Zero Issues Comic Podcast

We haven’t done a news episode for a while, and there’s a whole bunch of somewhat-new and new-new stuff we want to talk about, so here we are! The Superman teaser dropped (as well as the teaser to the teaser to the teaser) and we have some thoughts about the tone, the music, the haircuts, and of course Krypto! One or two Batman movies may or may not be delayed! The Creature Commandos w...

As the days grow shorter and the nights grow colder, it’s time once again for Bry, Merk, and Kyle to celebrate the season, and to get a little silly about comic books and the holidays. This year, it’s a Lightning Round! Join us as we answer questions such as: – Who loves Christmas more: Luke Cage, or Superman? -Who plays who in the X-Men’s nativity scene? -Who is (and isn&#...

Today is Bry’s birthday, and to celebrate he’s taking the reins for a birthday-themed variety show! First up, the boys perform a Dramatic Reading of the “Jughead” classic where Ms. Grundy is going to celebrate her birthday — whether she wants to or not! Then Kyle and Merk compete in a comic-character birthday quiz (don’t worry, there are plenty of hints)! And la...

 It’s halfway between Halloween & Christmas and that can mean only one thing….. CELERY DAY STALK SLAM!!! The 4th episode in our annual event, we pit Christmas & Holiday Season characters against horror & Halloween related characters to the DEATH!! Unless one of them just gives up, or they become friends or one sings an alluring song and seduces the other. One of those th...

It’s time to choose an adventure of our own (no trademark) ! Kyle guides Merk and Bry as they are suddenly contacted by one Al U. Card and one Frank Stone , also known as the infamous Dell Comics Dracula and Frankenstein! These spooky former superheroes recruit the boys to investigate the whereabouts of their old ally, The Werewolf (who is not actually a werewolf, nor is he a Wolfman). It’s an adv...

Let’s race into a new episode all about cars in comics! Vroom vroom, and so on! Which of the ever-iconic Batmobiles is the most iconic? Do the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles drive the Turtle Van or the Party Wagon? Which super-car will be definitively proven to be the best super-car in this episode’s scientific* study? What was the point of the Spider-Mobile, and why were its wheels so sticky?? What...

 OH MAN! Where to start! Bry is off this week and Kyle & Merk go bonkers! What happens you ask? What do they talk about? Well…. Rock bottom finishing moves. Dazzler: Marvel’s Salute to walking sticks. Baby characters. X-book jumping on points. Favourite supermarkets, which becomes Merk ranting about parking. Blade was created by God. Chip Zdarsky and how we miss him. Jean Chretie...

 “Which production logo are we using this time, fellas?” This week, we’re covering the DC Animated Universe of Films, or I guess it’s more of a multiverse, or DCAUFOIGIMOAM. What are the good ones? What are the duds? Is DC stopping making them, because there aren’t any scheduled after ANOTHER Watchmen adaptation. If that’s the case, what should DC have done wit...

In the ongoing spirit of March Madness, and August Audness, it’s time to make eight comic characters battle in a tournament we’re calling… The September Spat! Eight contestants enter, but only one can win! And this time, it’s “back to school” themed, meaning the contestants are all students or teachers! The New Mutants’ omnilingual self-soul-friend Doug “Cypher” Ramsey vs. Deathlocket, the t...

 Be our guest, be our guest, Brandon Ingram is our guest! Indie comic creator/writer Brandon is on the show once again, discussing his awesome new kickstarter for his indie creation, THE GALLOWS MAN! He describes it as Adam West Batman meets Inglorious Basterds. And he is absolutely correct. It’s a bundle of fun, violence and quirky humour. Definitely worth checking out. But don’t tak...

This week, we’re spending most of the episode playing Battle Holes, the card game that uses comic book trading cards from the ’90s. You could always play it yourself using, oh, some cards that are readily being given away from certain Canadian monopolistic, price-gouging grocery stores, as well, but Merk owns a bunch of trading cards from the ’90s, so we’re doing that. Can...

Batman: Caped Crusader is here, we’ve all seen it, so we’re gonna talk all about it, see? And just upfront, we really liked it! We dig into the 1939-ish time period and all the trappings that come with it, share our favourite episodes, discuss the creators and their influences and of course the inevitable Batman the Animated Series comparisons, the performances of the cast (Minnie Driv...

 The Trailer for Venom 3 has come out and 5 minutes have gone by since we’ve seen a symbiote centered comic event, so let’s talk SYMBIOTES! What do we think of them? How have they evolved? What are some ridiculous symbiote pitches? How many times can we say Gold Balls and Wheat cakes in one episode? Who’s Eye Scream? What’s Gamecock’s Symbiote Name? Who’s all t...

 Beeeeest friiiieeeeeends! That’s what we’re talkin’ ’bout this week. We’re answering such age-old questions as: -who actually IS Spider-Man’s best friend? -Is Hank Pym a jerk because no one wants to hang out with him, because he is a jerk, because no one wants to hang out with him…? -Is it possible to be best friends with someone if you’ve only met...

The news flashes once more as San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC if you’re nasty) strikes, and we’ve gotta talk all about it! Kang’s dynasty is over before it began! Doctor Doom conquers Avengers 5 and renames it: DOOMSDAY! The Russos are back, and certain Man of Iron returns to claim another metal mask. Is this going to work, or is Marvel leaning too hard on old tricks? We have mixed fee...

Class warfare! In this time of inequality and ever-rising costs of living, it’s time to take a look at superheroes living on very different sides of the class divide! The working class heroes with day jobs and the upper iron crust who can afford to be as relaxed as Robert Downey Jr.! We dig into many questions: Should Peter Parker even be able to afford rent in Manhattan? Is Tony Stark a nep...

 It’s alternate ending week on Zero Issues as the boys take well known comic storylines and do a little ‘tweaking’ of the story…. sometimes for good…. sometimes for evil. Onslaught! Hush! Superman vs the Flash! And more! Plus Merk has a new warm up filled with ridiculous questions. Hear answers like… Uncle Sam becomes a cannibal! Jughead becomes Burger Smasher...

This week, our city screams (not unlike a certain Robot Cop screaming for Oreos) that it wants us to talk about Frank Miller, and we, our city’s, uh, lover, are honour-bound to oblige it! What was our first exposure to the guy’s work? What do we like about him, and what do we hate almost as much as Holy Terror? Have any of us even read Ronin? Could a certain seldom-read Frank Miller bo...

The question all comic fans have wrestled with their whole lives! Which member of The Defenders is the best Defender!? We take five, uh, famous Defenders — The Silver Surfer! Hellcat! Nighthawk! Moondragon! Valkyrie! — and pit them against each other in some very essential Defenders challenges! How convincingly would the Silver Surfer pretend to be Batman in order to help protect Bruce...

 It’s POWER RECORDS week on Zero Issues, where we listen to not one, but TWO ridiculously amazing DC Power Records from decades ago. Comics on vinyl! First up is Superman- PO Box 65 …. a riveting tale of a Beatles like band kidnapped by someone who doesn’t know much about computers and Superman quietly admitting to leaving people to die on a desert island that he dropped a come...

 This episode has some serious balls, and I don’t mean the eyeballs that Nightcrawler popped out of Apocalypse’s head in the most recent issue of X-Men! This week, we tackle some current topics: the Venom 3 trailer, the Wolverine, uh, popcorn bucket, that picture of the new Superman costume, Terrence Howard IN GENERAL, and, finally, how the grand experiment that is Krakoa ended. That, and we thro...

A week late, but worth the wait! As we enter a weird summer movie season in a year with few superhero movies, at least by 21st century standards, we feel compelled to discuss the untapped cinematic potential of comic series NOT based on DC or Marvel characters! So listen along as we stunt-cast the future stars of indie-comic movies! Just imagine… The extremely youthful Johnny Pemberton as th...

 The first season of Xmen 97 is OVER!!! And WOW, was it sumpin, huh?! So the boys plunge into it’s depths and ask all the big questions…. Was that Polaris or Greeny Mcgoozle? Does Silver Samurai wish he was Wood Samurai when Magneto goes big bad? What IS the Jeff Goldblum lesson? Was that the Avengers or Forceworks? That AND so much more. We talk cameos, costumes, time traveling poss...

 This Week, for our annual We Put Up a Mother’s Day Episode a Week or More Late spectacular, we’re thinking about some moms that haven’t really gotten the spotlight. What’s The Question’s relationship with his mother? What about Doctor Doom? Puck? What is Cyclops’s mom’s name, even? Who’s the best mom in comics, and who’s the absolute worst? A...

Hey, let’s put all that structure aside for an episode, and just relax by the fire and have a friendly chat about comics. Doesn’t that sound nice? We discuss comic runs that just didn’t do right by their character or concept: Merk compares the new wave of Conan comics from Titan coming off Conan being a friggin’ Avenger over at Marvel, Kyle mourns for the lost potential in the Krakoan era and the...