The Comics Canon

Content warning: references to sexual assault On this episode, Etrigan the Demon makes a return appearance as he horns his way into one of the best horror comic runs ever in Saga of the Swamp Thing #25-27! Jason Blood (dialing the creepiness up to 11) shows up in Baton Rouge just as Abby Arcane starts a new job at a home for autistic children. But he's not the only one who's new in town: The Monke...

On this episode, we get an early start celebrating the spookiest time of the year with a look at the frightfully fun first appearances of Jason Blood and Etrigan in The Demon #1-5 by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer, published by DC Comics! As Camelot falls to the forces of Morgaine Le Fey, the wizard Merlin dispatches his faithful demon servant, Etrigan, to await further instructions. (Why does Merlin h...

The Vision gets his turn in the MCU spotlight next month with the Disney+ series VisionQuest, so it seems like the perfect time to turn the Comics Canon spotlight on the origin of everyone's favorite synthezoid with a look at "Behold … The Vision!" from Avengers #57 and "Even an Android Can Cry" from Avengers #58, published by Marvel Comics! When Janet Van Dyne is attacked by a strange, unearthly...

It's back-to-school time, and we celebrate with a look at the first volume of the mega-popular manga Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo, published in the U.S. by Viz Media! The unflappable super-spy known only as Twilight has just received the most challenging mission of his career: In order to get the goods on a reclusive politician, he must marry and produce a child – a child who must be accepted into...

On this episode, Dark August Knights, our two-part miniseries on Batman and Batman-adjacent stories, concludes with a look at Gotham Central Vol. 1, In the Line of Duty, collecting Gotham Central issues #1-5 by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, published by DC Comics! In the criminal justice system, offenses committed by members of Batman's Rogues Gallery are considered especially heinous....

On this episode, we kick off a two-part miniseries, Dark August Knights! That's right, we're focusing on Batman and Batman-adjacent stories during the month of August! And first up is the introduction of the Dark Knight's iconic villain Ra's al Ghul – as seen in 1971's Batman #232 and 1972's Batman #243-244, by the titanic team of Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams, published by DC Comics! After Robin th...

On this episode, in true Comics Canon fashion, we look ahead to the July 30 release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day with a discussion of (what else?) a pair of classic battles between the Hulk and Wolverine, natch! First up are "And the Wind Howls … Wendigo!" and "And Now … the Wolverine!" from 1974's Incredible Hulk #180-181, featuring the debut of the first and greatest Canadian superhero! Then we...

In this episode, we mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S.A. by looking back at the origin and first appearance of the nation's greatest super-soldier, Captain America, in 1941's Captain America Comics #1!  We also look back at the first appearances of two other Golden Age Marvel characters who are still around today – Cap's fellow Invaders the original Human Torch and Namor, the Sub-Mariner – in...

Content warning: If the title didn't tip you off, this book deals with sex -- in graphic, often hilarious ways. Consequently, we're slapping an Explicit label on this episode, for both language and subject matter. In this episode, we look ahead to Amazon's upcoming Sex Criminals streaming series with a look at Sex Criminals Vol. 1: One Weird Trick, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, published by I...

Content warning: Sexual assault It's finally happened! After 10 years and more than 250 episodes, we finally get around to discussing the elephant (or, rather, the aardvark) in the room: Dave Sim's 300-issue magnum opus, Cerebus! And to help us grapple with the weight of one of the longest-running, most creative and most controversial comics in the history of the medium, we're joined by longtime f...

In this episode, we conclude our two-part look at Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons with a discussion of Books 2 and 3, by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Gene Ha and Nicola Scott, published by DC Black Label! The Amazons accept Hippolyta and other disenfranchised women into their ranks as they continue their mission to hunt down those who abuse and oppress women. But it isn't long before their activities c...

In this episode, we kick off a two-part look at a book we've had our eyes on for some time with a discussion of Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, Book 1, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Phil Jiminez, published by DC Black Label! Phil Jiminez makes the artistic statement of his career to date with a visually arresting first issue that explores how and why the Greek goddesses (with the notable exceptio...

Note: This episode was recorded before the death of Gerry Conway, who wrote two of the stories we talk about. The Punisher is gearing up for a busy summer on the big and small screens (with Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Punisher: One Last Kill, respectively). So what better time to dive into some key early stories charting the evolution of everyone's favorite gun-toting vigilante? We start wit...

 On this episode, we revisit that bygone era when Detective Comics Comics would use any excuse to feature gorillas on its covers with a furry foursome of titanic Silver and Golden Age tales: "The Gorilla Boss of Gotham City" (Batman #75), "Titano the Super-Ape" (Superman #127), "Menace of the Super-Gorilla" (The Flash #107) and "The Brotherhood of Evil" (Doom Patrol #86)! Can DC's greatest (and st...

For our first episode of April, Kevin and Robb go into full-on geek mode as they look back at THE superhero crossover event of 1982: Marvel and DC Present The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans, by Chris Claremont and Walter Simonson! This hotly anticipated team-up pits Marvel's X-Men and DC's New Teen Titans against the tyrannical space god Darkseid, as well as the deadly assassin Deathstroke...

We're dropping into your feed a day early for this St. Patrick's Day episode, as we look ahead to the August debut of  HBO Max's Lanterns and discuss the first appearances of Green Lanterns Alan Scott and Hal Jordan -- followed for no particular reason by a couple of Tales of the Green Lantern Corps written by Alan Moore! First, in "The Green Lantern!" from 1940's All-American Comics #16, construc...

We asked for questions, and you … asked them! In this, our second of two out-of-format episodes marking our 10-year anniversary, we answer the questions on your mind, including: Are there any episodes we'd like to do over? What are our favorite classic comic-book ads? Which comic had the worst movie adaptation?  But first, Curt gives his first-ever State of the Canon address, breaking down the cha...

There's still time to submit questions for our upcoming March 4 episode, which features an Ask Us Anything segment as well as something Curt cryptically refers to as "The State of the Canon!" If you've ever wondered how we choose the books and storylines we cover, whether we've ever changed our minds about something we've covered on the show, or just want to cast a vote for something you'd like to...

Got a burning question for The Comics Canon? Submit a question for our upcoming Ask Us Anything episode, airing Wednesday, March 4! Send us an email at letters@comicscanon.com or hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky no later than Friday, February 27! After 10 years and 250 episodes of rendering judgment on the greatest comic book stories of yesterday and today, we decided it's finally time to record a...

On this milestone episode, we tackle our white whale of show subjects: Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud's fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of the comics medium, how it works, and what it can do – told in the comics format! Join us as we ask the burning questions: What ARE comics, anyway? How long has this particular form of communication been around? (Hint: Longer than you think!)...

On this episode, we celebrate our 10th anniversary -- and gear up for our 250th episode -- with a discussion of Zot! The Earth Stories! Specifically, Zot! #28-36 from 1989-1991, written and drawn by Scott McCloud, originally published by Eclipse Comics! The high-flying teen superhero Zot zips merrily along in a bright, shiny and cool retro-futuristic version of our world, cheerful and carefree – s...

On this episode, we welcome writer, actor and friend of the show Michael Owl, host of The Origin Story Podcast , as we dive into one of the best-reviewed graphic novels of 2025: Drome by Jesse Lonergan! This imaginative epic combines a visually dazzling creation myth with an action-packed fantasy adventure, as the blue-skinned demigoddess Blue attempts to impose order on a chaotic world, opposed b...

(Mild explicit warning: a swear word is used.) Curt and Kevin give themselves an end-of-year break with another quiz episode! And this time, it's a quiz exchange! Kevin tests Curt's knowledge of past Christmas-themed episodes, while Curt grills Kevin on … his own show notes! We'll be back in two weeks with a look at one of the best-reviewed graphic novels of 2025, Jesse Lonergan's Drome!

For our last full-size episode of 2025, we wrap up our All My Xs miniseries on Marvel Comics' X-Men franchise with one of the big crossover events of the Jonathan Hickman era – The Hellfire Gala! The mutant nation of Krakoa makes its debut on the world stage with one hell of a coming-out party, filled with celebrity guests, fantastic costumes, behind-the-scenes intrigue and a truly out-of-this-wor...

All My Xs, our decade-by-decade exploration of the X-Men, crashes the first gay wedding of a Marvel Comics superhero in 2012's Astonishing X-Men #51, by Marjorie Liu and Mike Perkins! But first, we take a detour 1992 as Northstar becomes the first Marvel character to come out as gay in Alpha Flight #106, by Scott Lobdell and Mark Pacella! (And even better, we're introduced to that most valuable pi...