Brian Michael Bendis has been the dominant writer at Marvel for a number of years now. While his books — including Ultimate Spider-man, New Avengers, Avengers, and event books like Seige — sell well, they have also generated a fair amount of controversy and just plain complaints. Some people like his work, others don’t. For Tim, there have been high points, but much of it is just kind of there. Is it just me, he wonders? Is Bendis actually a good writer and just doesn’t always appeal to me? Or are there identifiable inadequacies in his work? Tim calls on a Bendis fan — Savannah College of Art & Design student and graphic novelist Josh Smith — and a Bendis critic — Comics Waiting Room columnist Vincent Moore — to discuss the phenomenon that is Bendis.
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The 1994 release of Marvels took comics by storm. The four-issue miniseries established the places of both hyperrealistic painter Alex Ross and continuity maven Kurt Busiek in the industry. There’s still plenty here to make it a standout story 16 years later, but has some of the shine come off? And, is making a logical narrative out of a mainstream comic companies’ disparate series really doable? Tim and Kumar discuss.
The trailer for the upcoming “Thor” movie, though, does not impress. What were we expecting? Is Marvel starting to make their movies as inaccessible to the layman as their comics? What could have made this movie look more appealing to us?
Iron Man 2 finally opened here in Japan a month after it did in the States. Having just gotten around to watching the first Iron Man movie at home (hey! He’s been busy!), Tim joins Mulele for a theater viewing of IM2.
A recent Comics Reporter 
Chris Bachlo’s art has long had a compelling style to it, and yet it was sometimes very difficult to decipher just what was happening on some of his pages. This was perhaps particularly pronounced in his work on Steam Punk with Joe Kelly, back at the turn of the millennium. But his recent work on such Marvel titles as Amazing Spider-Man and New Avengers has been completely clear and easy to understand. What did he change to clear things up? And, by the way — will Steam Punk ever be completed?!
John Siuntres was one of the first comics podcasters back in 2005, and he’s been interviewing big names in American comics ever since. Tim chats with him about his background, how he got started with Word Balloon, and the state of mainstream comics.
Whether it’s Old Man Logan, Days of Future Past, or Dr. Doom’s recent hallucination of a utopian future, possible futures and alternate time-lines are fun for both creator and reader. Tim and Patrik talk about alternate timelines (is there one where Dark Reign is finally over?), plus un-rebooting books, and the lack of new heroes challenging the old guard for popularity.
While he’s never stopped working, Steve Ditko’s most celebrated work was done decades ago, and he’s slammed the door on many opportunities for further success. If sticking to your principles prevents fame and fortune, is your career a failure or a success? Tim and Paul discuss the Fantagraphics coffee table biography “Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko” by Blake Bell.