The Arkham Sessions: Psychology of Batman & More

In the third episode, the X-Men are introduced to the formidable villain, Magneto, a militant idealist who crusades against bigotry and oppression of mutants. His mission is to help mutants replace humans as the dominant species on earth--by any means necessary.    Watch the video version of this podcast exclusively at our Patreon now!

Grab your Hot Pocket and Cactus Cooler, it's another 90's X-Men episode! The X-Men are thrown into crisis, collectively grieving the loss of a beloved member, uncertain how to rescue the survivor, and racked with guilt about their decisions on the battleground. Join our Patreon to see the video podcast!

Debuting just one month after Batman: The Animated Series , the first episode of X-Men: The Animated Series depicts a foster youth, Jubilation Lee--or "Jubilee"--who, like most teens, seeks independence, creative freedom, and the experience of belongingness. Her struggles are amplified when she is captured by the Sentinels and subsequently rescued by the X-Men, a mutant superhero team led by the a...

Star Trek: Generations (1994) resurrects familiar, core Trek film themes such as legacy, family, and mortality. Dr. Drea and Brian discuss these themes, as well as the Nexus and its very real philosophical origin. Plus, Brian gets to discuss his take on the Nexus and how it might continue to affect the  Trek universe...even to this day.   Join our Patreon today!

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country   (1991) marks the final adventure for the crew of the 1966 incarnation of the franchise. In this episode, we take a look at the Cold War allegory of this film, as well as the characters' arcs since our "introduction" to them in  Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Plus, Dr. Drea completes her ranking of these films! Will you be surprised? To join our Patreon and...

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) is an ambitious film depicting a galactic pilgrimage in search of God. But is Spock's half-brother, Sybok, a true ambassador of God? A miracle healer? Or is he a cult leader? Or a delusional dreamer? Listen now to find out!

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) doesn't take itself too seriously, but it humbles us by asking us to de-center the human culture and the things we over-value, to recognize the triviality of some of our human norms and the way we alienate those who are different, and to stretch our minds to be open and accepting of the unknown. This episode was recorded in front of our live Discord audience. T...

In this special episode of the podcast, we take a look at the spectacular third season of  Star Trek: Picard with two of its writer/producers, Christopher Monfette and Matt Okumura. This episode was recorded as a panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2023 and doesn't have the best audio, but we want to thank Garrard Whatley for working his magic and getting it to where it is. 

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), though not as well executed as Star Trek II , successfully carries its big emotional moments, from the shocking murder of Kirk's son to the heart-crushing destruction of the Enterprise. Loss after loss, the story weighs heavily on anyone rooting for Kirk. Here, Dr. Drea describes the risks he faces psychologically, due to the shock and suddenness of his...

In our analysis of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , we join Admiral James T. Kirk and his Starfleet friends as they are once again pulled into a risky adventure. Since his infamous attempted coup on the Enterprise 15 years ago, Khan Noonien Singh is noticeably more emotional, ragged from years of hard survivorship on an inhospitable planet, but he's also deeply preoccupied with revenge. But as bo...

When the survival of the whole planet is at stake, how much do purpose, logic, wisdom, and emotion matter? Do we rely on gut instincts or unfiltered logic to make critical decisions? The original cast of Star Trek reunite to represent the voyages of the Starship Enterprise in their first film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). Dr. Drea especially observes the internal struggle building within...

The last film in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, The  Rise  of  Skywalker (2019), seems to ret-con or reduce plot points in the previous film; and serves insights about the core theme of intergenerational trauma!

In one of the most divisive Star Wars films to date, The Last Jedi (2017) serves an unapologetic tale of the embittering consequences and casualties of perpetual war, reminding audiences that there are no true winners; just power grabs. Those who are truly liberated are the elite, the profiteers, and the arms dealers who benefit from people stuck in their ideologies. In totality, the film's messag...

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of  Batman: Mask of the Phantasm with its co-director, Eric Radomski; and our very special guest, podcaster and comic writer Ashley Victoria Robinson ( Geek History Lesson )!  To vote on what we're covering after the nine Star Wars  films, join our Patreon here ! You can find Ashley on social media as @AshleyVRobinson on Twitter and Instagram ! You can find her podca...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) resurrects a familiar uphill battle against the merciless and oppressive power of the second uprising of the Empire, the First Order. However, as  Star Wars is more about relationships than politics, The Force Awakens focuses on the psychological struggles of its young warriors: Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren.     Join the conversation on The Arkham Sessions disco...

We're celebrating our 200th episode by presenting our live Discord episode, which followed a shared screening of Batman Forever ! Join us, as we chat about the questionable ethics of Dr. Chase Meridian; the differences between experiencing trauma as a child versus as an adult; and a lot more!

Return of the Jedi (1983), the final film of the classic Star Wars space opera trilogy, is packed with psychology, layering in lessons on family systems theory, Oedipal themes, social obedience, and human violence. We learn about our many selves as exemplified by the masks we wear. From the first to last scene, the film is telling many truths about the characters we have been following, their true...

Set after the events that take place in Star Wars , The Empire Strikes Back (1980) continues the saga between the evil Empire and the determined, scrappy resistance fighters in the Rebel Alliance. Although this chapter is just as adventurous as the first, the film introduces steeper obstacles and darker threats that create more mature plotlines and give it dramatic weight. The beloved film sets in...

We're continuing our analysis of the original Star Wars (1977) film and weigh in on the utility of the "Hero's Journey" literary paradigm as it relates to whimsical space fantasy.

Happy Halloween, Gothamites! In this very special episode, we're breaking down the animated adaptation of Jeph Loeb's and Tim Sale's iconic THE LONG HALLOWEEN!

In part one of this two-part analysis, we discuss the framework of Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey" and map the characters, plot line, and relationships to this universal monomyth. We focus on Luke Skywalker, the inexperienced, sheltered farmboy seeking something bigger than his humble, dull life on the remote planet of Tatooine. But the shallowness of his search for greatness, how privileged he...

The new Star Wars series, ANDOR , serves us a mature drama without the wholesomeness of lightsabers, Jedi wizards, and baby Yoda. Cassian Andor is a marginalized laborer in a small mining town who uses his resourcefulness and tenacity to survive during the slow, vicious rise of the Imperial dictatorship. Diving into Andor's story requires a candid and nuanced look into violent behavior; Dr. Drea r...

In our discussion about Star Wars: Rogue One , Dr. Drea discusses how both American history and psychological research point to non-violence as the most effective approach to sustainable social change; but nothing about an equal rights fight is ever truly, fundamentally, peaceful.

We has such an amazing time at San Diego Comic-Con, and were so thankful to have some very special guests join us for our panel. Melissa Flores is the writer of the brand-new comic,  The Dead Lucky , from Image Comics; Livio Ramondelli is the writer/artist of  The Kill Lock , from IDW Comics; and Jeremy Adams is doing some of his very best work as the writer of DC's The Flash comics. Together, the...

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) is a series that takes place 10 years after the uprising of the Sith, and the birth of Darth Vader. When Kenobi faces his old apprentice--now, an unrecognizable masked, dark figure--he searches for a connection with Anakin.