The Super Mates Podcast

Chris and Cindy take a look at the first 6 issues of the new DC Comics Bombshells series, based on the merchandising blitz casting DC’s female characters on the frontlines of WWII! Does the comic match the exuberance and fun of the collectibles it’s based on? Meanwhile, in Gotham City, our Dynamic Duo review the last issue (sob!) of Batman ’66, by Mike, Laura and Lee Allred! Did they give us the s...

I AM KIROK!!! Chris and Cindy take a look at another Star Trek romance! On an alien world doomed by an oncoming asteroid, Kirk loses his memory, but finds love with a Native American descendant named Miramanee. Can this new “god”, Kirok save his wife (!) and his people, or will it take the intervention of Spock and the Enterprise? It’s got elastic headbands! Fringed mini-skirts! It’s got Shatner i...

Happy New Year! It’s our first episode of the New Year, and we’ve got a first-time guest discussing The Incredible Hulk TV series 2-part episode, “The First”! The Godfather of Comic Podcasting, Michael Bailey (Views from the Longbox, From Crisis to Crisis, Tales of the JSA, etc.) joins Chris and Cindy in discussing the series, and dissecting this epic tale. On his lonely journey, Dr. David Banner...

Ho-ho-ho! In this festive Yuletide episode, Chris reminisces about Christmas toys he received as a boy. From The Six Million Dollar Man, Evel Kneivel, and Mego, to He-Man, Super Powers, M.A.S.K., G.I. Joe and Transformers, it’s a visit from the Toys of Christmas Past! In between the ramblings on plastic baubles, Cindy discusses her Top 5 Favorite TV Christmas Specials! Which holiday favorites make...

Chris, Cindy and special guest, son Andrew, celebrate the 75th anniversary of Robin, the Boy Wonder! From tales of one Robin passing the torch to another, to impossible team-ups between the Teen Wonders, this one has it all! Tim Drake meets a young Dick Grayson during Zero Hour in Robin #10! Learn how the original Dynamic Duo split from the Batman: The Animated Series episode “Old Wounds”! Batman...

Chris and Cindy present the second part of a special crossover with The Fire and Water Podcast! Chris takes in dinner and a debate with The Irredeemable Shagg! The two discuss the pros and cons of the classic but controversial mini-series event, Crisis on Infinite Earths! When the dust settled, was this cosmic reset worth it? Who knows, but the conversation was a whole lot of fun! Plus, we take a...

Chris and Cindy return once more to Opal City for another session of Starman Chronicles! They cover Starman #7-11 by James Robinson, Tony Harris, Wade Von Grawbadger and friends! Jack Knight has a harrowing night at the circus, and meets an unexpected ally…a former Starman! Jack learns a dark secret from his father’s past, as his sworn enemy Nash escapes prison. Then Starman tackles the swamp mons...

  Giant-Sized Finale! In their last, harrowing trip into the House of Franklin-Stein (for this year anyway), Chris and Cindy discuss 1943’s The Return of the Vampire starring Bela Lugosi as a vampire that is NOT Dracula. Seriously, he’s not. We mean it! In war-torn London, vampire Armand Tesla rises from his tomb to exact his revenge on those who vanquished him. Along the way we meet his were...

  Chris and Cindy dare to comb the tombs of the House of Franklin-Stein, and take a look at 1959’s The Mummy! This Hammer remake stars Christopher Lee in the title role of Kharis, the Mummy who awakens from his eternal sleep to exact revenge on those who would dare desecrate the rest of his princess, namely Peter Cushing!   Then, it’s Clobberin’ Time! The Super Mates review Marvel Two-In...

Chris, Cindy and son Andrew dare to venture once more into The House of Franklin-Stein, this time to discuss the classic Universal Monster mash-up, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man! The monster rally starts here, as cinema’s greatest lycanthrope Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr., of course!) seeks an end to his undying curse. Along the way he encounters none other than the Frankenstein Monster, played...

It’s BACK!!! Chris and Cindy return to the House of Franklin-Stein!!! Our Halloween Horror series kicks off with a look at the classic Hammer film, The Vampire Lovers! Based on Sheridan Le Fanu’s “Carmilla”, Ingrid Pitt stars as a vampire with a lust for love…and blood! She targets young girls who she longs to make her own…in her own vampiric image, that is! Will Peter Cushing and a group of vampi...

Chris and Cindy continue their Batman Animated talk with Ryan Daly (Secret Origins, Flowers & Fishnets, Dead Bothan Spies) but shift the focus to the NEW characters created specifically for the show. Who were the standouts? Which characters deserved more screen (or comic) time? And we refuse to do click bait, so we won’t mention Harley Quinn here. Wait…dagnabbit!!! Then Chris and Cindy finally...

Chris and Cindy are joined by podcasting pal Ryan Daly (Secret Origins, Flowers & Fishnets, Dead Bothan Spies) to comb the files of Arkham Asylum and Stonegate Prison, searching for the most improved villains from Batman: The Animated Series! This Terrific Trio select five rogues each that they feel benefited the most from the incredible craftsmanship of Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski, Paul Dini, A...

Chris and Cindy continue to examine The Adventures of Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty mini-series by Fabian Nicieza and Kevin Maguire. Steve Rogers continues his journey from skinny recruit to living legend. He is pulled further and further into the Red Skull’s plot to steal the secrets of Project: Rebirth! Along the way he and Bucky meet with death, betrayal, and Adolf Hitler himself! What d...

Happy Independence Day! Chris and Cindy celebrate the 4th of July by looking at the first two issues of the 1991 mini-series The Adventures of Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty by Fabian Nicieza and Kevin Maguire. This 50th anniversary series explores in-depth the origins of Steve Rogers, and how he became the Star-Spangled Avenger. It also served as an inspiration to one of Chris and Cindy’s f...

Chris and Cindy hop in their Invisible Plane and head back to the disco era to check out the 2nd season opening tele-film for the 70s Wonder Woman TV series, retitled The New Adventures of Wonder Woman! Lynda Carter must leave Paradise Island once more, this time to help Lyle Wagonner’s Steve Trevor, Jr. stop a group of terrorists! What did the Super Mates think of the transition to the “modern” e...

Chris and Cindy journey back to Opal City, and beyond, to examine Starman #4-6. Jack Knight settles into his role of Starman, but learns that weirdness follows him wherever he goes. A chance encounter with a magical Hawaiian shirt leads to a confrontation with a gunman…and a resolution no super hero fan saw coming. Then Jack has a chat with his brother David…who is dead. The two Knight boys bury t...

Chris, Cindy and son Andrew share their thoughts on The Flash season finale…in a Flash!!! Download via iTunes.

Chris and Cindy are joined by Kyle Benning of King-Size Comics Giant-Size Fun to celebrate the work of prolific comics writer Gerry Conway. First they discuss Gerry’s recent tumbler posts conceringcreator equity, and what it means to him and other comic creators with vested interests in DC characters. Then it’s off to examine Conway-penned tales from Superman Family #186 and 187. Lois Lane encount...

Chris and Cindy talk about the latest geeky movie trailers cracking the internet in half! They briefly touch on Ant-Man and Star Wars: The Force Awakens before digging in deep for the controversial Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer. You’ll believe a man can use an anti-depressant! Then it’s the main event: Spider-Man tries “…To Become An Avenger” from Amazing Spider-Man Annual #3 (1966)....

One of the hardest working men in podcasting, Gene Hendricks (The Hammer Podcasts, The Quantum Cast, Anime Freaks) drops by to join Chris and Cindy in discussing the infamous 1974 Wonder Woman TV pilot movie starring Cathy Lee Crosby as a very blonde, very non-traditional, not-quite-Amazon Princess! Decked out in much different costume, she matches wits with Ricardo Montalban (in a very familiar c...

Favorite (and only) son Andrew Franklin rejoins his parents, Chris and Cindy to take a look at two, count ‘em, TWO deaths of Superman! No not those two from the comics, two from the heralded DCAU, or the Timmverse, if you prefer! First up, from Superman: The Animated Series comes “The Late Mr. Kent”. On a mission to save an innocent man on death row, Clark Kent is seemingly killed! How can the sti...

This episode marks the beginning of a new recurring feature: The Starman Chronicles, covering James Robinson’s epic DC series from beginning to end. Jack Knight is no hero. He’s a collector and dealer in pop culture antiques. His father Ted was Starman, defender of Opal City and member of the Justice Society of America. Now his brother David wears the red and green and protects their city. But whe...

Holy Dusty Television Treatments! Chris and Cindy take a look at the recent Batman 66: The Lost Episode comic, based on an unused treatment by Harlan Ellison! Len Wein, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez (Praise Be His Name) and Joe Prado present the 60s TV universe debut of Two-Face! What did this Dynamic Duo think of it? Can the comic escape Cindy’s piercing logic? The worst is yet to come! Who do you think...

Chris and Cindy continue to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the show by looking at the wedding issues of Marvel and DC’s flagship heroes, Spider-Man and Superman, and you’re invited! First up is Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21. Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson struggle with doubt in the days leading up to their wedding. But is it more than just cold feet? Will they make it to the altar (or th...