Classic Comics Cavalcade

Jason's all time favorite comic book is a classic Steve Gerber - Jim Mooney joint, Omega the Unknown , published by Marvel starting in 1976. This week Jason and Amir talk about Omega #1 and find an incredible amount of depth for a mere superhero comic, including some severe existential fear, some fascinating dichotomies, and a completely ambivalent set of lead characters. It's great comics and we...

Next up in our rewatch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is perhaps the low point, at least so far: The Incredible Hulk , from 2008, a film that just doesn't quite work on any level and just ends up making Carlos and Jason fewel frustrated. And just for fun, they also look at Ang Lee's Hulk , from 2003, which also doesn't work, but doesn't work in a very different way. Despite our frustration, we t...

Are these the best American mainstream comics of the 1970s? If not, they're close to it, as the team supreme of Steve Gerber, Michael Golden and Russ Heath deliver a superlactive comic book. Scott Free is free of the New Genesis/Apokolops dichotomy, as he moves to California, takes on an amazing escape, fights a mysterious woman, and, oh yeah, starts to become a messiah. Amir and Jason rave about...

Welcome to week four of the Marvelcast. Every week Jason and Carlos watch a Marvel movie in chronological order by the timeframe of the film, then have a quick conversation about the movie. This week: Iron Man 2 (2010). Yow, what a POS! Hear Jason get all worked out by how stupid this movie is, and hear Carlos try to like it and (spoilers!) fail. Give this 20 minute pod a listen and let us know wh...

Jason and Amir continue their reading of Mr. Miracle comics with a look at issue #22 by Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers, and #23 by Steve Gerber and Michael Golden. The guys agree that issue #22 is an odd issue, delivered quickly, and which doesn't contain great takes on the characters - "Steven Segal on a revenge story", as Amir says. The issue does, however, include gorgeous art by Marshall...

Welcome to week three of the Marvelcast. Every week Jason and Carlos watch a Marvel movie in chronological order by the timeframe of the film, then have a quick conversation about the movie. This week: Iron Man (2008). Carlos and Jason feel that the character of Tony Stark hasn't quite aged well, but that at least the scenes set in Afghanistan are interesting enough. Give this 20 minute pod a list...

Welcome to part two of the Marvelcast. Every week Jason and Carlos watch a Marvel movie in chronological order by the timeframe of the film, then have a quick conversation about the movie. This week: Captain Marvel. It's kind of a controversial movie in the Marvel series. Some people love the themes of the film, and love Brie Larson's portrayal of Carol Danvers. Other hate the confusing and slow f...

Jason and Amir continue their reading of Mr. Miracle comics with a look at issues #20 and 21 by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers and Vince Colletta. The guys agree that Rogers's art is magnificent and fun (though the Colletta inks kind of take away from it) but that Englehart just does not get what makes the relationship between Barda and Scott work. So these are pretty good issues but not the bes...

Introducing a new series of shows as part of Classic Comics Cavalcade: the Marvelcast. Every week Jason and Carlos watch a Marvel movie in chronological order by the timeframe of the film, then have a quick conversation about the movie. This week: Captain America: the First Avenger . Neither of them had watched the movie in a few years, so it was interesting to revisit it and see the connections t...

Okay, we've read the Jack Kirby take on Mr. Miracle, and we've read the Tom King - Mitch Gerads take on Mr. Miracle, but what about the versions that came between those two? Today Amir and Jason start to fill that gap, as they begin a four-part look at the late 1970s look at the great hero of New Genesis with Mr. Miracle #19 by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers and a host of inkers. Amir and Jason...

Mr. Miracle is one of the most acclaimed comic series of recent years, but how does it read after a reread of the Kirby run on Mr. Miracle and New Gods ? Amir and Jason dive into King and Gerads' minestone work and see how it shapes up. We think this episode is a fascinating 50-minute listen for anyone who knows and has read the King work, the Kirby work or both.

Amir and Jason wrap up their discussion of Jack Kirby's Mr. Miracle with the underrated comic that might be the best issue of the run. "Wild Wild Wedding Guests" is a fun family reunion, a sad parting and a blessed event. It also contains a few keynote scenes that perfectly sum up this series in several perfect Kirby pages. It's 30 minutes of classic comics conversation about one of Kirby's most u...

Eric Hoffman and Jason Sacks have been fans of DC Comics' 1980s take on the Shadow for a long time. WiIn this second of a two-part look at that comic series, Eric and Jason ponder the anarchic, memorable brilliance of this unique and bizarre comic series. Andy Helfer and Kyle Baker's The Shadow is creatively unwieldy yet astonishingly charming. For good measure, Eric and Jason also look at Baker a...

The end of Kirby's New Gods saga has different surprises from the beginning of the saga, but even the down issues of Mister Miracle are pretty wonderful. Amir and Jason look at the rise of Shilo Norman as the new lead character in Mister Miracle 16 and 17 and consider whether late Kirby is still great Kirby (spoiler warning: it is!).

Eric Hoffman and Jason Sacks have been fans of DC Comics' 1980s take on the Shadow for a long time. With an introductory four-parter by Howard Chaykin and a follow up series by writer Andrew Helfer and artists Bill Sienkiewicz, Marshall Rogers and Kyle Baker, the comic looked great for its time. But does it still stand up today? Eric and Jason ponder what evil lurks in the hearts of men in the fir...

Jack Kirby was such a master of comic book art that even his less inspired comics are wonderful exercises in comics storytelling. That's the case with Mr. Miracle #15, which on one hand feels a bit quiet while on the other hand delivers thrilling action, some smart character work, and the introduction of a new character into the roster of Scott and Barda's friends. Enjoy this 18 minute pod in whic...

Jason had the pleasure of joining Joe and Matt of the TwoHeadedNerd podcast, along with their pal Brian Domingos, to talk about a couple of comic series that are not really classics, the Vision and Scarlet Witch miniseries. The group digs deep into the longboxes to discover the sheer insanity of the comics that partially inspired WandaVision and find them to be... surreal seems the best word. It's...

Mr. Miracle #14 isn't anybody's favorite issue of that Kirby klassic series, but it's still a fantastic, fun, incredibly well drawn Jack Kirby comic. Amir and Jason talk about why the comic is so wonderful and explore Kirby's lasting genius.

Amir and Jason didn't expect much from Mr. Miracle #13, but it turns out to be a stealthy great issue with interesting subtext about friendship, loneliness, self glorification and the greatness of Big Barda. Well, Barda's greatness isn't exactly subtext. Tune in for 25 minutes of great conversation about a surprisingly great comic book.

Today Jason blasts back 55 years to join an all-expert panel of international comics experts. Whether you want to Make Mine Marvel or you're a Detective Comics fan, or if you want to learn about the great comics coming out of the UK and Europe (including behind the Iron Curtain!) this is a don't miss show. For more information on The Journey Show and Galactic Journey, visit galacticjourney.org !

Mr. Miracle #12 starts the migration of the Jack Kirby masterwork away from its obsession with the Apokolips-Fourth World saga and towards its feeling as a family super-hero comic. "Mystivac" has a light, '70s action TV series vibe, and Amir and Jason groove on the comic from that standpoint, and have a great time exploring Kirby's more informal, loose world. This episode is less than 20 minutes s...

Doctor Bedlam is back and he has a horrible scheme to drag Scott into space in a strange UFO! Meanwhile Scott, Barda, Ted and the Furies are trying a new stunt and Oberon is grousing about his clothes. Yes, it's another wonderful issue of Mister Miracle , with dynamic action, great art and some of the finest characters Jack Kirby ever created. Amir and Jason have a blast talking about this issue,...

Barda, Scott and the Female Furies are back from Apokolips but their problems continue as they stumble into the middle of a spy battle that... um... kinda makes no sense. But that nonsensical attitude what makes Mister Miracle #10 so glorious! Amir and Jason especially love the cybernetic head in a flying box who gets trapped on a spaceship... okay, you gotta hear how wacky this comic book is. Joi...

Jason and Amir dig into the best issue so far of Mr. Miracle , issue #9, "Himon." Like the classic New Gods story "The Pact," "Himon" fills in some of the back story of Scott Free, Barda, Metron and many other new gods - and what an amazing back story it is. This conversation spans far and wide, from the nature of heroism to the importance of art. And Amir and Jason always pay close attention to J...

Jason and Amir are back to continue their reading of Jack Kirby's Mr. Miracle . This issue, "The Battle of the Id", shows us more of the Female Furies, who are in outright rebellion against Granny Goodness and her her troops who live in the pits. We also meet Tigra, Orion's mother, and learn even more about family politics on Apokolips. It's another great issue that we have fun discussing in a lit...