The Arkham Sessions: Psychology of Batman & More

In the ambitious 2018 film, Solo: A Star Wars Story , there's some familiarity about this younger version of Han Solo. But is it necessary? And did we learn anything new about this original trilogy's character?

The final film of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005), shows us the final deterioration of Jedi Anakin Skywalker and his fall to the Dark Side.

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002) takes place ten years after Anakin Skywalker was rescued from slavery by the Jedi community and taken in as an apprentice. But he is increasingly angry, frustrated, and embittered, and his impatience and selfishness grow to a worrisome level. Dr. Drea explains the complex factors that can lead to the kind of destructive behavior seen in Anakin.

Enough criticism has been voiced about "the prequels," but what does Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) offer in lessons of personal, relational, and spiritual well-being?

Avengers: Endgame (2019) is heavy and full of heartache. The "snap," the massive extermination of billions of people, amounts to the kind of interpersonal trauma not yet seen in the MCU, but certainly one we can relate to now.

Brian and Drea rewatch  Captain Marvel with the explicit intention of picking up on its problems and check their own biases, perspectives, and expectations. How does a story of resilience--one that shows the power of endurance, grit, and self-confidence--fall so flat?

In this episode, we talk about  Ant-Man and the Wasp , but really focus our attention on Ghost and Janet Van Dyne, the two characters who are clearly suffering the most. Or, at least,  should be.

We hit our very first in-person WonderCon in three years! And we couldn't be more thankful to be able to speak about the psychology of Matt Reeves's new movie  The Batman with our very special guests, History of the Batman 's Londyn Jackson and  Heroes Reforged 's Hector Navarro.

The inevitable is here. It's time for INFINITY WAR, so we're discussing Thanos and the Dark Triad!

The Marvel film Black Panther (2018) marks a turning point in the comic book cinematic landscape of predominantly white superheroes. The film highlights real global tensions such as the national hoarding of resources and gatekeeping of outsiders; at its core, though, the film is about individual tensions: belongingness, identity, and family.

Once again, Drea gets the chance to analyze Loki! But, in addition to this fan favorite, we also take a close look at Hulk; Scrapper-142; Odin's firstborn, Hela; and, of course, Thor himself! Plus, we discuss the erasure of Asgard's history by the conquerors themselves.

Spider-Man: Homecoming  is a celebration of youthhood, an invitation to find gratitude for our younger days, and to remember what it was like before things got ...complicated. Dr. Drea points out that some early life experiences  do  accelerate a teenager's psychosocial growth and maturity, including ones that offer autonomy, self-sufficiency, increased responsibilities, and worldly exposure.

Bounding several fictional planets across the far-reaching expanse of space, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017) is a journey very close to home. The film handles serious topics such as family violence, abuse, child trafficking, and abandonment through the vulnerability and imperfection of its characters.

Doctor Strange ascends as a master of the mystic arts, but he also demonstrates the importance of the growth mindset - our mental openness, flexibility, and curiosity. Join us, as we explore Dr. Stephen Strange's fall from grace and rise to potential Sorcerer Supreme!

At the Black Widow 's core is the question of what's real or  not real. Natasha's family, though forced together under subterfuge, became meaningful, interconnected, bonded. "Family" is the people around us who give us comfort, connection and belongingness and who see us for who we are. Connectedness, not heredity, has the power to counterbalance adversity.  

  In this MEGA holiday episode, which focuses on Captain America: Civil War , we discuss the reality and morality of various "registration acts," and the fictional and real-life elements of brainwashing. 

We're taking a look at the MCU's 2015 installment of  Ant-Man , starring the ever-charming and never-aging Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, and Evangeline Lilly. It's a fun romp; but does it fall flat emotionally? Listen in to find out!

In  Avengers: Age of Ultron , Earth's mightiest heroes face off with an A.I. gone wild; Ultron evolves past his original programming and becomes a formidable, violent robot seeking to destroy humans so that his super-sentient army of bots can take over as Earth's more suitable occupants. We evaluate Ultron's plan - is Ultron a global terrorist, or just saving earthlings from their own natural cour...

Through Marvel's  Guardians of the Galaxy ,   we learn the power of family, whether it's our origin families or the ones we find along the way. 

Captain America is living with depression. And that's okay. Take a listen to our analysis of  Captain America: The Winter Soldier !

Should this episode be titled  Thor: The Dark World ? Or  Loki: The Dark World ? Decide for yourself, after you tune in to hear Drea's ongoing analysis of Loki and his moments of closeness and compassion with members of his family to understand the concept of Family Systems Theory.

The seventh film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Iron Man 3 , shows a burnt out Tony Stark struggling with the traumatic ramifications of the interdimensional, interplanetary war seen in The Battle of New York ( The Avengers ). Drea and Brian first examine the sociopolitical context of Iron Man 3 , which places a backdrop of intensified ideas around middle eastern terrorism, weapons of mas...

We wrap up our very first Marvel "season" of the podcast with our enthusiastic review of the Disney+ series, Loki . After covering all six films in Phase I of the MCU, we proceed by following the alternate timeline that plucks Loki out of the Endgame timeline and propels him toward his quest for self-discovery and, of course, glorious purpose!

Knowing how to build a strong team is so important, especially during a crisis. We rewatch the 2012 Marvel film The Avengers and look for psychological tools that could be valuable to us, as our world grapples with its own formidable crisis.

Captain America symbolizes equality, justice, and fairness for all, but he could easily be minimized to a simple ideology. We rewatch the 2011 film CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER and explore/question why so many Marvel fans choose Cap as their favorite superhero.