Casual Comics Cast

Available to stream now, Evil Dead Rise continues the franchise in new - and sometimes refreshing - ways. Here are our thoughts on this spook-fest from director Lee Cronin and  executive producers Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. Plus, we talk comics based on movies, including "Death to Army of Darkness" and "Spinal Tap". 

It's crazy to think that it was almost 10 years ago that director James Gunn introduced audiences to Rocket, Groot, Star Lord, and the rest of the Guardians crew. This found family has had a profound impact on the MCU - and on the hearts and minds of fans everywhere. Now, the Guardians of the Galaxy story comes to a close with "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" - a two-and-a-half hour love letter to misf...

“All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day.” Those immortal words were spoken by The Joker in 1988’s classic Batman one-shot, The Killing Joke.  Now, Batman fans can experience new tales of classic Batman villains as each of them relives their own ONE BAD DAY. On this episode, we're covering three books in th...

The latest installment of the MCU past it's expiration date for spoiler discussions, so we recap Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaina - what we liked, what we wish had been done differently, and where this ranks in the MCU roster.  Plus, we review 2022's Marvel Comic Series "Ant-Man", a 4-issue romp through the annals of each hero who held the title "Ant-Man": Hank Pym, Scott Lang, Eric O'Grady, and...

Kang and MODOK are two of the most iconic villains in Marvel Comics. And, now, they're taking center stage in the next installment in the MCU - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania! In this episode, we talk about who these characters are, where they fit into the Marvel Universe, and some of their comics history. We're reviewing two classic comic runs - one for each of these masters of malice. Kang -...

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special kicks off the Merry Marvel Christmas! Following up to our DC Christmas extravaganza, we compare and contrast how the publishers spotlight the holiday season.  In addition to discussing the Guardians of the Galaxy Special on Disney+, we've also got recaps and reviews of these Christmas-themed Marvel Comics: Amazing Spiderman 166 (1976) - "War of the Repti...

In this shaggy dog holiday episode, we're taking a (very) relaxed approach to multiple DC Christmas specials! We talk two special (and silly) treasury edition comics from way back in DC's History - "Christmas with the Super Heroes" along with Batman: The Animated Series' "Christmas with the Joker". Plus, Santa's Naughty/Nice list in the DCU. Happy holidays, everyone!

On this episode, Marc and Joe recap the powerful and touching follow-up to Marvel's Black Panther - "Wakanda Forever". What we liked, what we didn't, and where we think the MCU is headed next.  Plus, reviews of two comic books starring the newly introduced Namor, Prince of Atlantis... um, I mean Talokan. For those looking for a good place to dive into this character, we're discussing: X-Men #6 (19...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Join us for a review of three very different takes on the Thanksgiving holiday from comics. We're reading and discussing: Franklin Richards: Happy Franksgiving (Marvel) Deadpool #37: "Guess Who's Bumming at Dinner" (Marvel) JSA #54: "Virtue, Vice, and Pumpkin Pie" (DC) Plus, we each pick 5 comics heroes we would definitely want at our Thanksgiving dinner this year!

Celebrating 30 YEARS of Army of Darkness comics Never seen Army of Darkness? Seems unlikely, but neither has our co-host Jeff. In this episode, Jeff finally catches up on the beloved cult classic and gives his review.  Plus, we look at Ashley J Williams' adventures across the pages of multiple comic publishers - with a special focus on the current crossover event, "Army of Darkness vs. Reanimator:...

In this super-sized, super-spooky Casual Comics Cast, we're covering the dark side of the Marvel Universe, including coverage of the 90s mini-series "Rise of the Midnight Sons" - the inspiration for the new Marvel console game.  Reviews and plot summaries of: Werewolf by Night on Disney+ Ghost Rider / Rise of the Midnight Sons, featuring Blade, Morbius, and more from Marvel's horror tites Black Pa...

Thanks to a subscription to the mighty Marvel Unlimited app, we're able to catch up on even more recent Marvel event series.  In this episode, we're recapping and discussing the 2021 event "Devil's Reign" - a Daredevil-centric series that sees The Kingpin, Wilson Fisk, currently mayor of New York,  discovering a major gap in his memory - namely, the secret identity of Daredevil. Fisk outlaws vigil...

Over the years, there have been a lot more comics to film adaptations than we realized. Inspired by our recent trek to see Rifftrax Live: Return of the Swamp Thing, we're revisiting some of the lowlights of the bronze age of comic book adaptations - films made from 1978-1997. Spanning Richard Donner's "Superman: The Movie" through Joel Schumacher's "Batman and Robin", there are a whole lot of comi...

On this episode, we are discussing long-time favorite Marvel hero, She-Hulk. With the premiere of the new Disney+ Series, “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law”, you’ll hear about She-Hulk’s origin, the extent of her powers (including BOTH how far and how high she can jump), and just generally everything you need to know about Shulkie.   We’re reading and reviewing three comics: ·       Savage She-Hulk #1 (1...

The next chapter in the MCU - and the long-awaited follow-up to fan-favorite, Thor: Ragnarok - is finally here. On this episode, we're discussing Taika Waititi's Thor: Love and Thunder. What worked, and what still needed work? And, what to make of Jane Foster's "Mighty Thor", originally introduced in Jason Aaron's excellent run on the comic series in 2015? Plus - our comic book picks for the week...

It's finally here - the long-awaited, Sam Raimi-helmed sequel to WANDAVISION. Oh, and the follow-up to Doctor Strange, Spider-man: No Way Home, and the next chapter in the continuing Marvel multiverse saga. We discuss whether the movie lives up to expectations, what we learned, what we expect next - as well as our Top 3 Movie Moments from the first entry in Marvel's foray into PG-13 horror / actio...

Part 2 of our look back at the pre-Dark Knight Batman series takes us back to some very different Batman experiences. For those who loved (or who will soon love) the 1966 Batman move and TV series, we've got discussion and reviews of: Batman 66 - The 2013 comic book series that picks up the characters, tone, and wit of the beloved series "Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders" and "Batman: Two Fac...

With "The Batman" grabbing viewers on HBO Max, it's time to revisit the "which Batman is best" argument with a look at the seldom-discussed "Batman: The Movie" from 1966.  Criminally left out of most discussions ranking the relative Batman movies, this Adam West-led Batman adventure deserves a place in the pantheon of Batman movies. So, join us as two seasoned Batman vets watch and discuss Batman:...

This time, we're talking all things Marvel Multiverse. What is the Multiverse, anyway? Heading into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we'll cover all the bases to get you up to speed on Marvel's Multiverse. We're talking the history of the multiverse in comics, movies, and TV. There's also in-depth coverage on Marvel's "What If..." and we go deep into Marvel's "House of M" - a comic ser...

With the premiere of Moon Knight on Disney+ just days away, we're reading some older Moon Knight titles to break down - what is the essence of the Moon Knight mythos? Reading comics spanning the 70s - today - we discuss just what elements of Moon Knight are consistent through the years, as well as some interesting turns the character has taken along the way.  We discuss: Werewolf by Night #32 (fir...

We're shining a spotlight on some books that casual comic readers should check-out: A trio of books based on licensed properties with no prior continuity needed. If you're looking to pick up books where you don't need an in-depth knowledge of the history or "story so far", these are books that fit the bill.  A trio of titles from Casual Comics Crew favorite author, Mark Russell, are reviewed on th...

The X-Men are experiencing (yet another renaissance), but with a dozen or more X-men related titles, is there an easy way for casual comic book readers to get up-to-speed if they want to join in the fun? On this episode, Marc and Joe delve into the "gateway" books for the current state of Marvel's merry band of mutants - House of X and Powers of X. These two titles ushered in a new era and establi...

If you're a casual comic book reader, there's a new(ish) publisher on the block whose books you have GOT to be reading.  Ahoy Comics has a whole slate of books that are perfect for casual fans - you don't need to know decades of continuity or be reading on a weekly basis to enjoy the incredible wit and amazing art in their titles. We've talked about a couple of their books in the past, but in this...

For new comic book readers and casual comic fans, finding a way to jump into a new series can be a daunting task. On this episode, we're reading and covering a couple of books that readers may be curious about - and checking whether they would be a good entry point for enjoying the wonderful world of comic books. The books we're covering this week are: Saga #1 - The mega-popular sci-fi/drama/adven...

It's February and, we're in love with love. All over again. For the first time! We're reading and discussing two of the most famous comic book weddings from Marvel comics history: Fantastic Four Annual #3 (1965) - The Wedding of Reed and Sue Richards Amazing Spider Man Annual #21 (1987) - The Wedding of Spider Man and Mary Jane Watson In addition, we're ranking our personal TOP 5 comic book couple...