Pandora's Longbox: A New 52 Podcast

Our little birdie bill continues with a very different kind of macho book about Leo Tolstoy's favourite subject, war and peace, and its representations on DC's earth, Hawk and Dove. There's so much lore you'll need to learn and then immediately forget here, so you'll have to get on The Rob's Wild Ride real quick. Come and take a tumble down with us on the very chaotic road...

Its ladies night and we feel alright, oh yes its Birds of Prey night, oh what a night. We're looking at a little band of dysfunctional girlies working together to fight off a mind control scheme, and seeing if love, or at least comraderie, truly can bloom between Gotham's murdering women. Join us as we get along with Birds of Prey vol 1: Trouble In Mind by Duane Swierczynski and Jesus Saiz...

Its been so long since we last read our double bill of the big man of Geoff Johns at the very start of this podcast, and now we're back with one of his most famous works - Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern. Thanks to the New 52, we get to jump straight in at the last stretch of his saga, so join us as we see what four different levels of experience can piece together coming in pretty cold as we read G...

And so it happens with a randomised wheel, we're back this week with a book that's all killer, no filler as we come round to the New 52 relaunch of Batwoman. The gayest book in the line just missed Pride, but it was well worth the wait as we dig into all the comings and goings of Miss Kate Kane, Gotham's Boldest Buttkicker and Lovingest Lesbian. Come along with us to see just how peak...

As much as we all joked about being commitment phobes to the scale of this undertaking, we made it halfway! A whole half a year of reading New 52 books and talking about them and producing Content about the experience! And now its time for us to be as backwards-looking and nostalgic as DC Comics themselves, and take a look back at what we've read (and maybe forward at what we have to come to)....

Welcome back for another installment of your favourite grindset podcast, as we look in on our good friend and idol Cole Cash, also known as Wildstorm's own Grifter. He's got the schemes, he's got the guns, he's got the goofy red bandana mask, what more could a guy need? Let's go on a journey to see if there is anything more he could need, like quality art and writing, as we dig...

What's red, yellow and fast all over? That's right, its The Flash, aka Barry Allen, here for a post-Flashpoint adventure, and he is sure going to look great doing it as he zips by with his old friend and zooms along with his new girlfriend. Come and listen to the perfect medium for discussing how gorgeous the art in this book is with our discussion of The Flash vol 1: Move Forward, by Fran...

Its time for a solo book about DC's younger circus acrobat and their first child sidekick, Dick Grayson, as we see what trouble Nightwing can get into as he goes back to his roots (dating readheads) and finds out the mysteries of his youth. Listen up as we find out all this and maybe even more in Nightwing vol 1: Traps and Trapezes, by Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrows with additional art by Eduar...

We're off to hyperspace with the former Wildstorm universe's premier super-team, coming hot and fresh into the DC Universe for the New 52. Do we get to start Pride off right with the first gay married superhero couple, or has editorial come even for the gays? Come along to find out and also hear about the moon's big hand, the mountain's big horn and the Midwest's big city, as we dig into Stormwatc...

Could it be an eagle, or a falcon, or another NFL team? No, this week, its a hawk (hold the sea), man. We're following the adventures of a rebooted Carter Hall, folks, and maybe he'll be easier to follow than his reputation suggests and maybe the book will even be good too. Take a journey with us through the skies as we go through The Savage Hawkman vol 1: Darkness Rising by Tony S Daniel...

We've finally hit our first Green Lantern book and its a book all about Atrocitus? More like a book all about being atrocious, if this particular Red Lanterns book has got anything to say about it. Come along and join us in our suffering as we have to read Red Lanterns vol 1: Blood and Rage by Peter Milligan and Ed Benes with colours by Nathan Eyring and art assists from Diego Bernard. Next we...

We've met a Superman, and now its time to meet a Superboy in his very own comic book. He's got a Tron suit, he's got cool ladies hanging around with him and he's got tactice telekinesis - what more could you need to know? Anything else you can find out by listening along as we crack open Superboy vol 1: Incubation by Scott Lobdell, RB Silva and Richard & Tonya Horie and Hi-Fi w...

Much like Busted, this week we're taking a trip to the year 3000 and finding out that not much has changed with the Legion of Super-Heroes to how they used to be before the New 52. Join us as we try to make sense of a new book continuing from an old one none of us have read, and figuring out how this relates to the Chinese Century, as we dig into Legion of Super-Heroes vol 1: Hostile World by Paul...

Book readers, mount up, its time to roll into Gotham with DC's favourite cowboy and see what sort of pulp shenanigans he can get into. Join us to see whether this New 52 restart for Jonah Hex is as much of a sure shot as he is, or if it should be consigned to the distant past of the 19th century, when we read All-Star Western vol 1: Guns and Gotham by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Moritat....

It's a bargain this week as you get two characters for the price of one in the one anthology book of the New 52. You get an existentialist sandwich with Deadman and a reality show slasher adventure salad on the side with the Challengers of the Unknown, what a deal. Come along for the ride with us to see if the pairing really works in DC Universe Presents vol 1: Featuring Deadman and Challenger...

200 years of Frankenstein have finally led up to this point, at the height of culture - he now has his own book in the New 52, and we're discussing it for this week's episode. Now, this might not be quite what Mary Shelley had intended to put across, but dive in with us into Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE, vol 1: War of the Monsters by Jeff Lemire and Alberto Ponticelli, and see what they&#3...

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, its a new episode of Pandora's Longbox where we are talking about the Big Blue Boy Scout, Superman. Come and see if this books flies along with him, or if it should never have left the Krypton of the editorial office, as we discuss Superman, vol 1: What Price Tomorrow by George Perez, Jesus Merino and Nicola Scott. Next week: Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE vol 1,...

We've all been very excited for this one to come up and see what our new favourite, Lincoln Blackhawk, is like, so please come along on this journey with us into whether or not our blorbo and his comic are any good. Join us as we dig into the one and only trade of the updated Blackhawks, vol 1: The Great Leap Forward by Mike Costa, Graham Nolan, Cafu & More. Next week: Superman vol 1, cove...

This week, we're spending our time with Nathaniel Adam aka Captain Atom and his scientific misadventures as a blue guy with control over molecules and his struggles with having powers akin to a god - pinch us if you've heard of a similar character before. So join us as we discuss Captain Atom v1: Evolution by JT Krul and Freddie Williams II and see what comics pilots have for us this time....

And we're back in Gotham yet again to see what's up with the First Daughter of the GCPD. That's right, this week we're discussing Batgirl vol 1, by Gail Simone and Ardian Syaf, and join us to see if this beloved book still holds up for our crew. Next week: Captain Atom vol 1, covering issues 1-6 of the 2011 series Current rankings: Resurrection Man Batwing Voodoo Teen Titans Supergirl Batman Batma...

Its been 9 whole episodes since we last covered a Batman book, so we were about due to come back around for more adventures with DC's favourite. Whether this one is better or worse than the main series, I guess you'll have to listen to find out, so join us as we discuss Batman: The Dark Knight vol 1: Knight Terrors, by David Finch and Paul Jenkins. Next week: Batgirl vol 1, covering issues 1-6 of...

It's Mister Terrific's first solo comic series, and with how good this one is, its not hard to see why it was his last. Join us this week discussing Mister Terrific v1: Mind Games by Eric Wallace and Gianluca Gugliotta for a journey into the depths that tested us all. Next week: Batman: The Dark Knight vol 1, containing issues 1-9 of the 2011 series. Current rankings: Resurrection Man Batw...

Voodoo (2011) represents a struggle between two modes of comics: light, procedural storytelling versus heavily plotted crossover material. It's rare to see both modes displayed in such stark contrast in the same book, so join us as we discuss Voodoo vol 1: What Lies Beneath, by Ron Marz and Joshua Williamson. Next week: Mister Terrific vol 1, containing all 8 issues of the 2011 series. Current...

We really let Ariel go off in this one. Join us for some really bottom of the barrel comics in Blue Beetle vol 1, Metamorphosis, by Tony Bedard. Honestly, just go read the 2005 series, you won't regret it. Next week: Voodoo v1: What Lies Beneath (issues 1-6 of the 2011 series) Current Rankings: Resurrection Man Batwing Teen Titans Supergirl Batman JL  JLD

This week on Pandora's Longbox, Batwing vol 1 by Judd Winick takes us to an ambiguously African setting to see a different, angrier take on Batman. This comic has a lot of interesting, big ideas, some of which we wish were executed better, and others we are excited to see blossom later on. Join us next week for Blue Beetle vol 1, Metamorphosis (issues 1-6 of the 2011 series) Current Rankings:...