#665 Remembering Denny O’Neil

Green Arrow and Green Lantern

This week we take a look back at the career of Denny O’Neil, the longtime comics writer and editor who passed away June 11. Emmet discusses O’Neil’s legacy with Professor Jonathan W. Gray, author of such books as Civil Rights in the White Literary Imagination, and the founding editor of the Journal of Comics and Culture.

O’Neil was a force in the move to turn DC’s iconic but silly characters in a more serious direction — having substance, not only violence. What shaped his worldview? How much of his personal story was in evidence on the page? Was his editing a crucial component of Frank Miller’s best work? And more.

#442 The DC Super Friends: A kid’s-eye view

DC Super Friends issue 17

More than once, this podcast has explored the question of comics for kids. What we’ve never done, though, is ask an actual kid about his opinion of the comics he reads!

So this week, Kumar is joined by his son Ashwin, 7, to discuss eight different issues of DC Super Friends, from a few years back, and also a 2014 issue of Scooby-Doo Team-up!

DC Super Friends issues discussed:
#17 Just In Time
#18 This Am Not the Title
#5 Go Ape!
#11 Imp-Possible!
#16 Stopped Cold
#7 Just My Luck
#8 Nothing to Fear
#13 The Greatest Show on Earth
Scooby-Doo Team-up #5

Continue reading #442 The DC Super Friends: A kid’s-eye view

Review: DC Comics Presents Green Lantern: Willworld

written by JM DeMatteis, art by Seth Fisher

DC Comics, 2011.

If the idea of Green Lantern as a giant disembodied floating head who can’t even speak because he’s got his mouth full with a buxom six-armed bartender, an alien beatnik, and an angel in cutoff jeans and a t-shirt sounds appealing, then, boy, is this the comic for you!

Continue reading Review: DC Comics Presents Green Lantern: Willworld

#256 Talking about “Star Wars”…again!

FIVE YEARS of “Deconstructing Comics”! We celebrate with a retro lineup (Tim, Mulele, and Brandon, plus Kumar) discussing the topic that we always used to accidentally end up talking about anyway: Star Wars! Specifically, Dark Horse’s Star Wars Tales #20, an issue in which various indie creators took a crack at the Star Wars characters. Especially Jar Jar.

Also, our reactions to the trailer for the Green Lantern movie. Have all these superhero movies run their course?

A fun (if rather ribald and un-p.c.) conversation!