Classic Comics Cavalcade

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...

Eric and Jason wrap up their discussion of Matt Wagner's classic Grendel Cycle with a look at the stories included in the Grendel Tales Omnibus volume 5. This includes a couple of great stories, one very good story and one flop. Enjoy the conversation, including a discussion at the end of the episode of our best and worst Grendel tales. It's an interesting 1:20 of discussion about some comics that...

Visit Apokolips and Die!  Mr. Miracle just keeps getting better and better each issue. Mr. Miracle #7 shows Scott and Barda returning to Apokolips, where they're captured by Kanto and have to escape his evil trap. That's all very fun and all, but what makes this issue really shine is the wonderful work Jack Kirby does with character this month. Join Jason and Amir for a 30 minute chat about y...

Matt Wagner's Grendel Cycle is one of the longest running independent comic books in history. Eric Hoffman joins Jason to discuss Grendel Tales Omnibus Volume 1, which contains four interesting and complex short stories, including work by James Robinson and Steven Seagle. Those stories are great, but Jason and Eric are bigger fans of Devils and Deaths , a brilliant two-parter by Darko Macan and th...

Mr. Miracle #6, "Funky Flashman", is famous for being one of the most mean-spirited comics Jack Kirby ever created. Jason and Amir look at the issue and find it has a nasty satirical edge but also find it tremendously fun, especially the sections that feature Big Barda. Join us as we explore another very fun comic book by the king of comics!

"With Barda you can't go wrong" says Amir on this latest discussion of Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga and those words are definitely true. Our amazing Apocalyptan warrior is plain awesome in Mr. Miracle #5. Join Jason and Amir as they talk about Barda carrying cannons one-handed, Vermin Vunderbar's Napoleon complex, the amazing cover to the original issue, Mike Royer's sterling inks, and much more...

Mr. Miracle #4 is the best issue of this wonderful series so far because it introduces one of Jason and Amir's favorite Kirby characters, Big Barda. Barda dominates this issue, and provides a huge amount of fun, energy and female spirit. The guys dig into Kirby's surprising approach to gender, his brilliant storytelling chops and the ways he makes Barda truly larger than life. It's a very fun look...

This week Jason and Amir continue their look at Jack Kirby's Fourth World with a review of Mr. Miracle #3, "The Paranoia Pill." There's a lot of interesting stuff going on in this issue, including the nature of a battle among the celestials, the weaknesses and strengths of Scott Free, and the brilliant storytelling of Jack Kirby. It's 20 minutes of great listening about a fantastic comic book.

Matt Wagner's Grendel Cycle is one of the longest running independent comic books in history. Eric Hoffman joins Jason to discuss Grendel Omnibus Volume 4 , which we agree is the best volume of the series so far because it includes the fantastic action movie on paper War Child, the intriguing novel   Past Prime (written by Greg Rucka) and the disappointing Devil Quest. You won't be disappoint...

Granny Goodness appears for the first time in Mr. Miracle 2, throwing off her cape like a pro wrestler ready for a fight. Jason and Amir glory in the debut appearance of one of Jack Kirby's, greatest heels, as well as celebrating Kirby's magnificent page layout and character building. This was a terrific issue!

Jason and Amir find the fascinating subtext behind Jack Kirby's brilliant Mr. Miracle #1, including praise for the inking of Vince Colletta(!).

The Hunger Dogs is often called one of the worst comics Jack Kirby created. but Jason and Amir disagree. As they read this standalone graphic novel, they find some outstanding storytelling, some fascinating thoughts on the nature of knowledge, and a real sense of closure for many of the lead characters. Far from being bad, this is yet another exploration of Jack Kirby's rich inner life as channele...

Matt Wagner's Grendel Cycle is one of the longest running independent comic books in history. Eric Hoffman joins Jason to discuss Grendel Omnibus volume 3, which includes the fall of a society, a giant gun powered by bananas (!) and vampires in Vegas, among much, much more. It's an hour of smart, in-depth analysis we hope you'll enjoy!

Jason and Amir Talk New Gods: "Even Gods Must Die!" This is one of the final New Gods stories by Jack Kirby, and it's a surprisingly poignant story about aging, technology, fear of the future and anger at the past. We dig into some of the subtext of the story and see how even late period Jack Kirby is sublime.

One of the most unique projects on the Internet is Galactic Journey , a website that recreates the world of 55 years ago, with a focus on science fiction, comics and classic movies. Jason is delighted to be part of the project. Galactic Journey also has a YouTube channe l, on which Gideon Marcus, the mad maven of the site, hosts friends to discuss relevant topics. A few weeks ago, Jason was lucky...

"Darkseid and Sons" in New Gods #11 is yet another astonishing volume of Jack Kirby's masterwork. It deepens our knowledge of Darkseid's tragic past, explores the deep sibling rivalry between Orion and Kalibak and shows the devastating effects of his massive battles on Orion's anger. It's a way better comic than both Amir and Jason expected, and a fascinating conclusion to Kirby's original run on...

In New Gods #10, Mantis and his army of bugs invade Earth. Thankfully Forager comes to Earth to fight back, and enlists Orion and Lightray to help him. What ensues is a breathtaking Kirbyesque battle. There's typically breathtaking Kirby work here, with a lot below the surface about class structure, the futility of man fighting gods, and the nature of heroism. Jason and Amir dig deep into this one...

New Gods #9 kind of lives in the shadow of the previous three issues, but "Bug!" shows Jack Kirby continuing his unparalleled vision for his comics. This issue is full of action, passion, smart storytelling, intriguing characters and some intriguing work building. In other words, it's typical Kirby! Jason and Amir bring the insights and fun in this 30-minute chat.