#742 “Crisis on Infinite Earths”

Crisis on Infinite Earths

Crisis on Infinite Earths was an attempt by Marv Wolfman and George Perez to clean up DC Comics continuity and make the publisher’s line more reader-friendly. The story showed the Anti-Monitor trying to eliminate all of the many versions of Earth that had appeared in DC stories, and the few surviving Earths ended up merged into one. Numerous characters didn’t make it through the story alive; characters whose original, defunct publishers had been absorbed by DC now found themselves to be native to Earth-1. Tim, on a drive to understand more about the DC Comics he passed by in his youth, is joined by longtime DC reader Professor Alan to look at why this event happened, why it still matters, and what it reveals about the difference between DC and Marvel.

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“Ant-Man” (2015)

Ant Man

It’s another episode of TIM CATCHES UP WITH THE MCU, in which we wrap up Phase Two with Ant-Man. When this movie was released in 2015, some thought this might be where Marvel Studios would finally stumble. Did they? Tim and Mulele discuss. (Originally published September 14, 2019.)

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Critiquing Comics #218: “A Lungful of Brine”

A Lungful of Brine

This time, Jason introduces us to his former student Dan Tappan‘s first Kickstarter project, a nautical horror anthology with the appropriately horrifying title A Lungful of Brine. Tim joins him for a review.

#741 Anneli Furmark

Walk Me to the Corner

Anneli Furmark is a Swedish illustrator and comics creator whose latest book is Walk Me to the Corner, in which two married middle-aged women become attracted to each other. Anneli talks with Koom (at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival) about why this book isn’t an LGBT book, about her painting technique and layout choices, and more.

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#740 Gary Spencer Millidge (“Strangehaven”) interview

Strangehaven

Strangehaven is a series started by Gary Spencer Millidge in 1995. As he does everything himself (including publishing, for the first 18 issues), it has come out on an irregular schedule, but the content has been compelling. Kumar talks with him about how far he might be from completing the series, his process, his life-Strangehaven balance, and more.

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Critiquing Comics #217: “Scion of Night” #1

Scion of Night

A man in Portland, Oregon, finds himself turning into some kind of neck-biting monster (a blue vampire who doesn’t mind sunlight?), but he can’t remember anything about who he is. What’s causing this? Past drug use? Psychiatric issues? Tim and Jason discuss Tatu Heikkinen‘s Scion of Night #1: “The City of Roses.”

#739 Kirby’s Fourth World: “The Hunger Dogs”

The Hunger DogsJack Kirby’s final Fourth World story is the 1984 graphic novel The Hunger Dogs, which continues some of the themes we saw in Even Gods Must Die, such as the encroachment of technology. Tim and Emmet complete their reading of the Fourth World and ponder how aware George Lucas may have been of the New Gods.

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#738 “The Re-Up”

The Re-Up

One of our favorite indie creators has long been Amsterdam-based Chad Bilyeu, who’s back with the start of a new series, The Re-Up. Chad tends to deal in nonfiction and memoir, and this time is no different: he reminisces here about the time he took over a marijuana retail business in Washington, DC. Of course, a new book from Chad brings Mulele temporarily out of podcast retirement, and he joins Tim this time to discuss Chad’s new offering.

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Critiquing Comics #216: “Bran Bionic: The Sable Peril”

Bran Bionic

Longtime web cartoonist Don Ahé has asked us to look at his new story Bran Bionic: The Sable Peril, about a boy with some bionic body parts who’s stranded on an island. Tim and Adam looked around on the rest of his site and found both gag-a-day and serialized work in his Road Apples Almanac strip, and some nice art and good comic timing.

#737 Kirby’s Fourth World: “Even Gods Must Die”

Even Gods Must Die

In 1984, ten years after the last of Jack Kirby‘s Fourth World books was canceled, Kirby was brought back to do a brand new New Gods story in the final issue of a series that had been reprinting the original series. The story, Even Gods Must Die, is typical Kirby Fourth World: alternately horrifying and goofy, with sly commentary on the encroachment of computerized automation of life, and also, perhaps, on the very fact that DC was having him back. Tim and Emmet discuss the penultimate chapter in Kirby’s Fourth World.

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