Pandora's Longbox: A New 52 Podcast

And lo and behold, it took a whopping two weeks but we hit the longest trade we have on the block for a long time and its a Rob Liefeld special as well - we hit Savage Hawkman. We've got to go through several attempts to change up what's going on with Hawkman, a whole miserable crossover and then a brief gaze into the light with Tom DeFalco at the end. Lets all just get this over with in S...

We got lucky this week to start our second year with an old friend, Mitch Shelley, the Resurrection Man - its just a question of if the book can stay as good when it has so many artists that the book's cover only lists its writers and its wrapping towards an early cancellation. Lets see if all the mysteries can get to satisfying closes, the Body Doubles can get their moments to shine and if th...

Holy podcasters, Batman! We made it through a whole year, we read every initial release of the New 52, and we all still like it each other enough to record an extra episode for you at the end of it without yelling at each other the whole time. Come join us as we revisit the highlights, the lowlights and the general idea of the whole New 52 and what the hell we're doing with it, and find out what's...

We finally made it to the 52nd book, and of course, it had to be the grand tribute to the King himself, OMAC. Its time to discuss all the parts of the Kirby cosmos that noone else will use or get into and round out the bases to celebrate this home run of a book. Get on board on our satellite and OMACTIVATE your ears with us for OMAC vol 1: OMACTIVATE! by Dan DiDio and Keith Giffen with additional...

Its a book where the main character is a vampire, so when he talks about himself, he is the titular I, Vampire. Also he has a girlfriend / vampire progeny who is his ultimate enemy for some toxic relationship drama, as vampire stories are wont to do. And then there's like another heap of vampire-story referencing and emulating in here too, so without further ado, come down into our tomb of I,...

Even a superhero has to start somewhere in their blue t-shirt and jeans, and this week, we're talking about Superman's opening story in Action Comics. Its a Grant Morrison comic though, so it won't be that easy, with everything else coming along besides too, and far too much of it to write in here, so just tune in as we tune out with Action Comics vol 1: Superman and the Men of Steel b...

You've seen Wildstorm 2011, but have you considered if there was Wildstorm 1011? Merlin is watching storms, Etrigan is in a throuple, Shining Knight is getting misgendered - its all happening here in Demon Knights. Or maybe it isn't, who could say what's going on with the pacing here. Either way, boldly quest with us and Demon Knights vol 1: Seven Against The Dark by Paul Cornell and D...

Its finally time for our single Milestone book of the entire New 52 (and years after with DC), Static Shock. We discuss the spirit of Milestone's original vision, and also how this book is a wildly flawed non-attempt to recapture them while also being just so confusing and question-raising that we couldn't help the run time, we swear. Come ride the lightning with us and Static Shock vol 1:...

They're members of the Legion of Super Heroes and they're Lost - its Legion Lost. A book noone has ever talked about in the 14 years since it started, which means you know this has to be a bumper episode as we dig in on whether or not this might actually be a good book, to everyone's surprise. We're zooming back in time with Legion Lost vol 1: Run from Tomorrow by Fabian Nicieza, T...

Call us squaddies because we're going into the trenches with Arthur Curry, Aquaman. There's a lot for us to learn from a guy who aura farms this hard and deals with this many rude jokes about fish, and maybe we'll even manage it here and come out more rizzed up for the effort. Lets dive straight on into Aquaman vol 1: The Trench by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis with colours by Rod Reis. Ne...

We've finally come to our final Gotham book, and we're going out in style with everyone's favourite animal-themed thief, Catwoman. She's got her bra out, she's got her toes out, she's got her childhood trauma out, its all here. Get on the job with us this week in Catwoman vol 1: The Game by Judd Winick and Guillem March with colours by Tomeu Morey. Next week: Aquaman v1, co...

We're taking it back to the 2010s taking it back to the 80s this week with the return of the Justice League International, all in new hands this go around. What if we switched up the team and the tone, but still tried to maintain the somewhat questionable association with the UN and the somewhat more questionable global cast straight out of Street Fighter. Take a round-the-world tour with us i...

His name is Green Arrow. After 42 weeks in hell, we have come home with only one goal... to see if this book is any good. Now everyone has joined the crusade. And this crusade is the only reason why anyone would be needing to go back to this book, so its a perfect alignment of targets for everyone. Lets see how the shot landed as we read Green Arrow vol 1: The Midas Touch by Dan Jurgens, J.T. Krul...

Its the week for Serious Deadpool, the aura farmer in chief, The Terminator (not James Cameron's) - Deathstroke. Will he win every fight? (Of course) Will he get paid? (Maybe) Will he learn how to be a good dad? (Absolutely not) These questions and many more are all to be answered in Deathstroke vol 1: Legacy by Kyle Higgins, Joe Bennett and Eduardo Pansica with colours by Jason Wright. Next w...

Its taken this long but we finally got to one of the most-talked about books of the New 52, Wonder Woman, and we're all very happy for the break with another good book. There's reinventions all round for Diana Prince here, but best of all, there's lots of room for us to get into discussing Greek mythology, where our real enthusiasm sits. Join us going on our own odyssey as we read Wond...

Somehow we are finally closing off our Batman-led books with the OG and the company namesake, Detective Comics. Now we can wonder no longer as to how it would be if Joker took inspiration from his second favourite Hollywood John Woo flick, and see exactly how he could take his face... off. Also all the rest of the things in the other six issues of the comics. This week we're reading Detective...

And now we finally come to the end of our green light road, with the final of our four Green Lantern books, with this one all about the Corps and what they get up to. Finally, we can ponder if the militarisation of the Green Lanterns was a good idea, if characterisation should be more important than enhanced interrogation and if its cool to casually throw in celebrations of American war crimes int...

You've heard of Batman, you've heard of Robin, but what if now there was Batman and Robin? And what if there was also a third guy and he was trying to get himself intertwined with the dynamic duo of father and son? These are some of the brave and bold questions raised in this here comic which we are discussing this week in Batman and Robin vol 1: Born to Kill by Peter Tomasi and Pat Gleaso...

Everyone's favourite nuclear transmuter is back and now there's two of him! That's right, its Firestorm (and Firestorm) time, the Nuclear Men are back and much like they're stuck together, we're stuck with them. If high school football and international arms escalation don't make a great pair, then I don't know what they were doing on this book. Let's see if ink can...

Rounding out the Rot pairing, we have Animal Man aka Buddy Baker and his family coming in this week. Coming from a lineage of Vertigo comics into a fresh body horror take on how much it would suck if you lost your family, we get to go on an adventure into nightmare until things stall out to make sure the editorial vision can align. Let's take a narrative walk together as we devour Animal Man v...

When you think about horror comics or about the artistic highs of Vertigo, you probably think about Swamp Thing. So then its no wonder DC decided to take another swing at Big Green for the New 52, and put their best guys on the case. And now, in turn, we've sent our best scientists out to the marshes to see if the book's actually any good. Come along with us and wade into Swamp Thing vol 1...

This week its time to check in on everyone's favourite team of bad guys and the bad they do, the Suicide Squad. Can this book live up to the lofty standards of all its media adaptations and strong roots, or is the subtitle for the trade an accurate description of how it feels to read? There's only one way to find out, as we go on a mission with Suicide Squad vol 1: Kicked in the Head by Ad...

We're back off for another book with everyone's favourite space cops, as this time, they revive an old no-name title and hand it off to Kyle Rayner and all the colours of the rainbow. Come along and see what happens when seven people who all have questionable displays of their emotions come together and try to make a team with a dysfunctional dynamic and a questionable leader, as we open u...

We've been drafted into the comics wars, even though none of us are trained readers, and sent straight to the front lines of the New 52. Ducking under the Sgt Rock barb wire, running into the George Saint bullets and dodging the Frankenstein artillery, all to deliver a podcast about how maybe making books about the military in the 21st century doesn't work quite the same as it used to. Get...

Taking it back to that Y2K spirit this week with the coolest and edgiest of Batman's wards, Jason Todd aka The Red Hood, his himbo archer friend Arsenal and their questionably leered at girl friend Starfire. We're going through a whole lore dump, some all new bad guys and a whole lot of odd sexual dynamics so its a jam-packed episode. Get on board as we hang out with Red Hood and the Outla...