Comic Geek Speak Podcast - The Best Comic Book Podcast

With the 20th Anniversary Live Event just days away, we give last minute updates before opening the CGS To Do list to clean out some Comic Talk topics! Discussions include Comicbook DNA Podcast Edition, daydreaming about running a comic store, the upcoming New History of the DC Universe, the importance (or not) of Continuity, superhero Movie and TV Talk, listener feedback and even more! (1:35:16)

Recorded live in the CGS Studio in front of a Zoom full of fellow Geeks, friends and family, we present Episode 2000 and the 20th Anniversary of Comic Geek Speak! It’s an extra sized, multi-topic filled celebration of comic talk, anecdotes, early podcasting memories, questions from the audience, special CGS related announcements, and catching up with longtime listeners. Freking Sweer! (2:35:09)

As CGS heads to Episode 2000 and the 20th Anniversary, we take a look back at the best, the oddest, the silliest, and the amazing moments from you the listeners! Voicemails, emails, catchphrases, wedding proposals, convention and live gathering meet ups - this episode is for the worldwide CGS community, forum members, departed friends, fellow podcasters and more. Thank YOU for all the heartfelt memories. (1:06:33)

The CGS Honor Roll celebrates artist, creator, and Snuggie appreciator, Mike Norton! From the early days of CGS to his current work on the upcoming Krypto: the Last Dog of Krypton, we catch up with Mike to learn about his artistic journey, the move to digital art, his love of Blue Beetle and Ambush Bug, some Keith Giffen stories, Mike’s love of the medium and so much more. Mike’s contributions to the larger CGS community has been legendary and we are thankful for his time, support and friendship! (1:40:03)

Which classic Marvel solo stories haven’t we read? Find out in this comic talk episode! We start with reflections on episode 1994’s clip show, some non-spoiler TV Talk including the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again, M.A.S.K. Toy news from the recent Toy Fair and more. We then Take the Marvel Quiz and reveal which stories we haven’t read of characters such as Thor, Spider-Man, Captain America, Hulk, Daredevil and others! (1:11:56)

Our coverage of Batman: Hush comes to a close as we discuss issues 616 through 619! Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair, Richard Starkings and company continue to twist and turn our expectations as the identity of Hush is revealed (or is it?), new Rogues enter the game, and Allies share some surprising revelations! We continue to praise the art, read listener feedback and wrap it all up with future ideas for this episode format. (1:10:12)

The Speakers of Geek give their thoughts and reactions to the news from this year’s ComicsPro Industry Meeting! Topics include new DC/Marvel crossovers, AWA’s Ultimate Oz Universe, Krypto with art by Mike Norton, a new Batman relaunch with Fraction & Jimenez, Death of the Silver Surfer, a new Captain America relaunch with Zdarsky & Schiti, thoughts on Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, CGS Trivia for Year 17 and 18, updates for our 20th Anniversary events and so much more! (58:17)

Marvel’s big event has begun and the Speakers of Geek give their thoughts on the first issue of One World Under Doom by Ryan North, R.B. Silva, David Curiel, Travis Lanham and company. Doctor Doom has made his move and is now in control of the world! We discuss his possible motivations, the gathering of the heroes in opposition, the art, and speculate on future developments. And then we close with Pants’ recent trip to Gallifrey One. Only Doom can save you - but will he? (48:43)

It’s movie review time focusing on Captain America: Brave New World! Featuring Sam Wilson, Thunderbolt Ross, a new Falcon, Sidewinder, the Leader - is it a Captain America movie? Is it a Hulk movie? We talk about what works for us, where the movie falters, the action, the actors, how it fits into the larger MCU tapestry, as well as quick thoughts on the trailers. All this plus a new message from our good friend, Drunk Cap! (50:54)

Previews! Comic Talk! And a lot more as we’re joined this month by Mike Atchison of Mike’s Comic Shop Roadshow podcast, one of our 20th Anniversary event sponsors! Covering comic coming attractions for the month of April 2025, our recommendations include new Resurrection Man and Fire & Ice titles, never before collected Doctor Fate stories from DC and Tower of Shadows issues from Marvel, Dynamite’s Wacky Races, a Marshall Rogers biography from TwoMorrows, Moonshine Bigfoot from Image, Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell and others. Go Birds! (1:13:46)

The Speakers of Geek dig into their reading piles to discuss various current comics as well as the first issues of Ultimate Wolverine, Magik, Doctor Doom & Rocket Raccoon, New Champions and Sam Wilson Captain America. We also give updates on the 20th Anniversary live event, wrap our heads around CGS episodes math, rave over Rorschach by King & Fornes, rant over Marvel’s current output, give quick thoughts on the Fantastic Four: First Steps teaser and much more! (1:26:18)

It’s a multi-topic Comic Talk episode with dips into TV as well! The Speakers of Geek give their thoughts on Barry Windsor-Smith’s Monsters, Metamorpho by Ewing and Lieber, Dan Slott on the newly announced Superman Unlimited title, the recent passing of Art Nichols, the second Original Art Expo, Star Blazers season one observations, the DC Comics Style Guide, Bronze Age trivia based on Overstreet, the delay between TV seasons and so much more! (1:12:21)

In anticipation of the upcoming One World Under Doom event, the Speakers of Geek go back to 1987 to discuss Marvel Graphic Novel 27: Emperor Doom by David Michelinie, Bob Hall and company! Thanks to the Purple Man, the entire world is under Doctor Doom’s rule! Can Wonder Man and the West Coast Avengers free humanity? And how could this tale inform the upcoming Marvel event? Listen in! (47:35)

In celebration of the amazing guests that have been a huge part of our 20 years of podcasting, we kick off the first of our CGS Honor Roll episodes with our friend and Uncle-in-comics, the always generous Sal Abbinanti! The topics are plentiful as we listen to - and laugh along with - stories of family life, navigating the current state of the comics industry, an Alex Ross Exhibit at the Dunn Museum later this year, plenty of original art and football talk, memories of Jamie D and so much more! (1:55:44)

Superman vs Batman! Harley Quinn! The Joker! Tommy Elliot dead? Our reading and discussion of Batman: Hush continues with issues 612 through 615. Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair and company keep the blockbuster story moving, adding new twists to the overall mystery while bringing in even more Rogues and Allies. We also give a bit of historical context from old Wizard magazines of the time. Can you solve it before we do? (1:02:10)

It’s a new Previews for a New Year! Covering comic coming attractions for March 2025, we give our recommendations for books from DC, Marvel, Image, Boom, Dynamite, Clover Press and others. And there’s plenty of Comic Talk along the way as well as we cover Diamond Distributors filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, speculate on the future of small and indie publishers, give quick reactions to Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong and Marvel’s Star Wars line of books, chat about the CGS Studio getting an overhaul, CGS Year 10 trivia and even more in our revamped Previews format! (1:08:56)

Happy New Year! It’s 2025 and we’re celebrating with topics and plans centered on the upcoming year! We kick things off with Comic Book Resolutions, conventions we hope to attend, and new podcast ideas and teases! We then take a look back to 2024 with CGS Best Of! And throughout our chat, we throw in comic talk such as the best Legion of Super-Heroes starting points, Danger Street, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, Mark Gruenwald’s Quasar, and more! (1:21:37)

Previews! Comic coming attractions for the month of February 2025! And joining us for our conversation is Lin Workman of the Drawing Funny Podcast! Helping to sponsor the 20th Anniversary event, we catch up with Lin and all of his convention travels before jumping into our recommendations. This month’s offerings: Free Comic Book Day listings, the Herculoids, the Loose End by Dave Dwonch, Mansect, Marvel’s One World Under Doom event, the TMNT Sourcebook and so much more from Valiant, Mad Cave, Papercutz, DC and others! (1:14:19)

In anticipation of next year's sequel, the Speakers of Geek tackle one of Batman’s greatest stories: "Hush" by Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair and company. In this first of three parts, starting with Batman issues 608 thru 611, we offer up our personal history with the adventure, give our general thoughts, and discuss the overall mystery and use of Batman’s supporting cast and rogues gallery. Along the way we praise the amazing art, read listener comments and discover that this twenty plus year story can still deliver! (1:24:57)

It’s a post-Thanksgiving conversation which means a focus on Black Friday comic sales including Pants finally going digital! We kick off into a large discussion on both the DC and Marvel comic apps, their strengths and weakness, and their libraries of current and older issues. Other topics include: back issue sales at Golden Eagle and Alchemist’s Cove, managing your pullbox, the Rocketfellers from Ghost Machine, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, more Arcane series talk, Richard McGuire’s Here, CGS Year Nine Trivia, marking the end of DC TV with the finale of Superman & Lois, the DC Heroes Role-Playing Game 40th Anniversary kickstarter, and more! (1:15:46)

The Speakers of Geek revisit the concept of Team-Up books by discussing the Brave and the Bold 50 (the Green Arrow and Manhunter from Mars), and the first issues of Marvel Team-Up (Spider-Man and the Human Torch), Marvel Two-In-One (the Thing and the Man-Thing), and DC Comics Presents (Superman and the Flash). We also talk about our history with the titles, the over-the-top dialogue and scenes, our favorite team-ups, significant issues, and more. (52:41)

It’s the annual Thanksgiving Comic Talk episode covering a number of topics including a recent trip to the Manheim Comic Con, the Arcane animated series, more thoughts on Deadpool & Wolverine, an Off the Rack review segment on the new Absolute DC titles (including a few listener comments), purchasing multiple copies of a single issue, quick thoughts on the DC All In issues of Wonder Woman, some Silver Age trivia based on the Overstreet Price Guide, Star: Trek Lower Decks issue 1 and more! (1:12:47)

Our monthly Previews episode hits comic coming attractions for the New Year with recommendations on titles shipping mostly in January 2025! To help us this episode, we are joined by Tricia and DJ of Made By Tricia pet toys and gifts, one of the many sponsors for our 20th Anniversary event. We spend time learning about their business, holiday items for the listeners, as well as their own geek history. And then DJ continues with the Speakers of Geek to suggest and discuss comics by James Tynion IV, the new Aquaman title, debating the art of Mike Allred, Archie is Mr. Justice, Vagabond, Spectregraph, Power Lords, SilverHawks, New Champions, the Strikeforce: Morituri omnibus and more from Image, IDW, Boom, MadCave and others. (1:14:42)

Deadpool & Wolverine Movie Review! Now that the Shawn Levy directed superhero buddy farce is available on Disney+, we give our thoughts, reactions and high praise on everything from the actors, the jokes, the cameos, the fights, the jokes, Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, the surprises, and even more jokes. We also speculate on what’s next for Wolverine, Hugh Jackman, and the MCU Multiverse. Let’s f#&%ing go! (1:00:09)

It’s a current Marvel Comics Off the Rack reviews episode! The Speakers of Geek are joined by special 20th Anniversary sponsor guest, color artist Charlie Kirchoff, to catch up and talk about current projects. And then we give our Buy/Borrow/Pants recommendations for the first issues of Exceptional X-Men, Dazzler, Wolverine, Iron Man and Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu. We also give quick thoughts on Hyde Street, Zdarsky’s Batman, a few Energon Universe titles, classic Generation X and recent back issue purchases from Pants. And then the episode wraps up with CGS Trivia for Year 8! (1:17:20)

Thoughts and reactions to the news, announcements, and surprises from this year’s New York Comic Con. Bryan and Pants talk about their experience, walking the floor, and meeting creators and listeners. And then we cover various news stories including Loeb & Lee on Batman: Hush 2, Rise of Emperor Doom, the return of DC Vertigo, the launch of Ignition Press, new titles such as Aquaman, Absolute Martian Manhunter, Daredevil Cold Day in Hell and more. We then wrap things up with CGS Trivia for Year 7! (1:20:27)

Previews! We round out the year of comic coming attractions for books shipping mostly in December 2024! To help us with recommendations we are joined by Martheus Wade of the Toshigawa Universe, one of the many sponsors for our 20th Anniversary event. We talk about the new Ready 2 Spar: Fighting Femme Fatales GN being solicited this month as well as the Wade Family’s upcoming convention appearances. And then we dive into the Previews catalogs to suggest titles such as Mr. Mega Man, the Pedestrian tpb, ThunderCats: Apex, Manhole vol.2, Dust to Dust, New Gods and more from Alien Books, Dark Horse, Boom Studios, Image, Marvel and others. Along the way we say hello to Janet Wade, talk about Horror comics, and give quick thoughts on the first issue of Absolute Batman. (1:09:32)

Author and comics historian John Jackson Miller joins us to discuss his newly released Batman: Resurrection novel. A direct sequel to Tim Burton’s blockbuster Batman movie of 1989, this new prose story takes place after the Joker’s death and sets familiar faces against a new mysterious threat. Our conversation dips into John’s comic book history as a fan, writer and historian, the importance of Batmania on comics culture and writing within an established universe. As well as comic book topics such as organization, sales vs circulation, and keeping comics book lore alive for future generations. Enjoy! (1:37:25)

The Speakers of Geek tackle the trend of cartoons turned comics in this Saturday Morning Comics episode! Along with special guest Jimmy “The Napkin Guy” Ettele, we give our thoughts on a number of first issues from Mad Cave Studios (Gatchaman, Flash Gordon, Defenders of the Earth), Dynamite (Space Ghost, Jonny Quest, ThunderCats, ThunderCats: Cheetara) and Oni Press (Biker Mice From Mars, RoboForce). We pick our favorite reads, compare titles to the original cartoons, sing the praises of artists such as Jonathan Lau, Will Conrad and Sebastian Piriz, list a bunch of cartoons ready to make the jump to comics and more! (1:26:25)

Absolute Power comes to an end with issue 4 by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sanchez, Ariana Maher and company! The Speakers of Geek give their thoughts on the finale and the all out battle against Amanda Waller to reclaim the DC Universe. We then spend the second half of the episode talking about the DC All In Special by Joshua Williamson, Scott Snyder, Daniel Sampere, Wes Craig and company. The Justice League has gone Unlimited, Darkseid has returned and Booster Gold finds himself caught in the middle. Also, a recent hospital adventure update from Pants! (1:01:27)

Joined by Tivis, one of the co-hosts of the Munster Cast (and a sponsor for the CGS 20th Anniversary!), the Speakers of Geek engage in a meaty Comic Talk episode celebrating everything from ‘60s TV (Oh, Lily!) to Batman Day 2024 (Take the quiz!) to the 25th Anniversary of Baltimore Comic Con (and the shopping!). Along the way we also share thoughts on the passing of John Cassaday, a Golden Eagle query concerning the Eisners, unspoken convention etiquette, a comic shop rant, our reading habits, and more! (1:42:02)

The Speakers of Geek take a bite out of Marvel’s five issue summer event, Blood Hunt! From the creative team of Jed MacKay, Pepe Larraz, Cory Petit, Marte Garcia, and Fernando Sifuentes, Blood Hunt pits the Avengers, Miles Morales, Doctor Strange, Moon Knight and others against hordes of Vampires with Blade as their new Lord! Twists and turns follow leading to a surprising new status quo for the Marvel Universe! We give our thoughts on the event, the differences in the Red Band issues, give high praise for the art and speculate on the repercussions. (39:19)

Previews! Can you believe it’s time again to go through the new catalogs for comics starting to ship this November! And to help us this month, we have guests George and Rich, two members of the Meanwhile at the Podcast show. One of the many sponsors for our 20th Anniversary event, we spend a little time learning about their podcast and then we all give recommendations including titles such as Exorcism at 1600 Penn, Justice League Unlimited, Black Canary: Best of the Best, the Rocketfellers, Duck Tales, Popeye: Man Overboard and so many more from IDW, Image, Marvel, Ahoy, DSTLRY, Dynamite and others. (1:15:16)

The penultimate chapter of Absolute Power by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sanchez, Ariana Maher and company is here! The Speakers of Geek give thoughts and reactions to issue 3 as well as connect the dots between tie-ins, give theories for the ending and map out all the leftover questions yet to be answered for the finale. We also drop in some CGS odds and ends including more X-Men From the Ashes talk, recent video releases on our Youtube and Patreon pages and upcoming trips to the Baltimore and New York Comic Cons! (1:01:55)

Recorded on Jack Kirby’s 107th birthday, this Comic Talk episode dips into all kinds of topics including: our first exposure to Kirby’s artwork, changing opinions as we age on artists, what parents thought of our comic collecting, listener feedback, Overstreet’s Top Ten Comics of the Golden Age, CGS Year 6 Trivia, an obscure Superman factoid, remembering Drunk Cap and a bunch more! (1:25:30)

X-Men have risen From the Ashes! It’s a new beginning for the X-Universe of titles and the Speakers of Geek give their Off the Rack reviews on a number of first issues: X-Men by MacKay and Stegman, Uncanny X-Men by Simone and Marquez, NYX by Kelly, Lanzing and Mortarino, and Phoenix by Phillips and Miracolo with quick comments on X-Force by Thorne and To and X-Factor by Russell and Quinn. Which books rose to the top, how will readers react to the new directions and where do we go from here? Listen in to find out! (57:47)

Previews! TerrifiCon! Comics and Conventions! Before we jump into this month’s Previews for books shipping in October, Pants and Shane recount their Tales from TerrifiCon: meeting creators, actors, buying art and comics, listener shoutouts and more! We then jump into comic coming attractions including DC’s All In and Absolute books, the return of Origins of Marvel Comics, a new Batman novel, offerings from Shawn Pryor, Dave Dwonch, Katie Cook and Charlie Kirchoff, new titles from Image, Ghost Machine, Oni and more! (1:13:17)

DC’s big summer event continues as the Speakers of Geek discuss issue 2 of Absolute Power by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sanchez, Ariana Maher and company. The depowered heroes battle one of their own in the Fortress of Solitude when amid the chaos, there comes... costumes! Also, Nightwing takes charge, Dreamer makes a big move, and Green Arrow has a plan. We touch briefly on a few tie-ins and offer up speculations on how this may all connect to DC All In and Absolute DC. (35:04)

For newer and longtime listeners, this Comic Talk episode covers a number of “Get to Know Us” (or “Get to Know Us Again”) topics including: catching up on Pants’ TV watching, DC cartoons we grew up on as well as initial thoughts on Batman: Caped Crusader, comics retailing, CGC vs Original Art collecting, listener feedback and more! We also kick off a main discussion of “What is in your Comic Book D.N.A.?”: those comics or runs that define us as comic book readers and collectors! (1:17:48)

CGS presents a new episode feature entitled Top 3! In celebration of Wolverine guest starring in the new Deadpool movie, this episode presents Peter’s Top 3 Wolverine Guest Appearances outside of X-Men or Wolverine comics. He’s the best there is at what he does, but how does the character fare when not surrounded by his usual cast of characters or creative teams? Listen in to hear the Speakers of Geek discuss the Top 3 choices, Wolverine’s role in the stories, how the character is handled by other comic creators, meet ups with other Marvel characters, honorable mentions and listener selections. (54:00)

It’s another Previews deep dive this time for books shipping in September! The Speakers of Geek cover a bevy of publishers giving recommendations for American TV Comic Books from Twomorrows, Kill Shakespeare: First Folio from Gemstone, Kevin Maguire’s Tanga vs the Kaiju of Cammera GN, The Moon is Following Us by Johnson and Rossmo, a new Lady Mechanika mini-series entitled the Devil in the Lake, Incredible Hulk 900, Star Wars: Darth Vader 50, Batman the Barbarian and so much more. We then wrap up the episode with preliminary reactions to the recent announcement for DC All In! (1:10:44)

With several major announcements dropping this week in the comic industry, it’s a chance to present a Comic Talk: News Edition episode! The Speakers of Geek give their thoughts and reactions to topics including Random House acquiring Boom! Studios, DC’s new Absolute imprint, a rumored return for Jack Knight/Starman, recent passings of comic creators, and more. We also dig into CGS Trivia for Year Five, recent releases on YouTube and Patreon, and a number of off the cuff comic and podcast tangents. (1:10:04)

The Speakers of Geek are back again to talk Star Wars: the Acolyte giving our thoughts and reactions to episodes 5 & 6. From the brutal lightsaber fight against the enemy to new paths for the Aniseya Twins, the exploration of the thin line between Light and Dark is again brought front and center. Motivations and loyalties are tested as more and more secrets are revealed. And what are our thoughts for the final two episodes? Listen in to find out! (42:56)

After more than a year since the Dawn of DC launched, DC’s big summer event has arrived and the Speakers of Geek are here to drop knowledge! It’s an in-depth look at the first issue of Absolute Power by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sanchez, Ariana Maher and company. We detail the shocking plans put forth by the Trinity of Evil (Amanda Waller, Failsafe and the Brainiac Queen) and along the way we speculate outcomes, question motivations, point out obscure character mentions, and more! Listen in as the blitzkrieg against the heroes of the DC Universe begins! (1:02:32)

Two creators. Two Kickstarters. Two careers in the spotlight as Steve Bryant and Dave Dwonch join in their first podcast together to share insights on their new projects. Listen in as they discuss and compare aspects of their craft, their evolving process, convention stories, future plans and more as well as talking up their two new Kickstarter campaigns: Undead or Alive by Bryant, Jason Millet & Patrick McEvoy and The Automaton by Dwonch, Santi Guillen & Arnaldo Robles. (1:30:41)

We return to the world of Star Wars: The Acolyte to discuss episodes 3 and 4. This time around we are joined by longtime listener Chad Burdette, Content Manager at Comic-Watch and Host of The Comics Multiverse YouTube channel. Hear our thoughts on the backstory of the Aniseya twins and their Coven, what really went down in the confrontation with the Jedi, who is the secret enemy behind the mask, differing perspectives on the Jedi and the Force, the music, Darth Bane, Legends vs Canon and so much more! (58:16)

With the help of emails, comments and feedback from you the listeners, the Speakers of Geek touch on all sorts of topics such as financial planning for collections, what draws us to a new series, new announcements for upcoming works by Daniel Warren Johnson & Riley Rossmo, Robin & Batman by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen, updates on new Transformers and G.I.Joe collections, a few Kickstarter shout outs and more! (1:04:19)

The Speakers of Geek tackle all the latest Previews catalogs for books shipping in August! Recommendations and discussions include DC’s Zero Hour 30th Anniversary Special, Sergio Aragones’ Groo: Minstrel Melodies from Dark Horse, Uncle Sam from Alex Ross, Archie: The Decision by Tom King and Dan Parent and so many more as well as a few suggestions from listeners. Other geek tangents cover tabloid comics, Muppet figures, good Deadpool comics, some Dr. Who talk and more! Listen in to add even more comics to your pre-orders! (1:05:00)

Off the Rack Review of The Ultimates issue 1! There’s a whole new Ultimate Universe to read about and the Speakers of Geek review and discuss the first issue of The Ultimates by Deniz Camp, Juan Frigeri, Federico Blue, Travis Lanham and company. From the new status quo to the artwork, from the world building to Iron Lad’s desperate plan to repopulate this universe’s superheroes, listen in to hear what we thought of this new Ultimates volume. (41:23)

Comic Talk, CGS style. The Speakers of Geek cover a number of topics including Pants’ trip to Fat Jack's Comicrypt’s clearance sale in Philly, the art of back issue bin diving, Tom King and Greg Smallwood’s Human Target, the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Compendium Set on Kickstarter, a review of Beta Ray Bill by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer, Star Blazers talk, CGS Year Four Trivia, Feedback from you the listeners and more! (1:42:50)

The Speakers of Geek give their recommendations for comic books shipping starting in July. What are we buying? What looks interesting? And what new titles are worth checking out? From Space-Mullet! and Cursed Pirate Girl to the Twilight Man and Namor, we discuss upcoming titles from Image, Humanoids, Mad Cave, Boom!, Marvel, DC, IDW and more. As well as tangents along the way on Flash Gordon, owning original art vs prints, new and older Facsimile editions, the DC Comics Style Guide by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and more. All in just one concise hour! Open your May catalogues and your wallets and start prepping your pre-orders! (1:02:52)

In grand CGS tradition, the Speakers of Geek talk events! We share our thoughts on the Free Comic Book Day prelude issues for DC’s Absolute Power by Mark Waid, Mikel Janin and Trish Mulvihill; and Marvel’s Blood Hunt by Jed MacKay, Sara Pichelli and Federico Blee. We also discuss the first issue of Blood Hunt with art by Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia, thoughts on Amanda Waller, getting back into current comics with the help of digital and libraries, read listener reactions and more! (1:07:15)

Superboy vs Spider-Man! Elektra vs Catwoman! Lobo vs Wolverine! Storm vs Wonder Woman! Batman vs Captain America! Who is stronger? Who is smarter? Who is cooler? It’s 1996 and the showdown of the century as the Geeks and special guest Mike Atchison revisit the battle that destroyed two universes in DC Versus Marvel! We also revisit other DC/Marvel crossovers, talk comics retailing, continue CGS History Trivia with Year Three and more! (2:00:17)

The page by page coverage of Crisis on Infinite Earths 7 continues in this second part of “Beyond the Silent Night”. Covering pages 6 thru 23, Adam and Peter dig deep into DC Cosmology including the origin of the Guardians of the Universe, the creation of the Multiverse, Monitor vs Anti-Monitor, Pariah’s background and more as the heroes finally make their first offensive entrance into the Anti-Matter Universe! (2:57:25)

Rounding out the month of April, it's Previews! Chris, Ian, Murd and Shane discuss picks from Image Catalog Issue 9, DC Connect issue 47, Marvel Previews Vol 6 issue 31, and Diamond Previews issue 427, with books mainly set for a June 2024 release. Highlights include Destro and Scarlett miniseries at Image, the return of The Ultimates at Marvel, the return of Elseworlds at DC, Jason Aaron jumping on the BZRKR train at Boom, new Doctor Who comics for the Fifteenth Doctor at Titan, Two Morrows bringing forward DC's Bronze Age Not-Ready-For-Primetime Players, and so much more. (2:30:57)

After a few updates and announcements for the 20th Anniversary gathering, Patreon, and Youtube, Bryan, Peter, Shane, Pants and Adam return to Off the Rack to discuss Ghost Machine, the first fully shared creator-owned comic book universe! By the creative team of Geoff Johns, Brad Anderson and Rob Leigh, we give our thoughts on the first issues of Geiger with art by Gary Frank; Redcoat with art by Bryan Hitch; and Rook: Exodus with art by Jason Fabok. We then get into some convention talk with a recent visit to the Lehigh Valley Comic Con, do some Year Two CGS Trivia, and more! (1:34:13)

It's hard to believe it's been so long since the last time the Geeks had Katie Cook on the show, so now it's time to rectify that! Shane, Murd and Ian discuss Katie's first physical edition of Nothing Special, as well as the online Webtoon version that started it all. We talk what it took to transition from one format to the other, how Webtoon inisitially approached her for the project, and learning how to do art digitally. We also delve into the fandom that comes with a webcomic, the joy that is Radish, some Gronk, flasks and bowling balls named Eula, avoiding children's band practice, the uniqueness of Hot Topic, some Super Show memories, and lots more! (1:35:45)

Bryan, Peter, Pants and Adam cover a number of topics including: Baseball Geek Speak, more 20th Anniversary announcements (including a venue and sponsorship opportunities!), the closing of The Comic Forums (along with some past memories), the new X-Men '97 animated series as well as other '90s Marvel animation, the new Beetlejuice Beetlejuice trailer, Michael Keaton and Tim Burton movies, post-Infinite Crisis Justice Society of America and Justice League of America titles, the first issue of Batman Dark Age by Mark Russell and Mike and Laura Allred, the cost of comic books over the years, the new video content you may be seeing on our various channels, CGS 20th Anniversary trivia, and more! (1:21:20)

Just in the nick of time, with days to spare, it's time for Previews! Ian, Murd and Chris crack open Image Catalog Issue 8, DC Connect issue 46, Marvel Previews Vol 6 issue 30, and Diamond Previews issue 426 as their sources of selections, with comics mainly set for May 2024 release. Highlights include Jonathan Hickman and Sanford Greene's Doom, Garth Ennis' return to Nick Fury, Space Ghost is back at Dynamite, Mark Russell's Death Ratio'd, Remender and Pesehn's Grommets, I Can Count to Ten and much more! (2:51:23)

A second podcast release in a week? Just like old times! And this one is much anticipated indeed. Chris, Murd, and Ian give their nominations for the CGS Best of 2023 Awards, along with the choices made by YOU, the listeners! Who will be selected in each of the sixteen categories as our favorites? Listening in will solve that question for yas. And once you do, you'll have until Sunday, April 7th at 11:59pm ET to get your final ballots in to bestof@comicgeekspeak.com ; please vote in at least 12 of the sixteen categories to have your ballots properly counted. Happy voting! (2:40:51)

The countdown to Comic Geek Speak’s 20th Anniversary begins here! What better way to start the celebrations than to announce early plans for a gathering in Reading, Pa. for March 2025! Listen in to hear how we are hoping to involve you, the listeners! And then Peter, Pants, Shane and Bryan continue the geek topics with: Broadway Geek Speak, a rousing trivia segment led by Pants based on Overstreet Price Guide comic values (it’s fun and challenging, believe us!), the Oscars, digging into recent issues of the Energon Universe (Void Rivals, Duke, Cobra Commander and Transformers), Gone by Jock, Thundercats from Dynamite, the Marvels, Neil Gaiman’s Heritage art auction, reactions to the X-Men: From the Ashes title announcements and more! (2:11:56)

To let us know that you are hoping to attend the CGS 20th Anniversary celebration, and to give us an early idea of attendee numbers, please secure your spot here!

http://tiny.cc/cgs20th

Peter and Adam return to the Crisis Tapes to begin their in-depth coverage of Crisis on Infinite Earths issue 7. The main feature of this episode is a breakdown of the iconic cover by George Pérez as well as some of the many homages it has spawned over the years. We then cover the first five pages of this double-size shocker in grand Footnotes style. Along the way, listen in for Crisis Fun Facts, thoughts on the Crisis related toy figures from McFarlane Toys, untold stories we’d like to see, and other DC Comics continuity tidbits. (3:01:01)

A more fitting episode couldn't possibly have been recorded on the day of CGS' nineteenth anniversary. Artist extraordinaire Dave Wachter, a man who has been a guest, friend, and listener since 2005, comes on to discuss his latest book, Uncanny Valley, with Chris, Shane, Murd and Ian. They also talk how Dave first got into comics and then subsequently got back into them in the 2000s, his recent run on Punisher and getting to design the new legacy version of the character, Planet of the Apes the movie and getting the draw the comic set in the new movie universe, an undying love of 80s cartoons and pop culture, some Super Show memories, and so much more. Plus, Murd dishes on Superman: Meshi, Ian makes his prediction come true and gives thoughts on Madame Web, Muddle the Murd and more! (1:52:31)

Pants and Peter cover various topics such as: Old Pants Speak, a Tom King signing in Baltimore, January’s Original Art Expo in Orlando, behind the scenes info on the 52 weekly comic series, recent Comic Link results, trivia from the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, Newsstand vs Direct Market covers, current reading including Gotham City Year One, Dawn of DC, and Green Arrow, as well as older titles such as From Hell, an update on Pants’ TV watching, and more! (1:37:40)

Shane, Murd and Ian are here to bring you this month's Previews! Image Catalog Issue 7, DC Connect issue 45, Marvel Previews Vol 6 issue 29, and Diamond Previews issue 425 are the books this month, with comics mainly set for a April 2024 release. Highlights include the return of Disney's Hercules, a reboot for Deadpool, Braniac returns for a Superman crossover, Roboforce is back, and bunches of other tantalizing comics. (2:36:43)

It's Comic Talk time once more! Shane, Murd, Ian and Chris start things off with some show announcements, including the launch of the Best of 2023 Awards nominations, then go into the mass exodus of artists from Cadence Comic Art. Then, Murd and Chris give their thoughts on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, with some spoilers within (12:22-30:54), then Ian and Chris give their thoughts on Marvel's latest Disney+ offering, Echo (spoiler free) and Ian goes all What If...? Other topics include birthday comic related birthday gifts, Chris catches up on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Shane goes World of Toys on GI Joe Classified, Bat-Communicators, and new Macfarlane Toys Batman and Robin and DC Superpowers revivals. Plus recent reads such as Murd finally finishing reading the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, Bizarro's return in Action Comics 1061 and Zorro's return in Zorro: Man of the Dead, Shane concludes Human Target and catches up on Wonder Woman, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Transformers, Cobra Commander and Duke, Ian goes Valentine's with DC's How To Lose Guy Gardner in 10 Days, then talks Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate Black Panther's premieres, Immortal Thor, the Ghost Machine one-shot from Image and the new Superior Spider-Man, Chris is legendary with JMS' Thor Omnibus, Jeff Lemire's Cosmic Detective, Comic Creator's Steve Gerber tribute and Alter Ego doing the same for inker extraordinaire Tom Palmer, goes Ennis with Batman: Reptilian, is rapturous on Brubaker and Phillips' Where the Body Was, Waid's Kingdom Come World's Finest, and more! Plus thoughts on Insomniac's first Spider-Man game, the passing of the luminary José Delbo, Muddle the Murd, and more more! (2:45:01)

IT'S A MADHOUSE!!! We finally make a monkey out of you, as we return for another entry in our Retro Movie Review series, this time with Chris' choice, the original Planet of the Apes. This classic Rod Serling and Franklin J. Schaffner science fiction opus crafted a franchise that is still cooking 56 years later. Murd, Ian, Chris and Shane discuss the minutia of the film itself, the world building, Charlton Heston's impossible to match gravitas, the relationship between Zira and Cornelius, beards making you look smarter, some trivia you may not know, and so much more. I love you, Dr. Zaius! (1:53:37)

It's the first Previews of 2024! Chris, Murd and Ian bring forth a doozy of a read-through of Image Catalog Issue 6, DC Connect issue 44, Marvel Previews Vol 6 issue 28, and Diamond Previews issue 424, clocking in at nearly three hours of choice selections, with books mostly set for a March 2024 release! Highlights include Biker Mice From Mars, The Last Mermaid splashes onto shore, Greg Weisman brings us The Spectacular Spider-Men, Zdarsky's Batman goes deeper into Zur-En-Arrh territory, Matzoh Man, more Bizarro, and so much more! (2:57:31)

Bryan, Peter, Shane, Kevin and Adam gather to discuss: Colonoscopy Geek Speak, the defunct Warner Bros. Studio Store, Where were you when Superman died?, Golden Eagle memories, G.I.Joe 301, Low by Remender and Tocchini, Killadelphia by Barnes and Alexander, '90s X-Force comics, Happy Days 50th Anniversary trivia, an in-depth review of Ultimate Spider-Man 1 by Hickman and Checchetto, celebrating 25 years of Batman Beyond, Earth X and Batman No Man's Land, raving about Godzilla Minus One, Peter Jackson's King Kong, Zom 100 by Aso and Takata, and a quick post-outro chat with Pants! (2:08:21)

One last episode before the year concludes, as Murd, Shane, Chris and Ian go through the various December Previews catalogs, with books mostly set for a February 2024 release date. This spans Image Catalog Issue 5, DC Connect issue 43, Marvel Previews Vol 6 issue 27, and Diamond Previews issue 423. Highlights include the new batch of Free Comic Book Day issues, the return of Thundercats (HOOOOOOO!), a bunch of Omnibuses that are way too heavy for Shane, a Howard Chaykin book so good they don't need to describe it, Ultimate Black Panther, Joker's origin by way of Zdarsky, and tons more where that came from! Enjoy, and see you in 2024 for more! (2:46:01)

Matt, Shane, Murd, Chris and Ian convene with merriment, as it is time for this year's Cornucopia! Plenty to discuss in this one, including the merits of VHS, Special and Unspecialized Star Wars, the alternate fate of Jason Todd released after all these years, the official death of Comixology as an app, Belgian comic book acquis ions in the form of The Adventures of Blake and Mortimer, a spoiler-filled discussion of The Marvels (27:48-1:08:00), the potentially perilous Sony adaptation of Madame Web and Kraven, and more! More includes Shane diving into recent GI Joe acquisitions in a World of Toys segment, a mention of Sina Grace's new all-ages Superman book, Superman: The Harvests of Youth, Matt gives thoughts on Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and listening to recent episodes of Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum's Talkville podcast, Ian reviews volume 1 of Daniel Warren Johnson's Do a Powerbomb and the conclusion of Hickman's Ultimate Invasion, streaming media such as Gen V, Invincible and Netflix's The Killer, Chris and Ian go Planetary with Outsiders #1, Chris goes Joe as well with GI Joe issue 1 (aka 301),JMS' Captain America, Star Trek: Year Five, a return to Kingdom Come with World's Finest issue 20, Gallery Editions of The Kree Skrull War and Spider-Man: Blue, going further Christmassy with Merry Little Batman, Muddle the Murd and more more! (2:43:42)

Bryan, Peter, Shane, Pants and Adam gather to discuss: Cuisine Geek Speak, Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns cover debate, some recent local conventions, Hiroshi Sumi’s Voice of a Star Wars Fan short film, holiday ornaments, Star Wars: Dark Empire from Dark Horse by Tom Veitch and Cam Kennedy, Dave Filoni's promotion at LucasFilm, Dr. Who 60th Anniversary specials, Adventures of Captain America by Fabian Nicieza and Kevin Maguire, more Energon Universe talk, CGS History for November and December, Bryan's thoughts on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, various TV Talk including Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Moonlighting, Three's Company, the passing of Norman Lear and more! (2:01:40)

To me, my X-Men! Chris, Shane, Ian and Murd present us with a Top 5 that is a long time coming. Twelve years ago, CGS brought you their Top 5 X-Men Team; this time, they go individual, giving you their favorite X-Men of all time. There is plenty of crossover between lists, an amazing Murdoughian surprise as one would expect, and some other unique choices along the way. Get some training in in The Danger Room, grab yourself a belt with an X on it, and practice your Claremontian narration! (1:59:38)

What's more festive than gathering round a table with turkey, cranberry sauce, gravy and pumpkin pie? Previews, of course! Murd, Chris and Ian gorge themselves on Image Catalog Issue 4, DC Connect issue 42, Marvel previews Vol 6 issue 26, and Diamond Previews issue 422, with books mostly scheduled for release in January 2024. Highlights include somenew Garth Ennis, Greg Pak's Lilo & Stitch, Jason Aaron's Superman, the return of a very different Ultimate Spider-Man, andtons more. We are thankful to you for listening, and may this fill you with as much joy as leftovers do the next day! (2:19:45)

And there came a time when Ian finally found the opportunity to release recordings made at recent conventions. That time is indeed today! Depending on your defintition of recent, that is. First, we flash back to last year's Anime NYC, just in time for this year's Anime NYC, as Ian interviews manga translator for books such as Cat + Gamer and Marvel's Demon Wars, writer and beer buddy, Zack Davisson, as well as artist Robert Wilson IV from Oni Press' Heartthrob, Vault's Barbaric: The Harvest Blades, Bitch Planet issue 3, and a bunch of posters for bands such as Metallica and Weird Al! We then flash forward to New York Comic Con 2023, as Ian runs through his experiences at the convention, followed by convo on the floor with Donovan Morgan Grant and artist and creator extraordinaire, Mr. Jamal Igle. This includes discussion of The Harvey Awards, the existence of Death Note: The Musical, attending the Steve Ditko panel on a whim, and so much more. (1:28:32)

Adam and Peter complete their examination of the CW's live-action version of Crisis on Infinite Earths! Covering the final two chapters - in Arrow and in Legends of Tomorrow - topics include the origin of the Monitor, Oliver Queen's ghostly transformation, the final battle against the Anti-Monitor, even more surprising cross media cameos (including Marv Wolfman himself), the new Prime Earth and more! We also explore the Paragons Rising tie-in stories from the Crisis on Infinite Earths 100 Page Giant comics. (02:59:16)

Fulfilling a prophecy set forth by one Chris Eberle about a year ago, we have quite literally willed the Micronauts back into existence! That's right, as Marvel begins republishing this long in limbo property, we here at Comic Geek Speak gather together to discuss the first twelve issues of this 1979 classic in as much detail as we can muster. And in order to do so properly, Chris, Ian, Murd and Shane are joined by none other than Ryan Drost of the Star Joes Podcast! Ryan brings with him history on the original toy line, what led Bill Mantlo to the comic book series in the first place, who Marvel nearly had draw the title before Michael Golden signed on, the many comparisons to Star Wars, and so much more. So do you best to avoid miniature ships as they whiz through your front yard, secure Muffin, be cautious of Baron Karza and his Body Banks, and try not to get turned into a cyborg or a centaur, because this one is a doozy! (1:58:31)

Peter, Shane, Pants, and Adam cover several topics including: cheering on the Phillies, Concert Geek Speak, honoring the legacy and career of Keith Giffen, original art and sketches, our first Giffen comics, Pants' trip to Baltimore and New York comic conventions, and CGS History for September and October. As well as a return segment of Off the Rack Reviews on the first issues of Transformers by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer from Skybound's Energon Universe, Marvel's Captain America by Straczynski, Saiz and Hollingsworth, and the new Wonder Woman title by Tom King, Sampere and Morey from DC Comics. (2:06:37)

Previews time yet again, with time to spare for once! Chris, Ian and Murd mull over Image Catalog Issue 3, DC Connect issue 41, Marvel previews Vol 6 issue 25, and Diamond Previews issue 421, for books mainly set for a December 2023 release. Highlights include Marvel's latest Timeless adventure, the conclusion of Zdarsky's Mindbomb storyline in Batman, Brubaker and Phillips' Where the Body Was, the return of Valiant thanks to Alien Books, a whole lot of Chrimas-y horror books, an excuse for Ian to use his movie trailer voice, and more! (2:27:38)

Recently, Toy Fair held their (usually) annual event at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City on September 30th through October 3rd, 2023. Ian attened the trade show for the first time, and he discusses the event with Kris Naudus on this very episode. They delve into just what exactly Toy Fair is, where it will be headed come 2025 after 100+ years in NYC, how this year's event compared to previous years Kris exprienced, and so much more. So much more includes highlights from Vault and their AEW figures and professional cosplay you can wheel around in a custom overhead bin friendly suitcase, Bandai's Tamashi Nations selections as well as their Godzilla and Tekken figures, Funco's massive presence and their integration of Mondo's high-end collectibles, Foam Alive's incredibly soothing foam fun and other sensory pleasurs like slime and putty, Super7's TMNT and GI Joe offerings, the return of Ty and Beanie Babies, InstaCake (just add water), bubbles and Bluey everywhere, Playmobil's Star Trek and Magnum PI sets (you read that right), Fresh Dolls, including their Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dolls, The Elf on the Shelf Santaverse, and tons more! (1:28:49)

We begin this episode joined by longtime comic book artist, creator, and now writer, Sean Chen, Chris, Murd and Ian discus his career at large, beginning with how he first got into comic books,including some fascinating insights on how he first got into the business. Next, his time at Valiant, meandering over to Marvel and his Iron Man run, and as the main course, go in-depth on his current Kickstarter. This is for the first three issues of EVERMIND, the book he co-created along with martial artist and actor Daniel Wu. Then, Murd discusses his trip back to Bowling Green University for their Spider-Man in Popular Culture Conference, curated by friend and listener of the show, Dr. Chuck Coletta. Ian then reviews J. Michael Straczynski's first issue of Captain America, Kelly Thompson's Birds of Prey, and Jonathan Hickman's first Infinite comic presentation of G.O.D.S. Finally, we discuss this year's CGS By the Sea, and Chris talks Steve Orlando's Scarlet Witch Volume 1, Al Ewing's Immortal Thor, Luise Simonson's Jean Grey, Backissue 146's Bronze Age Daredevil breakdown, Star Trek: Day of Blood, and Titan's Conan the Barbarian. Plus, Muddle the Murd and more! (1:58:11)

Shane! Chris! Ian! Previews! These books are in issue 2 of Image's catalog, DC Connect issue 40, Marvel previews Vol 6 issue 24, and Diamons Previews issue 420, for books mainly set for a November 2023 release. Highlights include a Gang War at Marvel, a Beast World at DC, the return of The Outsiders, Howard the Duck is back, Christmas comes early with Image's The Deviant, GI Joe returns, and somuch more. (2:18:28)

We go all the way back to 1984 for tonight's Retro Movie Review; long before the Internet, podcasts, or Zoom were even a dream in the wind. Instead, we found ourselves getting lost in the pages of a story book...quite literally. That's right, for Murd's selection, the crew of Ian, Chris, Shane and Murd discover together the true majesty that is The Neverending Story! Two out of four Geeks watched it for the first time, while Ian hadn't seen it since he was Bastian's age. What say they about one of Murd's favorite fantasy movies of all time? Get yourself out of that video game arcade with its beeps and boops, get the theme song completely stuck in your head, grab Falcor by the neck and hold on for dear life, and try not to think about the subpar sequels...for that, is another story. SAY MY NAME BASTIAN!!!! (1:30:46)

A collection of Bryan, Peter, Shane, Murd and Pants tell us all to get off their lawns with an "old" school Comic Talk! Topics include Geeks vs Father Time as we cover Old Geek Speak; aging Action Heroes; the state of streaming; Perry Mason; Barbenheimer; changing viewing habits for tv and movies; Rebel Moon; Adam jumps into A Song of Ice and Fire; Pants is reading Fables and rediscovering old comic contests; where’s the Image Comics digital app?; CGS History for August; reminiscing about the London Super Comic Con; Pants updates his TV watching; My Adventures of Superman and more! (1:53:26)

On what would have been Jamie D's 57th birthday, we at Comic Geek Speak head back into the archives to rerelease a true gem. A little bit over ten years ago, the weekend of Aptil 6th and 7th 2013 to be exact, CGS held Comic Geek Speak Super Show 2013 at the Greater Reading Expo Center (which is now a warehouse). At that event, Uncle Sal sat down with Jamie, with some Pants interjection for good measure, and let loose. This is also the event where Uncle Sal received his Freking Sweer award! Listen in and enjoy, but earmuffs, as there will be swears and stories you shouldn't repeat to your kids or grandmother, as always. And happy birthday, Jamie! Shiznit strong, always.

It's still hot out there, so let's have our annual Summer Spectacular, right before Labor Day! Shane, Chris, Murd and Ian start off with some strike related delays for Dune 2, and then all but Murd give their non-spoiler thoughts on Blue Beetle. Discussion then deviates to Ian's review of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, followed by a post-season finale breakdown of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Comics discussed include Shane checking out Image's big surprise, Void Rivals, as well as the new Green Arrow and Green Lantern, and Superman: Space Age. Ian tackles Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch's Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor, Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent 1-6, and issue 2 of Ultimate Invasion. Murd flies through space to uncover the secrets of Star Wars: Dark Droids and comes back home for Big Jim Miller's Rental Classics Vol 1 and 2. And Chris remains current with the new Black Panther series, What If: Dark Spider Gwen, Superman Lost, Star Trek Vol 1: Godshock, Parker Girls, and Brubaker and Phillips' Night Fever, and goes retro with Green Arrow: Longbow Hunters, some Greatest Battles of the X-Men, and Uncanny X-Men's Proteus arc and The Dark Phoenix Saga. Finally, Ian gives his thoughts on Venture Brothers: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart, a Muddle the Murd, some World of Toys, and more! (2:32:45)

What's more frightening than Halloween, and the bevy of horror books that come with it? A fourth Previews book to read on a monthly basis! That's right, for this August edition of Previews with book mostly set for October 2023 release, Chris, Shane, Murd and Ian grin and bare it and make it through the entire episode as a foresome, and wade through Diamond Previews 419, issue 2 of Image Comics Previews, DC Connect issue 39, and Marvel Previews vol 6 issue 23. Highlights include a Futurama Christmas, Saga's latest collected volume, Jonathan Hickman's G.O.D.S., Kong and Godzilla take on the freakin JLA, and much much more. Plus, hear Ian get a bunch of names and numbers wrong as he shakes off the ring rust after not recording for a few weeks! (2:49:23)

Adam and Peter celebrate 25 episodes of the Crisis Tapes by turning their attention to the CW’s live-action version of Crisis on Infinite Earths ! Covering the first three chapters - in Supergirl , Batwoman and the Flash - this first part explores the buildup to the Crisis in the Arrowverse, how the event unfolds for television, the actor and character cameos and appearances from across the DC Mediaverse, parallels to the original comic book Crisis, the Black Lightning tie-in episode and more! The Crisis is now upon us all! (3:29:08)

It's Previews time in the old coral, as summer scorches on! This month, Murd, Chris and Ian discuss Diamond Previews issue 418, DC Connect 38, and Marvel Previews Vol 6 issue 22, with books mainly set for September 2023 release. Highlights include Darkwing Duck's Negaduck getting a miniseries, the official solicit for the ROM Omnibus, JMS' Captain America, Tom King's Wonder Woman, new books from friends of the show Mike Norton and Martheus Wade, and much more. And if you listen close,you'll hear the torential downpour outside Ian's window mid-episode. (2:20:05)

You wanna get nuts? Come on, let's get nuts! Welcome to our reality, as Chris, Shane, Murd and Ian play catch-up and get to reviewing two of the summer's most multiversal of movies. First, they discuss Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse (discussion begin at 6:08), the second entry in Lord and Miller's love-letter to all things Spidey, and Miles Morales' time to theatrically shine. Then, they switch gears to the Distinguished Competition for a movie many many many years in the making, Andy Muschietti's The Flash (discussion begins at 58:48). Do both of these universe spanning stories open a vortex through space filled with joy for the Geeks, or are things a bit more complicated? How many cameos does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Can CGI bring actors back to life? These questions and more await, as do the answers. (1:59:29)

The second episode to come from our latest in-studio sojourn is officially available for all to enjoy! Chris, Murd and Ian do what they do best, talk some comics, in this here Comic Talk. We begin with some words on the passing of "Jazzy" John Romita Sr. and his wide-spread legacy in both the world of comics, and the art world as a whole. Then some media convo, including delays in Marvel's upcoming Phase Five slate, the ongoing writer's strike and the subsequent hold on production for Penguin and Daredevil: Born Again, and Ian's review of American Born Chinese on Disney+. Next, some recent reads, including Chris and Ian's thoughts on Titans #1, and Amazing Spider-Man issues 25 and 26, and Chris goes solo for Joshua Williamson's Superman, some Cantwell Blue Flame, and Back Issue's Neal Adams tribute in issue 143. Murd brings us Count Dante in all its glory, and Ian reports in on Steve Orlando and Sarah Pichelli's Scarlet Witch #1 as well as Jeremy Adams' fun Rick Jones centric romp over in Avengers Unlimited. Finally, a trip to the mail bag for some postcards, a listener email, Muddle the Murd, and more! (1:41:22)

Summer has officially begun, and that means summer reading is a must. Luckily, you have Murd, Chris and Ian to go over the latest set of Previews! This time we have Diamond Previews issue 417, DC Connect 37, and Marvel Previews Vol 6 issue 21, with books mostly set for an August release. Annoyingly, some of Marvel's earlier in the month solcits needed to be ordered in May in order to get properly added to your pull list, so please be sure to double-check with your local store or DCBS or what have you if you need anything added last minute. Enjoy! (2:22:41)

What better way to follow up a release of the Time Bubble than to dip our toe into the origins of three (or is it one...?) of Marvel's timey-whimiest villains for our latest in the Introducing...series. And best of all, Murd, Chris and Ian do so in studio! That's right, revel in the comraderie as the Timely Trio discuss Fantastic Four issue 19, and Avengers issues 8 and 10, the first appearances of Rama-Tut, Kang, and Immortus. All three of these issues were written by Stan the Man himself, with art by King Kirby for the first two, and Don Heck for our finale. Prepare to be transformed by the rays of the Egyptian sun, be sure to shield yourself for all sorts of random radiation (and acid), and pondor whether or not the villain attacking you is dreamy under that full face mask. Finally, by the time you're done with this one, you too will be a master of Yubiwaza, this we guarantee; Teen Brigade interference and all. Excelsior! (1:51:52)

History is made (and traveled through) once again on the Time Bubble, as Murd welcomes aboard that master of Comic Timing, Ian Levenstein, as his third-ever guest co-pilot! Individually, they acquaint themselves with the super-celebrities of the Noble family in Jay Faerber's Noble Causes; witness the decompressed dawn of Millar & Hitch's The Ultimates; explore a tantalizing alternate timeline of Young Justice; and crack open a truly strange chapter in the presidential biography of Lex Luthor! Then, it's a titanic Time Bubble team-up, as Adam and Ian join forces to make sense of 2002's Marvel Mangaverse event! (3:00:29)