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]]> episodic Comic Book Club is a LIVE weekly talk show about comic books, every Tuesday night at 7pm ET! Hosted by Justin Tyler, Pete LePage, and Alex Zalben, we welcome the best guests from the world of comics and comedy every week! Comic Book Club comicbookclublive@gmail.com Comic Book Club 2021 Comic Book Club yes https://www.omnycontent.com/d/playlist/33250137-f269-48a3-86dc-abcd016c932f/45d3a39c-2f6c-497d-a8d5-ad090114b815/4b4aa954-df0e-401d-9b66-ad090114b82d/image.jpg?t=1618332457&size=Large Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/ The Stack: X-Corp, Time Before Time And More The Stack: X-Corp, Time Before Time And More On this week's Stack podcast: X-Corp #1 Marvel Written by Tini Howard Art by Alberto Foche Time Before Time #1 Image Comics Written by Declan Shalvey and Rory McConville Art by Joe Palmer Wonder Woman #722 DC Comics Written by Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad Art by Travis Moore Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: King’s Ransom #1 Marvel Written by Nick Spencer Art by Rogê Antônio, with Carlos Gomez & Zé Carlós Buffy the Vampire Slayer #25 BOOM! Studios Written by Jeremy Lambert Art by Valentina Pinti The Joker #3 DC Comics Written by James Tynion IV, Sam Johns Art by Guillem March, Mirka Andolfo Ice Cream Man #24 Image Comics Written by W. Maxwell prince Art by Martín Morazzo Rorschach #8 DC Comics Written by Tom King Art by Jorge Fornés Heroes Reborn #2 Marvel Written by Jason Aron Art by Dale Keown with Carlos Magno, Ed McGuinness Geiger #2 Image Comics Written by Geoff Johns Art by Gary Frank Superman #31 DC Comics Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Sean Lewis Art by Scott Godlewski and Norm Rapmund, Sami Basri Karmen #3 Image Comics By Guillem March Batman: The Detective #2 DC Comics Written by Tom Taylor Art by Andy Kubert Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #2 Marvel Written by Chip Zdarksy Art by Pasqual Ferry Seven Secrets #8 BOOM! Studios Written by Tom Taylor Art by Daniele Di Nicuolo American Vampire 1976 #8 DC Comics Written by Scott Snyder Art by Rafael Albuquerque Birthright #49 Image Comics Written by Joshua Williamson Art by Andrei Bressan Justice League: Last Ride #1 DC Comics Written by Chip Zdarsky Art by Miguel Mendonça Magic #2 BOOM! Studios Written by Jed MacKay Art by Ig Guara Future State: Gotham #1 DC Comics Written by Joshua Williamson and Dennis Culver Art by Giannis Milonogiannis The Silver Coin #2 Image Comics Written by Kelly Thompson Art by Michael Walsh Proctor Valley Road #3 BOOM! Studios Written by Grant Morrison and Alex Child Art by Noami Franquiz Black Hammer Visions #4 Dark Horse Comics Written by Mariko Tamaki Art by Diego Olortegui SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Don't forget to go to https://www.Manscaped.com and use the promo code FANSIDED20 to get 20% OFF YOUR ORDER AND FREE SHIPPING! Full Episode Transcript Available At: https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/05/12/the-stack-x-corp-time-before-time-and-more/ Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week's Stack podcast:

X-Corp #1
Marvel
Written by Tini Howard
Art by Alberto Foche

Time Before Time #1
Image Comics
Written by Declan Shalvey and Rory McConville
Art by Joe Palmer

Wonder Woman #722
DC Comics
Written by Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad
Art by Travis Moore

Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: King’s Ransom #1
Marvel
Written by Nick Spencer
Art by Rogê Antônio, with Carlos Gomez & Zé Carlós

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #25
BOOM! Studios
Written by Jeremy Lambert
Art by Valentina Pinti

The Joker #3
DC Comics
Written by James Tynion IV, Sam Johns
Art by Guillem March, Mirka Andolfo

Ice Cream Man #24
Image Comics
Written by W. Maxwell prince
Art by Martín Morazzo

Rorschach #8
DC Comics
Written by Tom King
Art by Jorge Fornés

Heroes Reborn #2
Marvel
Written by Jason Aron
Art by Dale Keown with Carlos Magno, Ed McGuinness

Geiger #2
Image Comics
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank

Superman #31
DC Comics
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Sean Lewis
Art by Scott Godlewski and Norm Rapmund, Sami Basri

Karmen #3
Image Comics
By Guillem March

Batman: The Detective #2
DC Comics
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Andy Kubert

Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #2
Marvel
Written by Chip Zdarksy
Art by Pasqual Ferry

Seven Secrets #8
BOOM! Studios
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Daniele Di Nicuolo

American Vampire 1976 #8
DC Comics
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Rafael Albuquerque

Birthright #49
Image Comics
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Andrei Bressan

Justice League: Last Ride #1
DC Comics
Written by Chip Zdarsky
Art by Miguel Mendonça

Magic #2
BOOM! Studios
Written by Jed MacKay
Art by Ig Guara

Future State: Gotham #1
DC Comics
Written by Joshua Williamson and Dennis Culver
Art by Giannis Milonogiannis

The Silver Coin #2
Image Comics
Written by Kelly Thompson
Art by Michael Walsh

Proctor Valley Road #3
BOOM! Studios
Written by Grant Morrison and Alex Child
Art by Noami Franquiz

Black Hammer Visions #4
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Mariko Tamaki
Art by Diego Olortegui

SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

Don't forget to go to https://www.Manscaped.com and use the promo code FANSIDED20 to get 20% OFF YOUR ORDER AND FREE SHIPPING!

Full Episode Transcript Available At: https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/05/12/the-stack-x-corp-time-before-time-and-more/

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

]]> On this week's Stack podcast: X-Corp #1 Marvel Written by Tini Howard Art by Alberto Foche Time Before Time #1 Image Comics Written by Declan Shalvey and Rory McConville Art by Joe Palmer Wonder Woman #722 DC Comics Written by Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad Art by Travis Moore Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man: King’s Ransom #1 Marvel Written by Nick Spencer Art by Rogê Antônio, with Carlos Gomez & Zé Carlós Buffy the Vampire Slayer #25 BOOM! Studios Written by Jeremy Lambert Art by Valentina Pinti The Joker #3 DC Comics Written by James Tynion IV, Sam Johns Art by Guillem March, Mirka Andolfo Ice Cream Man #24 Image Comics Written by W. Maxwell prince Art by Martín Morazzo Rorschach #8 DC Comics Written by Tom King Art by Jorge Fornés Heroes Reborn #2 Marvel Written by Jason Aron Art by Dale Keown with Carlos Magno, Ed McGuinness Geiger #2 Image Comics Written by Geoff Johns Art by Gary Frank Superman #31 DC Comics Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Sean Lewis Art by Scott Godlewski and Norm Rapmund, Sami Basri Karmen #3 Image Comics By Guillem March Batman: The Detective #2 DC Comics Written by Tom Taylor Art by Andy Kubert Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #2 Marvel Written by Chip Zdarksy Art by Pasqual Ferry Seven Secrets #8 BOOM! Studios Written by Tom Taylor Art by Daniele Di Nicuolo American Vampire 1976 #8 DC Comics Written by Scott Snyder Art by Rafael Albuquerque Birthright #49 Image Comics Written by Joshua Williamson Art by Andrei Bressan Justice League: Last Ride #1 DC Comics Written by Chip Zdarsky Art by Miguel Mendonça Magic #2 BOOM! Studios Written by Jed MacKay Art by Ig Guara Future State: Gotham #1 DC Comics Written by Joshua Williamson and Dennis Culver Art by Giannis Milonogiannis The Silver Coin #2 Image Comics Written by Kelly Thompson Art by Michael Walsh Proctor Valley Road #3 BOOM! Studios Written by Grant Morrison and Alex Child Art by Noami Franquiz Black Hammer Visions #4 Dark Horse Comics Written by Mariko Tamaki Art by Diego Olortegui SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Don't forget to go to https://www.Manscaped.com and use the promo code FANSIDED20 to get 20% OFF YOUR ORDER AND FREE SHIPPING! Full Episode Transcript Available At: https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/05/12/the-stack-x-corp-time-before-time-and-more/ Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club 3624f80d-243a-4462-bd9c-ad26002b3878 3624f80d-243a-4462-bd9c-ad26002b3878 Wed, 12 May 2021 13:00:00 +0000 3228 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/the-stack-x-corp-time-before-time-and-more Comic Book Club: Daniel Warren Johnson And Olivia Cuartero-Briggs Comic Book Club: Daniel Warren Johnson And Olivia Cuartero-Briggs On this week's live show, we're welcoming guests Olivia Cuartero-Briggs ("Silver City") + Daniel Warren Johnson ("Murder Falcon," "Beta Ray Bill")! SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Don't forget to go to https://www.Manscaped.com and use the promo code FANSIDED20 to get 20% OFF YOUR ORDER AND FREE SHIPPING! Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week's live show, we're welcoming guests Olivia Cuartero-Briggs ("Silver City") + Daniel Warren Johnson ("Murder Falcon," "Beta Ray Bill")!

SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

Don't forget to go to https://www.Manscaped.com and use the promo code FANSIDED20 to get 20% OFF YOUR ORDER AND FREE SHIPPING!

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

]]> On this week's live show, we're welcoming guests Olivia Cuartero-Briggs ("Silver City") + Daniel Warren Johnson ("Murder Falcon," "Beta Ray Bill")! SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Don't forget to go to https://www.Manscaped.com and use the promo code FANSIDED20 to get 20% OFF YOUR ORDER AND FREE SHIPPING! Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club bbae674e-2b25-4783-b3f0-ad260022f4a8 bbae674e-2b25-4783-b3f0-ad260022f4a8 Wed, 12 May 2021 02:11:00 +0000 5065 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/comic-book-club-daniel-warren-johnson-and-olivia-c The Stack: Heroes Reborn, The Good Asian And More The Stack: Heroes Reborn, The Good Asian And More On this week's comic book review podcast: Heroes Reborn #1 Marvel Written by Jason Aaron Art by Ed McGuinness The Good Asian #1 Image Comics Written by Pornsak Pinchetshote Art by Alexandre Tefenkgi The Invincible Red Sonja #1 Dynamite Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner Art by Moritat Eve #1 BOOM! Studios Written by Victor LaValle Art by Jo Mi-Gyeong The Swamp Thing #3 DC Comics Written by Ram V Art by Mike Perkins The Last Witch #5 BOOM! Box Written by Conor McCreery Art by V.V. Glass Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters Alpha Marvel Written by Charles Soule Art by Steve McNiven Nocterra #3 Image Comics Written by Scott Snyder Art by Tony S. Daniel Batman #108 DC Comics Written by James Tynion IV Art by Jorge Jimenez, Ricardo Lopez Ortiz DIE #16 Image Comics Written by Kieron Gillen Art by Stephanie Hans Suicide Squad #3 DC Comics Written by Robbie Thompson Art by Eduardo Pansica Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #2 Dark Horse Comics Written by Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer Art by Benjamin Dewey Bliss #7 Image Comics Written by Sean Lewis Art by Caitlin Yarsky Green Lantern #2 DC Comics Written by Geoffrey Thorne Art by Dexter Soy and Marco Santucci Wynd #6 BOOM! Studios Written by James Tynion IV Art by Michael Dialynas Fear Case #4 Dark Horse Comics Written by Matt Kindt Art by Tyler and Hilary Jenkins Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #2 DC Comics Concept by Donald Mustard Written by Christos Gage Art by Reilly Brown Dead Dog’s Bite #3 Dark Horse Comics By Tyler Boss SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Don't forget to go to https://www.Manscaped.com and use the promo code FANSIDED20 to get 20% OFF YOUR ORDER AND FREE SHIPPING! Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week's comic book review podcast:

Heroes Reborn #1
Marvel
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Ed McGuinness

The Good Asian #1
Image Comics
Written by Pornsak Pinchetshote
Art by Alexandre Tefenkgi

The Invincible Red Sonja #1
Dynamite
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner
Art by Moritat

Eve #1
BOOM! Studios
Written by Victor LaValle
Art by Jo Mi-Gyeong

The Swamp Thing #3
DC Comics
Written by Ram V
Art by Mike Perkins

The Last Witch #5
BOOM! Box
Written by Conor McCreery
Art by V.V. Glass

Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters Alpha
Marvel
Written by Charles Soule
Art by Steve McNiven

Nocterra #3
Image Comics
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Tony S. Daniel

Batman #108
DC Comics
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Jorge Jimenez, Ricardo Lopez Ortiz

DIE #16
Image Comics
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Stephanie Hans

Suicide Squad #3
DC Comics
Written by Robbie Thompson
Art by Eduardo Pansica

Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #2
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer
Art by Benjamin Dewey

Bliss #7
Image Comics
Written by Sean Lewis
Art by Caitlin Yarsky

Green Lantern #2
DC Comics
Written by Geoffrey Thorne
Art by Dexter Soy and Marco Santucci

Wynd #6
BOOM! Studios
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Michael Dialynas

Fear Case #4
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Matt Kindt
Art by Tyler and Hilary Jenkins

Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #2
DC Comics
Concept by Donald Mustard
Written by Christos Gage
Art by Reilly Brown

Dead Dog’s Bite #3
Dark Horse Comics
By Tyler Boss

SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

Don't forget to go to https://www.Manscaped.com and use the promo code FANSIDED20 to get 20% OFF YOUR ORDER AND FREE SHIPPING!

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

]]> On this week's comic book review podcast: Heroes Reborn #1 Marvel Written by Jason Aaron Art by Ed McGuinness The Good Asian #1 Image Comics Written by Pornsak Pinchetshote Art by Alexandre Tefenkgi The Invincible Red Sonja #1 Dynamite Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner Art by Moritat Eve #1 BOOM! Studios Written by Victor LaValle Art by Jo Mi-Gyeong The Swamp Thing #3 DC Comics Written by Ram V Art by Mike Perkins The Last Witch #5 BOOM! Box Written by Conor McCreery Art by V.V. Glass Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters Alpha Marvel Written by Charles Soule Art by Steve McNiven Nocterra #3 Image Comics Written by Scott Snyder Art by Tony S. Daniel Batman #108 DC Comics Written by James Tynion IV Art by Jorge Jimenez, Ricardo Lopez Ortiz DIE #16 Image Comics Written by Kieron Gillen Art by Stephanie Hans Suicide Squad #3 DC Comics Written by Robbie Thompson Art by Eduardo Pansica Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #2 Dark Horse Comics Written by Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer Art by Benjamin Dewey Bliss #7 Image Comics Written by Sean Lewis Art by Caitlin Yarsky Green Lantern #2 DC Comics Written by Geoffrey Thorne Art by Dexter Soy and Marco Santucci Wynd #6 BOOM! Studios Written by James Tynion IV Art by Michael Dialynas Fear Case #4 Dark Horse Comics Written by Matt Kindt Art by Tyler and Hilary Jenkins Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #2 DC Comics Concept by Donald Mustard Written by Christos Gage Art by Reilly Brown Dead Dog’s Bite #3 Dark Horse Comics By Tyler Boss SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Don't forget to go to https://www.Manscaped.com and use the promo code FANSIDED20 to get 20% OFF YOUR ORDER AND FREE SHIPPING! Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club f5649f65-26df-4909-85e8-ad1f0024fcc1 f5649f65-26df-4909-85e8-ad1f0024fcc1 Wed, 05 May 2021 13:00:00 +0000 2457 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/the-stack-heroes-reborn-the-good-asian-and-more Comic Book Club: Alex Segura, Monica Gallagher, Brian E. Lau And Hallea Jones Comic Book Club: Alex Segura, Monica Gallagher, Brian E. Lau And Hallea Jones On this week's packed podcast, we're welcoming guests Alex Segura and Monica Gallagher ("The Black Ghost") + Brian E. Lau and Hallea Jones ("Staunch Ambition")! Plus, Hallea teases Eden's role on Locke & Key season 2. SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. For up to 15% off, please visit https://earthechofoods.com/minutemedia and use code MINUTE15. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week's packed podcast, we're welcoming guests Alex Segura and Monica Gallagher ("The Black Ghost") + Brian E. Lau and Hallea Jones ("Staunch Ambition")! Plus, Hallea teases Eden's role on Locke & Key season 2.

SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

For up to 15% off, please visit https://earthechofoods.com/minutemedia and use code MINUTE15.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

]]> On this week's packed podcast, we're welcoming guests Alex Segura and Monica Gallagher ("The Black Ghost") + Brian E. Lau and Hallea Jones ("Staunch Ambition")! Plus, Hallea teases Eden's role on Locke & Key season 2. SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. For up to 15% off, please visit https://earthechofoods.com/minutemedia and use code MINUTE15. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club 5162fdd7-8c14-47e3-959e-ad1f001cea15 5162fdd7-8c14-47e3-959e-ad1f001cea15 Wed, 05 May 2021 01:48:59 +0000 4638 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/comic-book-club-alex-segura-monica-gallagher-brian Podvincible: "Where I Really Come From" Podvincible: "Where I Really Come From" It's the Season One finale of Invincible and the truth about Omni-Man finally comes out on "Where I Really Come From." With Nolan revealed, it's a knock-down, drag out fight between him and Mark for the fate of Earth, with devastating results. And in the aftermath, we get some teases about what may be coming down the road in Invincible Season 2 and 3. SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. It's the Season One finale of Invincible and the truth about Omni-Man finally comes out on "Where I Really Come From." With Nolan revealed, it's a knock-down, drag out fight between him and Mark for the fate of Earth, with devastating results. And in the aftermath, we get some teases about what may be coming down the road in Invincible Season 2 and 3.

SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

]]> It's the Season One finale of Invincible and the truth about Omni-Man finally comes out on "Where I Really Come From." With Nolan revealed, it's a knock-down, drag out fight between him and Mark for the fate of Earth, with devastating results. And in the aftermath, we get some teases about what may be coming down the road in Invincible Season 2 and 3. SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club 3d980fb6-f6f3-48ab-ae83-ad1b00f3ef62 3d980fb6-f6f3-48ab-ae83-ad1b00f3ef62 Sat, 01 May 2021 14:49:00 +0000 2185 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/podvincible-where-i-really-come-from The Stack: The Marvels, Robin And More The Stack: The Marvels, Robin And More On this week's Stack podcast: The Marvels #1 Marvel Written by Kurt Busiek Art by Yildiray Cinar Robin #1 DC Comics Written by Joshua Williamson Art by Gleb Melnikov Shadowman #1 Valiant Comics Written by Cullen Bunn Art by Jon Davis-Hunt Helm Greycastle #1 Image Comics Story by Henry Barajas Art by Bryan Valenza and Rahmat M. Handoko Black Widow #6 Marvel Written by Kelly Thompson Art by Rafael de Latorre Batman/Superman #17 DC Comics Written by Gene Luen Yang Art by Ivan Reis Summoner War: Legacy #1 Image Comics Written by Justin Jordan Art by Luca Claretti Beta Ray Bill #2 Marvel By Daniel Warren Johnson Action Comics #1030 DC Comics Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Becky Cloonan & Michael W. Conrad Art by Daniel Sampere, Michael Avon Oeming Crossover #6 Image Comics Written by Donny Cates Art by Geoff Shaw X-Men Legends #3 Marvel Written by Louise Simonson Art by Walter Simonson Harley Quinn #2 DC Comics Written by Stephanie Phillips Art by Riley Rossmo Deadly Class #45 Image Comics Written by Rick Remender Art by Wes Craig Miles Morales: Spider-Man #25 Marvel Written by Saladin Ahmed, Cody Zigler Art by Carmen Carnero, Natacha Bustos The Department of Truth #8 Image Comics Written by James Tynion IV Art by Martin Simmonds BRZRKR #2 BOOM! Studios Written by Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt Art by Ron Garney Shadecraft #2 Image Comics Written by Joe Henderson Art by Lee Garbett Once & Future #18 BOOM! Studios Written by Kieron Gillen Art by Dan Mora The Comic Book History of Animation #5 IDW Publishing Written by Fred Van Lente Art by Ryan Dunlavey SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. For up to 15% off, please visit https://earthechofoods.com/minutemedia and use code MINUTE15. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week's Stack podcast:

The Marvels #1
Marvel
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art by Yildiray Cinar

Robin #1
DC Comics
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Gleb Melnikov

Shadowman #1
Valiant Comics
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Jon Davis-Hunt

Helm Greycastle #1
Image Comics
Story by Henry Barajas
Art by Bryan Valenza and Rahmat M. Handoko

Black Widow #6
Marvel
Written by Kelly Thompson
Art by Rafael de Latorre

Batman/Superman #17
DC Comics
Written by Gene Luen Yang
Art by Ivan Reis

Summoner War: Legacy #1
Image Comics
Written by Justin Jordan
Art by Luca Claretti

Beta Ray Bill #2
Marvel
By Daniel Warren Johnson

Action Comics #1030
DC Comics
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Becky Cloonan & Michael W. Conrad
Art by Daniel Sampere, Michael Avon Oeming

Crossover #6
Image Comics
Written by Donny Cates
Art by Geoff Shaw

X-Men Legends #3
Marvel
Written by Louise Simonson
Art by Walter Simonson

Harley Quinn #2
DC Comics
Written by Stephanie Phillips
Art by Riley Rossmo

Deadly Class #45
Image Comics
Written by Rick Remender
Art by Wes Craig

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #25
Marvel
Written by Saladin Ahmed, Cody Zigler
Art by Carmen Carnero, Natacha Bustos

The Department of Truth #8
Image Comics
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Martin Simmonds

BRZRKR #2
BOOM! Studios
Written by Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt
Art by Ron Garney

Shadecraft #2
Image Comics
Written by Joe Henderson
Art by Lee Garbett

Once & Future #18
BOOM! Studios
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Dan Mora

The Comic Book History of Animation #5
IDW Publishing
Written by Fred Van Lente
Art by Ryan Dunlavey

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]]> On this week's Stack podcast: The Marvels #1 Marvel Written by Kurt Busiek Art by Yildiray Cinar Robin #1 DC Comics Written by Joshua Williamson Art by Gleb Melnikov Shadowman #1 Valiant Comics Written by Cullen Bunn Art by Jon Davis-Hunt Helm Greycastle #1 Image Comics Story by Henry Barajas Art by Bryan Valenza and Rahmat M. Handoko Black Widow #6 Marvel Written by Kelly Thompson Art by Rafael de Latorre Batman/Superman #17 DC Comics Written by Gene Luen Yang Art by Ivan Reis Summoner War: Legacy #1 Image Comics Written by Justin Jordan Art by Luca Claretti Beta Ray Bill #2 Marvel By Daniel Warren Johnson Action Comics #1030 DC Comics Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Becky Cloonan & Michael W. Conrad Art by Daniel Sampere, Michael Avon Oeming Crossover #6 Image Comics Written by Donny Cates Art by Geoff Shaw X-Men Legends #3 Marvel Written by Louise Simonson Art by Walter Simonson Harley Quinn #2 DC Comics Written by Stephanie Phillips Art by Riley Rossmo Deadly Class #45 Image Comics Written by Rick Remender Art by Wes Craig Miles Morales: Spider-Man #25 Marvel Written by Saladin Ahmed, Cody Zigler Art by Carmen Carnero, Natacha Bustos The Department of Truth #8 Image Comics Written by James Tynion IV Art by Martin Simmonds BRZRKR #2 BOOM! Studios Written by Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt Art by Ron Garney Shadecraft #2 Image Comics Written by Joe Henderson Art by Lee Garbett Once & Future #18 BOOM! Studios Written by Kieron Gillen Art by Dan Mora The Comic Book History of Animation #5 IDW Publishing Written by Fred Van Lente Art by Ryan Dunlavey SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. For up to 15% off, please visit https://earthechofoods.com/minutemedia and use code MINUTE15. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club b137fbdb-e073-44b6-8c5f-ad180022909e b137fbdb-e073-44b6-8c5f-ad180022909e Wed, 28 Apr 2021 13:00:00 +0000 2458 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/the-stack-the-marvels-robin-and-more Comic Book Club: Conor McCreery and Juan Espinosa Comic Book Club: Conor McCreery and Juan Espinosa On this week's live show, we're welcoming guests Conor McCreery ("The Last Witch") + Juan Espinosa ("Adventures of a System Admin"). SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. For up to 15% off, please visit https://earthechofoods.com/minutemedia and use code MINUTE15. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week's live show, we're welcoming guests Conor McCreery ("The Last Witch") + Juan Espinosa ("Adventures of a System Admin").

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]]> On this week's live show, we're welcoming guests Conor McCreery ("The Last Witch") + Juan Espinosa ("Adventures of a System Admin"). SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. For up to 15% off, please visit https://earthechofoods.com/minutemedia and use code MINUTE15. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club 0820814c-12a4-49bd-baf7-ad18001af0d1 0820814c-12a4-49bd-baf7-ad18001af0d1 Wed, 28 Apr 2021 01:42:00 +0000 4299 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/comic-book-club-conor-mccreery-and-juan-espinosa MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 6 - "One World, One People" MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 6 - "One World, One People" The first (?) season of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier concludes with an epic fight in New York City as we recap "One World, One People." With the Karli and The Flag-Smashers attempting to kidnap the GRC, it's up to Sam to put on his new Captain America suit and save the day. Meanwhile, Bucky has some amending of his own to do, Sharon Carter pulls off her mask, literally and figuratively, and John Walker reaches a crossroads. Let's break down all the Easter eggs, future MCU teases (is US Agent a villain, or a hero?) and much more from the finale of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. SUBSCRIBE TO MARVELVISION ON ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER, OR RSS. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. The first (?) season of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier concludes with an epic fight in New York City as we recap "One World, One People." With the Karli and The Flag-Smashers attempting to kidnap the GRC, it's up to Sam to put on his new Captain America suit and save the day. Meanwhile, Bucky has some amending of his own to do, Sharon Carter pulls off her mask, literally and figuratively, and John Walker reaches a crossroads. Let's break down all the Easter eggs, future MCU teases (is US Agent a villain, or a hero?) and much more from the finale of Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

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]]> The first (?) season of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier concludes with an epic fight in New York City as we recap "One World, One People." With the Karli and The Flag-Smashers attempting to kidnap the GRC, it's up to Sam to put on his new Captain America suit and save the day. Meanwhile, Bucky has some amending of his own to do, Sharon Carter pulls off her mask, literally and figuratively, and John Walker reaches a crossroads. Let's break down all the Easter eggs, future MCU teases (is US Agent a villain, or a hero?) and much more from the finale of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. SUBSCRIBE TO MARVELVISION ON ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER, OR RSS. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club a8cf0097-f849-4b7a-9854-ad130114bbf3 a8cf0097-f849-4b7a-9854-ad130114bbf3 Fri, 23 Apr 2021 16:49:00 +0000 2356 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/marvelvision-the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-e-5 Podvincible: "We Need To Talk" Podvincible: "We Need To Talk" Nolan just wants to have a nice chat with his son Mark and things get in the way as we recap Invincible Episode 7, "We Need To Talk." With Debbie onto Omni-Man, the former hero tries to track down his son to tell him the truth, but Mark is busy with problems with Amber -- and then Eve. Meanwhile, Robot finally reveals his plan for Rex's blood, leading to a conflict with the Mauler Twins. And Cecil pulls out all the stops to prevent Nolan from reaching his son. SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Nolan just wants to have a nice chat with his son Mark and things get in the way as we recap Invincible Episode 7, "We Need To Talk." With Debbie onto Omni-Man, the former hero tries to track down his son to tell him the truth, but Mark is busy with problems with Amber -- and then Eve. Meanwhile, Robot finally reveals his plan for Rex's blood, leading to a conflict with the Mauler Twins. And Cecil pulls out all the stops to prevent Nolan from reaching his son.

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]]> Nolan just wants to have a nice chat with his son Mark and things get in the way as we recap Invincible Episode 7, "We Need To Talk." With Debbie onto Omni-Man, the former hero tries to track down his son to tell him the truth, but Mark is busy with problems with Amber -- and then Eve. Meanwhile, Robot finally reveals his plan for Rex's blood, leading to a conflict with the Mauler Twins. And Cecil pulls out all the stops to prevent Nolan from reaching his son. SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club 85c235a9-b536-4223-8846-ad1201418996 85c235a9-b536-4223-8846-ad1201418996 Fri, 23 Apr 2021 13:00:00 +0000 1983 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/podvincible-we-need-to-talk The Stack: Way of X, Batman/Fortnite And More The Stack: Way of X, Batman/Fortnite And More On this week's comic book review podcast: Way of X #1 Marvel Written by Si Spurrier Art by Bob Quinn Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #1 DC Comics Concept by Donald Mustard Written by Christos Gage Art by Reilly Brown The Many Deaths of Laila Starr #1 BOOM! Studios Written by Ram V Art by Filipe Andrade HAHA #4 Image Comics Written by W. Maxwell Prince Art by Patrick Horvath The Mighty Valkyries #1 Marvel Written by Jason Aaron and Torunn Grønbekk Art by Mattia De Iulis and Erica D’Urso Nightwing #79 DC Comics Written by Tom Taylor Art by Bruno Redondo Radiant Black #3 Image Comics Written by Kyle Higgins Art by Marcelo Costa Alien #2 Marvel Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson Art by Salvador Larroca Justice League #60 DC Comics Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Ram V Art by David Marquez, Xermanico The Old Guard: Tales Through Time #1 Image Comics Written by Greg Rucka and Andrew Wheeler Art by Leandro Fernández and Jacopo Camagni Eternals #4 Marvel Written by Kieron Gillen Art by Esad Ribić Catwoman #30 DC Comics Written by Ram V Art by Fernando Blanco UltraMega #2 Image Comics By James Harren Specter Inspectors #3 BOOM! Box Created and written by Bowen McCurdy & Kaitlyn Musto Art by Bowen McCurdy Stray Dogs #3 Image Comics Written by Tony Fleecs Art by Trish Forstner Crimson Flower #4 Dark Horse Comics Written by Matt Kindt Art by Matt Lesniewski Post Americana #5 Image Comics Story and art by Steve Skroce Orphan and the Five Beasts #2 Dark Horse Comics By James Stokoe SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. For up to 15% off, please visit https://earthechofoods.com/minutemedia and use code MINUTE15. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week's comic book review podcast:

Way of X #1
Marvel
Written by Si Spurrier
Art by Bob Quinn

Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #1
DC Comics
Concept by Donald Mustard
Written by Christos Gage
Art by Reilly Brown

The Many Deaths of Laila Starr #1
BOOM! Studios
Written by Ram V
Art by Filipe Andrade

HAHA #4
Image Comics
Written by W. Maxwell Prince
Art by Patrick Horvath

The Mighty Valkyries #1
Marvel
Written by Jason Aaron and Torunn Grønbekk
Art by Mattia De Iulis and Erica D’Urso

Nightwing #79
DC Comics
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Bruno Redondo

Radiant Black #3
Image Comics
Written by Kyle Higgins
Art by Marcelo Costa

Alien #2
Marvel
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Art by Salvador Larroca

Justice League #60
DC Comics
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Ram V
Art by David Marquez, Xermanico

The Old Guard: Tales Through Time #1
Image Comics
Written by Greg Rucka and Andrew Wheeler
Art by Leandro Fernández and Jacopo Camagni

Eternals #4
Marvel
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Esad Ribić

Catwoman #30
DC Comics
Written by Ram V
Art by Fernando Blanco

UltraMega #2
Image Comics
By James Harren

Specter Inspectors #3
BOOM! Box
Created and written by Bowen McCurdy & Kaitlyn Musto
Art by Bowen McCurdy

Stray Dogs #3
Image Comics
Written by Tony Fleecs
Art by Trish Forstner

Crimson Flower #4
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Matt Kindt
Art by Matt Lesniewski

Post Americana #5
Image Comics
Story and art by Steve Skroce

Orphan and the Five Beasts #2
Dark Horse Comics
By James Stokoe

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]]> On this week's comic book review podcast: Way of X #1 Marvel Written by Si Spurrier Art by Bob Quinn Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #1 DC Comics Concept by Donald Mustard Written by Christos Gage Art by Reilly Brown The Many Deaths of Laila Starr #1 BOOM! Studios Written by Ram V Art by Filipe Andrade HAHA #4 Image Comics Written by W. Maxwell Prince Art by Patrick Horvath The Mighty Valkyries #1 Marvel Written by Jason Aaron and Torunn Grønbekk Art by Mattia De Iulis and Erica D’Urso Nightwing #79 DC Comics Written by Tom Taylor Art by Bruno Redondo Radiant Black #3 Image Comics Written by Kyle Higgins Art by Marcelo Costa Alien #2 Marvel Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson Art by Salvador Larroca Justice League #60 DC Comics Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Ram V Art by David Marquez, Xermanico The Old Guard: Tales Through Time #1 Image Comics Written by Greg Rucka and Andrew Wheeler Art by Leandro Fernández and Jacopo Camagni Eternals #4 Marvel Written by Kieron Gillen Art by Esad Ribić Catwoman #30 DC Comics Written by Ram V Art by Fernando Blanco UltraMega #2 Image Comics By James Harren Specter Inspectors #3 BOOM! Box Created and written by Bowen McCurdy & Kaitlyn Musto Art by Bowen McCurdy Stray Dogs #3 Image Comics Written by Tony Fleecs Art by Trish Forstner Crimson Flower #4 Dark Horse Comics Written by Matt Kindt Art by Matt Lesniewski Post Americana #5 Image Comics Story and art by Steve Skroce Orphan and the Five Beasts #2 Dark Horse Comics By James Stokoe SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. For up to 15% off, please visit https://earthechofoods.com/minutemedia and use code MINUTE15. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club 11fd5330-c7b4-4c7e-8ef7-ad110023e7ab 11fd5330-c7b4-4c7e-8ef7-ad110023e7ab Wed, 21 Apr 2021 13:00:00 +0000 2293 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/the-stack-way-of-x-batman-fortnite-and-more Comic Book Club: Curt Pires, Eliot Rahal And Emily Pearson Comic Book Club: Curt Pires, Eliot Rahal And Emily Pearson On this week's live broadcast, we're welcoming guests Curt Pires ("Youth") + Eliot Rahal and Emily Pearson ("The Vain")! SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. For up to 15% off, please visit https://earthechofoods.com/minutemedia and use code MINUTE15. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week's live broadcast, we're welcoming guests Curt Pires ("Youth") + Eliot Rahal and Emily Pearson ("The Vain")!

SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

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]]> On this week's live broadcast, we're welcoming guests Curt Pires ("Youth") + Eliot Rahal and Emily Pearson ("The Vain")! SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. For up to 15% off, please visit https://earthechofoods.com/minutemedia and use code MINUTE15. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club 5d3baf04-c7b7-46f0-aa03-ad11001a4b36 5d3baf04-c7b7-46f0-aa03-ad11001a4b36 Wed, 21 Apr 2021 01:39:00 +0000 4808 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/comic-book-club-curt-pires-eliot-rahal-and-emily-p MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 5 - "Truth" MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 5 - "Truth" Sam grapples with whether he should take Captain America's shield, and seeks out an old contact for advice as we recap The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 5, "Truth." With John Walker on the run for killing Nico, Bucky and Sam team up to take him down, leading to a massive status quo change for the wannabe Cap. Meanwhile, back in Louisiana, Sam's sister doesn't want to sell the family boat. And the Flag-Smashers make their move, thanks to a returning super-villain. We break down all the Falcon and the Winter Soldier Easter eggs and comic book references in the episode, from Julia Louis-Dreyfus's surprise cameo as Contessa Allegra Valentina de Fontaine, to whether she's playing Madam Hydra, to John Walker's new shield and much, much more. SUBSCRIBE TO MARVELVISION ON ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER, OR RSS. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Sam grapples with whether he should take Captain America's shield, and seeks out an old contact for advice as we recap The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 5, "Truth." With John Walker on the run for killing Nico, Bucky and Sam team up to take him down, leading to a massive status quo change for the wannabe Cap. Meanwhile, back in Louisiana, Sam's sister doesn't want to sell the family boat. And the Flag-Smashers make their move, thanks to a returning super-villain. We break down all the Falcon and the Winter Soldier Easter eggs and comic book references in the episode, from Julia Louis-Dreyfus's surprise cameo as Contessa Allegra Valentina de Fontaine, to whether she's playing Madam Hydra, to John Walker's new shield and much, much more.

SUBSCRIBE TO MARVELVISION ON ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER, OR RSS. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub

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]]> Sam grapples with whether he should take Captain America's shield, and seeks out an old contact for advice as we recap The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 5, "Truth." With John Walker on the run for killing Nico, Bucky and Sam team up to take him down, leading to a massive status quo change for the wannabe Cap. Meanwhile, back in Louisiana, Sam's sister doesn't want to sell the family boat. And the Flag-Smashers make their move, thanks to a returning super-villain. We break down all the Falcon and the Winter Soldier Easter eggs and comic book references in the episode, from Julia Louis-Dreyfus's surprise cameo as Contessa Allegra Valentina de Fontaine, to whether she's playing Madam Hydra, to John Walker's new shield and much, much more. SUBSCRIBE TO MARVELVISION ON ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER, OR RSS. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club 4707ad47-4594-4a61-99bb-ad0c011cb5ca 4707ad47-4594-4a61-99bb-ad0c011cb5ca Fri, 16 Apr 2021 17:18:00 +0000 2198 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/marvelvision-the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-e-4 Podvincible: "You Look Kinda Dead" Podvincible: "You Look Kinda Dead" Mark visits college and encounters some killer cyborgs as we recap Invincible Episode 6 "You Look Kinda Dead". After recovering from the attack on Machinehead, Mark wants a change of pace, so heads on a college tour with William and Amber, but things don't go well. Atom Eve decides to make a real difference in the world. And Debbie closes in on Nolan's secret, with devastating results. SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Mark visits college and encounters some killer cyborgs as we recap Invincible Episode 6 "You Look Kinda Dead". After recovering from the attack on Machinehead, Mark wants a change of pace, so heads on a college tour with William and Amber, but things don't go well. Atom Eve decides to make a real difference in the world. And Debbie closes in on Nolan's secret, with devastating results.

SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

]]> Mark visits college and encounters some killer cyborgs as we recap Invincible Episode 6 "You Look Kinda Dead". After recovering from the attack on Machinehead, Mark wants a change of pace, so heads on a college tour with William and Amber, but things don't go well. Atom Eve decides to make a real difference in the world. And Debbie closes in on Nolan's secret, with devastating results. SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club 0ab1cb18-7751-4fed-bc03-ad0c0023596f 0ab1cb18-7751-4fed-bc03-ad0c0023596f Fri, 16 Apr 2021 13:00:00 +0000 2210 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/podvincible-you-look-kinda-dead The Stack: Locke & Key/Sandman, Batman, And More The Stack: Locke & Key/Sandman, Batman, And More On this week's comic book review podcast:   Locke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone #1 IDW Publishing/DC Comics By Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez   Batman: The Detective #1 DC Comics Written by Tom Taylor Art by Andy Kubert   Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #1 Marvel Written by Chip Zdarsky Art by Pasqual Ferry   Home #1 Image Comics Written by Julio Anta Art by Anna Wieszcyk   Wonder Woman #771 DC Comics Written by Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad and Jordie Bellaire Art by Travis Moore and Paulina Ganucheau   Darkhawk: Heart of the Hawk #1 Marvel Written by Danny Fingeroth, Dan Abnett, Kyle Higgins Art by Mike Manley, Andrea Di Vito, Juana Ramírez   Jenny Zero #1 Dark Horse Comics Written by Dave Dwonch and Brockton McKinney Illustrated by Magenta King   Rorschach #7 DC Comics Written by Tom King Art by Jorge Fornés   Guardians of the Galaxy #15 Marvel Written by Al Ewing Art by Juan Frigeri   Doctor Who: Missy #1 Titan Comics Written by Jody Houser Art by Roberta Ingranata   American Vampire 1976 #7 DC Comics Written by Scott Snyder Art by Francesco Francavilla, Tula Lotay, Ricardo López Ortiz   Jules Verne’s Lighthouse #1 Image Comics Written by David Hine and Brian Haberlin Art by Brian Haberlin   The Joker #2 DC Comics Written by James Tynion IV and Sam Johns Art by Guillem March and Mirka Andolfo   Home Sick Pilots #5 Image Comics Written by Dan Watters Art by Caspar Wijngaard   Superman #30 DC Comics Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Sean Lewis Art by Scott Godlewski and Sam Basri   Birthright #48 Image Comics Written by Joshua Williamson Art by Andrei Bressan   Sweet Tooth: The Return #6 DC Comics By Jeff Lemire   The Scumbag #7 Image Comics Written by Rick Remender Art by Francesco Mobili   Proctor Valley Road #2 BOOM! Studios Written by Alex Child and Grant Morrison Art by Naomi Franquiz   Karmen #2 Image Comics By Guillem March   Black Hammer Visions #3 Dark Horse Comics Written by Chip Zdarsky Art by Johnnie Christmas SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week's comic book review podcast:

 

Locke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone #1

IDW Publishing/DC Comics

By Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

 

Batman: The Detective #1

DC Comics

Written by Tom Taylor

Art by Andy Kubert

 

Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #1

Marvel

Written by Chip Zdarsky

Art by Pasqual Ferry

 

Home #1

Image Comics

Written by Julio Anta

Art by Anna Wieszcyk

 

Wonder Woman #771

DC Comics

Written by Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad and Jordie Bellaire

Art by Travis Moore and Paulina Ganucheau

 

Darkhawk: Heart of the Hawk #1

Marvel

Written by Danny Fingeroth, Dan Abnett, Kyle Higgins

Art by Mike Manley, Andrea Di Vito, Juana Ramírez

 

Jenny Zero #1

Dark Horse Comics

Written by Dave Dwonch and Brockton McKinney

Illustrated by Magenta King

 

Rorschach #7

DC Comics

Written by Tom King

Art by Jorge Fornés

 

Guardians of the Galaxy #15

Marvel

Written by Al Ewing

Art by Juan Frigeri

 

Doctor Who: Missy #1

Titan Comics

Written by Jody Houser

Art by Roberta Ingranata

 

American Vampire 1976 #7

DC Comics

Written by Scott Snyder

Art by Francesco Francavilla, Tula Lotay, Ricardo López Ortiz

 

Jules Verne’s Lighthouse #1

Image Comics

Written by David Hine and Brian Haberlin

Art by Brian Haberlin

 

The Joker #2

DC Comics

Written by James Tynion IV and Sam Johns

Art by Guillem March and Mirka Andolfo

 

Home Sick Pilots #5

Image Comics

Written by Dan Watters

Art by Caspar Wijngaard

 

Superman #30

DC Comics

Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Sean Lewis

Art by Scott Godlewski and Sam Basri

 

Birthright #48

Image Comics

Written by Joshua Williamson

Art by Andrei Bressan

 

Sweet Tooth: The Return #6

DC Comics

By Jeff Lemire

 

The Scumbag #7

Image Comics

Written by Rick Remender

Art by Francesco Mobili

 

Proctor Valley Road #2

BOOM! Studios

Written by Alex Child and Grant Morrison

Art by Naomi Franquiz

 

Karmen #2

Image Comics

By Guillem March

 

Black Hammer Visions #3

Dark Horse Comics

Written by Chip Zdarsky

Art by Johnnie Christmas

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]]> On this week's comic book review podcast:   Locke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone #1 IDW Publishing/DC Comics By Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez   Batman: The Detective #1 DC Comics Written by Tom Taylor Art by Andy Kubert   Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #1 Marvel Written by Chip Zdarsky Art by Pasqual Ferry   Home #1 Image Comics Written by Julio Anta Art by Anna Wieszcyk   Wonder Woman #771 DC Comics Written by Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad and Jordie Bellaire Art by Travis Moore and Paulina Ganucheau   Darkhawk: Heart of the Hawk #1 Marvel Written by Danny Fingeroth, Dan Abnett, Kyle Higgins Art by Mike Manley, Andrea Di Vito, Juana Ramírez   Jenny Zero #1 Dark Horse Comics Written by Dave Dwonch and Brockton McKinney Illustrated by Magenta King   Rorschach #7 DC Comics Written by Tom King Art by Jorge Fornés   Guardians of the Galaxy #15 Marvel Written by Al Ewing Art by Juan Frigeri   Doctor Who: Missy #1 Titan Comics Written by Jody Houser Art by Roberta Ingranata   American Vampire 1976 #7 DC Comics Written by Scott Snyder Art by Francesco Francavilla, Tula Lotay, Ricardo López Ortiz   Jules Verne’s Lighthouse #1 Image Comics Written by David Hine and Brian Haberlin Art by Brian Haberlin   The Joker #2 DC Comics Written by James Tynion IV and Sam Johns Art by Guillem March and Mirka Andolfo   Home Sick Pilots #5 Image Comics Written by Dan Watters Art by Caspar Wijngaard   Superman #30 DC Comics Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Sean Lewis Art by Scott Godlewski and Sam Basri   Birthright #48 Image Comics Written by Joshua Williamson Art by Andrei Bressan   Sweet Tooth: The Return #6 DC Comics By Jeff Lemire   The Scumbag #7 Image Comics Written by Rick Remender Art by Francesco Mobili   Proctor Valley Road #2 BOOM! Studios Written by Alex Child and Grant Morrison Art by Naomi Franquiz   Karmen #2 Image Comics By Guillem March   Black Hammer Visions #3 Dark Horse Comics Written by Chip Zdarsky Art by Johnnie Christmas SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club e0ca1373-2669-401f-affc-ad0a002caa08 e0ca1373-2669-401f-affc-ad0a002caa08 Wed, 14 Apr 2021 13:00:00 +0000 3406 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/the-stack-locke-key-sandman-batman-and-more Comic Book Club: Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez And Chris Ryall Comic Book Club: Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez And Chris Ryall On a very special live show, we're welcoming the team from Locke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone to preview the upcoming, epic crossover series: writer Joe Hill, artist Gabriel Rodriguez and editor Chris Ryall. SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On a very special live show, we're welcoming the team from Locke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone to preview the upcoming, epic crossover series: writer Joe Hill, artist Gabriel Rodriguez and editor Chris Ryall.

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]]> On a very special live show, we're welcoming the team from Locke & Key/Sandman: Hell & Gone to preview the upcoming, epic crossover series: writer Joe Hill, artist Gabriel Rodriguez and editor Chris Ryall. SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. full Comic Book Club 1907da4e-43d7-48c5-ad99-ad0a0022c333 1907da4e-43d7-48c5-ad99-ad0a0022c333 Wed, 14 Apr 2021 02:10:00 +0000 5014 https://omny.fm/shows/comic-book-club/comic-book-club-joe-hill-gabriel-rodriguez-and-chr yes Podvincible: “That Actually Hurt” Podvincible: “That Actually Hurt” Invincible teams up with supervillain Titan and learns things aren’t always what they seem as we recap episode 5, “That Actually Hurt.” Mark is busy balancing training with Omni-Man, and dating Amber — poorly — but takes a break to help Mahershala Ali’s Titan with a local crime boss. Meanwhile, Debbie is growing increasingly suspicious of her husband. And the Guardians of the Globe learn an important lesson about teamwork. SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. The post Podvincible: “That Actually Hurt” appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Invincible teams up with supervillain Titan and learns things aren’t always what they seem as we recap episode 5, “That Actually Hurt.” Mark is busy balancing training with Omni-Man, and dating Amber — poorly — but takes a break to help Mahershala Ali’s Titan with a local crime boss. Meanwhile, Debbie is growing increasingly suspicious of her husband. And the Guardians of the Globe learn an important lesson about teamwork.

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]]> Invincible teams up with supervillain Titan and learns things aren’t always what they seem as we recap episode 5, “That Actually Hurt.” Mark is busy balancing training with Omni-Man, and dating Amber — poorly — but takes a break to help Mahershala Ali’... full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15521 9e861d37-8d9d-4fe6-a5b9-ad090114c529 Sun, 11 Apr 2021 13:47:15 +0000 1832 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/04/11/podvincible-that-actually-hurt/ MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 4 – “The Whole World Is Watching” MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 4 – “The Whole World Is Watching” Things get real dark, real quick as John Walker comes for the Flag-Smashers on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4, “The Whole World is Watching.” With the Dora Milaje on the hunt for Zemo, the pressure is on for Sam and Bucky to try to turn Karli Morganthau, or take her down. And once the new Captain America and Battlestar get into the mix, things get complicated — and tragic. Let’s break down all the Turkish delight — sorry, Easter eggs, Marvel comic book references and much more. SUBSCRIBE TO MARVELVISION ON ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER, OR RSS. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Full Episode Transcript Alex:                 Welcome to MarvelVision, a podcast about Marvel, the MCU, and right now, Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I’m Alex. Justin:              I’m Justin. Pete:                I’m Pete. Alex:                 And we are going to be talking about the fourth episode of the series, The Whole World is Watching. And it is true, this is a big show, lots of people watching, the whole world in fact, has been tuning in for every episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. And that’s what the title is mostly about, is the ratings for the show, which we know of course are through the roof. So that’s very exciting. Justin:              That’s right. Anytime you can just guess about your ratings and throw that in the title. Pete:                It’s a boss move, it’s a boss move for sure. Justin:              It’s a baller move. Like of shows are like, “Whoops, no one watched and we’re canceled. Episode four.” Alex:                 That was my favorite show for a really long time. I wish they hadn’t titled it that because I feel like more people have watched and it wouldn’t have gotten cancelled. Justin:              Anytime you can throw a “Whoops” in there at the beginning of anything, you’re really speaking to the people. Alex:                 It was actually originally called, “Whoops Friends.” Justin:              Whoops, we’re friends. I mean that’s sort of what it was about. Alex:                 Kind of, they just met. They were on a break. Justin:              Whoops, we’re podcasters. That’s us. That’s what this is. Alex:                 Now requisite spoiler warning here. If you haven’t watched the fourth episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier please go do that because we’re going to spoil the heck out of it. But first a little pluggy poo over here of this- Justin:              Pluggy poo? We have not vetted that term. Pete:                And what just happened? Alex:                 I’m just playing around with some stuff. Justin:              Sorry, Alex its just son who’s talking right now? Alex:                 If you haven’t checked it out already, we did an interview with Olli Haaskivi, who is the actor who played Dr. Wilfred Nagel on the last episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Now, if you’re only subscribed, we rolled this out a bunch of different places. We usually roll these episodes out in the Comic Book Club feed and then the Marvel Vision feed. The Olli Haaskivi episode is exclusive to the Marvel Vision feed. So if you’re listening on Podcasts, go check it out over there. It was super fun. And I think we got a lot of interesting information about how it works, particularly for one scene or slightly more than one scene actor on a Marvel show. I thought it was- Pete:                It was really cool to talk to him. And after talking to him and then kind of re-watching his stuff, he’s a really good actor, like what he is and then what he became. Wow. Pretty awesome. Alex:                 I mean, I’ll tell you when I was putting together the thumbnail for the episode and grabbed the still of Dr. Wilfred Nagel, I looked at it and there was a brief moment of like, “Is this not the guy? Would somebody do a weird prank to get us interview somebody as a fake Dr. Wilfred Nagel?” Justin:              But honestly, I think a lot of the interview really lets us in on the acting process. Alex:                 Yeah, you were very excited to talk acting with somebody. Justin:              As a classically trained actor. I’ve talked to YouTube bozos. Alex:                 You were like, “Ooh! Yeah, I know what you’re talking about!” Justin:              I was not woo-hooing. Alex:                 You were like a little boy jumping up and down talking to him. Justin:              Sure, I was jumping up and down a little bit and going like this. Alex:                 “I know what you’re talking about!” Justin:              Definitely. And getting into this episode, we’re talking about today, our guy was in the Previously On just dominating. Alex:                 He was. I was like, “That’s our best friend right there.” Justin:              That’s exactly what I said. Alex:                 Whoops! Friends. Justin:              Whoops, we’re friends. Alex:                 So, let’s talk about this episode. Lots of stuff going on in this one. Interestingly, not a lot of Easter eggs necessarily. You know, we’ve been talking about the Easter eggs, the Marvel comics references. There were a couple there, but it wasn’t the speculation, a million thing that we’ve expected from Wanda Vision, not even the level of the last couple of episodes of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, though, there are a couple of things. Pete, what did you want to call out? What’s the Easter Egg? [crosstalk 00:04:01] that they went to Wakanda? That was a good Easter egg. Pete:                But don’t spoil all the things I want to talk about at once you fucking dick, but I was going to say Zemo was hiding candy like it was Easter. So come on. [crosstalk 00:04:13]. Alex:                 Well, that actually was the one thing that I felt like was a weird little Easter egg there. I don’t know about you guys, but I associate Turkish Delight most with the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. And I think if you’ve read the book or you’ve seen the movie, you know what it is, it’s this candy that he has there, but it’s one of those things that I think everybody that I’ve ever talked to have the same experience reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, because you hear about the White Queen gives Turkish Delight to this character, Edmund and tempts him and brings him over to her side and you hear about it, but they don’t describe it. And it’s this mysterious thing from childs that have- it’s clearly the most delicious candy of all time, but you have no idea what it is. Justin:              And honestly, in reading the book, I imagined it as sort of like a brownie because I love brownies. And I feel like it’s the kind of thing at that age where it’s like, what would tempt you to go with the bad guy? And I was like, “Well, brownies would, that’s for sure.” Pete:                At one point I was like, “Are we just in a giant ad for Turkish Delight right now? Like, this show is basically hinging on how great Turkish Delight is.” Alex:                 So I’ll tell you what, it’s not great. Justin:              The actual candy Turkish Delight, it’s like a Jolly Rancher, basically. Pete:                Hey, Jolly Ranchers aren’t bad. Alex:                 No, it’s fine. [crosstalk 00:05:29] Justin:              You’re not going evil for a Jolly Rancher. Alex:                 If someone like Baron Zemo would take a bunch of Turkish Delights, throw it at me, I would be like, “All right. I’ll tell you literally whatever you want.” Justin:              I’ll invite you to my friend’s secret funeral. Alex:                 Depending on how hungry I am, I might. Justin:              Hungry? For a Jolly Rancher? That’s not a meal. Jolly Rancher’s an anti-meal. Alex:                 I’ll tell you what, we’re getting wildly off track here. But I have one cavity that I’ve gotten filled in, in my entire life. That was because there was a period of time I had a sack of Jolly Ranchers and I was like, “Well, I could just have these instead of-“ Pete:                A sack? Are you Santa Claus? Who walks around with a sack? Alex:                 I got a huge variety pack of Jolly Ranchers. And I was home and instead of brushing my teeth, I was like, “I’ll just pop a Jolly Rancher.” Pete:                How is that instead of brushing your teeth? Alex:                 In my head it was like gum or mints, but instead I was having a Jolly Rancher and it just didn’t occur to me and I got a cavity. Pete:                You went to Cornell. How are you this dumb? Justin:              And you used to floss with Twizzlers, right? Alex:                 Big gaps in my teeth. Justin:              Wow. Only one cavity. I’ve had way more cavities. And I always blame it on, I grew up on well water, which doesn’t have fluoride, which strengthens your teeth. I just add old dirt in there now. But last I went to the dentist, I went to the dentist recently cause true fans of the show will know that I had a broken tooth that had dropped off on this very podcast. And like our second episode, went to the dentist, no cavities. Alex:                 Wow. Good for you. Also, no teeth. Justin:              Also no teeth. I’m out of teeth. That’s a big factor. It’s just one big cavity. Pete:                That was a real scary moment for me. When I was talking to you and your tooth was missing, I had to talk to a bunch of people about it. Like, cause I really questioned my beliefs and stuff like that because it was like, I have trusted the words that come out of your mouth for years. And then when you had just a tooth missing, I all of a sudden didn’t trust who you were or what you were about. It was a real thing. Justin:              The importance of a full set of teeth cannot be overstated. Pete:                I didn’t know I would be so shook. Yeah. But then, reverse- Alex:                 Sorry, not to get back to Falcon and the Winter Soldier or anything, but actually to revisit the Turkish Delight. I think Baron Zemo is kind of getting, pulling the most focus in this show right now. Who knows if he’s going to show up going beyond this because he escapes at the end of the episode, but it’s wild to me how much he more is getting out of these episodes and out of these arcs than even Sam and Bucky are. Pete:                And the choices that he’s making and like the way he interacts with people. It’s not the Zemo that I know. It’s been very kind of cool to see this other side of Zemo, and when he crushed up the serum, I was like, “Oh, shit, look at this guy doing the right thing.” Justin:              I think for me, the main reason why Zemo is sort of having the most interest and focus is because he has a plan and we don’t know what it is. And the rest of the characters don’t have a plan and seem sort of lost. And the dialogue they have, it’s very obvious what they’re just like, they’re doing a lot of exposition. So it feels like, ah, where’s the fun here? And then Zemo’s just wandering around, being weird with candy, breaking the serum. Pete:                Don’t mind me, I’m just going to escape through the bathroom. Alex:                 Well, this gets to a bigger thing. And I really didn’t want Pete to yell at me in this episode, but it struck me with this episode in particular that this is going to come out much stronger than I mean it. If this wasn’t a Marvel show, I don’t think this would be good at this point. It has a chance to turn it around in the last two episodes. But particularly this episode felt very messy to me. There were a lot of things that I liked in individual moments, but just to talk about the arc of the episode, you start off with this great flashback scene of Bucky in Wakanda, getting his [crosstalk 00:09:24] hold on, hold on. This is exactly getting to the point. You’re actually getting to the point of what I’m saying. I love it, we get to see him breaking his programming, but the episode isn’t about Bucky. Alex:                 So just from a structural perspective, we get this thing that follows up on the scene from the last episode. But Sam pulls a little more focus, which is good, mind you, Zemo pulls a little more focus, which as we talked about is fun, but structurally it’s kind of all over the place. There’s nothing, like you were saying, Justin, everybody’s sort of wandering everywhere. So you get this endorphin rush of, Oh, shit, we got to see Wakanda of these big fights of John Walker going bad by the end of the episode. And these are all good things from a Marvel fan perspective, but they’re not really amounting too much in terms of the show yet. Justin:              I mean, I agree. It’s sort of what we talked about in the previous episodes where it’s like, they’re putting so much on the table and it’s not about this. And they said it a ton in this episode. Justin:              Where you don’t have black and white, good guys, bad guys here. It’s all this gray area, verbatim said in this episode. And the only issue with that is it makes it much harder to explain the motivations of everyone. Cause you have to literally go through and be like, well, he’s doing this because of this. She’s doing this because of this, because we don’t have the classic hero-villain back and forth. This episode, I think was the hard one because it was the one where we’re starting to see our sides and it was confusing here. And you see in the characters like Bucky and Falcon, I spent a lot of the episode being like, “Okay, so, oh, okay, good, good. I’ll watch. Oh no. He’s okay. Good. Okay. Now.” And by the end of it, it’s like I see. Pete:                To talk a little bit about that gray area and the black and white, there was this amazing shot from above of Ayo and a Falcon kind of meeting. And it was like this right in the middle of the road, like white stone pebbles versus black stone pebbles. Alex:                 I think you mean Bucky. Pete:                Bucky, sorry. Alex:                 Bucky’s the one with the metal arm. Falcon is the one with the wings. It’s confusing. Pete:                Not that confusing. Anyways, sorry I mixed it up. But I’m just saying that like that to me, like this whole like line in the ground, like all these different perspectives and in a superhero movie, or whatever, like Marvel kind of thing, you don’t get to stop and talk about consequences and what it means to be a hero and like these icons and how they can mean more and mean different things to different people. So the fact that like they do have those discussions and Falcon is flexing a little bit of his background of like talking to people who’ve been through shit was awesome. Pete:                It was this thing of like, we’re not going to just punch people in the face. We’re going to try to talk. We’re going to try to do the right thing here. The fact that Zemo isn’t justice. We want to kill him. We need him. We’re doing stuff with him. Like we’re trying to do it for a greater good, like it’s interesting. And I don’t, don’t throw this structural shit around solves, like this is some interesting shit where unlike an action movie, with the move things forward. We can sit and have little moments like this and they’re powerful and great. Speaker 4:        I agree that scene was that for me, it was one of my favorite scenes in the episode. I just want more of that focus back on Bucky and Sam, because like, we are going to get it, but that made this episode harder to enjoy because it was them sort of at the mercy of the plot when really like the idea of like Bucky being deprogrammed by Ayo. And that scene we got was awesome. I want to see a little more like repercussions of better, what that means to him and Sam. We touched it a little bit where he was sort of like trying to philosophize with Carly before he was interrupted by a Walker. That was cool. And then he had the sister thing felt a little bit out of nowhere, but like they were getting to something there that I think we’re going to pay off later, but it just felt like, and this is a term that I know Pete uses a lot. It felt like more of a middling episode. Pete:                Oh my God. First off, don’t put words to my mouth. I’ve never said that in my life. But I think that I can understand what you’re saying, but I completely disagreed because we had a lot of like reveals of who people are moving forward and how things are going to work. And some very interesting, powerful conversations that you don’t get a lot. So I ate the ship up and the Dora Milaje is showing up and just wracking shit. And the fact that fake Captain America was like, they weren’t even Schumer showed yours was really awesome. You know, like handled his shield that he used temporarily holding on to, in a way that he didn’t even know how to do. I mean, dismantled, where two soldiers armed that he didn’t even know was a thing. It was so powerful in many different ways. I had a great time. Justin:              I agree. That was badass. And honestly, the Walker stuff in this episode was really good. And I feel like this was sort of his episode putting him in a spot where he needs to be sort of the villain for the rest of the series. Alex:                 Well, let me throw something out at you guys that in all honesty confused me, and maybe there is a straightforward explanation here, but I think to the point Justin was saying earlier, there’s a lot of back and forth. And this is what I’m getting at, not to harp on it too much with the structural thing, because I agree with you. There are fun sequences in here. There are things that I am enjoying. I am a Marvel fan. I am a sucker for this my entire life. So I’m never going to stop watching this forever. That’s fine. No, it’s true though. I feel like I needed to bed myself from feed who is like, how dare you? How dare you in kind of a joy, but not particularly loved this thing. Thor: the Dark World is not a good movie. I’ve still watched it several times. Justin:              That’s the ultimate credit you can drop. Hey bro, I’ve seen Thor: the Dark World more than once. So I get darkness. Alex:                 No, that’s not what I’m saying. My point being like, I am a sucker for this stuff. It is fine. I’m not going to give up even if I don’t think it necessarily makes sense. And I honestly want to know if there’s an explanation here, because I was very confused by what was going on towards the end of the episode, where Karli came out and said, “Okay, our plan is we’re going to kill Captain America.” Right? And the Flag Smashers like, eh, that seems like maybe a little bit of a chess step too far. But it seems like by the point they got to that big fight where everybody going nuts towards the end that they were on board with it, at least in a certain sense, then add in that Falcon and Bucky come to talk to Karli in full costume. Alex:                 Sharon is clearly tracking John Walker for them. So they must realize on some level that the flags bachelors are going for John Walker, not for them. I think though that it was never clearly established. So they’ll go after John Walker, we ended up in this fight. Karli comes out kills Battlestar, which is a whole separate thing that we definitely need to talk about here because that’s messed up. And that everybody who is onboard with the plan to kill Captain America is like, “Whoa, you killed Battlestar.” That’s a step too far and runs away. What’s going on there. Pete:                All right. There’s a lot to unpack there. Alex:                 There is, this is true. Pete:                But I think Karli… Alex:                 Explain it to me Pete. Pete:                Okay. So Karli didn’t know that the sidekick wasn’t powered up, she thought she was in like a super power kind of like fight. And they’re all like, okay, we’re going to follow Karli, but this is kind things you’re getting crazy right now. And I think once they see a normal person die that’s like them and who they’re fighting for, they all kind of stop and question their shit. And like, Yeah, I can see what you’re trying to say. But when you see that it does kind of be like “Whoa, whose side are we on?” because they had a lot of discussions leading up to this. And people were kind of backing away from Karli as the kind of shows this episode was going on because she was talking about like, “Oh she did kill that person.” “Oh she has gone too far.” Or maybe these ideas, so like, I think that’s why that moment kind of stopped people. And I couldn’t understand that wasn’t the original objective but when they saw that, that’s why there was pause. Justin:              Well, I think two things were happening there to echo what Pete’s saying. There’s the conversation that Sam has with Karli about supremacy. She sort of steps into saying some pretty supremacist things. And then she’s like catches herself, “Actually I’m not.” And then in that moment, when she may be at like violently strikes Battlestar and ends up maybe accidentally killing him, that’s her supremacy. She was not aware of what she’s wielding and she kills a person. And I think that’s when everyone was like, ah. Like a lot of political violence, terrorism, when you’re doing it from a distance like they did in last episode and killed those people remotely, it’s one thing. It feels like you’re supporting your cause when you’re in the room and your compatriot, your leader kills someone, it’s like, I don’t want this. I didn’t sign up for this. Justin:              I actually liked that moment because I thought it used a gray area of the Flag Smashers as like, “we feel we are now.” But then Captain America at the end, Walker kills one of their own. And you see the escalation happening here and you see they’re going to be hardened. When they were sort of soft and sort of regretting their violence for a second there, instantly they’re hardened by what, violence begets violence and Walker escalates that. I appreciate that moment. The other Walker stuff and like all the tracking, what you’re doing, I agree is a little confusing. I think Bucky and Sam are tracking Walker because they knew he was going to be a problem to them. Not because they thought he was a bad guy. It was just more like he’s the cop who’s watching us. Pete:                Yeah. [crosstalk 00:19:20] so they kind of want it… We’re talking about something that I want to back up the track a little bit. Falcon calls Sharon and Sharon’s like, “Yeah, I got a couple satellites under”. I don’t know who they think Sharon is, but I can not wait for the reveal of who Sharon is because she is running shit and like knows a lot, a little bit too much for maybe what’s going on. So I’m excited to see like a real Sharon reveal. Justin:              Get that SAT flex. Pete:                Yeah. I also think this episode was the king of small moments and I want to go back to the beginning like seeing the winter soldier cry when he’s like being said those words are loud was like really powerful and very, very cool. Alex:                 And I was mostly surprised that when he cried, his tear didn’t turn to ice because of his ice powers. He’s the winter soldier, right? Pete:                That’s not a funny joke. Speaker 4:        Yeah. When Disney bought Marvel, I think he became Elsa from Frozen’s brother? Pete:                But also like he… Alex:                 He want’s us to let it go. Pete:                We also saw that like he speaks Wakanda. I was so excited to get the Dora Milaje and see Wakanda and hear the music. It was really, really fantastic to kind of have those really just kind of small, amazing moments, very happy about it. Alex:                 It was very nice. I did want to jump back to two things that you were talking about earlier. One, I wanted to talk about Sharon Carter. I know I threw out a speculation or just a thought about is she the power broker in the last episode. This episode, they keep doubling down on the Power Broker is upset without bringing the Power Broker on screen. So obviously that’s going to send theory mind into overtime. It’s entirely possible. It could just be a guy named the Power Broker and the should be going, but it feels like that has to be somebody right? Justin:              It has to be at this point especially this episode, the buildup of like, got an email from the Power Broker. It’s like too much hype to. And the email from that pic Karli got from the power brokers like, “Hey, I was serious about my last email”. So like, “Please give me back the serum.” They’re clearly keeping that going because they’re going to reveal. Do we have any guests? Alex:                 Well I just want to mention that he definitely has read receipts on his emails? Right? That’s a Power Broker. Justin:              I know you read this, just please respond. Even if it’s just a no, just a quick no is all I want, just to know that you got it. Please confirm. Alex:                 So I want to throw a theory out to you that I don’t know that necessarily makes sense. I don’t know where this rumor started from, but everybody seems very convinced that William Hurt’s Thunderbolt Ross is in this show somehow. I don’t know if somebody saw him on set or something like that. Here’s my thought, this is putting together a bunch of random things. But what if the PowerBroker is Thunderbolt Ross, right? Sharon is working for him. She was not ex-communicated at all. She in fact is double agenting it up for the US government at this point working for Thunderbolt as the Power Broker. And we end with some sort of reveal here where they capture Zemo make him work for them and they have a whole flip of the Thunderbolts thing where they’re good guys pretending to be bad guys. Justin:              I mean that would be cool. That feels a little wild to go that way. It feels like- Pete:                Two episodes left. Justin:              We need one more set up moment and another show or a movie to get to Thunderbolts I feel like? What about this? This feels the most obvious, it’s a Power Brokers Al Pacino as Mephisto. Alex:                 That seems possible to me. Justin:              No. Alex:                 I know there was a rumor that Kevin Feigi had a meeting with Al Pacino and he played the devil on One Division I think. [crosstalk 00:23:27] I didn’t watch all episodes of One Division. So I just kind of read the rumors and theories. Justin:              It makes sense to tie him into every Marvel series in a lot of ways. And I hear that AL Pacino’s playing Loki in the Loki show. What if it’s Nick Fury? Pete:                Could be Nick Fury. Justin:              Because I do think that he feels more like a reveal that fits in this side of the Marvel universe. William Hurt feels a little distant. Alex:                 Right, I also don’t know, other than hardcore Marvel fans would be “Oh man, it’s William Hurt I love that guy.” But to be fair and I think this is part of the reason the rumors started. He has been very heavily tied to the Super Soldier Serum throughout the history of the MCU from Incredible Hulk to, that’s it. Justin:              I was going to say where is he going with this? From Incredible Hulk under William Hurt. Alex:                 I also think it’s entirely possible it is Sharon Carter. She’s just like created this false identity to run shit in Madripore. The other thing that I wanted to talk to you guys about though that I do think is important to address is the death of Battlestar and specifically using the death of a black man to power the ark of a white man is pretty messed up. Justin:              I agree. I was very surprised when Battlestar, right before the scene when he died, they were doing some things. I was like, this feels like they’re setting him up to die. They wouldn’t do that. And then when they did, I was very surprised. Pete:                Also like it really drove me nuts that like when they went into the building, the fake Captain America like stopped at the stairs and just started looking up for some reason. Went about as he was going to sweep the place, you went in to sweep a place, you don’t stop and look up at the ceiling and just kind of pause. You’re supposed to be a team, you’re supposed to work together. You can’t just leave your wing man. I was just so upset that the fact that like he was so dumb. Justin:              For showbiz, it that feels like they want to talk about race in a real way. For this to happen, I got to think it has to be something they will reckon with going forward because otherwise, I don’t get it. So I don’t want to trust that things they’ve referenced go in the first three episodes leading us up to this, give me confidence they will reckon with this going forward. Alex:                 I hope so. I definitely. I’m putting an asterisk on it to your point until the next episode to see how they follow up. But just on the surface, it definitely made me recoil quite a bit and not just because it was a dark moment for the show, but because of a greater world things. So we’ll revisit this discussion next episode and see what happens. A couple of other things I wanted to throw out on the same note with the end of the episode, in the comics, John Walker’s breaking point was his parents getting killed. He goes apeshit after that. He does the same thing here in this episode leading up to… I do think the best image in the entire episode was that last one of John Walker with the blood at the bottom of the shield, that was really, really well-framed and really well done. Pete:                It was so creepy in all the right ways, the way kind of hung on it. And then also he was just kind of tweaking out there. I was just like, it’s very powerful and very upsetting. Justin:              Yeah. To use Pete’s line of like this was an episode about the King of small moments, I think you said? Like the sequence that was great. The moment where like you see him bend the gun, I think and seems like, “Oh, shit”. He’s juiced up and then from that moment onto the last sequence, when you see him raise the shield and that moment. You actually get to see and make the choice to kill him, to kill the Black Smasher. That to me, I was like, Oh, very smartly done, very tense. And then to end it with that blood on the shield thing where it’s like, yes, that is and it really reflects on another great moment. The line, there’s never been another Steve Rogers. And that I thought was very cool and the conversation sort of midway through the episode with battle between Battlestar and Walker where they were like, “Hey, would you take the serum?” I thought that was really cool and it’s like, it doesn’t turn you, it doesn’t make you bad, it just heightens your qualities. Justin:              And then you hear their conversation, you’re like, “Oh, you don’t know that you have these bad qualities that it’s going to heighten when you inevitably take.” Pete:                Yeah and that’s a good question. Would you guys take the serum? Alex:                 Well, actually I have a question before that question, because one of my huge bummers of the episode even beyond everything we’ve talked about is we didn’t get to see him take the serum. And I want to know how you take the serum? Justin:              I think it’s rectal insertion. Alex:                 I was thinking either you drink it or maybe you eat the whole bottle and crunch it. I’m not 100% sure. Justin:              Yes like a gusher, you put the whole thing. Pete:                It seems like you would inject it. Alex:                 But it didn’t have like an injecting thing. Was it just a bottle of Serum and then I guess you have to use a separate hypodermic with the doctor. Justin:              It comes with Turkey Baster and you just blast it into your… Pete:                In you’re what? I’m sorry. Alex:                 [crosstalk 00:28:53] just like Fruit Gushers. Justin:              Exactly. Pete:                Just like Fruit Gushers. Justin:              You guys get the anal Gushers, right? Pete:                But regardless of how you take it, how would you guys take it? Alex:                 Absolutely. No hesitation. I don’t know. That’s the long answer, if you had a chance to take a super soldier syrum that would make you super strong and extend your life, why would you not take it? Pete:                Oh my God. You would be so evil and so fucked up immediately. Alex:                 It would just make me more me whatever I was. Pete:                I would just run away taking the seekers. Justin:              Super podcast. It wouldn’t be a super soldier serum would be super podcast or serum. Alex:                 Wow, that guy would be talking for 24 hours. I can podcast this all day. Pete:                Oh boy. Justin:              Pete, would you take it? Pete:                I don’t know. And that’s the thing even Zemo paused. Like that’s how crazy question it is. And I appreciate the fact that I don’t think I could have made that decision like that, you know what I mean. Like I don’t know if I would have jumped on one of the vials and just immediately drank it. I like how they’re playing with the power of it a little bit. Alex:                 Justin, you didn’t answer the question. Justin:              I just took it. You guys talking about it. I was like, wow, I’ve been holding onto this for awhile. Pete:                And I guess the second biggest question is, do you call your parents or anything kind of cute and adorable? Like TT, do you have a GAM GAM or anything like that in your family? Justin:              Never did growing up but now my mom insists that her grandchildren call her Meema. And I always say MIMA, and she’s like, “it’s not MIMA MEEMA.” And I’m like, “okay, it’s a child’s word. Tell me how to say it. Like, it’s your name.” Alex:                 One last little Easter egg thing that I wanted to mention that is definitely not an Easter egg, but it perked up my ears nonetheless is when they were talking about the Global Repatriation Council and they were passing this at GRC. They called it the patch act at given that we have Madripoor and Wolverine’s code name and Madripoor patch. I was like, Oh, it’s definitely named after him and that I pause for a second. I was like, no, it is too early in the morning. Justin:              Oh yeah, Kevin Feige sitting in the master headquarters of the Marvel cinematic universe. He’s like, “how should we introduce Wolverine?” Like, let’s do it as the name of it and act in a small seated Falcon in the Winter Soldier. Alex:                 Any other final thoughts before we start to wrap this up here, Pete? Pete:                Yeah. I can’t say enough about how crazy kind of things escalated in this episode and how interesting the addition to the Dora Milaje was such a fun escalation and all the right ways. I thought that it was just so great and I can’t get enough of it and I am hopefully for more, but I don’t know if we’ll get more, Justin:              I guess just two things I did like the joke about Zemo, do the stupid head tilt thing. That was a fun. Pete:                Another King of the small moments right there. Justin:              King of the small moments and I do think was that like a straight up Brule dig about his acting choice because it wasn’t about the character. That was about literally how he does it. That was very funny. But second, I like the jokes in this show, they’re funny, but it feels totally odd and it really made me think this series is sort of not the same tone as the Marvel movies at all. As much as everyone’s like, it’s like a Marvel movie, but in TV form. Like it’s actually not, it’s quite different. It’s like an espionage TV series and just featuring Marvel characters. Alex:                 This gets to a bigger thing that is very rumory and I don’t know how true it is, but there was a lot of talk from folks that apparently they reshot a bunch of this show and reworked and rejiggered it. And there are points in this episode in particular I think and maybe the last episode where you can kind of see they overdubbed certain things. I don’t know exactly what the changes are, but certainly things like, “Hey, where’s that Joaquin guy who was certainly very important in the first episode. I think he’s somebody that was objected in there. He was apparently cast very late in the process. He was objected in there to give a little more exposition. It’s possible that the differing tones of what’s going on that you’re bringing up Justin might be part of that as well, it wasn’t quite as consistent as they thought it might be. Again, I don’t know what the changes are, but certainly I think that might point to a couple of those things. Justin:              But I don’t mean that the tone within this, I haven’t felt off put by the internal tone of the show. I was just struck in this episode by how different this episode feels in comparison to almost everything else from the Marvel Cinematic universe. Even WandaVision felt more like the movies than this does. Pete:                But they did have like some action movie fun where like Bucky punches somebody through a wall. And then it goes like, stay put, like there was still some tonal, like fun moments, but I agree with what you’re saying. It definitely is different. And one more kind of small moment that I wanted to point out when Zemo was talking about this kind of place that they’re in, where they have like the kids before he gives the kids the candy and somebody crosses behind them and the Winter Soldier feels it and turns to it. And just like a small character moment where Kyle Falcon doesn’t like pick up on it, but Bucky does. And I was just like, Oh wow. That is such a cool little thing. Justin:              Yes. And training for like 88 years or something. Alex:                 Before we wrap up here, what is on your vision board for the next episode, Pete? What’s on your vision board? Pete:                Well, I’m hoping to get to like the bottom of the real issues. You know what I mean? Like what other family members on the Avengers use different kind of nicknames for their families. Did anybody do like a gappers and poppers type of situation or snatches, hoppers? But I really think that like Turkish Delight is got to be a bigger thing. You can’t just do an ad for Turkish Delight and not really have a pay off. So the next couple of episodes, I can’t wait to see that kind of pay off more. Alex:                 Great, great vision board. Justin, what about you? Justin:              Yeah. So true. Based on that last image of the blood on the shield, like in the next episode, I want to see that shield in Sam’s hand or Bucky’s hand or hopefully ideally both. Cause I think it’s… Alex:                 They’re holding hands together. Justin:              Trying to be like, “Oh, block over here! You throw it. “ Alex:                 They’re doing that thing where they’re both in one shirt. Justin:              Yeah, exactly. Stuck on you style. Pete:                I hope that also in the next episode fake cap is out of the picture dead or.. Alex:                 Definitely not going to happen. Justin:              I like him as the final vial villain, but I want that we’ve set up the anticipation has been building about like, who should have the shield, it’s feels like Sam’s shield, but I’m curious to see how that will play out. And maybe next episode, it’s like Bucky’s turn to have the shield for a moment, what he does with it because I think that is the statement, that’s the metaphor of this series and to stick it to see it in each of their hands. If we’re going to end up with it in Sam’s hand at the end of the series, I want to see it in Bucky’s hand and what it means for him to have the legacy, because the scene in Wakanda in this episode was about him moving past his dark past. And so when he holds the shield, what does he become? What does he become going forward? And then in the end of the series, what does Sam become if he has the shield and he’s not going to put it back on the shelf, I don’t think. Who is he as Falcon as Captain America with wings. Alex:                 Kind of petered out there a little bit. Pete:                That’s a horrible way to say that. Alex:                 On my vision part, we already covered this, but I just want to see some sort of reckoning and explanation of what happened with Battlestar. I do think that’s very important for contextualizing that moment. I hope they do it. We will cross our fingers and see. Pete:                It was just real nice to see someone step on the shield and do that move again. I’d missed that move. So it was really great to get that move back and in Wakanda Forever. Alex:                 Great. If you like to support a podcast, patrion.com/comic book club. Also we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. Come hang out, we would love to chat with you about Falcon and the Winter Soldier, iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the App of your choice to subscribe and listen to the show. A Marvel vision pod on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook comic book clublive.com for this podcast and many more. Until next time, we’ll see you. Whoops friends. Justin:              Oh, do the stupid head tilt thing. The post MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 4 – “The Whole World Is Watching” appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Things get real dark, real quick as John Walker comes for the Flag-Smashers on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4, “The Whole World is Watching.” With the Dora Milaje on the hunt for Zemo, the pressure is on for Sam and Bucky to try to turn Karli Morganthau, or take her down. And once the new Captain America and Battlestar get into the mix, things get complicated — and tragic. Let’s break down all the Turkish delight — sorry, Easter eggs, Marvel comic book references and much more.

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Full Episode Transcript

Alex:                 Welcome to MarvelVision, a podcast about Marvel, the MCU, and right now, Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I’m Alex.

Justin:              I’m Justin.

Pete:                I’m Pete.

Alex:                 And we are going to be talking about the fourth episode of the series, The Whole World is Watching. And it is true, this is a big show, lots of people watching, the whole world in fact, has been tuning in for every episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. And that’s what the title is mostly about, is the ratings for the show, which we know of course are through the roof. So that’s very exciting.

Justin:              That’s right. Anytime you can just guess about your ratings and throw that in the title.

Pete:                It’s a boss move, it’s a boss move for sure.

Justin:              It’s a baller move. Like of shows are like, “Whoops, no one watched and we’re canceled. Episode four.”

Alex:                 That was my favorite show for a really long time. I wish they hadn’t titled it that because I feel like more people have watched and it wouldn’t have gotten cancelled.

Justin:              Anytime you can throw a “Whoops” in there at the beginning of anything, you’re really speaking to the people.

Alex:                 It was actually originally called, “Whoops Friends.”

Justin:              Whoops, we’re friends. I mean that’s sort of what it was about.

Alex:                 Kind of, they just met. They were on a break.

Justin:              Whoops, we’re podcasters. That’s us. That’s what this is.

Alex:                 Now requisite spoiler warning here. If you haven’t watched the fourth episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier please go do that because we’re going to spoil the heck out of it. But first a little pluggy poo over here of this-

Justin:              Pluggy poo? We have not vetted that term.

Pete:                And what just happened?

Alex:                 I’m just playing around with some stuff.

Justin:              Sorry, Alex its just son who’s talking right now?

Alex:                 If you haven’t checked it out already, we did an interview with Olli Haaskivi, who is the actor who played Dr. Wilfred Nagel on the last episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Now, if you’re only subscribed, we rolled this out a bunch of different places. We usually roll these episodes out in the Comic Book Club feed and then the Marvel Vision feed. The Olli Haaskivi episode is exclusive to the Marvel Vision feed. So if you’re listening on Podcasts, go check it out over there. It was super fun. And I think we got a lot of interesting information about how it works, particularly for one scene or slightly more than one scene actor on a Marvel show. I thought it was-

Pete:                It was really cool to talk to him. And after talking to him and then kind of re-watching his stuff, he’s a really good actor, like what he is and then what he became. Wow. Pretty awesome.

Alex:                 I mean, I’ll tell you when I was putting together the thumbnail for the episode and grabbed the still of Dr. Wilfred Nagel, I looked at it and there was a brief moment of like, “Is this not the guy? Would somebody do a weird prank to get us interview somebody as a fake Dr. Wilfred Nagel?”

Justin:              But honestly, I think a lot of the interview really lets us in on the acting process.

Alex:                 Yeah, you were very excited to talk acting with somebody.

Justin:              As a classically trained actor. I’ve talked to YouTube bozos.

Alex:                 You were like, “Ooh! Yeah, I know what you’re talking about!”

Justin:              I was not woo-hooing.

Alex:                 You were like a little boy jumping up and down talking to him.

Justin:              Sure, I was jumping up and down a little bit and going like this.

Alex:                 “I know what you’re talking about!”

Justin:              Definitely. And getting into this episode, we’re talking about today, our guy was in the Previously On just dominating.

Alex:                 He was. I was like, “That’s our best friend right there.”

Justin:              That’s exactly what I said.

Alex:                 Whoops! Friends.

Justin:              Whoops, we’re friends.

Alex:                 So, let’s talk about this episode. Lots of stuff going on in this one. Interestingly, not a lot of Easter eggs necessarily. You know, we’ve been talking about the Easter eggs, the Marvel comics references. There were a couple there, but it wasn’t the speculation, a million thing that we’ve expected from Wanda Vision, not even the level of the last couple of episodes of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, though, there are a couple of things. Pete, what did you want to call out? What’s the Easter Egg? [crosstalk 00:04:01] that they went to Wakanda? That was a good Easter egg.

Pete:                But don’t spoil all the things I want to talk about at once you fucking dick, but I was going to say Zemo was hiding candy like it was Easter. So come on. [crosstalk 00:04:13].

Alex:                 Well, that actually was the one thing that I felt like was a weird little Easter egg there. I don’t know about you guys, but I associate Turkish Delight most with the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. And I think if you’ve read the book or you’ve seen the movie, you know what it is, it’s this candy that he has there, but it’s one of those things that I think everybody that I’ve ever talked to have the same experience reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, because you hear about the White Queen gives Turkish Delight to this character, Edmund and tempts him and brings him over to her side and you hear about it, but they don’t describe it. And it’s this mysterious thing from childs that have- it’s clearly the most delicious candy of all time, but you have no idea what it is.

Justin:              And honestly, in reading the book, I imagined it as sort of like a brownie because I love brownies. And I feel like it’s the kind of thing at that age where it’s like, what would tempt you to go with the bad guy? And I was like, “Well, brownies would, that’s for sure.”

Pete:                At one point I was like, “Are we just in a giant ad for Turkish Delight right now? Like, this show is basically hinging on how great Turkish Delight is.”

Alex:                 So I’ll tell you what, it’s not great.

Justin:              The actual candy Turkish Delight, it’s like a Jolly Rancher, basically.

Pete:                Hey, Jolly Ranchers aren’t bad.

Alex:                 No, it’s fine. [crosstalk 00:05:29]

Justin:              You’re not going evil for a Jolly Rancher.

Alex:                 If someone like Baron Zemo would take a bunch of Turkish Delights, throw it at me, I would be like, “All right. I’ll tell you literally whatever you want.”

Justin:              I’ll invite you to my friend’s secret funeral.

Alex:                 Depending on how hungry I am, I might.

Justin:              Hungry? For a Jolly Rancher? That’s not a meal. Jolly Rancher’s an anti-meal.

Alex:                 I’ll tell you what, we’re getting wildly off track here. But I have one cavity that I’ve gotten filled in, in my entire life. That was because there was a period of time I had a sack of Jolly Ranchers and I was like, “Well, I could just have these instead of-“

Pete:                A sack? Are you Santa Claus? Who walks around with a sack?

Alex:                 I got a huge variety pack of Jolly Ranchers. And I was home and instead of brushing my teeth, I was like, “I’ll just pop a Jolly Rancher.”

Pete:                How is that instead of brushing your teeth?

Alex:                 In my head it was like gum or mints, but instead I was having a Jolly Rancher and it just didn’t occur to me and I got a cavity.

Pete:                You went to Cornell. How are you this dumb?

Justin:              And you used to floss with Twizzlers, right?

Alex:                 Big gaps in my teeth.

Justin:              Wow. Only one cavity. I’ve had way more cavities. And I always blame it on, I grew up on well water, which doesn’t have fluoride, which strengthens your teeth. I just add old dirt in there now. But last I went to the dentist, I went to the dentist recently cause true fans of the show will know that I had a broken tooth that had dropped off on this very podcast. And like our second episode, went to the dentist, no cavities.

Alex:                 Wow. Good for you. Also, no teeth.

Justin:              Also no teeth. I’m out of teeth. That’s a big factor. It’s just one big cavity.

Pete:                That was a real scary moment for me. When I was talking to you and your tooth was missing, I had to talk to a bunch of people about it. Like, cause I really questioned my beliefs and stuff like that because it was like, I have trusted the words that come out of your mouth for years. And then when you had just a tooth missing, I all of a sudden didn’t trust who you were or what you were about. It was a real thing.

Justin:              The importance of a full set of teeth cannot be overstated.

Pete:                I didn’t know I would be so shook. Yeah. But then, reverse-

Alex:                 Sorry, not to get back to Falcon and the Winter Soldier or anything, but actually to revisit the Turkish Delight. I think Baron Zemo is kind of getting, pulling the most focus in this show right now. Who knows if he’s going to show up going beyond this because he escapes at the end of the episode, but it’s wild to me how much he more is getting out of these episodes and out of these arcs than even Sam and Bucky are.

Pete:                And the choices that he’s making and like the way he interacts with people. It’s not the Zemo that I know. It’s been very kind of cool to see this other side of Zemo, and when he crushed up the serum, I was like, “Oh, shit, look at this guy doing the right thing.”

Justin:              I think for me, the main reason why Zemo is sort of having the most interest and focus is because he has a plan and we don’t know what it is. And the rest of the characters don’t have a plan and seem sort of lost. And the dialogue they have, it’s very obvious what they’re just like, they’re doing a lot of exposition. So it feels like, ah, where’s the fun here? And then Zemo’s just wandering around, being weird with candy, breaking the serum.

Pete:                Don’t mind me, I’m just going to escape through the bathroom.

Alex:                 Well, this gets to a bigger thing. And I really didn’t want Pete to yell at me in this episode, but it struck me with this episode in particular that this is going to come out much stronger than I mean it. If this wasn’t a Marvel show, I don’t think this would be good at this point. It has a chance to turn it around in the last two episodes. But particularly this episode felt very messy to me. There were a lot of things that I liked in individual moments, but just to talk about the arc of the episode, you start off with this great flashback scene of Bucky in Wakanda, getting his [crosstalk 00:09:24] hold on, hold on. This is exactly getting to the point. You’re actually getting to the point of what I’m saying. I love it, we get to see him breaking his programming, but the episode isn’t about Bucky.

Alex:                 So just from a structural perspective, we get this thing that follows up on the scene from the last episode. But Sam pulls a little more focus, which is good, mind you, Zemo pulls a little more focus, which as we talked about is fun, but structurally it’s kind of all over the place. There’s nothing, like you were saying, Justin, everybody’s sort of wandering everywhere. So you get this endorphin rush of, Oh, shit, we got to see Wakanda of these big fights of John Walker going bad by the end of the episode. And these are all good things from a Marvel fan perspective, but they’re not really amounting too much in terms of the show yet.

Justin:              I mean, I agree. It’s sort of what we talked about in the previous episodes where it’s like, they’re putting so much on the table and it’s not about this. And they said it a ton in this episode.

Justin:              Where you don’t have black and white, good guys, bad guys here. It’s all this gray area, verbatim said in this episode. And the only issue with that is it makes it much harder to explain the motivations of everyone. Cause you have to literally go through and be like, well, he’s doing this because of this. She’s doing this because of this, because we don’t have the classic hero-villain back and forth. This episode, I think was the hard one because it was the one where we’re starting to see our sides and it was confusing here. And you see in the characters like Bucky and Falcon, I spent a lot of the episode being like, “Okay, so, oh, okay, good, good. I’ll watch. Oh no. He’s okay. Good. Okay. Now.” And by the end of it, it’s like I see.

Pete:                To talk a little bit about that gray area and the black and white, there was this amazing shot from above of Ayo and a Falcon kind of meeting. And it was like this right in the middle of the road, like white stone pebbles versus black stone pebbles.

Alex:                 I think you mean Bucky.

Pete:                Bucky, sorry.

Alex:                 Bucky’s the one with the metal arm. Falcon is the one with the wings. It’s confusing.

Pete:                Not that confusing. Anyways, sorry I mixed it up. But I’m just saying that like that to me, like this whole like line in the ground, like all these different perspectives and in a superhero movie, or whatever, like Marvel kind of thing, you don’t get to stop and talk about consequences and what it means to be a hero and like these icons and how they can mean more and mean different things to different people. So the fact that like they do have those discussions and Falcon is flexing a little bit of his background of like talking to people who’ve been through shit was awesome.

Pete:                It was this thing of like, we’re not going to just punch people in the face. We’re going to try to talk. We’re going to try to do the right thing here. The fact that Zemo isn’t justice. We want to kill him. We need him. We’re doing stuff with him. Like we’re trying to do it for a greater good, like it’s interesting. And I don’t, don’t throw this structural shit around solves, like this is some interesting shit where unlike an action movie, with the move things forward. We can sit and have little moments like this and they’re powerful and great.

Speaker 4:        I agree that scene was that for me, it was one of my favorite scenes in the episode. I just want more of that focus back on Bucky and Sam, because like, we are going to get it, but that made this episode harder to enjoy because it was them sort of at the mercy of the plot when really like the idea of like Bucky being deprogrammed by Ayo. And that scene we got was awesome. I want to see a little more like repercussions of better, what that means to him and Sam. We touched it a little bit where he was sort of like trying to philosophize with Carly before he was interrupted by a Walker. That was cool. And then he had the sister thing felt a little bit out of nowhere, but like they were getting to something there that I think we’re going to pay off later, but it just felt like, and this is a term that I know Pete uses a lot. It felt like more of a middling episode.

Pete:                Oh my God. First off, don’t put words to my mouth. I’ve never said that in my life. But I think that I can understand what you’re saying, but I completely disagreed because we had a lot of like reveals of who people are moving forward and how things are going to work. And some very interesting, powerful conversations that you don’t get a lot. So I ate the ship up and the Dora Milaje is showing up and just wracking shit. And the fact that fake Captain America was like, they weren’t even Schumer showed yours was really awesome. You know, like handled his shield that he used temporarily holding on to, in a way that he didn’t even know how to do. I mean, dismantled, where two soldiers armed that he didn’t even know was a thing. It was so powerful in many different ways. I had a great time.

Justin:              I agree. That was badass. And honestly, the Walker stuff in this episode was really good. And I feel like this was sort of his episode putting him in a spot where he needs to be sort of the villain for the rest of the series.

Alex:                 Well, let me throw something out at you guys that in all honesty confused me, and maybe there is a straightforward explanation here, but I think to the point Justin was saying earlier, there’s a lot of back and forth. And this is what I’m getting at, not to harp on it too much with the structural thing, because I agree with you. There are fun sequences in here. There are things that I am enjoying. I am a Marvel fan. I am a sucker for this my entire life. So I’m never going to stop watching this forever. That’s fine. No, it’s true though. I feel like I needed to bed myself from feed who is like, how dare you? How dare you in kind of a joy, but not particularly loved this thing. Thor: the Dark World is not a good movie. I’ve still watched it several times.

Justin:              That’s the ultimate credit you can drop. Hey bro, I’ve seen Thor: the Dark World more than once. So I get darkness.

Alex:                 No, that’s not what I’m saying. My point being like, I am a sucker for this stuff. It is fine. I’m not going to give up even if I don’t think it necessarily makes sense. And I honestly want to know if there’s an explanation here, because I was very confused by what was going on towards the end of the episode, where Karli came out and said, “Okay, our plan is we’re going to kill Captain America.” Right? And the Flag Smashers like, eh, that seems like maybe a little bit of a chess step too far. But it seems like by the point they got to that big fight where everybody going nuts towards the end that they were on board with it, at least in a certain sense, then add in that Falcon and Bucky come to talk to Karli in full costume.

Alex:                 Sharon is clearly tracking John Walker for them. So they must realize on some level that the flags bachelors are going for John Walker, not for them. I think though that it was never clearly established. So they’ll go after John Walker, we ended up in this fight. Karli comes out kills Battlestar, which is a whole separate thing that we definitely need to talk about here because that’s messed up. And that everybody who is onboard with the plan to kill Captain America is like, “Whoa, you killed Battlestar.” That’s a step too far and runs away. What’s going on there.

Pete:                All right. There’s a lot to unpack there.

Alex:                 There is, this is true.

Pete:                But I think Karli…

Alex:                 Explain it to me Pete.

Pete:                Okay. So Karli didn’t know that the sidekick wasn’t powered up, she thought she was in like a super power kind of like fight. And they’re all like, okay, we’re going to follow Karli, but this is kind things you’re getting crazy right now. And I think once they see a normal person die that’s like them and who they’re fighting for, they all kind of stop and question their shit. And like, Yeah, I can see what you’re trying to say. But when you see that it does kind of be like “Whoa, whose side are we on?” because they had a lot of discussions leading up to this. And people were kind of backing away from Karli as the kind of shows this episode was going on because she was talking about like, “Oh she did kill that person.” “Oh she has gone too far.” Or maybe these ideas, so like, I think that’s why that moment kind of stopped people. And I couldn’t understand that wasn’t the original objective but when they saw that, that’s why there was pause.

Justin:              Well, I think two things were happening there to echo what Pete’s saying. There’s the conversation that Sam has with Karli about supremacy. She sort of steps into saying some pretty supremacist things. And then she’s like catches herself, “Actually I’m not.” And then in that moment, when she may be at like violently strikes Battlestar and ends up maybe accidentally killing him, that’s her supremacy. She was not aware of what she’s wielding and she kills a person. And I think that’s when everyone was like, ah. Like a lot of political violence, terrorism, when you’re doing it from a distance like they did in last episode and killed those people remotely, it’s one thing. It feels like you’re supporting your cause when you’re in the room and your compatriot, your leader kills someone, it’s like, I don’t want this. I didn’t sign up for this.

Justin:              I actually liked that moment because I thought it used a gray area of the Flag Smashers as like, “we feel we are now.” But then Captain America at the end, Walker kills one of their own. And you see the escalation happening here and you see they’re going to be hardened. When they were sort of soft and sort of regretting their violence for a second there, instantly they’re hardened by what, violence begets violence and Walker escalates that. I appreciate that moment. The other Walker stuff and like all the tracking, what you’re doing, I agree is a little confusing. I think Bucky and Sam are tracking Walker because they knew he was going to be a problem to them. Not because they thought he was a bad guy. It was just more like he’s the cop who’s watching us.

Pete:                Yeah. [crosstalk 00:19:20] so they kind of want it… We’re talking about something that I want to back up the track a little bit. Falcon calls Sharon and Sharon’s like, “Yeah, I got a couple satellites under”. I don’t know who they think Sharon is, but I can not wait for the reveal of who Sharon is because she is running shit and like knows a lot, a little bit too much for maybe what’s going on. So I’m excited to see like a real Sharon reveal.

Justin:              Get that SAT flex.

Pete:                Yeah. I also think this episode was the king of small moments and I want to go back to the beginning like seeing the winter soldier cry when he’s like being said those words are loud was like really powerful and very, very cool.

Alex:                 And I was mostly surprised that when he cried, his tear didn’t turn to ice because of his ice powers. He’s the winter soldier, right?

Pete:                That’s not a funny joke.

Speaker 4:        Yeah. When Disney bought Marvel, I think he became Elsa from Frozen’s brother?

Pete:                But also like he…

Alex:                 He want’s us to let it go.

Pete:                We also saw that like he speaks Wakanda. I was so excited to get the Dora Milaje and see Wakanda and hear the music. It was really, really fantastic to kind of have those really just kind of small, amazing moments, very happy about it.

Alex:                 It was very nice. I did want to jump back to two things that you were talking about earlier. One, I wanted to talk about Sharon Carter. I know I threw out a speculation or just a thought about is she the power broker in the last episode. This episode, they keep doubling down on the Power Broker is upset without bringing the Power Broker on screen. So obviously that’s going to send theory mind into overtime. It’s entirely possible. It could just be a guy named the Power Broker and the should be going, but it feels like that has to be somebody right?

Justin:              It has to be at this point especially this episode, the buildup of like, got an email from the Power Broker. It’s like too much hype to. And the email from that pic Karli got from the power brokers like, “Hey, I was serious about my last email”. So like, “Please give me back the serum.” They’re clearly keeping that going because they’re going to reveal. Do we have any guests?

Alex:                 Well I just want to mention that he definitely has read receipts on his emails? Right? That’s a Power Broker.

Justin:              I know you read this, just please respond. Even if it’s just a no, just a quick no is all I want, just to know that you got it. Please confirm.

Alex:                 So I want to throw a theory out to you that I don’t know that necessarily makes sense. I don’t know where this rumor started from, but everybody seems very convinced that William Hurt’s Thunderbolt Ross is in this show somehow. I don’t know if somebody saw him on set or something like that. Here’s my thought, this is putting together a bunch of random things. But what if the PowerBroker is Thunderbolt Ross, right? Sharon is working for him. She was not ex-communicated at all. She in fact is double agenting it up for the US government at this point working for Thunderbolt as the Power Broker. And we end with some sort of reveal here where they capture Zemo make him work for them and they have a whole flip of the Thunderbolts thing where they’re good guys pretending to be bad guys.

Justin:              I mean that would be cool. That feels a little wild to go that way. It feels like-

Pete:                Two episodes left.

Justin:              We need one more set up moment and another show or a movie to get to Thunderbolts I feel like? What about this? This feels the most obvious, it’s a Power Brokers Al Pacino as Mephisto.

Alex:                 That seems possible to me.

Justin:              No.

Alex:                 I know there was a rumor that Kevin Feigi had a meeting with Al Pacino and he played the devil on One Division I think. [crosstalk 00:23:27] I didn’t watch all episodes of One Division. So I just kind of read the rumors and theories.

Justin:              It makes sense to tie him into every Marvel series in a lot of ways. And I hear that AL Pacino’s playing Loki in the Loki show. What if it’s Nick Fury?

Pete:                Could be Nick Fury.

Justin:              Because I do think that he feels more like a reveal that fits in this side of the Marvel universe. William Hurt feels a little distant.

Alex:                 Right, I also don’t know, other than hardcore Marvel fans would be “Oh man, it’s William Hurt I love that guy.” But to be fair and I think this is part of the reason the rumors started. He has been very heavily tied to the Super Soldier Serum throughout the history of the MCU from Incredible Hulk to, that’s it.

Justin:              I was going to say where is he going with this? From Incredible Hulk under William Hurt.

Alex:                 I also think it’s entirely possible it is Sharon Carter. She’s just like created this false identity to run shit in Madripore. The other thing that I wanted to talk to you guys about though that I do think is important to address is the death of Battlestar and specifically using the death of a black man to power the ark of a white man is pretty messed up.

Justin:              I agree. I was very surprised when Battlestar, right before the scene when he died, they were doing some things. I was like, this feels like they’re setting him up to die. They wouldn’t do that. And then when they did, I was very surprised.

Pete:                Also like it really drove me nuts that like when they went into the building, the fake Captain America like stopped at the stairs and just started looking up for some reason. Went about as he was going to sweep the place, you went in to sweep a place, you don’t stop and look up at the ceiling and just kind of pause. You’re supposed to be a team, you’re supposed to work together. You can’t just leave your wing man. I was just so upset that the fact that like he was so dumb.

Justin:              For showbiz, it that feels like they want to talk about race in a real way. For this to happen, I got to think it has to be something they will reckon with going forward because otherwise, I don’t get it. So I don’t want to trust that things they’ve referenced go in the first three episodes leading us up to this, give me confidence they will reckon with this going forward.

Alex:                 I hope so. I definitely. I’m putting an asterisk on it to your point until the next episode to see how they follow up. But just on the surface, it definitely made me recoil quite a bit and not just because it was a dark moment for the show, but because of a greater world things. So we’ll revisit this discussion next episode and see what happens. A couple of other things I wanted to throw out on the same note with the end of the episode, in the comics, John Walker’s breaking point was his parents getting killed. He goes apeshit after that. He does the same thing here in this episode leading up to… I do think the best image in the entire episode was that last one of John Walker with the blood at the bottom of the shield, that was really, really well-framed and really well done.

Pete:                It was so creepy in all the right ways, the way kind of hung on it. And then also he was just kind of tweaking out there. I was just like, it’s very powerful and very upsetting.

Justin:              Yeah. To use Pete’s line of like this was an episode about the King of small moments, I think you said? Like the sequence that was great. The moment where like you see him bend the gun, I think and seems like, “Oh, shit”. He’s juiced up and then from that moment onto the last sequence, when you see him raise the shield and that moment. You actually get to see and make the choice to kill him, to kill the Black Smasher. That to me, I was like, Oh, very smartly done, very tense. And then to end it with that blood on the shield thing where it’s like, yes, that is and it really reflects on another great moment. The line, there’s never been another Steve Rogers. And that I thought was very cool and the conversation sort of midway through the episode with battle between Battlestar and Walker where they were like, “Hey, would you take the serum?” I thought that was really cool and it’s like, it doesn’t turn you, it doesn’t make you bad, it just heightens your qualities.

Justin:              And then you hear their conversation, you’re like, “Oh, you don’t know that you have these bad qualities that it’s going to heighten when you inevitably take.”

Pete:                Yeah and that’s a good question. Would you guys take the serum?

Alex:                 Well, actually I have a question before that question, because one of my huge bummers of the episode even beyond everything we’ve talked about is we didn’t get to see him take the serum. And I want to know how you take the serum?

Justin:              I think it’s rectal insertion.

Alex:                 I was thinking either you drink it or maybe you eat the whole bottle and crunch it. I’m not 100% sure.

Justin:              Yes like a gusher, you put the whole thing.

Pete:                It seems like you would inject it.

Alex:                 But it didn’t have like an injecting thing. Was it just a bottle of Serum and then I guess you have to use a separate hypodermic with the doctor.

Justin:              It comes with Turkey Baster and you just blast it into your…

Pete:                In you’re what? I’m sorry.

Alex:                 [crosstalk 00:28:53] just like Fruit Gushers.

Justin:              Exactly.

Pete:                Just like Fruit Gushers.

Justin:              You guys get the anal Gushers, right?

Pete:                But regardless of how you take it, how would you guys take it?

Alex:                 Absolutely. No hesitation. I don’t know. That’s the long answer, if you had a chance to take a super soldier syrum that would make you super strong and extend your life, why would you not take it?

Pete:                Oh my God. You would be so evil and so fucked up immediately.

Alex:                 It would just make me more me whatever I was.

Pete:                I would just run away taking the seekers.

Justin:              Super podcast. It wouldn’t be a super soldier serum would be super podcast or serum.

Alex:                 Wow, that guy would be talking for 24 hours. I can podcast this all day.

Pete:                Oh boy.

Justin:              Pete, would you take it?

Pete:                I don’t know. And that’s the thing even Zemo paused. Like that’s how crazy question it is. And I appreciate the fact that I don’t think I could have made that decision like that, you know what I mean. Like I don’t know if I would have jumped on one of the vials and just immediately drank it. I like how they’re playing with the power of it a little bit.

Alex:                 Justin, you didn’t answer the question.

Justin:              I just took it. You guys talking about it. I was like, wow, I’ve been holding onto this for awhile.

Pete:                And I guess the second biggest question is, do you call your parents or anything kind of cute and adorable? Like TT, do you have a GAM GAM or anything like that in your family?

Justin:              Never did growing up but now my mom insists that her grandchildren call her Meema. And I always say MIMA, and she’s like, “it’s not MIMA MEEMA.” And I’m like, “okay, it’s a child’s word. Tell me how to say it. Like, it’s your name.”

Alex:                 One last little Easter egg thing that I wanted to mention that is definitely not an Easter egg, but it perked up my ears nonetheless is when they were talking about the Global Repatriation Council and they were passing this at GRC. They called it the patch act at given that we have Madripoor and Wolverine’s code name and Madripoor patch. I was like, Oh, it’s definitely named after him and that I pause for a second. I was like, no, it is too early in the morning.

Justin:              Oh yeah, Kevin Feige sitting in the master headquarters of the Marvel cinematic universe. He’s like, “how should we introduce Wolverine?” Like, let’s do it as the name of it and act in a small seated Falcon in the Winter Soldier.

Alex:                 Any other final thoughts before we start to wrap this up here, Pete?

Pete:                Yeah. I can’t say enough about how crazy kind of things escalated in this episode and how interesting the addition to the Dora Milaje was such a fun escalation and all the right ways. I thought that it was just so great and I can’t get enough of it and I am hopefully for more, but I don’t know if we’ll get more,

Justin:              I guess just two things I did like the joke about Zemo, do the stupid head tilt thing. That was a fun.

Pete:                Another King of the small moments right there.

Justin:              King of the small moments and I do think was that like a straight up Brule dig about his acting choice because it wasn’t about the character. That was about literally how he does it. That was very funny. But second, I like the jokes in this show, they’re funny, but it feels totally odd and it really made me think this series is sort of not the same tone as the Marvel movies at all. As much as everyone’s like, it’s like a Marvel movie, but in TV form. Like it’s actually not, it’s quite different. It’s like an espionage TV series and just featuring Marvel characters.

Alex:                 This gets to a bigger thing that is very rumory and I don’t know how true it is, but there was a lot of talk from folks that apparently they reshot a bunch of this show and reworked and rejiggered it. And there are points in this episode in particular I think and maybe the last episode where you can kind of see they overdubbed certain things. I don’t know exactly what the changes are, but certainly things like, “Hey, where’s that Joaquin guy who was certainly very important in the first episode. I think he’s somebody that was objected in there. He was apparently cast very late in the process. He was objected in there to give a little more exposition. It’s possible that the differing tones of what’s going on that you’re bringing up Justin might be part of that as well, it wasn’t quite as consistent as they thought it might be. Again, I don’t know what the changes are, but certainly I think that might point to a couple of those things.

Justin:              But I don’t mean that the tone within this, I haven’t felt off put by the internal tone of the show. I was just struck in this episode by how different this episode feels in comparison to almost everything else from the Marvel Cinematic universe. Even WandaVision felt more like the movies than this does.

Pete:                But they did have like some action movie fun where like Bucky punches somebody through a wall. And then it goes like, stay put, like there was still some tonal, like fun moments, but I agree with what you’re saying. It definitely is different. And one more kind of small moment that I wanted to point out when Zemo was talking about this kind of place that they’re in, where they have like the kids before he gives the kids the candy and somebody crosses behind them and the Winter Soldier feels it and turns to it. And just like a small character moment where Kyle Falcon doesn’t like pick up on it, but Bucky does. And I was just like, Oh wow. That is such a cool little thing.

Justin:              Yes. And training for like 88 years or something.

Alex:                 Before we wrap up here, what is on your vision board for the next episode, Pete? What’s on your vision board?

Pete:                Well, I’m hoping to get to like the bottom of the real issues. You know what I mean? Like what other family members on the Avengers use different kind of nicknames for their families. Did anybody do like a gappers and poppers type of situation or snatches, hoppers? But I really think that like Turkish Delight is got to be a bigger thing. You can’t just do an ad for Turkish Delight and not really have a pay off. So the next couple of episodes, I can’t wait to see that kind of pay off more.

Alex:                 Great, great vision board. Justin, what about you?

Justin:              Yeah. So true. Based on that last image of the blood on the shield, like in the next episode, I want to see that shield in Sam’s hand or Bucky’s hand or hopefully ideally both. Cause I think it’s…

Alex:                 They’re holding hands together.

Justin:              Trying to be like, “Oh, block over here! You throw it. “

Alex:                 They’re doing that thing where they’re both in one shirt.

Justin:              Yeah, exactly. Stuck on you style.

Pete:                I hope that also in the next episode fake cap is out of the picture dead or..

Alex:                 Definitely not going to happen.

Justin:              I like him as the final vial villain, but I want that we’ve set up the anticipation has been building about like, who should have the shield, it’s feels like Sam’s shield, but I’m curious to see how that will play out. And maybe next episode, it’s like Bucky’s turn to have the shield for a moment, what he does with it because I think that is the statement, that’s the metaphor of this series and to stick it to see it in each of their hands. If we’re going to end up with it in Sam’s hand at the end of the series, I want to see it in Bucky’s hand and what it means for him to have the legacy, because the scene in Wakanda in this episode was about him moving past his dark past. And so when he holds the shield, what does he become? What does he become going forward? And then in the end of the series, what does Sam become if he has the shield and he’s not going to put it back on the shelf, I don’t think. Who is he as Falcon as Captain America with wings.

Alex:                 Kind of petered out there a little bit.

Pete:                That’s a horrible way to say that.

Alex:                 On my vision part, we already covered this, but I just want to see some sort of reckoning and explanation of what happened with Battlestar. I do think that’s very important for contextualizing that moment. I hope they do it. We will cross our fingers and see.

Pete:                It was just real nice to see someone step on the shield and do that move again. I’d missed that move. So it was really great to get that move back and in Wakanda Forever.

Alex:                 Great. If you like to support a podcast, patrion.com/comic book club. Also we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. Come hang out, we would love to chat with you about Falcon and the Winter Soldier, iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the App of your choice to subscribe and listen to the show. A Marvel vision pod on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook comic book clublive.com for this podcast and many more. Until next time, we’ll see you. Whoops friends.

Justin:              Oh, do the stupid head tilt thing.

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]]> Things get real dark, real quick as John Walker comes for the Flag-Smashers on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 4, “The Whole World is Watching.” With the Dora Milaje on the hunt for Zemo, the pressure is on for Sam and Bucky to try to turn Ka... full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15511 4542330e-1586-42d2-994c-ad090114cc71 Fri, 09 Apr 2021 15:53:14 +0000 2313 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/04/09/marvelvision-the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-episode-4/ The Stack: Magic, Green Lantern And More The Stack: Magic, Green Lantern And More On this week’s comic book review podcast: Magic #1 BOOM! Studios Written by Jed MacKay Illustrated by Ig Guara Green Lantern #1 DC Comics Written by Geoffrey Thorne Art by Dexter Soy and Marco Santucci The Silver Coin #1 Image Comics Written by Chip Zdarsky Art by Michael Walsh Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #1 Dark Horse Comics Written by Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer Art by Benjamin Dewey King in Black #5 Marvel Written by Donny Cates Art by Ryan Stegman Venom #34 Marvel Written by Donny Cates Art by Ivan Coello Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters #2 Oni Press By Chris and Laura Samnee The Swamp Thing #2 DC Comics Written by Ram V Art by Mike Perkins Seven Secrets #7 BOOM! Studios Written by Tom Taylor Art by Daniele Di Nicuolo The Immortal Hulk #45 Marvel Written by Al Ewing Art by Joe Bennett Dead Dog’s Bite #2 Dark Horse Comics By Tyler Boss Batman #107 DC Comics Written by James Tynion IV Art by Jorge Jimenez and Ricardo Lopez Ortiz The Last Witch #4 BOOM! Box Written by Conor McCreery Illustrated by V.V. Glass America Chavez: Made In The USA #2 Marvel Written by Kalinda Vazquez Art by Carlos Gómez Fear Case #3 Dark Horse Comics Written by Matt Kindt Art by Tyler Jenkins Suicide Squad #2 DC Comics Written by Robbie Thompson Art by Eduardo Pansica Nocterra #2 Image Comics Written by Scott Snyder Art by Tony S. Daniel Geiger #1 Image Comics Written by Geoff Johns Art by Gary Frank Far Sector #11 DC Comics Written by N.K. Jemisin Art by Jamal Campbell Crime Syndicate #2 DC Comics Written by Andy Schmidt Art by Kieran McKeown and Bryan Hitch Bliss #6 Image Comics Written by Sean Lewis Art by Caitlin Yarsky SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Full Episode Transcript ThanAlex:         What is up, everybody? Welcome to The Stack. I’m Alex. Pete:                I’m Pete. Alex:                 And on The Stack, we talk about a bunch of books that have come out this week. Tons of books out this week. Lots of number ones to get through. Pete:                Tons. Tons. Alex:                 So let’s jump into it talking about Magic. Number one from BOOM! Studios written by Jed MacKay, art illustrated by Ig Guara. This is a bit of a reinvention of the classic universe people probably know from Magic: The Gathering and the card games. It takes a bunch of Planeswalkers, essentially magic folks and otherwise, has them attacked, spoiler over the course of the issue, and they end up having to band together. I got to tell you, I obsessively collected Magic: The Gathering cards as a kid, but I don’t think I ever paid attention to the mythology. So I didn’t know a lot going into this, but I still, as usual with the Jed MacKay book, enjoyed it quite a bit. What did you think, Pete? Pete:                Yeah, I thought it was cool. It definitely seemed like I was like, “Oh, there’s a lot more going on than I know about.” But I wasn’t sure. But, man, loved the Medusa character for sure. Alex:                 Well, the thing that I really liked about this, and again, this is a spoiler for the issue, but it sets it up as this very typical fantasy world and then wrecks everything about halfway through the issue. And I thought that was- Pete:                That was really hard. Alex:                 Yeah. I thought that was a really bold, fun move. It’s basically saying, “Oh, this fantasy world that maybe you know from card games, from books, I assume, and otherwise, don’t worry about that. We’re going into our own story. We’re doing our own thing.” So just kind of just follow it from there. Pete:                Why did you say, “I assume.” Are you worried that people do magic for real. I’m thinking are you talking about them? Alex:                 No. I assume there are magic novels, but I don’t know. Pete:                Oh, okay. I see what you’re saying. Okay. Okay. Alex:                 Yeah. I just don’t know enough about this world, but [crosstalk 00:02:02] Pete:                I thought you were throwing shade to magicians for a second. Alex:                 Oh my God. I never would. They would come after me. Green Lantern, number one from DC Comics written by Geoffrey Thorne, art by Dexter Soy and Marco Santucci. In this, we are getting the Oa’s on the Green Lanterns, dealing with the new status quo of the universe. There is a new United Planets, as we’ve seen over the Superman books and otherwise, and that is affecting things here where they’re trying to decide, “Hey. If we’re the United Planets, if we have our own police force, what do we need the Green Lanterns for?” Of course, things go a little wrong over the course of this issue. Pete, now you’re not the biggest fan of Green Lantern other than a book we’re going to talk about it a little later at The Stack. But what did you think of this one? Pete:                Well, first off, I want to just say a couple of nice things about the book. Really love the start, very crazy heavy action, kind of love this kind of who done it. And then, a spoiler, fun killing one of the floating large shirt tail peep know-it-alls. I’ve always wanted to do that. So I’m glad it finally happened in this book. Alex:                 Can I just interrupt? It’s weird to me that you don’t like the guardians given you love short people and they are very short. Pete:                Yes I do. I love short people very much. Know-it-alls, I have a problem with. Also, the whole flowing large shirt thing bothers me. And I also hate how they look like you with the giant heads and always talking about how smart they are. Alex:                 What the fuck. How dare you? Also, thank you. I would love to look like [inaudible 00:03:46] Pete:                I’m sure you would. Also, you would look amazing in a flowing gown. I mean, how are you going to have a Green Lantern number one and not have Far Sector in your shit? It’s the best Green Lantern of all time and you’re going to have a Green Lantern number one and- Alex:                 Here’s the thing, she is in, and this is a little bit of a spoiler from the title, a Far Sector. So there’s no reason for her to come back to the main planet for this. I will say I kept going back and forth in this issue where I thought based on the cover, “Okay. This is going to focus on the new teen Lantern character and what’s going on with her.” It doesn’t completely. She plays into it, but there’s so much going on here that there were things that I felt like, “All right. I don’t quite get this or why this is here or what’s going on.” But by the end, so much was set up that I felt like, “Okay. We have a solid. This is just throwing everything at the wall. Let’s see what sticks going into the second issue.” Pete:                All right. Alex:                 Next up. Let’s talk about one of my favorite issues of the week, which I know Pete probably didn’t like, as well. We’re starting off so well here, the Silver Coin number one from Image Comics, written by Chip Zdarsky, art by Michael Walsh. It’s creepy, but it’s supposed to be creepy. I love this book. This is a new horror anthology from a bunch of folks like Chip Zdarsky and, I think, well, I should probably look up who else is on it. But there’s a bunch of folks that are contributing and they’re each, I think, going to write a different issue as it follows this evil cursed silver coin through different situations. Alex:                 Here, we get a rock and roll tale that ends in a very Tales from the Crypt style way. Love the art by Michael Walsh. Like you said, creepy and terrifying in exactly the right way and viewers just dread into it. Chip Zdarsky writes a good rock and roll tale. I enjoyed this quite a bit. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I like this. I was always a sucker back in the day for Tales from the Crypt and shows like that, and this channels those very well. Pete:                I agree. I definitely agree. It does have a fun Tales from the Crypt feel. It’s also going to be cool to see how this moves forward, but this first story is just kind of the classic band selling their soul to the devil to kind of make it big. But it’s got a very kind of interesting, it’s not that in all the right ways. And, I think, it’s the way they kind of leave it with the coin is very cool to see how this is going to keep moving forward. So as creeped out as I was and how much I knew Zalben enjoyed it, I still enjoyed this. And, I think, not only did I enjoy it, but I’m looking forward to see how the next one goes. Alex:                 They call them comics, but they’re not very funny. Pete:                I don’t know what you’re doing, but please, stop. Alex:                 That was my Crypt Keeper. He was always doing like [crosstalk 00:06:48] Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. That was pretty good. My bad. My bad. Alex:                 Thank you. Let’s talk about something I do think you liked because this is one of your favorite series out there. Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory number one from Dark Horse Comics, written by Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer, art by Benjamin Dewey. If you haven’t followed the series, this is about a bunch of dogs and other animals that investigate supernatural mysteries. Here, we’re getting a tale from back in the day of a sheep dog back in World War II, I believe, who is looking into a simile supernatural mystery there. Man, I love this series. It’s so adorable and terrifying at the same time, the perfect mix. Pete:                Okay. So a couple of things I want to ask. So here’s the hard part for me about Beasts of Burden, okay? Beast of Burden, love the story, love the idea but, originally, Jill Thompson on the art, who does these amazing water colors and you get that in kind of the fold Beast of Burdens created by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson. So then, I feel weird about supporting this book. Okay. It’s the same writer. It’s the same title. I should be supporting this book, but it’s not this amazing watercolor artist. I love Sarah’s art. I think this is very cool, different take. Alex:                 Benjamin Dewey did the art. Pete:                Oh, I thought it said Sarah Dyer. Alex:                 I think Sarah Dyer wrote it with Evan Dorkin. Pete:                Oh, my bad. My apologies. Alex:                 That’s all right. Oh, sorry. Go ahead. Pete:                Regardless, art is clean. It’s a different take on it, all of the same characters we love. The story is great. But I kind of have this thing of like, “Should it be okay that I’m still reading this book? Or is it betraying Jill and her amazing work?” Talk me through this, Zalben. How should we do this? Alex:                 I mean, I sort of had the same thought process as you because Jill Thompson’s art is so gorgeous and so necessary to this book that I was thrown initially, when I saw Benjamin Dewey’s art. I do think Benjamin Dewey’s art is real good, as well. Pete:                Oh, yeah. Alex:                 It’s super fun for a flashback tale. Yeah. I don’t know anything that might be on behind the scenes. It’s entirely possible given artistic schedules, maybe Jill Thompson is working ahead on something else that takes place in the present. And, excuse me, Benjamin Dewey is doing this thing because it takes place in the past. I don’t think Evan Dorkin was like, “Screw you, Jill Thompson. I’m doing my own comic at my own time.” or anything like that. So I don’t think it’s anything you need to feel bad about necessarily. But Jill Thompson is great, so it’s okay to miss her art at the same time. This is super fun. Alex:                 You don’t need to know anything about Beasts of Burden to jump into this. All you need to know is talking animals, supernatural mysteries. There’s a terrifying last page here that maybe out loud I’d go. So it’s good stuff. Next up, King in Black number five from Marvel, written by Donny Cates, art by Ryan Stegman. I thought this was worth talking about in a block with Venom number 34 from Marvel, also written by Donny Cates, art by Iban Coello because they’re both ends of the era leading directly into the next status quo for Venom and I believe Donny Cates leaving the title after this. King in Black wraps up. They made King in Black saga. Venom number 34 interweaves with it a little bit and sets up, spoiler, a new status quo for Flash Thompson. Pete, go ahead. Pete:                What was the order reading this? Because I read King in Black first and then I was like, “Oh, I think I should have read Venom first.” I just want to [crosstalk 00:10:29] Alex:                 We are simpatico here. I had the same thought process where I got to about page five of King in Black and thought, “Wait, did I miss something? What’s going on here?” Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. Alex:                 So I think Venom number 34 happens concurrently with King in Black. So you kind of can read them in any order, but probably you should read Venom number 34 first, then King in Black number five. Pete:                Yeah. Because I did the opposite and I was like, “I shouldn’t have done that.” Because reading Venom, it’s kind of like, “Oh, I know what’s going to happen.” So read King in Black number five first, then read Venom. Okay. But let’s kind of go in that order, King in Black. First off, Donny Cates did this epic giant tail and I feel like was really impressive. All the stuff with the son was great. This was a giant kind of epic event, but also had a lot of small, amazing moments, a lot of great Flash Thompson moments, a lot of, “Holy shit, look at the size of that sword. I’ve never seen Silver Surfer with a giant sword before. This is fucking cool.” It just got even better. I really love this book. I really loved how it ended. It ended so well I wanted to go back and reread the whole thing again. Man, this was really a lot of fun and I was surprised at how much it covered and how much happened in it. Alex:                 I did appreciate that the ending here brought it back around to Eddie Brock and Venom. I thought that was a really good sense of focus under the event both in King in Black number five and Venom number 34. I think he gave a nice crest to the story he wants to tell, though there’s probably at least one more issue going on there before he really wrapped things up. Yeah. I also appreciate the fact I really identified with people throughout this event being like, “Ugh, is this a Venom thing? I hate symbions. This sucks.” Because that’s my general feeling going into it but, like you said, Donnie Cates and company made it feel very cool and big and fun throughout the event. So good times. Pete:                Yeah. Also, it’s a great book to pick up if you’re like… I love comics where someone’s mostly free falling and just kind of thinking about things and then there’s flashbacks and stuff because they really [crosstalk 00:12:51] Alex:                 Are you a big Tom Petty fan? Then check out King in Black number five and Venom number 34. Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters number two from Oni Press by Chris and Laura Samnee. This is a almost mostly silent series at this point. It’s all ages as well about a girl looking for her sister who has gotten lost in the wild with the unpossible monsters in the title. Beautiful, beautiful book. I want more of it every time is my only thing. I kind of want to wait until there’s a trade. And then maybe hand it to my kids and say, “Hey, check this out.” But gorgeous. Pete:                Yeah. I mean you and your kids this, and you’re a cool dad. You’re winning. This is a really amazing book. Art is, I mean, I say it all the time, but it’s worth it alone. It’s just so fantastic. Love the role building. Love the pace of this. Storytelling is unbelievable. Touching, badass, all the right things. Yeah. I can’t get enough. Yeah. It does read quick and I’m sure I’ll read it a lot better than the trade, but man, single issues have been a lot of fun. Alex:                 Let’s move on then to talk about the Swamp Thing number two from DC Comics, written by Ram V, art by Mike Perkins. We have a new Swamp Thing here who is investigating some weird doings out in the desert. We had the setup, but not exactly the explanation in the first issue. Here, the new Swamp Thing is exploring his powers and abilities a little bit more and tangling with somebody new and very, very bad. This book is gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. Mike Perkins’ art is incredible. And Ram V is really leaning into that. This, to me, feels like, I feel like you’re going to yell at me here, Pete, but this feels like on par with the first couple of issues of Batwoman by J.H. Williams III. It’s just breaking the layouts, playing with it, playing with the format feels really engaging and dark in a very similar way. Pete:                Yeah. That’s hell of a praise. That’s really fantastic praise. Okay. I agree. It’s absolutely gorgeous. This is a lot of fun. Swamp Thing can be hit or miss for me. I enjoyed this issue a lot. I didn’t enjoy all the human stuff as much, but I really thought this was cool. And also, we got to talk about this. You guys don’t go to central park in the middle of the night because there’s full grown dudes being born out of trees and I’m glad Swamp Thing is finally talking about it. It’s fucked up and someone needs to look into this because it’s not right, man. It’s just really messed up. Alex:                 I’ll tell you what, I’ve been to The Ramble at night and I don’t think that’s what dudes are doing in trees. Pete:                Well, that’s what’s happening in this comic book. Alex:                 Great book. Seven Secrets number seven from BOOM! Studios, written by Tom Taylor, art by Daniele Di Nicuolo. Pete:                I mean, Seven Secrets number seven. I mean, that’s you. Alex:                 We still don’t know what the secrets are, but in this issue, our main character has wandered off the road into the land of fairy [crosstalk 00:16:08] Pete:                We don’t know all the secrets. We know a couple. Alex:                 We don’t know anything. The secrets are still secret in this book. We know they’re important, but we don’t know what they are or anything about them, which is kind of wild. But we do know more about the main character, about where he comes from, another really good issue of this very fun title. I’m enjoying it. How about you, Pete? Pete:                Yes. Absolutely. Art’s amazing. Paneling is fantastic. And if you’re going to do a glowing horse with a fish tail, this is just the peak that which all should be measured. This is very creative. Very cool. Interesting paneling, amazing storytelling. Yeah. This is just really kind of creepy and tripped out in all the right ways. It’s one of those things where you got to be like, “All right. I’m definitely going to find out the secret in this issue.” But they do such a good job of keeping you busy in all the right ways. I’m impressed by this book. Alex:                 By the way, the thing you mentioned, the horse with the tail of a fish, like they say in the book, it’s called a sulky, which is where the expression taking a sulky comes from. Pete:                Oh my God. You’re such a dad joke. It’s ridiculous. Alex:                 The Immortal Hulk number 45 from Marvel, written by Al Ewing, art by Joe Bennett. In this issue, the Hulk is once again, dead, killed by the U-Foes, trapped in the land below grid, I always forget what the name is. But it’s Joe Fixit and the dumb, very flabby, kid Hawk being trapped by the leader while back on earth, things are going wild. I’ll tell you what, not only do I love this book, like we talk about every issue. Not only are all the designs absolutely terrifying and the amount that Al Ewing and Joe Bennett are building into the mythology, rather fascinating. But I don’t think any other book, since a Brian K. Vaughan book like Saga, consistently on the last page out loud makes me go, “Oh, here we go.” Every single time out of the gate. Pete:                Yeah. I mean, I wish I could, after reading this book and all the crazy thing, is I wish I could have been on this pitch meeting for Marvel. Can you imagine how you’ll be going, “All right, listen. I’m going to take Hawk and I’m going to twist them and I’m going to turn them. And it’s going to be so gross and so fucked up, it’s probably going to turn a lot of people away. But if people check this out.” I mean, this keeps getting weirder and more fucked up, yet I’m having such a great time. I don’t know. I don’t know how to describe this to somebody. I don’t know what’s going on. I love the last page. I can not wait to see what’s happening. I don’t know. I’m so confused. I’m so grossed out. I love this book. I love the way it starts with the quote every time. And then it gets all sorts of fucked up. This is some groundbreaking, really cool shit right here. Alex:                 This is one of the most epic Hulk rods of all time. And it’s so exciting to be able to be reading that right now. I love it. Next up, let’s talk about one that I know you really liked a lot, Dead Dog’s Bite number two from Dark Horse Comics by Tyler Boss. Now this is one we missed talking about the first issue of this, which I really regret because Tyler Boss, great artist. We know him from 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, which he did with Matthew Rosenberg and other things. Pete:                The Burgee. Alex:                 This is about a woman who is investigating a disappearance. It’s weird. It’s funny. The panel layouts are great. I loved it. Love this issue. Pete:                It’s really impressive. This is very, very creative in all the right ways. The Boss is killing it here. I mean, it kind of takes a little bit of like gives me that Hawkeye feel with a little bit of, God, what was it, King’s Vision with the different panelings and stuff here. But it’s got this great Indie kind of creative field, but just the paneling and the logos and the different stuff that they’re doing. I mean, I’m enthralled watching someone put money in a machine to try to get soda out. How can you do that? How is that enthralling? Yeah. I’m just really, really impressed with how creative and fantastic this book is. The scene where she goes and sits down with their mom at the fucking lunch table. Oh my God. This is crazy. I cannot wait to see how this kind of unfolds or gets explained. This is fantastic. I’m completely on board. Alex:                 Me, too. I want to go back and read the first issue at this point. I feel bad about missing it. This is great. Next up, Batman number 107 from DC Comics, written by James Tynion IV, art by Jorge Jimenez and Ricardo Lopez Ortiz. In this issue, we’re continuing to find out about how Batman is dealing with the new status quo of Gotham City. Scarecrow is on the move. Other forces are, as well. And the backup story is about Ghost-Maker. What’d you think, Pete? Pete:                All right. I’ve never seen Scarecrow so badass portrayed in a Batman book in a while. This is very interesting and cool. Tynion’s doing unbelievable stuff. The art’s fantastic. The Harley Quinn stuff has been so enjoyable. I think just kind of sprinkled throughout this Batman run and I think in a great way, and then we kind of get this new lady in red with green plant dogs who loves roses, so very intriguing. Tynion has done introducing a lot of different new characters with Ghost-Maker and now this lady in red. This is interesting to see what’s going to be happening here for Batman. Yeah. I’ve been enjoying it. Alex:                 I’m going to throw a theory out at you. So there’s a character named Simon Saint, who we know is tied to the magistrate program that we saw in the future state books that essentially takes over Gotham and turns it into a police state, potentially in the future. Is Simon Saint Scarecrow? Because there’s a scene in the book where- Pete:                Don’t you fucking spoil this for me, you son of a bitch. Alex:                 No. I have no idea. But there’s a scene in the book where Simon Saint is looking outside and Scarecrow almost seems to be talking into his mind standing on a gargoyle. We’ve previously seen Scarecrow in his office sitting there in the darkness and it almost seems like maybe there’s a split personality thing going on there. Pete:                Oh, interesting. Alex:                 Just a thought. Whatever it is, love this book. I’m glad James Tynion has the, whatever you call it, handcuffs off or something like that and is able to just go wild in this book. It’s great. Next up, The Last Witch number four from Boom! Box, written by Conor McCreery, art illustrated by V.V. Glass. As a little bit of a note, we’re going to have Conor McCreery on our live show in a couple of weeks, so definitely check that out. I know you and Justin are going- Pete:                For real? Alex:                 For real. I love giving you news on our podcast. Pete:                Oh, man, that’s great. Dude, this book has been fantastic. I cannot wait to talk about this. Alex:                 Yes. We’ll talk about this one, then. We have our young witch is continuing to learn magic as she goes on a hunt for other witches. Here, we meet a refugee from Ferry who seems to be working with her. Maybe he’s not, necessarily. What’d you think about this issue? Pete:                Yeah. Really great set up. I mean, first off, the girl’s grandmother’s just fantastic. What a badass. Alex:                 You love a grandma. Pete:                There’s nothing better than a badass grandma, all right? I don’t know what it is, but it’s glorious. Yeah. So just interesting. Alex:                 That’s the thing that you love about grandmas, Pete. They keep getting older and so do you. Pete:                Okay. Great. Stop being creepy. Yeah. Yeah. It seemed like a interesting kind of dude tagging along on this. Amazing kind of last page reveal on that. Yeah. Love the art. It makes it seem like it’s this kind of all ages, innocent thing, but there’s really a lot going on underneath the surface. So I’m very intrigued by this. Love all the main characters. It does such a great job of giving you story, giving you fun, giving you action. Yeah. I can’t wait to see how this all unfolds. Alex:                 I like the V.V. Glass art in particular on this book. It really feels like sort of a, Don Bluth isn’t exactly right, but it’s very classic animation style where you could almost feel like it’s moving between the panels. It’s very nice. Next up, America Chavez: Made in the USA number two from Marvel, written by Kalinda Vazquez, art by Carlos Gomez. In this, we’re continuing to find more about the origin of America Chavez and it is not what we thought it was. We’re definitely in retcon territory here, folks, where we find out there’s a family after she left the Utopian Parallel that adopted her and kept her for a while. We get to see how she started to develop her characters and there’s the hint that everything she knew was wrong. I’m really enjoying the series quite a bit. And I say this as somebody who likes the concept of America Chavez a little better than the solo series I’ve seen. I’ve always liked her in a team book, but haven’t quite understood the character out of here. This is so far and we’re in the early going, maybe my favorite American Chavez story so far. Pete:                Oh, cool. Yeah. I agree. This is really great. I feel like the art’s fantastic. We’re getting just enough backstory where it doesn’t feel like too much. It’s done so well with the kind of back and forth. I also really liked her with Spider-Man. That was great. Yeah. It’s very interesting how we’re kind of slowly getting her backstory, I would say a lot more in this issue, which is good. I’m very interested to see how this goes. I like how she’s moving about the world solving kind of things, trying to figure stuff out. Sometimes when that’s done, it can seem forced but it feels really natural here. Yeah. I mean, going into old-timey arcade place at night, that’s just not a smart idea. Nothing’s good is going to happen there. Alex:                 Next up, Fear Case number three from Dark Horse Comics, written by Matt Kindt, art by Tyler Jenkins. Pete, you read this book and we missed it, right? What’d you think about this one? Pete:                Yeah. I thought this was creepy in all the right ways. Very interestingly drawn. I love the kind of pencil kind of take on it. A lot of really powerful panels. And I just kind of finding things out with the characters here. Really love the last page, oh, shit kind of reveal. I think this is very interesting to see how each one of these fear cases kind of unfold. I think it’s really well done. The art’s fantastic. Alex:                 Next up, Suicide Squad number two from DC Comics, written by Robbie Thompson, art by Eduardo Pansica. This is continuing the assault on Arkham storyline, which finds the Suicide Squad trying to liberate Talon from Arkham Asylum just as seemingly Scarecrow is, not Scarecrow, excuse me, joker’s fear toxin is being released throughout it as we’ve seen in a couple of other comic books. As usual with Suicide Squad, a bunch of people die. It’s very dark. There’s complicated and morality here. I think this is a really good classic Suicide Squad story with some very nice superhero art by Eduardo Pansica. What do you think, Pete? Pete:                Yeah. I agree. I think this is really cool. Also, I’m glad that in Suicide Squad, the comic, we’re getting more Peacemaker here getting us ready for the movie. Really an over the top kind of person. So I think having what’s his face playing it is going to be very- Alex:                 John Cena. Pete:                Yeah. Alex:                 Can you smell what John Cena is cooking? Pete:                No. No. No. You can’t see me, okay? But I also really love the pulp fiction heart attack moment. I thought that was fun. Alex:                 Good stuff. Next up, I don’t know anything about wrestling. Nocterra number two from Image Comics, written by Scott Snyder, art by Tony S. Daniel. Pete:                Just for the audio podcast, I was waving my hand in front of my face like John Cena does. Alex:                 Okay. All right. Why does he do that? Pete:                Because you can’t see him. You can’t see. Alex:                 Is that where the Drax [inaudible 00:29:26] came from? No, that’s Dave Bautista. Nevermind. Pete:                Yeah. Alex:                 They’re different people? Pete:                Yeah. Alex:                 Okay. Pete:                See how it works is they’re different people. Alex:                 Okay. I don’t see people. Pete:                Wow. Alex:                 I just don’t see people. I don’t see things. Okay. Nocterra number two written by Scott Snyder, who we had on the live show. He talked quite a bit about this as well, as many spoilers for Nocterra number three, which was very cool and very fun. So check out that live podcast if you hadn’t. In this book, we’re continuing our journey through a world where it’s always night and it’s filled with horrific creatures. Tony S. Daniel’s art is stunning here as usual. Just great action scenes. They’re fighting a terrifying villain named Blacktop Bill. This is great. This is like duel on sci-fi steroids is what I’d compare it to. You love this issue too, right? Pete:                Oh my God. Yeah. And I love Blacktop Bill. Yeah. And also, really amazing art, bold choices. We talked about that Batman issue with him but two solid pages of all black, bold, bold choice. I was like, “Wait, did this not download right? What’s going on here?” Yeah. I think this is really getting crazier and crazier. Yeah. This is just really over the top fun. Yeah. It kind of reminds me of having metal in all the right ways where it’s like, “Oh yeah, this is just gonna be completely non-stop trucker fucking.” Yeah. This is fun. Alex:                 Well, I also like the fact that it’s not delaying or an issue too. We already know a ton of information and things about the world. Pete:                But it’s so much to know. That’s the fun part. Alex:                 Well, exactly. But it’s the sort of story where it feels like, “Oh, okay. These are things that you kind of drag out and get to an issue 12.” But nope. We’re getting them in issue two. And that’s awesome. Next up. Let’s chat about Geiger number one from Image Comics, written by Geoff Johns, art by Gary Frank. Now, before we get into it, I do want to mention, this was initially at the top of our stack. We moved it down here because if you haven’t read it, there was a big interview with Ray Fisher from Justice League talking about his treatment from Geoff Johns. There were a lot of quotes in there. There were a lot of back and forth. We don’t know anything necessarily about it. Certainly, we want to listen to every single viewpoint and understand what went on. Alex:                 As the story continues, we will continue to discuss it and find out more about it. But as is, I felt like it was still potentially worth talking about a Image Comic book from Geoff Johns and Gary Frank that’s coming out. So we’ll see. Maybe we’ll scrub this from the podcast later, if more things come out. But as is, let’s talk about the comic as the comic and as it is. So that all said, this is a new issue from this team who’s worked on Doomsday Clock as well as a lot of other things. Here, we’re getting an original property set in a post-apocalyptic world where one man has been seemingly affected by the radiation and gained radiation powers. The world, specifically, Las Vegas here has been split into different ruling factions as the outside of the world is not safe. What’d you think about this book, Pete? Pete:                Yeah. I don’t know about all that shit. This is kind of news to me. Alex:                 Again, I love giving you news right on the podcast. Pete:                Yeah. So, hopefully, we’re not enjoying something that’s whatever. I don’t know what to say, but just looking at this comic as a comic and hopefully… All right. My point is that this is very cool idea. I’ve very much enjoyed the action. I thought the glowing man was really badass. I’m very interested to see how this kind of all enfolds. This two-headed dog is my favorite. This is really very, very cool. You got the broady kind of villain. So if everything’s okay, I’ll be interested to see how this all unfolds. Alex:                 Yeah. Sorry I threw you there, Pete. I can see you’re really struggling with it and that is totally fair. I think the thing that I would say about this is Gary Frank’s art is meticulous as always as well as of layouts. I do think a lot of the problems that we had with Doomsday Clock, which got very in its head about the whole Watchmen of it all. There’s a lot of themes and ideas and images that I think do get hit on and in a certain way, and not a necessarily bad way recycled here, but it feels much more wide open. It feels a little looser, both in terms of the storytelling and the plotting. And it’ll be interesting to see, potentially, if everything gets clear, what this team does away from DC Comics. This is something that we talked with Scott a bit about as he is on his Rumspringa from DC Comics right now, about how you don’t have the corporate responsibility. You don’t have the things that you need to write because you’re serving a greater master here. Alex:                 So again, we’ll see what happens. If anybody has any feedback or questions about any of this, we, of course, are happy to chat either at comicbookclublive@gmail.com at Comic Book Live on Twitter or in our page here on Slack. We’d love to get your feedback on whether we should be covering this comic or not. But again, we like to cover number ones. We like to talk about this. This is a big superstar team, so it was worth throwing in there. Maybe not as the first comic book in The Stack. Next up, let’s move to happier climbs with Far Sector number 11 from DC Comics, written by N.K. Jemisin, art by Jamal Campbell. Another fantastic issue of this book that just gets bigger and bigger every issue out of the gate. Pete, this is the Green Lantern you like. Go ahead. Pete:                I mean, it sets the bar higher and higher with each issue and then continues to meet that bar and go above it. I mean, it’s just fantastic. 20% ring to save 20 billion. I mean, come on. This is exciting stuff. Everything has been unfolding in such a cool way. The art alone is worth the pickup. It is gorgeous in all the right ways. Characters designs are new and fresh, breaking this mold of stereotypical people and what they should look like. I love every single minute of it. Alex:                 Well, I say this every issue, but I don’t think you can undervalue the fact that Jamal Campbell has drawn every issue of Far Sector, as well as N.K. Jemisin writing it, and they make a great team together. I know it’s not always possible with the monthly schedule of comic books, but I love that they have been able to continue together and kept this world consistent and build on it and make it look weirder and more interesting every issue out of the gate. It’s great. This book is great. And I’m really curious to see if it ends with issue 12. Is it going to continue? What’s going to happen? Because it’s such a fun interesting premise that they’ve set up here. One little side note- Pete:                Am I to go and take over Green Lantern? We don’t need Green Lantern. We got Far Sector. Alex:                 There you go. One little side note I’ll mention, I checked out, because I love this book so much, I read N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became which is a novel. It’s awesome. I know everybody probably already noticed this, but just in case you haven’t checked it out yet, it is, I don’t even kind of want to spoil it, but it’s about people who become living cities and it’s not the same themes. But you can kind of get a sense of similar things that she’s trying out here in Far Sector. Particularly as a new Yorker, I love it because it’s based in New York. It’s so of New York. Such an awesome book. Alex:                 Again, I’m sure a lot of people have read it who are listening to this, but if you’ve only checked out our comics, definitely read that, as well. It’s well worth it. Next up, Crime Syndicate number two from DC Comics, written by Andy Schmidt, art by Keiran McKeown and Bryan Hitch. I think we were a little split on the first issue of this because it takes a more satirical look at the Crime Syndicate, at the evil Justice League. Here, we get them fighting Starro and we also get a backstory for Owlman. What’d you think about this one, Pete? Pete:                It’s interesting. It’s cool. I mean, the Flash, shirtless Flash, with the crazy chain pants was hysterical. So fun. Alex:                 I like this a little better. I felt the humor was a little strained in the first issue, but it hits more of its rhythm in this one. I like the backup story here. Bryan Hitch’s art is always pretty good. So I was ready to jump ship after this issue, but I think I’m more than willing to check out a third issue after this one. Pete:                Cool. Alex:                 Next up, Bliss number six from Image Comics, written by Sean Lewis, art by Caitlin Yarsky. We are, I think, getting towards the end game here as we finally find out a big secret from the past of the father and son who were trying to find each other in this world where gods run a muck. There’s some great bits here with one god that the son is palling around with, this turtle god who hangs his mouth open the entire time. There’s some very dark and emotional stuff that happens as well. What did you think, Pete? Pete:                Yeah. This is just really unbelievable. Fantastic storytelling. This has been a real roller coaster of rooting for them or not rooting for them. It seems like really evil, but then the other side to him. We’ve got the AOC on the cover with the old balance of power there, the scales. Yeah. I really think this is a very interesting, cool world and it’s really done very well. The art and the characters are weird in all the right ways. Yeah. We find out a lot about the family in this. This is great. This really continues to be a book that you’re like, “What is this going to be?” every time you pick it up and it doesn’t disappoint. Alex:                 Totally agree. And that’s it from The Stack. If you’d like to support us patrion.com/comicbookclub. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. Come hang out. We would love to chat with you about comic books. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe, listen, and follow the show. At Comic Book Live on Twitter, comicbookclublive.com for this podcast and many more. Until next time, we’ll see you at the virtual comic book shop. The post The Stack: Magic, Green Lantern And More appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week’s comic book review podcast:

Magic #1
BOOM! Studios
Written by Jed MacKay
Illustrated by Ig Guara

Green Lantern #1
DC Comics
Written by Geoffrey Thorne
Art by Dexter Soy and Marco Santucci

The Silver Coin #1
Image Comics
Written by Chip Zdarsky
Art by Michael Walsh

Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer
Art by Benjamin Dewey

King in Black #5
Marvel
Written by Donny Cates
Art by Ryan Stegman

Venom #34
Marvel
Written by Donny Cates
Art by Ivan Coello

Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters #2
Oni Press
By Chris and Laura Samnee

The Swamp Thing #2
DC Comics
Written by Ram V
Art by Mike Perkins

Seven Secrets #7
BOOM! Studios
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Daniele Di Nicuolo

The Immortal Hulk #45
Marvel
Written by Al Ewing
Art by Joe Bennett

Dead Dog’s Bite #2
Dark Horse Comics
By Tyler Boss

Batman #107
DC Comics
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Jorge Jimenez and Ricardo Lopez Ortiz

The Last Witch #4
BOOM! Box
Written by Conor McCreery
Illustrated by V.V. Glass

America Chavez: Made In The USA #2
Marvel
Written by Kalinda Vazquez
Art by Carlos Gómez

Fear Case #3
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Matt Kindt
Art by Tyler Jenkins

Suicide Squad #2
DC Comics
Written by Robbie Thompson
Art by Eduardo Pansica

Nocterra #2
Image Comics
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Tony S. Daniel

Geiger #1
Image Comics
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Gary Frank

Far Sector #11
DC Comics
Written by N.K. Jemisin
Art by Jamal Campbell

Crime Syndicate #2
DC Comics
Written by Andy Schmidt
Art by Kieran McKeown and Bryan Hitch

Bliss #6
Image Comics
Written by Sean Lewis
Art by Caitlin Yarsky

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Full Episode Transcript

ThanAlex:         What is up, everybody? Welcome to The Stack. I’m Alex.

Pete:                I’m Pete.

Alex:                 And on The Stack, we talk about a bunch of books that have come out this week. Tons of books out this week. Lots of number ones to get through.

Pete:                Tons. Tons.

Alex:                 So let’s jump into it talking about Magic. Number one from BOOM! Studios written by Jed MacKay, art illustrated by Ig Guara. This is a bit of a reinvention of the classic universe people probably know from Magic: The Gathering and the card games. It takes a bunch of Planeswalkers, essentially magic folks and otherwise, has them attacked, spoiler over the course of the issue, and they end up having to band together. I got to tell you, I obsessively collected Magic: The Gathering cards as a kid, but I don’t think I ever paid attention to the mythology. So I didn’t know a lot going into this, but I still, as usual with the Jed MacKay book, enjoyed it quite a bit. What did you think, Pete?

Pete:                Yeah, I thought it was cool. It definitely seemed like I was like, “Oh, there’s a lot more going on than I know about.” But I wasn’t sure. But, man, loved the Medusa character for sure.

Alex:                 Well, the thing that I really liked about this, and again, this is a spoiler for the issue, but it sets it up as this very typical fantasy world and then wrecks everything about halfway through the issue. And I thought that was-

Pete:                That was really hard.

Alex:                 Yeah. I thought that was a really bold, fun move. It’s basically saying, “Oh, this fantasy world that maybe you know from card games, from books, I assume, and otherwise, don’t worry about that. We’re going into our own story. We’re doing our own thing.” So just kind of just follow it from there.

Pete:                Why did you say, “I assume.” Are you worried that people do magic for real. I’m thinking are you talking about them?

Alex:                 No. I assume there are magic novels, but I don’t know.

Pete:                Oh, okay. I see what you’re saying. Okay. Okay.

Alex:                 Yeah. I just don’t know enough about this world, but [crosstalk 00:02:02]

Pete:                I thought you were throwing shade to magicians for a second.

Alex:                 Oh my God. I never would. They would come after me. Green Lantern, number one from DC Comics written by Geoffrey Thorne, art by Dexter Soy and Marco Santucci. In this, we are getting the Oa’s on the Green Lanterns, dealing with the new status quo of the universe. There is a new United Planets, as we’ve seen over the Superman books and otherwise, and that is affecting things here where they’re trying to decide, “Hey. If we’re the United Planets, if we have our own police force, what do we need the Green Lanterns for?” Of course, things go a little wrong over the course of this issue. Pete, now you’re not the biggest fan of Green Lantern other than a book we’re going to talk about it a little later at The Stack. But what did you think of this one?

Pete:                Well, first off, I want to just say a couple of nice things about the book. Really love the start, very crazy heavy action, kind of love this kind of who done it. And then, a spoiler, fun killing one of the floating large shirt tail peep know-it-alls. I’ve always wanted to do that. So I’m glad it finally happened in this book.

Alex:                 Can I just interrupt? It’s weird to me that you don’t like the guardians given you love short people and they are very short.

Pete:                Yes I do. I love short people very much. Know-it-alls, I have a problem with. Also, the whole flowing large shirt thing bothers me. And I also hate how they look like you with the giant heads and always talking about how smart they are.

Alex:                 What the fuck. How dare you? Also, thank you. I would love to look like [inaudible 00:03:46]

Pete:                I’m sure you would. Also, you would look amazing in a flowing gown. I mean, how are you going to have a Green Lantern number one and not have Far Sector in your shit? It’s the best Green Lantern of all time and you’re going to have a Green Lantern number one and-

Alex:                 Here’s the thing, she is in, and this is a little bit of a spoiler from the title, a Far Sector. So there’s no reason for her to come back to the main planet for this. I will say I kept going back and forth in this issue where I thought based on the cover, “Okay. This is going to focus on the new teen Lantern character and what’s going on with her.” It doesn’t completely. She plays into it, but there’s so much going on here that there were things that I felt like, “All right. I don’t quite get this or why this is here or what’s going on.” But by the end, so much was set up that I felt like, “Okay. We have a solid. This is just throwing everything at the wall. Let’s see what sticks going into the second issue.”

Pete:                All right.

Alex:                 Next up. Let’s talk about one of my favorite issues of the week, which I know Pete probably didn’t like, as well. We’re starting off so well here, the Silver Coin number one from Image Comics, written by Chip Zdarsky, art by Michael Walsh. It’s creepy, but it’s supposed to be creepy. I love this book. This is a new horror anthology from a bunch of folks like Chip Zdarsky and, I think, well, I should probably look up who else is on it. But there’s a bunch of folks that are contributing and they’re each, I think, going to write a different issue as it follows this evil cursed silver coin through different situations.

Alex:                 Here, we get a rock and roll tale that ends in a very Tales from the Crypt style way. Love the art by Michael Walsh. Like you said, creepy and terrifying in exactly the right way and viewers just dread into it. Chip Zdarsky writes a good rock and roll tale. I enjoyed this quite a bit. I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I like this. I was always a sucker back in the day for Tales from the Crypt and shows like that, and this channels those very well.

Pete:                I agree. I definitely agree. It does have a fun Tales from the Crypt feel. It’s also going to be cool to see how this moves forward, but this first story is just kind of the classic band selling their soul to the devil to kind of make it big. But it’s got a very kind of interesting, it’s not that in all the right ways. And, I think, it’s the way they kind of leave it with the coin is very cool to see how this is going to keep moving forward. So as creeped out as I was and how much I knew Zalben enjoyed it, I still enjoyed this. And, I think, not only did I enjoy it, but I’m looking forward to see how the next one goes.

Alex:                 They call them comics, but they’re not very funny.

Pete:                I don’t know what you’re doing, but please, stop.

Alex:                 That was my Crypt Keeper. He was always doing like [crosstalk 00:06:48]

Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. That was pretty good. My bad. My bad.

Alex:                 Thank you. Let’s talk about something I do think you liked because this is one of your favorite series out there. Beasts of Burden: Occupied Territory number one from Dark Horse Comics, written by Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer, art by Benjamin Dewey. If you haven’t followed the series, this is about a bunch of dogs and other animals that investigate supernatural mysteries. Here, we’re getting a tale from back in the day of a sheep dog back in World War II, I believe, who is looking into a simile supernatural mystery there. Man, I love this series. It’s so adorable and terrifying at the same time, the perfect mix.

Pete:                Okay. So a couple of things I want to ask. So here’s the hard part for me about Beasts of Burden, okay? Beast of Burden, love the story, love the idea but, originally, Jill Thompson on the art, who does these amazing water colors and you get that in kind of the fold Beast of Burdens created by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson. So then, I feel weird about supporting this book. Okay. It’s the same writer. It’s the same title. I should be supporting this book, but it’s not this amazing watercolor artist. I love Sarah’s art. I think this is very cool, different take.

Alex:                 Benjamin Dewey did the art.

Pete:                Oh, I thought it said Sarah Dyer.

Alex:                 I think Sarah Dyer wrote it with Evan Dorkin.

Pete:                Oh, my bad. My apologies.

Alex:                 That’s all right. Oh, sorry. Go ahead.

Pete:                Regardless, art is clean. It’s a different take on it, all of the same characters we love. The story is great. But I kind of have this thing of like, “Should it be okay that I’m still reading this book? Or is it betraying Jill and her amazing work?” Talk me through this, Zalben. How should we do this?

Alex:                 I mean, I sort of had the same thought process as you because Jill Thompson’s art is so gorgeous and so necessary to this book that I was thrown initially, when I saw Benjamin Dewey’s art. I do think Benjamin Dewey’s art is real good, as well.

Pete:                Oh, yeah.

Alex:                 It’s super fun for a flashback tale. Yeah. I don’t know anything that might be on behind the scenes. It’s entirely possible given artistic schedules, maybe Jill Thompson is working ahead on something else that takes place in the present. And, excuse me, Benjamin Dewey is doing this thing because it takes place in the past. I don’t think Evan Dorkin was like, “Screw you, Jill Thompson. I’m doing my own comic at my own time.” or anything like that. So I don’t think it’s anything you need to feel bad about necessarily. But Jill Thompson is great, so it’s okay to miss her art at the same time. This is super fun.

Alex:                 You don’t need to know anything about Beasts of Burden to jump into this. All you need to know is talking animals, supernatural mysteries. There’s a terrifying last page here that maybe out loud I’d go. So it’s good stuff. Next up, King in Black number five from Marvel, written by Donny Cates, art by Ryan Stegman. I thought this was worth talking about in a block with Venom number 34 from Marvel, also written by Donny Cates, art by Iban Coello because they’re both ends of the era leading directly into the next status quo for Venom and I believe Donny Cates leaving the title after this. King in Black wraps up. They made King in Black saga. Venom number 34 interweaves with it a little bit and sets up, spoiler, a new status quo for Flash Thompson. Pete, go ahead.

Pete:                What was the order reading this? Because I read King in Black first and then I was like, “Oh, I think I should have read Venom first.” I just want to [crosstalk 00:10:29]

Alex:                 We are simpatico here. I had the same thought process where I got to about page five of King in Black and thought, “Wait, did I miss something? What’s going on here?”

Pete:                Yeah. Yeah.

Alex:                 So I think Venom number 34 happens concurrently with King in Black. So you kind of can read them in any order, but probably you should read Venom number 34 first, then King in Black number five.

Pete:                Yeah. Because I did the opposite and I was like, “I shouldn’t have done that.” Because reading Venom, it’s kind of like, “Oh, I know what’s going to happen.” So read King in Black number five first, then read Venom. Okay. But let’s kind of go in that order, King in Black. First off, Donny Cates did this epic giant tail and I feel like was really impressive. All the stuff with the son was great. This was a giant kind of epic event, but also had a lot of small, amazing moments, a lot of great Flash Thompson moments, a lot of, “Holy shit, look at the size of that sword. I’ve never seen Silver Surfer with a giant sword before. This is fucking cool.” It just got even better. I really love this book. I really loved how it ended. It ended so well I wanted to go back and reread the whole thing again. Man, this was really a lot of fun and I was surprised at how much it covered and how much happened in it.

Alex:                 I did appreciate that the ending here brought it back around to Eddie Brock and Venom. I thought that was a really good sense of focus under the event both in King in Black number five and Venom number 34. I think he gave a nice crest to the story he wants to tell, though there’s probably at least one more issue going on there before he really wrapped things up. Yeah. I also appreciate the fact I really identified with people throughout this event being like, “Ugh, is this a Venom thing? I hate symbions. This sucks.” Because that’s my general feeling going into it but, like you said, Donnie Cates and company made it feel very cool and big and fun throughout the event. So good times.

Pete:                Yeah. Also, it’s a great book to pick up if you’re like… I love comics where someone’s mostly free falling and just kind of thinking about things and then there’s flashbacks and stuff because they really [crosstalk 00:12:51]

Alex:                 Are you a big Tom Petty fan? Then check out King in Black number five and Venom number 34. Jonna and the Unpossible Monsters number two from Oni Press by Chris and Laura Samnee. This is a almost mostly silent series at this point. It’s all ages as well about a girl looking for her sister who has gotten lost in the wild with the unpossible monsters in the title. Beautiful, beautiful book. I want more of it every time is my only thing. I kind of want to wait until there’s a trade. And then maybe hand it to my kids and say, “Hey, check this out.” But gorgeous.

Pete:                Yeah. I mean you and your kids this, and you’re a cool dad. You’re winning. This is a really amazing book. Art is, I mean, I say it all the time, but it’s worth it alone. It’s just so fantastic. Love the role building. Love the pace of this. Storytelling is unbelievable. Touching, badass, all the right things. Yeah. I can’t get enough. Yeah. It does read quick and I’m sure I’ll read it a lot better than the trade, but man, single issues have been a lot of fun.

Alex:                 Let’s move on then to talk about the Swamp Thing number two from DC Comics, written by Ram V, art by Mike Perkins. We have a new Swamp Thing here who is investigating some weird doings out in the desert. We had the setup, but not exactly the explanation in the first issue. Here, the new Swamp Thing is exploring his powers and abilities a little bit more and tangling with somebody new and very, very bad. This book is gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. Mike Perkins’ art is incredible. And Ram V is really leaning into that. This, to me, feels like, I feel like you’re going to yell at me here, Pete, but this feels like on par with the first couple of issues of Batwoman by J.H. Williams III. It’s just breaking the layouts, playing with it, playing with the format feels really engaging and dark in a very similar way.

Pete:                Yeah. That’s hell of a praise. That’s really fantastic praise. Okay. I agree. It’s absolutely gorgeous. This is a lot of fun. Swamp Thing can be hit or miss for me. I enjoyed this issue a lot. I didn’t enjoy all the human stuff as much, but I really thought this was cool. And also, we got to talk about this. You guys don’t go to central park in the middle of the night because there’s full grown dudes being born out of trees and I’m glad Swamp Thing is finally talking about it. It’s fucked up and someone needs to look into this because it’s not right, man. It’s just really messed up.

Alex:                 I’ll tell you what, I’ve been to The Ramble at night and I don’t think that’s what dudes are doing in trees.

Pete:                Well, that’s what’s happening in this comic book.

Alex:                 Great book. Seven Secrets number seven from BOOM! Studios, written by Tom Taylor, art by Daniele Di Nicuolo.

Pete:                I mean, Seven Secrets number seven. I mean, that’s you.

Alex:                 We still don’t know what the secrets are, but in this issue, our main character has wandered off the road into the land of fairy [crosstalk 00:16:08]

Pete:                We don’t know all the secrets. We know a couple.

Alex:                 We don’t know anything. The secrets are still secret in this book. We know they’re important, but we don’t know what they are or anything about them, which is kind of wild. But we do know more about the main character, about where he comes from, another really good issue of this very fun title. I’m enjoying it. How about you, Pete?

Pete:                Yes. Absolutely. Art’s amazing. Paneling is fantastic. And if you’re going to do a glowing horse with a fish tail, this is just the peak that which all should be measured. This is very creative. Very cool. Interesting paneling, amazing storytelling. Yeah. This is just really kind of creepy and tripped out in all the right ways. It’s one of those things where you got to be like, “All right. I’m definitely going to find out the secret in this issue.” But they do such a good job of keeping you busy in all the right ways. I’m impressed by this book.

Alex:                 By the way, the thing you mentioned, the horse with the tail of a fish, like they say in the book, it’s called a sulky, which is where the expression taking a sulky comes from.

Pete:                Oh my God. You’re such a dad joke. It’s ridiculous.

Alex:                 The Immortal Hulk number 45 from Marvel, written by Al Ewing, art by Joe Bennett. In this issue, the Hulk is once again, dead, killed by the U-Foes, trapped in the land below grid, I always forget what the name is. But it’s Joe Fixit and the dumb, very flabby, kid Hawk being trapped by the leader while back on earth, things are going wild. I’ll tell you what, not only do I love this book, like we talk about every issue. Not only are all the designs absolutely terrifying and the amount that Al Ewing and Joe Bennett are building into the mythology, rather fascinating. But I don’t think any other book, since a Brian K. Vaughan book like Saga, consistently on the last page out loud makes me go, “Oh, here we go.” Every single time out of the gate.

Pete:                Yeah. I mean, I wish I could, after reading this book and all the crazy thing, is I wish I could have been on this pitch meeting for Marvel. Can you imagine how you’ll be going, “All right, listen. I’m going to take Hawk and I’m going to twist them and I’m going to turn them. And it’s going to be so gross and so fucked up, it’s probably going to turn a lot of people away. But if people check this out.” I mean, this keeps getting weirder and more fucked up, yet I’m having such a great time. I don’t know. I don’t know how to describe this to somebody. I don’t know what’s going on. I love the last page. I can not wait to see what’s happening. I don’t know. I’m so confused. I’m so grossed out. I love this book. I love the way it starts with the quote every time. And then it gets all sorts of fucked up. This is some groundbreaking, really cool shit right here.

Alex:                 This is one of the most epic Hulk rods of all time. And it’s so exciting to be able to be reading that right now. I love it. Next up, let’s talk about one that I know you really liked a lot, Dead Dog’s Bite number two from Dark Horse Comics by Tyler Boss. Now this is one we missed talking about the first issue of this, which I really regret because Tyler Boss, great artist. We know him from 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, which he did with Matthew Rosenberg and other things.

Pete:                The Burgee.

Alex:                 This is about a woman who is investigating a disappearance. It’s weird. It’s funny. The panel layouts are great. I loved it. Love this issue.

Pete:                It’s really impressive. This is very, very creative in all the right ways. The Boss is killing it here. I mean, it kind of takes a little bit of like gives me that Hawkeye feel with a little bit of, God, what was it, King’s Vision with the different panelings and stuff here. But it’s got this great Indie kind of creative field, but just the paneling and the logos and the different stuff that they’re doing. I mean, I’m enthralled watching someone put money in a machine to try to get soda out. How can you do that? How is that enthralling? Yeah. I’m just really, really impressed with how creative and fantastic this book is. The scene where she goes and sits down with their mom at the fucking lunch table. Oh my God. This is crazy. I cannot wait to see how this kind of unfolds or gets explained. This is fantastic. I’m completely on board.

Alex:                 Me, too. I want to go back and read the first issue at this point. I feel bad about missing it. This is great. Next up, Batman number 107 from DC Comics, written by James Tynion IV, art by Jorge Jimenez and Ricardo Lopez Ortiz. In this issue, we’re continuing to find out about how Batman is dealing with the new status quo of Gotham City. Scarecrow is on the move. Other forces are, as well. And the backup story is about Ghost-Maker. What’d you think, Pete?

Pete:                All right. I’ve never seen Scarecrow so badass portrayed in a Batman book in a while. This is very interesting and cool. Tynion’s doing unbelievable stuff. The art’s fantastic. The Harley Quinn stuff has been so enjoyable. I think just kind of sprinkled throughout this Batman run and I think in a great way, and then we kind of get this new lady in red with green plant dogs who loves roses, so very intriguing. Tynion has done introducing a lot of different new characters with Ghost-Maker and now this lady in red. This is interesting to see what’s going to be happening here for Batman. Yeah. I’ve been enjoying it.

Alex:                 I’m going to throw a theory out at you. So there’s a character named Simon Saint, who we know is tied to the magistrate program that we saw in the future state books that essentially takes over Gotham and turns it into a police state, potentially in the future. Is Simon Saint Scarecrow? Because there’s a scene in the book where-

Pete:                Don’t you fucking spoil this for me, you son of a bitch.

Alex:                 No. I have no idea. But there’s a scene in the book where Simon Saint is looking outside and Scarecrow almost seems to be talking into his mind standing on a gargoyle. We’ve previously seen Scarecrow in his office sitting there in the darkness and it almost seems like maybe there’s a split personality thing going on there.

Pete:                Oh, interesting.

Alex:                 Just a thought. Whatever it is, love this book. I’m glad James Tynion has the, whatever you call it, handcuffs off or something like that and is able to just go wild in this book. It’s great. Next up, The Last Witch number four from Boom! Box, written by Conor McCreery, art illustrated by V.V. Glass. As a little bit of a note, we’re going to have Conor McCreery on our live show in a couple of weeks, so definitely check that out. I know you and Justin are going-

Pete:                For real?

Alex:                 For real. I love giving you news on our podcast.

Pete:                Oh, man, that’s great. Dude, this book has been fantastic. I cannot wait to talk about this.

Alex:                 Yes. We’ll talk about this one, then. We have our young witch is continuing to learn magic as she goes on a hunt for other witches. Here, we meet a refugee from Ferry who seems to be working with her. Maybe he’s not, necessarily. What’d you think about this issue?

Pete:                Yeah. Really great set up. I mean, first off, the girl’s grandmother’s just fantastic. What a badass.

Alex:                 You love a grandma.

Pete:                There’s nothing better than a badass grandma, all right? I don’t know what it is, but it’s glorious. Yeah. So just interesting.

Alex:                 That’s the thing that you love about grandmas, Pete. They keep getting older and so do you.

Pete:                Okay. Great. Stop being creepy. Yeah. Yeah. It seemed like a interesting kind of dude tagging along on this. Amazing kind of last page reveal on that. Yeah. Love the art. It makes it seem like it’s this kind of all ages, innocent thing, but there’s really a lot going on underneath the surface. So I’m very intrigued by this. Love all the main characters. It does such a great job of giving you story, giving you fun, giving you action. Yeah. I can’t wait to see how this all unfolds.

Alex:                 I like the V.V. Glass art in particular on this book. It really feels like sort of a, Don Bluth isn’t exactly right, but it’s very classic animation style where you could almost feel like it’s moving between the panels. It’s very nice. Next up, America Chavez: Made in the USA number two from Marvel, written by Kalinda Vazquez, art by Carlos Gomez. In this, we’re continuing to find more about the origin of America Chavez and it is not what we thought it was. We’re definitely in retcon territory here, folks, where we find out there’s a family after she left the Utopian Parallel that adopted her and kept her for a while. We get to see how she started to develop her characters and there’s the hint that everything she knew was wrong. I’m really enjoying the series quite a bit. And I say this as somebody who likes the concept of America Chavez a little better than the solo series I’ve seen. I’ve always liked her in a team book, but haven’t quite understood the character out of here. This is so far and we’re in the early going, maybe my favorite American Chavez story so far.

Pete:                Oh, cool. Yeah. I agree. This is really great. I feel like the art’s fantastic. We’re getting just enough backstory where it doesn’t feel like too much. It’s done so well with the kind of back and forth. I also really liked her with Spider-Man. That was great. Yeah. It’s very interesting how we’re kind of slowly getting her backstory, I would say a lot more in this issue, which is good. I’m very interested to see how this goes. I like how she’s moving about the world solving kind of things, trying to figure stuff out. Sometimes when that’s done, it can seem forced but it feels really natural here. Yeah. I mean, going into old-timey arcade place at night, that’s just not a smart idea. Nothing’s good is going to happen there.

Alex:                 Next up, Fear Case number three from Dark Horse Comics, written by Matt Kindt, art by Tyler Jenkins. Pete, you read this book and we missed it, right? What’d you think about this one?

Pete:                Yeah. I thought this was creepy in all the right ways. Very interestingly drawn. I love the kind of pencil kind of take on it. A lot of really powerful panels. And I just kind of finding things out with the characters here. Really love the last page, oh, shit kind of reveal. I think this is very interesting to see how each one of these fear cases kind of unfold. I think it’s really well done. The art’s fantastic.

Alex:                 Next up, Suicide Squad number two from DC Comics, written by Robbie Thompson, art by Eduardo Pansica. This is continuing the assault on Arkham storyline, which finds the Suicide Squad trying to liberate Talon from Arkham Asylum just as seemingly Scarecrow is, not Scarecrow, excuse me, joker’s fear toxin is being released throughout it as we’ve seen in a couple of other comic books. As usual with Suicide Squad, a bunch of people die. It’s very dark. There’s complicated and morality here. I think this is a really good classic Suicide Squad story with some very nice superhero art by Eduardo Pansica. What do you think, Pete?

Pete:                Yeah. I agree. I think this is really cool. Also, I’m glad that in Suicide Squad, the comic, we’re getting more Peacemaker here getting us ready for the movie. Really an over the top kind of person. So I think having what’s his face playing it is going to be very-

Alex:                 John Cena.

Pete:                Yeah.

Alex:                 Can you smell what John Cena is cooking?

Pete:                No. No. No. You can’t see me, okay? But I also really love the pulp fiction heart attack moment. I thought that was fun.

Alex:                 Good stuff. Next up, I don’t know anything about wrestling. Nocterra number two from Image Comics, written by Scott Snyder, art by Tony S. Daniel.

Pete:                Just for the audio podcast, I was waving my hand in front of my face like John Cena does.

Alex:                 Okay. All right. Why does he do that?

Pete:                Because you can’t see him. You can’t see.

Alex:                 Is that where the Drax [inaudible 00:29:26] came from? No, that’s Dave Bautista. Nevermind.

Pete:                Yeah.

Alex:                 They’re different people?

Pete:                Yeah.

Alex:                 Okay.

Pete:                See how it works is they’re different people.

Alex:                 Okay. I don’t see people.

Pete:                Wow.

Alex:                 I just don’t see people. I don’t see things. Okay. Nocterra number two written by Scott Snyder, who we had on the live show. He talked quite a bit about this as well, as many spoilers for Nocterra number three, which was very cool and very fun. So check out that live podcast if you hadn’t. In this book, we’re continuing our journey through a world where it’s always night and it’s filled with horrific creatures. Tony S. Daniel’s art is stunning here as usual. Just great action scenes. They’re fighting a terrifying villain named Blacktop Bill. This is great. This is like duel on sci-fi steroids is what I’d compare it to. You love this issue too, right?

Pete:                Oh my God. Yeah. And I love Blacktop Bill. Yeah. And also, really amazing art, bold choices. We talked about that Batman issue with him but two solid pages of all black, bold, bold choice. I was like, “Wait, did this not download right? What’s going on here?” Yeah. I think this is really getting crazier and crazier. Yeah. This is just really over the top fun. Yeah. It kind of reminds me of having metal in all the right ways where it’s like, “Oh yeah, this is just gonna be completely non-stop trucker fucking.” Yeah. This is fun.

Alex:                 Well, I also like the fact that it’s not delaying or an issue too. We already know a ton of information and things about the world.

Pete:                But it’s so much to know. That’s the fun part.

Alex:                 Well, exactly. But it’s the sort of story where it feels like, “Oh, okay. These are things that you kind of drag out and get to an issue 12.” But nope. We’re getting them in issue two. And that’s awesome. Next up. Let’s chat about Geiger number one from Image Comics, written by Geoff Johns, art by Gary Frank. Now, before we get into it, I do want to mention, this was initially at the top of our stack. We moved it down here because if you haven’t read it, there was a big interview with Ray Fisher from Justice League talking about his treatment from Geoff Johns. There were a lot of quotes in there. There were a lot of back and forth. We don’t know anything necessarily about it. Certainly, we want to listen to every single viewpoint and understand what went on.

Alex:                 As the story continues, we will continue to discuss it and find out more about it. But as is, I felt like it was still potentially worth talking about a Image Comic book from Geoff Johns and Gary Frank that’s coming out. So we’ll see. Maybe we’ll scrub this from the podcast later, if more things come out. But as is, let’s talk about the comic as the comic and as it is. So that all said, this is a new issue from this team who’s worked on Doomsday Clock as well as a lot of other things. Here, we’re getting an original property set in a post-apocalyptic world where one man has been seemingly affected by the radiation and gained radiation powers. The world, specifically, Las Vegas here has been split into different ruling factions as the outside of the world is not safe. What’d you think about this book, Pete?

Pete:                Yeah. I don’t know about all that shit. This is kind of news to me.

Alex:                 Again, I love giving you news right on the podcast.

Pete:                Yeah. So, hopefully, we’re not enjoying something that’s whatever. I don’t know what to say, but just looking at this comic as a comic and hopefully… All right. My point is that this is very cool idea. I’ve very much enjoyed the action. I thought the glowing man was really badass. I’m very interested to see how this kind of all enfolds. This two-headed dog is my favorite. This is really very, very cool. You got the broady kind of villain. So if everything’s okay, I’ll be interested to see how this all unfolds.

Alex:                 Yeah. Sorry I threw you there, Pete. I can see you’re really struggling with it and that is totally fair. I think the thing that I would say about this is Gary Frank’s art is meticulous as always as well as of layouts. I do think a lot of the problems that we had with Doomsday Clock, which got very in its head about the whole Watchmen of it all. There’s a lot of themes and ideas and images that I think do get hit on and in a certain way, and not a necessarily bad way recycled here, but it feels much more wide open. It feels a little looser, both in terms of the storytelling and the plotting. And it’ll be interesting to see, potentially, if everything gets clear, what this team does away from DC Comics. This is something that we talked with Scott a bit about as he is on his Rumspringa from DC Comics right now, about how you don’t have the corporate responsibility. You don’t have the things that you need to write because you’re serving a greater master here.

Alex:                 So again, we’ll see what happens. If anybody has any feedback or questions about any of this, we, of course, are happy to chat either at comicbookclublive@gmail.com at Comic Book Live on Twitter or in our page here on Slack. We’d love to get your feedback on whether we should be covering this comic or not. But again, we like to cover number ones. We like to talk about this. This is a big superstar team, so it was worth throwing in there. Maybe not as the first comic book in The Stack. Next up, let’s move to happier climbs with Far Sector number 11 from DC Comics, written by N.K. Jemisin, art by Jamal Campbell. Another fantastic issue of this book that just gets bigger and bigger every issue out of the gate. Pete, this is the Green Lantern you like. Go ahead.

Pete:                I mean, it sets the bar higher and higher with each issue and then continues to meet that bar and go above it. I mean, it’s just fantastic. 20% ring to save 20 billion. I mean, come on. This is exciting stuff. Everything has been unfolding in such a cool way. The art alone is worth the pickup. It is gorgeous in all the right ways. Characters designs are new and fresh, breaking this mold of stereotypical people and what they should look like. I love every single minute of it.

Alex:                 Well, I say this every issue, but I don’t think you can undervalue the fact that Jamal Campbell has drawn every issue of Far Sector, as well as N.K. Jemisin writing it, and they make a great team together. I know it’s not always possible with the monthly schedule of comic books, but I love that they have been able to continue together and kept this world consistent and build on it and make it look weirder and more interesting every issue out of the gate. It’s great. This book is great. And I’m really curious to see if it ends with issue 12. Is it going to continue? What’s going to happen? Because it’s such a fun interesting premise that they’ve set up here. One little side note-

Pete:                Am I to go and take over Green Lantern? We don’t need Green Lantern. We got Far Sector.

Alex:                 There you go. One little side note I’ll mention, I checked out, because I love this book so much, I read N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became which is a novel. It’s awesome. I know everybody probably already noticed this, but just in case you haven’t checked it out yet, it is, I don’t even kind of want to spoil it, but it’s about people who become living cities and it’s not the same themes. But you can kind of get a sense of similar things that she’s trying out here in Far Sector. Particularly as a new Yorker, I love it because it’s based in New York. It’s so of New York. Such an awesome book.

Alex:                 Again, I’m sure a lot of people have read it who are listening to this, but if you’ve only checked out our comics, definitely read that, as well. It’s well worth it. Next up, Crime Syndicate number two from DC Comics, written by Andy Schmidt, art by Keiran McKeown and Bryan Hitch. I think we were a little split on the first issue of this because it takes a more satirical look at the Crime Syndicate, at the evil Justice League. Here, we get them fighting Starro and we also get a backstory for Owlman. What’d you think about this one, Pete?

Pete:                It’s interesting. It’s cool. I mean, the Flash, shirtless Flash, with the crazy chain pants was hysterical. So fun.

Alex:                 I like this a little better. I felt the humor was a little strained in the first issue, but it hits more of its rhythm in this one. I like the backup story here. Bryan Hitch’s art is always pretty good. So I was ready to jump ship after this issue, but I think I’m more than willing to check out a third issue after this one.

Pete:                Cool.

Alex:                 Next up, Bliss number six from Image Comics, written by Sean Lewis, art by Caitlin Yarsky. We are, I think, getting towards the end game here as we finally find out a big secret from the past of the father and son who were trying to find each other in this world where gods run a muck. There’s some great bits here with one god that the son is palling around with, this turtle god who hangs his mouth open the entire time. There’s some very dark and emotional stuff that happens as well. What did you think, Pete?

Pete:                Yeah. This is just really unbelievable. Fantastic storytelling. This has been a real roller coaster of rooting for them or not rooting for them. It seems like really evil, but then the other side to him. We’ve got the AOC on the cover with the old balance of power there, the scales. Yeah. I really think this is a very interesting, cool world and it’s really done very well. The art and the characters are weird in all the right ways. Yeah. We find out a lot about the family in this. This is great. This really continues to be a book that you’re like, “What is this going to be?” every time you pick it up and it doesn’t disappoint.

Alex:                 Totally agree. And that’s it from The Stack. If you’d like to support us patrion.com/comicbookclub. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. Come hang out. We would love to chat with you about comic books. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe, listen, and follow the show. At Comic Book Live on Twitter, comicbookclublive.com for this podcast and many more. Until next time, we’ll see you at the virtual comic book shop.

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]]> On this week’s comic book review podcast: Magic #1 BOOM! Studios Written by Jed MacKay Illustrated by Ig Guara Green Lantern #1 DC Comics Written by Geoffrey Thorne Art by Dexter Soy and Marco Santucci The Silver Coin #1 Image Comics Written by Chip Zd... full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15492 1a51ea0e-f9ce-4639-9072-ad090114d372 Wed, 07 Apr 2021 13:00:00 +0000 2457 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/04/07/the-stack-magic-green-lantern-and-more/ Comic Book Club: Scott Snyder Comic Book Club: Scott Snyder On this week’s live show, we’re welcoming back writer Scott Snyder to discuss Image Comics “Nocterra,” what’s coming next for “Wytches” and “Undiscovered Country,” and much, much more. SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. The post Comic Book Club: Scott Snyder appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week’s live show, we’re welcoming back writer Scott Snyder to discuss Image Comics “Nocterra,” what’s coming next for “Wytches” and “Undiscovered Country,” and much, much more.

SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

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]]> On this week’s live show, we’re welcoming back writer Scott Snyder to discuss Image Comics “Nocterra,” what’s coming next for “Wytches” and “Undiscovered Country,” and much, much more. SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15465 bb0ba809-eb84-4929-93e5-ad090114e3d6 Wed, 07 Apr 2021 02:08:27 +0000 6007 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/04/06/comic-book-club-scott-snyder/ Podvincible: “Neil Armstrong, Eat Your Heart Out” Podvincible: “Neil Armstrong, Eat Your Heart Out” Mark gets his butt to Mars as we break down Invincible Episode 4 “Neil Armstrong, Eat Your Heart Out.” Suspicion grows about Omni-Man’s involvement with the deaths of the Guardians of the Globe, so he goes on the offensive with Damien Darkblood, Cecil and… Debbie? Meanwhile, things heat up with Amber and Mark, but will a trip to outer space slow things down? And over at the new Guardians, things get weirder with Robot. SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. The post Podvincible: “Neil Armstrong, Eat Your Heart Out” appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Mark gets his butt to Mars as we break down Invincible Episode 4 “Neil Armstrong, Eat Your Heart Out.” Suspicion grows about Omni-Man’s involvement with the deaths of the Guardians of the Globe, so he goes on the offensive with Damien Darkblood, Cecil and… Debbie? Meanwhile, things heat up with Amber and Mark, but will a trip to outer space slow things down? And over at the new Guardians, things get weirder with Robot.

SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

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]]> Mark gets his butt to Mars as we break down Invincible Episode 4 “Neil Armstrong, Eat Your Heart Out.” Suspicion grows about Omni-Man’s involvement with the deaths of the Guardians of the Globe, so he goes on the offensive with Damien Darkblood, full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15486 108221e8-b5e6-45ee-8c5a-ad090114ee6b Sun, 04 Apr 2021 13:00:00 +0000 1996 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/04/04/podvincible-neil-armstrong-eat-your-heart-out/ MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 3 – “Power Broker” MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 3 – “Power Broker” Sam and Bucky head to Madripoor with Baron Zemo in tow as we recap The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 3, “Power Broker.” With Zemo on the team, it’s off to Low Town to find clues about who gave the Flag Smashers the Super Soldier Serum… Leading to a reunion with Sharon Carter, a.k.a. Agent 13. But that’s just the beginning, as things go predictably wrong, and things start exploding. And meanwhile, John Walker is one step behind… From that surprise cameo by Ayo from Black Panther to Smiling Tiger to whether Madripoor is teeing up the X-Men, we break down all the Falcon and the Winter Soldier Easter eggs and comic book references in Episode 3. SUBSCRIBE TO MARVELVISION ON ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER, OR RSS. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Full Episode Transcript Alex:                 Welcome to MarvelVision, a podcast about Marvel the MCU and Falcon and Winter Soldier. I’m Alex. Justin:              I’m Justin. Pete:                I’m Pete. Zalben, this is your ep, buddy, huh? You excited? Alex:                 Number-one Baron Zemo- Pete:                To see your dad on screen? Alex:                 … fan over here. My time has finally come. My ship has come in. We’re going to be talking about Power Broker, the third episode of the series. Now, requisite spoiler warning here. If you haven’t watched the episode, go watch it. I’m sure you woke up at 3:00 AM just as we all did- Justin:              Just like us. Alex:                 … and we’ve been talking about it nonstop for the past couple of hours- Pete:                Nonstop. Alex:                 … just really breaking down, heavily scripting this show. So we are ready to go. Justin:              I like to get up at like 3:02 to really let it marinate a little bit for those first couple minutes and then press play, you know? Pete:                Wow. Alex:                 Yes. 100 percent, and also, I like to just sort of fairly let people have the chance to watch it. So that’s why I- Pete:                [crosstalk 00:01:03]. Justin:              Exactly. Before I start shouting spoilers on Twitter, I wait until 3:02. Pete:                Super nice of you guys. Justin:              Of course, Alex, you scream first when you press play on it, right? Alex:                 Every time for every show- Justin:              Dope. Alex:                 … even when it’s just on broadcast- Pete:                [crosstalk 00:01:16]. Alex:                 … [crosstalk 00:01:16]. I’m first. Justin:              At Broadway performances, you’re like “First. Yeah. I love this.” Alex:                 So in this episode, just to give you the broad strokes, this picks up right where we left off pretty much in- Pete:                53 minutes. Alex:                 Left off in episode two as Sam and Bucky have gone to visit Zemo in prison to get information on the Power Broker. They don’t know about the Power Broker yet, but find out about the Power Broker, find out how the Flag-Smashers got the Super Soldier Serum and what’s going on with that. He has researched that over the years. So they think he’s going to be a good source, but of course, as we suspected the last episode of this podcast, they end up actually breaking Zemo out of jail and teaming up with him- Justin:              We called it. Alex:                 … in a hilarious buddy comedy, and they head to none other than Madripoor, which is a very important location for- Justin:              I love this. Alex:                 … X-Men fans. I’m sure we’ll get into this a bit. That’s where they meet Sharon Carter, who’s been hanging out there. They get into a big action scuffle there, find out more about the Super Soldier Serum, head on the next chapter of their journey, while in the background, John Walker and Battlestar are hot on their heels and just getting hotter on their heels as we go, and when we leave off, they’ve gone to investigate the next lead, and enter Wakanda. That’s where we leave off at the end there. So lots to talk about in this episode. Pete:                Hey-oh. Justin:              Hey-oh. Alex:                 I’m curious. I think we’ve talked about this a little bit, and I know Pete’s going to yell at me because he never likes anything negative to be said. So I’ll caveat this with I continue to have fun watching this series. I enjoy part of this, but I’m still not 100 percent sure what’s going on with the characters necessarily and the themes. It’s starting to feel much more muddled to me episode by episode- Pete:                You’ve only got- Alex:                 … while- Pete:                … three more eps left. Alex:                 Sure, and it might all wrap up. That’s why I’m holding off for the moment on making any broad judgments, but I definitely felt, too, with this episode, a lot of it was setting up plot but not focusing on the part that I’m most interested in personally, which is Sam and his battle for the shield. Pete:                Dora Milaje. Alex:                 That was only very tangentially touched on, and it feels like a lot of the themes in the episode are not touching on that either. They’re there to service the super soldier plot. What’s your guys’ takeaway? Are you feeling the same way? Or you completely disagree? Pete:                No, no. First off, first off- Alex:                 Pete, I know. Pete:                … go fuck yourself. Alex:                 Wait. Pete, just to frame up for anybody who’s new to this podcast, Pete knows that if I say anything bad about Marvel movies or TV shows, that’s it. They’re not going to make any more. Justin:              Yep. They’re shutting it down. Pete:                All right. So- Justin:              Atlanta? They shut it down. Pete:                So first off, no. That is not my point. My point is all you’ve been doing is being like “Man, I can’t wait for Zemo. Oh, man. Just give me a Zemo ep. Where’s my god damn Zemo ep?” You get a whole Zemo ep. Zemo dances. Zemo puts on the mask. You don’t know if he’s going to put on the mask, but then he woops ass with the mask on then takes it off and being all cool. You get to see his rides. You get to see his style. All you get is Zemo in this ep, and then you have the balls to turn around and go “Muddled. I want to know about the characters.” Shut the fuck up. Justin:              Yeah. Yeah. Pete:                Eat your popcorn and enjoy the ride, because you’re getting- Alex:                 Eat your popcorn? Justin:              Eat your popcorn. Pete:                You’re getting exactly what you fucking wanted. Alex:                 Yeah. I mean, hold on. I’ll tell you what I do, Pete, because a lot of people on the podcast don’t necessarily know this, and you know this, of course. That’s why you brought it up. Because we watch these episodes first thing in the morning, I’ll set the popcorn maker on a timer the night before. Justin:              Oh, so smart. Pete:                Because you’re smart. Because you’re smart. Alex:                 So I wake up to those sweet, sweet sounds of … and if I don’t get there in two and a half minutes, I’m screwed. That’s burnt popcorn, baby. Justin:              Yeah, and of course you- Pete:                Oh, man. Nothing worse than that. Justin:              You purchased one of those Coke machines where it’s just a bunch of buttons and you can get any flavor of soda. Alex:                 Freestyle? Yeah. Justin:              Freestyle. Alex:                 Absolutely. Justin:              You got one of those in the house. You hired an usher there, who’s like “Hey, man. Feet off the seats. Enough of that.” Pete:                Yeah. He says- Alex:                 Yeah. I hired- Pete:                Can I see your tickets? Alex:                 I was like “Listen. I want a surprisingly aggressive usher,” and they’re out of work right now. So I’m just helping the community. Pete:                Surprisingly- Justin:              Flashlight in your face. Pete:                … aggressive. Justin:              Obviously, and for those of you that don’t know, Pete is Alex’s father, and Alex wanted Zemo for his birthday, and then Pete got it for him, and clearly it wasn’t enough for Alex. Pete:                It was enough. You know, do you know how long I had to stand in line to get that Zemo for you? They were almost out. Alex:                 I appreciate it. Pete:                I had to fight off a little- Alex:                 They gave you the vaccine at the same time though, right? Pete:                Yeah. Alex:                 Free. Justin:              I hear you, Alex, on your complaints or your issues, because I agree in that we set up … In the first episode when the characters were separate, when Falcon and Winter Soldier were separate from each other and everyone was separate, we got to see a little bit of like “Oh, I see …” They put some items on the table. We got Winter Soldier’s trauma that he’s trying to fix. We got Sam- Pete:                [crosstalk 00:06:04]. Justin:              … dealing with the post-blip struggles, struggles being a black person in America, all that stuff [inaudible 00:06:12], like identity, legacy, filling that stuff in. We got all that on the table. Pete:                Trying to get loans. Justin:              Yeah. Then second episode, there was a little bit less of that and a little bit more plot. In this episode, they were like “Plot time. We can’t deal with that …” They talk about race a little bit, but it feels very … It’s not touching on it in the right [crosstalk 00:06:31]. Alex:                 It’s mostly Zemo telling Sam how to feel as a black man, which is weird. Justin:              Very weird and uncomfortable, legitimately, and maybe that was purposeful, but I think it feels weird in the absence of furthering those themes they set out in the first episode. So I definitely hear that. On the Pete front, the Zemo … I was surprised this episode focused so much on Zemo, and I liked that. He is an interesting character, and again, it further confuses the good-guy-bad-guy narrative of this series, and I think it- Pete:                Especially the way that Zemo talks about things. It’s all very matter of fact, and he even is on the side of Falcon, but Falcon was like “Okay. All right. It’s weird that you’re saying that, but yeah> I agree with you.” There was some fun moments there. You really got to see a lighter side to a very villainous character, and I thought Zalben would just be a pig in shit in this episode, loving all the different sides of Zemo that we’re spending time with, but then … All he does is talk about “I can’t wait for Zems. I’m a fucking Zem head.” Alex:                 I’ll keep complaining if you want. This is- Pete:                I just can’t- Alex:                 Two other things that I was frustrated about with Zemo, who I still like, and I think Daniel Bruhl is great, and I appreciate the fact that everybody loves him dancing up in the club … Two things on different sides. Love Baron Zemo in the comics. He’s an … Yes. Doing the fist pump. Love it. In the comics, he’s a great villain. Pete:                He was moved by the music. Alex:                 He’s a great villain. I love him in the comics. Obviously, problematic because of his Nazi background. They don’t have that in the show, and they don’t have it in the MCU, and certainly it’s better for it, but this is something that they kind of … not exactly sneak in there, but fit in there with the MCU continuity, which makes sense. I have no problems with it, but mentioning that he’s a baron, like he was in the comics, makes it weird to me retroactively for Civil War, and mind you, this might be head canon a little bit, but because he could have been royalty, but what we knew from Civil War is that he lived just outside of Sokovia. They thought they’d be safe during Avengers: Age of Ultron. They were not. He blamed the Avengers and proceeded to take them down and win by the end of Civil War. Alex:                 So that’s a huge deal, but I think the part of it, the thing that makes it so powerful in Civil War is that, relatively speaking, he is a regular guy and a regular citizen of Sokovia, as far as we know, who is doing it, and it makes it that much stronger that his hate, his thirst for revenge pushed him so hard to take down the world’s most powerful super team. Here, we find out he’s a baron, very rich, has his own plane and tons of resources. Pete:                Man of the people just walking in the streets being like “Sup?” Like “Oh, Zemo’s back on the scene. What’s up?” Alex:                 Divorced from anything else, it’s fun to watch. Again, I want to keep emphasizing this. I am having fun watching the show, but there are- Pete:                You fucking better. Alex:                 … these little things that happen like that that I’m like “I don’t know that that adds as much to the MCU as I would have liked,” and the other thing … The mask is fun. It was only there because Daniel Bruhl was not going to do that action sequence. That was the only reason they- Justin:              Wow. Alex really- Pete:                Oh, you shut your mouth. You shut your mouth. Justin:              … really pulled the curtain back. Alex:                 The mask is the most- Pete:                Come on. Alex:                 … crucial part of his character, like how Mary Jane’s hair has to be red or Captain America needs to be blonde. These are all the crucial parts of these characters- Justin:              Wow. Alex:                 … that need to be held on to. Justin:              What? Pete:                Oh, no. What are you doing right now? Alex:                 I’m being very weird. Pete:                Who are you? You’re a fucking monster with this bullshit. That is just- Justin:              I will say, outside of your production problem with the mask, the fact that he … In this episode, Falcon and Winter Soldier, as they’re heroes characters, don’t appear. They’re doing some espionage stuff, they’re shooting guns, but Zemo’s the one that gets to be the super hero, quote-unquote. He gets to put on the mask and help them out of a bad situation. I thought that was super interesting and odd to me. Pete:                It was crazy how quickly Zemo was just fucking running shit. It was all- Justin:              Once that fur collar- Pete:                … Zemo’s idea, plans. Justin:              Once that fur collar pops, Zemo’s gone. Pete:                Fucking, this was definitely some kind of crossover between Zoolander and Zemo. It was so meta, but- Justin:              Ooh, Zemolander. Alex:                 Zemolander. Pete:                … [crosstalk 00:10:40] like “Do you know what you’re doing?” but the Blue Steel comes through in the end. I thought it was weird but also just fun, like the- Alex:                 Wait. Hold on. Before we move on too far, I just want to throw this out there. What is this? A museum for Ant-Man? Justin:              Okay. Okay. Pete:                Oh, wow. Wow. Okay. Justin:              Okay. Pete:                All right. Justin:              See, your Zoolander comparison, I don’t quite understand, but I’ll take it. I feel like Zemo’s sort of the Joe Pesci here. Pete:                Oh, wow. Interesting. Justin:              He’s just- Alex:                 Of Lethal Weapon? Justin:              Yes. Yes. Alex:                 Oh, okay. Pete:                Of Lethal Weapon. Alex:                 Not My Cousin Vinny. Justin:              Yeah. He’s sort of the My Cousin Vinny. Alex:                 Yeah. Justin:              The two yutes. Alex:                 And Marisa Tomei is like the Aunt May. Pete:                From Goodfellas. Justin:              [inaudible 00:11:20] hundred percent. Yes. Pete:                I just thought it was interesting. Instead of Zemo just being an awful person, awful character, they really went out of their way to show Zemo in a different light, and it was very different from what … Because it started with him using the code words against Winter Soldier just to throw it in his face, but then it was like “Oh, I don’t need these words. I can play him like a fiddle regardless,” gets him to break him out, and Winter Soldier talking to Falcon, just being like “Yeah. So you know, hypothetically, let’s say we started a prison riot. Oh, yeah. Zemo’s here. Okay. Just-“ Justin:              I liked it. That felt very Ocean’s 11- Pete:                So fun. Justin:              … style, like “Oh, the plan? It’s already been done. Here he is.” Pete:                Yeah. It’s been done. Justin:              Very much Marvel movie making, the fact that Winter Soldier was like “Yeah. Let’s break him out. He’s on our team now.” It’s like “That’s a quick decision, bro.” Pete:                Yeah. That was a very quick- Alex:                 Well, particularly because in retrospect, as we find out later in the episode, they go to Madripoor to get this information, but who’s running Madripoor? It’s Sharon Carter. So I guess she’s off the grid. I guess Madripoor is this secret place, but it does feel like the sort of things that the US government probably knows she’s there but can’t extradite here. So they could have said “Hey. You don’t have to break Zemo out of prison. Just go to Sharon.” Justin:              Just go to Sharon. Exactly. Alex:                 Cut out the middle man. Pete:                Yeah. Sharon’s running shit, man. This episode was like “You guys having fun? You playing games? I’m fucking running shit while you guys are running around doing whatever. This whole city bows to me.” Alex:                 Now, while we’re talking about this, before we move on, and this is definitely getting way deep into the X-Men speculation well, but Sharon Carter, Agent 13, has been heavily linked often with Captain America, with Wolverine. There’s this great … I think it’s an X-Men issue, where it’s Wolverine, Black Widow, and Captain America teaming up in Madripoor, which is super fun. Justin:              It’s like X-Men 180, I want to say, 181. Alex:                 Yeah, which this feels like a little bit of a nod in that direction, was all I wanted to say. Justin:              I mean, just having Madripoor there … It feels like a whole new area of the Marvel universe is unlocked. So much stuff happens in Madripoor. I thought they did a good job showing Madripoor for what it is, this always night time place where there’s just crime, criminals running loose. Pete:                They made a joke about New York not being able to hang with Madripoor. I was like “Oh, man. Shot’s fired.” Justin:              If we just get a quick shot, I want someone to either find it or Photoshop Hugh Jackman wearing an eye patch in the back of one of these Madripoor bar fights. Alex:                 I’m sure it is already all over the internet by this point. Justin:              Let’s see it. Pete:                But speaking … Oh. Go ahead. Finish your thought. Justin:              I was going to say, what do we feel like Zemo being established as the Jay Leno of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Alex:                 Oh. Having so many cars? Justin:              A hundred percent. Pete:                So many cars, like- Alex:                 Or apologizing for his past racism? Which one? Justin:              I guess, technically both. News. Topical. Or maybe Jay Leno’s the Baron Zemo of our universe. Pete:                Oh, yeah. Justin:              Think about that. Pete:                I mean, I did appreciate when he reached into a car and then saw the purple mask. The hesitation, the kind of awe of it was a fun little moment there, and I thought that was cool. Justin:              Plus, the segment of Baron walking, where he walked around and asked tourists dumb questions, I thought was really, really pointed. Alex:                 Very funny. Very provocative, is what I would say. Justin:              It’s so provocative. Pete:                Someone brought up Ocean’s whatever here. They did have that moment where- Alex:                 I’m sorry. The second half of that title is not hard to remember. Justin:              Arguably easier. Pete:                Well, I don’t know if it’s 11, 12- Alex:                 Oh, okay. Pete:                … 13, whichever one was the one where the actress was playing herself and it got real meta. That’s part with Sam was a little weird, where he was Smiling Tiger. It was fun to watch him do that shot, but I felt like we did a lot of work just to make him do a snake baby shot. Justin:              Snake baby? A lot of bars have snakes underneath. You just got to ask for the right cocktail- Pete:                For the usual? Justin:              … and I’m a bartender, former bartender. So I know. I always had to- Pete:                I wasn’t insulting your- Justin:              When you set up your bar, you restock the bottles, cut your limes and lemons, feed the snake a rat so the snake stays alive so can eventually cut it open for venom. Pete:                Right. Alex:                 They did that in Cheers, right? Every time Norm would come in, they’d just pull the snake out from the bar- Pete:                Norm. Justin:              Yeah. Alex:                 … cut it open, and serve it to him. Justin:              Yeah. That was a Woody thing. He was always like “Mr. Peterson-“ Pete:                So Justin- Justin:              “… here’s your shot of snake …” Alex:                 Snake baby. Pete:                So because you’re such a bartender, how good is a snake baby shot? Is it delicious? Is it- Justin:              It’s really good. Some people like just your straight up Tequila, salt. Some people like a lemon drop. The real drinkers- Alex:                 Just to honestly check, it’s not a snake baby, right? It’s the venom glands that they were cutting out? Justin:              I’m assuming it was venom. Alex:                 Okay. Justin:              We didn’t get an anatomy lesson on the snake, but snake babies are solid, while that was liquid. So that’s where I would say the difference is. Pete:                I don’t know. It’s tough to tell, man. The angle that they were showing the shot glass … It looked like a little snake baby was in there. Justin:              [crosstalk 00:16:31] eat the worm? Alex:                 Yeah. Probably that’s a deleted scene. They’ll put that up next week or something, like “Just to be clear, this is a snake baby I’m serving you.” Justin:              Drink like Zemo drinks. Have a snake baby. Pete:                Oh, man, and then Zemo’s like “Don’t you fucking break right now. We’re all in this. You die with the lie.” Alex:                 They were so sneaky in that bar, whispering to each other very loudly- Pete:                Yeah. Oh, man. Alex:                 … about what was going on. Justin:              Yeah. No one could- Pete:                Don’t blow this. Hey. What did that guy just say? Nothing. Don’t speak English, right? Okay. Justin:              Sam drank that shot like a champ. He smelled it. Like a real pro, he smelled it, touched his chin with it, looked at it a couple times, then finally … I was like “Man, this guy knows how to blend it.” Pete:                I’m glad that we got to stop and fight about how good Marvin Gaye is, because I think it’s important. Marvin Gaye is unbelievable, and I don’t care what time period you’re from. You got to stop and appreciate it. Alex:                 I do want to mention, because we’ve been bouncing around this a little bit, some of the dialogue in the past couple episodes … Just purposely, I think, action movie style is kind of clunky and whatever, but Anthony Mackie is doing the most with absolutely everything. Even if it’s a clunky joke, he makes it work, and I think that’s great. Justin:              I agree with you. Yeah, because it is … I mean, this does feel like … We hold our TV dialogue to a higher standard than movie dialogue, I think, because it’s a show we’re watching at home. It’s something we’re sifting through a little bit, while movies, we’re like “I’m going to get on this ride and see where it ends.” So I do think- Pete:                Yeah. You buy popcorn for movies. Justin:              Right. Or you have your personal popcorn popper there. Alex:                 Yes. My usher does it for me in the morning, but however you get your popcorn, that’s not the point. Pete:                Right. Justin:              Your usher was the same guy that was Baron’s pilot and champagne deliverer. Alex:                 That guy loves Baron Zemo way more than I do. Pete:                Oh, wow. Justin:              That guy was the oldest person I think I’ve ever seen, and he was piloting that plane? Pete:                Come on. Alex:                 I think so. Pete:                Oh, come on. Alex:                 I think that’s what they revealed later on. Pete:                You’ve seen Big Trouble in Little China. Come on. That guy was so much older. Justin:              That’s true, but this guy … I don’t know. I thought it was such a funny casting choice, and the way the guy was sort of goofy. He was giggling it up with Zemo. Pete:                Yeah. He’s like “Ha-ha. We’re old and racist. Ha-ha-ha-ha.” Justin:              Totally. Alex:                 Well, he’s not though. That’s the thing is Baron Zemo is not exactly racist. Meanwhile, John Walker, who we haven’t really talked about yet, definitely delving into the real bad side. He’s going off the deep end real quick here. Justin:              Yeah. I feel like seeing his anger right at the top of the episode … I was like “Aha. Now we’re going in that direction,” and it was interesting how much work they put into making him sort of a regular guy in the last episode, and in this, they were immediately like “Nope. He’s a dick. Later.” Alex:                 He was also so close in that scene where he breaks into where the Flag-Smashers were and confronts the guy. He says “Don’t you know who I am?” right? Justin:              Yeah. Alex:                 Which- Pete:                Yeah. He does. Alex:                 It wasn’t that, but there’s a very famous scene, if you’ve ever seen it, in the Ultimates where Captain America points at his head and says “Do you think this A stands for France?” and it felt like had the same energy. I almost thought he was going to say that in there, but obviously he did not. Justin:              Yeah. Alex:                 What else should we talk about? There’s a ton of action sequences. Pete:                I did really appreciate the spit in the face that the fake Captain America got. I thought that was well earned and deserved, but yeah. I agree with you. The action sequences were amazing. It was great to see Aaron Carter … or Sharon Carter just wooping some [crosstalk 00:19:58]. Alex:                 Yep. Aaron Carter. Stick with it. Justin:              You said it. You have to commit. Make it make sense. Pete:                Yeah. There was some music. There was some dancing, and then Aaron Carter punched a bunch of people in the face. No. I think that I really enjoyed the whole … We’re getting swarmed here, and then she got to beat up some people and then run inside and join the action. So I thought that was great, and it was also … It was just a lot of fun fight sequences in between stuff. That was very much appreciated. Alex:                 Well, this is taking a step back to what we were talking about earlier, but in terms of Sharon and Madripoor as a whole and spending so much time on it, it really did feel like there was a lot of thought put into making this Marvel’s next big location. Maybe not the same level of world building as Wakanda, because that was insane and over the top in terms of what they did there in that movie, incredible, but it gave a very similar feeling to me in terms of you got this, you got Hightown, you got Lowtown, here’s Madripoor, this is what it looks like, here’s how you get in, here’s how it works, that it’s clearly the sort of thing that they wanted to establish so that they can potentially bring back down the road. Justin:              Yeah. They definitely put it on the map in a very real way. It’s not like in movies where they’re just like … Even Sokovia. That’s on the map, but it was like “Hey. This is a place we’re doing now and then we’re not going to do really again.” There’s talk about it a little bit, but this, it feels like they’re sort of forward casting Madripoor. They’re writing it down for us so that we can take it and go home with it, which I think is great. I’m excited about Madripoor as a location, and not even just X-Men speculation stuff. So many heroes and villains in the comics run through Madripoor. Pete:                Yep. Alex:                 Just setting up a place like that where you can have villains mention “Oh, we got to get out of here. We got to get to Madripoor,” like you’re saying. It doesn’t need to be “And then Wolverine’s in the background.” It could just be a place. That said, two little Easter eggs here. We get the Brass Monkey bar and the Princess Bar. Princess Bar is a place that I believe Wolverine did hang out at quite a bit when he would go to Madripoor as Patch. Brass Monkey, meanwhile, is just another bar in- Pete:                The Funky Monkey. Justin:              That’s right. Alex:                 … in Madripoor. So there you go. Couple of other Easter eggs while we’re touching on stuff that I wrote down. The Smiling Tiger is a completely different character in the comics, Conrad Mack. He’s a New Warriors character. So I don’t know if you know him, Justin. Justin:              Yes, but he sort of came to more prominence after the mid-’90s run, I believe, but yeah. Alex:                 Yeah, but totally different. It’s just using the name. That’s it. Dr. Wilfred Nagel, who is the doctor who- Pete:                I was calling him Dr. Bagel. Justin:              Oh, cool. Let me ask you, Pete. What do you want to do with that? Should we- Pete:                Well, it just is very plain. He’s a plain bagel, and I’m glad they shot him. I didn’t like him in the beginning. I didn’t like him … Dead, he was a little bit better, but- Justin:              He was better dead? You hate plain bagels. Pete:                Yeah. There’s nothing worse. Justin:              There’s nothing worse. Pete:                You got to do so much work to get it nice. Alex:                 He is directly from Truth: Red, White & Black, which is the same place that Isaiah comes from last episode, Isaiah Bradley, and yeah. He basically serves the same function there. He was the one, in case you couldn’t figure it out, though you probably can … He was the one who was mining Isaiah’s blood in the show. He reproduced the super soldier formula after … So he wasn’t really a genius or anything, but the other interesting detail, before I get into other things that I jotted down, is we don’t find out who the Power Broker is. We speculated about this a little bit. Pete:                Yeah. It’s the title of the episode, and we don’t even get to meet the Power Broker. Talked about a little bit, but that’s it. Alex:                 That feels like a thing, right? Because- Justin:              Yeah. Alex:                 … last episode, we speculated that maybe the Power Broker is the United States government. Maybe the Power Broker was something else, not what we were expecting, but at least based on this episode, it does seem like the Power Broker is somebody and potentially somebody we’re going to meet down the road in this series. Pete:                I would hope so, all the talk about the person. Justin:              Lot of talk about the Power Broker. I thought for sure, and maybe it’s someone we already know or something like that. Alex:                 Is it Sharon? It could be Sharon, right? Pete:                It’s probably Sharon. Yeah. I would- Justin:              It’d be weird if they didn’t reveal that this episode- Alex:                 Yes. Justin:              … right? Alex:                 Yeah. Justin:              I don’t know, and on the other thing of things I was surprised, like you were just describing Isaiah Bradley as where the serum came from, I was surprised they didn’t make that connection explicit. It was sort of like … Right? It was like- Alex:                 I feel like they’re weirdly underplaying all the Truth stuff in the show. Granted, there have only been two things so far, but to your point, both of them … They’re a big deal for continuity, for Marvel Comics, for what the show could say about certain things, and at least right now, and granted, we’re only half way through the series, it doesn’t feel like they’re hitting it quite as hard as they could. Justin:              I feel like we’re going to get a big … I hope they’re underplaying it so that they can give us a reveal later that- Pete:                That’s what I’m hoping. Justin:              … Isaiah comes back and has a heroic moment- Pete:                Yeah. That would be- Justin:              … or something like that, because they included him in the previously-on for sure, and then the fact that it wasn’t explicitly referenced when they were talking about the serum … I was just surprised that it was like “Hey. If you’re listening, you’ll get this, but if you’re not, you might miss it.” Pete:                Yeah. I’m really hoping for a better use of that, because if that’s all we get, it’s going to be kind of super sad, but I did … It was an interesting story that Dr. Bagel was talking about, where it was like “I was right in the middle of 20 vials of this huge discovery, and then I got turned to dust and was like ‘Aw,'” and then he’s like “Five years later, and it’s not even funded, and I don’t even know what’s going on.” I was like “Man, Dr. Bagel-“ Justin:              Dr. Bagel. Pete:                “… you should probably get shot now.” Justin:              Yeah. Alex:                 I liked that. Justin:              I did too. Alex:                 I thought that was a nice speech. Justin:              Smart. Yeah, and I like this secret shipping container lab, I thought was cool. Alex, you must have loved the Lost-ian introduction to the lab. It was very- Alex:                 So cool. I was like “Who is it? Is it Desmond? Is Desmond the doctor? What’s going on? Where is Desmond?” and that’s the big question that I think the series is going to answer going forward. Where’s Desmond? Justin:              It’s not Penny’s boat, I think is one thing we can- Alex:                 We can establish that. Justin:              We can establish that. Pete:                Well, this is fun. I’m getting all these references [crosstalk 00:26:18]. Alex:                 Let’s talk about the cliffhanger at the end as Bucky follows those little Wakanda balls around the corner and discovers Ayo from Black Panther, from- Pete:                Dora Milaje, baby. Come on. Alex:                 Yep. From … That was so loud. From Infinity War. I assume she was in Endgame, because everybody was in Endgame. Played by Florence Kasumba. This is great. I like this. I loved the streams of the Black Panther theme sneaking in there at the end. Super fun twist. Justin:              I agree. It’s great. I was very surprised that they went that way, and I like … We got a mention earlier on in the … or I guess, last episode, about Bucky, as his time in Wakanda was important, and the fact that we get this, I’m like “Yes. This is great.” Really weaving the continuity together in a way that I didn’t expect them to do. Pete:                Yeah. It was great because Bucky was like “We’re not going to be the only …” Zemo just appears. Wakanda’s not going to not do anything. So the reveal of “I’m here for Zemo,” and I knew it was only a matter … It was just so great. Justin:              Again, throwing another wrench in their plan, where it’s like Zemo, bad guy, but they need him, so they keep bringing him around. He is helping them. Wakanda, good guys. We want Zemo. Well, we can’t give you Zemo. Then they’re all, again, in this miasma of who’s right, who’s wrong. Pete:                We’ve got three more eps to kind of wrap up all these threads, which I’m nervous about. Justin:              I mean, I agree with you a little bit because it’s like you got to start … They keep opening it up, and they got to start closing it up. Pete:                Yeah. It keeps getting bigger and bigger. Yeah. Keeps getting bigger and bigger, and it’s like “No, no, no, no. Go the other way.” Justin:              But I do think, if this series has movies structure to it, it makes sense that now it’s still a little bit open, and then next episode we’re going to start to get some bad things happening and things starting to come together a little bit. Pete:                Do you think we’ll have two more Zemo dance breaks before the end of this whole thing being over? How many more- Alex:                 The next episode is just Zemo’s dance hour. Justin:              Yep. Pete:                Oh. Justin:              Yeah. There’s no- Pete:                That’s going to be worth it. Justin:              … very little story. It’s just a lot of … It’s sort of like MTV’s The Grind from back in the ’90s, but with Zemo. Pete:                That’s a very- Justin:              Zemo’s going to be the Eric Nies. Pete:                Nobody’s getting that ref, dude. I love it. I love it. Alex:                 Here. I’ll update it a little bit. He’s going to do masks-off dance-off. Pete:                Whoa. Justin:              Nice. Wow. Alex:                 You guys remember Pants-Off Dance-Off? Justin:              Yes. Good. Alex:                 Also very good. Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Justin:              That was on Fuse, a lesser known network. Alex:                 Fuse. Yes. Yes. Oh, I do want to bring up the Flag-Smashers. We haven’t really talked about them yet, because they have this nice through line throughout the episode. My takeaway- Pete:                Yeah. Karli. Alex:                 My big takeaway here is that they seem like they’re on the side of right, but clearly, Karli is starting to go too far. Was that your takeaway as well? Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              Yeah, and they do a nice thing where we get to know her even more. We get to know what she wanted to be. We see her softer side, and then- Pete:                Yeah. She wanted to be a teacher. Justin:              She wanted to be a teacher, and then the next scene with her, she’s like “Hey. We got to go hard here, or else.” Pete:                Well, I mean, the other person was right. They needed some time for her to mourn. I think she’s using her anger in ways that is not helpful, and she’s got to mourn and have some time, and then hopefully she can be a better person, but that was like “Oh, no. Karli, no. Karli, why. Karli, oh.” Alex:                 I do wonder if we’re going to get some sort of conversation down the line between Zemo and Karli, and what that would mean, whether it’ll bring Karli further over the edge or potentially Zemo bringing her back in some way, I- Pete:                Can Zemo teach her to dance? Justin:              Yep. Alex:                 Yes. That’s the big question. Justin:              I would throw out … Yeah. I feel like we’re going to get a Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner moment between Karli and Zemo. Pete:                Oh, yeah. Justin:              Zemo, of course, is the baby. Alex:                 Yep. Pete:                Yeah. We all know. Justin:              We all know what I’m talking about. Pete:                Yeah. The dancing baby. Justin:              Honestly, what if Zemo joins … Could he potentially be convinced to join the Flag-Smashers? Pete:                Will Zemo figure out about TikTok and really take his dancing to a whole other level? Alex:                 These are all very good questions that we’re definitely going to follow equally going forward throughout this podcast. Justin:              A hundred percent. Okay. Let’s just recap sort of what Pete’s big takeaways from the episode. Fuck Dr. Bagel. Pete:                Okay. Cool. Right. Justin:              When will Zemo dance again? And I’m mad at Alex because he didn’t enjoy his birthday present. Pete:                Also, bread crumbs are free, but the bakery costs money. Alex:                 Very true. Justin:              There we are. That’s the ravings of a mad man. That’s all the time we have. [inaudible 00:30:41]. Alex:                 Two other quick things. There are a bunch of names thrown out in this episode. One, Selby, the person that they meet at the bar. There is a character in the comics named Selby who’s a part of the Mutant Liberation Front, but it’s an entirely different character. So I don’t think that’s the reference there. More likely, it’s Dee Selby, who is a sound editor who’s worked on a bunch of Marvel projects. Or it could just be a character named Selby, and that’s pretty much it. But the other one that I thought was super funny, just because we talked about it in the first episode, is Bucky’s notebook, because I remember we had a conversation about people plumbing for Easter eggs and saying “Okay. It’s interesting that Bucky wrote in his notebook, because also Steve wrote in his notebook,” and in episode three, we found out they’re the same notebook. Justin:              Yeah. Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              There it is. Alex:                 There you go. Pete:                Just one [crosstalk 00:31:28]- Alex:                 Turns out, it was an actual Easter egg, and I apologize to anybody I made fun of about that. Pete:                Ooh, you should. Justin:              I’ll tell you what. Being so close to Easter, the Easter eggs really seem so much more important. Alex:                 So much sweeter. Pete:                Aww. Justin:              You can taste the chocolate. Alex:                 Before we wrap up here, what is on your Vision Board for the next episode, Justin? Justin:              Like I said, sort of starting to put all of these characters in a direction, as opposed to that we’ve sort of just seen them pop, and they’re here opening up the story more. I want to start to see them really close it up. Who’s going to fight? Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? Maybe there aren’t any and it’s just these characters making hard decisions, and honestly, we didn’t see any sort of Falcon-ing here in this episode. I’m ready to see some more Falcon. Alex:                 Yeah. To that point, on my Vision Board, I want to see more of Sam and Bucky. All of these other elements are distracting from the core Lethal Weapon nature of- Justin:              You hate Zemo. You get too much Pesci. Alex:                 That’s the thing. Don’t throw him in the middle. Don’t have him popping over their heads like he does on the poster. You guys know what I’m talking about, listening, and also you, Justin and Pete. Everybody remembers the classic poster from Lethal Weapon 3, I want to say. Justin:              Of course. We definitely know the number of the movies. Pete:                Three and a half or something? Yeah. Alex:                 But I want to see more concentration on them. I feel like they’re getting a little lost in the middle of everything so that when they do come together and when they do fight, in a funny way, it’s surprising, but I want to see that more consistently. Pete, what about you? What’s on your Vision Board? Pete:                Well, speaking of fighting in a funny way, I did love how the prison fight started, and as the guy jumped over the table, you saw he had a lower-back tattoo. I thought that was really funny. But I think, moving forward, we- Justin:              You want to see more of that tattoo. Pete:                No. I just thought it was hysterical that there was a quote-unquote tramp stamp on the back of that dude’s thing. That was really funny. All right. Moving forward, Sharon and Dora Milaje. That’s all I need, and we can just forget all these other threads and other stuff that’s going on in this TV show and just focus on that, and I’d be super happy. Alex:                 All right. Sounds good. If you’d like to support our show, patreon.com/comicbookclub. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. Come hang out. We would love to chat with you about Falcon and Winter Soldier. Socially, @MarvelVisionPod on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe and listen to the show. On iTunes in particular, leave us a comment and rate us. We would really appreciate it. On YouTube at ComicBookClub. Comicbookclublive.com for this podcast and more. Until next time, you’re marvelous. The post MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 3 – “Power Broker” appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Sam and Bucky head to Madripoor with Baron Zemo in tow as we recap The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 3, “Power Broker.” With Zemo on the team, it’s off to Low Town to find clues about who gave the Flag Smashers the Super Soldier Serum… Leading to a reunion with Sharon Carter, a.k.a. Agent 13. But that’s just the beginning, as things go predictably wrong, and things start exploding. And meanwhile, John Walker is one step behind…

From that surprise cameo by Ayo from Black Panther to Smiling Tiger to whether Madripoor is teeing up the X-Men, we break down all the Falcon and the Winter Soldier Easter eggs and comic book references in Episode 3.

SUBSCRIBE TO MARVELVISION ON ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER, OR RSS. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

Full Episode Transcript

Alex:                 Welcome to MarvelVision, a podcast about Marvel the MCU and Falcon and Winter Soldier. I’m Alex.

Justin:              I’m Justin.

Pete:                I’m Pete. Zalben, this is your ep, buddy, huh? You excited?

Alex:                 Number-one Baron Zemo-

Pete:                To see your dad on screen?

Alex:                 … fan over here. My time has finally come. My ship has come in. We’re going to be talking about Power Broker, the third episode of the series. Now, requisite spoiler warning here. If you haven’t watched the episode, go watch it. I’m sure you woke up at 3:00 AM just as we all did-

Justin:              Just like us.

Alex:                 … and we’ve been talking about it nonstop for the past couple of hours-

Pete:                Nonstop.

Alex:                 … just really breaking down, heavily scripting this show. So we are ready to go.

Justin:              I like to get up at like 3:02 to really let it marinate a little bit for those first couple minutes and then press play, you know?

Pete:                Wow.

Alex:                 Yes. 100 percent, and also, I like to just sort of fairly let people have the chance to watch it. So that’s why I-

Pete:                [crosstalk 00:01:03].

Justin:              Exactly. Before I start shouting spoilers on Twitter, I wait until 3:02.

Pete:                Super nice of you guys.

Justin:              Of course, Alex, you scream first when you press play on it, right?

Alex:                 Every time for every show-

Justin:              Dope.

Alex:                 … even when it’s just on broadcast-

Pete:                [crosstalk 00:01:16].

Alex:                 … [crosstalk 00:01:16]. I’m first.

Justin:              At Broadway performances, you’re like “First. Yeah. I love this.”

Alex:                 So in this episode, just to give you the broad strokes, this picks up right where we left off pretty much in-

Pete:                53 minutes.

Alex:                 Left off in episode two as Sam and Bucky have gone to visit Zemo in prison to get information on the Power Broker. They don’t know about the Power Broker yet, but find out about the Power Broker, find out how the Flag-Smashers got the Super Soldier Serum and what’s going on with that. He has researched that over the years. So they think he’s going to be a good source, but of course, as we suspected the last episode of this podcast, they end up actually breaking Zemo out of jail and teaming up with him-

Justin:              We called it.

Alex:                 … in a hilarious buddy comedy, and they head to none other than Madripoor, which is a very important location for-

Justin:              I love this.

Alex:                 … X-Men fans. I’m sure we’ll get into this a bit. That’s where they meet Sharon Carter, who’s been hanging out there. They get into a big action scuffle there, find out more about the Super Soldier Serum, head on the next chapter of their journey, while in the background, John Walker and Battlestar are hot on their heels and just getting hotter on their heels as we go, and when we leave off, they’ve gone to investigate the next lead, and enter Wakanda. That’s where we leave off at the end there. So lots to talk about in this episode.

Pete:                Hey-oh.

Justin:              Hey-oh.

Alex:                 I’m curious. I think we’ve talked about this a little bit, and I know Pete’s going to yell at me because he never likes anything negative to be said. So I’ll caveat this with I continue to have fun watching this series. I enjoy part of this, but I’m still not 100 percent sure what’s going on with the characters necessarily and the themes. It’s starting to feel much more muddled to me episode by episode-

Pete:                You’ve only got-

Alex:                 … while-

Pete:                … three more eps left.

Alex:                 Sure, and it might all wrap up. That’s why I’m holding off for the moment on making any broad judgments, but I definitely felt, too, with this episode, a lot of it was setting up plot but not focusing on the part that I’m most interested in personally, which is Sam and his battle for the shield.

Pete:                Dora Milaje.

Alex:                 That was only very tangentially touched on, and it feels like a lot of the themes in the episode are not touching on that either. They’re there to service the super soldier plot. What’s your guys’ takeaway? Are you feeling the same way? Or you completely disagree?

Pete:                No, no. First off, first off-

Alex:                 Pete, I know.

Pete:                … go fuck yourself.

Alex:                 Wait. Pete, just to frame up for anybody who’s new to this podcast, Pete knows that if I say anything bad about Marvel movies or TV shows, that’s it. They’re not going to make any more.

Justin:              Yep. They’re shutting it down.

Pete:                All right. So-

Justin:              Atlanta? They shut it down.

Pete:                So first off, no. That is not my point. My point is all you’ve been doing is being like “Man, I can’t wait for Zemo. Oh, man. Just give me a Zemo ep. Where’s my god damn Zemo ep?” You get a whole Zemo ep. Zemo dances. Zemo puts on the mask. You don’t know if he’s going to put on the mask, but then he woops ass with the mask on then takes it off and being all cool. You get to see his rides. You get to see his style. All you get is Zemo in this ep, and then you have the balls to turn around and go “Muddled. I want to know about the characters.” Shut the fuck up.

Justin:              Yeah. Yeah.

Pete:                Eat your popcorn and enjoy the ride, because you’re getting-

Alex:                 Eat your popcorn?

Justin:              Eat your popcorn.

Pete:                You’re getting exactly what you fucking wanted.

Alex:                 Yeah. I mean, hold on. I’ll tell you what I do, Pete, because a lot of people on the podcast don’t necessarily know this, and you know this, of course. That’s why you brought it up. Because we watch these episodes first thing in the morning, I’ll set the popcorn maker on a timer the night before.

Justin:              Oh, so smart.

Pete:                Because you’re smart. Because you’re smart.

Alex:                 So I wake up to those sweet, sweet sounds of … and if I don’t get there in two and a half minutes, I’m screwed. That’s burnt popcorn, baby.

Justin:              Yeah, and of course you-

Pete:                Oh, man. Nothing worse than that.

Justin:              You purchased one of those Coke machines where it’s just a bunch of buttons and you can get any flavor of soda.

Alex:                 Freestyle? Yeah.

Justin:              Freestyle.

Alex:                 Absolutely.

Justin:              You got one of those in the house. You hired an usher there, who’s like “Hey, man. Feet off the seats. Enough of that.”

Pete:                Yeah. He says-

Alex:                 Yeah. I hired-

Pete:                Can I see your tickets?

Alex:                 I was like “Listen. I want a surprisingly aggressive usher,” and they’re out of work right now. So I’m just helping the community.

Pete:                Surprisingly-

Justin:              Flashlight in your face.

Pete:                … aggressive.

Justin:              Obviously, and for those of you that don’t know, Pete is Alex’s father, and Alex wanted Zemo for his birthday, and then Pete got it for him, and clearly it wasn’t enough for Alex.

Pete:                It was enough. You know, do you know how long I had to stand in line to get that Zemo for you? They were almost out.

Alex:                 I appreciate it.

Pete:                I had to fight off a little-

Alex:                 They gave you the vaccine at the same time though, right?

Pete:                Yeah.

Alex:                 Free.

Justin:              I hear you, Alex, on your complaints or your issues, because I agree in that we set up … In the first episode when the characters were separate, when Falcon and Winter Soldier were separate from each other and everyone was separate, we got to see a little bit of like “Oh, I see …” They put some items on the table. We got Winter Soldier’s trauma that he’s trying to fix. We got Sam-

Pete:                [crosstalk 00:06:04].

Justin:              … dealing with the post-blip struggles, struggles being a black person in America, all that stuff [inaudible 00:06:12], like identity, legacy, filling that stuff in. We got all that on the table.

Pete:                Trying to get loans.

Justin:              Yeah. Then second episode, there was a little bit less of that and a little bit more plot. In this episode, they were like “Plot time. We can’t deal with that …” They talk about race a little bit, but it feels very … It’s not touching on it in the right [crosstalk 00:06:31].

Alex:                 It’s mostly Zemo telling Sam how to feel as a black man, which is weird.

Justin:              Very weird and uncomfortable, legitimately, and maybe that was purposeful, but I think it feels weird in the absence of furthering those themes they set out in the first episode. So I definitely hear that. On the Pete front, the Zemo … I was surprised this episode focused so much on Zemo, and I liked that. He is an interesting character, and again, it further confuses the good-guy-bad-guy narrative of this series, and I think it-

Pete:                Especially the way that Zemo talks about things. It’s all very matter of fact, and he even is on the side of Falcon, but Falcon was like “Okay. All right. It’s weird that you’re saying that, but yeah> I agree with you.” There was some fun moments there. You really got to see a lighter side to a very villainous character, and I thought Zalben would just be a pig in shit in this episode, loving all the different sides of Zemo that we’re spending time with, but then … All he does is talk about “I can’t wait for Zems. I’m a fucking Zem head.”

Alex:                 I’ll keep complaining if you want. This is-

Pete:                I just can’t-

Alex:                 Two other things that I was frustrated about with Zemo, who I still like, and I think Daniel Bruhl is great, and I appreciate the fact that everybody loves him dancing up in the club … Two things on different sides. Love Baron Zemo in the comics. He’s an … Yes. Doing the fist pump. Love it. In the comics, he’s a great villain.

Pete:                He was moved by the music.

Alex:                 He’s a great villain. I love him in the comics. Obviously, problematic because of his Nazi background. They don’t have that in the show, and they don’t have it in the MCU, and certainly it’s better for it, but this is something that they kind of … not exactly sneak in there, but fit in there with the MCU continuity, which makes sense. I have no problems with it, but mentioning that he’s a baron, like he was in the comics, makes it weird to me retroactively for Civil War, and mind you, this might be head canon a little bit, but because he could have been royalty, but what we knew from Civil War is that he lived just outside of Sokovia. They thought they’d be safe during Avengers: Age of Ultron. They were not. He blamed the Avengers and proceeded to take them down and win by the end of Civil War.

Alex:                 So that’s a huge deal, but I think the part of it, the thing that makes it so powerful in Civil War is that, relatively speaking, he is a regular guy and a regular citizen of Sokovia, as far as we know, who is doing it, and it makes it that much stronger that his hate, his thirst for revenge pushed him so hard to take down the world’s most powerful super team. Here, we find out he’s a baron, very rich, has his own plane and tons of resources.

Pete:                Man of the people just walking in the streets being like “Sup?” Like “Oh, Zemo’s back on the scene. What’s up?”

Alex:                 Divorced from anything else, it’s fun to watch. Again, I want to keep emphasizing this. I am having fun watching the show, but there are-

Pete:                You fucking better.

Alex:                 … these little things that happen like that that I’m like “I don’t know that that adds as much to the MCU as I would have liked,” and the other thing … The mask is fun. It was only there because Daniel Bruhl was not going to do that action sequence. That was the only reason they-

Justin:              Wow. Alex really-

Pete:                Oh, you shut your mouth. You shut your mouth.

Justin:              … really pulled the curtain back.

Alex:                 The mask is the most-

Pete:                Come on.

Alex:                 … crucial part of his character, like how Mary Jane’s hair has to be red or Captain America needs to be blonde. These are all the crucial parts of these characters-

Justin:              Wow.

Alex:                 … that need to be held on to.

Justin:              What?

Pete:                Oh, no. What are you doing right now?

Alex:                 I’m being very weird.

Pete:                Who are you? You’re a fucking monster with this bullshit. That is just-

Justin:              I will say, outside of your production problem with the mask, the fact that he … In this episode, Falcon and Winter Soldier, as they’re heroes characters, don’t appear. They’re doing some espionage stuff, they’re shooting guns, but Zemo’s the one that gets to be the super hero, quote-unquote. He gets to put on the mask and help them out of a bad situation. I thought that was super interesting and odd to me.

Pete:                It was crazy how quickly Zemo was just fucking running shit. It was all-

Justin:              Once that fur collar-

Pete:                … Zemo’s idea, plans.

Justin:              Once that fur collar pops, Zemo’s gone.

Pete:                Fucking, this was definitely some kind of crossover between Zoolander and Zemo. It was so meta, but-

Justin:              Ooh, Zemolander.

Alex:                 Zemolander.

Pete:                … [crosstalk 00:10:40] like “Do you know what you’re doing?” but the Blue Steel comes through in the end. I thought it was weird but also just fun, like the-

Alex:                 Wait. Hold on. Before we move on too far, I just want to throw this out there. What is this? A museum for Ant-Man?

Justin:              Okay. Okay.

Pete:                Oh, wow. Wow. Okay.

Justin:              Okay.

Pete:                All right.

Justin:              See, your Zoolander comparison, I don’t quite understand, but I’ll take it. I feel like Zemo’s sort of the Joe Pesci here.

Pete:                Oh, wow. Interesting.

Justin:              He’s just-

Alex:                 Of Lethal Weapon?

Justin:              Yes. Yes.

Alex:                 Oh, okay.

Pete:                Of Lethal Weapon.

Alex:                 Not My Cousin Vinny.

Justin:              Yeah. He’s sort of the My Cousin Vinny.

Alex:                 Yeah.

Justin:              The two yutes.

Alex:                 And Marisa Tomei is like the Aunt May.

Pete:                From Goodfellas.

Justin:              [inaudible 00:11:20] hundred percent. Yes.

Pete:                I just thought it was interesting. Instead of Zemo just being an awful person, awful character, they really went out of their way to show Zemo in a different light, and it was very different from what … Because it started with him using the code words against Winter Soldier just to throw it in his face, but then it was like “Oh, I don’t need these words. I can play him like a fiddle regardless,” gets him to break him out, and Winter Soldier talking to Falcon, just being like “Yeah. So you know, hypothetically, let’s say we started a prison riot. Oh, yeah. Zemo’s here. Okay. Just-“

Justin:              I liked it. That felt very Ocean’s 11-

Pete:                So fun.

Justin:              … style, like “Oh, the plan? It’s already been done. Here he is.”

Pete:                Yeah. It’s been done.

Justin:              Very much Marvel movie making, the fact that Winter Soldier was like “Yeah. Let’s break him out. He’s on our team now.” It’s like “That’s a quick decision, bro.”

Pete:                Yeah. That was a very quick-

Alex:                 Well, particularly because in retrospect, as we find out later in the episode, they go to Madripoor to get this information, but who’s running Madripoor? It’s Sharon Carter. So I guess she’s off the grid. I guess Madripoor is this secret place, but it does feel like the sort of things that the US government probably knows she’s there but can’t extradite here. So they could have said “Hey. You don’t have to break Zemo out of prison. Just go to Sharon.”

Justin:              Just go to Sharon. Exactly.

Alex:                 Cut out the middle man.

Pete:                Yeah. Sharon’s running shit, man. This episode was like “You guys having fun? You playing games? I’m fucking running shit while you guys are running around doing whatever. This whole city bows to me.”

Alex:                 Now, while we’re talking about this, before we move on, and this is definitely getting way deep into the X-Men speculation well, but Sharon Carter, Agent 13, has been heavily linked often with Captain America, with Wolverine. There’s this great … I think it’s an X-Men issue, where it’s Wolverine, Black Widow, and Captain America teaming up in Madripoor, which is super fun.

Justin:              It’s like X-Men 180, I want to say, 181.

Alex:                 Yeah, which this feels like a little bit of a nod in that direction, was all I wanted to say.

Justin:              I mean, just having Madripoor there … It feels like a whole new area of the Marvel universe is unlocked. So much stuff happens in Madripoor. I thought they did a good job showing Madripoor for what it is, this always night time place where there’s just crime, criminals running loose.

Pete:                They made a joke about New York not being able to hang with Madripoor. I was like “Oh, man. Shot’s fired.”

Justin:              If we just get a quick shot, I want someone to either find it or Photoshop Hugh Jackman wearing an eye patch in the back of one of these Madripoor bar fights.

Alex:                 I’m sure it is already all over the internet by this point.

Justin:              Let’s see it.

Pete:                But speaking … Oh. Go ahead. Finish your thought.

Justin:              I was going to say, what do we feel like Zemo being established as the Jay Leno of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Alex:                 Oh. Having so many cars?

Justin:              A hundred percent.

Pete:                So many cars, like-

Alex:                 Or apologizing for his past racism? Which one?

Justin:              I guess, technically both. News. Topical. Or maybe Jay Leno’s the Baron Zemo of our universe.

Pete:                Oh, yeah.

Justin:              Think about that.

Pete:                I mean, I did appreciate when he reached into a car and then saw the purple mask. The hesitation, the kind of awe of it was a fun little moment there, and I thought that was cool.

Justin:              Plus, the segment of Baron walking, where he walked around and asked tourists dumb questions, I thought was really, really pointed.

Alex:                 Very funny. Very provocative, is what I would say.

Justin:              It’s so provocative.

Pete:                Someone brought up Ocean’s whatever here. They did have that moment where-

Alex:                 I’m sorry. The second half of that title is not hard to remember.

Justin:              Arguably easier.

Pete:                Well, I don’t know if it’s 11, 12-

Alex:                 Oh, okay.

Pete:                … 13, whichever one was the one where the actress was playing herself and it got real meta. That’s part with Sam was a little weird, where he was Smiling Tiger. It was fun to watch him do that shot, but I felt like we did a lot of work just to make him do a snake baby shot.

Justin:              Snake baby? A lot of bars have snakes underneath. You just got to ask for the right cocktail-

Pete:                For the usual?

Justin:              … and I’m a bartender, former bartender. So I know. I always had to-

Pete:                I wasn’t insulting your-

Justin:              When you set up your bar, you restock the bottles, cut your limes and lemons, feed the snake a rat so the snake stays alive so can eventually cut it open for venom.

Pete:                Right.

Alex:                 They did that in Cheers, right? Every time Norm would come in, they’d just pull the snake out from the bar-

Pete:                Norm.

Justin:              Yeah.

Alex:                 … cut it open, and serve it to him.

Justin:              Yeah. That was a Woody thing. He was always like “Mr. Peterson-“

Pete:                So Justin-

Justin:              “… here’s your shot of snake …”

Alex:                 Snake baby.

Pete:                So because you’re such a bartender, how good is a snake baby shot? Is it delicious? Is it-

Justin:              It’s really good. Some people like just your straight up Tequila, salt. Some people like a lemon drop. The real drinkers-

Alex:                 Just to honestly check, it’s not a snake baby, right? It’s the venom glands that they were cutting out?

Justin:              I’m assuming it was venom.

Alex:                 Okay.

Justin:              We didn’t get an anatomy lesson on the snake, but snake babies are solid, while that was liquid. So that’s where I would say the difference is.

Pete:                I don’t know. It’s tough to tell, man. The angle that they were showing the shot glass … It looked like a little snake baby was in there.

Justin:              [crosstalk 00:16:31] eat the worm?

Alex:                 Yeah. Probably that’s a deleted scene. They’ll put that up next week or something, like “Just to be clear, this is a snake baby I’m serving you.”

Justin:              Drink like Zemo drinks. Have a snake baby.

Pete:                Oh, man, and then Zemo’s like “Don’t you fucking break right now. We’re all in this. You die with the lie.”

Alex:                 They were so sneaky in that bar, whispering to each other very loudly-

Pete:                Yeah. Oh, man.

Alex:                 … about what was going on.

Justin:              Yeah. No one could-

Pete:                Don’t blow this. Hey. What did that guy just say? Nothing. Don’t speak English, right? Okay.

Justin:              Sam drank that shot like a champ. He smelled it. Like a real pro, he smelled it, touched his chin with it, looked at it a couple times, then finally … I was like “Man, this guy knows how to blend it.”

Pete:                I’m glad that we got to stop and fight about how good Marvin Gaye is, because I think it’s important. Marvin Gaye is unbelievable, and I don’t care what time period you’re from. You got to stop and appreciate it.

Alex:                 I do want to mention, because we’ve been bouncing around this a little bit, some of the dialogue in the past couple episodes … Just purposely, I think, action movie style is kind of clunky and whatever, but Anthony Mackie is doing the most with absolutely everything. Even if it’s a clunky joke, he makes it work, and I think that’s great.

Justin:              I agree with you. Yeah, because it is … I mean, this does feel like … We hold our TV dialogue to a higher standard than movie dialogue, I think, because it’s a show we’re watching at home. It’s something we’re sifting through a little bit, while movies, we’re like “I’m going to get on this ride and see where it ends.” So I do think-

Pete:                Yeah. You buy popcorn for movies.

Justin:              Right. Or you have your personal popcorn popper there.

Alex:                 Yes. My usher does it for me in the morning, but however you get your popcorn, that’s not the point.

Pete:                Right.

Justin:              Your usher was the same guy that was Baron’s pilot and champagne deliverer.

Alex:                 That guy loves Baron Zemo way more than I do.

Pete:                Oh, wow.

Justin:              That guy was the oldest person I think I’ve ever seen, and he was piloting that plane?

Pete:                Come on.

Alex:                 I think so.

Pete:                Oh, come on.

Alex:                 I think that’s what they revealed later on.

Pete:                You’ve seen Big Trouble in Little China. Come on. That guy was so much older.

Justin:              That’s true, but this guy … I don’t know. I thought it was such a funny casting choice, and the way the guy was sort of goofy. He was giggling it up with Zemo.

Pete:                Yeah. He’s like “Ha-ha. We’re old and racist. Ha-ha-ha-ha.”

Justin:              Totally.

Alex:                 Well, he’s not though. That’s the thing is Baron Zemo is not exactly racist. Meanwhile, John Walker, who we haven’t really talked about yet, definitely delving into the real bad side. He’s going off the deep end real quick here.

Justin:              Yeah. I feel like seeing his anger right at the top of the episode … I was like “Aha. Now we’re going in that direction,” and it was interesting how much work they put into making him sort of a regular guy in the last episode, and in this, they were immediately like “Nope. He’s a dick. Later.”

Alex:                 He was also so close in that scene where he breaks into where the Flag-Smashers were and confronts the guy. He says “Don’t you know who I am?” right?

Justin:              Yeah.

Alex:                 Which-

Pete:                Yeah. He does.

Alex:                 It wasn’t that, but there’s a very famous scene, if you’ve ever seen it, in the Ultimates where Captain America points at his head and says “Do you think this A stands for France?” and it felt like had the same energy. I almost thought he was going to say that in there, but obviously he did not.

Justin:              Yeah.

Alex:                 What else should we talk about? There’s a ton of action sequences.

Pete:                I did really appreciate the spit in the face that the fake Captain America got. I thought that was well earned and deserved, but yeah. I agree with you. The action sequences were amazing. It was great to see Aaron Carter … or Sharon Carter just wooping some [crosstalk 00:19:58].

Alex:                 Yep. Aaron Carter. Stick with it.

Justin:              You said it. You have to commit. Make it make sense.

Pete:                Yeah. There was some music. There was some dancing, and then Aaron Carter punched a bunch of people in the face. No. I think that I really enjoyed the whole … We’re getting swarmed here, and then she got to beat up some people and then run inside and join the action. So I thought that was great, and it was also … It was just a lot of fun fight sequences in between stuff. That was very much appreciated.

Alex:                 Well, this is taking a step back to what we were talking about earlier, but in terms of Sharon and Madripoor as a whole and spending so much time on it, it really did feel like there was a lot of thought put into making this Marvel’s next big location. Maybe not the same level of world building as Wakanda, because that was insane and over the top in terms of what they did there in that movie, incredible, but it gave a very similar feeling to me in terms of you got this, you got Hightown, you got Lowtown, here’s Madripoor, this is what it looks like, here’s how you get in, here’s how it works, that it’s clearly the sort of thing that they wanted to establish so that they can potentially bring back down the road.

Justin:              Yeah. They definitely put it on the map in a very real way. It’s not like in movies where they’re just like … Even Sokovia. That’s on the map, but it was like “Hey. This is a place we’re doing now and then we’re not going to do really again.” There’s talk about it a little bit, but this, it feels like they’re sort of forward casting Madripoor. They’re writing it down for us so that we can take it and go home with it, which I think is great. I’m excited about Madripoor as a location, and not even just X-Men speculation stuff. So many heroes and villains in the comics run through Madripoor.

Pete:                Yep.

Alex:                 Just setting up a place like that where you can have villains mention “Oh, we got to get out of here. We got to get to Madripoor,” like you’re saying. It doesn’t need to be “And then Wolverine’s in the background.” It could just be a place. That said, two little Easter eggs here. We get the Brass Monkey bar and the Princess Bar. Princess Bar is a place that I believe Wolverine did hang out at quite a bit when he would go to Madripoor as Patch. Brass Monkey, meanwhile, is just another bar in-

Pete:                The Funky Monkey.

Justin:              That’s right.

Alex:                 … in Madripoor. So there you go. Couple of other Easter eggs while we’re touching on stuff that I wrote down. The Smiling Tiger is a completely different character in the comics, Conrad Mack. He’s a New Warriors character. So I don’t know if you know him, Justin.

Justin:              Yes, but he sort of came to more prominence after the mid-’90s run, I believe, but yeah.

Alex:                 Yeah, but totally different. It’s just using the name. That’s it. Dr. Wilfred Nagel, who is the doctor who-

Pete:                I was calling him Dr. Bagel.

Justin:              Oh, cool. Let me ask you, Pete. What do you want to do with that? Should we-

Pete:                Well, it just is very plain. He’s a plain bagel, and I’m glad they shot him. I didn’t like him in the beginning. I didn’t like him … Dead, he was a little bit better, but-

Justin:              He was better dead? You hate plain bagels.

Pete:                Yeah. There’s nothing worse.

Justin:              There’s nothing worse.

Pete:                You got to do so much work to get it nice.

Alex:                 He is directly from Truth: Red, White & Black, which is the same place that Isaiah comes from last episode, Isaiah Bradley, and yeah. He basically serves the same function there. He was the one, in case you couldn’t figure it out, though you probably can … He was the one who was mining Isaiah’s blood in the show. He reproduced the super soldier formula after … So he wasn’t really a genius or anything, but the other interesting detail, before I get into other things that I jotted down, is we don’t find out who the Power Broker is. We speculated about this a little bit.

Pete:                Yeah. It’s the title of the episode, and we don’t even get to meet the Power Broker. Talked about a little bit, but that’s it.

Alex:                 That feels like a thing, right? Because-

Justin:              Yeah.

Alex:                 … last episode, we speculated that maybe the Power Broker is the United States government. Maybe the Power Broker was something else, not what we were expecting, but at least based on this episode, it does seem like the Power Broker is somebody and potentially somebody we’re going to meet down the road in this series.

Pete:                I would hope so, all the talk about the person.

Justin:              Lot of talk about the Power Broker. I thought for sure, and maybe it’s someone we already know or something like that.

Alex:                 Is it Sharon? It could be Sharon, right?

Pete:                It’s probably Sharon. Yeah. I would-

Justin:              It’d be weird if they didn’t reveal that this episode-

Alex:                 Yes.

Justin:              … right?

Alex:                 Yeah.

Justin:              I don’t know, and on the other thing of things I was surprised, like you were just describing Isaiah Bradley as where the serum came from, I was surprised they didn’t make that connection explicit. It was sort of like … Right? It was like-

Alex:                 I feel like they’re weirdly underplaying all the Truth stuff in the show. Granted, there have only been two things so far, but to your point, both of them … They’re a big deal for continuity, for Marvel Comics, for what the show could say about certain things, and at least right now, and granted, we’re only half way through the series, it doesn’t feel like they’re hitting it quite as hard as they could.

Justin:              I feel like we’re going to get a big … I hope they’re underplaying it so that they can give us a reveal later that-

Pete:                That’s what I’m hoping.

Justin:              … Isaiah comes back and has a heroic moment-

Pete:                Yeah. That would be-

Justin:              … or something like that, because they included him in the previously-on for sure, and then the fact that it wasn’t explicitly referenced when they were talking about the serum … I was just surprised that it was like “Hey. If you’re listening, you’ll get this, but if you’re not, you might miss it.”

Pete:                Yeah. I’m really hoping for a better use of that, because if that’s all we get, it’s going to be kind of super sad, but I did … It was an interesting story that Dr. Bagel was talking about, where it was like “I was right in the middle of 20 vials of this huge discovery, and then I got turned to dust and was like ‘Aw,'” and then he’s like “Five years later, and it’s not even funded, and I don’t even know what’s going on.” I was like “Man, Dr. Bagel-“

Justin:              Dr. Bagel.

Pete:                “… you should probably get shot now.”

Justin:              Yeah.

Alex:                 I liked that.

Justin:              I did too.

Alex:                 I thought that was a nice speech.

Justin:              Smart. Yeah, and I like this secret shipping container lab, I thought was cool. Alex, you must have loved the Lost-ian introduction to the lab. It was very-

Alex:                 So cool. I was like “Who is it? Is it Desmond? Is Desmond the doctor? What’s going on? Where is Desmond?” and that’s the big question that I think the series is going to answer going forward. Where’s Desmond?

Justin:              It’s not Penny’s boat, I think is one thing we can-

Alex:                 We can establish that.

Justin:              We can establish that.

Pete:                Well, this is fun. I’m getting all these references [crosstalk 00:26:18].

Alex:                 Let’s talk about the cliffhanger at the end as Bucky follows those little Wakanda balls around the corner and discovers Ayo from Black Panther, from-

Pete:                Dora Milaje, baby. Come on.

Alex:                 Yep. From … That was so loud. From Infinity War. I assume she was in Endgame, because everybody was in Endgame. Played by Florence Kasumba. This is great. I like this. I loved the streams of the Black Panther theme sneaking in there at the end. Super fun twist.

Justin:              I agree. It’s great. I was very surprised that they went that way, and I like … We got a mention earlier on in the … or I guess, last episode, about Bucky, as his time in Wakanda was important, and the fact that we get this, I’m like “Yes. This is great.” Really weaving the continuity together in a way that I didn’t expect them to do.

Pete:                Yeah. It was great because Bucky was like “We’re not going to be the only …” Zemo just appears. Wakanda’s not going to not do anything. So the reveal of “I’m here for Zemo,” and I knew it was only a matter … It was just so great.

Justin:              Again, throwing another wrench in their plan, where it’s like Zemo, bad guy, but they need him, so they keep bringing him around. He is helping them. Wakanda, good guys. We want Zemo. Well, we can’t give you Zemo. Then they’re all, again, in this miasma of who’s right, who’s wrong.

Pete:                We’ve got three more eps to kind of wrap up all these threads, which I’m nervous about.

Justin:              I mean, I agree with you a little bit because it’s like you got to start … They keep opening it up, and they got to start closing it up.

Pete:                Yeah. It keeps getting bigger and bigger. Yeah. Keeps getting bigger and bigger, and it’s like “No, no, no, no. Go the other way.”

Justin:              But I do think, if this series has movies structure to it, it makes sense that now it’s still a little bit open, and then next episode we’re going to start to get some bad things happening and things starting to come together a little bit.

Pete:                Do you think we’ll have two more Zemo dance breaks before the end of this whole thing being over? How many more-

Alex:                 The next episode is just Zemo’s dance hour.

Justin:              Yep.

Pete:                Oh.

Justin:              Yeah. There’s no-

Pete:                That’s going to be worth it.

Justin:              … very little story. It’s just a lot of … It’s sort of like MTV’s The Grind from back in the ’90s, but with Zemo.

Pete:                That’s a very-

Justin:              Zemo’s going to be the Eric Nies.

Pete:                Nobody’s getting that ref, dude. I love it. I love it.

Alex:                 Here. I’ll update it a little bit. He’s going to do masks-off dance-off.

Pete:                Whoa.

Justin:              Nice. Wow.

Alex:                 You guys remember Pants-Off Dance-Off?

Justin:              Yes. Good.

Alex:                 Also very good.

Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Justin:              That was on Fuse, a lesser known network.

Alex:                 Fuse. Yes. Yes. Oh, I do want to bring up the Flag-Smashers. We haven’t really talked about them yet, because they have this nice through line throughout the episode. My takeaway-

Pete:                Yeah. Karli.

Alex:                 My big takeaway here is that they seem like they’re on the side of right, but clearly, Karli is starting to go too far. Was that your takeaway as well?

Pete:                Yeah.

Justin:              Yeah, and they do a nice thing where we get to know her even more. We get to know what she wanted to be. We see her softer side, and then-

Pete:                Yeah. She wanted to be a teacher.

Justin:              She wanted to be a teacher, and then the next scene with her, she’s like “Hey. We got to go hard here, or else.”

Pete:                Well, I mean, the other person was right. They needed some time for her to mourn. I think she’s using her anger in ways that is not helpful, and she’s got to mourn and have some time, and then hopefully she can be a better person, but that was like “Oh, no. Karli, no. Karli, why. Karli, oh.”

Alex:                 I do wonder if we’re going to get some sort of conversation down the line between Zemo and Karli, and what that would mean, whether it’ll bring Karli further over the edge or potentially Zemo bringing her back in some way, I-

Pete:                Can Zemo teach her to dance?

Justin:              Yep.

Alex:                 Yes. That’s the big question.

Justin:              I would throw out … Yeah. I feel like we’re going to get a Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner moment between Karli and Zemo.

Pete:                Oh, yeah.

Justin:              Zemo, of course, is the baby.

Alex:                 Yep.

Pete:                Yeah. We all know.

Justin:              We all know what I’m talking about.

Pete:                Yeah. The dancing baby.

Justin:              Honestly, what if Zemo joins … Could he potentially be convinced to join the Flag-Smashers?

Pete:                Will Zemo figure out about TikTok and really take his dancing to a whole other level?

Alex:                 These are all very good questions that we’re definitely going to follow equally going forward throughout this podcast.

Justin:              A hundred percent. Okay. Let’s just recap sort of what Pete’s big takeaways from the episode. Fuck Dr. Bagel.

Pete:                Okay. Cool. Right.

Justin:              When will Zemo dance again? And I’m mad at Alex because he didn’t enjoy his birthday present.

Pete:                Also, bread crumbs are free, but the bakery costs money.

Alex:                 Very true.

Justin:              There we are. That’s the ravings of a mad man. That’s all the time we have. [inaudible 00:30:41].

Alex:                 Two other quick things. There are a bunch of names thrown out in this episode. One, Selby, the person that they meet at the bar. There is a character in the comics named Selby who’s a part of the Mutant Liberation Front, but it’s an entirely different character. So I don’t think that’s the reference there. More likely, it’s Dee Selby, who is a sound editor who’s worked on a bunch of Marvel projects. Or it could just be a character named Selby, and that’s pretty much it. But the other one that I thought was super funny, just because we talked about it in the first episode, is Bucky’s notebook, because I remember we had a conversation about people plumbing for Easter eggs and saying “Okay. It’s interesting that Bucky wrote in his notebook, because also Steve wrote in his notebook,” and in episode three, we found out they’re the same notebook.

Justin:              Yeah.

Pete:                Yeah.

Justin:              There it is.

Alex:                 There you go.

Pete:                Just one [crosstalk 00:31:28]-

Alex:                 Turns out, it was an actual Easter egg, and I apologize to anybody I made fun of about that.

Pete:                Ooh, you should.

Justin:              I’ll tell you what. Being so close to Easter, the Easter eggs really seem so much more important.

Alex:                 So much sweeter.

Pete:                Aww.

Justin:              You can taste the chocolate.

Alex:                 Before we wrap up here, what is on your Vision Board for the next episode, Justin?

Justin:              Like I said, sort of starting to put all of these characters in a direction, as opposed to that we’ve sort of just seen them pop, and they’re here opening up the story more. I want to start to see them really close it up. Who’s going to fight? Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? Maybe there aren’t any and it’s just these characters making hard decisions, and honestly, we didn’t see any sort of Falcon-ing here in this episode. I’m ready to see some more Falcon.

Alex:                 Yeah. To that point, on my Vision Board, I want to see more of Sam and Bucky. All of these other elements are distracting from the core Lethal Weapon nature of-

Justin:              You hate Zemo. You get too much Pesci.

Alex:                 That’s the thing. Don’t throw him in the middle. Don’t have him popping over their heads like he does on the poster. You guys know what I’m talking about, listening, and also you, Justin and Pete. Everybody remembers the classic poster from Lethal Weapon 3, I want to say.

Justin:              Of course. We definitely know the number of the movies.

Pete:                Three and a half or something? Yeah.

Alex:                 But I want to see more concentration on them. I feel like they’re getting a little lost in the middle of everything so that when they do come together and when they do fight, in a funny way, it’s surprising, but I want to see that more consistently. Pete, what about you? What’s on your Vision Board?

Pete:                Well, speaking of fighting in a funny way, I did love how the prison fight started, and as the guy jumped over the table, you saw he had a lower-back tattoo. I thought that was really funny. But I think, moving forward, we-

Justin:              You want to see more of that tattoo.

Pete:                No. I just thought it was hysterical that there was a quote-unquote tramp stamp on the back of that dude’s thing. That was really funny. All right. Moving forward, Sharon and Dora Milaje. That’s all I need, and we can just forget all these other threads and other stuff that’s going on in this TV show and just focus on that, and I’d be super happy.

Alex:                 All right. Sounds good. If you’d like to support our show, patreon.com/comicbookclub. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. Come hang out. We would love to chat with you about Falcon and Winter Soldier. Socially, @MarvelVisionPod on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe and listen to the show. On iTunes in particular, leave us a comment and rate us. We would really appreciate it. On YouTube at ComicBookClub. Comicbookclublive.com for this podcast and more. Until next time, you’re marvelous.

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]]> Sam and Bucky head to Madripoor with Baron Zemo in tow as we recap The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 3, “Power Broker.” With Zemo on the team, it’s off to Low Town to find clues about who gave the Flag Smashers the Super Soldier Serum… Leading ... full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15478 e856a8e7-ac8d-4f87-9ee4-ad090114f679 Fri, 02 Apr 2021 18:22:44 +0000 2085 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/04/02/marvelvision-the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-episode-3/ Podvincible: “Who You Calling Ugly?” Podvincible: “Who You Calling Ugly?” Robot holds auditions for Guardians of the Globe, and things go very poorly as we break down Invincible “Who You Calling Ugly?” Suspicion grows about Omni-Man’s involvement in the deaths of the Guardians, while Mark grows closer to both Atom Eve and Amber. Meanwhile, Rex-Splode loses – and tries to win back Eve, with varying results. SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. The post Podvincible: “Who You Calling Ugly?” appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Robot holds auditions for Guardians of the Globe, and things go very poorly as we break down Invincible “Who You Calling Ugly?” Suspicion grows about Omni-Man’s involvement in the deaths of the Guardians, while Mark grows closer to both Atom Eve and Amber. Meanwhile, Rex-Splode loses – and tries to win back Eve, with varying results.

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]]> Robot holds auditions for Guardians of the Globe, and things go very poorly as we break down Invincible “Who You Calling Ugly?” Suspicion grows about Omni-Man’s involvement in the deaths of the Guardians, while Mark grows closer to both Atom Eve and Am... full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15475 dce238e1-a719-4822-909c-ad09011500ee Thu, 01 Apr 2021 23:23:14 +0000 1578 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/04/01/podvincible-who-you-calling-ugly/ The Stack: Beta Ray Bill, Shadecraft And More The Stack: Beta Ray Bill, Shadecraft And More On this week’s comic book review podcast, we’ve got: Beta Ray Bill #1 Marvel Written and art by Daniel Warren Johnson Shadecraft #1 Image Comics Written by Joe Henderson Art by Lee Garbett The Other History of the DC Universe #3 DC Comics Written by John Ridley Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli Silk #1 Marvel Written by Maurene Goo Art by Takeshi Miyazawa Crossover #5 Image Comics Written by Donny Cates Art by Geoff Shaw Strange Adventures #9 DC Comics Written by Tom King Art by Mitch Gerards and Evan Shaner Avengers: Curse of the Man-Thing #1 Marvel Written by Steve Orlando Art by Francesco Mobili The Department of Truth #7 Image Comics Written by James Tynion IV Art by Tyler Boss The Flash #768 DC Comics Written by Jeremy Adams Art by Brandon Peterson, Marco Santucci, David Lafuente Ghost Rider: King in Black #1 Marvel Written by Ed Brisson Art by Juan Frigeri Two Moons #2 Image Comics Written by John Arcudi Art by Valerio Giangiordano Future State: Superman vs Imperious Lex #3 DC Comics Written by Mark Russell Art by Steve Pugh Decorum #7 Image Comics Written by Jonathan Hickman Art by Mike Huddleston Batman/Catwoman #4 DC Comics Written by Tom King Art by Clay Mann SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Full Episode Transcript: Alex:                 What is up y’all? Welcome to The Stack. I’m Alex. Pete:                I’m Pete. Alex:                 And on The Stack we talk about a bunch of books that have come out this week. Kicking it off with one I know that Pete is very excited about. Beta Ray Bill number one from Marvel comics, written and art by Daniel Warren Johnson. Now, D.W.J., As I like to call him, he is the creator of Murder Falcon, which is one of your favorite books ever. Pete:                Yeah. Alex:                 I don’t know how you feel about Beta Ray Bill though. So how’d you feel about this book? Pete:                Well, yeah. I’m not the hugest Beta Ray Bill fan, but this was a lot of fun. This was really awesome. Art style [google 00:00:54] gave Beta Ray Bill a grittiness that was nice. Yeah, I very much enjoyed this. This was sad. This was not just badass Beta Ray Bill. Alex:                 You okay? Did you die there for a second? Pete:                Yeah. There’s some real pain going on. And yeah. Also, Fin Fang Foom, one of my huge favorites in this as well. So, this was a real treat, this book. And the back matter is magical. Alex:                 This very briefly and tangentially ties into the King in Black storyline, which has symbiotes attacking the Marvel universe here. They attack Asgard, Beta Ray Bill fights them off, kind of. And sparks up, or re-sparks up a little bit of a romance with Lady Sif. But I agree with you, as he did in Murder Falcon, he brings big action with big monsters, but also a deep well of emotion here. It’s very sad for Beta Ray Bill. Art is great, the writing is great, the emotion is great. I’m all in on this book. I am a sucker for Beta Ray Bill, and I think D.W.J. does right by him. So, I’m very excited to see this going forward. And like you said, there’s a great interview that he does with Walter Simonson in the back of the book, which is super cool as well. Pete:                Yeah. It’s nice to see him geek out about this and hear about New York in the seventies and the different kinds of people working on stuff. It was a pretty awesome interview that they put in the back and yeah. I mean, the art, the storytelling is really unbelievable, but Beta Ray Bill… Kind of a cursed character and they’re really tugging on that and playing with that. And he’s not cool with Thor. It’s not a fun relationship right now. So I’m glad they’re getting to air that out a little bit. I’m very interested to see how that all unfolds. Alex:                 I agree. Next up, Shadecraft number one from Image comics written by Joe Henderson, art by Lee Garbett. In this new comic book, a girl finds out that shadows aren’t quite what they’re cracked up to be. It ties into an emotional thing from her past that you find out towards the end of the issue. I really liked the setup. I thought this was a good, fun horror book. The art from Lee Garbett was particularly good. The shadow creatures were interesting. I’m curious to see where this goes going forward, because it feels like it really gets to the setup by the end. But I’m in, what was your take Pete? Pete:                Yeah, I agree. I think the art and the storytelling is fantastic. Setting this up in a very interesting way. I really love the last page reveal twist. Very cool. And yeah, as this kid, I was scared shitless of… if you saw a shadow move by the… or a branch at the window or something. This really plays on that fear of moving shadows and how it’s hard, especially at night, to get away from shadows. I mean, that’s just… That’s tough. Alex:                 I got to be honest, Pete, it sounds like that wasn’t just a problem when you were a kid. Pete:                I don’t think we have time to get into this, but- Alex:                 No, Pete- Pete:                It’s a great book. Alex:                 That’s been the long game on this podcast this whole time, is to finally get you to confront this fear that you have. Shadecraft number one, check it out. Next up, The Other History of the DC universe number three from DC comics. Written by John Ridley, art by Giuseppe Camuncoli. The first two issues have dealt with the black American experience in the background of the DC universe. Here, we’re dealing with the Asian American experience through the lens of Katana and her whole history. What did you think about this one, Pete? Pete:                This is very powerful, really amazing. I was very moved by it. I thought it was really done well. The storytelling is so powerful. The art… Yeah, just kind of the balance of these stanzas, these powerful stanzas, that really hit you versus the comic book art. Really creates this moving, powerful stuff that DC is doing with these books. I’ve been really enjoying this series. The Other History of the DC universe stuff has just been really impressive. Alex:                 Giuseppe Camuncoli’s layouts in particular, are really excellent. John Ridley’s writing is great. It’s super, unfortunately, timely, given that we are discussing the Asian American experience and violence towards it, in particular, right now. But it’s a necessary- Pete:                Stop Asian hate. Alex:                 Yeah, it’s a necessary read, like the other two issues of this book, but also very entertaining and weird in a certain way. I don’t know much about Katana’s history, necessarily. There are little bits here and there. I was like, “Oh yeah, I guess I do that kind of thing”. But what John Ridley is doing here is, like with X-Men: Grand Design, I think was the name of the book, he’s taking the entire history of the character and trying to make narrative sense out of it. Which is nearly impossible, but he does it here in a very emotional way. And that’s nice to see. Pete:                Yeah, Katana is one of my favorite characters. Always a big fan of Katana. So it was nice to see, all the different stories paid homage to, with this interesting narrative running throughout all of it. It was really well done. Alex:                 Moving from one timely book to another, in a very different way. Silk number one from Marvel, written by Maureen Goo, art by Takeshi Miyazawa. This is a all-Asian team working on a Korean American superhero, which is something that I don’t think we’ve seen before for Silk, necessarily. I could be wrong. Nobody jump into my mentions if I got that incorrect. But at the very least, it’s great to see that, as Silk is in a new status quo here. Working for J. Jonah Jameson, at whatever his latest rag is. But I thought this was really fun. I don’t have too much affection, necessarily, for Silk as a character. I’m fine with her. She’s been fun before. There’s been some good storylines, but I thought this was a really nice, very clear setup with a good supporting cast. And I’m interested to see where it goes in issue two. Pete:                I completely agree. I feel like this is a great use of Silk, the character. I feel like they really do a great job of giving her a lot of fun action splash pages, as well as setting up a very cool, interesting story arc. And the fashion stuff is fun and pulled off well, and what’s not to like about sitting down to have tea with a giant cat like creature? I think this is a very interesting, cool book, and I’m excited to see where it goes Alex:                 Next up: Crossover number five from image comics written by Donny Cates, art by Geoff Shaw. In this book, we’re getting towards the end of the first arc here, as Madman and Power… house. I don’t remember the name of the other team. Basically. It’s Donny Cates taking all of his books, mashing them up together with tangentially other books. They’re all heading towards this big dome where the crossover event has happened and it’s all coming down. What did you think about this issue? Pete:                Well, first off you got- bless you. You got Madman with a giant sword. So what’s not to love. This is- Alex:                 A sword. Pete:                It’s a lot of action, it’s a lot of over-the-top stuff, but also, a lot of intense shit goes on here. Oh man, I don’t want to spoil anything, but man, it gets, it gets real dark, but- Alex:                 I want to hear it. Spoiler warning. What was the thing that, you thought in particular, got really dark? Pete:                Where the guy shot the girl? Alex:                 Oh, that hasn’t happened yet. That’s the cliff hanger at the end of the book. He hasn’t necessarily shot her. Pete:                Well… He’s crying. It says, “I can”. And it looks like it’s seconds before the bullet is released out of the chamber. Alex:                 Yeah. Well, we’ll see what happens next issue, I guess. Pete:                Oh my God. Alex:                 I guess we’ll see what happens. One thing that I really… that I thought was super fun in the book, is Donny has come up with this concept, where all of these different superheroes have been cut apart and mashed back together by scientists on Earth, quote-unquote. And they’re called amalgams, which is very funny to anybody who knows about the Amalgam universe. He’s having a blast here and it’s so creative and so fun. There’s a great splash page laid out that mashes up panels from God Country and Madman comics. Very neat. I liked it quite a bit. Alex:                 Next up, Strange Adventures number nine, from DC comics written by Tom King, art by Mitch Gerads and Evan Shaner. Here, a report has come out about Adam Strange from the Justice League. Not exactly indicating that he is a villain, but certainly not precluding that fact. That’s what we’re dealing with here. As the Pykkt invasion of Earth continues and lots of questions swirl in the background. I’ll tell you what, I think we talked about this with an earlier issue. It’s interesting this is coming out now, but it seemed very clear to me that, at least tangentially, King is writing about the Mueller report in this issue. Did you get that sense as well? Pete:                I have no idea what’s going on and when it comes to King, ever. But it was crazy to see Superman and Batman in this issue. Alex:                 So, this report comes out and it’s the vague sort of indictment that Mueller did in the heavily anticipated Mueller report. Where there were a lot of crimes mentioned, but ultimately there said, “Well, it’s up to the people who prosecute to do it”. Right. And that’s exactly what happens with Adam Strange here. It’s very interesting, particularly given now we’re past the Trump presidency, though, obviously not the aftereffects of it. To see him take Adam Strange and put him in that place. To the point… there’s a panel late in the issue where they zoom in on Adam Strange’s face on a TV screen and it looks almost exactly like Trump on the television. So that was kind of fascinating to me. I think it’s sort of part of the publishing schedule that has gotten pushed back so far. But I am curious to see where this hits on, given that it is skirting those ideas. You’re looking at me like I’m a crazy person right now. Pete:                I am looking at you like a crazy person, because we’re on issue number 9 of 12 and we still don’t know what the fuck is going on. Alex:                 Well- Pete:                Nine issues deep. Alex:                 I mean, that’s how a mystery works Pete. Pete:                Yeah, but let’s talk- Alex:                 Unless it’s Columbo, in which case they reveal it first and then he figures out how it happens. Pete:                Okay. But, regardless, just thinking about how great of a writer you have to be that, for nine issues of a story, you have no fucking idea what’s going on. That is very impressive. Alex:                 Well, I just got one more question for you, Pete. Pete:                Oh my God. Alex:                 All right. Next up, Avengers: Curse of the Man-Thing number one from Marvel. Written by Steve Orlando, art by Francesco Mobili. In this, we are getting a new threat to Man-Thing who, spoiler, beats Man-Thing right at the beginning and the Avengers have to take him down. This is one of these new formats, limited series that Marvel has been doing, where a new hero is going to interact with Man-Thing or this story in a different way. Here we get the Avengers. Next issue is going to be Spiderman, presumably the X-Men after that and other things. But this is also Steve Orlando moving over to the Marvel universe. What was your take Pete? Pete:                Well, Orlando is always a fun, crazy creative person. So this book, I thought did a great job of representing himself here. Man-Thing, getting ripped apart here was so over-the-top and very interesting. Especially because you realize, these chapter things are like parts of his skin that maybe was ripped off. But I think this is a very interesting, unique kind of cool event that’s happening and I’m digging it. Alex:                 I like it too. I thought it was super fun. And it’s Orlando doing his regular weird ideas, but infusing them into the Marvel universe. He brings in some fun stuff from Jonathan Hickman’s run on X-Men and mixes it in here in a fun way. This is good. I like this. Pete:                I agree. Alex:                 And he seems to be redefining what Man-Thing is in the Marvel universe. That should be interesting to see going forward. Next up, The Department of Truth number seven from Image comics, written by James Tynion IV, art by Tyler Boss. In this- Pete:                You think we should even talk about this, because Justin’s not here? You know what I mean, maybe we should- Alex:                 Justin does love this book. Pete:                Maybe we should skip it. Alex:                 So we’re getting another flashback this issue as Lee Harvey Oswald continues to find out more about the Department of Truth. Here, we find out about the foil guy, the doc who wears foil on his head. We find out about the men and black and the little gray men and their play into the history of the secret history of America. As usual, great stuff in this book. I am loving it. Pete- Pete:                Yeah, I agree. Alex:                 You took off your headphones, what is going on right now? Pete:                Hey man, sometimes you wear headphones for too long. It can start to get like… Feel like you’re [crosstalk 00:14:37] Alex:                 Are you listening to me through your forehead. What is going on here? Pete:                Dude, it’s a podcast. Take it easy, all right. I can hear you just fine. Alex:                 All right. Pete:                All right. So I really am like… This is such a kind of thing we’ve heard about the men in black, we’re familiar with this kind of tinfoil thing, but this is done in a way that makes sense. I really appreciate all the details and all this stuff going on in this book. I think it’s done in such a kind of way with the stylized flashbacks, with the shading and the info. I think this is really a great mix of genres and telling the story. I’m continued to be impressed with this. It’s too bad Justin’s not here to get his thoughts on it. I’m having a blast and I might just start wearing a tinfoil hat. Alex:                 Hey, speaking of which, this is more of a note for Pete’s forehead than his ears. And Pete’s forehead, you’re looking great. Don’t tell his ears, okay? Because they’re looking a little busted, to be honest. Pete:                Don’t you say shit about my ears. Alex:                 You couldn’t hear that. That was through your forehead man. All right. Moving on to the Flash 768 from DC comics. Written by Jeremy Adams, art by Brandon Peterson- Pete:                Here we go. Alex:                 Marco Santucci… What does that mean, “Here we go”? Pete:                Here we go. The fucking Flash. Alex:                 Well… So we’ve been talking about these books that have come out of DC Future State. A lot of the teams from Future State were giving previews of what’s going on in their main books of their return. So I think it has been interesting to talk about them as they have come back. This one is weird. Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. We’re still talking about it. Flash and that tricky Speed Force, man. [crosstalk 00:16:28] Sometimes you run so fast, you run out of your clothes and then that’s a whole thing and- Alex:                 It happens. So here’s the deal with this book. So the thing that confused me for the first half of this book, is we have the setup of Barry Allen is giving up being the Flash. So we could work with the new multi-verse people and explore what’s going on with there, after the fallout from Dark Nights: Death Metal. All makes sense. Now, Wally West is the new Flash, he’s been promoted. The first half of this book, reverses on that in a very weird way, where Wally says, “Nope, actually… Forget about that tease. I don’t want to be the Flash. Barry Allen. You’re the Flash”. Barry’s like, “Sounds good. Let’s have a race. I’ll take all of your speed”. Alex:                 So that’s fine, but very confusing, given everything that’s happened previously. It isn’t until the second half of the book that we get to the real concept. That’s where things, in my mind, start to get really fun, where Wally West is lost in time. We basically get this quantum leap thing, where he’s jumping to major points in the Speed Force, he’s inside of their bodies. Pete:                How are they- Alex:                 And Barry Allen is the Iggy. Is it Iggy from Quantum Leap? Pete? Pete:                I don’t know. Alex:                 Ziggy. Ziggy. The Ziggy, Dan Hedaya. Who’s like, “Oh man, you’ve got to turn back, Wally. What are you doing? Ah, if you change this, that’ll change everything”. And then Wally says, “Oh boy”. Pete:                That show came out in the fifties, I think, bro. Alex:                 It’s a great show, with a perfect finale, and you watch your mouth Pete. Pete:                I’ll have to take a time machine back. It was just insane to me that these, all these fucking Flashes and there’s the Speed Force, but nobody can figure it out. And it’s so tricky yet. They’re running the whole time and you got a fucking treadmill, but… I don’t know, man. Alex:                 I enjoyed the second half of the issue because I am a sucker for Quantum Leap and I want to see more of that. So we’ll see how it goes. Next up, Ghost Rider: King in Black number one, from Marvel. Written by Ed Brisson, art by Juan Frigeri. This is also a very weird, interesting issue because, technically, it’s a King in Black tie-in, but really it’s tying up everything that’s been happening in Ghost Rider for the past couple of years and wrapping a bow on that. It’s much more about that to the point that, the Ghost Rider characters, at certain points, are standing in the middle of symbiote-stricken Manhattan being like, “Eh, let’s figure out this other stuff instead”. Pete:                Yeah. There’s still a crazy amount of standing around talking for all the demons that are trashing the place. Alex:                 But still, pretty fun, I thought. What did you think about this one, Pete? Pete:                Yeah, it was fun. I mean, they’re having fun discussions about their names. Mephisto blows, but still, some fun stuff in there with that. Yeah. It was nice to see Ghost Rider up in this… the Penance Stare, with the old damnation stare. That was cool. Fun little twist on trusting, not trusting the devil. It’s just fun. It’s a good book. You know what you’re going to get into with it. And it’s over-the-top in all the right ways. Alex:                 Next up, Two Moons number two from Image comics written by John Arcudi, art by Valerio Giangiordino. This book, we love the first issue of. I might be getting this wrong, but I believe it’s basically taking indigenous myths and mixing them with the Civil War for a very horrific, supernatural tale. How do you think the second issue held up to the first one? Pete:                It’s really tripped out in all the right ways. It’s very magical. Spooky, cool. The Native American stuff is amazing. It’s very, very well done. Some interesting storytelling stuff. And I really loved where it ended too. Alex:                 This is a absolutely gorgeous book. Absolutely gorgeous. I like the writing, but really, the art in particular and the designs of the… I don’t even want to call them monsters. They’re more mythical creatures, is stunning throughout. Highly recommend picking this up. This is one that, it feels a little bit like, I don’t know. It’s very Vertigo to me, I think. And it’s the sort of thing that I think would be good to jump in on in the early issues to really get a sense of it because it’s that good. Alex:                 Next up, Future State: Superman VS. Imperious Lex, number three from DC comics written by Mark Russell, art by Steve Pugh, not Florence Pugh, like I initially thought. It’s Steve Pugh. This is the very last, I believe, of the Future State books. Probably cutting in a little late here, but so fun and such a good story. Love Mark Russell. This is a future Superman, as you could tell, from the title. Battling Lex, who has taken over a planet, as usual. It’s very satirical as you’d expect from this team. If you read the first two issues, you know exactly what to expect here, but I loved it. This is one of my favorite Future State books. I’m so glad they got to finish it off, even if it was a late. Pete, you’re nodding your head. What’s going on? Pete:                I mean, this is just like, what if Lex Luther was stuck in the Wall-E movie? It’s a little too crazy for me, but I appreciate what they’re doing. Alex:                 It’s so funny. The characters are so funny. Louis Lane is so funny. Lex is so funny. It’s great. He just sets up these Rube Goldberg machines of ridiculous satire and pays them off in such a fun way. I like it quite a bit. Next up, Decorum number seven, from Image comics. Written by Jonathan Hickman and art by Mike Huddleston. Alex:                 This is really bringing together everything that’s been going out in the book in a big way that these weird crystalline creatures that showed up that seemed, at first, unconnected from the Assassin’s Academy that was going on in the other side of the book. Last issue, that finally came together, where the crystalline creatures gave a mission to the assassins to find this egg that was being hidden, which I believe was the third element, that was just thrown in there. Here, our main character stumbles on that egg, opens up the egg, finds a hot dude with no head. Very funny. This is great. I can’t believe how well this has come together. And Mike Huddleston’s art is stunning across the board. The way that he’s bringing all of these different art styles together, often on the same page, is ridiculously impressive. Pete:                I agree with you, Alex. It’s worth it alone for the art. It’s really unbelievable. Sometimes… Just a dude with part of your face. But I think this is really tripped out, weird, in all the right ways. And it’s really telling a very interesting story, but the real hero here is the artist. The pages and everything are just amaze balls. Alex:                 And in classic Pete fashion, I got to bring up a book that we didn’t throw into the stack, because I didn’t want to get into a fight about it. But, X-Men number 19. Also by Jonathan Hickman, it is a master work. It is so good. It’s one of the best issues of the series ever, it’s amazing. You get the X-Men trapped in this vault, traveling through time. This incredible X-23 Laura story throughout. So good. Read it. Just pick it up right now. Don’t listen to whatever Pete has to say. And moving on to our last book- Pete:                Wait, that’s so unfair that you didn’t even put it out there. Like it was something we could read- Alex:                 Here’s the thing, Pete. [crosstalk 00:24:25] I’ve got to be honest. I’ll pull back the curtain here. I got to be honest. I read the book because I was like, “Ah, I want to read it anyway because I liked the X-Men books, but I’m not going to send it out to Pete because Pete’s just going to be like, ‘Fuck X-Men. These islands are having sex. Stupid. What’s going on? I don’t like it'”. That I would just set it out. It would just be a big argument. So I was like, “I won’t send it out”, but then I read it. I was like, “This is legitimately one of the best issues of the series ever. Would Pete like this, because it’s about Laura X-23, who he loves”. And I was like, “I don’t know. I got to weigh that against Pete just yelling because it’s X-Men. What do we do here?” Pete:                Why wouldn’t you trust me to appreciate a good X-23 story? Alex:                 Trust you? I’ve known you for 15 years, Pete. Pete:                Oh my God. You’re the worst. You didn’t believe in it enough to put it out there for us to review. You were like [crosstalk 00:25:20] yeah, you didn’t believe in it. So it’s hard to take your recommendation after you didn’t believe in something enough to send it to me and just- Alex:                 I’ll tell you what. I will send it to you. You could read it, and then you can tell me off-air what’s going on. Pete:                Okay, great. That’ll be great for everybody. Alex:                 I think so. Tell you what, check out our podcast off-air, where you visit me and Pete in person and ask us comic book recommendations. Last but not least, Batman/Catwoman number four from DC comics. Written by Tom King, art by Clay Mann. Pete, sounds like you’re loving this. You got to explain to me what’s going on. I feel like the Pete of this particular book, because I’m lost. Pete:                Okay. First off, love the bat and cat double page, spread title page, mansion, advent calendar thing, that just sets up the mood for this creepy, fun world that we’re in. And then starting off with Batwoman beating up Penguin and wanting to know where mom and the Joker are. What an interesting start, just grabs the reader all the right ways. But bat and cat are fighting. You know, cat’s been doing some things without bat’s knowledge, she knew he was going to get mad, but she didn’t tell him until last minute. Now bat’s mad. So how are we going to move forward? I also really loved how the Penguin is drawn like Danny DeVito. That makes me very happy. What do you want to know? I think it’s great. Alex:                 Listening to you talk about it is my experience reading it, because I just cannot keep track of the timelines. Pete:                There’s like three different timelines happening at once. Alex:                 No, and I know that. You’ve got the Mask of the Phantasm timeline. You’ve got the very early bad cat stuff going on. Pete:                Right. Alex:                 And then you’ve got the future cat stuff where she’s killed the Joker and is dealing with it, with Penguin. And there was their kid, who was the new Batman. So I get all that. Pete:                Batwoman. Alex:                 There’s the transitions between them that just throw me, and I’m sure there’s a point to it. Maybe they’re doing something about memory and how memories are very fluid and go from one time period to another- Pete:                Yeah, because it’s also like cat and bat always have this thing about a disagreement about when they first met. Alex:                 Yes. So I get all that, but you look at a book like Strange Adventures, also from Tom King, where you have- Pete:                Also confusing. Alex:                 But, even if it jumps between timelines of the same page, you’ve got Evan “Doc” Shaner and Mitch Gerads. So there’s a delineation between the timelines. So you’re able to follow, okay. Here’s where we are at any given point. It is disorienting for me to read this book, and I still, and I know I’m harping on this. I don’t know what the Phantasm has to do with this. Pete:                That’s going to be the fun, but also it is going to make sense. And I think it’s going to be one of those things where it will be very interesting to get the trade, because there could be… it could make that much more sense, reading it all together. Alex:                 Absolutely. And I’m more than willing to follow it until the end. It’s just- Pete:                And you should follow it, because it’s amazing art and writing and like such a fun, interesting story with these two characters we know and we’ve heard stories… for all time about them. Alex:                 I trust these creators. So I’m going to follow it until the end. I’m just having a hard time comprehending it as of now, that’s what I’m saying. Alex:                 And that’s it for The Stack. If you’d like to support our podcast and other podcasts we do, patrion.com/comic book club. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night to Crowdcast at YouTube. Pete:                Sure do. Alex:                 Love to chat with you about comic books. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe and listen to the show. Comic book club live.com for this podcast and more. Until next time, we’ll see you at the virtual comic book shop. But I’m saying that just to Pete’s forehead, not to his ears. The post The Stack: Beta Ray Bill, Shadecraft And More appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week’s comic book review podcast, we’ve got:

Beta Ray Bill #1
Marvel
Written and art by Daniel Warren Johnson

Shadecraft #1
Image Comics
Written by Joe Henderson
Art by Lee Garbett

The Other History of the DC Universe #3
DC Comics
Written by John Ridley
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli

Silk #1
Marvel
Written by Maurene Goo
Art by Takeshi Miyazawa

Crossover #5
Image Comics
Written by Donny Cates
Art by Geoff Shaw

Strange Adventures #9
DC Comics
Written by Tom King
Art by Mitch Gerards and Evan Shaner

Avengers: Curse of the Man-Thing #1
Marvel
Written by Steve Orlando
Art by Francesco Mobili

The Department of Truth #7
Image Comics
Written by James Tynion IV
Art by Tyler Boss

The Flash #768
DC Comics
Written by Jeremy Adams
Art by Brandon Peterson, Marco Santucci, David Lafuente

Ghost Rider: King in Black #1
Marvel
Written by Ed Brisson
Art by Juan Frigeri

Two Moons #2
Image Comics
Written by John Arcudi
Art by Valerio Giangiordano

Future State: Superman vs Imperious Lex #3
DC Comics
Written by Mark Russell
Art by Steve Pugh

Decorum #7
Image Comics
Written by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Mike Huddleston

Batman/Catwoman #4
DC Comics
Written by Tom King
Art by Clay Mann

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Full Episode Transcript:

Alex:                 What is up y’all? Welcome to The Stack. I’m Alex.

Pete:                I’m Pete.

Alex:                 And on The Stack we talk about a bunch of books that have come out this week. Kicking it off with one I know that Pete is very excited about. Beta Ray Bill number one from Marvel comics, written and art by Daniel Warren Johnson. Now, D.W.J., As I like to call him, he is the creator of Murder Falcon, which is one of your favorite books ever.

Pete:                Yeah.

Alex:                 I don’t know how you feel about Beta Ray Bill though. So how’d you feel about this book?

Pete:                Well, yeah. I’m not the hugest Beta Ray Bill fan, but this was a lot of fun. This was really awesome. Art style [google 00:00:54] gave Beta Ray Bill a grittiness that was nice. Yeah, I very much enjoyed this. This was sad. This was not just badass Beta Ray Bill.

Alex:                 You okay? Did you die there for a second?

Pete:                Yeah. There’s some real pain going on. And yeah. Also, Fin Fang Foom, one of my huge favorites in this as well. So, this was a real treat, this book. And the back matter is magical.

Alex:                 This very briefly and tangentially ties into the King in Black storyline, which has symbiotes attacking the Marvel universe here. They attack Asgard, Beta Ray Bill fights them off, kind of. And sparks up, or re-sparks up a little bit of a romance with Lady Sif. But I agree with you, as he did in Murder Falcon, he brings big action with big monsters, but also a deep well of emotion here. It’s very sad for Beta Ray Bill. Art is great, the writing is great, the emotion is great. I’m all in on this book. I am a sucker for Beta Ray Bill, and I think D.W.J. does right by him. So, I’m very excited to see this going forward. And like you said, there’s a great interview that he does with Walter Simonson in the back of the book, which is super cool as well.

Pete:                Yeah. It’s nice to see him geek out about this and hear about New York in the seventies and the different kinds of people working on stuff. It was a pretty awesome interview that they put in the back and yeah. I mean, the art, the storytelling is really unbelievable, but Beta Ray Bill… Kind of a cursed character and they’re really tugging on that and playing with that. And he’s not cool with Thor. It’s not a fun relationship right now. So I’m glad they’re getting to air that out a little bit. I’m very interested to see how that all unfolds.

Alex:                 I agree. Next up, Shadecraft number one from Image comics written by Joe Henderson, art by Lee Garbett. In this new comic book, a girl finds out that shadows aren’t quite what they’re cracked up to be. It ties into an emotional thing from her past that you find out towards the end of the issue. I really liked the setup. I thought this was a good, fun horror book. The art from Lee Garbett was particularly good. The shadow creatures were interesting. I’m curious to see where this goes going forward, because it feels like it really gets to the setup by the end. But I’m in, what was your take Pete?

Pete:                Yeah, I agree. I think the art and the storytelling is fantastic. Setting this up in a very interesting way. I really love the last page reveal twist. Very cool. And yeah, as this kid, I was scared shitless of… if you saw a shadow move by the… or a branch at the window or something. This really plays on that fear of moving shadows and how it’s hard, especially at night, to get away from shadows. I mean, that’s just… That’s tough.

Alex:                 I got to be honest, Pete, it sounds like that wasn’t just a problem when you were a kid.

Pete:                I don’t think we have time to get into this, but-

Alex:                 No, Pete-

Pete:                It’s a great book.

Alex:                 That’s been the long game on this podcast this whole time, is to finally get you to confront this fear that you have. Shadecraft number one, check it out. Next up, The Other History of the DC universe number three from DC comics. Written by John Ridley, art by Giuseppe Camuncoli. The first two issues have dealt with the black American experience in the background of the DC universe. Here, we’re dealing with the Asian American experience through the lens of Katana and her whole history. What did you think about this one, Pete?

Pete:                This is very powerful, really amazing. I was very moved by it. I thought it was really done well. The storytelling is so powerful. The art… Yeah, just kind of the balance of these stanzas, these powerful stanzas, that really hit you versus the comic book art. Really creates this moving, powerful stuff that DC is doing with these books. I’ve been really enjoying this series. The Other History of the DC universe stuff has just been really impressive.

Alex:                 Giuseppe Camuncoli’s layouts in particular, are really excellent. John Ridley’s writing is great. It’s super, unfortunately, timely, given that we are discussing the Asian American experience and violence towards it, in particular, right now. But it’s a necessary-

Pete:                Stop Asian hate.

Alex:                 Yeah, it’s a necessary read, like the other two issues of this book, but also very entertaining and weird in a certain way. I don’t know much about Katana’s history, necessarily. There are little bits here and there. I was like, “Oh yeah, I guess I do that kind of thing”. But what John Ridley is doing here is, like with X-Men: Grand Design, I think was the name of the book, he’s taking the entire history of the character and trying to make narrative sense out of it. Which is nearly impossible, but he does it here in a very emotional way. And that’s nice to see.

Pete:                Yeah, Katana is one of my favorite characters. Always a big fan of Katana. So it was nice to see, all the different stories paid homage to, with this interesting narrative running throughout all of it. It was really well done.

Alex:                 Moving from one timely book to another, in a very different way. Silk number one from Marvel, written by Maureen Goo, art by Takeshi Miyazawa. This is a all-Asian team working on a Korean American superhero, which is something that I don’t think we’ve seen before for Silk, necessarily. I could be wrong. Nobody jump into my mentions if I got that incorrect. But at the very least, it’s great to see that, as Silk is in a new status quo here. Working for J. Jonah Jameson, at whatever his latest rag is. But I thought this was really fun. I don’t have too much affection, necessarily, for Silk as a character. I’m fine with her. She’s been fun before. There’s been some good storylines, but I thought this was a really nice, very clear setup with a good supporting cast. And I’m interested to see where it goes in issue two.

Pete:                I completely agree. I feel like this is a great use of Silk, the character. I feel like they really do a great job of giving her a lot of fun action splash pages, as well as setting up a very cool, interesting story arc. And the fashion stuff is fun and pulled off well, and what’s not to like about sitting down to have tea with a giant cat like creature? I think this is a very interesting, cool book, and I’m excited to see where it goes

Alex:                 Next up: Crossover number five from image comics written by Donny Cates, art by Geoff Shaw. In this book, we’re getting towards the end of the first arc here, as Madman and Power… house. I don’t remember the name of the other team. Basically. It’s Donny Cates taking all of his books, mashing them up together with tangentially other books. They’re all heading towards this big dome where the crossover event has happened and it’s all coming down. What did you think about this issue?

Pete:                Well, first off you got- bless you. You got Madman with a giant sword. So what’s not to love. This is-

Alex:                 A sword.

Pete:                It’s a lot of action, it’s a lot of over-the-top stuff, but also, a lot of intense shit goes on here. Oh man, I don’t want to spoil anything, but man, it gets, it gets real dark, but-

Alex:                 I want to hear it. Spoiler warning. What was the thing that, you thought in particular, got really dark?

Pete:                Where the guy shot the girl?

Alex:                 Oh, that hasn’t happened yet. That’s the cliff hanger at the end of the book. He hasn’t necessarily shot her.

Pete:                Well… He’s crying. It says, “I can”. And it looks like it’s seconds before the bullet is released out of the chamber.

Alex:                 Yeah. Well, we’ll see what happens next issue, I guess.

Pete:                Oh my God.

Alex:                 I guess we’ll see what happens. One thing that I really… that I thought was super fun in the book, is Donny has come up with this concept, where all of these different superheroes have been cut apart and mashed back together by scientists on Earth, quote-unquote. And they’re called amalgams, which is very funny to anybody who knows about the Amalgam universe. He’s having a blast here and it’s so creative and so fun. There’s a great splash page laid out that mashes up panels from God Country and Madman comics. Very neat. I liked it quite a bit.

Alex:                 Next up, Strange Adventures number nine, from DC comics written by Tom King, art by Mitch Gerads and Evan Shaner. Here, a report has come out about Adam Strange from the Justice League. Not exactly indicating that he is a villain, but certainly not precluding that fact. That’s what we’re dealing with here. As the Pykkt invasion of Earth continues and lots of questions swirl in the background. I’ll tell you what, I think we talked about this with an earlier issue. It’s interesting this is coming out now, but it seemed very clear to me that, at least tangentially, King is writing about the Mueller report in this issue. Did you get that sense as well?

Pete:                I have no idea what’s going on and when it comes to King, ever. But it was crazy to see Superman and Batman in this issue.

Alex:                 So, this report comes out and it’s the vague sort of indictment that Mueller did in the heavily anticipated Mueller report. Where there were a lot of crimes mentioned, but ultimately there said, “Well, it’s up to the people who prosecute to do it”. Right. And that’s exactly what happens with Adam Strange here. It’s very interesting, particularly given now we’re past the Trump presidency, though, obviously not the aftereffects of it. To see him take Adam Strange and put him in that place. To the point… there’s a panel late in the issue where they zoom in on Adam Strange’s face on a TV screen and it looks almost exactly like Trump on the television. So that was kind of fascinating to me. I think it’s sort of part of the publishing schedule that has gotten pushed back so far. But I am curious to see where this hits on, given that it is skirting those ideas. You’re looking at me like I’m a crazy person right now.

Pete:                I am looking at you like a crazy person, because we’re on issue number 9 of 12 and we still don’t know what the fuck is going on.

Alex:                 Well-

Pete:                Nine issues deep.

Alex:                 I mean, that’s how a mystery works Pete.

Pete:                Yeah, but let’s talk-

Alex:                 Unless it’s Columbo, in which case they reveal it first and then he figures out how it happens.

Pete:                Okay. But, regardless, just thinking about how great of a writer you have to be that, for nine issues of a story, you have no fucking idea what’s going on. That is very impressive.

Alex:                 Well, I just got one more question for you, Pete.

Pete:                Oh my God.

Alex:                 All right. Next up, Avengers: Curse of the Man-Thing number one from Marvel. Written by Steve Orlando, art by Francesco Mobili. In this, we are getting a new threat to Man-Thing who, spoiler, beats Man-Thing right at the beginning and the Avengers have to take him down. This is one of these new formats, limited series that Marvel has been doing, where a new hero is going to interact with Man-Thing or this story in a different way. Here we get the Avengers. Next issue is going to be Spiderman, presumably the X-Men after that and other things. But this is also Steve Orlando moving over to the Marvel universe. What was your take Pete?

Pete:                Well, Orlando is always a fun, crazy creative person. So this book, I thought did a great job of representing himself here. Man-Thing, getting ripped apart here was so over-the-top and very interesting. Especially because you realize, these chapter things are like parts of his skin that maybe was ripped off. But I think this is a very interesting, unique kind of cool event that’s happening and I’m digging it.

Alex:                 I like it too. I thought it was super fun. And it’s Orlando doing his regular weird ideas, but infusing them into the Marvel universe. He brings in some fun stuff from Jonathan Hickman’s run on X-Men and mixes it in here in a fun way. This is good. I like this.

Pete:                I agree.

Alex:                 And he seems to be redefining what Man-Thing is in the Marvel universe. That should be interesting to see going forward. Next up, The Department of Truth number seven from Image comics, written by James Tynion IV, art by Tyler Boss. In this-

Pete:                You think we should even talk about this, because Justin’s not here? You know what I mean, maybe we should-

Alex:                 Justin does love this book.

Pete:                Maybe we should skip it.

Alex:                 So we’re getting another flashback this issue as Lee Harvey Oswald continues to find out more about the Department of Truth. Here, we find out about the foil guy, the doc who wears foil on his head. We find out about the men and black and the little gray men and their play into the history of the secret history of America. As usual, great stuff in this book. I am loving it. Pete-

Pete:                Yeah, I agree.

Alex:                 You took off your headphones, what is going on right now?

Pete:                Hey man, sometimes you wear headphones for too long. It can start to get like… Feel like you’re [crosstalk 00:14:37]

Alex:                 Are you listening to me through your forehead. What is going on here?

Pete:                Dude, it’s a podcast. Take it easy, all right. I can hear you just fine.

Alex:                 All right.

Pete:                All right. So I really am like… This is such a kind of thing we’ve heard about the men in black, we’re familiar with this kind of tinfoil thing, but this is done in a way that makes sense. I really appreciate all the details and all this stuff going on in this book. I think it’s done in such a kind of way with the stylized flashbacks, with the shading and the info. I think this is really a great mix of genres and telling the story. I’m continued to be impressed with this. It’s too bad Justin’s not here to get his thoughts on it. I’m having a blast and I might just start wearing a tinfoil hat.

Alex:                 Hey, speaking of which, this is more of a note for Pete’s forehead than his ears. And Pete’s forehead, you’re looking great. Don’t tell his ears, okay? Because they’re looking a little busted, to be honest.

Pete:                Don’t you say shit about my ears.

Alex:                 You couldn’t hear that. That was through your forehead man. All right. Moving on to the Flash 768 from DC comics. Written by Jeremy Adams, art by Brandon Peterson-

Pete:                Here we go.

Alex:                 Marco Santucci… What does that mean, “Here we go”?

Pete:                Here we go. The fucking Flash.

Alex:                 Well… So we’ve been talking about these books that have come out of DC Future State. A lot of the teams from Future State were giving previews of what’s going on in their main books of their return. So I think it has been interesting to talk about them as they have come back. This one is weird.

Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. We’re still talking about it. Flash and that tricky Speed Force, man. [crosstalk 00:16:28] Sometimes you run so fast, you run out of your clothes and then that’s a whole thing and-

Alex:                 It happens. So here’s the deal with this book. So the thing that confused me for the first half of this book, is we have the setup of Barry Allen is giving up being the Flash. So we could work with the new multi-verse people and explore what’s going on with there, after the fallout from Dark Nights: Death Metal. All makes sense. Now, Wally West is the new Flash, he’s been promoted. The first half of this book, reverses on that in a very weird way, where Wally says, “Nope, actually… Forget about that tease. I don’t want to be the Flash. Barry Allen. You’re the Flash”. Barry’s like, “Sounds good. Let’s have a race. I’ll take all of your speed”.

Alex:                 So that’s fine, but very confusing, given everything that’s happened previously. It isn’t until the second half of the book that we get to the real concept. That’s where things, in my mind, start to get really fun, where Wally West is lost in time. We basically get this quantum leap thing, where he’s jumping to major points in the Speed Force, he’s inside of their bodies.

Pete:                How are they-

Alex:                 And Barry Allen is the Iggy. Is it Iggy from Quantum Leap? Pete?

Pete:                I don’t know.

Alex:                 Ziggy. Ziggy. The Ziggy, Dan Hedaya. Who’s like, “Oh man, you’ve got to turn back, Wally. What are you doing? Ah, if you change this, that’ll change everything”. And then Wally says, “Oh boy”.

Pete:                That show came out in the fifties, I think, bro.

Alex:                 It’s a great show, with a perfect finale, and you watch your mouth Pete.

Pete:                I’ll have to take a time machine back. It was just insane to me that these, all these fucking Flashes and there’s the Speed Force, but nobody can figure it out. And it’s so tricky yet. They’re running the whole time and you got a fucking treadmill, but… I don’t know, man.

Alex:                 I enjoyed the second half of the issue because I am a sucker for Quantum Leap and I want to see more of that. So we’ll see how it goes. Next up, Ghost Rider: King in Black number one, from Marvel. Written by Ed Brisson, art by Juan Frigeri. This is also a very weird, interesting issue because, technically, it’s a King in Black tie-in, but really it’s tying up everything that’s been happening in Ghost Rider for the past couple of years and wrapping a bow on that. It’s much more about that to the point that, the Ghost Rider characters, at certain points, are standing in the middle of symbiote-stricken Manhattan being like, “Eh, let’s figure out this other stuff instead”.

Pete:                Yeah. There’s still a crazy amount of standing around talking for all the demons that are trashing the place.

Alex:                 But still, pretty fun, I thought. What did you think about this one, Pete?

Pete:                Yeah, it was fun. I mean, they’re having fun discussions about their names. Mephisto blows, but still, some fun stuff in there with that. Yeah. It was nice to see Ghost Rider up in this… the Penance Stare, with the old damnation stare. That was cool. Fun little twist on trusting, not trusting the devil. It’s just fun. It’s a good book. You know what you’re going to get into with it. And it’s over-the-top in all the right ways.

Alex:                 Next up, Two Moons number two from Image comics written by John Arcudi, art by Valerio Giangiordino. This book, we love the first issue of. I might be getting this wrong, but I believe it’s basically taking indigenous myths and mixing them with the Civil War for a very horrific, supernatural tale. How do you think the second issue held up to the first one?

Pete:                It’s really tripped out in all the right ways. It’s very magical. Spooky, cool. The Native American stuff is amazing. It’s very, very well done. Some interesting storytelling stuff. And I really loved where it ended too.

Alex:                 This is a absolutely gorgeous book. Absolutely gorgeous. I like the writing, but really, the art in particular and the designs of the… I don’t even want to call them monsters. They’re more mythical creatures, is stunning throughout. Highly recommend picking this up. This is one that, it feels a little bit like, I don’t know. It’s very Vertigo to me, I think. And it’s the sort of thing that I think would be good to jump in on in the early issues to really get a sense of it because it’s that good.

Alex:                 Next up, Future State: Superman VS. Imperious Lex, number three from DC comics written by Mark Russell, art by Steve Pugh, not Florence Pugh, like I initially thought. It’s Steve Pugh. This is the very last, I believe, of the Future State books. Probably cutting in a little late here, but so fun and such a good story. Love Mark Russell. This is a future Superman, as you could tell, from the title. Battling Lex, who has taken over a planet, as usual. It’s very satirical as you’d expect from this team. If you read the first two issues, you know exactly what to expect here, but I loved it. This is one of my favorite Future State books. I’m so glad they got to finish it off, even if it was a late. Pete, you’re nodding your head. What’s going on?

Pete:                I mean, this is just like, what if Lex Luther was stuck in the Wall-E movie? It’s a little too crazy for me, but I appreciate what they’re doing.

Alex:                 It’s so funny. The characters are so funny. Louis Lane is so funny. Lex is so funny. It’s great. He just sets up these Rube Goldberg machines of ridiculous satire and pays them off in such a fun way. I like it quite a bit. Next up, Decorum number seven, from Image comics. Written by Jonathan Hickman and art by Mike Huddleston.

Alex:                 This is really bringing together everything that’s been going out in the book in a big way that these weird crystalline creatures that showed up that seemed, at first, unconnected from the Assassin’s Academy that was going on in the other side of the book. Last issue, that finally came together, where the crystalline creatures gave a mission to the assassins to find this egg that was being hidden, which I believe was the third element, that was just thrown in there. Here, our main character stumbles on that egg, opens up the egg, finds a hot dude with no head. Very funny. This is great. I can’t believe how well this has come together. And Mike Huddleston’s art is stunning across the board. The way that he’s bringing all of these different art styles together, often on the same page, is ridiculously impressive.

Pete:                I agree with you, Alex. It’s worth it alone for the art. It’s really unbelievable. Sometimes… Just a dude with part of your face. But I think this is really tripped out, weird, in all the right ways. And it’s really telling a very interesting story, but the real hero here is the artist. The pages and everything are just amaze balls.

Alex:                 And in classic Pete fashion, I got to bring up a book that we didn’t throw into the stack, because I didn’t want to get into a fight about it. But, X-Men number 19. Also by Jonathan Hickman, it is a master work. It is so good. It’s one of the best issues of the series ever, it’s amazing. You get the X-Men trapped in this vault, traveling through time. This incredible X-23 Laura story throughout. So good. Read it. Just pick it up right now. Don’t listen to whatever Pete has to say. And moving on to our last book-

Pete:                Wait, that’s so unfair that you didn’t even put it out there. Like it was something we could read-

Alex:                 Here’s the thing, Pete. [crosstalk 00:24:25] I’ve got to be honest. I’ll pull back the curtain here. I got to be honest. I read the book because I was like, “Ah, I want to read it anyway because I liked the X-Men books, but I’m not going to send it out to Pete because Pete’s just going to be like, ‘Fuck X-Men. These islands are having sex. Stupid. What’s going on? I don’t like it'”. That I would just set it out. It would just be a big argument. So I was like, “I won’t send it out”, but then I read it. I was like, “This is legitimately one of the best issues of the series ever. Would Pete like this, because it’s about Laura X-23, who he loves”. And I was like, “I don’t know. I got to weigh that against Pete just yelling because it’s X-Men. What do we do here?”

Pete:                Why wouldn’t you trust me to appreciate a good X-23 story?

Alex:                 Trust you? I’ve known you for 15 years, Pete.

Pete:                Oh my God. You’re the worst. You didn’t believe in it enough to put it out there for us to review. You were like [crosstalk 00:25:20] yeah, you didn’t believe in it. So it’s hard to take your recommendation after you didn’t believe in something enough to send it to me and just-

Alex:                 I’ll tell you what. I will send it to you. You could read it, and then you can tell me off-air what’s going on.

Pete:                Okay, great. That’ll be great for everybody.

Alex:                 I think so. Tell you what, check out our podcast off-air, where you visit me and Pete in person and ask us comic book recommendations. Last but not least, Batman/Catwoman number four from DC comics. Written by Tom King, art by Clay Mann. Pete, sounds like you’re loving this. You got to explain to me what’s going on. I feel like the Pete of this particular book, because I’m lost.

Pete:                Okay. First off, love the bat and cat double page, spread title page, mansion, advent calendar thing, that just sets up the mood for this creepy, fun world that we’re in. And then starting off with Batwoman beating up Penguin and wanting to know where mom and the Joker are. What an interesting start, just grabs the reader all the right ways. But bat and cat are fighting. You know, cat’s been doing some things without bat’s knowledge, she knew he was going to get mad, but she didn’t tell him until last minute. Now bat’s mad. So how are we going to move forward? I also really loved how the Penguin is drawn like Danny DeVito. That makes me very happy. What do you want to know? I think it’s great.

Alex:                 Listening to you talk about it is my experience reading it, because I just cannot keep track of the timelines.

Pete:                There’s like three different timelines happening at once.

Alex:                 No, and I know that. You’ve got the Mask of the Phantasm timeline. You’ve got the very early bad cat stuff going on.

Pete:                Right.

Alex:                 And then you’ve got the future cat stuff where she’s killed the Joker and is dealing with it, with Penguin. And there was their kid, who was the new Batman. So I get all that.

Pete:                Batwoman.

Alex:                 There’s the transitions between them that just throw me, and I’m sure there’s a point to it. Maybe they’re doing something about memory and how memories are very fluid and go from one time period to another-

Pete:                Yeah, because it’s also like cat and bat always have this thing about a disagreement about when they first met.

Alex:                 Yes. So I get all that, but you look at a book like Strange Adventures, also from Tom King, where you have-

Pete:                Also confusing.

Alex:                 But, even if it jumps between timelines of the same page, you’ve got Evan “Doc” Shaner and Mitch Gerads. So there’s a delineation between the timelines. So you’re able to follow, okay. Here’s where we are at any given point. It is disorienting for me to read this book, and I still, and I know I’m harping on this. I don’t know what the Phantasm has to do with this.

Pete:                That’s going to be the fun, but also it is going to make sense. And I think it’s going to be one of those things where it will be very interesting to get the trade, because there could be… it could make that much more sense, reading it all together.

Alex:                 Absolutely. And I’m more than willing to follow it until the end. It’s just-

Pete:                And you should follow it, because it’s amazing art and writing and like such a fun, interesting story with these two characters we know and we’ve heard stories… for all time about them.

Alex:                 I trust these creators. So I’m going to follow it until the end. I’m just having a hard time comprehending it as of now, that’s what I’m saying.

Alex:                 And that’s it for The Stack. If you’d like to support our podcast and other podcasts we do, patrion.com/comic book club. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night to Crowdcast at YouTube.

Pete:                Sure do.

Alex:                 Love to chat with you about comic books. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe and listen to the show. Comic book club live.com for this podcast and more. Until next time, we’ll see you at the virtual comic book shop. But I’m saying that just to Pete’s forehead, not to his ears.

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]]> On this week’s comic book review podcast, we’ve got: Beta Ray Bill #1 Marvel Written and art by Daniel Warren Johnson Shadecraft #1 Image Comics Written by Joe Henderson Art by Lee Garbett The Other History of the DC Universe #3 DC Comics Written by Jo... full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15462 aedba20b-861c-4f76-952d-ad090115086b Wed, 31 Mar 2021 13:00:00 +0000 1807 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/03/31/the-stack-beta-ray-bill-shadecraft-and-more/ Comic Book Club: Paul Allor And Ibrahim Moustafa Comic Book Club: Paul Allor And Ibrahim Moustafa On this week’s live broadcast, we’re welcoming guests Paul Allor (“GI Joe”) + Ibrahim Moustafa (“Count”)! SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. The post Comic Book Club: Paul Allor And Ibrahim Moustafa appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week’s live broadcast, we’re welcoming guests Paul Allor (“GI Joe”) + Ibrahim Moustafa (“Count”)!

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]]> On this week’s live broadcast, we’re welcoming guests Paul Allor (“GI Joe”) + Ibrahim Moustafa (“Count”)! SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15441 27d133f8-843e-410c-a5fe-ad090115150e Wed, 31 Mar 2021 01:09:29 +0000 3525 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/03/30/comic-book-club-paul-allor-and-ibrahim-moustafa/ Podvincible: “Here Goes Nothing” Podvincible: “Here Goes Nothing” With Omni-Man down for the count, it’s up to Invincible to stop an alien invasion as we break down Episode 2, “Here Goes Nothing.” The Flaxans are on the loose, so Mark teams up with the Teen Team to take them down — multiple times. But that’s not the end of his alien encounters, as we meet Allen the Alien, who has made a big, big mistake coming to Earth. Plus, things heat up with Mark and Atom Eve – and Amber? SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. The post Podvincible: “Here Goes Nothing” appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. With Omni-Man down for the count, it’s up to Invincible to stop an alien invasion as we break down Episode 2, “Here Goes Nothing.” The Flaxans are on the loose, so Mark teams up with the Teen Team to take them down — multiple times. But that’s not the end of his alien encounters, as we meet Allen the Alien, who has made a big, big mistake coming to Earth. Plus, things heat up with Mark and Atom Eve – and Amber?

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]]> With Omni-Man down for the count, it’s up to Invincible to stop an alien invasion as we break down Episode 2, “Here Goes Nothing.” The Flaxans are on the loose, so Mark teams up with the Teen Team to take them down — multiple times. full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15458 1ecc1f2e-d05f-4d80-bbf6-ad0901151eb6 Mon, 29 Mar 2021 16:13:56 +0000 1711 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/03/29/podvincible-here-goes-nothing/ MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 2 – “The Star-Spangled Man” MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 2 – “The Star-Spangled Man” Sam and Bucky finally team up as we break down all the big moments in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 2, “The Star-Spangled Man.” With John Walker officially named the new Captain America, our heroes head off in pursuit of The Flag Smashers, only to get their butts handed to them, even with a team-up with Walker and his own sidekick, Battlestar. Meanwhile, a side trip reveals how the legacy of the shield is more complicated than he originally thought. Whether you’re wondering who is Isaiah Bradley in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, whether that was really Sara Haines, all about Cle Bennett who plays Lamar Hoskins a.k.a. Battlestar to the identity of The Power Broker, we break down all the Falcon and the Winter Soldier Easter eggs and Marvel Comics origins. SUBSCRIBE TO MARVELVISION ON ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER, OR RSS. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Full Episode Transcript Alex:                 Welcome to MarvelVision, a podcast about Marvel the MCU and Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I’m Alex. Justin:              I’m Justin. Pete:                I’m Pete. Alex:                 We’re going to be talking about the second episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Star-Spangled Man. This is a big one. Pete:                Fake Cap. Alex:                 Lots of stuff goes down in this episode. Justin:              Huge episode. Alex:                 So many things happen. More bank loans. More dates for Bucky. That’s pretty much it. Pete:                What? Alex:                 No. I was- Justin:              I mean, yeah. The show pivoted. I think some criticism of the show is like “What is this? This is like the first act of a movie, not even. It’s like the first 20 minutes where you don’t know much about anything,” and I think this episode took that criticism and just crushed it. Pete:                Shoved it up their ass. Alex:                 It’s great that they pivoted so quickly, because as we know, these shows are broadcast live. So they probably took the criticism from the first episode, thought about it over the week. Justin:              Re-shot the whole thing. Alex:                 Friday night when they were putting the sketches together, they were like “Okay. We got to do this stuff.” Lorne came out and was like “This is what Bucky should do this week,” and then here we go. Pete:                Wait. What was that? What are you doing? Alex:                 That was a very bad Lorne Michaels impression. Pete:                Well, that was awful. I don’t know what- Alex:                 It was terrible. Pete:                Just don’t- Justin:              I think they said- Pete:                Maybe don’t- Justin:              … “Live from Atlanta, this is Falcon and Winter Soldier.” Pete:                You sounded like Mer-Man from He-Man. It was like you were like … Alex:                 Is that what he sounds like? “[inaudible 00:01:29] the ocean.” Justin:              Pete, you know that- Alex:                 He sounds like Buffalo Bill? Justin:              You know that Alex did the voice of Mer-Man? Alex:                 Yeah. Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. Justin:              In the original He-Man cartoon. Alex:                 There you go. I did actually all the voices. Anyway, we’re going to be talking about this episode. If you haven’t watched it, go and watch it, because we’re going to jump right into spoilers and Easter eggs and, as usual on this podcast, go way all over the place jumping with stuff, but so many things happened in this episode, as we were saying, as opposed to the first episode, which was a lot of setup and diving into the psychology of where Sam and Bucky are now. Pete:                The way you’re saying it made it sound like it’s bad though. It was still very enjoyable. Alex:                 Yeah. I’m having fun watching this show. I still do feel like, after two episodes, I don’t quite know what the show is yet. Pete:                Who cares? Justin:              Yeah. Alex:                 But this at least was pretty episodic. There was a lot of information here. If you’re a MCU fan or a comic book fan, you got a lot of stuff there, but to give the broad overview of the plot, Sam and Bucky get together pretty much in the opening minutes, which did not happen in the first episode. They go on a mission to stop the Flag-Smashers. They fail horribly, even though they team up with a new- Pete:                Well, I mean, it was close. Alex:                 … new Captain American, John Walker- Pete:                Fake Cap. Alex:                 … and his buddy- Pete:                Don’t call him the new Cap. No don’t say that. He’s not the new Captain America. He’s fake Cap. Justin:              He technically is. Pete:                No. That’s ridiculous. Alex:                 He’s the new Captain America. Pete:                Stop. Alex:                 I believe in the United States government, and I support our new Cap. Pete:                What? Justin:              Wow. Pete:                What? Wow. Justin:              This is a strong take from this podcast. Alex is fully committing to the John Walker Cap. Pete:                Yeah. Wow. You’re a sellout. Alex:                 He’s the Star-Spangled Man, man. Pete:                Boo. Alex:                 So the new Cap and his buddy- Pete:                Fake Cap. Stop saying that. Alex:                 I’m going to keep saying it, and Battlestar battle them, try to team up with them. It doesn’t quite work out, and by the end of the episode, things have turned quite a bit where they now may be working against each other, and Bucky has decided to go get help, find out what’s going on with the Flag-Smashers, find out what’s going on with these new super soldiers in town from the only source he knows, Zemo himself, the villain of Captain America: Civil War. Pete:                As soon as he … I was like “Zalben’s losing his mind right now.” Alex:                 I love Zemo. I love him. Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              You do love Zemo. Alex:                 I love Zemo. I love the new Cap. That’s it. Pete:                Stop. Alex:                 Just those two. Pete:                It’s the worst. Justin:              You’re going to be very disappointed where this show ends up, Alex. I have a feeling. Pete:                I hope so. Alex:                 We’ll see. We’ll see. Pete:                Oh, my god. Justin:              Season two, Zemo and the new Cap. Alex:                 So let’s start talking through this, because there are so many threads and bits of information thrown in here. Justin? Justin:              I know. Let’s start off with one of our favorite characters, the Zipper. Pete:                Oh, yeah. That- Justin:              The episode starts out … Could have just watched that journey. What a journey. Pete:                Oh, wow. Right? Justin:              What a journey that Zipper goes on. Pete:                What a shot. What was great about it … It was so good they couldn’t not put it in. I know this doesn’t make sense to have a shot of the Zipper, but it’s so beautiful and so well done and satisfying. Justin:              Never flew off the rails. Goes from beginning to end. Super clean. I guess- Alex:                 I got to be honest. When they started doing that, I thought we were back to the shield case from the beginning of the first episode. Pete:                Oh, wow. Justin:              You love that shield case. Alex:                 It’s a very pretty case. Pete:                It’s a nice case. Alex:                 But we weren’t, in fact. We’re getting this setup from John Walker. Now, Pete, I know what your opinion of John Walker is. You’ve very clearly expressed that. I’m curious, Justin, to get your take, because we get a lot of information about his back story about him in this episode. We follow- Pete:                His team around him- Alex:                 … almost more than Sam and Bucky’s are- Pete:                … was just just handling him. He’s just being handled by people in a circle. Alex:                 Well, he has, arguably, I would say, the best or most interesting character arc over the course of this episode. What was your take, Justin? Justin:              Yeah. I agree with you- Pete:                Fuck you. Justin:              … and I will say, just wait- Pete:                Isaiah had a better fucking than that. Fuck yourself. Alex:                 [crosstalk 00:05:20]. Justin:              I wouldn’t call that an arc, but yes. Definitely, we’ll get there, but I thought it was interesting. At the end of last episode, we see John Walker as Captain America, and we’re like “Boo. We don’t like this. This is bad. This is a problem,” because we’re right there with Sam, who’s like … You’re seeing his stress and just absolutely frustration for what’s happening, and in this episode, we get in Walker’s head. We’re meant to sympathize with him at the beginning of this episode. He’s not the villain. He is someone who’s like- Pete:                He’s a douche. Justin:              Maybe, but also, we don’t know too much about him, but this episode, I would argue, is designed to make us empathize with him a little bit and at least be like “Oh, he’s not the enemy. He’s another player in this game,”- Pete:                No. Justin:              … which was not something I expected. The fact that we’re in his head … He doesn’t have a secret identity. He’s fully public. He is great with a shield, no super strength, as we know so far. He’s just a guy who trained a lot and is a good soldier or whatever. Pete:                I’m not buying it. Justin:              No. Of course, and maybe it’s not going to end up being true, but what I think is unique about this episode is it put us there with him as opposed to being like “He’s a problem. We have to get him.” We see Sam and Bucky react that way later, but it’s a little confusing because we don’t know sort of which way it’s going to go, you know? Alex:                 Yeah. I’m definitely right there with you, and we get these great scenes in the beginning of him in the locker room. It’s such a easy visual slash plot thing to do, but his wife comes in. His wife says “I love you, and I support you.” His best friends come in. So we’re already in this place where, like you’re saying, we’re very off kilter. We want to hate this guy, but there are other people- Pete:                We all [crosstalk 00:07:03]. Alex:                 … who seem reasonable who like him. We find out that he has this incredible military record where he saved so many people- Pete:                It’s all made up. Alex:                 … and then there’s- Justin:              We don’t know that. Alex:                 … even this great moment when they’re in the car, and I love that scene when they’re in the car and they’re trying to get Bucky and Sam to get in the car, and Bucky just throws out at him “Did you ever jump on a grenade,” and he says “Well, actually, I jumped on three grenades.” You put the helmet on there. Very funny, but it also makes him very self-effacing, but I would say, at the same time, you get these notes of turn against him by the end of the episode. That’s why I think he has a really interesting arc, because you start in his head. You start wondering if you’re supposed to be sympathizing with him, but then he pulls out the gun with no hesitation on top of the truck, which, mind you- Pete:                That was crazy to see somebody with the shield rocking the gun like that. Alex:                 Well, here’s the thing though. Captain America has done that in the movies. Pete:                Oh, really? I didn’t know that. Thank you for pointing that out to me. I’m just saying it’s still weird. Justin:              Who’s that? Is that a new character? Is that a new character in the podcast? Pete:                It’s still weird to see it- Justin:              Clown Pete? Pete:                It’s still weird to see it happen, is my point, regardless of- Justin:              Agreed. Pete:                … seeing it in the comic a bunch- Alex:                 Yes. Pete:                … seeing it other times. Alex:                 I am agreeing with you. You’re very angry at me, Pete. Pete:                Yes. Justin:              I think- Alex:                 Just because John Walker is my favorite character and I identify with him- Pete:                Oh, my god. All right. So you got- Alex:                 … and it’s the first time I saw myself on screen, but go ahead. Justin:              Wow. Pete:                All right. Justin:              Congratulations. Alex:                 Look at me. I’m like John Walker right here. Pete:                Okay. Okay. Justin:              I really love the gun moment because it was something that was sort of … He just did it. It’s unmentioned. He shot the person, and then … Pete:                Like a punk. Justin:              Unless I forget, in the comics- Pete:                He shot someone. Justin:              In the comics, when Bucky takes over as Cap for a time, he has a gun, and Bucky, as we know in this show, is atoning for all the hundreds of people that he’s killed. Pete:                Yeah. What’s rule number two? So I think it’s one of those things where, though, as somebody who has a little bit of knowledge of this character, may or may not like this character, I was like “Don’t waste time on this fake Cap. I want to know about all the things going on with the characters that I do care,” and you guys, Justin especially, loves to get in characters heads. So I can see why that’s very exciting to you, and it is an interesting twist to put to see where this douche comes from, but this isn’t what we’re here for, guys. This isn’t Falcon and Winter Soldier and some douche sometimes. Okay? I want the action. I want the real story. I don’t want to waste time on this stuff, but- Alex:                 Yeah. See, what I want is I want Sam to get the shield, become Captain America, and the show is two minutes long and he has no problems ever. I think that would be great. Justin:              Hurry up. Who has time for this? Pete:                Oh, okay. Yeah. Cool. Cool. Justin:              But let me throw that out there. Pete:                Like a shield? Justin:              The fact that they’re willing to … Yes. It’s going to come right back to me. The fact that they’re willing to put us in Walker’s head for this episode and follow that … Then we should talk about this more later when we get there, but we meet Isaiah Bradley in this episode, and we’re not in his head. By his own, he’s like “I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to say anything.” Pete:                Yeah. You can’t even be in his house, let alone his head. Justin:              Exactly, and I think he’s also Captain America. Pete:                Yeah. The first. Justin:              So we have all these Captain Americas. We have all these Captain … Exactly. All these Captain Americas, and we don’t … We’re in varying degrees of their heads, and we don’t know where we stand, really, with any of them. That is a very exciting place. So I really appreciate that in this episode. Pete:                The only thing I appreciated about douche Cap was the marching band. That was a sick marching band. It was a fun song to play over the Marvel credits. I enjoyed that very much. Other than that, douche Cap, get out of here. Justin:              Next birthday, Pete, I’m going to get you your own marching band to sort of dance around you. You can high-five. They’ll play the Pete song. Oh, and while we’re talking about things Pete loves, let me just say, when you first saw that scene where John Walker’s walking into the locker room, did you immediately think Ted Lasso? Pete:                No. I didn’t. Justin:              Oh. Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              I thought for sure, because it looks like locker room from Ted Lasso. Pete:                Yeah. It does a little bit. A little bit. Justin:              I thought for sure you were going to be like “It’s Lasso. Lasso exists in this world. It’s a whole crossover. Lasso’s the Captain America we need.” Alex:                 Oh, man. He kind of is, I think. Just shave the stache, and he’s ready to go. Justin:              Save the stache. Alex:                 Save the stache. Justin:              Hashtag. Alex:                 So a couple little things that I’ll throw out there while we’re going through and talking about potential Easter eggs. So as Pete mentioned, they play a band version of the Star-Spangled Man With a Plan from Captain America: First Avenger when they’re introducing him. Pretty weird that they’re filming Good Morning America at night, I think. Not 100 percent sure how that happened. Pete:                Yeah, and still saying good morning? Alex:                 Yeah. Maybe it was early morning. Maybe it was like pre-dawn hours or something like that. Justin:              That’s a great point. Pete:                Sure. Sure. Justin:              That’s a great point. Alex:                 But Sara Haines, one of the hosts there from The View and also from Good Morning America, introducing him. So very exciting for the Haines heads like myself. Pete:                Oh, nice. Justin:              Exactly. Pete:                Congrats. Alex:                 Yes. Thank you very much. Justin:              GMA hive stand up. Alex:                 The fact that it is- Pete:                Give me Robin Roberts, and then I’ll care. Alex:                 Okay. Give me Meghan McCain. That’s what I wanted to see in this, Meghan McCain- Justin:              Wow. Pete:                Boo. Alex:                 … MCU continuity. Make it happen. The high school that he’s at is a reference to where John Walker grew up in the comics. It’s in Georgia. I’m forgetting the exact name of it. I should have written it down. I’m sorry. Pete:                Yeah. You should have. Alex:                 But I like this. I liked setting it up. We not joked about it, but said he was probably going to turn out to be the racist Cap, last episode, but I think they very squarely set it up there that you question that or you think he’s going to be that, he’s going to be … A lot of people online over the past week called him MAGA Cap, which very funny, a little- Justin:              Funny. Alex:                 Yeah. Pete:                [crosstalk 00:12:33]. Alex:                 A little funny joke there. Justin:              Topical. Pete:                Let’s pause for how funny that is. Alex:                 But he comes in, and he went to a mostly African American high school. His best friend is African American. His wife … Not sure exactly what her nationality was, but she’s clearly not Caucasian. So at least I went into the episode immediately questioning that, like we do a lot of other things. I don’t think it precludes him being racist or turning out to be racist in the long run at all, but- Justin:              I think you’re right. It doesn’t preclude it, but I give them credit for being like … They didn’t take this simple thing. Even if he does turn out to be racist or whatever, it is still this path that is creating more nuance, which is like the real world, and to give an MCU show or movie credit for diving deeper, I think, is great, and that’s what’s sort of the promise of this show is it’s not a movie. They’re able to get into these issues a little bit more, which is something I think we’ve all been wanting from the MCU. Alex:                 Well, and I think, to ignore Pete’s canoe miming going on right below me right now … What are you doing? I’m sorry- Justin:              I don’t know what that means. Alex:                 I’m sorry a show has nuance. I apologize, Pete. Pete:                Can we move past this douche canoe already? I don’t want to talk- Alex:                 Yeah. I want to talk about the Flag-Smashers, because I think it’s- Justin:              That’s what canoe is. Alex:                 … the same sort of thing with the Flag-Smashers that we get in this episode and was hinted at in the last episode. There’s a lot more nuance to them too, and we find out more about them and potentially even start to feel something and kind of understand their cause. Pete:                Whoa. Well- Justin:              Well, yes, a little bit, but also, again, we’re left to spend time with them when they’re not committing a crime. They’re trying to get by, and they’re like … You see- Pete:                That food did- Justin:              … Karli- Pete:                … did not look good. Justin:              Food did not look good, and they kept passing it around, so you know it wasn’t. Pete:                Liver. Justin:              You see Karli feeling sad that one of her soldiers, one of her fellow … I don’t know what you want to call them. Another Flag-Smasher sacrificed himself, and rather than being like “Oh, that guy died,” they linger on her. So we’re meant to be like “Oh, there’s something here too.” Whether it’s evil, probably, or it’s wrong headed at the least, we’re still meant to think about these things, and I think that is, again, smart and nuanced. I also think there’s a lot … They’re trying to get back to the Blip and feel like the world has been splitting resources amongst too many people, which was Thanos’ original idea of why he snapped his fingers and created the Blip, which I think is super interesting. They don’t know that, yet they’re adapting the same philosophy as this great, huge arch-villain of the entire universe. Alex:                 Yeah. They just got to get their hands on that Infinity Gauntlet, and then they’ll be G2G. Let’s talk about Isaiah Bradley, because I know that’s what you want to talk about, Pete. I am so surprised they did this in the second episode. Justin:              Me too. Alex:                 This is something that we speculated about, but this is a huge deal in the comics. To give you guys a little bit of the background, if you don’t know the comics, Isaiah Bradley is played by Carl Lumbly here, who has been on so many things. Pete:                Yeah. Love that guy. Alex:                 He’s great. The character was created by Robert Morales and Kyle Baker, who Pete wore a weird hat with and got high with once in 2003. Pete:                Come on. Alex:                 It was a great- Pete:                I got baked with Baker. I mean, you can’t pass that up. Alex:                 I loved that night. That was one of my favorite nights. Justin:              Yeah. One of my favorite nights. Alex:                 I did not get high with Kyle Baker, but passing by Pete doing it was one of my life’s rare joys. Justin:              This was at San Diego Comic Con. I think Alex and I were standing with each other drinking and talking to someone, and we look over, and Pete is posing for some large group picture wearing Kyle Baker’s hat on the other side of the lobby or whatever. I was like “Yo. Look at this.” Alex:                 Fun stuff. Pete:                Yeah. This was the night where you guy then had the fun with Mr. Lee, who is the king of San Diego. Alex:                 Now we’re just dropping names. So this is from Truth: Red, White & Black, which, again, was released in 2003, and the deal with it is we got the detail a little bit wrong. This is not the first Captain America. This is after Captain America in … At least in this point, it was World War II, though it sounds like they’ve retconned it to being the Korean War or something like that- Justin:              Korean War. Yep. In the ’50s. Alex:                 … here on the show. This is based on the Tuskegee experiments where, and this is a real-life thing, where … I believe it was syphilis treatment. Is that right? Justin:              Syphilis. Alex:                 Yeah. The United States government experimented on African American soldiers. Most of them died. It’s horrific, and- Pete:                Horrible. Justin:              It’s a horrifying story. Alex:                 … Truth was playing off that, where they were trying to reproduce the super soldier formula, experimented on 300 African American soldiers. Most of them died. Whoever didn’t die were horribly distorted or mangled, except for Isaiah Bradley, who got the same powers of Captain America. As soon as he put on the Captain America costume, he was arrested and court-martialed and thrown in prison for 17 years. So that’s what’s going on with him. We get a riff on that here, and I’m very curious. Carl Lumbly, great in the scene. They played this surprisingly suddenly. I feel like they held back a lot of the information, and I’m curious if they’re going to follow up on him and the character- Pete:                They have to. Alex:                 … at some other point in the series Pete:                You have to. You can just bring that up and walk away. Justin:              Definitely. I think it’s going to be, I would guess. Introducing him at this point in the series, I think it’s going to be a large portion of it, and I know we’re sort of moving maybe quickly to another topic. It reinforces our young Avengers theory that we were talking about, because- Alex:                 So that’s the other character who appears in the scene is Isaiah’s grandson, Eli Bradley, who in this show is played by Elijah Richardson. That came up much later. He was created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung in Young Avengers #1, which is 2005, and his deal, though I guess we’ll see how they do this on the show, is all of the Young Avengers, if you never read the comic book, seem to be one thing, but they’re actually another thing, like Iron Man is actually one of the worst Avenger villains ever, just not yet. In his case, Eli Bradley dresses up as a character named Patriot. He’s supposed to look like Bucky. He’s wearing basically the same costume, and he said he got a blood transfusion from his grandfather that gave him super soldier powers. He doesn’t actually have them. He has no powers. He’s just very athletic, and he’s faking it really, really well. Justin:              Well, he was also taking mutant growth hormone- Alex:                 That’s right. Yeah. Justin:              … at one point, and it was taxing his body and all that, but then eventually, I think, he did get a transfusion from Isaiah. They almost internally retconned it. So he did get super soldier powers in the comic. So I have a feeling they’re going to go more that route, if they do develop all these characters and form the Young Avengers. Alex:                 I’m really looking forward to the articles that are probably coming out later today about “Is this teeing up the X-Men?” because it always never is. Pete:                What’s nice is there was talk about how they’re going to lean into the race issue, how it’s going to be portrayed in this show, and it … First off, Isaiah character, amazing. So cool. The way that Falcon was treated versus Bucky said so much, and then that interaction with the kid, like “Hey. It’s black Falcon.” He’s like “Are you black kid?” Just awesome, talking about it, dealing with it, showing it to us. It was really great. Justin:              But showing and not telling. Pete:                Exactly. Justin:              These characters are in space living their lives, and we encounter these issues just like in people’s lives you encounter these issues. You don’t go out and be like “I want to talk about race this morning.” No. It’s not how it works. Pete:                But also- Alex:                 I do want to call out about that, before we move on from it, the black Falcon convo also interestingly parallels the scene earlier in the episode where Sam says “Hey. You’re moving so stealthy. You’re moving like Black Panther. They should call you White Panther,”- Pete:                White Panther. Alex:                 … and he makes a joke saying “Actually, they call me White Wolf,” which confuses Sam. He was called White Wolf very briefly in the movies around his time in Wakanda. It’s very funny, but it is the sort of thing where those two jokes work hand in hand to point out where it’s kind of not okay to call Bucky White Panther in the same way it’s definitely not okay to call Falcon black Falcon. Justin:              I also like in the moment, the White Panther moment, it speaks to Bucky’s experience. He takes his time in Wakanda very seriously. It felt like a very transformative time for him, and so the fact that Same makes light of it, he’s like “You don’t understand my lived experience,” and I think that’s sort of an ongoing thing we’re going to encounter across race and every other political line we’ll see in this show. Pete:                Also, what’s nice is that whole point of “You people meant something more.” He looked at Bucky, was like “You people?” But then later Bucky reveals he meant Hydra, which is also like … When it happened, you’re like “Oh, wow,” and then it kind of got explained later. So again, just dealing with things in a smart way that doesn’t feel insulting to anybody’s intelligence, but being like “Hey. These are truths that people deal with, and these characters, especially.” So I tip my hat to it. Alex:                 Yeah. You were going to say something, Justin? Justin:              Yeah. Just one thing across the board. I think it’s- Alex:                 [crosstalk 00:21:44]. Justin:              Yeah. Gasp. Group gasp. I think this show, the way that Falcon and Winter Soldier are both sort of little brothers, they have big little brother energy beneath Cap, feels like that’s what’s happening for also new Cap, and then you put Battlestar in there, which I think is an interesting addition, because he’s new Cap’s sort of Bucky, but how does that relate to Bucky and everyone else? Alex:                 It’s like four Buckys. That’s what it is. Justin:              Yeah, and I think it’s so funny because that sort of infuses every scene with this energy of “I’m trying really hard. I’m trying really hard to do this,” and I think that’s really funny and very much like “Everything you can do, I can do better,” as opposed to … What we usually get is someone’s the mentor and someone’s the mentee. Someone’s the hero, someone’s the sidekick. Someone’s the Cap, someone’s the Bucky. Instead, we have like nine Buckys all being like “I’m the man,” or “I’m the hero.” It’s really funny. Alex:                 I do like the sense here … This is something that we also speculated about a little bit, and I don’t think it necessarily plays out this way, but there are hints it could go in this direction, where Bucky does ultimately have this confession to Sam of “If you don’t accept the shield, what does that say about me, and does Cap not believe in me as well? Am I the murderer that I’m afraid I am?” But I also think there’s a sense of him kind of eyeing that shield as well and kind of eyeing that and- Pete:                Oh, interesting. Alex:                 … being like “If you’re not going to take it, I’m going to go in there and I’m going to take it, because this guy doesn’t deserve it.” Justin:              Yeah. Yeah. Pete:                Yeah. I mean, now that you say that, yes, but I really enjoy the back and forth between Bucky and Falcon and especially when they first see each other. You know what I mean? It’s not this “Oh, man. Two people running at each other from either side of a field and feeling great to see each other.” It’s this like “I’m taking care of business. What’s up? Great to see you. What’s going on?” I really love that kind of whole interaction and the back and forth, and the whole staring bit was hysterical. It really played well in this episode. Both characters and both actors are killing it, and every time they’re together, it’s really great on screen, and the whole fake therapy … Or not fake, but forced therapy thing was just hysterical. Alex:                 Well, just to be clear, you think all therapy is fake, right? Pete:                That is not- Alex:                 You have that- Pete:                No. Alex:                 You have that YouTube vlog where you talk about it for hours. Pete:                Nope. Justin:              But Pete, you’ve been arrested for missing therapy before, just like Bucky, right? Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. That’s neither here nor there. I mean, who hasn’t been arrested for missing therapy? You know what I mean? Alex:                 It’s a regular occurrence here in these United States of America, which is why I’m Flag-Smashers all the way. Justin:              Alex, wildly aligning himself with some potentially villainous folks. Alex:                 We’ll see what happens. Now, there was an interesting twist here that we should talk about with the Flag-Smashers while we’re touching on them that they seem to have gotten their powers from the Power Broker, or the Power Brokers, depending on how you look at it. Potentially, they stole some Super Soldier Serum or something like that. They get chased down at the end of the episode. In the comics, the Power Broker has had different names. It’s been different characters, but that’s the person who gave powers to John Walker, to Battlestar, I believe to Flag-Smasher as well. So that’s a very natural tie-in there, but two theories to throw out at you guys, and I’m curious to hear what you think. One, the Power Brokers are not actually the Power Broker. It’s the US government, and that’s how the Flag-Smashers are referring to them. The other way, and this still could be the US government, but I think then it’s Hydra, like we get teased at the end of the episode, where the Russian government were basically mining the super soldier formula from Bucky and then selling it on the black market. Justin:              Interesting. I’m curious what Zemo is going to do here, because I would find it strange to make him some supervillain. He feels like another player on the board, and everyone’s just going to sort of mix it up. To throw him in here in the third episode and be like “There’s our villain. He’s organization all of this,” feels odd to me. So I sort of feel like your first theory makes a little bit more sense to me, where it’s the government. Alex:                 I kind of think now Zemo’s going to team up with them. I think he’s- Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              Me too. Alex:                 Yeah, which- Justin:              He’s pissed because he feels like Hydra used to be this organization … Now all the governments have taken Hydra’s work and are doing the evil things, and he’s like “I do evil things. How come they are?” Alex:                 So I’ll throw out there this is a wild out-there theory that I don’t think is true at all and is just working off of one tiny little Easter egg, but at the end of the episode, we do get them saying “Hey. We’re going to sit down and talk to Zemo and find out what he knows about Hydra and the Super Soldier Serum and all this stuff,” and we cut to his cell, and we see Zemo’s cell is number 2187, which is the same number as Princes Leia’s cell in Star Wars. Pete:                Wow. Alex:                 First of all- Justin:              Get out of here. Alex:                 Hold on. That’s purposeful, obviously. There’s Star Wars Easter eggs throughout the MCU. Kevin Feige is a huge Star Wars fan. He’s even working on his own Star Wars movie at this point. So I think that’s on purpose. That’s a cute little thing. Also, Finn, FN-2187 is another reference to that. So it is the Star Wars thing, but I’ll throw it out there. Pete:                Or it’s two people. Bucky and Captain want to run a 187 on that guy. Alex:                 What if Bucky’s plan is not to sit down with him. What if Bucky’s plan is to break him out of prison and that’s what they’re teasing up with that tiny little Easter egg? Which, to take it even one step further, I don’t think this is purposeful, but back on the Mandalorian, everybody was speculating and wanted Sebastian Stan to be playing Luke Skywalker. So if you actually had Sebastian Stan as Bucky basically being the Luke Skywalker breaking Zemo out of Leia’s cell number, that’s pretty funny. That’s it. Justin:              Oh, nice, and they’re going to kiss- Pete:                Close second. Justin:              … and later reveal that they’re twins? Pete:                Yep. Alex:                 Yeah. Zemo says “You’re awfully short for a stormtrooper.” Pete:                Oh, god. What is that voice? Justin:              All building toward Alex’s Werner Herzog impression. That’s a pretty wild theory. I would check your evidence. It feels like you picked up a crumb and were like “Here’s my birthday cake.” Pete:                All right. So anyways, let’s move on- Justin:              Put a candle in it. Pete:                … to the fun stuff. The use of The Big Three here, hilarious. Hilarious how that was a fun bit throughout the whole show. Alex:                 Is that accurate though? Is that accurate to The Big Three? He says … What is it? Androids, aliens, and wizards? Pete:                Yep. Yeah. Alex:                 I mean, I guess Loki’s a wizard, technically. He could probably lump that in, and then you got- Justin:              But what … Alex:                 Go ahead. Justin:              What I like about this is it is funny and it’s sort of a nice ongoing thing. A sorcerer is a wizard without a had. Very fun. Alex:                 Fun line. Justin:              Doctor Strange, clearly, reference there. It also thematically points to the reductive nature of so much superhero content where it’s like “Yeah. You’re either a hero or a villain,” and this show is sort of saying that’s not what this is. Everyone is a different gradation of gray, from our heroes, Falcon, who’s all hero, inheritor of Captain America but doesn’t feel like he’s earned it, to Bucky, who’s like “I was a villain for way more years than I ever was a hero. What am I?” Everyone’s trying to find out what they are, and on the other side of it, they’re like “Aliens, androids, wizards.” Alex:                 It’s funny. Pete:                Yeah, I mean, there’s even a moment when they’re like “We’re not assassins.” You know what I mean? But also, Big Three, shout out to This Is Us. Alex:                 Okay. Justin:              What are you … Oh, so Alex’s Easter eggs are deep Star Wars sci-fi cuts, and you’re referencing This Is Us? Pete:                Well, they have the Big Three in This Is Us. So whatever. Alex:                 They have aliens, androids, and wizards? Pete:                Yeah. Alex:                 Which one is Milo Ventimiglia? Pete:                He’s the dad. He helped create the Big Three. So he’s not- Alex:                 Chrissy Metz? Pete:                All right. Let’s just … Yes. She is. Yes. She is one of the Big Three. Justin:              Oh, Pete, you don’t like to open up the This Is Us bag. Pete:                I mean, what is this about? Alex:                 She’s a wizard, man. I think she’s a wizard. That’s all I’m saying. Pete:                She could be. Although, she could also be an android, because she really holds that family together, you know? Justin:              I feel like I need to reference some esoteric content that I’m like “This show is actually about this.” Pete:                Well, the part where- Justin:              William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Pete:                The part where- Alex:                 That’s the most esoteric thing I can think of. Pete:                The part where Bucky was like “Yeah. I read Hobbit in 1937 when it came out,” was pretty funny. Alex:                 So I want to point out this is my favorite super stupid nerd thing that happened on the internet today in regards to this is … You’re already watching a show about Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It’s pretty nerdy already. I think we can all agree, and then he makes this reference to reading Hobbit in 1937, and so many people pointed out “Actually, that was a limited-print run of 1,500 copies in Europe. How could Bucky have picked up a copy and read it? That seems unlikely, at best.” Pete:                What? Come on. Justin:              Hopefully, they’ll fix that continuity. Pete:                Of course he could have done it. He’s Bucky. Alex:                 Yeah. He’s Bucky. Justin:              I love that first-run Hobbit flex, because back in the first edition … I don’t know if you know this. They weren’t called Hobbits. They were still called shorties. They were called [crosstalk 00:30:59] the Shire. Pete:                I’m going to get you shorties? Yeah. Justin:              A hundred percent. Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              He had to go- Alex:                 Couple of other little Easter eggs … Actually, I think, only one to throw out, because I think we covered every … Oh, two to throw out, because we covered pretty much everything else. They- Justin:              Alex, surely there are some random numbers on a crate or something you can make reference to. Alex:                 Probably. Justin:              Don’t sell yourself short. Alex:                 I mean, we haven’t even talked about the end credits, which are chock full of Easter eggs, but they mention the GRC, the Global Repatriation Council, which is helping people post-Blip. I thought that was interesting, not an Easter egg, but just kind of a passing mention that seems like it’s part of this post-Blip world building that’s going on. So I think, whether they mention it in this series or others, we’ll probably see more of that going forward, and we talked very briefly about Battlestar, but I wanted to mention his origin stuff in the comics. We mentioned he got his powers from the Power Broker, but the character’s name, Lemar Hoskins … He’s played by Clé Bennett. He was originally called Bucky in the comics, working with John Walker, but that was changed because it has racial connotations. In fact, they even addressed it in the comic. He was created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary, and Mark Gruenwald wrote a comic where somebody was like “Hey. You should maybe not call yourself that,” and so he changed it to Battlestar, but he was first introduced in Captain America #323 in 1986. There you go. That’s all I got. Justin:              There it is. Alex:                 What else do you guys want to call out from the episode, if anything? Pete:                I definitely want to call out the conversation with Falcon and fake Cap where they had that fun line where it was like “It’s always the last line that gets you.” That was a real fun moment there. Yeah, because he wanted him to be the wing man, and then Freaky Magoo in the therapy scene. I hope that sticks around. That was fun, calling Bucky Freaky Magoo. Alex:                 Great. Pete:                Yeah. Let’s see. I’m trying to think here. Justin:              More Freaky Magoo- Pete:                Yeah. More Freaky Magoo references. Justin:              … says MarvelVision. Pete:                Yeah. I- Alex:                 How about you, Justin? Let’s go over to you while Pete is just heading down some sort of hole. Justin:              Yeah. He’s just digging out the bottom of the barrel notes. Pete:                The bits I liked. There’s usually a lot of nice bits. Justin:              I think we covered most of what I was thinking. I love the sort of very rare double buddy action movie stuff we got in here. I definitely didn’t see a team up coming so quickly, and just the fact that … I said that earlier. The big little brother energy we’re seeing on the show, and even in all the looks. Everyone looks like “We’re losing again.” Everyone’s always losing so far in this series. So I’m curious to see how that’s going to turn into some wins. Pete:                What’s interesting is in … I think it was early mid 2000s. This saying, one, as a all encompassing people, is now used by Flag-Smashers as this one world, one people thing, which sounds exclusive, which is interesting to kind of take something and flipping it like that. It’s supposed to be inclusive. Now it’s exclusive, which I thought was an interesting choice. Alex:                 Before we wrap up, what is on your Vision Board for the next episode? Justin, you want to go first? Justin:              Sure. I mean, the introduction of Zemo, I think, is going to play a huge factor here. We don’t know. He’s being set up like a villain, and I think I sort of like the idea that he is going to be un unlikely ally of Falcon and Winter Soldier, but what I’m looking forward to seeing is sort of the next step for new Cap, for John Walker. Is he going to take a step into darkness? Since he seems to be very much treated like he is a good hero soldier type in this episode, what are we going to see next? Is he going to sort of start to adopt … Is he an ends-justifies-the-means kind of guy, where he’s going to find out about these bad things that maybe the US government’s doing and still support the government and not fight for what’s right? Which is maybe where there’ll be a line between he and Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Alex:                 Pete, what about you? What’s on your Vision Board? Pete:                I didn’t get to talk about Isaiah enough. That whole thing of him being like “I didn’t know if he’d come back to kill me or show off his new arm,” was a pretty cool-ass thing, because he did come back to show off his new arm. I’m hoping for more Isaiah moments and getting to hear more about that story as well as kind of how Falcon’s going to kind of deal with this new information. Alex:                 I’m looking forward to more from Flag-Smashers, specifically Erin Kellyman’s character, Karli Morgenthau, I think it is. Justin:              Yep. Pete:                Yeah. Alex:                 My absolute favorite moment of the episode is the moment in the back of the truck when Bucky comes in, says “Hey. I found the hostage,”- Pete:                Oh, yeah, and she smiles. Alex:                 … and she just turns and smiles- Justin:              Yeah. That was great. Alex:                 … and you just see him fly out of the truck. Amazing, but she got to play so many different levels throughout the episode. That was the character that really thrilled me. I want to know more about that. I know they’re the villains, but she seems to engaging and interesting in the right way. I’m excited to see how that plays in, like we’ve been talking about with Zemo, with all of these elements they threw on the table here. That should be really fascinating in the third episode. Pete:                Also, what’s great about her is having such range where she can look so small and fragile and then so badass. Really impressive to kind of see her fight. Those fight sequences are really badass, and they’re doing a great job with her. So I’m excited. Alex:                 All right. That is it. If you’d like to support our podcast, patreon.com/comicbookclub. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. Come hang out. We would love to chat with you about the Falcon and the Winter Soldier, both of them at the same time. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe and listen to the show. On iTunes in particular, leave us a comment, rate us. We love to see that. That is always awesome. MarvelVisionPod on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Comicbookclublive.com for this podcast and more. Until next time, stay marvelous. The post MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Episode 2 – “The Star-Spangled Man” appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Sam and Bucky finally team up as we break down all the big moments in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 2, “The Star-Spangled Man.” With John Walker officially named the new Captain America, our heroes head off in pursuit of The Flag Smashers, only to get their butts handed to them, even with a team-up with Walker and his own sidekick, Battlestar. Meanwhile, a side trip reveals how the legacy of the shield is more complicated than he originally thought.

Whether you’re wondering who is Isaiah Bradley in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, whether that was really Sara Haines, all about Cle Bennett who plays Lamar Hoskins a.k.a. Battlestar to the identity of The Power Broker, we break down all the Falcon and the Winter Soldier Easter eggs and Marvel Comics origins.

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Full Episode Transcript

Alex:                 Welcome to MarvelVision, a podcast about Marvel the MCU and Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I’m Alex.

Justin:              I’m Justin.

Pete:                I’m Pete.

Alex:                 We’re going to be talking about the second episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Star-Spangled Man. This is a big one.

Pete:                Fake Cap.

Alex:                 Lots of stuff goes down in this episode.

Justin:              Huge episode.

Alex:                 So many things happen. More bank loans. More dates for Bucky. That’s pretty much it.

Pete:                What?

Alex:                 No. I was-

Justin:              I mean, yeah. The show pivoted. I think some criticism of the show is like “What is this? This is like the first act of a movie, not even. It’s like the first 20 minutes where you don’t know much about anything,” and I think this episode took that criticism and just crushed it.

Pete:                Shoved it up their ass.

Alex:                 It’s great that they pivoted so quickly, because as we know, these shows are broadcast live. So they probably took the criticism from the first episode, thought about it over the week.

Justin:              Re-shot the whole thing.

Alex:                 Friday night when they were putting the sketches together, they were like “Okay. We got to do this stuff.” Lorne came out and was like “This is what Bucky should do this week,” and then here we go.

Pete:                Wait. What was that? What are you doing?

Alex:                 That was a very bad Lorne Michaels impression.

Pete:                Well, that was awful. I don’t know what-

Alex:                 It was terrible.

Pete:                Just don’t-

Justin:              I think they said-

Pete:                Maybe don’t-

Justin:              … “Live from Atlanta, this is Falcon and Winter Soldier.”

Pete:                You sounded like Mer-Man from He-Man. It was like you were like …

Alex:                 Is that what he sounds like? “[inaudible 00:01:29] the ocean.”

Justin:              Pete, you know that-

Alex:                 He sounds like Buffalo Bill?

Justin:              You know that Alex did the voice of Mer-Man?

Alex:                 Yeah.

Pete:                Yeah. Yeah.

Justin:              In the original He-Man cartoon.

Alex:                 There you go. I did actually all the voices. Anyway, we’re going to be talking about this episode. If you haven’t watched it, go and watch it, because we’re going to jump right into spoilers and Easter eggs and, as usual on this podcast, go way all over the place jumping with stuff, but so many things happened in this episode, as we were saying, as opposed to the first episode, which was a lot of setup and diving into the psychology of where Sam and Bucky are now.

Pete:                The way you’re saying it made it sound like it’s bad though. It was still very enjoyable.

Alex:                 Yeah. I’m having fun watching this show. I still do feel like, after two episodes, I don’t quite know what the show is yet.

Pete:                Who cares?

Justin:              Yeah.

Alex:                 But this at least was pretty episodic. There was a lot of information here. If you’re a MCU fan or a comic book fan, you got a lot of stuff there, but to give the broad overview of the plot, Sam and Bucky get together pretty much in the opening minutes, which did not happen in the first episode. They go on a mission to stop the Flag-Smashers. They fail horribly, even though they team up with a new-

Pete:                Well, I mean, it was close.

Alex:                 … new Captain American, John Walker-

Pete:                Fake Cap.

Alex:                 … and his buddy-

Pete:                Don’t call him the new Cap. No don’t say that. He’s not the new Captain America. He’s fake Cap.

Justin:              He technically is.

Pete:                No. That’s ridiculous.

Alex:                 He’s the new Captain America.

Pete:                Stop.

Alex:                 I believe in the United States government, and I support our new Cap.

Pete:                What?

Justin:              Wow.

Pete:                What? Wow.

Justin:              This is a strong take from this podcast. Alex is fully committing to the John Walker Cap.

Pete:                Yeah. Wow. You’re a sellout.

Alex:                 He’s the Star-Spangled Man, man.

Pete:                Boo.

Alex:                 So the new Cap and his buddy-

Pete:                Fake Cap. Stop saying that.

Alex:                 I’m going to keep saying it, and Battlestar battle them, try to team up with them. It doesn’t quite work out, and by the end of the episode, things have turned quite a bit where they now may be working against each other, and Bucky has decided to go get help, find out what’s going on with the Flag-Smashers, find out what’s going on with these new super soldiers in town from the only source he knows, Zemo himself, the villain of Captain America: Civil War.

Pete:                As soon as he … I was like “Zalben’s losing his mind right now.”

Alex:                 I love Zemo. I love him.

Pete:                Yeah.

Justin:              You do love Zemo.

Alex:                 I love Zemo. I love the new Cap. That’s it.

Pete:                Stop.

Alex:                 Just those two.

Pete:                It’s the worst.

Justin:              You’re going to be very disappointed where this show ends up, Alex. I have a feeling.

Pete:                I hope so.

Alex:                 We’ll see. We’ll see.

Pete:                Oh, my god.

Justin:              Season two, Zemo and the new Cap.

Alex:                 So let’s start talking through this, because there are so many threads and bits of information thrown in here. Justin?

Justin:              I know. Let’s start off with one of our favorite characters, the Zipper.

Pete:                Oh, yeah. That-

Justin:              The episode starts out … Could have just watched that journey. What a journey.

Pete:                Oh, wow. Right?

Justin:              What a journey that Zipper goes on.

Pete:                What a shot. What was great about it … It was so good they couldn’t not put it in. I know this doesn’t make sense to have a shot of the Zipper, but it’s so beautiful and so well done and satisfying.

Justin:              Never flew off the rails. Goes from beginning to end. Super clean. I guess-

Alex:                 I got to be honest. When they started doing that, I thought we were back to the shield case from the beginning of the first episode.

Pete:                Oh, wow.

Justin:              You love that shield case.

Alex:                 It’s a very pretty case.

Pete:                It’s a nice case.

Alex:                 But we weren’t, in fact. We’re getting this setup from John Walker. Now, Pete, I know what your opinion of John Walker is. You’ve very clearly expressed that. I’m curious, Justin, to get your take, because we get a lot of information about his back story about him in this episode. We follow-

Pete:                His team around him-

Alex:                 … almost more than Sam and Bucky’s are-

Pete:                … was just just handling him. He’s just being handled by people in a circle.

Alex:                 Well, he has, arguably, I would say, the best or most interesting character arc over the course of this episode. What was your take, Justin?

Justin:              Yeah. I agree with you-

Pete:                Fuck you.

Justin:              … and I will say, just wait-

Pete:                Isaiah had a better fucking than that. Fuck yourself.

Alex:                 [crosstalk 00:05:20].

Justin:              I wouldn’t call that an arc, but yes. Definitely, we’ll get there, but I thought it was interesting. At the end of last episode, we see John Walker as Captain America, and we’re like “Boo. We don’t like this. This is bad. This is a problem,” because we’re right there with Sam, who’s like … You’re seeing his stress and just absolutely frustration for what’s happening, and in this episode, we get in Walker’s head. We’re meant to sympathize with him at the beginning of this episode. He’s not the villain. He is someone who’s like-

Pete:                He’s a douche.

Justin:              Maybe, but also, we don’t know too much about him, but this episode, I would argue, is designed to make us empathize with him a little bit and at least be like “Oh, he’s not the enemy. He’s another player in this game,”-

Pete:                No.

Justin:              … which was not something I expected. The fact that we’re in his head … He doesn’t have a secret identity. He’s fully public. He is great with a shield, no super strength, as we know so far. He’s just a guy who trained a lot and is a good soldier or whatever.

Pete:                I’m not buying it.

Justin:              No. Of course, and maybe it’s not going to end up being true, but what I think is unique about this episode is it put us there with him as opposed to being like “He’s a problem. We have to get him.” We see Sam and Bucky react that way later, but it’s a little confusing because we don’t know sort of which way it’s going to go, you know?

Alex:                 Yeah. I’m definitely right there with you, and we get these great scenes in the beginning of him in the locker room. It’s such a easy visual slash plot thing to do, but his wife comes in. His wife says “I love you, and I support you.” His best friends come in. So we’re already in this place where, like you’re saying, we’re very off kilter. We want to hate this guy, but there are other people-

Pete:                We all [crosstalk 00:07:03].

Alex:                 … who seem reasonable who like him. We find out that he has this incredible military record where he saved so many people-

Pete:                It’s all made up.

Alex:                 … and then there’s-

Justin:              We don’t know that.

Alex:                 … even this great moment when they’re in the car, and I love that scene when they’re in the car and they’re trying to get Bucky and Sam to get in the car, and Bucky just throws out at him “Did you ever jump on a grenade,” and he says “Well, actually, I jumped on three grenades.” You put the helmet on there. Very funny, but it also makes him very self-effacing, but I would say, at the same time, you get these notes of turn against him by the end of the episode. That’s why I think he has a really interesting arc, because you start in his head. You start wondering if you’re supposed to be sympathizing with him, but then he pulls out the gun with no hesitation on top of the truck, which, mind you-

Pete:                That was crazy to see somebody with the shield rocking the gun like that.

Alex:                 Well, here’s the thing though. Captain America has done that in the movies.

Pete:                Oh, really? I didn’t know that. Thank you for pointing that out to me. I’m just saying it’s still weird.

Justin:              Who’s that? Is that a new character? Is that a new character in the podcast?

Pete:                It’s still weird to see it-

Justin:              Clown Pete?

Pete:                It’s still weird to see it happen, is my point, regardless of-

Justin:              Agreed.

Pete:                … seeing it in the comic a bunch-

Alex:                 Yes.

Pete:                … seeing it other times.

Alex:                 I am agreeing with you. You’re very angry at me, Pete.

Pete:                Yes.

Justin:              I think-

Alex:                 Just because John Walker is my favorite character and I identify with him-

Pete:                Oh, my god. All right. So you got-

Alex:                 … and it’s the first time I saw myself on screen, but go ahead.

Justin:              Wow.

Pete:                All right.

Justin:              Congratulations.

Alex:                 Look at me. I’m like John Walker right here.

Pete:                Okay. Okay.

Justin:              I really love the gun moment because it was something that was sort of … He just did it. It’s unmentioned. He shot the person, and then …

Pete:                Like a punk.

Justin:              Unless I forget, in the comics-

Pete:                He shot someone.

Justin:              In the comics, when Bucky takes over as Cap for a time, he has a gun, and Bucky, as we know in this show, is atoning for all the hundreds of people that he’s killed.

Pete:                Yeah. What’s rule number two? So I think it’s one of those things where, though, as somebody who has a little bit of knowledge of this character, may or may not like this character, I was like “Don’t waste time on this fake Cap. I want to know about all the things going on with the characters that I do care,” and you guys, Justin especially, loves to get in characters heads. So I can see why that’s very exciting to you, and it is an interesting twist to put to see where this douche comes from, but this isn’t what we’re here for, guys. This isn’t Falcon and Winter Soldier and some douche sometimes. Okay? I want the action. I want the real story. I don’t want to waste time on this stuff, but-

Alex:                 Yeah. See, what I want is I want Sam to get the shield, become Captain America, and the show is two minutes long and he has no problems ever. I think that would be great.

Justin:              Hurry up. Who has time for this?

Pete:                Oh, okay. Yeah. Cool. Cool.

Justin:              But let me throw that out there.

Pete:                Like a shield?

Justin:              The fact that they’re willing to … Yes. It’s going to come right back to me. The fact that they’re willing to put us in Walker’s head for this episode and follow that … Then we should talk about this more later when we get there, but we meet Isaiah Bradley in this episode, and we’re not in his head. By his own, he’s like “I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to say anything.”

Pete:                Yeah. You can’t even be in his house, let alone his head.

Justin:              Exactly, and I think he’s also Captain America.

Pete:                Yeah. The first.

Justin:              So we have all these Captain Americas. We have all these Captain … Exactly. All these Captain Americas, and we don’t … We’re in varying degrees of their heads, and we don’t know where we stand, really, with any of them. That is a very exciting place. So I really appreciate that in this episode.

Pete:                The only thing I appreciated about douche Cap was the marching band. That was a sick marching band. It was a fun song to play over the Marvel credits. I enjoyed that very much. Other than that, douche Cap, get out of here.

Justin:              Next birthday, Pete, I’m going to get you your own marching band to sort of dance around you. You can high-five. They’ll play the Pete song. Oh, and while we’re talking about things Pete loves, let me just say, when you first saw that scene where John Walker’s walking into the locker room, did you immediately think Ted Lasso?

Pete:                No. I didn’t.

Justin:              Oh.

Pete:                Yeah.

Justin:              I thought for sure, because it looks like locker room from Ted Lasso.

Pete:                Yeah. It does a little bit. A little bit.

Justin:              I thought for sure you were going to be like “It’s Lasso. Lasso exists in this world. It’s a whole crossover. Lasso’s the Captain America we need.”

Alex:                 Oh, man. He kind of is, I think. Just shave the stache, and he’s ready to go.

Justin:              Save the stache.

Alex:                 Save the stache.

Justin:              Hashtag.

Alex:                 So a couple little things that I’ll throw out there while we’re going through and talking about potential Easter eggs. So as Pete mentioned, they play a band version of the Star-Spangled Man With a Plan from Captain America: First Avenger when they’re introducing him. Pretty weird that they’re filming Good Morning America at night, I think. Not 100 percent sure how that happened.

Pete:                Yeah, and still saying good morning?

Alex:                 Yeah. Maybe it was early morning. Maybe it was like pre-dawn hours or something like that.

Justin:              That’s a great point.

Pete:                Sure. Sure.

Justin:              That’s a great point.

Alex:                 But Sara Haines, one of the hosts there from The View and also from Good Morning America, introducing him. So very exciting for the Haines heads like myself.

Pete:                Oh, nice.

Justin:              Exactly.

Pete:                Congrats.

Alex:                 Yes. Thank you very much.

Justin:              GMA hive stand up.

Alex:                 The fact that it is-

Pete:                Give me Robin Roberts, and then I’ll care.

Alex:                 Okay. Give me Meghan McCain. That’s what I wanted to see in this, Meghan McCain-

Justin:              Wow.

Pete:                Boo.

Alex:                 … MCU continuity. Make it happen. The high school that he’s at is a reference to where John Walker grew up in the comics. It’s in Georgia. I’m forgetting the exact name of it. I should have written it down. I’m sorry.

Pete:                Yeah. You should have.

Alex:                 But I like this. I liked setting it up. We not joked about it, but said he was probably going to turn out to be the racist Cap, last episode, but I think they very squarely set it up there that you question that or you think he’s going to be that, he’s going to be … A lot of people online over the past week called him MAGA Cap, which very funny, a little-

Justin:              Funny.

Alex:                 Yeah.

Pete:                [crosstalk 00:12:33].

Alex:                 A little funny joke there.

Justin:              Topical.

Pete:                Let’s pause for how funny that is.

Alex:                 But he comes in, and he went to a mostly African American high school. His best friend is African American. His wife … Not sure exactly what her nationality was, but she’s clearly not Caucasian. So at least I went into the episode immediately questioning that, like we do a lot of other things. I don’t think it precludes him being racist or turning out to be racist in the long run at all, but-

Justin:              I think you’re right. It doesn’t preclude it, but I give them credit for being like … They didn’t take this simple thing. Even if he does turn out to be racist or whatever, it is still this path that is creating more nuance, which is like the real world, and to give an MCU show or movie credit for diving deeper, I think, is great, and that’s what’s sort of the promise of this show is it’s not a movie. They’re able to get into these issues a little bit more, which is something I think we’ve all been wanting from the MCU.

Alex:                 Well, and I think, to ignore Pete’s canoe miming going on right below me right now … What are you doing? I’m sorry-

Justin:              I don’t know what that means.

Alex:                 I’m sorry a show has nuance. I apologize, Pete.

Pete:                Can we move past this douche canoe already? I don’t want to talk-

Alex:                 Yeah. I want to talk about the Flag-Smashers, because I think it’s-

Justin:              That’s what canoe is.

Alex:                 … the same sort of thing with the Flag-Smashers that we get in this episode and was hinted at in the last episode. There’s a lot more nuance to them too, and we find out more about them and potentially even start to feel something and kind of understand their cause.

Pete:                Whoa. Well-

Justin:              Well, yes, a little bit, but also, again, we’re left to spend time with them when they’re not committing a crime. They’re trying to get by, and they’re like … You see-

Pete:                That food did-

Justin:              … Karli-

Pete:                … did not look good.

Justin:              Food did not look good, and they kept passing it around, so you know it wasn’t.

Pete:                Liver.

Justin:              You see Karli feeling sad that one of her soldiers, one of her fellow … I don’t know what you want to call them. Another Flag-Smasher sacrificed himself, and rather than being like “Oh, that guy died,” they linger on her. So we’re meant to be like “Oh, there’s something here too.” Whether it’s evil, probably, or it’s wrong headed at the least, we’re still meant to think about these things, and I think that is, again, smart and nuanced. I also think there’s a lot … They’re trying to get back to the Blip and feel like the world has been splitting resources amongst too many people, which was Thanos’ original idea of why he snapped his fingers and created the Blip, which I think is super interesting. They don’t know that, yet they’re adapting the same philosophy as this great, huge arch-villain of the entire universe.

Alex:                 Yeah. They just got to get their hands on that Infinity Gauntlet, and then they’ll be G2G. Let’s talk about Isaiah Bradley, because I know that’s what you want to talk about, Pete. I am so surprised they did this in the second episode.

Justin:              Me too.

Alex:                 This is something that we speculated about, but this is a huge deal in the comics. To give you guys a little bit of the background, if you don’t know the comics, Isaiah Bradley is played by Carl Lumbly here, who has been on so many things.

Pete:                Yeah. Love that guy.

Alex:                 He’s great. The character was created by Robert Morales and Kyle Baker, who Pete wore a weird hat with and got high with once in 2003.

Pete:                Come on.

Alex:                 It was a great-

Pete:                I got baked with Baker. I mean, you can’t pass that up.

Alex:                 I loved that night. That was one of my favorite nights.

Justin:              Yeah. One of my favorite nights.

Alex:                 I did not get high with Kyle Baker, but passing by Pete doing it was one of my life’s rare joys.

Justin:              This was at San Diego Comic Con. I think Alex and I were standing with each other drinking and talking to someone, and we look over, and Pete is posing for some large group picture wearing Kyle Baker’s hat on the other side of the lobby or whatever. I was like “Yo. Look at this.”

Alex:                 Fun stuff.

Pete:                Yeah. This was the night where you guy then had the fun with Mr. Lee, who is the king of San Diego.

Alex:                 Now we’re just dropping names. So this is from Truth: Red, White & Black, which, again, was released in 2003, and the deal with it is we got the detail a little bit wrong. This is not the first Captain America. This is after Captain America in … At least in this point, it was World War II, though it sounds like they’ve retconned it to being the Korean War or something like that-

Justin:              Korean War. Yep. In the ’50s.

Alex:                 … here on the show. This is based on the Tuskegee experiments where, and this is a real-life thing, where … I believe it was syphilis treatment. Is that right?

Justin:              Syphilis.

Alex:                 Yeah. The United States government experimented on African American soldiers. Most of them died. It’s horrific, and-

Pete:                Horrible.

Justin:              It’s a horrifying story.

Alex:                 … Truth was playing off that, where they were trying to reproduce the super soldier formula, experimented on 300 African American soldiers. Most of them died. Whoever didn’t die were horribly distorted or mangled, except for Isaiah Bradley, who got the same powers of Captain America. As soon as he put on the Captain America costume, he was arrested and court-martialed and thrown in prison for 17 years. So that’s what’s going on with him. We get a riff on that here, and I’m very curious. Carl Lumbly, great in the scene. They played this surprisingly suddenly. I feel like they held back a lot of the information, and I’m curious if they’re going to follow up on him and the character-

Pete:                They have to.

Alex:                 … at some other point in the series

Pete:                You have to. You can just bring that up and walk away.

Justin:              Definitely. I think it’s going to be, I would guess. Introducing him at this point in the series, I think it’s going to be a large portion of it, and I know we’re sort of moving maybe quickly to another topic. It reinforces our young Avengers theory that we were talking about, because-

Alex:                 So that’s the other character who appears in the scene is Isaiah’s grandson, Eli Bradley, who in this show is played by Elijah Richardson. That came up much later. He was created by Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung in Young Avengers #1, which is 2005, and his deal, though I guess we’ll see how they do this on the show, is all of the Young Avengers, if you never read the comic book, seem to be one thing, but they’re actually another thing, like Iron Man is actually one of the worst Avenger villains ever, just not yet. In his case, Eli Bradley dresses up as a character named Patriot. He’s supposed to look like Bucky. He’s wearing basically the same costume, and he said he got a blood transfusion from his grandfather that gave him super soldier powers. He doesn’t actually have them. He has no powers. He’s just very athletic, and he’s faking it really, really well.

Justin:              Well, he was also taking mutant growth hormone-

Alex:                 That’s right. Yeah.

Justin:              … at one point, and it was taxing his body and all that, but then eventually, I think, he did get a transfusion from Isaiah. They almost internally retconned it. So he did get super soldier powers in the comic. So I have a feeling they’re going to go more that route, if they do develop all these characters and form the Young Avengers.

Alex:                 I’m really looking forward to the articles that are probably coming out later today about “Is this teeing up the X-Men?” because it always never is.

Pete:                What’s nice is there was talk about how they’re going to lean into the race issue, how it’s going to be portrayed in this show, and it … First off, Isaiah character, amazing. So cool. The way that Falcon was treated versus Bucky said so much, and then that interaction with the kid, like “Hey. It’s black Falcon.” He’s like “Are you black kid?” Just awesome, talking about it, dealing with it, showing it to us. It was really great.

Justin:              But showing and not telling.

Pete:                Exactly.

Justin:              These characters are in space living their lives, and we encounter these issues just like in people’s lives you encounter these issues. You don’t go out and be like “I want to talk about race this morning.” No. It’s not how it works.

Pete:                But also-

Alex:                 I do want to call out about that, before we move on from it, the black Falcon convo also interestingly parallels the scene earlier in the episode where Sam says “Hey. You’re moving so stealthy. You’re moving like Black Panther. They should call you White Panther,”-

Pete:                White Panther.

Alex:                 … and he makes a joke saying “Actually, they call me White Wolf,” which confuses Sam. He was called White Wolf very briefly in the movies around his time in Wakanda. It’s very funny, but it is the sort of thing where those two jokes work hand in hand to point out where it’s kind of not okay to call Bucky White Panther in the same way it’s definitely not okay to call Falcon black Falcon.

Justin:              I also like in the moment, the White Panther moment, it speaks to Bucky’s experience. He takes his time in Wakanda very seriously. It felt like a very transformative time for him, and so the fact that Same makes light of it, he’s like “You don’t understand my lived experience,” and I think that’s sort of an ongoing thing we’re going to encounter across race and every other political line we’ll see in this show.

Pete:                Also, what’s nice is that whole point of “You people meant something more.” He looked at Bucky, was like “You people?” But then later Bucky reveals he meant Hydra, which is also like … When it happened, you’re like “Oh, wow,” and then it kind of got explained later. So again, just dealing with things in a smart way that doesn’t feel insulting to anybody’s intelligence, but being like “Hey. These are truths that people deal with, and these characters, especially.” So I tip my hat to it.

Alex:                 Yeah. You were going to say something, Justin?

Justin:              Yeah. Just one thing across the board. I think it’s-

Alex:                 [crosstalk 00:21:44].

Justin:              Yeah. Gasp. Group gasp. I think this show, the way that Falcon and Winter Soldier are both sort of little brothers, they have big little brother energy beneath Cap, feels like that’s what’s happening for also new Cap, and then you put Battlestar in there, which I think is an interesting addition, because he’s new Cap’s sort of Bucky, but how does that relate to Bucky and everyone else?

Alex:                 It’s like four Buckys. That’s what it is.

Justin:              Yeah, and I think it’s so funny because that sort of infuses every scene with this energy of “I’m trying really hard. I’m trying really hard to do this,” and I think that’s really funny and very much like “Everything you can do, I can do better,” as opposed to … What we usually get is someone’s the mentor and someone’s the mentee. Someone’s the hero, someone’s the sidekick. Someone’s the Cap, someone’s the Bucky. Instead, we have like nine Buckys all being like “I’m the man,” or “I’m the hero.” It’s really funny.

Alex:                 I do like the sense here … This is something that we also speculated about a little bit, and I don’t think it necessarily plays out this way, but there are hints it could go in this direction, where Bucky does ultimately have this confession to Sam of “If you don’t accept the shield, what does that say about me, and does Cap not believe in me as well? Am I the murderer that I’m afraid I am?” But I also think there’s a sense of him kind of eyeing that shield as well and kind of eyeing that and-

Pete:                Oh, interesting.

Alex:                 … being like “If you’re not going to take it, I’m going to go in there and I’m going to take it, because this guy doesn’t deserve it.”

Justin:              Yeah. Yeah.

Pete:                Yeah. I mean, now that you say that, yes, but I really enjoy the back and forth between Bucky and Falcon and especially when they first see each other. You know what I mean? It’s not this “Oh, man. Two people running at each other from either side of a field and feeling great to see each other.” It’s this like “I’m taking care of business. What’s up? Great to see you. What’s going on?” I really love that kind of whole interaction and the back and forth, and the whole staring bit was hysterical. It really played well in this episode. Both characters and both actors are killing it, and every time they’re together, it’s really great on screen, and the whole fake therapy … Or not fake, but forced therapy thing was just hysterical.

Alex:                 Well, just to be clear, you think all therapy is fake, right?

Pete:                That is not-

Alex:                 You have that-

Pete:                No.

Alex:                 You have that YouTube vlog where you talk about it for hours.

Pete:                Nope.

Justin:              But Pete, you’ve been arrested for missing therapy before, just like Bucky, right?

Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. That’s neither here nor there. I mean, who hasn’t been arrested for missing therapy? You know what I mean?

Alex:                 It’s a regular occurrence here in these United States of America, which is why I’m Flag-Smashers all the way.

Justin:              Alex, wildly aligning himself with some potentially villainous folks.

Alex:                 We’ll see what happens. Now, there was an interesting twist here that we should talk about with the Flag-Smashers while we’re touching on them that they seem to have gotten their powers from the Power Broker, or the Power Brokers, depending on how you look at it. Potentially, they stole some Super Soldier Serum or something like that. They get chased down at the end of the episode. In the comics, the Power Broker has had different names. It’s been different characters, but that’s the person who gave powers to John Walker, to Battlestar, I believe to Flag-Smasher as well. So that’s a very natural tie-in there, but two theories to throw out at you guys, and I’m curious to hear what you think. One, the Power Brokers are not actually the Power Broker. It’s the US government, and that’s how the Flag-Smashers are referring to them. The other way, and this still could be the US government, but I think then it’s Hydra, like we get teased at the end of the episode, where the Russian government were basically mining the super soldier formula from Bucky and then selling it on the black market.

Justin:              Interesting. I’m curious what Zemo is going to do here, because I would find it strange to make him some supervillain. He feels like another player on the board, and everyone’s just going to sort of mix it up. To throw him in here in the third episode and be like “There’s our villain. He’s organization all of this,” feels odd to me. So I sort of feel like your first theory makes a little bit more sense to me, where it’s the government.

Alex:                 I kind of think now Zemo’s going to team up with them. I think he’s-

Pete:                Yeah.

Justin:              Me too.

Alex:                 Yeah, which-

Justin:              He’s pissed because he feels like Hydra used to be this organization … Now all the governments have taken Hydra’s work and are doing the evil things, and he’s like “I do evil things. How come they are?”

Alex:                 So I’ll throw out there this is a wild out-there theory that I don’t think is true at all and is just working off of one tiny little Easter egg, but at the end of the episode, we do get them saying “Hey. We’re going to sit down and talk to Zemo and find out what he knows about Hydra and the Super Soldier Serum and all this stuff,” and we cut to his cell, and we see Zemo’s cell is number 2187, which is the same number as Princes Leia’s cell in Star Wars.

Pete:                Wow.

Alex:                 First of all-

Justin:              Get out of here.

Alex:                 Hold on. That’s purposeful, obviously. There’s Star Wars Easter eggs throughout the MCU. Kevin Feige is a huge Star Wars fan. He’s even working on his own Star Wars movie at this point. So I think that’s on purpose. That’s a cute little thing. Also, Finn, FN-2187 is another reference to that. So it is the Star Wars thing, but I’ll throw it out there.

Pete:                Or it’s two people. Bucky and Captain want to run a 187 on that guy.

Alex:                 What if Bucky’s plan is not to sit down with him. What if Bucky’s plan is to break him out of prison and that’s what they’re teasing up with that tiny little Easter egg? Which, to take it even one step further, I don’t think this is purposeful, but back on the Mandalorian, everybody was speculating and wanted Sebastian Stan to be playing Luke Skywalker. So if you actually had Sebastian Stan as Bucky basically being the Luke Skywalker breaking Zemo out of Leia’s cell number, that’s pretty funny. That’s it.

Justin:              Oh, nice, and they’re going to kiss-

Pete:                Close second.

Justin:              … and later reveal that they’re twins?

Pete:                Yep.

Alex:                 Yeah. Zemo says “You’re awfully short for a stormtrooper.”

Pete:                Oh, god. What is that voice?

Justin:              All building toward Alex’s Werner Herzog impression. That’s a pretty wild theory. I would check your evidence. It feels like you picked up a crumb and were like “Here’s my birthday cake.”

Pete:                All right. So anyways, let’s move on-

Justin:              Put a candle in it.

Pete:                … to the fun stuff. The use of The Big Three here, hilarious. Hilarious how that was a fun bit throughout the whole show.

Alex:                 Is that accurate though? Is that accurate to The Big Three? He says … What is it? Androids, aliens, and wizards?

Pete:                Yep. Yeah.

Alex:                 I mean, I guess Loki’s a wizard, technically. He could probably lump that in, and then you got-

Justin:              But what …

Alex:                 Go ahead.

Justin:              What I like about this is it is funny and it’s sort of a nice ongoing thing. A sorcerer is a wizard without a had. Very fun.

Alex:                 Fun line.

Justin:              Doctor Strange, clearly, reference there. It also thematically points to the reductive nature of so much superhero content where it’s like “Yeah. You’re either a hero or a villain,” and this show is sort of saying that’s not what this is. Everyone is a different gradation of gray, from our heroes, Falcon, who’s all hero, inheritor of Captain America but doesn’t feel like he’s earned it, to Bucky, who’s like “I was a villain for way more years than I ever was a hero. What am I?” Everyone’s trying to find out what they are, and on the other side of it, they’re like “Aliens, androids, wizards.”

Alex:                 It’s funny.

Pete:                Yeah, I mean, there’s even a moment when they’re like “We’re not assassins.” You know what I mean? But also, Big Three, shout out to This Is Us.

Alex:                 Okay.

Justin:              What are you … Oh, so Alex’s Easter eggs are deep Star Wars sci-fi cuts, and you’re referencing This Is Us?

Pete:                Well, they have the Big Three in This Is Us. So whatever.

Alex:                 They have aliens, androids, and wizards?

Pete:                Yeah.

Alex:                 Which one is Milo Ventimiglia?

Pete:                He’s the dad. He helped create the Big Three. So he’s not-

Alex:                 Chrissy Metz?

Pete:                All right. Let’s just … Yes. She is. Yes. She is one of the Big Three.

Justin:              Oh, Pete, you don’t like to open up the This Is Us bag.

Pete:                I mean, what is this about?

Alex:                 She’s a wizard, man. I think she’s a wizard. That’s all I’m saying.

Pete:                She could be. Although, she could also be an android, because she really holds that family together, you know?

Justin:              I feel like I need to reference some esoteric content that I’m like “This show is actually about this.”

Pete:                Well, the part where-

Justin:              William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Pete:                The part where-

Alex:                 That’s the most esoteric thing I can think of.

Pete:                The part where Bucky was like “Yeah. I read Hobbit in 1937 when it came out,” was pretty funny.

Alex:                 So I want to point out this is my favorite super stupid nerd thing that happened on the internet today in regards to this is … You’re already watching a show about Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It’s pretty nerdy already. I think we can all agree, and then he makes this reference to reading Hobbit in 1937, and so many people pointed out “Actually, that was a limited-print run of 1,500 copies in Europe. How could Bucky have picked up a copy and read it? That seems unlikely, at best.”

Pete:                What? Come on.

Justin:              Hopefully, they’ll fix that continuity.

Pete:                Of course he could have done it. He’s Bucky.

Alex:                 Yeah. He’s Bucky.

Justin:              I love that first-run Hobbit flex, because back in the first edition … I don’t know if you know this. They weren’t called Hobbits. They were still called shorties. They were called [crosstalk 00:30:59] the Shire.

Pete:                I’m going to get you shorties? Yeah.

Justin:              A hundred percent.

Pete:                Yeah.

Justin:              He had to go-

Alex:                 Couple of other little Easter eggs … Actually, I think, only one to throw out, because I think we covered every … Oh, two to throw out, because we covered pretty much everything else. They-

Justin:              Alex, surely there are some random numbers on a crate or something you can make reference to.

Alex:                 Probably.

Justin:              Don’t sell yourself short.

Alex:                 I mean, we haven’t even talked about the end credits, which are chock full of Easter eggs, but they mention the GRC, the Global Repatriation Council, which is helping people post-Blip. I thought that was interesting, not an Easter egg, but just kind of a passing mention that seems like it’s part of this post-Blip world building that’s going on. So I think, whether they mention it in this series or others, we’ll probably see more of that going forward, and we talked very briefly about Battlestar, but I wanted to mention his origin stuff in the comics. We mentioned he got his powers from the Power Broker, but the character’s name, Lemar Hoskins … He’s played by Clé Bennett. He was originally called Bucky in the comics, working with John Walker, but that was changed because it has racial connotations. In fact, they even addressed it in the comic. He was created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary, and Mark Gruenwald wrote a comic where somebody was like “Hey. You should maybe not call yourself that,” and so he changed it to Battlestar, but he was first introduced in Captain America #323 in 1986. There you go. That’s all I got.

Justin:              There it is.

Alex:                 What else do you guys want to call out from the episode, if anything?

Pete:                I definitely want to call out the conversation with Falcon and fake Cap where they had that fun line where it was like “It’s always the last line that gets you.” That was a real fun moment there. Yeah, because he wanted him to be the wing man, and then Freaky Magoo in the therapy scene. I hope that sticks around. That was fun, calling Bucky Freaky Magoo.

Alex:                 Great.

Pete:                Yeah. Let’s see. I’m trying to think here.

Justin:              More Freaky Magoo-

Pete:                Yeah. More Freaky Magoo references.

Justin:              … says MarvelVision.

Pete:                Yeah. I-

Alex:                 How about you, Justin? Let’s go over to you while Pete is just heading down some sort of hole.

Justin:              Yeah. He’s just digging out the bottom of the barrel notes.

Pete:                The bits I liked. There’s usually a lot of nice bits.

Justin:              I think we covered most of what I was thinking. I love the sort of very rare double buddy action movie stuff we got in here. I definitely didn’t see a team up coming so quickly, and just the fact that … I said that earlier. The big little brother energy we’re seeing on the show, and even in all the looks. Everyone looks like “We’re losing again.” Everyone’s always losing so far in this series. So I’m curious to see how that’s going to turn into some wins.

Pete:                What’s interesting is in … I think it was early mid 2000s. This saying, one, as a all encompassing people, is now used by Flag-Smashers as this one world, one people thing, which sounds exclusive, which is interesting to kind of take something and flipping it like that. It’s supposed to be inclusive. Now it’s exclusive, which I thought was an interesting choice.

Alex:                 Before we wrap up, what is on your Vision Board for the next episode? Justin, you want to go first?

Justin:              Sure. I mean, the introduction of Zemo, I think, is going to play a huge factor here. We don’t know. He’s being set up like a villain, and I think I sort of like the idea that he is going to be un unlikely ally of Falcon and Winter Soldier, but what I’m looking forward to seeing is sort of the next step for new Cap, for John Walker. Is he going to take a step into darkness? Since he seems to be very much treated like he is a good hero soldier type in this episode, what are we going to see next? Is he going to sort of start to adopt … Is he an ends-justifies-the-means kind of guy, where he’s going to find out about these bad things that maybe the US government’s doing and still support the government and not fight for what’s right? Which is maybe where there’ll be a line between he and Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Alex:                 Pete, what about you? What’s on your Vision Board?

Pete:                I didn’t get to talk about Isaiah enough. That whole thing of him being like “I didn’t know if he’d come back to kill me or show off his new arm,” was a pretty cool-ass thing, because he did come back to show off his new arm. I’m hoping for more Isaiah moments and getting to hear more about that story as well as kind of how Falcon’s going to kind of deal with this new information.

Alex:                 I’m looking forward to more from Flag-Smashers, specifically Erin Kellyman’s character, Karli Morgenthau, I think it is.

Justin:              Yep.

Pete:                Yeah.

Alex:                 My absolute favorite moment of the episode is the moment in the back of the truck when Bucky comes in, says “Hey. I found the hostage,”-

Pete:                Oh, yeah, and she smiles.

Alex:                 … and she just turns and smiles-

Justin:              Yeah. That was great.

Alex:                 … and you just see him fly out of the truck. Amazing, but she got to play so many different levels throughout the episode. That was the character that really thrilled me. I want to know more about that. I know they’re the villains, but she seems to engaging and interesting in the right way. I’m excited to see how that plays in, like we’ve been talking about with Zemo, with all of these elements they threw on the table here. That should be really fascinating in the third episode.

Pete:                Also, what’s great about her is having such range where she can look so small and fragile and then so badass. Really impressive to kind of see her fight. Those fight sequences are really badass, and they’re doing a great job with her. So I’m excited.

Alex:                 All right. That is it. If you’d like to support our podcast, patreon.com/comicbookclub. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. Come hang out. We would love to chat with you about the Falcon and the Winter Soldier, both of them at the same time. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe and listen to the show. On iTunes in particular, leave us a comment, rate us. We love to see that. That is always awesome. MarvelVisionPod on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Comicbookclublive.com for this podcast and more. Until next time, stay marvelous.

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]]> Sam and Bucky finally team up as we break down all the big moments in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Episode 2, “The Star-Spangled Man.” With John Walker officially named the new Captain America, our heroes head off in pursuit of The Flag Smashers, full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15451 11024d16-a655-4603-a2e0-ad0901152795 Fri, 26 Mar 2021 19:58:34 +0000 2260 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/03/26/marvelvision-the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-episode-2/ Podvincible: “It’s About Time” Podvincible: “It’s About Time” On the first official episode of our Invincible podcast, we break down the premiere of Amazon Prime Video’s new animated series. Mark finally gets his powers, and training from his father Omni-Man. But a violent twist in the final moments might change everything. From how the show compares to the comic books by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, to Easter eggs and more, we discuss everything! Well, mostly everything. Either way, “It’s About Time.” SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. The post Podvincible: “It’s About Time” appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On the first official episode of our Invincible podcast, we break down the premiere of Amazon Prime Video’s new animated series. Mark finally gets his powers, and training from his father Omni-Man. But a violent twist in the final moments might change everything. From how the show compares to the comic books by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, to Easter eggs and more, we discuss everything! Well, mostly everything. Either way, “It’s About Time.”

SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

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Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

]]> On the first official episode of our Invincible podcast, we break down the premiere of Amazon Prime Video’s new animated series. Mark finally gets his powers, and training from his father Omni-Man. But a violent twist in the final moments might change ... full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15444 452b1a64-6880-49d7-8109-ad09011530c3 Fri, 26 Mar 2021 13:00:00 +0000 1777 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/03/26/podvincible-its-about-time/ The Stack: Alien, Harley Quinn And More The Stack: Alien, Harley Quinn And More On this week’s Stack podcast: Alien #1 Marvel Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson Art by Salvador Larroca Harley Quinn #1 DC Comics Written by Stephanie Phillips Art by Riley Rossmo Firefly: Brand New ‘Verse #1 BOOM! Studios Written by Josh Lee Gordon Art by Fabiana Mascolo Teen Titans Academy #1 DC Comics Written by Tim Sheridan Art by Rafa Sandoval Once & Future #17 BOOM! Studios Written by Kieron Gillen Art by Dan Mora Action Comics #1029 DC Comics Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad Art by Phil Hester, Michael Avon Oeming HAHA #3 Image Comics Written by W. Maxwell Prince Art and Cover by Roger Langridge Batman/Superman #16 DC Comics Written by Gene Luen Yang Art by Ivan Reis Crimson Flower #3 Dark Horse Comics Written by Matt Kindt Art by Matt Lesniewski Detective Comics #1034 DC Comics Written by Mariko Tamaki, Joshua Williamson Art by Dan Mora, Gleb Melnikov The Scumbag #6 Image Comics Written by Rick Remender Art by Bengal Barbalien: Red Planet #5 Dark Horse Comics Script by Tate Brombal Story by Jeff Lemire and Tate Brombal Art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta Stray Dogs #2 Image Comics Written by Tony Fleecs Art by Trish Forstner Post Americana #4 Image Comics Story and Art by Steve Skroce SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Full Episode Transcript Alex:                 What is up, y’all? Welcome to The Stack. I’m Alex. Justin:              I’m Justin. Pete:                I’m Pete. Alex:                 On The Stack, we talk about a bunch of books that have come out this week, kicking it off with a very scary book called Alien #1 from Marvel, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, art by Salvador Larroca. This is a big deal because this is the first of the Fox properties that is coming to Marvel. We have Predator coming down the pike. Alien is here now, and we had Phillip Kennedy Johnson on the live show talking about this book a couple of months back now when he first got on it. So he teased that, if you want to go and listen to it, but all of the teasing aside, what’d you think of this one? Justin:              I thought this was great. Really captures the vibe of the Alien movies while being a compelling new story where you really feel alongside the characters. Mistakes are made. Classic Alien thing where somebody really fucks up with these things. You don’t get a lot of mistakes with the alien people. Alex:                 The thing that I thought was really fascinating about this as a fan of the Alien franchise, and to get into spoilers for the book a little bit … It’s about a military guy. He ended up getting captured by aliens, escaped. We don’t know exactly how yet, but this is years later. He’s retiring, trying to reconnect with his son. Definitely a theme Phillip Kennedy Johnson is playing with with his books right now with fathers and sons and connecting through this and through Superman. Alex:                 So that’s interesting, I think, just from a reading perspective, but here, the son is a civilian, and for fans of the Alien movies, it’s such a big deal when they go to Earth in this book. When they go to Earth, you see very little of it, but you see people on Earth. You see what’s going on with society. You see civilians involved, and just from that fan perspective, I kind of geeked out about that beyond the fact that it seems like they’re doing really interesting, weird stuff with the mythology in this comic book. Salvador Larroca’s aliens in particular are terrifying. The pacing of it is alarming and upsetting in the right way. I really dug this book a lot as well. Pete, what did you think? Pete:                Yeah. I agree with you. I thought the aliens looks amazing. There’s a lot of great kind of splash page shots that are really powerful. The Bishop. I’m always creeped out by Bishop, and so it was creepy to see Bishop back. Yeah, and it was a very interesting story that we got to kind of see the son’s side of why he doesn’t care about what his father’s been doing, and then we know the father’s side. So it was very interesting perspective, and I think that’s a cool way to, as Justin said, to put kind of a fresh spin on something that we’ve seen a lot of. So yeah. I thought this, as far as the first issue is concerned, does a great job of giving you something that you know and love with a little bit of newness to it. So I think well done. Justin:              What I think they capture well here is the sins of the corporation in Alien are always what keeps making people act poorly, and that’s what gets everyone in trouble. In this, it’s all about human mistakes, and it’s just the aliens are there as the force of nature that makes them pay for their mistakes, and it’s just really great. Alex:                 Absolutely. Really bowled over by this book. Next up, Harley Quinn #1 from DC Comics, written by Stephanie Phillips, art by Riley Rossmo. This is a great team for this book, Riley Rossmo in particular on a Harley Quinn book. So much fun. Really like the tone here. Very different from the past couple of runs of Harley Quinn. I thought this was very enjoyable. What was your guys’ take? Pete:                Yeah. I agree. I thought the art was amazing. Really great story as far as the first issue goes. Does such a great job of grabbing the reader and getting kind of this take on Harley, and I think it’s a nice take. I’m a huge fan of the animated series, but I don’t want every comic to be like that. So this is, I feel like, a different enough take where it still feels like Harley Quinn, and I love the art and the storytelling. I think this is a fantastic first issue. Justin:              Yeah. I think what this book … I mean, the art is so cool. It’s fun how Batman is such a presence in it, and it’s a little bit more of a Batman that is likable and sort of like just “Look. I’m just trying to keep an eye on you, Harley. So don’t screw around.” Pete:                He’s like a dad. Batman’s like a dad of Gotham. Justin:              Yeah. Uncle Batman, and I really like this Harley because it’s not like it’s a huge change where she’s like “I’m good now.” It’s the same character who’s just like “I’m trying this out. I don’t know. Let’s just see,” and she’s sort of having fun with it, and I feel like that preserves the original spirit of the character. We talked about this on the live show this week about how Harley Quinn spun out of Batman: The Animated Series and how wild it is that a character like that can just explode and have so many iterations in all these different mediums, and now to see her back here sort of having that spirit of the original while also being the new character is great. Alex:                 Totally agree. Next up, Firefly Brand New Verse #1 from BOOM! Studios, written by Josh Lee Gordon, art by Fabiana Mascolo. We’ve had effusive praise for Greg Pak’s run on the main title. This is a different artist, a different team, and it’s jumping forward, I believe, 25 years in time to showing us the descendants of the original Serenity crew, what’s going on with them now. So what’d you think about this? Does this hold up to the high quality of the other Firefly books? Justin:              Well, I think, what I like about it is that they’re taking a lot of swings. They keep moving with the Firefly story, just like “Hey. Let’s tell the most interesting story no matter what the continuity really is. Let’s just keep moving,” and for them to move from the past to the present into the future, or I guess, not in that order, but it’s great to see, like “Oh, yeah. I’m so curious about this. What’s going to happen where? What are these characters like?” They feel spiritually like the old Serenity crew, but they’re all new people. Alex:                 Pete? Justin:              It’s like meeting your friends’ friends, and they’re nice. Pete:                Yeah. I thought- Alex:                 Pete, I know you’re probably put off by the fact that Greg Pak wasn’t on this, who you love, but go ahead. Pete:                Yeah. I was kind of like “Wait a second. What’s going on here?” The Pak was killing this, but yeah. I like the way it kind of starts. I think it’s a great kind of story, a good take, but it’s one of those things where it’s like when you have a to-do list and you just sleep instead of doing what you’re supposed to be doing, you’re putting everybody on the ship in jeopardy. That was just kind of crazy, but yeah. I enjoyed it. I thought the art was good. I thought it was fun. Justin:              So you’re bothered by the chores, that no one’s doing their chores. Pete:                Well, I’m just bothered by how casually they woke up, and they were like “Hey. Did you fix the engine?” and they were like “Well, I thought you were going to fix the engine.” Then it’s like … We’re on a spaceship. You can’t just be that casual. Justin:              What’s the chore wheel like in your household? Pete:                It’s a lot of chores, man. All right? It’s a lot. Justin:              What happens if you don’t do it? How does it break out? Did you get your chores done today, for instance? Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. Just barely. Just barely. Alex:                 Oh, boy. Justin:              Stakes high. Alex:                 Teen Titans Academy #1 from DC Comics, written by Tim Sheridan, art by Rafa Sandoval. This is exactly what it sounds like. The Titans are opening up a school in Titans Tower. Meanwhile, the Teen Titans are off doing Teen Titan stuff, and these are the Teeny Titans who are signing up. Maybe some day they’re going to be Teen Titans or Titans. I said all of those words quite a bit. What’d you think about this book? Justin:              Great enunciation from Alex. Hit all of his consonants really well, and that was borderline tongue twister. Pete:                Yeah. I thought this was a fun story. I ship Nightfire. So I feel I’m happy that they’re still out doing- Alex:                 Just trying to slip that in there, Pete. Justin:              Dropping that knowledge. Pete:                I feel like it was a little busy, but they have so many people on Teen Titans. I kind of feel like that’s going to happen, but overall, I thought it was a really solid first issue. Justin:              I’ll tell you what, Pete. I ship Nightfire, especially in this issue. I would normally definitely be a Batwing or Nightgirl, Nightacle. Is that the right- Pete:                [crosstalk 00:08:57]. Alex:                 Nightacle. Justin:              Nightgirl is not the right answer, I don’t think. Alex:                 Nightacle? Justin:              Oraclewing? Alex:                 Orwing. Orwing. Justin:              Orawing. Alex:                 Batdick. Justin:              Good. But I agree. I feel like there have been a lot of books like this. Marvel does this a lot where they’re like “Let’s take our magic characters and make a school about them. Let’s have all these young mutants be in this school,” and often it feels like the stories feel very next door to the main storyline, and this feels like a Titans books, and it’s just now there’s these gradations between all the different Titans. There’s the Titans, the Tiny Titans, and the Teeny Titans, and there’s the tall Titans, the tiptop Titans. Alex:                 What did you think- Pete:                Guys, stop. Alex:                 What did you think about them having to be called Mr. Nightwing? That was pretty weird, right? Justin:              What I liked about it was it felt like kids who hadn’t made a plan about “Oh, what should we call ourselves?” and then someone was like “Oh, you’re Mr. Nightwing,” and they’re like “Okay,” and then they have to go with it. Alex:                 What’s your first name, Mr. Nightwing? Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              Uh, Dave? Alex:                 Oh, god. I’m Dave Nightwing. Yeah. This is okay. I’m usually a sucker for these books. I thought this was all right. I liked Rafa Sandoval’s art, just good superhero art across the board. Always very appropriate for Titans. I don’t really know anything about the Red X, which is the big mystery here. So felt like a bit of a deep dive for anybody who is outside that continuity, but I like some of the characters. I’m definitely going to tune back for issue two and see what happens. I don’t know what I’m talking about. Justin:              Another binge read. Alex:                 Once & Future #17 from BOOM! Studios, written by Kieron Gillen, art by Dan Mora. Pete, I was a little worried about you this issue, because not as much grandma as there usually is- Justin:              Yeah. Alex:                 … but still- Pete:                Yeah, but you still- Alex:                 … there’s a dragon. There’s a lot of action. Pete:                But you also got smoking grandma. Grandma’s smoking in this. So that’s- Alex:                 Smoking hot is what you’re saying, right? Pete:                No. That’s not what I’m saying. Alex:                 Okay. Pete:                But yeah. I like this- Alex:                 I ship Petema. Justin:              Petema. Pete Smokingma. Smoking Petema. Pete:                A lot happens in this issue. We kind of get all the pieces on the board. It was great to kind of finally see plans collides and everybody else kind of come together, kind of revealing what’s going to happen moving forward. This is just non-stop glorious. Every issue is unbelievably drawn. The stories are fun. The characters are great. The art’s unbelievable. I don’t know why you aren’t reading this book. Justin:              I am, because we all read. We read a lot of comics, and I like this book, but I will say I think I need a little gear shift. I feel like we’ve been in this- Pete:                What? Justin:              I feel like we’ve been in- Pete:                I’m not going to stand here and let you … This is an unbelievable comic. Okay? End of story. You can’t put in your bullshit. This comic is fantastic. Justin:              I- Alex:                 Well, hold on, Pete. Just to jump in, Justin, I hear what you’re saying. I actually think they got there with this issue, because I’ve been feeling that as well. It’s a lot of the grandma wandering around and being like “You don’t know what’s going on with these stories. There’s a lot of stories,” and the son being like “Stories? Come on,” and then everybody’s kind of wandering around and yelling at each other about magic stuff and stories, but this issue, what we got … It really feels like it’s heading towards the endgame here. We finally know they’re looking for the Holy Grail. The bad guys wanted to essentially wipe everything clean and destroy the world. The good guys, of course, want to stop them. They get a dragon, and we get this very propulsive ending of them on a dragon chasing after … I’m honestly forgetting whether it’s Gawaine or Galahad who has been turned into a centaur, and I think that’s part of the issue you’re getting at, where it’s a lot of these names being thrown out there, but I like this ending, and I’m very excited for the next issue off of this. Justin:              Yeah. I mean, I like where it’s going, and honestly, the stuff with Rose felt like the most interesting. She feels like she’s operating sort of on her own, but it’s just like you’re saying. It feels like grandma and her son, #PeteMissesGrandma, #SmokingHotGrandma … It feels like they really are just like “Oh, here we go again. This story’s crazy, but we have to keep doing it,” and so I’m just ready, and the Merlin stuff was interesting. I liked that, but even he’s a little like “I’ve already got this all figured out.” So I think I just need a little refreshment with that. Pete:                Unbelievable. You’re unbelievable. Alex:                 Well, let’s move on then and talk about Action Comics #1,029 from DC Comics, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Becky Cloonan, and Michael W. Conrad, art by Phil Hester and Michael Avon Oeming. In the front story, we’re getting a tale of Superman and his son, as we talked about a little bit earlier. In the back story, we’re finding out what’s going on with Midnighter after Future State. This directly picks up on that in a very surprising way. What’d you think about this one? Pete:                I thought this was a very touching story. Love the kind of like Superman taking about being a human and this whole father-son back and forth stuff. It’s really speaking to me. I very much enjoyed this. The Midnighter story is freaking me out. Justin:              It’s different Midnighter. Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. I love how stylized the art is. I think it’s a cool take on Midnighter, but I’m nervous to see how this is all going to unfold, and I don’t like the fact that they’re not talking to each other. You know what I mean? You’re supposed to be able to talk to your partner. Justin:              Are you talking about him and the computer in his brain? Pete:                No. Him and Apollo. Justin:              Yeah. What I will say is it is a very different take on Midnighter, but it feels like Apollo is still the one who’s knocking on the door at the end. Pete:                Still the one. Justin:              That’s what I’m saying. So that must give you some reassurance, and the front story, I thought, was great, really keying in on this idea of fathers and sons, and sons losing fathers, and fathers realizing that the sons are realizing that they’re eventually going to lose their father. It’s just great idea and echo storytelling, and then the last couple pages, setting up the sort of creepy Warworld Rising stuff, I’m into. Alex:                 I’m into it too, and I like how they are tying in the DC Future State stuff. Now, the other thing … This is news that I believe leaked early this week before they were going to let it out, but it seems clear now in retrospect how they’re setting this up with Superman potentially being taken off the board so that John Kent is going to move into the Superman role. We got this Midnighter backup which seems like it should be unrelated to a Superman thing, but it turns out that DC is going to be launching some sort of a Superman and The Authority series by Grant Morrison with art by Mikel Janin- Pete:                What? Alex:                 … which this seems to be setting up directly, in my mind. We don’t know much more about it other than that, but that certainly seems to be where they’re going, and that is very cool. Justin:              Yeah. I mean, Grant Morrison back in the game? Not sort of existing on the periphery being like “Hey. Did you think I could make this Green Lantern book weirder?” and then he does. That’ll be interesting. Alex:                 Yeah. That’s great. It’s also great to see Michael Avon Oeming on a regular book as well. I really like his stuff on Midnighter, and that’s a lot of fun. Let’s move on, talk about Haha #3 from Image Comics. Justin:              Haha. Pete:                Oh, here we go. Justin:              Hoo-ah. Alex:                 Hoo-ah #3, following the adventures of Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman land. It’s been a great ride. I can’t believe we’ve gotten here. The continuity has been very dense, but really getting that back story of how did he find the scent of a woman? How did he come up with hoo-ah? It’s been a wonderful ride, and [crosstalk 00:17:04]. Justin:              How did he come up with hoo-ah? Alex:                 It is written by W. Maxwell Prince, art and cover by Roger Langridge. I love this team. I was so excited about this. This is a anthology book where W. Maxwell Prince is taking his regular creepiness from Ice Cream Man and applying it specifically to different types of clowns. This issue, we get a mime issue, a mime who is friends with a robot. Justin:              Love a mime. Pete:                The worst. Alex:                 Roger Langridge, one of my absolute favorite creators. He did Thor: The Mighty Avenger. He did Snarked is the book that he did that was all a riff on Lewis Carroll stuff. That is awesome. He did an amazing Muppets book, if you never checked it out. It’s definitely much more surreal and fantasy based than the previous two issues that were very realistic and dark takes, but man, I love this book. It was so good. Maybe my favorite of the week. What did you guys think? Justin:              Favorite of the week? Pete:                I hated it. Justin:              You hated it? Pete:                Yeah. I don’t like mimes. I think they’re creepy, and this proves my point. Justin:              Wait. Rank sort of the clowns, the different genres of clown, in sort of least scary to scariest. Pete:                Well, first off, I think … No offense to Alex’s wife, but I think that [crosstalk 00:18:21]- Alex:                 But I hate your wife. Pete:                Yeah. I think- Alex:                 No offense to your wife. I hate your wife. Pete:                No. Your wife is an unbelievable person. I don’t know how she puts up with you. Justin:              Wait. You’re considering wife a different genre of clown? Pete:                No. I just don’t want to speak poorly of clowns, and Alex’s wife was an amazing clown. That’s a separate category. I want to try and make that clear. Alex:                 Just to be clear before you get to into it, Pete, of course we’re going to break this into the four types of the clown, the Whiteface, the Tramp, the Auguste, and the character. So go ahead. Pete:                I don’t know what- Justin:              Dropping clown husband knowledge. Pete:                I don’t know what was just said- Justin:              Auguste. Pete:                … but- Alex:                 The Auguste. Pete:                … to answer your question, Justin, clowns do freak me out. I think, sometimes you can see the sadness in their eyes, and that can be very painful, and then mimes- Justin:              So give me the power rankings. So you got your mimes. You got your- Pete:                Yeah. The mimes are the creepiest of them all. Justin:              Really? Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              Why is that? Because they’re not talking? Pete:                Yes. I don’t trust people who don’t talk, and I also … Well, and you have some- Justin:              Too skinny. Pete:                But also, they’re- Alex:                 Wait. Sorry. Is it that they wear stripes so they look like they just got out of prison? Pete:                No. No. That makes them look French, but I think that- Alex:                 All French people just got out of prison. Go ahead. Justin:              Yeah. Pete:                Oh, that’s an awful thing to say. Yeah. I don’t trust mimes, and clowns can be scary is my long-winded point that you kind of dragged out. Alex:                 Justin, what about you? What did you think about this issue? Justin:              It was great. It’s very fun. it’s like- Pete:                Wait. It’s fun? That was fun? Justin:              This whole issue is very fun. I would love to see this- Pete:                People died. I don’t know what … What do you mean? What’s fun? Justin:              Hey. I got news for you. People die all the time. Pete:                Oh, don’t be that guy. Justin:              But not robots. Think about that. I’d like to see the script of this comic to see the process, really, how they put this together, because the visuals are so good. They do so much of the storytelling, and it’s just a fun, nearly silent issue where we touch on, I don’t even know, just how the world sucks, finding moments whenever you can despite the weird circumstances of developing an act and becoming friends with a robot, how the dancing frog can live, can truly live if you do it right, and it’s- Pete:                The poor WB frog. Justin:              Yeah. Alex:                 Great book. Definitely pick that up. Next up, another one of my favorites of the week, Batman/Superman #16 from DC Comics, written by Gene Luen Yang, art by Ivan Reis. In this book, we’re getting two tales told simultaneously of Golden Age, I think, I would say, Superman and Batman through film … not strips, but old-timey film reels. On the top, you got Superman. On the bottom, you got Batman. Like they say at the beginning, you can read them separately. I kind of recommend reading them together, because, spoiler, they actually start to tie together at the end there. This is a very cool, really fun issue that I enjoyed quite a bit. Justin:              Yeah. This issue, I feel like, really just stands alone. I mean, I know it is tying into a larger story, but it really is just a super innovative way of telling these two stories, and you sort of think one thing, and then there are some reveals later on that you’re like “Oh, huh. Okay,” and like Alex said, things sort of come together in the end. Just a really innovative issue, I thought. Pete:                I’m glad you guys liked it. Alex:                 Pete, you’re so negative this week. Pete:                Not really. Alex:                 Okay. Well, let’s move on then to Crimson Flower #3 from Dark Horse Comics, written by Matt Kindt, art by Matt Lesniewski. Pete, lots of people die. There’s a lot of blood in this one as our main character hones in on her target. What’d you think about this? Pete:                I very much enjoyed this. I thought this was a really great villain reveal. We thought it was kind of like one villain, and then kind of through the villain monologue, you got to see kind of how dark and twisted this villain actually was. So yeah. I really liked it. I like these scarf powers, and I think the art’s creepy and twisted in all the right ways. It’s a very interesting, cool book, and again, it’s like there’s not a lot of … There isn’t too much dialogue. So it’s not a heavy read. I very much enjoyed this. Justin:              Yeah. I like this a lot. The art is really cool. I wish we had talked to Matt Kindt about this book. Pete:                Yeah. Alex:                 We messed up. Justin:              Yeah. We messed up, because we had him on the live show recently, and this would have been a good one, because I think maybe we had just read the previous issue, which I think we all enjoyed. Yeah. It’s hard to pin this story down. It’s a really unique story. it’s a revenge tale, and the art really just really showcases the storytelling that’s happening here in a way that is really surprising. Alex:                 This is probably the wrong thing, but the art almost feels like a medieval tapestry come to life in a certain way in terms of how- Pete:                Oh, interesting. Alex:                 … it’s laid out and the way that they have these stories inside of stories inside of stories. Very fascinating book. I highly recommend picking it up. Justin:              Yeah. Alex:                 Next up, Detective Comics #1,034 from DC Comics, written by Mariko Tamaki and Joshua Williamson, art by Dan Mora and Gleb Melnikov. This is telling a story of a kind of poor but still doing okay for himself Bruce Wayne. What’d you think about this one? Pete:                I- Alex:                 I mean, he’s doing fine. They’re making a big deal about “I don’t have my money. I only have 18 Batcaves and this really nice apartment in a good part of Gotham. That’s it. Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              Yeah, and he’s like “It’s crazy. I have neighbors now,”- Pete:                Yeah. It’s- Justin:              … and it’s like “Yeah. I know. We all have neighbors, asshole.” Pete:                Yeah. It’s weird to see Batman kind of dealing with people, but I do really love the art. I really loved the moment where the bad guy sees Batman and is like “Crap.” That was just fun. Yeah. I think it’s an interesting story. I really like the backup as well. I feel like it’s a great package. Justin:              It’s a great package. Pete:                You love a good package. Justin:              Yeah. I like this a lot too, and oddly we’ve talked a lot about Batman: The Animated Series, but this feels like Batman is warming up a little bit and becoming more like that Bruce Wayne from Batman: The Animated Series, where he has to talk to people and he has to be like a normal person sometimes, and maybe that’s what it’s like when you lose money and come back down to Earth and get with the people. Bruce Wayne, get with the people. Meet your neighbors. Alex:                 Oh, I thought you were going to say something else after that. You said “Meet your neighbors.” You went up, and then- Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. I thought- Justin:              Meet your neighbors. Pete:                [crosstalk 00:25:49]. Justin:              That’s what I’m saying. Do it. Go do it. Pete:                [crosstalk 00:25:50]. Alex:                 Oh, that was it. Okay. It was a punctuation point. Justin:              Meet your neighbors. Alex:                 Yeah. Good story. Let’s move on, talk about The- Justin:              Alex, go meet your neighbors. Alex:                 I would love to, but coronavirus. The Scumbag #6 from Image Comics, written by Rick Remender, art by Bengal, dealing with the last arc. Here, we got our main Scumbag is now a super celebrity. He has blown the lid on all the things he’s done to save the Earth while having a big party in his new mansion, and then new threats come his way. What’d you think, Pete? Pete:                Yeah. I feel like this is Remender having a lot of fun, a lot of cool metal references going on here, which was fun. Yeah. I mean, talking crack pipe. I mean, who doesn’t love that? But yeah. It was just tough because I felt like we had gotten somewhere with Scumbag as a character. It seems he regressed a little bit. I felt like he kind of did some things where he was doing things for the better of him, himself, and the team and moving towards being a hero, but now with this, it’s kind of like he went backwards a little bit. So that part’s a little frustrating, but a lot of really fun art, crazy, over the top, just stupid stuff. Justin:              But what I like about this is Remender knows to bring this character back to sort of what he is, and yes, there’s a hero in him, but we don’t want him to be the hero yet. He has to continue to be the hard partying Scumbag, and that’s what he is as he’s thrown into a different superhero situation, which I’m excited to see how that plays out. Alex:                 Next up, I know this is one of Pete’s favorite Barbalien, Red Planet #5 from Dark Horse comics, script by Tate Brombal, story by Jeff Lemire and Tate Brombal. I cannot say that last name. I’m so sorry. Art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta. This is about the Martian Manhunter-esque part of the Black Hammer universe. He is gay. He is dealing with that. He is also dealing with being trapped on his own planet at some point. Pete, talk about this book. Why did this one strike you in particular? Pete:                Well, it’s a very powerful book. I mean, you got people fighting for their rights, what they believe in. There’s a lot of great protest moments. There’s very powerful page with blood spilled on it. They’re saying a lot of great stuff in this book. They’re talking about the collective. They’re talking about us as humans trying to grow and fight for things. It’s very, very powerful, very cool. Love the imagery and the art, and it’s just really well done. Justin:              Yeah. I mean, I agree. I feel like we’ve been talking up the Black Hammer sort of side universe so much lately, and it really is just like this great, creative explosion that’s happening over in the Dark Horse universe, and this story … We’ve been talking a lot about the sort of episodic series, and this is just a great standalone story that has blown out that really takes you along for a great ride. Alex:                 Really good book. Definitely agree. Next up, one of the darkest books of the week, Stray Dogs #2 from Image Comics, written by Tony Fleecs, art by Trish Forstner. So we reviewed, really liked, I think, the first issue of this book, which took a bunch of dogs, brought them together, and it turns out that maybe their owner is murdering women and stealing the dogs. We get deeper into that mystery this issue. I think you kind of called this out last issue, Justin, but it very much feels like Law & Order Don Bluth or something like that, and it’s kind of upsetting to read, in a certain way. Justin:              It is upsetting, because these dogs are witness to this killer who is continuing to kill. I mean, we don’t know that for sure yet, I guess, but the way it’s like all these dogs, definitely drawn in the style of the Don Bluth Disney, very cute, lovable dogs that are just like “We’re in a dog story about dogs just trying to get by and then fall in love and then eventually go home and have Lady and Tramp children,” but instead it’s like this super dark … The dogs are witnessing and realizing that their current owner is a killer. It’s so dark, and I was so surprised by this, and it’s great. Pete:                Yeah. It’s very interesting, kind of this thing of what if the person who is raising you, taking care of you, feeding you, all these things, is a horrible, horrible person? It’s like, what do you go on? Do you go on the fact that “Oh, but they provide for me, and they’re nice, and they take me out,” and all these things, and then “Oh, but I don’t see the murders”? It’s very interesting perspective. It’s very messed up and done in this adorable art that makes it even darker, but it’s this tale that hopefully these dogs can hopefully get to the bottom of and make a difference, but man, it’s a crazy start, for sure. Justin:              Yeah. I mean, I say this a lot. I hope these dogs can solve that human murder. Pete:                Yeah. Alex:                 Last but not least, Post Americano #4 from Image Comics, story and art by Steve Skroce. In this issue, our heroes, I guess, have been captured. One of them has reconnected with their mom, and entering the fray is what looks like a superhero and a werewolf. I love this book so much more than I think I would every single time out of the gate, because it’s just so weird and funny and violent in exactly the right way, and I keep going into it thinking “This will be the issue. This will be the one that turns me. This is when they’ll go too far,” and they never do. It just skirts that line perfectly. Justin:              Well, and I think this issue does a great job of having this heartfelt reunion between our mother and daughter characters here, and it’s really sweet and taken very seriously, and then the back half of the issue or back third of the issue is this wild nonsense superhero showcase. Pete:                Yeah. It’s completely over the top, tons of violence. Each issue is crazier than the last, and you’re like “Oh, they can’t top that,” but then this issue does, and it kind of makes fun of itself in the process, but man, really fun. Great read. The art’s fantastic. A lot of cool characters. I mean, I love the car. I thought the car was so great. Such an awesome entrance, but it did hurt when that mint issue #1 got trashed by the guy in the tie. That hurt. Alex:                 Good stuff. If you’d like to support our podcast- Justin:              Heartbreaking. Alex:                 … patreon.com/comicbookclub. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. Come hang out. We would love to chat with you about comic books. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe and listen to the show. On iTunes, leave us a comment and rate us. We would appreciate that quite a bit. @ComicBookLive on Twitter. Comicbooklive.com for this podcast and more. Until next time, we’ll see you at the virtual comic book shop. Justin:              Send in the mimes, those cooky, spooky mimes. The post The Stack: Alien, Harley Quinn And More appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week’s Stack podcast:

Alien #1
Marvel
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Art by Salvador Larroca

Harley Quinn #1
DC Comics
Written by Stephanie Phillips
Art by Riley Rossmo

Firefly: Brand New ‘Verse #1
BOOM! Studios
Written by Josh Lee Gordon
Art by Fabiana Mascolo

Teen Titans Academy #1
DC Comics
Written by Tim Sheridan
Art by Rafa Sandoval

Once & Future #17
BOOM! Studios
Written by Kieron Gillen
Art by Dan Mora

Action Comics #1029
DC Comics
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad
Art by Phil Hester, Michael Avon Oeming

HAHA #3
Image Comics
Written by W. Maxwell Prince
Art and Cover by Roger Langridge

Batman/Superman #16
DC Comics
Written by Gene Luen Yang
Art by Ivan Reis

Crimson Flower #3
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Matt Kindt
Art by Matt Lesniewski

Detective Comics #1034
DC Comics
Written by Mariko Tamaki, Joshua Williamson
Art by Dan Mora, Gleb Melnikov

The Scumbag #6
Image Comics
Written by Rick Remender
Art by Bengal

Barbalien: Red Planet #5
Dark Horse Comics
Script by Tate Brombal
Story by Jeff Lemire and Tate Brombal
Art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta

Stray Dogs #2
Image Comics
Written by Tony Fleecs
Art by Trish Forstner

Post Americana #4
Image Comics
Story and Art by Steve Skroce

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Full Episode Transcript

Alex:                 What is up, y’all? Welcome to The Stack. I’m Alex.

Justin:              I’m Justin.

Pete:                I’m Pete.

Alex:                 On The Stack, we talk about a bunch of books that have come out this week, kicking it off with a very scary book called Alien #1 from Marvel, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, art by Salvador Larroca. This is a big deal because this is the first of the Fox properties that is coming to Marvel. We have Predator coming down the pike. Alien is here now, and we had Phillip Kennedy Johnson on the live show talking about this book a couple of months back now when he first got on it. So he teased that, if you want to go and listen to it, but all of the teasing aside, what’d you think of this one?

Justin:              I thought this was great. Really captures the vibe of the Alien movies while being a compelling new story where you really feel alongside the characters. Mistakes are made. Classic Alien thing where somebody really fucks up with these things. You don’t get a lot of mistakes with the alien people.

Alex:                 The thing that I thought was really fascinating about this as a fan of the Alien franchise, and to get into spoilers for the book a little bit … It’s about a military guy. He ended up getting captured by aliens, escaped. We don’t know exactly how yet, but this is years later. He’s retiring, trying to reconnect with his son. Definitely a theme Phillip Kennedy Johnson is playing with with his books right now with fathers and sons and connecting through this and through Superman.

Alex:                 So that’s interesting, I think, just from a reading perspective, but here, the son is a civilian, and for fans of the Alien movies, it’s such a big deal when they go to Earth in this book. When they go to Earth, you see very little of it, but you see people on Earth. You see what’s going on with society. You see civilians involved, and just from that fan perspective, I kind of geeked out about that beyond the fact that it seems like they’re doing really interesting, weird stuff with the mythology in this comic book. Salvador Larroca’s aliens in particular are terrifying. The pacing of it is alarming and upsetting in the right way. I really dug this book a lot as well. Pete, what did you think?

Pete:                Yeah. I agree with you. I thought the aliens looks amazing. There’s a lot of great kind of splash page shots that are really powerful. The Bishop. I’m always creeped out by Bishop, and so it was creepy to see Bishop back. Yeah, and it was a very interesting story that we got to kind of see the son’s side of why he doesn’t care about what his father’s been doing, and then we know the father’s side. So it was very interesting perspective, and I think that’s a cool way to, as Justin said, to put kind of a fresh spin on something that we’ve seen a lot of. So yeah. I thought this, as far as the first issue is concerned, does a great job of giving you something that you know and love with a little bit of newness to it. So I think well done.

Justin:              What I think they capture well here is the sins of the corporation in Alien are always what keeps making people act poorly, and that’s what gets everyone in trouble. In this, it’s all about human mistakes, and it’s just the aliens are there as the force of nature that makes them pay for their mistakes, and it’s just really great.

Alex:                 Absolutely. Really bowled over by this book. Next up, Harley Quinn #1 from DC Comics, written by Stephanie Phillips, art by Riley Rossmo. This is a great team for this book, Riley Rossmo in particular on a Harley Quinn book. So much fun. Really like the tone here. Very different from the past couple of runs of Harley Quinn. I thought this was very enjoyable. What was your guys’ take?

Pete:                Yeah. I agree. I thought the art was amazing. Really great story as far as the first issue goes. Does such a great job of grabbing the reader and getting kind of this take on Harley, and I think it’s a nice take. I’m a huge fan of the animated series, but I don’t want every comic to be like that. So this is, I feel like, a different enough take where it still feels like Harley Quinn, and I love the art and the storytelling. I think this is a fantastic first issue.

Justin:              Yeah. I think what this book … I mean, the art is so cool. It’s fun how Batman is such a presence in it, and it’s a little bit more of a Batman that is likable and sort of like just “Look. I’m just trying to keep an eye on you, Harley. So don’t screw around.”

Pete:                He’s like a dad. Batman’s like a dad of Gotham.

Justin:              Yeah. Uncle Batman, and I really like this Harley because it’s not like it’s a huge change where she’s like “I’m good now.” It’s the same character who’s just like “I’m trying this out. I don’t know. Let’s just see,” and she’s sort of having fun with it, and I feel like that preserves the original spirit of the character. We talked about this on the live show this week about how Harley Quinn spun out of Batman: The Animated Series and how wild it is that a character like that can just explode and have so many iterations in all these different mediums, and now to see her back here sort of having that spirit of the original while also being the new character is great.

Alex:                 Totally agree. Next up, Firefly Brand New Verse #1 from BOOM! Studios, written by Josh Lee Gordon, art by Fabiana Mascolo. We’ve had effusive praise for Greg Pak’s run on the main title. This is a different artist, a different team, and it’s jumping forward, I believe, 25 years in time to showing us the descendants of the original Serenity crew, what’s going on with them now. So what’d you think about this? Does this hold up to the high quality of the other Firefly books?

Justin:              Well, I think, what I like about it is that they’re taking a lot of swings. They keep moving with the Firefly story, just like “Hey. Let’s tell the most interesting story no matter what the continuity really is. Let’s just keep moving,” and for them to move from the past to the present into the future, or I guess, not in that order, but it’s great to see, like “Oh, yeah. I’m so curious about this. What’s going to happen where? What are these characters like?” They feel spiritually like the old Serenity crew, but they’re all new people.

Alex:                 Pete?

Justin:              It’s like meeting your friends’ friends, and they’re nice.

Pete:                Yeah. I thought-

Alex:                 Pete, I know you’re probably put off by the fact that Greg Pak wasn’t on this, who you love, but go ahead.

Pete:                Yeah. I was kind of like “Wait a second. What’s going on here?” The Pak was killing this, but yeah. I like the way it kind of starts. I think it’s a great kind of story, a good take, but it’s one of those things where it’s like when you have a to-do list and you just sleep instead of doing what you’re supposed to be doing, you’re putting everybody on the ship in jeopardy. That was just kind of crazy, but yeah. I enjoyed it. I thought the art was good. I thought it was fun.

Justin:              So you’re bothered by the chores, that no one’s doing their chores.

Pete:                Well, I’m just bothered by how casually they woke up, and they were like “Hey. Did you fix the engine?” and they were like “Well, I thought you were going to fix the engine.” Then it’s like … We’re on a spaceship. You can’t just be that casual.

Justin:              What’s the chore wheel like in your household?

Pete:                It’s a lot of chores, man. All right? It’s a lot.

Justin:              What happens if you don’t do it? How does it break out? Did you get your chores done today, for instance?

Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. Just barely. Just barely.

Alex:                 Oh, boy.

Justin:              Stakes high.

Alex:                 Teen Titans Academy #1 from DC Comics, written by Tim Sheridan, art by Rafa Sandoval. This is exactly what it sounds like. The Titans are opening up a school in Titans Tower. Meanwhile, the Teen Titans are off doing Teen Titan stuff, and these are the Teeny Titans who are signing up. Maybe some day they’re going to be Teen Titans or Titans. I said all of those words quite a bit. What’d you think about this book?

Justin:              Great enunciation from Alex. Hit all of his consonants really well, and that was borderline tongue twister.

Pete:                Yeah. I thought this was a fun story. I ship Nightfire. So I feel I’m happy that they’re still out doing-

Alex:                 Just trying to slip that in there, Pete.

Justin:              Dropping that knowledge.

Pete:                I feel like it was a little busy, but they have so many people on Teen Titans. I kind of feel like that’s going to happen, but overall, I thought it was a really solid first issue.

Justin:              I’ll tell you what, Pete. I ship Nightfire, especially in this issue. I would normally definitely be a Batwing or Nightgirl, Nightacle. Is that the right-

Pete:                [crosstalk 00:08:57].

Alex:                 Nightacle.

Justin:              Nightgirl is not the right answer, I don’t think.

Alex:                 Nightacle?

Justin:              Oraclewing?

Alex:                 Orwing. Orwing.

Justin:              Orawing.

Alex:                 Batdick.

Justin:              Good. But I agree. I feel like there have been a lot of books like this. Marvel does this a lot where they’re like “Let’s take our magic characters and make a school about them. Let’s have all these young mutants be in this school,” and often it feels like the stories feel very next door to the main storyline, and this feels like a Titans books, and it’s just now there’s these gradations between all the different Titans. There’s the Titans, the Tiny Titans, and the Teeny Titans, and there’s the tall Titans, the tiptop Titans.

Alex:                 What did you think-

Pete:                Guys, stop.

Alex:                 What did you think about them having to be called Mr. Nightwing? That was pretty weird, right?

Justin:              What I liked about it was it felt like kids who hadn’t made a plan about “Oh, what should we call ourselves?” and then someone was like “Oh, you’re Mr. Nightwing,” and they’re like “Okay,” and then they have to go with it.

Alex:                 What’s your first name, Mr. Nightwing?

Pete:                Yeah.

Justin:              Uh, Dave?

Alex:                 Oh, god. I’m Dave Nightwing. Yeah. This is okay. I’m usually a sucker for these books. I thought this was all right. I liked Rafa Sandoval’s art, just good superhero art across the board. Always very appropriate for Titans. I don’t really know anything about the Red X, which is the big mystery here. So felt like a bit of a deep dive for anybody who is outside that continuity, but I like some of the characters. I’m definitely going to tune back for issue two and see what happens. I don’t know what I’m talking about.

Justin:              Another binge read.

Alex:                 Once & Future #17 from BOOM! Studios, written by Kieron Gillen, art by Dan Mora. Pete, I was a little worried about you this issue, because not as much grandma as there usually is-

Justin:              Yeah.

Alex:                 … but still-

Pete:                Yeah, but you still-

Alex:                 … there’s a dragon. There’s a lot of action.

Pete:                But you also got smoking grandma. Grandma’s smoking in this. So that’s-

Alex:                 Smoking hot is what you’re saying, right?

Pete:                No. That’s not what I’m saying.

Alex:                 Okay.

Pete:                But yeah. I like this-

Alex:                 I ship Petema.

Justin:              Petema. Pete Smokingma. Smoking Petema.

Pete:                A lot happens in this issue. We kind of get all the pieces on the board. It was great to kind of finally see plans collides and everybody else kind of come together, kind of revealing what’s going to happen moving forward. This is just non-stop glorious. Every issue is unbelievably drawn. The stories are fun. The characters are great. The art’s unbelievable. I don’t know why you aren’t reading this book.

Justin:              I am, because we all read. We read a lot of comics, and I like this book, but I will say I think I need a little gear shift. I feel like we’ve been in this-

Pete:                What?

Justin:              I feel like we’ve been in-

Pete:                I’m not going to stand here and let you … This is an unbelievable comic. Okay? End of story. You can’t put in your bullshit. This comic is fantastic.

Justin:              I-

Alex:                 Well, hold on, Pete. Just to jump in, Justin, I hear what you’re saying. I actually think they got there with this issue, because I’ve been feeling that as well. It’s a lot of the grandma wandering around and being like “You don’t know what’s going on with these stories. There’s a lot of stories,” and the son being like “Stories? Come on,” and then everybody’s kind of wandering around and yelling at each other about magic stuff and stories, but this issue, what we got … It really feels like it’s heading towards the endgame here. We finally know they’re looking for the Holy Grail. The bad guys wanted to essentially wipe everything clean and destroy the world. The good guys, of course, want to stop them. They get a dragon, and we get this very propulsive ending of them on a dragon chasing after … I’m honestly forgetting whether it’s Gawaine or Galahad who has been turned into a centaur, and I think that’s part of the issue you’re getting at, where it’s a lot of these names being thrown out there, but I like this ending, and I’m very excited for the next issue off of this.

Justin:              Yeah. I mean, I like where it’s going, and honestly, the stuff with Rose felt like the most interesting. She feels like she’s operating sort of on her own, but it’s just like you’re saying. It feels like grandma and her son, #PeteMissesGrandma, #SmokingHotGrandma … It feels like they really are just like “Oh, here we go again. This story’s crazy, but we have to keep doing it,” and so I’m just ready, and the Merlin stuff was interesting. I liked that, but even he’s a little like “I’ve already got this all figured out.” So I think I just need a little refreshment with that.

Pete:                Unbelievable. You’re unbelievable.

Alex:                 Well, let’s move on then and talk about Action Comics #1,029 from DC Comics, written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Becky Cloonan, and Michael W. Conrad, art by Phil Hester and Michael Avon Oeming. In the front story, we’re getting a tale of Superman and his son, as we talked about a little bit earlier. In the back story, we’re finding out what’s going on with Midnighter after Future State. This directly picks up on that in a very surprising way. What’d you think about this one?

Pete:                I thought this was a very touching story. Love the kind of like Superman taking about being a human and this whole father-son back and forth stuff. It’s really speaking to me. I very much enjoyed this. The Midnighter story is freaking me out.

Justin:              It’s different Midnighter.

Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. I love how stylized the art is. I think it’s a cool take on Midnighter, but I’m nervous to see how this is all going to unfold, and I don’t like the fact that they’re not talking to each other. You know what I mean? You’re supposed to be able to talk to your partner.

Justin:              Are you talking about him and the computer in his brain?

Pete:                No. Him and Apollo.

Justin:              Yeah. What I will say is it is a very different take on Midnighter, but it feels like Apollo is still the one who’s knocking on the door at the end.

Pete:                Still the one.

Justin:              That’s what I’m saying. So that must give you some reassurance, and the front story, I thought, was great, really keying in on this idea of fathers and sons, and sons losing fathers, and fathers realizing that the sons are realizing that they’re eventually going to lose their father. It’s just great idea and echo storytelling, and then the last couple pages, setting up the sort of creepy Warworld Rising stuff, I’m into.

Alex:                 I’m into it too, and I like how they are tying in the DC Future State stuff. Now, the other thing … This is news that I believe leaked early this week before they were going to let it out, but it seems clear now in retrospect how they’re setting this up with Superman potentially being taken off the board so that John Kent is going to move into the Superman role. We got this Midnighter backup which seems like it should be unrelated to a Superman thing, but it turns out that DC is going to be launching some sort of a Superman and The Authority series by Grant Morrison with art by Mikel Janin-

Pete:                What?

Alex:                 … which this seems to be setting up directly, in my mind. We don’t know much more about it other than that, but that certainly seems to be where they’re going, and that is very cool.

Justin:              Yeah. I mean, Grant Morrison back in the game? Not sort of existing on the periphery being like “Hey. Did you think I could make this Green Lantern book weirder?” and then he does. That’ll be interesting.

Alex:                 Yeah. That’s great. It’s also great to see Michael Avon Oeming on a regular book as well. I really like his stuff on Midnighter, and that’s a lot of fun. Let’s move on, talk about Haha #3 from Image Comics.

Justin:              Haha.

Pete:                Oh, here we go.

Justin:              Hoo-ah.

Alex:                 Hoo-ah #3, following the adventures of Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman land. It’s been a great ride. I can’t believe we’ve gotten here. The continuity has been very dense, but really getting that back story of how did he find the scent of a woman? How did he come up with hoo-ah? It’s been a wonderful ride, and [crosstalk 00:17:04].

Justin:              How did he come up with hoo-ah?

Alex:                 It is written by W. Maxwell Prince, art and cover by Roger Langridge. I love this team. I was so excited about this. This is a anthology book where W. Maxwell Prince is taking his regular creepiness from Ice Cream Man and applying it specifically to different types of clowns. This issue, we get a mime issue, a mime who is friends with a robot.

Justin:              Love a mime.

Pete:                The worst.

Alex:                 Roger Langridge, one of my absolute favorite creators. He did Thor: The Mighty Avenger. He did Snarked is the book that he did that was all a riff on Lewis Carroll stuff. That is awesome. He did an amazing Muppets book, if you never checked it out. It’s definitely much more surreal and fantasy based than the previous two issues that were very realistic and dark takes, but man, I love this book. It was so good. Maybe my favorite of the week. What did you guys think?

Justin:              Favorite of the week?

Pete:                I hated it.

Justin:              You hated it?

Pete:                Yeah. I don’t like mimes. I think they’re creepy, and this proves my point.

Justin:              Wait. Rank sort of the clowns, the different genres of clown, in sort of least scary to scariest.

Pete:                Well, first off, I think … No offense to Alex’s wife, but I think that [crosstalk 00:18:21]-

Alex:                 But I hate your wife.

Pete:                Yeah. I think-

Alex:                 No offense to your wife. I hate your wife.

Pete:                No. Your wife is an unbelievable person. I don’t know how she puts up with you.

Justin:              Wait. You’re considering wife a different genre of clown?

Pete:                No. I just don’t want to speak poorly of clowns, and Alex’s wife was an amazing clown. That’s a separate category. I want to try and make that clear.

Alex:                 Just to be clear before you get to into it, Pete, of course we’re going to break this into the four types of the clown, the Whiteface, the Tramp, the Auguste, and the character. So go ahead.

Pete:                I don’t know what-

Justin:              Dropping clown husband knowledge.

Pete:                I don’t know what was just said-

Justin:              Auguste.

Pete:                … but-

Alex:                 The Auguste.

Pete:                … to answer your question, Justin, clowns do freak me out. I think, sometimes you can see the sadness in their eyes, and that can be very painful, and then mimes-

Justin:              So give me the power rankings. So you got your mimes. You got your-

Pete:                Yeah. The mimes are the creepiest of them all.

Justin:              Really?

Pete:                Yeah.

Justin:              Why is that? Because they’re not talking?

Pete:                Yes. I don’t trust people who don’t talk, and I also … Well, and you have some-

Justin:              Too skinny.

Pete:                But also, they’re-

Alex:                 Wait. Sorry. Is it that they wear stripes so they look like they just got out of prison?

Pete:                No. No. That makes them look French, but I think that-

Alex:                 All French people just got out of prison. Go ahead.

Justin:              Yeah.

Pete:                Oh, that’s an awful thing to say. Yeah. I don’t trust mimes, and clowns can be scary is my long-winded point that you kind of dragged out.

Alex:                 Justin, what about you? What did you think about this issue?

Justin:              It was great. It’s very fun. it’s like-

Pete:                Wait. It’s fun? That was fun?

Justin:              This whole issue is very fun. I would love to see this-

Pete:                People died. I don’t know what … What do you mean? What’s fun?

Justin:              Hey. I got news for you. People die all the time.

Pete:                Oh, don’t be that guy.

Justin:              But not robots. Think about that. I’d like to see the script of this comic to see the process, really, how they put this together, because the visuals are so good. They do so much of the storytelling, and it’s just a fun, nearly silent issue where we touch on, I don’t even know, just how the world sucks, finding moments whenever you can despite the weird circumstances of developing an act and becoming friends with a robot, how the dancing frog can live, can truly live if you do it right, and it’s-

Pete:                The poor WB frog.

Justin:              Yeah.

Alex:                 Great book. Definitely pick that up. Next up, another one of my favorites of the week, Batman/Superman #16 from DC Comics, written by Gene Luen Yang, art by Ivan Reis. In this book, we’re getting two tales told simultaneously of Golden Age, I think, I would say, Superman and Batman through film … not strips, but old-timey film reels. On the top, you got Superman. On the bottom, you got Batman. Like they say at the beginning, you can read them separately. I kind of recommend reading them together, because, spoiler, they actually start to tie together at the end there. This is a very cool, really fun issue that I enjoyed quite a bit.

Justin:              Yeah. This issue, I feel like, really just stands alone. I mean, I know it is tying into a larger story, but it really is just a super innovative way of telling these two stories, and you sort of think one thing, and then there are some reveals later on that you’re like “Oh, huh. Okay,” and like Alex said, things sort of come together in the end. Just a really innovative issue, I thought.

Pete:                I’m glad you guys liked it.

Alex:                 Pete, you’re so negative this week.

Pete:                Not really.

Alex:                 Okay. Well, let’s move on then to Crimson Flower #3 from Dark Horse Comics, written by Matt Kindt, art by Matt Lesniewski. Pete, lots of people die. There’s a lot of blood in this one as our main character hones in on her target. What’d you think about this?

Pete:                I very much enjoyed this. I thought this was a really great villain reveal. We thought it was kind of like one villain, and then kind of through the villain monologue, you got to see kind of how dark and twisted this villain actually was. So yeah. I really liked it. I like these scarf powers, and I think the art’s creepy and twisted in all the right ways. It’s a very interesting, cool book, and again, it’s like there’s not a lot of … There isn’t too much dialogue. So it’s not a heavy read. I very much enjoyed this.

Justin:              Yeah. I like this a lot. The art is really cool. I wish we had talked to Matt Kindt about this book.

Pete:                Yeah.

Alex:                 We messed up.

Justin:              Yeah. We messed up, because we had him on the live show recently, and this would have been a good one, because I think maybe we had just read the previous issue, which I think we all enjoyed. Yeah. It’s hard to pin this story down. It’s a really unique story. it’s a revenge tale, and the art really just really showcases the storytelling that’s happening here in a way that is really surprising.

Alex:                 This is probably the wrong thing, but the art almost feels like a medieval tapestry come to life in a certain way in terms of how-

Pete:                Oh, interesting.

Alex:                 … it’s laid out and the way that they have these stories inside of stories inside of stories. Very fascinating book. I highly recommend picking it up.

Justin:              Yeah.

Alex:                 Next up, Detective Comics #1,034 from DC Comics, written by Mariko Tamaki and Joshua Williamson, art by Dan Mora and Gleb Melnikov. This is telling a story of a kind of poor but still doing okay for himself Bruce Wayne. What’d you think about this one?

Pete:                I-

Alex:                 I mean, he’s doing fine. They’re making a big deal about “I don’t have my money. I only have 18 Batcaves and this really nice apartment in a good part of Gotham. That’s it.

Pete:                Yeah.

Justin:              Yeah, and he’s like “It’s crazy. I have neighbors now,”-

Pete:                Yeah. It’s-

Justin:              … and it’s like “Yeah. I know. We all have neighbors, asshole.”

Pete:                Yeah. It’s weird to see Batman kind of dealing with people, but I do really love the art. I really loved the moment where the bad guy sees Batman and is like “Crap.” That was just fun. Yeah. I think it’s an interesting story. I really like the backup as well. I feel like it’s a great package.

Justin:              It’s a great package.

Pete:                You love a good package.

Justin:              Yeah. I like this a lot too, and oddly we’ve talked a lot about Batman: The Animated Series, but this feels like Batman is warming up a little bit and becoming more like that Bruce Wayne from Batman: The Animated Series, where he has to talk to people and he has to be like a normal person sometimes, and maybe that’s what it’s like when you lose money and come back down to Earth and get with the people. Bruce Wayne, get with the people. Meet your neighbors.

Alex:                 Oh, I thought you were going to say something else after that. You said “Meet your neighbors.” You went up, and then-

Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. I thought-

Justin:              Meet your neighbors.

Pete:                [crosstalk 00:25:49].

Justin:              That’s what I’m saying. Do it. Go do it.

Pete:                [crosstalk 00:25:50].

Alex:                 Oh, that was it. Okay. It was a punctuation point.

Justin:              Meet your neighbors.

Alex:                 Yeah. Good story. Let’s move on, talk about The-

Justin:              Alex, go meet your neighbors.

Alex:                 I would love to, but coronavirus. The Scumbag #6 from Image Comics, written by Rick Remender, art by Bengal, dealing with the last arc. Here, we got our main Scumbag is now a super celebrity. He has blown the lid on all the things he’s done to save the Earth while having a big party in his new mansion, and then new threats come his way. What’d you think, Pete?

Pete:                Yeah. I feel like this is Remender having a lot of fun, a lot of cool metal references going on here, which was fun. Yeah. I mean, talking crack pipe. I mean, who doesn’t love that? But yeah. It was just tough because I felt like we had gotten somewhere with Scumbag as a character. It seems he regressed a little bit. I felt like he kind of did some things where he was doing things for the better of him, himself, and the team and moving towards being a hero, but now with this, it’s kind of like he went backwards a little bit. So that part’s a little frustrating, but a lot of really fun art, crazy, over the top, just stupid stuff.

Justin:              But what I like about this is Remender knows to bring this character back to sort of what he is, and yes, there’s a hero in him, but we don’t want him to be the hero yet. He has to continue to be the hard partying Scumbag, and that’s what he is as he’s thrown into a different superhero situation, which I’m excited to see how that plays out.

Alex:                 Next up, I know this is one of Pete’s favorite Barbalien, Red Planet #5 from Dark Horse comics, script by Tate Brombal, story by Jeff Lemire and Tate Brombal. I cannot say that last name. I’m so sorry. Art by Gabriel Hernandez Walta. This is about the Martian Manhunter-esque part of the Black Hammer universe. He is gay. He is dealing with that. He is also dealing with being trapped on his own planet at some point. Pete, talk about this book. Why did this one strike you in particular?

Pete:                Well, it’s a very powerful book. I mean, you got people fighting for their rights, what they believe in. There’s a lot of great protest moments. There’s very powerful page with blood spilled on it. They’re saying a lot of great stuff in this book. They’re talking about the collective. They’re talking about us as humans trying to grow and fight for things. It’s very, very powerful, very cool. Love the imagery and the art, and it’s just really well done.

Justin:              Yeah. I mean, I agree. I feel like we’ve been talking up the Black Hammer sort of side universe so much lately, and it really is just like this great, creative explosion that’s happening over in the Dark Horse universe, and this story … We’ve been talking a lot about the sort of episodic series, and this is just a great standalone story that has blown out that really takes you along for a great ride.

Alex:                 Really good book. Definitely agree. Next up, one of the darkest books of the week, Stray Dogs #2 from Image Comics, written by Tony Fleecs, art by Trish Forstner. So we reviewed, really liked, I think, the first issue of this book, which took a bunch of dogs, brought them together, and it turns out that maybe their owner is murdering women and stealing the dogs. We get deeper into that mystery this issue. I think you kind of called this out last issue, Justin, but it very much feels like Law & Order Don Bluth or something like that, and it’s kind of upsetting to read, in a certain way.

Justin:              It is upsetting, because these dogs are witness to this killer who is continuing to kill. I mean, we don’t know that for sure yet, I guess, but the way it’s like all these dogs, definitely drawn in the style of the Don Bluth Disney, very cute, lovable dogs that are just like “We’re in a dog story about dogs just trying to get by and then fall in love and then eventually go home and have Lady and Tramp children,” but instead it’s like this super dark … The dogs are witnessing and realizing that their current owner is a killer. It’s so dark, and I was so surprised by this, and it’s great.

Pete:                Yeah. It’s very interesting, kind of this thing of what if the person who is raising you, taking care of you, feeding you, all these things, is a horrible, horrible person? It’s like, what do you go on? Do you go on the fact that “Oh, but they provide for me, and they’re nice, and they take me out,” and all these things, and then “Oh, but I don’t see the murders”? It’s very interesting perspective. It’s very messed up and done in this adorable art that makes it even darker, but it’s this tale that hopefully these dogs can hopefully get to the bottom of and make a difference, but man, it’s a crazy start, for sure.

Justin:              Yeah. I mean, I say this a lot. I hope these dogs can solve that human murder.

Pete:                Yeah.

Alex:                 Last but not least, Post Americano #4 from Image Comics, story and art by Steve Skroce. In this issue, our heroes, I guess, have been captured. One of them has reconnected with their mom, and entering the fray is what looks like a superhero and a werewolf. I love this book so much more than I think I would every single time out of the gate, because it’s just so weird and funny and violent in exactly the right way, and I keep going into it thinking “This will be the issue. This will be the one that turns me. This is when they’ll go too far,” and they never do. It just skirts that line perfectly.

Justin:              Well, and I think this issue does a great job of having this heartfelt reunion between our mother and daughter characters here, and it’s really sweet and taken very seriously, and then the back half of the issue or back third of the issue is this wild nonsense superhero showcase.

Pete:                Yeah. It’s completely over the top, tons of violence. Each issue is crazier than the last, and you’re like “Oh, they can’t top that,” but then this issue does, and it kind of makes fun of itself in the process, but man, really fun. Great read. The art’s fantastic. A lot of cool characters. I mean, I love the car. I thought the car was so great. Such an awesome entrance, but it did hurt when that mint issue #1 got trashed by the guy in the tie. That hurt.

Alex:                 Good stuff. If you’d like to support our podcast-

Justin:              Heartbreaking.

Alex:                 … patreon.com/comicbookclub. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. Come hang out. We would love to chat with you about comic books. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe and listen to the show. On iTunes, leave us a comment and rate us. We would appreciate that quite a bit. @ComicBookLive on Twitter. Comicbooklive.com for this podcast and more. Until next time, we’ll see you at the virtual comic book shop.

Justin:              Send in the mimes, those cooky, spooky mimes.

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]]> On this week’s Stack podcast: Alien #1 Marvel Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson Art by Salvador Larroca Harley Quinn #1 DC Comics Written by Stephanie Phillips Art by Riley Rossmo Firefly: Brand New ‘Verse #1 BOOM! full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15436 19489dae-f739-4e75-b772-ad09011539cd Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:00:00 +0000 2045 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/03/24/the-stack-alien-harley-quinn-and-more/ Comic Book Club: Jason Torres And Kya Quinn Comic Book Club: Jason Torres And Kya Quinn On this week’s live broadcast, we’re welcoming guests Jason Torres (producer, writer) + Kya Quinn (producer/writer and host from NowThis Nerd)! SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. This episode of Comic Book Club is sponsored by Podcorn.com. The post Comic Book Club: Jason Torres And Kya Quinn appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week’s live broadcast, we’re welcoming guests Jason Torres (producer, writer) + Kya Quinn (producer/writer and host from NowThis Nerd)!

SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

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]]> On this week’s live broadcast, we’re welcoming guests Jason Torres (producer, writer) + Kya Quinn (producer/writer and host from NowThis Nerd)! SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15418 3ec6dcb6-2e0e-4d8d-aa7d-ad0901154e7c Wed, 24 Mar 2021 01:57:05 +0000 4466 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/03/23/comic-book-club-jason-torres-and-kya-quinn/ MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier – Episode 1 – “New World Order” MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier – Episode 1 – “New World Order” The first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is here, and we’re breaking down all the big moments on the series premiere, “New World Order”. Sam Wilson, a.k.a. The Falcon, is struggling with what to do about Captain America’s shield in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, and taking a side-trip down to New Orleans. Meanwhile, Bucky, a.k.a. The Winter Soldier, is dealing with the sins of his past and going on dates. But while these two Avengers deal with personal issues, in the background Sam’s sidekick Joaquín Torres is investigating the mysterious Flag Smashers, who might be a big threat than anyone realizes. From The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Easter eggs, to Marvel Comics references, to who that new Captain America is, we break it all down on this week’s episode. SUBSCRIBE TO MARVELVISION ON ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER, OR RSS. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Full Episode Transcript Alex:                 Welcome To MarvelVision, a podcast about Marvel the MCU and now Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which premiered today on Disney+. It’s finally here. It was suppose to be the first Marvel series on Disney+. Turns out, as you all know, it’s the second, to come out after WandaVision. That’s what happens in the real world. That is some real truths. Justin:              It’s crazy to say it’s finally here when literally WandaVision just ended. We’re spoiled. We’re spoiled is what it is, and now we’re diving into it like “Oh, we finally got this next one,” and we’re already doing it. We’re already here. Alex:                 I had to watch Marvel Studios’ Assembled for a week instead of my friend adventures with my super friends. Very upsetting. Justin:              Yeah. I know. I had to take this time off and look at my family members and my pets. Pete:                Oh. Oh, gross. Justin:              Yeah. Just- Alex:                 No thanks, man. No thanks. So as usual, or maybe you’re tuning in for the first time because you’re more interested in Falcon and the Winter Soldier than potentially you were in WandaVision, we go pretty heavily into spoilers on this podcast. That’s what we talk about here. So go watch the first episode right now before we get into it. We’re going to talk about some of our general thoughts on the show, how it kicked off, how it kicked off potentially compared to WandaVision, but we’ll also be talking about Marvel Easter eggs, references from the comics, anything that we picked up, and speculation for the rest of the show. Alex:                 So let’s start off with our first thing. From your guys’ perspective, WandaVision, I think, in a very surprising way, really raised expectations before Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which I certainly wasn’t expecting going into WandaVision. That was a huge hit, global domination just built over the course of the run. Obviously, there was a lot of consternation about the last episode and how it went. I liked it, for my note, but this is a very different show. This is much more straightforward MCU. Pete:                Wait. Wait. Wait. Alex:                 How did this first episode strike you? Pete:                Wait. What about the last episode? There was conversation? What did you say? Alex:                 Consternation. Just there were people that I think were a little upset about how certain things turned out with the last episode of WandaVision. Pete:                Oh, really? Alex:                 Yeah. Pete:                People were … Oh, okay. I didn’t know. Alex:                 Yeah. I mean, it was a huge surprise to me too that- Pete:                You’re using big Cornell words. You’re going to lose our audience. You know what I mean? Alex:                 No. That’s fair. Pete:                Let’s not flex our knowledge on us all the time. You know what I mean? Justin:              Oh, my god. When you say consternation, just use a smaller word, like butt angry. Pete:                Yeah. There you go. Thank you. Yeah. Alex:                 Lot of butthurt fans out there. Okay. Justin:              There you go. Now you’re speaking to the people. Alex:                 Let’s talk about Falcon and the Winter Soldier though and this first episode here. It’s obviously very different from WandaVision, but given those expectations going in here, given what you knew about the series, just broad strokes, how did the episode strike you? Pete:                Well, I also feel like it’s tough because it has to follow WandaVision now, which is such a quirky, huge hit, and I feel like that is a little tough because it’s a little bit straightforward. But what I really enjoyed was there’s a lot going on. It’s not just a simple kind of action thing, which I was happy about. There’s a lot going on with these two gentlemen’s lives, and it’s like we’re just really kind of digging into where they are. I thought it was fun. I was impressed with a lot of it and how quickly … I was surprised that there’s still, by the first episode, because we’re only getting a small handful here, that they’re not already together and kind of working together. So I was a little like “Oh, no. We didn’t get them together in the end,” but that’s the only- Alex:                 You got to save something for episode six, man. That’s what it’s all building to. Pete:                Oh, don’t. I can’t do the whole thing apart. I don’t want to do the whole thing apart. Justin:              We’re just going to see them passing each other in a hallway now and again like “Hey.” Alex:                 Game of Thrones style. Justin:              Yeah. I mean, I think the biggest … When you talk about WandaVision and Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it’s … If the TV show Friends … If they’d released Joey first because of a pandemic, it would have been a little bit harder to see what’s going on. Alex:                 I’ll give you one better. It’s if they released Episodes first. Justin:              Yeah. Okay. For all you Matt LeBlanc heads out there, you must be loving- Pete:                Is that a shot against Joey? Alex:                 No. Episodes was literally about him playing a Joey-type character on a show and commenting on the idea of television based on both Joey and Friends. So yeah. It feels like it’s skipping a beat. It’s like they jumped ahead and then they’re going back to the thing that should have come right after Endgame. Justin:              But it’s interesting because I think so much of all the commentary, the consternation, the butt anger about WandaVision was because the potential was all over the … Everyone was like- Pete:                Was huge. Yeah. Justin:              … “Fantastic Four. Al Pacino is Mephisto. Who’s going to be … The Mandarin’s rings are going to be hidden,” all this stuff, and it wasn’t that. Pete:                Also, Paul Bettany’s joke, which was hysterical, kind of fueled the fire for it as well, which didn’t help. Justin:              For sure, but what I think … If the original order had been preserved and Falcon and the Winter Soldier had come first, I think there would have been less of that, because what we see in this first episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, to me, is like this is like the bridge from Marvel movies to television. It’s like has the same pace, the same type of storytelling as the first act of a Marvel movie, where lots of actions, a little bit of introducing stuff, some table setting. The main characters don’t even meet here. Pete:                But you got Rhodey also being the bridge as well. Justin:              Rhodey pops in, but people aren’t like “Are we going to see War Machine?” It’s like “No. He’s here. He’s already here.” Alex:                 Yeah. He’s here. Justin:              He’s watching. Alex:                 Yeah. He left. He came here, and then he left. Justin:              Yeah. He’s out of here. It was nice to see him. It was a drop in. Pete:                Yeah. It was nice. Justin:              I think- Alex:                 He was on set that day anyway. So they just added him in. Justin:              That’s how Holleywood works, you know? Alex:                 Mm-hmm (affirmative). Justin:              It’s like “Hey. Pop in.” Pete:                Hey. You going to be around for something we’re shooting later? Because that would be cool. Justin:              We’re shooting this thing over here. Alex:                 Yeah. No problem. What do I have to do? Is this like a Black Monday thing? Or what’s going on? Justin:              Yeah. It is. They tricked him. But I don’t think there’s going to be that kind of speculation for this show, because it is just starting in a different place, and its expectations are sort of right where we thought they were going to be, and that’s good. I was psyched to watch this, but it is such a different viewing experience, to your point. Alex:                 Yeah. The thing, I had a blast watching this episode, like I think you guys are getting at. It’s very relaxing to watch this show, in a certain way, because WandaVision … You have to have this hyper attention while you’re watching it for all the details, everything that’s happening in every frame. That’s what was so wonderful about that show is the amount of different levels that it was working on. Here, it felt like “Ah, I’m back in the movie theater. I’m watching a Captain America movie,” or whatever, “It’s pretty cool. Just got to chill out, watch two handsome dudes have a good time kicking butt. Let’s have fun.” Alex:                 But on the flip side of it, and this may have to do with the WandaVision expectations … I certainly talked about this a lot during the WandaVision podcast, and I think I was pleasantly surprised. What happens here is this really does feel like we’re making more of a six-hour movie thing, which is typical for streaming but I don’t love on TV and I don’t love in the weekly release format. It’s the sort of thing that I might totally change my mind on watching the second episode because we’ll see what happens. Justin:              Your mind’s about to change. Alex:                 We’ll see what happens, but it’s the sort of thing that I feel like, if you’re into the MCU like we are, you jump into this episode, you’re in, you’re happy, you’re good, you’re having a good time. If you’re not sure about the MCU, I think this is the sort of thing you might actually want to wait until the second or third episode so you get more of a chunk and have more of a sense of what it is, unless, of course, you’re really into bank loans and fishing, in which case this is the show for you. Justin:              [crosstalk 00:07:59]. Pete:                Come on, dude. Justin:              Yeah. Pete:                I mean, that’s really what I want. I want to know. Is he going to get bank loans as easy as I can? Because he’s got that star power, and what’s nice to know is that he’s still like me if I went in there. I wouldn’t have my numbers. I mean, the last five years have been a shit show, but- Justin:              Yeah. You pop into the bank and just ask for a loan sort of whenever you’re passing by, right? Pete:                Yeah. Exactly. It’s kind of in my route, you know? Justin:              Hey. You got a loan for your pal Pete? Pete:                Yeah. Hey. Just checking. Remember that loan I applied for a couple years ago? Alex:                 Pete, for the last time, banks don’t work like a slot machine. Okay? Pete:                I’m just going to keep pulling that lever. Hopefully [crosstalk 00:08:36]- Alex:                 That’s what bank tellers are. You’re pulling their arm. Pete:                He doesn’t seem cool with it. Justin:              He’s a one-eyed bandit. That’s the thing. Or one-armed bandit. That’s what it is. Pete:                I just wanted to say, though, I agree with you a little bit, but also, the action and stuff is kind of stressful. It was a pretty close call a couple of those times, but overall, I agree with what you’re saying, but I do disagree, though, with Justin with … There are fun little things that, because I’m WandaVision trained, I was like “Oh, what does that mean? Okay. Oh, my god. Those hand prints on the mask could be a crossover with Lord of the Rings. That looked very much-“ Alex:                 They’re a bunch of Uruk-hai? Justin:              Yeah. Pete:                Yeah. So I was like … You know? Just my mind is trained from WandaVision. So it’s hard to kind of shift into neutral. Alex:                 Well, I do think- Justin:              I’m so sorry. You’re saying it was trained by WandaVision? You’ve one mad. [crosstalk 00:09:30]. Pete:                Oh, right. Right. Right. Alex:                 I mean, that’s part and parcel with the MCU and superhero movies, right? We do look at every frame and every scene for Easter eggs all over the place. WandaVision just took it to the Nth degree, just to an insane amount where there were those Easter eggs in every single frame hidden in little corners. Here, it’s thing like … I mean, I jotted down a couple of things. There weren’t much, but things like, oh, Erin Kellyman, who people probably know or might know as Enfys Nest from the Solo movie, from Solo Star Wars, plays Karli Morgenthau, one of the Flag-Smashers, and the original Flag-Smasher was Karl Morgenthau. That’s not the sort of thing where it’s like “Oh, shit. They put an I on the back of her name. Pete:                Whoa. Justin:              What do you think it means? Alex:                 But it’s like “Oh, yeah. That’s a reference to the comics. That’s cool.” Justin:              Yeah, but we’re doing a lot of comparison, but this show … The whole opening sequence, the amount aerial … If we want to get into the episode a little bit- Alex:                 Yes. Let’s please. Pete:                Can we, please? Justin:              First off, we start with the shield, and I don’t think we want to diminish this to be like “This is just a dumb movie-“ Pete:                Well, first off, let’s really talk about first off we see him ironing, which is a relaxing thing to do. It seems like he starts his day right. Alex:                 That’s a reference to Iron Man. Did you know that? Justin:              A little Easter egg. Pete:                How did I miss that? Alex:                 Yes. Justin:              Easter egg. Pete:                Right out of the box. Oh, man. Alex:                 On a similar very Pete-focused nose, did you notice that sweet shield case that Sam had that he put it in? Justin:              Yeah. Pete:                Yeah. Alex:                 That’s very cool. I wonder if he got that custom or he went to- Justin:              Merch. Pete:                Yeah. It looks like it was custom. Justin:              I would think so. It’s hard to know what size shield someone has. It’s like- Alex:                 Hey. Can I get that shield case over there, the one in tan? Not the black one or the red one, please. Justin:              One shield case fits all. I’m so sorry, but to … It starts with the shield, which I think, to get into some of the beginnings of themes for this series, I think it’s like symbolizing. An object like the shield is this symbol, and Sam treats it with this respect, and he’s like “I can’t bear this. It has the weight of history,” and so he puts it away. He puts it in this museum, and nobody else seems to think of it that way, or at least not the US government here, as we find at the end of the episode, and I really like that. Justin:              I think the idea of functional symbolism or functional patriotism, what stuff actually means to people versus the way we revere things that start to lose their meaning … That, to me, is what I took out of this first episode, and I think that’s a great theme, and just real quick, I think it’s reflected in the credits. The credits are a smattering of graffiti on these sort of icons, and I think that may be what the credits are getting at, that there’s these iconic things all around the country, all around our world, but the graffiti are the people saying something. They’re the people on the street. They’re putting their ideas out there, and I think the mixing of those ideas is what we’re going to get into in this series. Alex:                 Yeah. That seems spot- Pete:                Yeah. Alex:                 Oh, go ahead, Pete. Pete:                I was just going to say yeah. I really do like what they’re doing, this setting up of the weight of things, this symbolism. What does that mean? What does it mean to different people taking it for different things? But also, the fact that we picked up right where Falcon left off of like “Yo, man. This ain’t my shield,” or “I feel like I’m not good enough to rock this,” something that’s like he holds such reverence for it … It’s not like he’s not considering it. It such a big thing to him, and it means so much. So I love the fact that that’s where we are with him, and I also like this exploration throughout this episode of symbolism, like with the mask and the graffiti, and I’m glad you pointed that out, Justin. Alex:                 Well, to that point, what I was going to say is about tearing down the iconography. I think that really ties into the villains as well. I love the idea of the Flag-Smashers, the idea that they’re people who lived through the Blip, thought it was great, and want to go back to that. That’s really fascinating. That sets them up as really good villains, the opposite of what Captain America is supposed to be, whoever Captain America is at the time. We didn’t meet Zemo at all in this episode, but we’ve seen from the teasers that his thing is about tearing down superheroes. So that’s iconography from another angle, and I think you’re right. I think you’re absolutely spot on. That’s exactly what it is. The other thing, of course, is legacy, which is another very obvious theme from Cap passing it down to Sam and Sam saying “No. That’s not me. I’m somebody else,” to Bucky dealing with his own legacy, which I thought was really interesting. Justin:              Bad legacy. Alex:                 Yeah. Very bad legacy- Justin:              [crosstalk 00:14:09] legacy. Alex:                 … and making friends with an old man because he killed his son. That was super sad. Pete:                Oh, my god, and the fact that he had to hear it from him, and then also when he was on that day, it’s like it was so clear as day, but how do you do that? How do you say that to somebody? You know what I mean? Oh, unbelievable. Justin:              Yeah, and I love the way they positioned Falcon and Winter Soldier in two very different places, with Falcon trying to bear the weight of this legacy, and Winter Soldier doing the same thing but from a negative place. So he has to come to terms with his legacy while Falcon has to prove that he has earned what was already given to him, and I think that’s really cool, and the fact that they introduced the new Captain America, the U.S. Agent type character … The end of this episode is the nexus point. This is the dude who feels unbothered by any legacy but also has the legacy in his hands. Pete:                I was worried we were going to get the kind of … At the end of it, I was like “That better not be fucking Hydra Cap,” because I can’t deal with that. That would just be too much, because they did bring up Hydra, and then it was like there’s this new Cap, and I was like “Please. Please don’t let … I can’t deal with this.” Alex:                 Well, I mean, I don’t think … You’re talking about, if people haven’t read it, there’s an arc in the comics where Captain America, due to some time travel, I believe Cosmic Cube as well, shenanigans, ends up reliving his whole life but being loyal to Hydra the entire time. Pete hates that arc. I thought it was pretty good, but that’s how we’re different people, I guess. Pete:                Well, sometimes it’s fun to go places in comic books that you don’t want to go in real life, and sometimes it’s just too much to handle and you don’t like it. Alex:                 I don’t know if this makes you feel any better. My theory currently right now is that U.S. Agent Captain America is not Hydra, but he is very racist. Do you feel better about that? Pete:                Oh, wow. Justin:              Nice. Pete:                What kind of shit is that? Alex:                 I’m just wondering. Pete:                No. I don’t feel better. That’s- Alex:                 I’m just throwing out a little thought experiment there, Pete. Pete:                I don’t want it. Oh, my god. Justin:              Think, Alex, like he’s a bad guy, but just a lower-case-B bad. He’s a bad guy. Alex:                 Just a terrible guy. Justin:              He’s not a bad guy. Alex:                 He’s a terrible guy. Pete:                Oh, all right. Well, I don’t like where this is going. Justin:              But let’s into the actual bones of the episode. This aerial opening sequence I thought was just wild. Just in all sorts of ways It feels like it was so hard to do. I love all the flying, all the Batroc going … I assume that’s Batroc, because how many French-speaking villains are there out there? Jumping, not squirrel suiting, out of a chopper, into a chopper, out of that chopper, and then into yet another chopper. This guy … He’s great at leaping. Alex:                 He is. I was a little disappointed at first that Batroc the Leaper wasn’t doing enough leaping, but then he started leaping places, and I was very happy. Justin:              So much leaping. Quantum leaping. Alex:                 By the way, that is Batroc. That’s Georges St‑Pierre, who played him in … Was it the beginning of Winter Soldier? I think it was the beginning of Winter Soldier. Justin:              Yes. Alex:                 Yeah, and fought him there. Pete:                Sure. Alex:                 There was a little more leaping and kicking and stuff going on there. I did want to mention two things about Batroc while we’re talking about him. I love the fact that he doesn’t have the ridiculous Batroc costume or mustache from the books, but he still has a Batroc-colored jacket. He has a purple jacket with little yellow around it, which I thought was very nice, and it also … Alex:                 This doesn’t come up at all. This is just mentioning it to mention it, but I was thinking about it during the Batroc stuff. You guys probably remember this one, but there was this Captain America and Batroc one-shot by Kieron Gillen and Renato Arlem, and if you want a great Batroc story, anybody out there, search out this issue, because the whole idea of it is Batroc says “I can’t beat Captain America. I just can’t. That’s not a thing I can do. So what people hire me to do is slow him down. So I say ‘Okay. You pay me a certain amount of money. I’m going to slow him down for five minutes. I’m going to slow him down for 10 minutes while you get away as far as you can and do your thing and he’s distracted fighting me.'” It’s so cool, such a fun one-shot, and if you enjoyed Batroc’s appearance here at the beginning of this series, that’s a good one to check out. Justin:              Yeah. It’s good. Poor Louie the pilot. He seems Sam playing peekaboo, and he gets killed almost instantly. Alex:                 Yeah. Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              [crosstalk 00:18:30]. Alex:                 There’s another comic book character that appears here though, and I really liked him in this episode. He’s very different from how he is in the comics, but we met First Lieutenant Joaquín Torres, who’s played by Danny Ramirez in the show. He is a character … I don’t know if this is a spoiler. I kind of think that it may end up being, but he is the new Falcon when Sam Wilson takes over Captain America. He was introduced in Captain America: Sam Wilson #1. I don’t think they’re going to go this route, but in the comics, he has actual bird wings due to a mutation that’s done to him by Hydra. So whatever it is, it’s setting him up as Sam’s Falcon. Justin:              Sam’s Bucky. Alex:                 Yeah. Sam’s Bucky. Justin:              Sam’s Bucky. Alex:                 Exactly, which I think is kind of great. Did you like the- Pete:                Yeah. That’s kind of- Alex:                 … character, Pete? Because he was created by Nick Spencer. Pete:                I- Alex:                 I was thinking about how much of a trick to make that, and I decided not much of a trick. Pete:                Yeah. I like your build up of how important the character is for it, but I do like them together, and just because … You don’t have to like everything that somebody does. You know what I mean? Sometimes writers do amazing things, and sometimes they make choices and you’re just like “I don’t know. Okay.” Yeah. Yeah. You know- Alex:                 But I do think the actor is good. I enjoyed the actor. I think he’s a fun presence on the show. His action sequence with the Flag-Smashers I thought was cool and tense later in the episode. So I enjoyed him. I was not expecting his character. So that was a pleasant surprise for me. Justin:              Since Sam is a little more serious than Bucky on the other side of the show, it’s nice to have someone there to lighten it up, and then on the Bucky side, Bucky’s just like … He’s depressed but also like “I don’t know. I’m screwing around here too.” Pete:                I enjoyed him in the therapy. Even though it’s kind of hard for him, it was kind of fun the way he was playing it, and the back and forth between him and the therapist was very enjoyable. Alex:                 That was a great sequence too. I mean, the aerial fight was awesome and super long and very MCU and a great way to kick it off, but getting a flash back to Winter Soldier, I thought, was a very nice surprise, and then, like you’re saying, I was surprised at how funny the therapy session was and Bucky’s whole storyline. There was still sadness. There was still some action in there, but the date that he goes on later was cute and funny, and him interacting with Yuri, the old man, was also kind of fun. You don’t expect, going into a Bucky storyline, that you’ll be laughing while you’re watching it, but I did. Justin:              This guy’s fun. Alex:                 He is. Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              Underneath that metal arm is a funny bone, I guarantee. That therapist was me, right? Pete:                Well, she’s been taking a lot of crap from him over the years, and I think she was lashing out at him. She was like “Oh, you think I’m going to go back and forth with you? I’m sick of …” and the whole threatening to write stuff down was just … Oh, that’s fun. That’s real fun. Justin:              Yeah. I like how tiny the notebook is that Bucky has when he’s crossing his names off, very similar to a lot of standup comedians. So maybe we’re going to see him do an open mic. Alex:                 Now, do you think Bucky making a list is a reference- Pete:                And checking it twice? Alex:                 … to when Captain America made a list? It’s like an Easter egg, right? Remember when he made the list of movies he needed to- Pete:                Oh, right. Yeah. Yeah, and albums and stuff. Yeah. Alex:                 Now Bucky’s making a list. I think that’s an Easter egg, and I’m going to go on record saying that. Justin:              Yeah. I only make lists as a reference to the Marvel movies I love so much. Alex:                 Me too. Absolutely Pete:                Well, they say in this … They’re showing that old people make lists. So congratulations, guys. Alex:                 Wow. I am 106. Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              Also, I do love him being so up front with like “I’m 106 years old.” All that stuff was really fun, and Bucky’s storyline really mixes sort of those sweet moments with all the sadness, and I think, until he meets up with Falcon and we get sort of the buddy side, I feel like it’s going to be a lot of grappling with that stuff. Alex:                 Yeah. Now, what did you think of the whole Sam visiting his sister, fishing boat, loan storyline? Justin:              I thought it was crazy they slipped into an episode of Netflix’s Outer Banks there for a while- Alex:                 Just very briefly. Justin:              … which was fun. Pete:                Well, New Orleans is a nice touch, especially for Anthony Mackie, who that’s where he’s from. So having that in there is kind of nice, but it is. That’s why I like the layers of dealing with somebody disappearing for five years in the Blip. It’s not just things that happened in old movies. The fact that there’s people still dealing with this stuff is cool. Justin:              A hundred percent. Alex:                 When you say old movies, you’re talking about Avengers: Endgame? Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Justin:              Famously, in- Pete:                It feels so long ago. Justin:              Yeah. Famously- Alex:                 I don’t honestly remember. Was that a talkie? Justin:              Yeah. There was a- Pete:                One of the first. Justin:              There was a train coming right to the camera, and then the Blip happened. I agree with you, Pete. Having the Blip have big ramifications is … It feels so comic book in the best way, and it just makes you feel, as a viewer, like “Oh, everything matters. I’m so glad I know what all this is,” and Alex, like you were saying earlier about the Flag-Smashers stuff, that feels like such a great justification for all that. Justin:              Then here we see the economic ramifications for Sam and his sister going to the bank try to get a loan for their family business, not getting it, because they don’t have credit for five years. It’s just like that feels like something banks would do, and you have this banker being so fan-y towards Sam for him being a superhero. We touch on race here, economics, the struggle of all of those things in America, which again, through Sam and all the symbolic … him passing the shield, all that stuff, it feels like it’s all going to come together in a great theme that is not just like these guys have to fight and get the shield back. It’s like no. We’re dealing with America, in a way, here. Pete:                Also, I really like the brother-sister tension. You know what I mean? The way that they kind of banter back and forth really feels like a brother-sister relationship. I like how the fact that he’s defensive that he’s been gone, and she had to kind of work through all of it and just want some recognition for that, and he’s so defensive he’s not really giving that to her, and the fact it affects how they banter. I really like that, and I’m excited for how this is all going to kind of unfold and what it’s going to mean for the bigger picture for Sam. Alex:                 Now, Pete, you mentioned this. Anthony Mackie is from New Orleans. Sam Wilson in the comics is from Harlem, and they actually changed it to New Orleans on the show for Anthony Mackie. He said “Hey. I come from New Orleans. Let’s shoot it down there. What do you think?” and they were like- Pete:                Yeah. Why not? Alex:                 … “Sounds great,” and he’s like “And my family works fishing, just like my family,” and they’re like “Sounds great,” and he’s like “And I’m eating some crawfish at one point,” and they’re like “I don’t think we need to do that, specifically, but-“ Pete:                No. They should do that. Oh, my god. Yeah. Are you kidding me? Alex:                 Well, they haven’t done it yet. Justin:              He’s like- Alex:                 We’ll see if it … Pete:                He’s smart. He’s like “Hey. Listen, I want to go home. I want to visit my family. I want to have some crawfish. So let’s make it all part of the character.” You know what I mean? Justin:              Then he’s like “I want Jet Wings,” and they’re like “Okay. Okay.” Alex:                 One little other thing that … Again, it’s not an Easter egg. It’s just part of the show, but in the comics as well, the boat is called Paul and Darlene, and Sam’s parents in the comics are Darlene Jeffries and Paul Wilson. So that’s that reference there. There you go. Pete:                Nice. Justin:              Again, Alex, I think these are just regular eggs. Alex:                 Yes. These are just- Justin:              They’re not Easter eggs. Alex:                 … good old scrambled eggs. Pete:                Nothing wrong with that. Now, let me ask. Is LAF real? Because that’s a horrible name for a villain group. Alex:                 I think it’s L-A-F. It’s not- Justin:              L-A-F. Alex:                 It’s not like the Laff Hut, though that would tie into why Bucky’s keeping that list. Justin:              Yeah. Exactly. Alex:                 You’re going after- Justin:              He’s making a lineup. Alex:                 I was going after the Laff Hut. You’re going after the Laff Hut? Justin:              It’s going to be- Alex:                 They have a three-drink minimum. That’s out of control. Pete:                If you want to steal … like “Oh, we’re LAF. Look out for us,” it’s like L-A-F? Really, guy? That’s your move? I mean, unless they’re laughing at how ridiculous everything is. I don’t know. It pulled me out for a second. I was like “Is this real? What is going on with this?” Alex:                 Well, wait until episode two where they introduce The Chuckle Club. Justin:              Yeah. Pete:                [crosstalk 00:27:08]. Justin:              Well, it’s like how a lot of people are scared of clowns. Clowns are meant to be fun, but they can be scary. Alex:                 We’ve kind of broad-stroked through this, but were there any other specific things that jumped out to you, things that you guys liked? Justin:              I love- Pete:                I love … Oh, go ahead. Justin:              I love that- Alex:                 I love you. Oh, [crosstalk 00:27:27]. Justin:              I love you. Alex:                 Oh, my god. Justin:              I love the way at the end of the episode when Sam’s sister is like “You got to watch this,” and it’s the press conference where they’re introducing the new Captain America, and the way they shot this, I thought, was so nice. It’s shots from the press conference, and then you see a close up on Sam’s hands, his fingers closing around his other hands, and you see him just boiling in these very small ways, and not just boiling, but he’s mad. He’s upset. He’s just feeling lost. It was such a nice little sequence that wasn’t an action sequence but still had all these great, tense moments for Sam. Alex:                 Yeah. I agree, and Pete, I don’t know if you know this. Wyatt Russell, who plays U.S. Agent, AKA the new Captain America … You know who he is? Could you recognize him? Pete:                No. I couldn’t tell. He had a fucking mask on. Justin:              Your uncle. Pete:                What? Justin:              He’s your uncle. Alex:                 No. Wyatt Russell is the son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. Pete:                Oh, wow. Alex:                 Yeah. Pete:                That Wyatt Russell. Alex:                 Yes. I figured you’d like that. Pete:                Cool. Alex:                 You love those people. You love Kurt Russell. Justin:              And Goldie Hawn. Alex:                 You love Goldie Hawn. Pete:                Yes. I do. Overboard is a classic. I mean, come on. Alex:                 You watched both The Christmas Chronicles. Pete:                [crosstalk 00:28:39]. Yes. That’s true. Speaking of shouting out other movies, the battleship date moment was real nice and a nice nod to Battleship the movie. I feel like that was a nice, enjoyable moment there, you know? Alex:                 Mm-hmm (affirmative). Justin:              Yeah. No. Everybody- Pete:                Is that an Easter egg? Did I get one? Alex:                 Yep. Justin:              That’s not even an egg. Alex:                 That’s like an apple, maybe. Justin:              Yeah. That’s an Easter apple. Pete:                We talked in general about the therapist stuff, but I also really liked the breaking of the rules, and he was like “That should be rule number one if it’s so important.” Yeah. The back and forth there was just a lot of fun. Alex:                 Yeah. Couple of other things I’ll call out that I just jotted down. Again, like you’re saying, they’re eggs. They’re not Easter eggs, but I feel like a lot of people are going to speculate about the conversation that Falcon and Joaquín have where he says “Hey. I heard that Steve is in a secret base on the Moon looking down at us.” I think that was just a joke, but things that … I immediately was like “Oh, is that a reference to something? Is that a reference to the comics? What’s going on?” because Bucky actually lived on the Moon for a while as the watcher on the wall in the comics. I was like “Are they saying that? Nah. It’s just a joke.” Justin:              I doubt they’re saying that, but I did think that was weird. That was a weird thing to very specifically bring up, and then Sam sort of said it back to him. Pete:                Yeah, and then he echoes it. He’s like “Yeah. [crosstalk 00:30:08].” Justin:              So I don’t know. I think it could be a larger reference to … If we want to start to spin up the old nonsense speculation top, the MCU is moving into space pretty specifically. Maybe there’s something to be said about that. Alex:                 The other thing, and I couldn’t believe this was a real thing, but on the MCU wiki, there is a page for the Moon. It’s a very long page describing everything that happens on the Moon, but right at the top of the Moon wiki page, there’s a quote from Yo-Yo from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to Phil Coulsin where she says “I always thought you guys had people hiding on the Moon.” So I think this is another case when people are going to look … “Oh, they made an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. reference. They’re bringing them in. Here we go. It’s going to happen.” It’s not going to happen, folks. Justin:              There were a ton of S.H.I.E.L.D. references. They were like “This shield. The Captain America shield.” Look at all that. It’s great. S.H.I.E.L.D. fans got to be psyched. Alex:                 The shield fans. Justin:              Exactly. That should be one fan base. Alex:                 I think Michael Chiklis is going to show up. Justin:              Oh, you mean The Thing? Alex:                 What? Fantastic Four. They’re coming. Justin:              It’s here. It’s here. Alex:                 It’s happening. Pete:                Oh, my god. The Chiklis. I did like seeing the fact that he was upset as I was that somebody else was taking up the mantle of Captain America without kind of checking with him, because it really did feel like, if anybody was going to do it, it would have to be him. So to see, like you said, the tension, I was like “That’s your job. What are you doing just being cool with it right there?” Yeah. There was a lot of cool acting moments that were kind of impressive. Alex:                 We did touch on it in a jokey way earlier, but I do think it’s actually really important that they had a conversation just solo between Rhodey and Sam at the same time. I don’t think we’ve actually seen that on screen in the MCU before, having two black men having a conversation with each other about something. It comes from a black writer, Malcolm Spellman, and like you were touching on earlier, Justin, they don’t hit it very hard, but I think, as we go on, a lot of this series is going to start to be around race more and more as we get into it. Justin:              I agree, and I’m excited to see the MCU go there. Let’s talk about some real stuff, and I think they’re doing a good job of setting the stage to actually get into real issues alongside really cool fights. Alex:                 Awesome. Can’t wait. Before we wrap up here, what is on your Vision Board for the next episode? That’s a leftover from our WandaVision days, but also the podcast- Justin:              It’s not leftover. We planned it this way. Alex:                 Yeah. Exactly, but what are you looking forward to the next episode? What’s on your Vision Board, Pete? Pete:                Well, I’m just wondering, because I enjoy when the little thing pops out of his jet pack there- Alex:                 Redwing. Justin:              Redwing. Pete:                … but I’m just … Yeah. I’m just wondering if he could set it for maim instead of murder, because that robot was taking people out like crazy. I was like “Oh, shit. This show’s just straight up murdering people right off the batt.” So it’ll be interesting to see if maybe they dial that back now that they’ve gotten our attention a little bit or how it kind of unfolds. Justin:              Do you think that Sam’s worried that he’s sort of training his replacement with Redwing, like Redwing’s just going to start to be Falcon because- Pete:                Yeah. I think Redwing is like “Yo. I think this is my job.” Alex:                 It’s like- Justin:              When the robots just take our jobs. Alex:                 It’s like I always say. Redwing gives you bulls. Pete:                Oh, wow. Alex:                 That too much? Pete:                Wow. Justin:              You sound like a broken computer. I think you might have been replaced. Alex:                 I think a screw popped out of my head when I said that. Pete:                You got to turn down your dad jokes a little bit. I think it’s a little high. Alex:                 Right. I got to adjust that, Pete. Justin:              Dadbot 2000. Alex:                 Justin, what about you? What’s on your Vision Board? Justin:              I want to see the guys get together. I want to put the ampersand in Falcon and Winter Soldier and see them come together perhaps over this new Cap news. Alex:                 I’m looking forward to Zemo. That was the big thing obviously left off the board completely. I love Zemo. He’s one of my favorite villains. Pete:                Oh, my god. Alex:                 I thought he was so good in Civil War as well. Pete:                You’ve got the color purple in this. You got a little purple. Alex:                 Yep. Yeah. My favorite movie. My favorite Oprah movie as well. Pete:                Oh, my god. Justin:              Wow. Pete:                Wow. Alex:                 But- Justin:              You do an Oprah film festival every couple nights, right? Alex:                 Every couple of nights without fail. Absolutely. Watch through her entire filmography. No. I love Zemo. I think he’s a great villain, and I’m excited to see what’s going to happen. We’ve already set up these great villains with the Flag-Smashers. How is Zemo going to enter in there? Are we going to have a villain team-up? We set up the heroes. Now we set up a little bit of the conflict. It’s only going to get more complicated from here, and that’s very cool. Justin:              Yeah, and obviously in episode six when Al Pacino shows up as Mephisto would be … That is going to be fun. Alex:                 I cannot wait. The Thing, played by Michael Chiklis, is going to kill him. Justin:              Putting on the old rock suit. Alex:                 I still have it in my closet. Anyway, if you want to support this podcast, patreon.com/comicbookclub. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. Come hang out. We would love to chat with you about Falcon and the Winter Soldier. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe and listen to the show. Also, on iTunes in particular, if you could rate us and leave a comment, that would be much appreciated. That helps us out quite a bit. Comicbookclublive.com for this podcast and more. MarvelVisionPod on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Until next time, remember, Redwing gives you bulls. Pete:                Oh, boy. Alex:                 Yep. Spring. [crosstalk 00:35:37]. Justin:              Keep your eyes out for those Easter apples, you dad robots. Pete:                You doubled down on it. The post MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier – Episode 1 – “New World Order” appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. The first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is here, and we’re breaking down all the big moments on the series premiere, “New World Order”. Sam Wilson, a.k.a. The Falcon, is struggling with what to do about Captain America’s shield in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, and taking a side-trip down to New Orleans. Meanwhile, Bucky, a.k.a. The Winter Soldier, is dealing with the sins of his past and going on dates. But while these two Avengers deal with personal issues, in the background Sam’s sidekick Joaquín Torres is investigating the mysterious Flag Smashers, who might be a big threat than anyone realizes. From The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Easter eggs, to Marvel Comics references, to who that new Captain America is, we break it all down on this week’s episode.

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Full Episode Transcript

Alex:                 Welcome To MarvelVision, a podcast about Marvel the MCU and now Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which premiered today on Disney+. It’s finally here. It was suppose to be the first Marvel series on Disney+. Turns out, as you all know, it’s the second, to come out after WandaVision. That’s what happens in the real world. That is some real truths.

Justin:              It’s crazy to say it’s finally here when literally WandaVision just ended. We’re spoiled. We’re spoiled is what it is, and now we’re diving into it like “Oh, we finally got this next one,” and we’re already doing it. We’re already here.

Alex:                 I had to watch Marvel Studios’ Assembled for a week instead of my friend adventures with my super friends. Very upsetting.

Justin:              Yeah. I know. I had to take this time off and look at my family members and my pets.

Pete:                Oh. Oh, gross.

Justin:              Yeah. Just-

Alex:                 No thanks, man. No thanks. So as usual, or maybe you’re tuning in for the first time because you’re more interested in Falcon and the Winter Soldier than potentially you were in WandaVision, we go pretty heavily into spoilers on this podcast. That’s what we talk about here. So go watch the first episode right now before we get into it. We’re going to talk about some of our general thoughts on the show, how it kicked off, how it kicked off potentially compared to WandaVision, but we’ll also be talking about Marvel Easter eggs, references from the comics, anything that we picked up, and speculation for the rest of the show.

Alex:                 So let’s start off with our first thing. From your guys’ perspective, WandaVision, I think, in a very surprising way, really raised expectations before Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which I certainly wasn’t expecting going into WandaVision. That was a huge hit, global domination just built over the course of the run. Obviously, there was a lot of consternation about the last episode and how it went. I liked it, for my note, but this is a very different show. This is much more straightforward MCU.

Pete:                Wait. Wait. Wait.

Alex:                 How did this first episode strike you?

Pete:                Wait. What about the last episode? There was conversation? What did you say?

Alex:                 Consternation. Just there were people that I think were a little upset about how certain things turned out with the last episode of WandaVision.

Pete:                Oh, really?

Alex:                 Yeah.

Pete:                People were … Oh, okay. I didn’t know.

Alex:                 Yeah. I mean, it was a huge surprise to me too that-

Pete:                You’re using big Cornell words. You’re going to lose our audience. You know what I mean?

Alex:                 No. That’s fair.

Pete:                Let’s not flex our knowledge on us all the time. You know what I mean?

Justin:              Oh, my god. When you say consternation, just use a smaller word, like butt angry.

Pete:                Yeah. There you go. Thank you. Yeah.

Alex:                 Lot of butthurt fans out there. Okay.

Justin:              There you go. Now you’re speaking to the people.

Alex:                 Let’s talk about Falcon and the Winter Soldier though and this first episode here. It’s obviously very different from WandaVision, but given those expectations going in here, given what you knew about the series, just broad strokes, how did the episode strike you?

Pete:                Well, I also feel like it’s tough because it has to follow WandaVision now, which is such a quirky, huge hit, and I feel like that is a little tough because it’s a little bit straightforward. But what I really enjoyed was there’s a lot going on. It’s not just a simple kind of action thing, which I was happy about. There’s a lot going on with these two gentlemen’s lives, and it’s like we’re just really kind of digging into where they are. I thought it was fun. I was impressed with a lot of it and how quickly … I was surprised that there’s still, by the first episode, because we’re only getting a small handful here, that they’re not already together and kind of working together. So I was a little like “Oh, no. We didn’t get them together in the end,” but that’s the only-

Alex:                 You got to save something for episode six, man. That’s what it’s all building to.

Pete:                Oh, don’t. I can’t do the whole thing apart. I don’t want to do the whole thing apart.

Justin:              We’re just going to see them passing each other in a hallway now and again like “Hey.”

Alex:                 Game of Thrones style.

Justin:              Yeah. I mean, I think the biggest … When you talk about WandaVision and Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it’s … If the TV show Friends … If they’d released Joey first because of a pandemic, it would have been a little bit harder to see what’s going on.

Alex:                 I’ll give you one better. It’s if they released Episodes first.

Justin:              Yeah. Okay. For all you Matt LeBlanc heads out there, you must be loving-

Pete:                Is that a shot against Joey?

Alex:                 No. Episodes was literally about him playing a Joey-type character on a show and commenting on the idea of television based on both Joey and Friends. So yeah. It feels like it’s skipping a beat. It’s like they jumped ahead and then they’re going back to the thing that should have come right after Endgame.

Justin:              But it’s interesting because I think so much of all the commentary, the consternation, the butt anger about WandaVision was because the potential was all over the … Everyone was like-

Pete:                Was huge. Yeah.

Justin:              … “Fantastic Four. Al Pacino is Mephisto. Who’s going to be … The Mandarin’s rings are going to be hidden,” all this stuff, and it wasn’t that.

Pete:                Also, Paul Bettany’s joke, which was hysterical, kind of fueled the fire for it as well, which didn’t help.

Justin:              For sure, but what I think … If the original order had been preserved and Falcon and the Winter Soldier had come first, I think there would have been less of that, because what we see in this first episode of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, to me, is like this is like the bridge from Marvel movies to television. It’s like has the same pace, the same type of storytelling as the first act of a Marvel movie, where lots of actions, a little bit of introducing stuff, some table setting. The main characters don’t even meet here.

Pete:                But you got Rhodey also being the bridge as well.

Justin:              Rhodey pops in, but people aren’t like “Are we going to see War Machine?” It’s like “No. He’s here. He’s already here.”

Alex:                 Yeah. He’s here.

Justin:              He’s watching.

Alex:                 Yeah. He left. He came here, and then he left.

Justin:              Yeah. He’s out of here. It was nice to see him. It was a drop in.

Pete:                Yeah. It was nice.

Justin:              I think-

Alex:                 He was on set that day anyway. So they just added him in.

Justin:              That’s how Holleywood works, you know?

Alex:                 Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Justin:              It’s like “Hey. Pop in.”

Pete:                Hey. You going to be around for something we’re shooting later? Because that would be cool.

Justin:              We’re shooting this thing over here.

Alex:                 Yeah. No problem. What do I have to do? Is this like a Black Monday thing? Or what’s going on?

Justin:              Yeah. It is. They tricked him. But I don’t think there’s going to be that kind of speculation for this show, because it is just starting in a different place, and its expectations are sort of right where we thought they were going to be, and that’s good. I was psyched to watch this, but it is such a different viewing experience, to your point.

Alex:                 Yeah. The thing, I had a blast watching this episode, like I think you guys are getting at. It’s very relaxing to watch this show, in a certain way, because WandaVision … You have to have this hyper attention while you’re watching it for all the details, everything that’s happening in every frame. That’s what was so wonderful about that show is the amount of different levels that it was working on. Here, it felt like “Ah, I’m back in the movie theater. I’m watching a Captain America movie,” or whatever, “It’s pretty cool. Just got to chill out, watch two handsome dudes have a good time kicking butt. Let’s have fun.”

Alex:                 But on the flip side of it, and this may have to do with the WandaVision expectations … I certainly talked about this a lot during the WandaVision podcast, and I think I was pleasantly surprised. What happens here is this really does feel like we’re making more of a six-hour movie thing, which is typical for streaming but I don’t love on TV and I don’t love in the weekly release format. It’s the sort of thing that I might totally change my mind on watching the second episode because we’ll see what happens.

Justin:              Your mind’s about to change.

Alex:                 We’ll see what happens, but it’s the sort of thing that I feel like, if you’re into the MCU like we are, you jump into this episode, you’re in, you’re happy, you’re good, you’re having a good time. If you’re not sure about the MCU, I think this is the sort of thing you might actually want to wait until the second or third episode so you get more of a chunk and have more of a sense of what it is, unless, of course, you’re really into bank loans and fishing, in which case this is the show for you.

Justin:              [crosstalk 00:07:59].

Pete:                Come on, dude.

Justin:              Yeah.

Pete:                I mean, that’s really what I want. I want to know. Is he going to get bank loans as easy as I can? Because he’s got that star power, and what’s nice to know is that he’s still like me if I went in there. I wouldn’t have my numbers. I mean, the last five years have been a shit show, but-

Justin:              Yeah. You pop into the bank and just ask for a loan sort of whenever you’re passing by, right?

Pete:                Yeah. Exactly. It’s kind of in my route, you know?

Justin:              Hey. You got a loan for your pal Pete?

Pete:                Yeah. Hey. Just checking. Remember that loan I applied for a couple years ago?

Alex:                 Pete, for the last time, banks don’t work like a slot machine. Okay?

Pete:                I’m just going to keep pulling that lever. Hopefully [crosstalk 00:08:36]-

Alex:                 That’s what bank tellers are. You’re pulling their arm.

Pete:                He doesn’t seem cool with it.

Justin:              He’s a one-eyed bandit. That’s the thing. Or one-armed bandit. That’s what it is.

Pete:                I just wanted to say, though, I agree with you a little bit, but also, the action and stuff is kind of stressful. It was a pretty close call a couple of those times, but overall, I agree with what you’re saying, but I do disagree, though, with Justin with … There are fun little things that, because I’m WandaVision trained, I was like “Oh, what does that mean? Okay. Oh, my god. Those hand prints on the mask could be a crossover with Lord of the Rings. That looked very much-“

Alex:                 They’re a bunch of Uruk-hai?

Justin:              Yeah.

Pete:                Yeah. So I was like … You know? Just my mind is trained from WandaVision. So it’s hard to kind of shift into neutral.

Alex:                 Well, I do think-

Justin:              I’m so sorry. You’re saying it was trained by WandaVision? You’ve one mad. [crosstalk 00:09:30].

Pete:                Oh, right. Right. Right.

Alex:                 I mean, that’s part and parcel with the MCU and superhero movies, right? We do look at every frame and every scene for Easter eggs all over the place. WandaVision just took it to the Nth degree, just to an insane amount where there were those Easter eggs in every single frame hidden in little corners. Here, it’s thing like … I mean, I jotted down a couple of things. There weren’t much, but things like, oh, Erin Kellyman, who people probably know or might know as Enfys Nest from the Solo movie, from Solo Star Wars, plays Karli Morgenthau, one of the Flag-Smashers, and the original Flag-Smasher was Karl Morgenthau. That’s not the sort of thing where it’s like “Oh, shit. They put an I on the back of her name.

Pete:                Whoa.

Justin:              What do you think it means?

Alex:                 But it’s like “Oh, yeah. That’s a reference to the comics. That’s cool.”

Justin:              Yeah, but we’re doing a lot of comparison, but this show … The whole opening sequence, the amount aerial … If we want to get into the episode a little bit-

Alex:                 Yes. Let’s please.

Pete:                Can we, please?

Justin:              First off, we start with the shield, and I don’t think we want to diminish this to be like “This is just a dumb movie-“

Pete:                Well, first off, let’s really talk about first off we see him ironing, which is a relaxing thing to do. It seems like he starts his day right.

Alex:                 That’s a reference to Iron Man. Did you know that?

Justin:              A little Easter egg.

Pete:                How did I miss that?

Alex:                 Yes.

Justin:              Easter egg.

Pete:                Right out of the box. Oh, man.

Alex:                 On a similar very Pete-focused nose, did you notice that sweet shield case that Sam had that he put it in?

Justin:              Yeah.

Pete:                Yeah.

Alex:                 That’s very cool. I wonder if he got that custom or he went to-

Justin:              Merch.

Pete:                Yeah. It looks like it was custom.

Justin:              I would think so. It’s hard to know what size shield someone has. It’s like-

Alex:                 Hey. Can I get that shield case over there, the one in tan? Not the black one or the red one, please.

Justin:              One shield case fits all. I’m so sorry, but to … It starts with the shield, which I think, to get into some of the beginnings of themes for this series, I think it’s like symbolizing. An object like the shield is this symbol, and Sam treats it with this respect, and he’s like “I can’t bear this. It has the weight of history,” and so he puts it away. He puts it in this museum, and nobody else seems to think of it that way, or at least not the US government here, as we find at the end of the episode, and I really like that.

Justin:              I think the idea of functional symbolism or functional patriotism, what stuff actually means to people versus the way we revere things that start to lose their meaning … That, to me, is what I took out of this first episode, and I think that’s a great theme, and just real quick, I think it’s reflected in the credits. The credits are a smattering of graffiti on these sort of icons, and I think that may be what the credits are getting at, that there’s these iconic things all around the country, all around our world, but the graffiti are the people saying something. They’re the people on the street. They’re putting their ideas out there, and I think the mixing of those ideas is what we’re going to get into in this series.

Alex:                 Yeah. That seems spot-

Pete:                Yeah.

Alex:                 Oh, go ahead, Pete.

Pete:                I was just going to say yeah. I really do like what they’re doing, this setting up of the weight of things, this symbolism. What does that mean? What does it mean to different people taking it for different things? But also, the fact that we picked up right where Falcon left off of like “Yo, man. This ain’t my shield,” or “I feel like I’m not good enough to rock this,” something that’s like he holds such reverence for it … It’s not like he’s not considering it. It such a big thing to him, and it means so much. So I love the fact that that’s where we are with him, and I also like this exploration throughout this episode of symbolism, like with the mask and the graffiti, and I’m glad you pointed that out, Justin.

Alex:                 Well, to that point, what I was going to say is about tearing down the iconography. I think that really ties into the villains as well. I love the idea of the Flag-Smashers, the idea that they’re people who lived through the Blip, thought it was great, and want to go back to that. That’s really fascinating. That sets them up as really good villains, the opposite of what Captain America is supposed to be, whoever Captain America is at the time. We didn’t meet Zemo at all in this episode, but we’ve seen from the teasers that his thing is about tearing down superheroes. So that’s iconography from another angle, and I think you’re right. I think you’re absolutely spot on. That’s exactly what it is. The other thing, of course, is legacy, which is another very obvious theme from Cap passing it down to Sam and Sam saying “No. That’s not me. I’m somebody else,” to Bucky dealing with his own legacy, which I thought was really interesting.

Justin:              Bad legacy.

Alex:                 Yeah. Very bad legacy-

Justin:              [crosstalk 00:14:09] legacy.

Alex:                 … and making friends with an old man because he killed his son. That was super sad.

Pete:                Oh, my god, and the fact that he had to hear it from him, and then also when he was on that day, it’s like it was so clear as day, but how do you do that? How do you say that to somebody? You know what I mean? Oh, unbelievable.

Justin:              Yeah, and I love the way they positioned Falcon and Winter Soldier in two very different places, with Falcon trying to bear the weight of this legacy, and Winter Soldier doing the same thing but from a negative place. So he has to come to terms with his legacy while Falcon has to prove that he has earned what was already given to him, and I think that’s really cool, and the fact that they introduced the new Captain America, the U.S. Agent type character … The end of this episode is the nexus point. This is the dude who feels unbothered by any legacy but also has the legacy in his hands.

Pete:                I was worried we were going to get the kind of … At the end of it, I was like “That better not be fucking Hydra Cap,” because I can’t deal with that. That would just be too much, because they did bring up Hydra, and then it was like there’s this new Cap, and I was like “Please. Please don’t let … I can’t deal with this.”

Alex:                 Well, I mean, I don’t think … You’re talking about, if people haven’t read it, there’s an arc in the comics where Captain America, due to some time travel, I believe Cosmic Cube as well, shenanigans, ends up reliving his whole life but being loyal to Hydra the entire time. Pete hates that arc. I thought it was pretty good, but that’s how we’re different people, I guess.

Pete:                Well, sometimes it’s fun to go places in comic books that you don’t want to go in real life, and sometimes it’s just too much to handle and you don’t like it.

Alex:                 I don’t know if this makes you feel any better. My theory currently right now is that U.S. Agent Captain America is not Hydra, but he is very racist. Do you feel better about that?

Pete:                Oh, wow.

Justin:              Nice.

Pete:                What kind of shit is that?

Alex:                 I’m just wondering.

Pete:                No. I don’t feel better. That’s-

Alex:                 I’m just throwing out a little thought experiment there, Pete.

Pete:                I don’t want it. Oh, my god.

Justin:              Think, Alex, like he’s a bad guy, but just a lower-case-B bad. He’s a bad guy.

Alex:                 Just a terrible guy.

Justin:              He’s not a bad guy.

Alex:                 He’s a terrible guy.

Pete:                Oh, all right. Well, I don’t like where this is going.

Justin:              But let’s into the actual bones of the episode. This aerial opening sequence I thought was just wild. Just in all sorts of ways It feels like it was so hard to do. I love all the flying, all the Batroc going … I assume that’s Batroc, because how many French-speaking villains are there out there? Jumping, not squirrel suiting, out of a chopper, into a chopper, out of that chopper, and then into yet another chopper. This guy … He’s great at leaping.

Alex:                 He is. I was a little disappointed at first that Batroc the Leaper wasn’t doing enough leaping, but then he started leaping places, and I was very happy.

Justin:              So much leaping. Quantum leaping.

Alex:                 By the way, that is Batroc. That’s Georges St‑Pierre, who played him in … Was it the beginning of Winter Soldier? I think it was the beginning of Winter Soldier.

Justin:              Yes.

Alex:                 Yeah, and fought him there.

Pete:                Sure.

Alex:                 There was a little more leaping and kicking and stuff going on there. I did want to mention two things about Batroc while we’re talking about him. I love the fact that he doesn’t have the ridiculous Batroc costume or mustache from the books, but he still has a Batroc-colored jacket. He has a purple jacket with little yellow around it, which I thought was very nice, and it also …

Alex:                 This doesn’t come up at all. This is just mentioning it to mention it, but I was thinking about it during the Batroc stuff. You guys probably remember this one, but there was this Captain America and Batroc one-shot by Kieron Gillen and Renato Arlem, and if you want a great Batroc story, anybody out there, search out this issue, because the whole idea of it is Batroc says “I can’t beat Captain America. I just can’t. That’s not a thing I can do. So what people hire me to do is slow him down. So I say ‘Okay. You pay me a certain amount of money. I’m going to slow him down for five minutes. I’m going to slow him down for 10 minutes while you get away as far as you can and do your thing and he’s distracted fighting me.'” It’s so cool, such a fun one-shot, and if you enjoyed Batroc’s appearance here at the beginning of this series, that’s a good one to check out.

Justin:              Yeah. It’s good. Poor Louie the pilot. He seems Sam playing peekaboo, and he gets killed almost instantly.

Alex:                 Yeah.

Pete:                Yeah.

Justin:              [crosstalk 00:18:30].

Alex:                 There’s another comic book character that appears here though, and I really liked him in this episode. He’s very different from how he is in the comics, but we met First Lieutenant Joaquín Torres, who’s played by Danny Ramirez in the show. He is a character … I don’t know if this is a spoiler. I kind of think that it may end up being, but he is the new Falcon when Sam Wilson takes over Captain America. He was introduced in Captain America: Sam Wilson #1. I don’t think they’re going to go this route, but in the comics, he has actual bird wings due to a mutation that’s done to him by Hydra. So whatever it is, it’s setting him up as Sam’s Falcon.

Justin:              Sam’s Bucky.

Alex:                 Yeah. Sam’s Bucky.

Justin:              Sam’s Bucky.

Alex:                 Exactly, which I think is kind of great. Did you like the-

Pete:                Yeah. That’s kind of-

Alex:                 … character, Pete? Because he was created by Nick Spencer.

Pete:                I-

Alex:                 I was thinking about how much of a trick to make that, and I decided not much of a trick.

Pete:                Yeah. I like your build up of how important the character is for it, but I do like them together, and just because … You don’t have to like everything that somebody does. You know what I mean? Sometimes writers do amazing things, and sometimes they make choices and you’re just like “I don’t know. Okay.” Yeah. Yeah. You know-

Alex:                 But I do think the actor is good. I enjoyed the actor. I think he’s a fun presence on the show. His action sequence with the Flag-Smashers I thought was cool and tense later in the episode. So I enjoyed him. I was not expecting his character. So that was a pleasant surprise for me.

Justin:              Since Sam is a little more serious than Bucky on the other side of the show, it’s nice to have someone there to lighten it up, and then on the Bucky side, Bucky’s just like … He’s depressed but also like “I don’t know. I’m screwing around here too.”

Pete:                I enjoyed him in the therapy. Even though it’s kind of hard for him, it was kind of fun the way he was playing it, and the back and forth between him and the therapist was very enjoyable.

Alex:                 That was a great sequence too. I mean, the aerial fight was awesome and super long and very MCU and a great way to kick it off, but getting a flash back to Winter Soldier, I thought, was a very nice surprise, and then, like you’re saying, I was surprised at how funny the therapy session was and Bucky’s whole storyline. There was still sadness. There was still some action in there, but the date that he goes on later was cute and funny, and him interacting with Yuri, the old man, was also kind of fun. You don’t expect, going into a Bucky storyline, that you’ll be laughing while you’re watching it, but I did.

Justin:              This guy’s fun.

Alex:                 He is.

Pete:                Yeah.

Justin:              Underneath that metal arm is a funny bone, I guarantee. That therapist was me, right?

Pete:                Well, she’s been taking a lot of crap from him over the years, and I think she was lashing out at him. She was like “Oh, you think I’m going to go back and forth with you? I’m sick of …” and the whole threatening to write stuff down was just … Oh, that’s fun. That’s real fun.

Justin:              Yeah. I like how tiny the notebook is that Bucky has when he’s crossing his names off, very similar to a lot of standup comedians. So maybe we’re going to see him do an open mic.

Alex:                 Now, do you think Bucky making a list is a reference-

Pete:                And checking it twice?

Alex:                 … to when Captain America made a list? It’s like an Easter egg, right? Remember when he made the list of movies he needed to-

Pete:                Oh, right. Yeah. Yeah, and albums and stuff. Yeah.

Alex:                 Now Bucky’s making a list. I think that’s an Easter egg, and I’m going to go on record saying that.

Justin:              Yeah. I only make lists as a reference to the Marvel movies I love so much.

Alex:                 Me too. Absolutely

Pete:                Well, they say in this … They’re showing that old people make lists. So congratulations, guys.

Alex:                 Wow. I am 106.

Pete:                Yeah.

Justin:              Also, I do love him being so up front with like “I’m 106 years old.” All that stuff was really fun, and Bucky’s storyline really mixes sort of those sweet moments with all the sadness, and I think, until he meets up with Falcon and we get sort of the buddy side, I feel like it’s going to be a lot of grappling with that stuff.

Alex:                 Yeah. Now, what did you think of the whole Sam visiting his sister, fishing boat, loan storyline?

Justin:              I thought it was crazy they slipped into an episode of Netflix’s Outer Banks there for a while-

Alex:                 Just very briefly.

Justin:              … which was fun.

Pete:                Well, New Orleans is a nice touch, especially for Anthony Mackie, who that’s where he’s from. So having that in there is kind of nice, but it is. That’s why I like the layers of dealing with somebody disappearing for five years in the Blip. It’s not just things that happened in old movies. The fact that there’s people still dealing with this stuff is cool.

Justin:              A hundred percent.

Alex:                 When you say old movies, you’re talking about Avengers: Endgame?

Pete:                Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Justin:              Famously, in-

Pete:                It feels so long ago.

Justin:              Yeah. Famously-

Alex:                 I don’t honestly remember. Was that a talkie?

Justin:              Yeah. There was a-

Pete:                One of the first.

Justin:              There was a train coming right to the camera, and then the Blip happened. I agree with you, Pete. Having the Blip have big ramifications is … It feels so comic book in the best way, and it just makes you feel, as a viewer, like “Oh, everything matters. I’m so glad I know what all this is,” and Alex, like you were saying earlier about the Flag-Smashers stuff, that feels like such a great justification for all that.

Justin:              Then here we see the economic ramifications for Sam and his sister going to the bank try to get a loan for their family business, not getting it, because they don’t have credit for five years. It’s just like that feels like something banks would do, and you have this banker being so fan-y towards Sam for him being a superhero. We touch on race here, economics, the struggle of all of those things in America, which again, through Sam and all the symbolic … him passing the shield, all that stuff, it feels like it’s all going to come together in a great theme that is not just like these guys have to fight and get the shield back. It’s like no. We’re dealing with America, in a way, here.

Pete:                Also, I really like the brother-sister tension. You know what I mean? The way that they kind of banter back and forth really feels like a brother-sister relationship. I like how the fact that he’s defensive that he’s been gone, and she had to kind of work through all of it and just want some recognition for that, and he’s so defensive he’s not really giving that to her, and the fact it affects how they banter. I really like that, and I’m excited for how this is all going to kind of unfold and what it’s going to mean for the bigger picture for Sam.

Alex:                 Now, Pete, you mentioned this. Anthony Mackie is from New Orleans. Sam Wilson in the comics is from Harlem, and they actually changed it to New Orleans on the show for Anthony Mackie. He said “Hey. I come from New Orleans. Let’s shoot it down there. What do you think?” and they were like-

Pete:                Yeah. Why not?

Alex:                 … “Sounds great,” and he’s like “And my family works fishing, just like my family,” and they’re like “Sounds great,” and he’s like “And I’m eating some crawfish at one point,” and they’re like “I don’t think we need to do that, specifically, but-“

Pete:                No. They should do that. Oh, my god. Yeah. Are you kidding me?

Alex:                 Well, they haven’t done it yet.

Justin:              He’s like-

Alex:                 We’ll see if it …

Pete:                He’s smart. He’s like “Hey. Listen, I want to go home. I want to visit my family. I want to have some crawfish. So let’s make it all part of the character.” You know what I mean?

Justin:              Then he’s like “I want Jet Wings,” and they’re like “Okay. Okay.”

Alex:                 One little other thing that … Again, it’s not an Easter egg. It’s just part of the show, but in the comics as well, the boat is called Paul and Darlene, and Sam’s parents in the comics are Darlene Jeffries and Paul Wilson. So that’s that reference there. There you go.

Pete:                Nice.

Justin:              Again, Alex, I think these are just regular eggs.

Alex:                 Yes. These are just-

Justin:              They’re not Easter eggs.

Alex:                 … good old scrambled eggs.

Pete:                Nothing wrong with that. Now, let me ask. Is LAF real? Because that’s a horrible name for a villain group.

Alex:                 I think it’s L-A-F. It’s not-

Justin:              L-A-F.

Alex:                 It’s not like the Laff Hut, though that would tie into why Bucky’s keeping that list.

Justin:              Yeah. Exactly.

Alex:                 You’re going after-

Justin:              He’s making a lineup.

Alex:                 I was going after the Laff Hut. You’re going after the Laff Hut?

Justin:              It’s going to be-

Alex:                 They have a three-drink minimum. That’s out of control.

Pete:                If you want to steal … like “Oh, we’re LAF. Look out for us,” it’s like L-A-F? Really, guy? That’s your move? I mean, unless they’re laughing at how ridiculous everything is. I don’t know. It pulled me out for a second. I was like “Is this real? What is going on with this?”

Alex:                 Well, wait until episode two where they introduce The Chuckle Club.

Justin:              Yeah.

Pete:                [crosstalk 00:27:08].

Justin:              Well, it’s like how a lot of people are scared of clowns. Clowns are meant to be fun, but they can be scary.

Alex:                 We’ve kind of broad-stroked through this, but were there any other specific things that jumped out to you, things that you guys liked?

Justin:              I love-

Pete:                I love … Oh, go ahead.

Justin:              I love that-

Alex:                 I love you. Oh, [crosstalk 00:27:27].

Justin:              I love you.

Alex:                 Oh, my god.

Justin:              I love the way at the end of the episode when Sam’s sister is like “You got to watch this,” and it’s the press conference where they’re introducing the new Captain America, and the way they shot this, I thought, was so nice. It’s shots from the press conference, and then you see a close up on Sam’s hands, his fingers closing around his other hands, and you see him just boiling in these very small ways, and not just boiling, but he’s mad. He’s upset. He’s just feeling lost. It was such a nice little sequence that wasn’t an action sequence but still had all these great, tense moments for Sam.

Alex:                 Yeah. I agree, and Pete, I don’t know if you know this. Wyatt Russell, who plays U.S. Agent, AKA the new Captain America … You know who he is? Could you recognize him?

Pete:                No. I couldn’t tell. He had a fucking mask on.

Justin:              Your uncle.

Pete:                What?

Justin:              He’s your uncle.

Alex:                 No. Wyatt Russell is the son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.

Pete:                Oh, wow.

Alex:                 Yeah.

Pete:                That Wyatt Russell.

Alex:                 Yes. I figured you’d like that.

Pete:                Cool.

Alex:                 You love those people. You love Kurt Russell.

Justin:              And Goldie Hawn.

Alex:                 You love Goldie Hawn.

Pete:                Yes. I do. Overboard is a classic. I mean, come on.

Alex:                 You watched both The Christmas Chronicles.

Pete:                [crosstalk 00:28:39]. Yes. That’s true. Speaking of shouting out other movies, the battleship date moment was real nice and a nice nod to Battleship the movie. I feel like that was a nice, enjoyable moment there, you know?

Alex:                 Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Justin:              Yeah. No. Everybody-

Pete:                Is that an Easter egg? Did I get one?

Alex:                 Yep.

Justin:              That’s not even an egg.

Alex:                 That’s like an apple, maybe.

Justin:              Yeah. That’s an Easter apple.

Pete:                We talked in general about the therapist stuff, but I also really liked the breaking of the rules, and he was like “That should be rule number one if it’s so important.” Yeah. The back and forth there was just a lot of fun.

Alex:                 Yeah. Couple of other things I’ll call out that I just jotted down. Again, like you’re saying, they’re eggs. They’re not Easter eggs, but I feel like a lot of people are going to speculate about the conversation that Falcon and Joaquín have where he says “Hey. I heard that Steve is in a secret base on the Moon looking down at us.” I think that was just a joke, but things that … I immediately was like “Oh, is that a reference to something? Is that a reference to the comics? What’s going on?” because Bucky actually lived on the Moon for a while as the watcher on the wall in the comics. I was like “Are they saying that? Nah. It’s just a joke.”

Justin:              I doubt they’re saying that, but I did think that was weird. That was a weird thing to very specifically bring up, and then Sam sort of said it back to him.

Pete:                Yeah, and then he echoes it. He’s like “Yeah. [crosstalk 00:30:08].”

Justin:              So I don’t know. I think it could be a larger reference to … If we want to start to spin up the old nonsense speculation top, the MCU is moving into space pretty specifically. Maybe there’s something to be said about that.

Alex:                 The other thing, and I couldn’t believe this was a real thing, but on the MCU wiki, there is a page for the Moon. It’s a very long page describing everything that happens on the Moon, but right at the top of the Moon wiki page, there’s a quote from Yo-Yo from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to Phil Coulsin where she says “I always thought you guys had people hiding on the Moon.” So I think this is another case when people are going to look … “Oh, they made an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. reference. They’re bringing them in. Here we go. It’s going to happen.” It’s not going to happen, folks.

Justin:              There were a ton of S.H.I.E.L.D. references. They were like “This shield. The Captain America shield.” Look at all that. It’s great. S.H.I.E.L.D. fans got to be psyched.

Alex:                 The shield fans.

Justin:              Exactly. That should be one fan base.

Alex:                 I think Michael Chiklis is going to show up.

Justin:              Oh, you mean The Thing?

Alex:                 What? Fantastic Four. They’re coming.

Justin:              It’s here. It’s here.

Alex:                 It’s happening.

Pete:                Oh, my god. The Chiklis. I did like seeing the fact that he was upset as I was that somebody else was taking up the mantle of Captain America without kind of checking with him, because it really did feel like, if anybody was going to do it, it would have to be him. So to see, like you said, the tension, I was like “That’s your job. What are you doing just being cool with it right there?” Yeah. There was a lot of cool acting moments that were kind of impressive.

Alex:                 We did touch on it in a jokey way earlier, but I do think it’s actually really important that they had a conversation just solo between Rhodey and Sam at the same time. I don’t think we’ve actually seen that on screen in the MCU before, having two black men having a conversation with each other about something. It comes from a black writer, Malcolm Spellman, and like you were touching on earlier, Justin, they don’t hit it very hard, but I think, as we go on, a lot of this series is going to start to be around race more and more as we get into it.

Justin:              I agree, and I’m excited to see the MCU go there. Let’s talk about some real stuff, and I think they’re doing a good job of setting the stage to actually get into real issues alongside really cool fights.

Alex:                 Awesome. Can’t wait. Before we wrap up here, what is on your Vision Board for the next episode? That’s a leftover from our WandaVision days, but also the podcast-

Justin:              It’s not leftover. We planned it this way.

Alex:                 Yeah. Exactly, but what are you looking forward to the next episode? What’s on your Vision Board, Pete?

Pete:                Well, I’m just wondering, because I enjoy when the little thing pops out of his jet pack there-

Alex:                 Redwing.

Justin:              Redwing.

Pete:                … but I’m just … Yeah. I’m just wondering if he could set it for maim instead of murder, because that robot was taking people out like crazy. I was like “Oh, shit. This show’s just straight up murdering people right off the batt.” So it’ll be interesting to see if maybe they dial that back now that they’ve gotten our attention a little bit or how it kind of unfolds.

Justin:              Do you think that Sam’s worried that he’s sort of training his replacement with Redwing, like Redwing’s just going to start to be Falcon because-

Pete:                Yeah. I think Redwing is like “Yo. I think this is my job.”

Alex:                 It’s like-

Justin:              When the robots just take our jobs.

Alex:                 It’s like I always say. Redwing gives you bulls.

Pete:                Oh, wow.

Alex:                 That too much?

Pete:                Wow.

Justin:              You sound like a broken computer. I think you might have been replaced.

Alex:                 I think a screw popped out of my head when I said that.

Pete:                You got to turn down your dad jokes a little bit. I think it’s a little high.

Alex:                 Right. I got to adjust that, Pete.

Justin:              Dadbot 2000.

Alex:                 Justin, what about you? What’s on your Vision Board?

Justin:              I want to see the guys get together. I want to put the ampersand in Falcon and Winter Soldier and see them come together perhaps over this new Cap news.

Alex:                 I’m looking forward to Zemo. That was the big thing obviously left off the board completely. I love Zemo. He’s one of my favorite villains.

Pete:                Oh, my god.

Alex:                 I thought he was so good in Civil War as well.

Pete:                You’ve got the color purple in this. You got a little purple.

Alex:                 Yep. Yeah. My favorite movie. My favorite Oprah movie as well.

Pete:                Oh, my god.

Justin:              Wow.

Pete:                Wow.

Alex:                 But-

Justin:              You do an Oprah film festival every couple nights, right?

Alex:                 Every couple of nights without fail. Absolutely. Watch through her entire filmography. No. I love Zemo. I think he’s a great villain, and I’m excited to see what’s going to happen. We’ve already set up these great villains with the Flag-Smashers. How is Zemo going to enter in there? Are we going to have a villain team-up? We set up the heroes. Now we set up a little bit of the conflict. It’s only going to get more complicated from here, and that’s very cool.

Justin:              Yeah, and obviously in episode six when Al Pacino shows up as Mephisto would be … That is going to be fun.

Alex:                 I cannot wait. The Thing, played by Michael Chiklis, is going to kill him.

Justin:              Putting on the old rock suit.

Alex:                 I still have it in my closet. Anyway, if you want to support this podcast, patreon.com/comicbookclub. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. Come hang out. We would love to chat with you about Falcon and the Winter Soldier. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe and listen to the show. Also, on iTunes in particular, if you could rate us and leave a comment, that would be much appreciated. That helps us out quite a bit. Comicbookclublive.com for this podcast and more. MarvelVisionPod on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Until next time, remember, Redwing gives you bulls.

Pete:                Oh, boy.

Alex:                 Yep. Spring. [crosstalk 00:35:37].

Justin:              Keep your eyes out for those Easter apples, you dad robots.

Pete:                You doubled down on it.

The post MarvelVision: The Falcon And The Winter Soldier – Episode 1 – “New World Order” appeared first on Comic Book Club.

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]]> The first episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is here, and we’re breaking down all the big moments on the series premiere, “New World Order”. Sam Wilson, a.k.a. The Falcon, is struggling with what to do about Captain America’s shield in the af... full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15421 3f2b6cc7-5624-4ada-99d4-ad09011561c0 Fri, 19 Mar 2021 08:00:00 +0000 2171 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/03/19/marvelvision-the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-episode-1/ Podvincible: An Invincible Podcast Preview Podvincible: An Invincible Podcast Preview On the preview episode of our new Invincible podcast, we’re breaking down everything to expect from Amazon Prime Video’s new hour-long, adult animated TV show. From the stacked cast to our expectations from the comics, let’s get ready for some serious mustache talk. SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. The post Podvincible: An Invincible Podcast Preview appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On the preview episode of our new Invincible podcast, we’re breaking down everything to expect from Amazon Prime Video’s new hour-long, adult animated TV show. From the stacked cast to our expectations from the comics, let’s get ready for some serious mustache talk.

SUBSCRIBE TO PODVINCIBLE ON RSS. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON.

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]]> On the preview episode of our new Invincible podcast, we’re breaking down everything to expect from Amazon Prime Video’s new hour-long, adult animated TV show. From the stacked cast to our expectations from the comics, full Comic Book Club https://comicbookclublive.com/?p=15407 9203422f-7bf5-468f-a30e-ad09011566a3 Thu, 18 Mar 2021 13:00:00 +0000 596 https://comicbookclublive.com/2021/03/18/podvincible-an-invincible-podcast-preview/ The Stack: Ultramega, Black Knight And More The Stack: Ultramega, Black Knight And More On this week’s comic book review podcast: Ultramega #1 Image Comics By James Harren Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade #1 Marvel By Si Spurrier & Sergio Dávila Orphan and the Five Beasts #1 Dark Horse Comics By James Stokoe Catwoman #29 DC Comics Written by Ram V Art by Fernando Blanco Radiant Black #2 Image Comics Written by Kyle Higgins Art by Marcelo Costa The Amazing Spider-Man: King in Black #1 Marvel Written by Jed MacKay Art by Michele Bandini, Alberto Albuquerque Nightwing #78 DC Comics Written by Tom Taylor Art by Bruno Redondo Orcs! #2 Kaboom! By Christine Larsen The Trials of Ultraman #1 Marvel Written by Kyle Higgins & Mat Groom Art by Francesco Manna, Eduardo Ferigato and Gurihiru Justice League #59 DC Comics Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Ram V Art by David Marquez, Xermanico Snow Angels #2 ComiXology Written by Jeff Lemire Art by Jock SUBSCRIBE ON RSS, ITUNES, ANDROID, SPOTIFY, STITCHER OR THE APP OF YOUR CHOICE. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. SUPPORT OUR SHOWS ON PATREON. Full Episode Transcript Alex:                 What is up, everybody? Welcome to The Stack. I’m Alex. Justin:              I’m Justin. Pete:                I’m Pete. Alex:                 And on The Stack, we talk about a bunch of books that come out this week, but not Head Lopper. Justin:              Yeah, what the fuck, man? Alex:                 Never Head Lopper, never, ever. [crosstalk 00:00:22] They barely lop any heads anymore in that book. [crosstalk 00:00:28] Justin:              It should be Head Notper because they’re not lopping anything up. Alex:                 It’s a very good book. We’re just not talking about it in The Stack. Instead, we’re going to kick things off, talking about Ultramega #1, from Image Comics by James Harren. I think you actually said it best on the live show, Justin, so I don’t know if you want to just take it from here, but I think you totally nailed my thoughts on this book. Justin:              Yeah. And so this book is a take on Kaiju, sort of a dark take. I’ve never been a Kaiju guy in comic book form. Pete:                Really? Justin:              Just in the comics, I feel like a lot of them are sort of similar to what we’ve seen before. And this book is such a dark take on it. You’re in this character’s head, it’s just such a fresh version of this type of book. I loved every bit of the story and so many surprising moments and especially where it lands by the end. This was definitely the… Caught me off guard and was the most surprising and exciting book of the week for me. Pete:                Wow. Alex:                 Pete, what about you? Pete:                I loved it. The art’s unbelievable. This is a real epic book. Unbelievable battles, super gross. Yeah. The storyline is really creative and different. It’s dark in all the right places, creepy and gross looking in all the right places and huge and intense and others. And it’s just really, really well done. Justin:              [crosstalk 00:01:56] Sorry, before you get there, Alex, one last thing, it’s also the rare book that goes hard. It doesn’t just set up the premise and then sit in it and be like, “Tune in next week.” Kind of a thing. It goes hard at the ideas and really pushes it. Alex:                 The basic premise of the thing. And this gives away the first couple of pages, which I think are surprising and exciting in and of themself as they slowly spool out the story. But I’ll do this just to tease people about it and then not talk about what happens probably in the last two thirds of the book. Well, the general idea is this weird eye creature or space being gives three people powers to turn into giant beings kind of called, at least one of them is called Ultramega. And they are able to identify a Kaiju virus that has embedded itself in people, but the catch is when they approach those people, when they see it, it activates that virus and they turn into these giant Kaiju and then they need to fight them. And it’s kind of what the world deals with after that. But as Justin was mentioning, it spins in these crazy, crazy dark directions that are so good. Alex:                 Art wise as well, Pete, I don’t know if you’re going to take exception to this, but this reminded me in a really pleasant way of Daniel Warren Johnson and his work, just because all of the action. I think this was the thing as well that really shocked me about this book because I’m also not a huge Kaiju fan most of the time, is how clear and unique the action felt across the board, how well it was staged. Great. And it just builds too, over the course of the book. It starts with these big fights and they only get huger by the end. It’s amazing. Pete:                Yeah, it really is impressive. I guess I’m the only guy who likes Kaiju but that being said, I agree with Justin with the way that it moves. This book, it feels like they really sat on this book a little bit before releasing it and went over it again and again, and tightened and made all these different things because the way it… It’s just a powerhouse from start to finish. Alex:                 And the creator talks about this a little bit at the end, we should also mention it’s an oversized book. I might have the page count, but it’s at least 60 pages or so. Justin:              Yep. 62 pages of comic action. Alex:                 Yeah. [crosstalk 00:04:12] And he talks about this in the end where he says, I know, normally it felt like you should be doing 20 ish pages of a book, but there’s so much more he wanted to say in this first issue that he just jammed it all in there and worked on it and it’s totally worth it. This is an incredible book. Definitely pick it up. Easily the pick of the week, but lots of other good things on The Stack so keep listening to our podcast because here we go. [crosstalk 00:04:34] Justin:              Yeah, don’t shut it off just because we got a banger. [crosstalk 00:04:36]. Alex:                 Comic book shop. Pete:                No, I mean, that’s how I would listen to it. I would just be like, “Well, all right, looks like this is the one they recommend. That’s on you, dear. I’m going to go to the shop.” Alex:                 Well, stay tuned for our even more pick of the week that we’re going to have [crosstalk 00:04:51] Justin:              Oh, nice. Way to sell it up. P.T. Barnum. Pete, when you listen to albums back in the day were you’re like, “Oh, great song, smash. I’m done with this shit.” Pete:                It’s all right, man. Justin:              You’re like Pearl Jam Ten or Pearl Jam One, throw the rest away. I don’t care about the rest of these songs. Alex:                 Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade #1 from Marvel by Si Spurrier and Sergio Davila, we read the Black Knight King in Black One Shot, enjoyed that. But I think our general impression was it felt like, “Ah, this is really just setting up a Black Knight series.” Surprise, it was in fact setting up a Black Knight series. And what you get here is also a very dark take on a classic Marvel character. Justin, you’re a fan of the Black Knight. How’d you feel about this one? Justin:              I love the Black Knight and this was another great book. They do a great job in this book of specifically setting up a Black Knight as sort of the dark side of a Thor. Black Knight famously an Avenger, sort of a mid-tier Avenger who wasn’t a super big hero, but was around a lot in different eras of the Avengers. And in this, he feels that. He’s like, “I wish I had friends. I wish I could hang out with the Avengers.” It’s sad. Pete:                Yeah. It’s got to be tough. You’re so close yet so far away. Justin:              Yeah. Well, he was in, he’s in the Avengers. [crosstalk 00:06:13] Pete:                That’s what I mean, but they won’t hang out with him. Justin:              Yeah. It’s a bummer. They only call him for the real fucked up missions. But in this, there’s a great moment in here where Thor can’t pick up Black Knight’s sword, the Cursed Ebony Blade, because he’s too pure and he’s like, “You have to have a darkness. It has to feel your shadow.” Which I thought was just a great comparison as Thor was just throwing his worthy hammer in the air. And then you have this blade that is too dark for anyone to pick up but our guy Dane. Pete:                Which is surprising, because you would think with Thor’s drinking, he would have a little bit of a dark side, but apparently not. Justin:              Yeah. He’s a social drinker. Pete:                Well, it’s interesting, the way the conflict that he has and the way that he has to use kind of the darkness inside of him. It’s not the goodness that he uses to fight. It’s the dark side. It’s kind of like the anger. So I very much related to that. And it was very cool. Like this moment of him trying to deal with his emotions and talk things out in a way that he can be okay with who he is and how he battles and stuff like that. I thought it was very interesting and cool. Alex:                 I like this book quite a bit too. Let’s move on and talk about Orphan and the Five Beasts #1 from Dark Horse Comics by James Stokoe. Pete, I don’t know why you need your Head Lopper when you got your Orphan and the Five Beasts. I mean, come on, you got an angry fighter, you got a bunch of lopping going on. That’s got to satisfy you. Justin:              This is right over the Pete plate right here. Pete:                Yeah. I mean, this was great. Don’t get me wrong. This was a lot of fun. The thigh master or whatever it was really fucking bad-ass. Just kind of the cloak dude who is just really great at fighting. I very, very much enjoyed this book. Alex:                 And just to be clear, we like Head Lopper. I’ll stop pretending that I’m slamming it over the rest of the podcast. Justin:              Love Head Lopper. Alex:                 But this is exactly what you wanted, to have James Stokoe, I’m trying to think how to describe it, but just like quest to kill five increasingly, probably deadly villains who have killed this ronin’s master sort of story. You kind of know what you’re in for, but it’s the regular requisite James Stokoe insane art. This is very fun. It’s very enjoyable and it looks great. Pete:                Yeah. I also really liked the kind of setup. Sometimes we get a set up of like, “I have to avenge because of this or whatever.” And it’s sometimes interesting, but sometimes kind of typical. This is a very kind of cool a story to kind of set up how this is all going to go down, this whole you make a promise to, “Okay, I’ll give you this power, but then you’ve got to come back and learn the right way to use it.” And I thought it was a very cool setup for [inaudible 00:09:07] and for all this unbelievable fighting and action. Justin:              This feels like it’s at the intersection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the classic, Usagi Yojimbo and Ball Z, Dragon Ball Z. And that intersection is actually where Pete lives. If you’re ever looking to send some mail to Pete, that’s the address. Pete:                Yeah. I definitely get my mail there. There’s no question. Alex:                 Let’s move on and talk about Catwoman #29 from DC Comics written by Ram V., art by Fernando Blanco. In this issue, Catwoman is running shit downtown, but there’s some different forces who are closing in on her at the same time. A couple of things that I’ll throw out to you guys right at the top here, first of all, I sort of felt this last week, but I felt this even more this week, I am really appreciating Future State even more based on the fact that DC set up these art teams, kind of gave them two months to play around and figure things out and then put them on the permanent titles. And that pays off here with a really good, beautifully drawn story. I haven’t read Catwoman in a really long time, but I like this quite a bit. On the flip side of things, I am wondering, and I know there has been blow back, should they have renumbered these to #1? Justin:              Wow. Pete:                Oh, my God. Jesus Christ. Justin:              I’m surprised they didn’t, to be honest. But I do think coming out of Future State, which was all #1s and #2s, I get why they just kept going. And I appreciate that a little bit more because I think Future State was sort of the bait to get you to sign on to these books with these great new creative teams. And I want to say, I feel like Ram V. is having a moment. Pete:                Yeah. Ram V.! I agree. I really liked this book. I like how the villain is a kind of similar to Ghost in the Ant-Man movie. I also love this kind of strung out Riddler a little bit who’s hooked on that Ivy. You know what I mean? A very interesting take. There’s a lot going on in this book, which I appreciate. This is a very cool Catwoman book. The art’s fantastic. Alex:                 I particularly like playing in this villainous side of the world. Catwoman always straddles this weird line, particularly now that she’s canonically with Batman, has fallen more on the side of the heroes, but you do have all these characters in Gotham that have been on both sides. You have Poison Ivy, you have Harley Quinn, you have Catwoman, you have Riddler. All of these ones that are like, “They’re bad, but are they really that bad?” To throw those into a book together as a cast and throw them against even worse villains, I think is a great place for Catwoman to be as a character. Justin:              I feel like the move there is to make them sort of selfish heroes, as opposed to villains. They’re like heroes who do what they want as opposed to just always saving the day, which I think makes for a more interesting story. Alex:                 I agree. Moving on, Radiant Black #2 from Image Comics written by Kyle Higgins, art by Marcelo Costa. We loved the first issue here, it was about a guy that discovers a weird black hole over a train track, gets some powers, felt very much invincible, even though it’s a different story and it’s a different character. And it had a lot of the sense of that, that in my mind continues with the second issue, which finds him having breakfast with his dad multiple times, meeting up with another person with similar powers and fighting them. Great. I had a good time reading this book again and I’m very into it after two issues. Pete:                I would like to point out though, kids out there, if you see a floating black hole, you shouldn’t go towards it and try to grab it, okay. That’s a bad idea. We don’t want to encourage that kind of stuff. Justin:              And that’s a PSA we’ve done for years. We’ve put that out there on public radio and… We’re the big don’t touch the black hole guys. Alex:                 What’d you think about this book, Justin? Justin:              Nice, great question, Alex. I like the second issue a lot. I was fine with it in the first issue. And I think the second issue has made me like it more where we get into the character a little bit. It does feel like Invincible a lot without sort of the epic, worldwide storytelling. This is very much about this kid who wants to be a writer and failed and has to go back home and he’s using his under the radar or his like, I need to figure out my life, “super powers” of being an Uber driver to aid in his super heroics. And I think that’s cool. Pete:                Yeah. I think this is not only stylistically very cool. And I liked the outfits and when they’re suited up, how that all looks, it looks really looks amazing. But I also like the person inside the suit and the struggles with what’s going on. And yeah, you don’t want to deal with your parents. Sure, you got to talk to them around mealtime, but otherwise, parents, fuck off. You know what I mean? I got shit to do. So I appreciated the check-in stuff. But I’m very interested to see now that he has a plan, how this is all going to go. Alex:                 Think it should be interesting to follow. Next up, The Amazing Spider-Man: King in Black #1 from Marvel written by Jed MacKay and art by Michele Bandini. In this, we’re getting two stories. The first one has Spider-Man feeling super guilty as I think, frankly, he should about everything that’s happening in King in Black. Teaming up with Reptil, who is one of the characters from Avengers Academy and then Avengers Arena, I believe, as well. And then the backup story shows us what’s happening from Reptil’s perspective and kicks off a new Reptil series that is coming later in the year, which is pretty surprising. Justin:              And you got the Querque on the art there, the backup story. Alex:                 The Querque? Justin:              Yeah. Albuquerque. Alex:                 Oh, was that Rafael Albuquerque? Justin:              You’re god damn right it is. Alex:                 Is it? Are you sure about that? Justin:              That’s all I’m fucking looking at right here. That’s what it says. Alex:                 All right. Justin:              [crosstalk 00:15:15] story. Alberto Albuquerque. Alex:                 Alberto Albuquerque. That’s not Rafael Albuquerque. Justin:              You’re right. It’s a different, but it’s still… Pete:                A different Querque. Alex:                 Well, thank you for giving him credit, regardless. I appreciate that. Pete:                Yeah. Classic. Classic. But let me just ask you something. Alex:                 Yeah. What? Justin:              It’s about time… Throw the question. Pete:                Nick Spencer is completely off this book now? Alex:                 [crosstalk 00:15:46] This is not Amazing Spider-Man. This is a King in Black One Shot. What emotions are you going through right now? Justin, can you talk about this book? Because Pete’s [crosstalk 00:15:59] You are all over the place right now. Pete:                I was just hoping that this was the start of something fresh and new. Justin:              Pete came with such joy. He’s like “I got the Querque. I got Jed MacKay, Nick Spencer and Alex just devastated. [crosstalk 00:16:18] One, two punched it. Pete:                Yeah. That was a combo I wasn’t ready for. Justin:              Let me just say also, let’s keep in mind that our podcast is the main news source for Pete LePage. He doesn’t get his news anywhere else about anything, not just comics, but truly every bit of news he gets is right here. Alex:                 Every morning he opens up The Stack podcast and he’s like, “Ah, what’s happening to the world today.” Pete:                But the comic itself, a very touching kind of a classic Spider-Man story, very moving. I really enjoyed all of it. I thought this was a great kind of little guy versus big monsters. I thought this was such a great Spider-Man story. And I think that this is for me, one of the… I feel like this is a great example of why Spider-Man is great. Justin:              I liked this book a lot as well. I’m a big Jed MacKay fan, the writer of this. He writes the Black Cat book- Pete:                Brother of Adam MacKay, right? Justin:              That’s not accurate. Again, not accurate. Just guessing about stuff, not working right now. Jed MacKay’s Black Cat book. I’ve been a huge fan of, so it was great to see him taking on this Spider-Man book. And I agree, starting with Spider-Man feeling guilty about bringing the Venom suit back. We’ve all felt bad when we brought like a suit back from somewhere and it devastated the world. Whether it’s with mobs or just starting a fashion trend, it caused problems. Alex:                 Yes. Just to stay in order, Justin, Pete, go ahead. Justin:              Reptil, as a character, got a lot of love in this issue. I did not see that coming and leading up to Reptil #1. Okay. Let’s give it a try. Alex:                 It’s fun. He could turn into dinosaurs. That’s pretty cool. I like this issue quite a bit as well. Let’s move on to another big surprise though. In retrospect, given the team and it shouldn’t necessarily have been. Nightwing #78 from DC Comics written by Tom Taylor, art by Bruno Redondo. Alex:                 I’ll tell you straight up, when I read this book, I was like, “Oh, another Nightwing book. Here we go.” First couple of pages, I was like, “Holy shit, this is great. Why is this so good?” And then we got to the credits and I realized, “Oh, that’s why it’s so good.” [crosstalk 00:18:38] This team is great. So this is Nightwing is back in the costume. He doesn’t have the memory loss, which he pokes fun of a little bit in the middle of this issue, which is very fun, but he is back in Blüdhaven dealing with all that entails. Barbara Gordon comes to visit him. It was a big spoiler for the issue, but I’ll mention this because I’m sure Pete wants to talk about this in particular. The major feature of the issue is Alfred turns out to have been a billionaire and leaves all of his money to Nightwing. Pete, how did you feel about this? Pete:                The letter was so touching and so moving. I really loved it. Yeah. How heartbreaking is it that the Alfred wrote him a letter every year because of the business that they’re in and how crazy their life is. I was just so moved. I thought it was such a touching letter. Yeah, this was one of my favorite issues for the week. I love the humor in it. The fun bit about having Dick for a name, the dad bit, the Alfred with the dishes moments there. I got choked up for that. And then the whole fucking John Wick of it all, you don’t fuck with dogs, man. Don’t fuck with somebody’s dog. That is just disgusting, as Nightwing put it. And yeah, it was just really just blockbuster fun. Yeah, I was just [crosstalk 00:20:09] Alex:                 Is that a joke on the fact that Blockbuster, the character, appears in here? Pete? Justin:              Yes. Pete:                Yeah, yeah. Justin:              He’ll say yes. Now that you said it. Alfred the butling billionaire. Who would have thought? This guy was just butling for the fun of it. The love of the game. Pete:                When the Waynes died, they must’ve been like, “Here’s a shit ton of money to raise our… Just in case.” Alex:                 And he was stealing it, he was stealing it from Bruce Wayne. Justin:              Yeah he stole that money. Alex:                 Every year, squirreling away a little bit of Bruce Wayne’s money. Justin:              Here’s what he’s doing. He’s telling the Wayne’s that he’s buying these expensive English cucumbers, and he’s buying some shitty fell off the back of a truck cucumbers and pocketing the difference. [crosstalk 00:20:53] Pete:                I’m not going to sit here and let you fucking… Alfred is nothing but an angel. All right? That house of insanity and he’s the only sane one, all right? [crosstalk 00:21:04] So don’t fucking talk shit about Alfred. Alex:                 Justin’s making a little bit of sense here because that might explain why Batman never eats any of the soup that he gets him because it tastes like shit. Justin:              It’s trash soup. Because he’s not buying the high end stuff, he’s not buying the Progresso, he’s buying like… Huh? Pete:                Don’t you fucking say that. Alex:                 [crosstalk 00:21:24] or whatever. Even Bruce is like, “Oh, this is bad.” Pete:                [inaudible 00:21:31]. Alex:                 “I don’t like this.” Justin:              Wait, Pete, are you telling me you’re like Alfred cooks the best food? Pete:                Yeah. Justin:              You know that for a fact? Pete:                Fact! Justin:              He only made little sandwiches and soups. It’s not like he was bringing out like a dinner. Pete:                You don’t know what he was doing while we weren’t looking [crosstalk 00:21:48] Alex:                 What do you think his worst dish was? The thing when all the bat family [inaudible 00:21:53] And they’re like, “Oh, he’s making his lasagna. That’s bad.” Justin:              “Master Bruce, I prepared your favorite French toast.” Justin:              “Oh, Alfred’s French toast.” Pete:                Yo, he’s dead, you fuckers. Where’s the respect? Alex:                 “It’s just too eggy.” Justin:              There’s no cinnamon in it. Put a spice in it. For god sakes. Justin:              [inaudible 00:22:20] He doesn’t even buy the good maple syrup. He buys the shitty stuff. Pete:                You don’t know that. Don’t say that. Alex:                 It’s not even maple. It’s not from Vermont. It’s not B grade. Pete:                Don’t you fucking… Alex:                 It’s Log Cabin. Justin:              [inaudible 00:22:33] Log Cabin syrup. Pocketing the difference. Justin:              [crosstalk 00:22:36] Justin:              And then he’s given this difference. He gave it to Nightwing in this issue and that’s continuity right there. That’s the truth. Alex:                 I don’t want to downsize just to get back- Pete:                I hate talking comics with you guys. It’s the fucking worst. Justin:              That’s crazy because you do it a lot. Pete:                All you do is just fucking kill my dreams and hopes. You take everything that I like in an issue and just do bits until it’s not fun anymore. You’ve killed Foggy Nelson for me and you can’t fucking leave Alfred alone. The fucking guy just died and I still can’t get any enjoyment out of… Justin:              What do you think Foggy’s worst dish is? Alex:                 All of them. Justin:              “Hey, Matt, I made dinner tonight. It’s a bunch of old gum.” Alex:                 I was doing the old man laugh. Where he’s going… Pete:                [crosstalk 00:23:36] Please leave me alone. Justin:              I love Nightwing. I love this issue. Tom Taylor is also on a great run of books. It’s great to see Nightwing, get back to some of the old stuff. Being in Blüdhaven, sort of carving out his own area away from Gotham. Pete:                Great use of Blockbuster. Justin:              Great use of Blockbuster. Barbara’s in this issue, touching on his relationship with Alfred, which I do think despite what I said about how just God awful his lasagna was. Pete:                Fuck you. Justin:              He did have a great connection with Alfred. And I love seeing that here on display. What’s he going to do with that money? Just buy some cool spandex? Alex:                 I don’t know. Justin:              Blow it on spandex? Alex:                 I do want to shout out also Bruno Redondo’s art. There is a gorgeous, gorgeous two page spread that happens earlier in the issue where Nightwing is jumping off a roof and it’s the classic Batman jumping in front of the moon thing. But it’s him jumping in front of the sun. And I thought it was just such a smart, awesome thing to do to delineate Nightwing from Batman. Loved it. Let’s move on to a book that I’m betting Pete liked as well. Orcs! #2 from BOOM! By Christine Larsen. Just a bunch of orcs, doing fun orc stuff. Pete, how did you feel about this one? Pete:                Yeah, we loved to the first issue of this. I like this kind of this team up, if you will, of characters. I also love the love of story in this. People will risk a lot for a great story. I can appreciate that. The torture I go through so I can read comics is real. I thought this was fun. I also love the dedication that the person wears an eye patch and has two eyes just for the love of the game. That was really fun. I think the art and storytelling is great. I love the mix of cute and gruesome things. I like where this is going. This is exciting. Justin:              Yeah. The story within the story stuff is really fun. This reminded me of, this is a hyper-specific reference, but in the movie Willow, all the brownies, the little people that ride along, that’s what this book reminds me of. Pete:                Really? Justin:              The orcs are sort of like a version of those guys. Alex:                 Yeah. I can see that. I think it’s a fun book. People should definitely check it out. Next up. The Trials of Ultraman #1 from Marvel, written by, again, Kyle Higgins and Matt Groom, art by Francesco Manna, Eduardo Ferigato and Guri Hiru. We checked out the first issue of this book. And haven’t checked in in a while. Obviously, this is a new story of Ultraman. It was interesting reading this in the same week as another Kyle Higgins book and another Kaiju book. How do you think it stacked up in comparison? Justin:              I wish I had read this one first, before I read Ultramega, because Ultramega felt so genre breaking that this felt very within the genre. And if you’re a fan of Kaiju books, I think this is a great version of that and it’s setting up a lot of interesting twists and turns on it and a potential new villain that I was surprised. I thought it was the backup story. I thought it was an advertisement for another book. And then it tied right into to this book. So yeah, I like this, but it definitely feels like just a fun new version of a Kaiju book. Pete:                Yeah. I thought this was kind of a comparison regardless of what is better or whatever. I thought this was a cool take. It felt different enough where I wasn’t like, “Oh, this is kind of too similar.” I enjoyed where this was coming from and the perspective, I also like the start of this book. Yeah. I like what this is setting up. It’s not as long as the other one. It’s a little bit shorter, but they do a good job of keeping it simple, teasing the story, putting all the things in place. I’ve followed it well, I understood what was going on. Thought it was great art and storytelling. I think this is good. Alex:                 My favorite part of this book is still the insert pages. I think these are the ones that Guri Hiru is drawing where it’s instruction manuals for what to do for the Kaiju organization or if a Kaiju attacks. They’re super fun. They’re super cute. I like that quite a bit. And it really breaks- [crosstalk 00:27:52] Justin:              The Kaiju steps. Alex:                 Kaiju steps. There you go. I enjoy those quite a bit. Agree with you guys. Otherwise, next up, Justice League #59 from DC Comics written by Brian Michael Bendis and Ram V., art by David Marquez and Xermanico. So the front story is Brian Michael Bendis on Justice League for the first time. Backup story is Ram V. doing Justice League Dark. What’d you guys think? Pete:                I thought it was a fun issue. It’s kind of a setup issue, but really love the story and the art and Green Arrow wants more out of life. Justin:              It’s interesting what the take here. This feels like a Black Adam book in a lot of ways. And re-introducing one of Bendis’ characters right, at the end. Alex:                 Naomi. Yeah. Justin:              Yeah. So I don’t know, that got me a little bit, like this feels like a very Bendis move where I don’t know what the story is going to be about. It feels like it’s like him being like, “Here’s some stuff I think is cool.” And I want it to be a little bit more of like, “Here’s an idea that I’m excited to create for these characters.” The art’s really beautiful in the front story. Good Aquaman issue if you’re an Aqua fan, but I don’t know what the direction here is. It feels like it’s almost like, “You like the Justice League? Well, here’s a totally different bunch of people who are going to operate like the Justice League.” The Justice League Dark backup by Ram V. I thought was great. Spin this off and make it a book. Pete:                Yeah. Alex:                 I agree. I really liked the backup. That was dark and weird and interesting in a very different way than James Tynion did the book, which I loved. But it was interesting to see this change and this more mythical take on the characters. For the front story, like this better than the Legion of Superheroes. I thought that was very messy. There were too many characters going on. It’s surprising that Justice League feels like it has less characters and is more focused. So that’s a little ridiculous, but the characterizations are good and fine. I don’t know. Like you said, there’s a lot of Bendis isms in the book and I would like to see what he does going forward, but it felt a little derivative down to basically doing the New Avengers cover on the cover here, but with the Justice League. And if he’s going to do that, New Avengers felt different because it was Bendis coming in and doing his Bendis thing on Avengers for the first time. You don’t necessarily get this here. I want him to do something bolder and more exciting. Justin:              Yeah. If you want to do the New Avengers for Justice League, give us that hit, give us that swing and have all these new characters introduced and have it be that because that’s still a story that sticks right in the memory because it was such a big new change for the Avengers. Instead, it feels like sort of a middle ground here. Pete:                I agree. Alex:                 Last one, let’s talk about Snow Angels #2 from ComiXology written by Jeff Lemire, art by Jock. We liked the first issue of this one, I believe, quite a bit. Takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where everybody lives in a snow filled trench. A family, a father, and two daughters is being chased by a guy named The Snowman. That picks up this issue. Pete, you’ve always been scared of snowmen. What did you think of this one? Pete:                Yeah. I mean, what’s great is snowmen themselves are scary, but this is a nice heightening of that idea. Yeah. I think this is a great… First off an amazing team. And this is very action oriented, which I very much enjoy. And this does a great job. Each issue kind of leaving you really wanting more. I think this is a very intense, kind of reminds me of that horror movie where nobody can talk or whatever. So I think this is really fun. Very creative. Love the way it ended. Love the art. Alex:                 A Quiet Place? Is that what you’re thinking of? Pete:                Yeah, A Quiet Place. [crosstalk 00:31:55] Justin:              Oh, I thought We Have To Talk About Kevin. Is that what it is? Pete:                No, it was A Quiet Place. Justin:              Nice. Either way, this book, everyone’s skating really hard in this book. Pete:                You got to skate hard, bro. Justin:              You got to skate hard. So that was stressful. Great pace to this book. And a lot of just tense, a lot of tension. And I think A Quiet Place is a good comparison, I think. Alex:                 I would compare it to The Mighty Ducks, which is a movie with skating in it. Justin:              That’s true. That’s true. And Pete, I know you love this. It’s sort of a cutting edge with less romance. Pete:                [inaudible 00:32:31] Alex:                 This is a great book. Definitely pick it up. You have another point you want to make Pete. What’s up? Pete:                Yeah. I just wanted to, while you’re wrapping up, while I was waiting for Head Lopper to come through, I did read Superman Red & Blue #1, and I just wanted to say, really fun, love the coloring, really amazing art. The Boy Who Saved Superman, a story by Wes Craig and Jill Thompson. So amazing. The art was unbelievable. His water colors and the little Clark Kent stuff was very, very adorable. Alex:                 I love how you act like, “Well, I have no say in what happens in this show.” Justin:              And then you secretly just review stuff at the end. That’s nice. You take control in a way that I just would never be so audacious. Pete:                Well, thank you. Justin:              I would like to review my dinner that I made earlier, it was… But taco night, obviously… Pete:                Couldn’t have been better than what Alfred would have prepared. Justin:              Yeah. I made Alfred’s trash lasagna. Alex:                 Foggy’s famous pile of worms. And that is it for our Stack podcast. If you want to support us, patreon.com/comicbookclub. Also, we do a live show every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM to Crowdcast and YouTube. iTunes, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, or the app of your choice to subscribe and follow @comicbooklive on Twitter, ComicBookClub on YouTube, comicbookclublive.com for this podcast and more. Until next time, we’ll see you at the virtual comic book shelf. The post The Stack: Ultramega, Black Knight And More appeared first on Comic Book Club. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/comicbookclub See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. On this week’s comic book review podcast:

Ultramega #1
Image Comics
By James Harren

Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade #1
Marvel
By Si Spurrier & Sergio Dávila

Orphan and the Five Beasts #1
Dark Horse Comics
By James Stokoe

Catwoman #29
DC Comics
Written by Ram V
Art by Fernando Blanco

Radiant Black #2
Image Comics
Written by Kyle Higgins
Art by Marcelo Costa

The Amazing Spider-Man: King in Black #1
Marvel
Written by Jed MacKay
Art by Michele Bandini, Alberto Albuquerque

Nightwing #78
DC Comics
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Bruno Redondo

Orcs! #2
Kaboom!
By Christine Larsen

The Trials of Ultraman #1
Marvel
Written by Kyle Higgins & Mat Groom
Art by Francesco Manna, Eduardo Ferigato and Gurihiru

Justice League #59
DC Comics
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Ram V
Art by David Marquez, Xermanico

Snow Angels #2
ComiXology
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Jock

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Full Episode Transcript

Alex:                 What is up, everybody? Welcome to The Stack. I’m Alex.

Justin:              I’m Justin.

Pete:                I’m Pete.

Alex:                 And on The Stack, we talk about a bunch of books that come out this week, but not Head Lopper.

Justin:              Yeah, what the fuck, man?

Alex:                 Never Head Lopper, never, ever. [crosstalk 00:00:22] They barely lop any heads anymore in that book. [crosstalk 00:00:28]

Justin:              It should be Head Notper because they’re not lopping anything up.

Alex:                 It’s a very good book. We’re just not talking about it in The Stack. Instead, we’re going to kick things off, talking about Ultramega #1, from Image Comics by James Harren. I think you actually said it best on the live show, Justin, so I don’t know if you want to just take it from here, but I think you totally nailed my thoughts on this book.

Justin:              Yeah. And so this book is a take on Kaiju, sort of a dark take. I’ve never been a Kaiju guy in comic book form.

Pete:                Really?

Justin:              Just in the comics, I feel like a lot of them are sort of similar to what we’ve seen before. And this book is such a dark take on it. You’re in this character’s head, it’s just such a fresh version of this type of book. I loved every bit of the story and so many surprising moments and especially where it lands by the end. This was definitely the… Caught me off guard and was the most surprising and exciting book of the week for me.

Pete:                Wow.

Alex:                 Pete, what about you?

Pete:                I loved it. The art’s unbelievable. This is a real epic book. Unbelievable battles, super gross. Yeah. The storyline is really creative and different. It’s dark in all the right places, creepy and gross looking in all the right places and huge and intense and others. And it’s just really, really well done.

Justin:              [crosstalk 00:01:56] Sorry, before you get there, Alex, one last thing, it’s also the rare book that goes hard. It doesn’t just set up the premise and then sit in it and be like, “Tune in next week.” Kind of a thing. It goes hard at the ideas and really pushes it.

Alex:                 The basic premise of the thing. And this gives away the first couple of pages, which I think are surprising and exciting in and of themself as they slowly spool out the story. But I’ll do this just to tease people about it and then not talk about what happens probably in the last two thirds of the book. Well, the general idea is this weird eye creature or space being gives three people powers to turn into giant beings kind of called, at least one of them is called Ultramega. And they are able to identify a Kaiju virus that has embedded itself in people, but the catch is when they approach those people, when they see it, it activates that virus and they turn into these giant Kaiju and then they need to fight them. And it’s kind of what the world deals with after that. But as Justin was mentioning, it spins in these crazy, crazy dark directions that are so good.

Alex:                 Art wise as well, Pete, I don’t know if you’re going to take exception to this, but this reminded me in a really pleasant way of Daniel Warren Johnson and his work, just because all of the action. I think this was the thing as well that really shocked me about this book because I’m also not a huge Kaiju fan most of the time, is how clear and unique the action felt across the board, how well it was staged. Great. And it just builds too, over the course of the book. It starts with these big fights and they only get huger by the end. It’s amazing.

Pete:                Yeah, it really is impressive. I guess I’m the only guy who likes Kaiju but that being said, I agree with Justin with the way that it moves. This book, it feels like they really sat on this book a little bit before releasing it and went over it again and again, and tightened and made all these different things because the way it… It’s just a powerhouse from start to finish.

Alex:                 And the creator talks about this a little bit at the end, we should also mention it’s an oversized book. I might have the page count, but it’s at least 60 pages or so.

Justin:              Yep. 62 pages of comic action.

Alex:                 Yeah. [crosstalk 00:04:12] And he talks about this in the end where he says, I know, normally it felt like you should be doing 20 ish pages of a book, but there’s so much more he wanted to say in this first issue that he just jammed it all in there and worked on it and it’s totally worth it. This is an incredible book. Definitely pick it up. Easily the pick of the week, but lots of other good things on The Stack so keep listening to our podcast because here we go. [crosstalk 00:04:34]

Justin:              Yeah, don’t shut it off just because we got a banger. [crosstalk 00:04:36].

Alex:                 Comic book shop.

Pete:                No, I mean, that’s how I would listen to it. I would just be like, “Well, all right, looks like this is the one they recommend. That’s on you, dear. I’m going to go to the shop.”

Alex:                 Well, stay tuned for our even more pick of the week that we’re going to have [crosstalk 00:04:51]

Justin:              Oh, nice. Way to sell it up. P.T. Barnum. Pete, when you listen to albums back in the day were you’re like, “Oh, great song, smash. I’m done with this shit.”

Pete:                It’s all right, man.

Justin:              You’re like Pearl Jam Ten or Pearl Jam One, throw the rest away. I don’t care about the rest of these songs.

Alex:                 Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade #1 from Marvel by Si Spurrier and Sergio Davila, we read the Black Knight King in Black One Shot, enjoyed that. But I think our general impression was it felt like, “Ah, this is really just setting up a Black Knight series.” Surprise, it was in fact setting up a Black Knight series. And what you get here is also a very dark take on a classic Marvel character. Justin, you’re a fan of the Black Knight. How’d you feel about this one?

Justin:              I love the Black Knight and this was another great book. They do a great job in this book of specifically setting up a Black Knight as sort of the dark side of a Thor. Black Knight famously an Avenger, sort of a mid-tier Avenger who wasn’t a super big hero, but was around a lot in different eras of the Avengers. And in this, he feels that. He’s like, “I wish I had friends. I wish I could hang out with the Avengers.” It’s sad.

Pete:                Yeah. It’s got to be tough. You’re so close yet so far away.

Justin:              Yeah. Well, he was in, he’s in the Avengers. [crosstalk 00:06:13]

Pete:                That’s what I mean, but they won’t hang out with him.

Justin:              Yeah. It’s a bummer. They only call him for the real fucked up missions. But in this, there’s a great moment in here where Thor can’t pick up Black Knight’s sword, the Cursed Ebony Blade, because he’s too pure and he’s like, “You have to have a darkness. It has to feel your shadow.” Which I thought was just a great comparison as Thor was just throwing his worthy hammer in the air. And then you have this blade that is too dark for anyone to pick up but our guy Dane.

Pete:                Which is surprising, because you would think with Thor’s drinking, he would have a little bit of a dark side, but apparently not.

Justin:              Yeah. He’s a social drinker.

Pete:                Well, it’s interesting, the way the conflict that he has and the way that he has to use kind of the darkness inside of him. It’s not the goodness that he uses to fight. It’s the dark side. It’s kind of like the anger. So I very much related to that. And it was very cool. Like this moment of him trying to deal with his emotions and talk things out in a way that he can be okay with who he is and how he battles and stuff like that. I thought it was very interesting and cool.

Alex:                 I like this book quite a bit too. Let’s move on and talk about Orphan and the Five Beasts #1 from Dark Horse Comics by James Stokoe. Pete, I don’t know why you need your Head Lopper when you got your Orphan and the Five Beasts. I mean, come on, you got an angry fighter, you got a bunch of lopping going on. That’s got to satisfy you.

Justin:              This is right over the Pete plate right here.

Pete:                Yeah. I mean, this was great. Don’t get me wrong. This was a lot of fun. The thigh master or whatever it was really fucking bad-ass. Just kind of the cloak dude who is just really great at fighting. I very, very much enjoyed this book.

Alex:                 And just to be clear, we like Head Lopper. I’ll stop pretending that I’m slamming it over the rest of the podcast.

Justin:              Love Head Lopper.

Alex:                 But this is exactly what you wanted, to have James Stokoe, I’m trying to think how to describe it, but just like quest to kill five increasingly, probably deadly villains who have killed this ronin’s master sort of story. You kind of know what you’re in for, but it’s the regular requisite James Stokoe insane art. This is very fun. It’s very enjoyable and it looks great.

Pete:                Yeah. I also really liked the kind of setup. Sometimes we get a set up of like, “I have to avenge because of this or whatever.” And it’s sometimes interesting, but sometimes kind of typical. This is a very kind of cool a story to kind of set up how this is all going to go down, this whole you make a promise to, “Okay, I’ll give you this power, but then you’ve got to come back and learn the right way to use it.” And I thought it was a very cool setup for [inaudible 00:09:07] and for all this unbelievable fighting and action.

Justin:              This feels like it’s at the intersection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the classic, Usagi Yojimbo and Ball Z, Dragon Ball Z. And that intersection is actually where Pete lives. If you’re ever looking to send some mail to Pete, that’s the address.

Pete:                Yeah. I definitely get my mail there. There’s no question.

Alex:                 Let’s move on and talk about Catwoman #29 from DC Comics written by Ram V., art by Fernando Blanco. In this issue, Catwoman is running shit downtown, but there’s some different forces who are closing in on her at the same time. A couple of things that I’ll throw out to you guys right at the top here, first of all, I sort of felt this last week, but I felt this even more this week, I am really appreciating Future State even more based on the fact that DC set up these art teams, kind of gave them two months to play around and figure things out and then put them on the permanent titles. And that pays off here with a really good, beautifully drawn story. I haven’t read Catwoman in a really long time, but I like this quite a bit. On the flip side of things, I am wondering, and I know there has been blow back, should they have renumbered these to #1?

Justin:              Wow.

Pete:                Oh, my God. Jesus Christ.

Justin:              I’m surprised they didn’t, to be honest. But I do think coming out of Future State, which was all #1s and #2s, I get why they just kept going. And I appreciate that a little bit more because I think Future State was sort of the bait to get you to sign on to these books with these great new creative teams. And I want to say, I feel like Ram V. is having a moment.

Pete:                Yeah. Ram V.! I agree. I really liked this book. I like how the villain is a kind of similar to Ghost in the Ant-Man movie. I also love this kind of strung out Riddler a little bit who’s hooked on that Ivy. You know what I mean? A very interesting take. There’s a lot going on in this book, which I appreciate. This is a very cool Catwoman book. The art’s fantastic.

Alex:                 I particularly like playing in this villainous side of the world. Catwoman always straddles this weird line, particularly now that she’s canonically with Batman, has fallen more on the side of the heroes, but you do have all these characters in Gotham that have been on both sides. You have Poison Ivy, you have Harley Quinn, you have Catwoman, you have Riddler. All of these ones that are like, “They’re bad, but are they really that bad?” To throw those into a book together as a cast and throw them against even worse villains, I think is a great place for Catwoman to be as a character.

Justin:              I feel like the move there is to make them sort of selfish heroes, as opposed to villains. They’re like heroes who do what they want as opposed to just always saving the day, which I think makes for a more interesting story.

Alex:                 I agree. Moving on, Radiant Black #2 from Image Comics written by Kyle Higgins, art by Marcelo Costa. We loved the first issue here, it was about a guy that discovers a weird black hole over a train track, gets some powers, felt very much invincible, even though it’s a different story and it’s a different character. And it had a lot of the sense of that, that in my mind continues with the second issue, which finds him having breakfast with his dad multiple times, meeting up with another person with similar powers and fighting them. Great. I had a good time reading this book again and I’m very into it after two issues.

Pete:                I would like to point out though, kids out there, if you see a floating black hole, you shouldn’t go towards it and try to grab it, okay. That’s a bad idea. We don’t want to encourage that kind of stuff.

Justin:              And that’s a PSA we’ve done for years. We’ve put that out there on public radio and… We’re the big don’t touch the black hole guys.

Alex:                 What’d you think about this book, Justin?

Justin:              Nice, great question, Alex. I like the second issue a lot. I was fine with it in the first issue. And I think the second issue has made me like it more where we get into the character a little bit. It does feel like Invincible a lot without sort of the epic, worldwide storytelling. This is very much about this kid who wants to be a writer and failed and has to go back home and he’s using his under the radar or his like, I need to figure out my life, “super powers” of being an Uber driver to aid in his super heroics. And I think that’s cool.

Pete:                Yeah. I think this is not only stylistically very cool. And I liked the outfits and when they’re suited up, how that all looks, it looks really looks amazing. But I also like the person inside the suit and the struggles with what’s going on. And yeah, you don’t want to deal with your parents. Sure, you got to talk to them around mealtime, but otherwise, parents, fuck off. You know what I mean? I got shit to do. So I appreciated the check-in stuff. But I’m very interested to see now that he has a plan, how this is all going to go.

Alex:                 Think it should be interesting to follow. Next up, The Amazing Spider-Man: King in Black #1 from Marvel written by Jed MacKay and art by Michele Bandini. In this, we’re getting two stories. The first one has Spider-Man feeling super guilty as I think, frankly, he should about everything that’s happening in King in Black. Teaming up with Reptil, who is one of the characters from Avengers Academy and then Avengers Arena, I believe, as well. And then the backup story shows us what’s happening from Reptil’s perspective and kicks off a new Reptil series that is coming later in the year, which is pretty surprising.

Justin:              And you got the Querque on the art there, the backup story.

Alex:                 The Querque?

Justin:              Yeah. Albuquerque.

Alex:                 Oh, was that Rafael Albuquerque?

Justin:              You’re god damn right it is.

Alex:                 Is it? Are you sure about that?

Justin:              That’s all I’m fucking looking at right here. That’s what it says.

Alex:                 All right.

Justin:              [crosstalk 00:15:15] story. Alberto Albuquerque.

Alex:                 Alberto Albuquerque. That’s not Rafael Albuquerque.

Justin:              You’re right. It’s a different, but it’s still…

Pete:                A different Querque.

Alex:                 Well, thank you for giving him credit, regardless. I appreciate that.

Pete:                Yeah. Classic. Classic. But let me just ask you something.

Alex:                 Yeah. What?

Justin:              It’s about time… Throw the question.

Pete:                Nick Spencer is completely off this book now?

Alex:                 [crosstalk 00:15:46] This is not Amazing Spider-Man. This is a King in Black One Shot. What emotions are you going through right now? Justin, can you talk about this book? Because Pete’s [crosstalk 00:15:59] You are all over the place right now.

Pete:                I was just hoping that this was the start of something fresh and new.

Justin:              Pete came with such joy. He’s like “I got the Querque. I got Jed MacKay, Nick Spencer and Alex just devastated. [crosstalk 00:16:18] One, two punched it.

Pete:                Yeah. That was a combo I wasn’t ready for.

Justin:              Let me just say also, let’s keep in mind that our podcast is the main news source for Pete LePage. He doesn’t get his news anywhere else about anything, not just comics, but truly every bit of news he gets is right here.

Alex:                 Every morning he opens up The Stack podcast and he’s like, “Ah, what’s happening to the world today.”

Pete:                But the comic itself, a very touching kind of a classic Spider-Man story, very moving. I really enjoyed all of it. I thought this was a great kind of little guy versus big monsters. I thought this was such a great Spider-Man story. And I think that this is for me, one of the… I feel like this is a great example of why Spider-Man is great.

Justin:              I liked this book a lot as well. I’m a big Jed MacKay fan, the writer of this. He writes the Black Cat book-

Pete:                Brother of Adam MacKay, right?

Justin:              That’s not accurate. Again, not accurate. Just guessing about stuff, not working right now. Jed MacKay’s Black Cat book. I’ve been a huge fan of, so it was great to see him taking on this Spider-Man book. And I agree, starting with Spider-Man feeling guilty about bringing the Venom suit back. We’ve all felt bad when we brought like a suit back from somewhere and it devastated the world. Whether it’s with mobs or just starting a fashion trend, it caused problems.

Alex:                 Yes. Just to stay in order, Justin, Pete, go ahead.

Justin:              Reptil, as a character, got a lot of love in this issue. I did not see that coming and leading up to Reptil #1. Okay. Let’s give it a try.

Alex:                 It’s fun. He could turn into dinosaurs. That’s pretty cool. I like this issue quite a bit as well. Let’s move on to another big surprise