01]: I really like the way that this character was left and sort of
[SPEAKER_01]: Felt reformed a bit and then that sort of referenced in here like he's taken out of his prison cell by Talia And he's like, I don't want to go.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm different now and she's like, nope.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm gonna juice you back up with some Lazarus stuff And I'm curious how that's gonna play out I still really like this book.
[SPEAKER_01]: We get some Lex Luther stuff happening here that is like
[SPEAKER_01]: Pretty intensely horrifying.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, just sort of out of nowhere which I thought was Also pushing this story forward this this series goes hard all the time in different directions that I feel like you don't see coming
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I thought this was really cool, I liked how Superman like really listened and made smart decisions in this comic about the alien.
[SPEAKER_00]: And yeah, it was funny how Algo just kind of like, hey dude, I just got to a quiet room where I can just kind of read and be by myself, like really trying not to fuck up that vibe right now.
[SPEAKER_00]: So kind of interesting take.
[SPEAKER_03]: I also really like this issue.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is the first issue, and I think very purposefully so that Superman is Superman, like to the point that he's like, yes, I'm super bad.
[SPEAKER_03]: I got one point to this issue.
[SPEAKER_03]: And that's nice to see.
[SPEAKER_03]: You know, this Ark has been called the Devere Edding Begins, and that's what Jason Aaron has been holding back on.
[SPEAKER_03]: He's slowly been building him up to this place.
[SPEAKER_03]: or he is super mad and he can inspire people that he also believes in himself at the same time.
[SPEAKER_03]: I know I said this with DCKO as well, but it's always nice to see it.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's refreshing particularly in the absolute universe.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's done sort of in two ways in this issue.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like we see like a young in the parasites sort of mind-scape.
[SPEAKER_01]: Superman is like kid.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like you see him as like it looks like a ten-year-old.
[SPEAKER_01]: and I thought that was cool.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's young and sort of like pure.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then we also get him the first time being purely confident and purely like, you said Alex, like, I'm Superman, I got this.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was like, oh man, that's a breathtaking moment, I think, in this story that we're getting, you know, 17 issues in.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_03]: Brady and Black.
[SPEAKER_03]: No.
[SPEAKER_00]: This was a great fun, last panel call back, you know, this fucking guy, just fun, amazing art, this continues to be amazing, the world building, this is top shelf comics, I'm constantly impressed by this comic, it's hard to come up with new ways to talk about great this is.
[SPEAKER_01]: That was that sort of like late period where there's so many storylines happening and it was just like let's move them all down the line a little bit and I feel like that's already a black is like everything is progressing forward, but I can't tell what part of the story we're in I can't tell if he's about to go save his girlfriend that's been captured or he's about to like be on a whole other adventure because he got beat up too badly like
[SPEAKER_01]: So it's sort of a wild narrative structure that reminds me of the invincible thing that I was just saying because anything can happen which is exciting, but also I don't know when to get excited.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I was curious to do a little bit of a heat check with this issue because like Pete is saying every issue is good But like you're saying just that I'm not quite sure where we're going at this point.
[SPEAKER_03]: I was really intrigued after the catalyst war and now It feels like there's a lot of dudes at face masks running around so maybe it's just this issue, but
[SPEAKER_01]: And they keep on making into each other in a way where I'm like, is this good or bad or what?
[SPEAKER_01]: And like, I'm confident that all questions will be answered, but I just don't know when or
[SPEAKER_03]: X-Men 26 from Marvel written by Jen McKay, Art by Nethow, D.S., the X-Men, I thought we're still on the path of revelation, but maybe not, that doesn't seem to be what's happening this issue.
[SPEAKER_03]: Instead, they are tracking out some other stuff, and they end up in the first part of a five part, D.J., Room, Ark, but basically they're all over the place, dealing with various threats all at the same time.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and that's what's happening.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what's going on.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what's happening.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what's
[SPEAKER_00]: I really think that, you know, those quote-unquote nice townsfolk-ster kill globs.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that'll be interesting to see.
[SPEAKER_01]: Wow.
[SPEAKER_01]: The Nethody is art.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm like, sort of, sometimes like, oh, this is, this is fine.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then sometimes like, oh, that's a great page.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's a page in here where juggernaut beast magic and cyclops are like getting ready for a fight.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was like, that's an amazing page.
[SPEAKER_01]: And others, I'm like, I don't know if I like this.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I feel that way about the story as well, where I'm like, glob is sort of just selling vegetables in town.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm like.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm like, this is the part of the story, I like.
[SPEAKER_01]: Because at least, at least he's just doing something.
[SPEAKER_01]: When, like, so much of the in this title, specifically, Cyclops is unhappy in a bad mood and everything sucks.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I just want something good here.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I want them to be working toward something that feels good or I'm being like, this shit again, oh my gosh.
[SPEAKER_03]: This might not be totally 100% on the money, but I definitely think Galsomoods on Caddy Expert is very clearly inspired by Chris Claremont.
[SPEAKER_02]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_03]: This expert book by J.N.B.K.
[SPEAKER_03]: might be like Rob Lifehelds, like I feel like maybe you work better if everybody has a sort of rectangular shouting face and you couldn't see their toes and they all have hours just jacked up guns the entire time.
[SPEAKER_01]: that's really funny to say that because even the netto ds are feels like those last like dozen issues of new humans into x-force number one back in the 90s like we were getting into executioner song and it was just like everything sucks or under constant attack no one really talks to each other because they're just like I don't know they're trying to kill us now and it's as it was so intense but but I just want I want to like these characters down like that they're
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, that's why the glob thing is fun because he's a fun character.
[SPEAKER_03]: He has this arc of being like, oh, I'm just going to try to sell some vegetables.
[SPEAKER_03]: Are these people going to be mean to me?
[SPEAKER_03]: And then they're like, you know what?
[SPEAKER_03]: We like vegetables.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and then something terrible happens, of course, but for most of the arc, it's like, this is cute.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is funny.
[SPEAKER_03]: All right.
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, we'll see how this goes.
[SPEAKER_03]: The nice house by the sea at number eight from DC Comics written by James set of the Fort Art by Alvaro Bertuina's Bueno.
[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, basically what we just talked about, this has to be nice, right?
[SPEAKER_03]: Like, people being nice to each other in a house.
[SPEAKER_01]: By the sea, what a lovely space, what a breeze coming in.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_03]: uh... not just getting there's the nice house by the sea is trying to kill everybody the nice house by the lake at of course to aliens question park are the only people who could stop them uh... there's a bunch of body hard going on this issue in a lot of attacks uh... just and i will go to you first again for this one taken away
[SPEAKER_01]: Severs is like who wins guys.
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, man cuz here's the thing see people are a little more seasoned They're a little harsher lake people.
[SPEAKER_03]: They soft So and I like even if you've gotten crazy 22nd I want to hear from Pete Defend Lake's please all right.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, dude first off like
[SPEAKER_03]: see people are soft man you know I mean you got to be harder to live around the lake bro you know I mean you got a wife you don't normally do this in a debate back can you not just repeat what he said and give baby some details about how they people are harder lakes don't even have waves is just like being around a puddle the sea is deadly dangerous full of animals
[SPEAKER_01]: Nope.
[SPEAKER_01]: Lake is like a lovely bath on the Stauzebath.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, yeah, I just and Pete did you say nope.
[SPEAKER_03]: Do you have a response to that?
[SPEAKER_01]: It's hard to weigh in on this, the great debate that we've been working toward for so long.
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, this, this comic, uh, had a, a, a sort of gear shift last issue where we got the idea that like, oh, yes, it's time to kill and fight from these people who don't, uh, a trap was sprung and we're getting to see that payoff here, which is really exciting.
[SPEAKER_01]: There are so many characters in this book and even the story knows that because they're like,
[SPEAKER_01]: half of them must die.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_03]: Would I got to that?
[SPEAKER_03]: I was like, okay, that sounds good.
[SPEAKER_03]: Because I was having a hard enough time keeping track of the characters around the lake when there were only seven of them or whatever.
[SPEAKER_03]: Now that there are 14, rather grown up like, please, please kill off half of these characters.
[SPEAKER_03]: I would love that because I like this book.
[SPEAKER_03]: But every issue they're like, here's our new point of view character.
[SPEAKER_03]: You know who this is and I'm like, I do not.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is one of James Todd in the fourths, friends that he's written into this book.
[SPEAKER_03]: I am not friends with these people.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know these people.
[SPEAKER_03]: Please introduce me to them a little bit better.
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, I will say, some things emerged, I think in these last couple of issues, where there is like a philosophy difference.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's, you're not, I feel like the idea here is, you're not meant to know each of the individuals, because there are so many of them.
[SPEAKER_01]: But you're meant to see it's like, there's these people who are close, authentic, and just regular people.
[SPEAKER_01]: And these people, they're a little more iconic.
[SPEAKER_01]: And they're the sea people.
[SPEAKER_01]: They're icons that Max selected.
[SPEAKER_01]: Who wins in that fight?
[SPEAKER_01]: And it's gonna be a mix at the end of the day, but I feel like the lake people will emerge That's right sort of the main winners be like people motherfucker Like let me be honest.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm a lake person.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm just saying, but see people are meaner.
[SPEAKER_01]: I think you're gone to this beach everyone's an asshole
[SPEAKER_00]: I do want to talk about the art on this book.
[SPEAKER_00]: This comic is too scary for me, but the art is absolutely phenomenal.
[SPEAKER_00]: The use of colors, the shading, the shadowing, it's scary as fuck, but impressive.
[SPEAKER_00]: Why do you see too scary, Pete, because actually not a lot of violence happens.
[SPEAKER_00]: What's scary, just the vibe?
[SPEAKER_00]: The vibe is scary, the nightmare, kind of body horror, kind of...
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's all pretty dark and twisted, man.
[SPEAKER_00]: See you big.
[SPEAKER_00]: See you big fan to see.
[SPEAKER_03]: 103CC.
[SPEAKER_03]: Wow.
[SPEAKER_03]: Deep cup.
[SPEAKER_03]: All right.
[SPEAKER_03]: Godzilla.
[SPEAKER_03]: Number eight from IDW by 103C.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, my God.
[SPEAKER_03]: We have been following this character, Jason, who killed Godzilla, but actually absorbed Godzilla probably now contributed to a gigantic energy Godzilla.
[SPEAKER_03]: He has locked away this issue as a bunch of other Kaiji stuff is going on in the world.
[SPEAKER_03]: Um, Pete, you're freaking out.
[SPEAKER_03]: Take it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, man, it's almost like, uh, Tim Seals, listen, he's like, oh, yeah, Pete, you don't like to care about the humans.
[SPEAKER_00]: What if I put Godzilla in a human, then you would have to care.
[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, I'm in this little inception here in this Godzilla comic, and I'm loving it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Awesome, very cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: The first page is a Godzilla trading card.
[SPEAKER_00]: Collect them all.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, fun.
[SPEAKER_03]: Now, let's hear a question, Pete, because I know very well, we've talked about this a lot that you fast forward through the human stuff in Godzilla movies so you can get to the giant monster fights.
[SPEAKER_03]: Let's say, imagine for a moment, there's your run on the middle of Godzilla movie, right?
[SPEAKER_03]: It's the same exact plot, same exact shots, everything is exactly the same, except the humans are all little Kaiju and the Kaiju are like giant naked men who are fighting.
[SPEAKER_03]: How how do you how do you interact with this there you now watching the whole thing because it's a little kid you standing around with their lot of lab coats being like I don't know, but then you made them naked now just like I'm not sure are the kind you wearing clothes I don't know Godzilla wearing pants.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't think so.
[SPEAKER_01]: Pete is not think that food Alex has been working on this screenplay for like quite some times Yeah, I could tell this year
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, boy.
[SPEAKER_00]: Good because you're doing it again.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I mean, you know, Jake just says you got to be excited because you get a little bit inside Godzilla's head, you know?
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, it's, it's funny to say that that was going to be an high point.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, and when I first read this and I heard this Godzilla narration, I was like, that's all you got to say, bro.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, first time in the hero, yeah, well finally here in Godzilla talk.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's like, hey, I'm Godzilla.
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, say something.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like give me a little, like, I, who do you want to say?
[SPEAKER_00]: Be like, mothers my dog or like, well, yes, that's exactly what I want to say.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, or like, man, buildings bother me or like, I could eat a boat for breakfast.
[SPEAKER_01]: My version of going to a subway is going to a naval shipyard.
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, that's the kind of stuff.
[SPEAKER_01]: I want Godzilla to say.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was hoping to be more like I grew with Hulk like I hate helicopters you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh you think he and Hulk like a text Hulk hates helicopters?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, he hates Warlie birds yeah.
[SPEAKER_04]: I think it's really how it captures.
[SPEAKER_03]: All right, that's just a very not maybe not the first thing I would think about when I think about the Hulk, but I That I hate telegram.
[SPEAKER_03]: Number one fact, let's all I think you're not getting it to Hulk comics.
[SPEAKER_03]: What do I need to know?
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, first of all Much like Mr. T. He hates helicopters.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, okay.
[SPEAKER_01]: I feel like I get what he's coming up with this
[SPEAKER_03]: Mr. Dean, let's move on talk about touch by a demon number two from Dark Chris comics by Kristen Goodstock.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is about a bunch of demons are two demons actually who decide to open a self-help shop on earth because they want to try to become angels again.
[SPEAKER_03]: Last issue they tried to help out this girl who is having a bad time with her family.
[SPEAKER_03]: and accidentally by the end of this issue ended up not particularly but you do it anyway this girl killed her entire family this issue they try to figure out what to do with that and hire her and also try to help a bunch of other people and it goes horribly wrong this is a great comedy book it is laugh out loud funny and ridiculous it's just like a perfect comedy of errors of these demons trying to do the right thing and doing absolutely the wrong thing
[SPEAKER_03]: Also, what's the shirt that one of them is where I guess?
[SPEAKER_01]: Oh.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, I hope that's going to say that it's so funny.
[SPEAKER_01]: It is Hannibal.
[SPEAKER_01]: Montana.
[SPEAKER_01]: Great.
[SPEAKER_01]: Very good.
[SPEAKER_03]: Make those shirts.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'll buy one.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you should just make one.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I like this book as well, but man when this dude like two-thirds the way through gets just killed I was like, oh, no, this is sort of a steeply upsetting
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, that's the thing like I, it is hilarious, but also like it's such a dark turn where I was just kind of like, oh man, uh, I broke it and it watches, uh, oh wow, uh, but yeah, I agree with what you're saying Alex, but uh, it was almost a little, little too dark, but
[SPEAKER_00]: This is enjoyable, and what's great is the art style does bring a lightness to this comic, which I think is important for this tone.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am having a great time, but the darkness sometimes is a little harsh.
[SPEAKER_00]: the director's creeps in man.
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, let's talk about a light funny book, The Sacrificers Number 19 from Image Comics, written by Rick Romander, art by Andre Lima, Arujo, pigeon, our ostensible hero of the book, has been trying to help his wife Saludah who has taken on the responsibility of all of the gods by building a machine that's going to bring back the weather so she doesn't have to do that anymore.
[SPEAKER_03]: In typical Rick Romander fashion, finally you get
[SPEAKER_03]: guess what happens next.
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean this was the most perhaps the most distilled down rick-remender thing that happened.
[SPEAKER_01]: Where?
[SPEAKER_01]: We need this thing to happen to save this person's life.
[SPEAKER_01]: She's so close to dying.
[SPEAKER_01]: We gotta do as get this machine to work.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's like, it's working and then just I was like, I
[SPEAKER_01]: I was like, oh my god, I know exactly, like you're saying, I know exactly what's going to happen.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's going to be crying on the ground at the end of the issue.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was like, oh, there he is.
[SPEAKER_01]: Crying on the ground at the end of the issue.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and it, here to be specific.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it works.
[SPEAKER_01]: It works.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's perfect.
[SPEAKER_01]: Even beyond that, everything is like, it's a, it's like this machine.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's working perfectly to make beautiful rain.
[SPEAKER_01]: The tears from my eyes are the rain that this machine is making and then it gets every month Sometimes twice a month Rick or Bender puts down that football and surely this is the time We are fooled every time and even beyond that just being the loosey Charlie Brown thing.
[SPEAKER_01]: He's also like
[SPEAKER_01]: if only he had done the one thing he knew he needed to do be nice to the people and then he robs our faces and the pigeons face into the fact that the people revolted right when he needed them to chill for a second and man it's just so heartbreaking he gets you in the heart every time yeah it's uh
[SPEAKER_00]: you know it's unbelievable reminder writing that's uh I also think the art is just so spectacular the just the use of colors and tones and the character designs are unbelievable uh I'm so heartbroken for this like pigeon person so yeah just uh really
[SPEAKER_01]: And I guess like a pigeon is sort of like, it's like a city bird, you know?
[SPEAKER_01]: You fucking asshole.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like, what do you have around your house like?
[SPEAKER_00]: I wasn't in my view when I left New York.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like it's not like I can't remember, you know?
[SPEAKER_01]: Like when you have to, I know when you have to communicate with us, you send a raven into the air with a little note tied to it's like, well, a pigeon is sort of like our version of that in the city.
[UNKNOWN]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: You know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, I do know it.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but that's the point of the day.
[SPEAKER_03]: The differences, we don't eat them.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_03]: Not like you.
[SPEAKER_01]: We don't haunt them.
[SPEAKER_01]: But if you want, I can send you some, uh, like I can send you a couple of pigeons.
[SPEAKER_01]: They're everywhere.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, they're, they're everywhere.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, you want to be rats as well.
[SPEAKER_03]: We can throw some rats in the package.
[SPEAKER_03]: The care package.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, good.
[SPEAKER_03]: Thank you, though.
[SPEAKER_03]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_03]: Uh, last but not least, let's talk about Thunder of the Barbarian number two from Dynamite,
[SPEAKER_03]: to a gladiatorial arena, and then further for that, travels through time.
[SPEAKER_03]: Those other stuff happens.
[SPEAKER_03]: Pete, you like this?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, first off cool cover.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is just absolutely awesome.
[SPEAKER_00]: Love all the savage action we have here.
[SPEAKER_00]: This really does feel like the old cartoon and comic book form.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I love this so much.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is so great.
[SPEAKER_00]: The twist of the end made me nervous in the service, but yeah, I'm having an absolute blast with this.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is great.
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, yeah, I mean, Pete, you're describing a nostalgia bath, which as we all know is you sliding into a mix of amber goo and action figures.
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, so shall we get the bubbles?
[SPEAKER_01]: And of course, Mr. Bubbs, Pete's true god, which keeps Pete fresh and clean every morning.
[SPEAKER_01]: Pete, how many bubbles has he taken in an average week?
[SPEAKER_00]: An average week?
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_01]: At least eight.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the funniest answer to you could have said because that's too many times four
[SPEAKER_01]: Um, but this is really good.
[SPEAKER_01]: I, I love the way that they are actually bouncing between time periods.
[SPEAKER_01]: And like honoring the sort of story that the dumb cartoon, this is based on which I loved.
[SPEAKER_01]: Hey, well, I only mean that in that it was something that was not meant to have a big underlying story.
[SPEAKER_01]: It was just like, look, this monster, this barbarian, and this woman who's a wizard are going to go fight a random thing.
[SPEAKER_01]: This, this seven minute
[SPEAKER_01]: And now we're like really building up to them coming together.
[SPEAKER_01]: We're getting a time travel like cause for all of their things.
[SPEAKER_00]: The problems got like their friends and animals and you know who later joined the team.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean this is going to get exciting.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's also interesting that they're fighting not only wizards, but lizards, and it's like there's switching between fighting a wizard and a lizard, and I was like, that's too close.
[SPEAKER_01]: They should fight, wizards and lizards, and just lizards, it's confusing.
[SPEAKER_01]: A wizard fights a lizard, it's hard to, what's you're abusing about that?
[SPEAKER_01]: If you're reading, if you're reading, if you're reading a lizard, would that be, yeah, confusing or less confusing?
[SPEAKER_01]: I think this is exactly the problem.
[SPEAKER_01]: Inevitably in issue 3 it's going to start snowing and then we are going to be truly lost.
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, you're going to be lost because that is the end of the stack, at least last until next week, we were back with more comic books.
[SPEAKER_00]: Right.
[SPEAKER_03]: If you like to support the show on all the shows, we're doing Patreon.com slash comic book club.
[SPEAKER_03]: Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7pm to YouTube.
[SPEAKER_03]: Come on.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sure, do.
[SPEAKER_03]: Love it to chat with you about comic books.
[SPEAKER_03]: Apple Spotify Android or the app on your choice to subscribe to this and follow the show comic book club live.com for this podcast and many more until next time, we'll see you at the comic book club.
[SPEAKER_01]: And if you haven't watched the YouTube feed, you can see Pete live from his tub surrounded by Mr. Bows, because he's always fully nude every time he record this.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, yeah.
[SPEAKER_03]: And fighting another dude.
[SPEAKER_03]: And there's little Kaiju's around him.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, man, right here.
[SPEAKER_05]: We've been coming to see ourselves.
[SPEAKER_05]: And it's been now all ready.
[UNKNOWN]: We've been following this show.
[SPEAKER_05]: They sit on crap, they got ches, and they left us in the week And he's a monkey, they're like fast, they're so fast So grab your ring, hammer, don't be late, boring, hell's fair, girl