The Smark Avengers

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! It’s Week 4 of Goblin Month and the Smark Avengers are dedicating it to the tragic and unfortunate life of Harry Osborn! Tragically trapped in the overwhelming shadow of his father Norman, Harry Osborn’s journey is one of the most heartbreaking downward spirals in Spider-Man history. Driven by...

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode! It’s Week 3 of Goblin Month and the Smark Avengers are dedicating it to the clever, tactical mind of the original Hobgoblin Roderick Kingsley! Unlike perennial loser Jason Macendale who held the Hobgoblin persona for a majority of the 80s and 90s, Roderick Kingsley showed that there was more to...

It’s Week 2 of Goblin Month and the Smark Avengers have realized that there are so many various goblins in Spider-Man’s past that they could run Goblin Month all year! That would be insane though, so the lads have decided to sweep all of the various miscellaneous goblins into one episode and save the remaining three weeks of Goblin Month for the truly big hitters! So what did we learn? Well, mainl...

It’s finally October and now it’s time for all things ooky and spooky and the Smark Avengers aren’t being left out of the fun! This year, the Smark Avengers will be celebrating the month of October by focusing every episode on Spider-Man’s favorite sort of villain - goblins! And starting off Goblin Month is the second most notable man to don the apparel of the Hobgoblin, the first Jack O’Lantern,...

Peter Parker has been Spider-Man since the 1960s and has not run short of running into costumed villains dedicated to squashing him. Whether they are lifelong rivals who have personal vendettas and connections to his out of costume identity or just two-bit crooks sporting a costume to rob a bank, the Spider-Man rogues gallery is as diverse as it is colorful. With this many villains in his past, yo...

Ever since the Marvel Cinematic Universe blew up on the cultural zeitgeist, a whole new generation and audience have been introduced to such iconic characters like Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, and more (including characters from the Distinguished Competition like Superman and Batman) that they may not have encountered any other way. Since comics, like most else in this capitalist hellsca...

More of a blessing than a curse, the Smark Avengers may have lost the intended episode they originally set out to record but realized they all had opinions on the latest Spider-Man centric addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe! While this may have been the sixth or seventh movie that Tom Holland has portrayed Peter Parker, many have commented that this is the first time he feels like the prope...

A few months ago Marvel Comics announced a new horror imprint “Midnight Marvel” and three new titles that would be debuting this October: Midnight Fantastic Four, Midnight X-Men, and Midnight Spider-Man. The objective is simple, let’s take three iconic Marvel comics and put them through the horror lens to see what happens! Whether it’s cosmic horror with the Fantastic Four, vampiric horror with th...

For years the Venom symbiote has been a hero, a villain, a Lethal Protector, a Dark Avenger, a Guardian of the Galaxy, an ally, a thorn in the side of Spider-Man, and everything in between as it has bonded and jumped from host to host. Well the Smark Avengers are sick of it! In the past, the Smark Avengers have sought a permanent end to the likes of Aquaman, the Flash, Wolverine, Magneto, and Lobo...

For decades now, San Diego Comic Con has been the closest thing to Christmas morning for comic book movie and television fans around the world. Big announcements, surprises, and appearances steal the headlines for days after the convention comes and goes and this year was no different! Dylan is out this week but have no fear as the remaining lads Corey and Jon sort their way through the big news s...

A number of weeks ago, Marvel Comics made a major announcement that CB Cebulski would be stepping down as the acting Editor-In-Chief and would be replaced by Steve Wacker. Of course this means a potential major shift at Marvel Comics as a new EIC means the possibility of massive changes in the status quo. For months the Smark Avengers have been stating that Marvel needed to do something big to sha...

The Silver Age was an iconic time for super hero comics as it gave birth to some of the most iconic versions of the medium’s most beloved figures. Green Lantern Hal Jordan, The Flash Barry Allen, and the rise of Marvel Comics line of heroes are just a few who were created and thrived in the Silver Age. Comic mainstays from the Golden Age like Superman and Batman also adapted to the new era of comi...

Matt Murdock a.k.a. Daredevil is one of the most dynamic and tragic heroes in Marvel Comics history. With a large supporting cast like Foggy Nelson and Karen Page along with a rogues gallery including the Kingpin, Bullseye, Elektra, the Owl, and Purple Man… the Man Without Fear has been captivating readers since the 1960s with the recent success of his Disney+ earning him new fans every season. Th...

After capping off their year and a half long Avengers Auction project, the Smark Avengers are back with a relaxed fit episode! As is tradition with the relaxed fit, Corey, Dylan, and Jon don’t really know what they’re going to talk about before they record and let the conversation flow naturally… and did it ever! Almost immediately this one goes off the rails so… strap in! 🧘Sit back and relax as...

It has been almost a year and a half in the making but it’s time for the final Avengers Auction and it is the biggest one to date! For months Corey, Dylan, and Jon have been working their way down the Avengers roster in an attempt to build the ultimate Avengers line-up through a series of auctions as sorted by the spins of a wheel. Now, with 41 names left, the Avengers Wheel of Redemption is final...

While Jon is away, Corey and Dylan will play… and in this case playing means talking about their favorite Crocodile/Alligator/Reptilian characters… or try to. At first Corey and Dylan discuss the Batman rogue Killer Croc but then the topic verges off into how to identify a crocodile’s sex, Lana Del Ray’s regular every day bloke husband, then they go back to Killer Croc but then verge off the path...

The final regular Avengers Auction is here... and the Avengers roster has officially gotten weird. In this episode, Corey, Dylan, and Jon spin the wheel one last time as they continue their quest to draft every Avenger in Marvel history. This installment covers characters who joined Earth's Mightiest Heroes between 2016 and 2026, a period that introduced a handful of major names, a surprising numb...

Behind every great superhero is... sometimes another superhero. In this episode, Corey, Dylan, and Jon take a look at some of the most iconic romances in comic book history and discuss what makes certain relationships endure for decades while others fade away with the next creative team. ❤️ Featured relationships include: Peter Parker & Mary Jane Watson Clark Kent & Lois Lane Scott Summers...

After diving deep into the original Watchmen comic, Corey, Dylan, and Jon turn their attention to one of the most controversial comic book adaptations ever made: Zack Snyder's Watchmen. Widely praised for its visual faithfulness and criticized for its interpretation of the source material, Watchmen remains a movie that comic fans continue to debate more than a decade after its release. In this epi...

Why do some of the most compelling stories ask us to spend time with people who are difficult—or even outright horrible—to understand? With Jon unavailable for this episode, Corey and Dylan sit down for a wide-ranging discussion on one of storytelling’s most uncomfortable but fascinating ideas: following unlikable or morally questionable characters as protagonists. The conversation is sparked by C...

It's time for another relaxed-fit episode as Corey, Dylan, and Jon sit down for a wide-ranging conversation about the current state of comic books, what's working, what isn't, and some of the stranger directions Marvel and DC have taken recently. From Spider-Man to the X-Men, Iron Man to Lobo, no topic is safe as the guys bounce around the comic book landscape and share their thoughts on the stori...

For the first time ever, Dylan has finally read Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen… and now it’s time to talk about it. In this episode, Corey, Dylan, and Jon revisit one of the most influential comics ever created as Dylan gives his fresh perspective on the legendary graphic novel while Corey and Jon reflect on their own past readings years later. Using the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Watc...

The Avengers Auction returns… and this time the roster gets way stranger. In this episode, Corey, Dylan, and Jon continue their ongoing mission to draft every Avenger in Marvel history by spinning a wheel of names and bidding with limited cash. Covering the Jonathan Hickman Avengers era, All-New All-Different Avengers, Uncanny Avengers, and other 2010s lineups, the guys are forced to balance huge...

Who are the best—and worst—X-Men villains of all time? In this episode, Corey, Dylan, and Jon put some of the most iconic enemies of the X-Men through the ultimate test: a tier list ranking from S to D. From legendary masterminds to questionable henchmen, nothing is safe from debate. Villains featured include: Magneto (Jon’s favorite—so expect strong opinions) Apocalypse Mister Sinister Mystique S...

Batman has one of the greatest rogue galleries in comics… but it didn’t start out the way you think. In this episode, Corey walks Dylan and Jon through a PowerPoint deep dive into Batman’s Golden Age villains, showcasing everything from the icons that stood the test of time to the absolute strangest characters DC ever published. 🦇 In this episode: Classic villains like Joker, Catwoman, Penguin, T...