Midnight Grappler Animals

We've done it! We've made it 150 numbered episodes into this show! What better way to celebrate the occasion than to get introspective about why we even do anniversaries in the first place? Lan, Salt, and Keigen sit down to talk about three anniversary issues and get to the bottom of things. First it's the latest $7.99 Amazing Spider-Man comic, then we go back to the very real Marvel Age #1000, be...

Happy thanksgiving, Americans! Our Canadian host took a break this time and left this very American holiday to our two American hosts as they look at something we should all be grateful for: The punk scene. What does it mean to be punk in the big 2 5? Salt and Keigen find out, through the lens of "punk" comics. Want to support the show and get exclusive bonuses? Head over to our Patreon to find ne...

We're doing a sequel to our Star Wars knockoffs episode by looking at a couple of superhero movie knockoffs. Marvel, DC, everyone's getting a piece of the pie this time, as Lan, Keigen, and Salt cover the 2017 movie Guardians and Supermen Dönüyor , A.K.A Turkish Superman. Want to support the show and get exclusive bonuses? Head over to our Patreon to find new episodes, as well as our extensive bac...

Salt sits down with Nino from the Boycott Scream 7 movement. They discuss the origins and details of the protest, and how the horror franchise juggernaught silenced one of its stars for speaking out against US and Israeli-backed violence perpetrated in Palestine. Contact boycottscream7@gmail.com for more info or to get involved. Follow BoycottScream7 on instagram: @boycottscream7 Boycott Scream 7...

In a first for MGA's Sequels Month, we're doing an episode that isn't a sequel at all...or is it? Keigen is joined by contestants Lan, Dave, Brason, and Gui as they take part in MGA's very first* comics draft. How will our play-publishers fare in a market rebuilding after a total crash and collapse? Want to support the show and get exclusive bonuses? Head over to our Patreon to find new episodes,...

In a first for our sequel season, we're covering something that's a sequel to episodes we've done in the past, but also, a prequel for something that has yet to debut. We delve back into the world of Frank Miller to look at his first solo directorial debut, 2008's The Spirit . Frank Miller taking on a Will Eisner work? What could possibly go wrong? Come along with Lan, Keigen, and Salt, as we soft...

Years ago, Lan and Salt covered the first volume of James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds' The Department of Truth . This time, joined by Snyder superfan Keigen, we cover the 0th issue of the book, with the books original creative team being joined by the creative duo of Scott Snyder and Joshua Hixson. Did our feelings on the book change? But wait, there's more! We also covered the first volume of U...

This time, we revive an old series of ours, What Were They Thinking , and return to Gotham, the only democracy in the middle-east of America, for the last volume of Chip Zdarsky's Batman run, "The Dying City". Fret not, as neither Lan nor Salt read any of Zdarsky's Batman run up to this point. It's time for Keigen to tell the lads what they missed out on and put an end to almost a decade's worth o...

We're revisiting our 81st episode and heading back to Kaijumax! Lan and Keigen discuss the second deluxe volume of Zander Cannon's Kaijumax, covering seasons three and four. Lan had to read not only the second Deluxe Edition volume, but the first as well. Did he like it as much as our hosts did the last time we covered it on this show? Want to support the show and get exclusive bonuses? Head over...

In this episode, we follow up on our 7th episode to revisit Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno's Shin Ultraman , joined now by Ultraman newcomer Keigen. To prep Keigen for his first foray into the franchise, Salt assigned us some homework: Watch Ultraman (1966) episodes 22 and 23, both directed by Akio Jissoji. We talk about Jissoji's strengths as a director and what set him apart from his contempora...

We're back with another entry in our Sequels Month series, this time following up on our seminal 50th episode, where we covered The Pope Drops In , while also semi-reviving our run of Toku Thursday episodes. We decided to take a look at the movie the pope was watching in the movie and cover 2020's Notzilla , a parody of classic kaiju films, beloved by the indie scene. But did we like it? Lan and S...

It's the start of sequels month, leading up to our monumental episode 150! We're starting this month off with a sequel to our eleventh episode about the North Korean kaiju film Pulgasari, What happened when Shin Sang-Ok managed to flee North Korea, into the arms of the United States? Schlock, that's what! Teaming up with Sean McNamara, the man who'd go on to direct Reagan (2024), Shin remade Pulga...

With the release of Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc, Keigen and Salt made their way to their local cinemas to catch up with the film debut of Denji and Division 4. Before getting into the movie, Keigen and Salt have a brief discussion covering their experiences with the manga. The movie is short but impactful, and Keigen and Salt how the film exemplifies the greatest strengths of the series. Go...

It's been four years since a group of comics creators took Substack's dirty money in an effort to revolutionize the way we read comics. Has that actually happened? Keigen and Lan delve into one of these Substack comics universes to see if that's actually the case. We delve into Three Worlds, Three Moons as both a comics universe and a publishing effort, and try to figure out how much this whole th...

Much like Miles Morales, we're taking a hit concept from our other podcast and applying it to our main one, baby. Lan and Keigen join up to relentlessly bully- I mean introduce Salt into Marvel's latest line of Ultimate Marvel comics by reading the first issues of every Ultimate comic. And yes, we do mean the first issues of every Ultimate comic since 2023. Flop, founder, fluster, or flourish? Wil...

Salt and Keigen sail the high seas with 2003's Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl ! Was there a time when Disney knew how to make big budget live action ensemble films? We dive in to find out! Want to support the show and get exclusive bonuses? Head over to our Patreon to find new episodes, as well as our extensive backlog of bonus content: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www...

In an episode that is either a one-off or the start of a new series, Salt and Keigen examine the legacy of a comics creator whose once sterling public image has been tarnished by bad behavior. In the 2016 documentary Neil Gaiman: Dream Dangerously, viewers follow along with Gaiman to see the spectacle that was his 2013 book signing tour. In the fallout of the harrowing accounts publicized in summe...

We did it! Lan, Keigen, and Salt made it to the end, finally finishing Lan's read pile with a full read-through of Immortal Thor. Was the wait worth it? Was reading all those comics that had nothing to do with Immortal Thor worth it? You're asking a lot of questions. Good thing we've got this plus-sized episode to answer at least two of them! Want to support the show and get exclusive bonuses? Hea...

We watched Shin Godzilla in 4k last time, so why not round things out and rewatch Minus-One while we're at it, joined once again by Sophie Campbell. Godzilla newbie Keigen questions Lan's less-than-positive opinion of the movie, even though Lan went out of his way to buy the 4k release. Sophie just can't get her eyes off Godzilla's feet and we can't blame her. Want to support the show and get excl...

Shin Godzilla was back in theatres this year thanks to a 4k re-release. This was a perfect opportunity for the lads to go engage with the beauty of the theatrical experience. For some it was the first time, and for some, it was their third or fourth time watching this movie. Is Shin Godzilla a movie that gets better with age? Want to support the show and get exclusive bonuses? Head over to our Pat...

In this episode, Keigen tries to justify the selection of books he made Lan and Salt read as Lan slowly loses his mind. What does this mean for the rest of this series, and the reading habits of our hosts? How does any of this even factor into Immortal Thor? We try and figure these questions out. Want to support the show and get exclusive bonuses? Head over to our Patreon to find new episodes, as...

It's Al as in Alasdair, not AI as in Allen Iverson. This week, Keigen and Lan revisit 2014's Loki: Agent of Asgard as first-time reader Salt once again encounters his arch-nemesis: continuity. Somehow, this will all make sense in a few weeks' time, but for now, enjoy this retrospective on this decade-old run. Want to support the show and get exclusive bonuses? Head over to our Patreon to find new...

Keigen and Lan are two busy boys who don't have time to read all the comics they do/don't buy. Salt doesn't read monthly comics. Join us as Lan and Keigen force themselves to whittle their respective read piles down to zero and talk about the experience. Want to support the show and get exclusive bonuses? Head over to our Patreon to find new episodes, as well as our extensive backlog of bonus cont...

Welcome to Kamen Ride Along, the show where Lan and Salt take our friend Keigen through the first episodes of every Kamen Rider show to date in hopes of finding one that'll have the honour of being Keigen's first fully-watched Kamen Rider show! Each week we'll pit two (or three) shows' first episodes against each other to see which one interests Keigen more, and in the end, our victor will be the...

Guess who hadn't seen the entire Jurassic Park franchise until a month ago? That's right, Salt M. Bank. Lan and Salt sit down to discuss Salt's recent journey through the much-maligned mega-franchise and figure out why people keep making Jurassic World movies. Want to support the show and get exclusive bonuses? Head over to our Patreon to find new episodes, as well as our extensive backlog of bonu...