Jace is joined by writer Jeff Lemire to talk about his plans for th eupcoming JSA title. The most recent JSA series nonwithstanding, as it was plagued by delays, this will be the first time since pre-New 52 that the JSA takes a prominent role in the DCU. Hear what Jeff has to say about making sure the JSA feels like an important part of the new All In Era. Also find out which character surpised Jeff and has taken a more prominent role. Plus Jeff explains why he chose the Injustice Society as the first villains for the venerable team to take on. All this plus a whole lot more!
Jace is joined by father and son co-writers Andrea Molinari and roberto Molinari to talk about The Shepherd. An intensely personal story about family and the lengths one will go to in order to stay connected to those we love. They have built an incredibley immersive world that lends itself to an incredible amount of potential for stories. Beyond the theme of family, there is are many other intersting aspects to the stories such as self-identity, history and dealig with trauma. Join us to learn all bout it and be sure to check out the Kickstarter.
Jace is joined by Rocky from Comic Boom! to chat about some of their favorite independent comics for the week of October 2, 2024. They cover titles from Image, Boom and Oni while discussing the overall excitement that the stories in independent titles are generating which seems to be out pacing the books from the big two.
The DC All In era is finally upon us and Jace and Rocky each pick their top five titles for the week to take a deep dive into. They also mention the other titles dropping this week. The one book they don't talk about is actually the most important book of the week, the DC All In Special, but you can cath a giant-sized episode on The Comic Source YouTube channel with a page by page breakdown of the book and what it means for DC going forward. For the new story arcs startign up this week, they show lots of promice but the All In age of DC has only just begun!
Jace and Rocky from the Comic Boom! YouTube Channel take a deep dive into the DC All In Special #1. This is a monumental book full of action and long term consequences for the enitre DC Universe. Find out how the Absoilute Universe is formed! Discover Darkseid's new powers! Find out which hero may be lost in a new unvirse! Who are Darkseid's new army? We have all the answers, plus tons of speculation for the future.
Jace is joined by Rocky from the Comic Boom! YouTube channel to talk about some of the previous DC titles, events and storylines that help to inform the DC All In Special and what's to come for the venerable superhero universe. The guys also talk about some concepts and characters that will be emphasied in the DC Universe going forward, plus a little bit about the concepts you will see in the special itself and how and why they happen. The All In Era of DC is upon us and so much of what DVC has planned is amazing, fidn out what you need to know to be up to speed on this storyline as weill as future events and developments for your favorite DC characters. Plus, the guys even speculate on what they expect to see.
Jace welcomes CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Mad Cave Studios, Mark London to the show. Mark founded Mad Cave ten years ago with several titles he himself was writing. Battlecats was one of them and to help celebrate the 10th anniversary, there is currently a Kickstarter for the Battlecats Omnibus, so be sure to check that out! Mark also talks about the challenges of his expanded role as he has gone from creator to executive as Mad Cave has grown. When you hear Mark talk about comics and story, you know that his heart is still in the creative side though. Which makes the growth and business acumen Mad Cave has displayed in recent years only more impressive. They are growing on several fronts and Mark tells us all about the exciting things to come. There's plenty of talk about the origins of Battlecats also and what you can expect in the Kickstarter as well as a rundown of the publishing history for this incredible, medieval, Arthurian-inspired, action-packed world Mark, series artist Michael Camelo and his other collaborators have crafted.
Jace and Rocky talk about the DC Comics titles for the week of September 25, 2024. It's the final week before the All In initiative starts and the feeling of lame duck stories continues as several titles limp to the end of the current story arcs. Some other titles surprise though and there is a ton of talk in this episode about the current philosphy of comic book covers, Amanda Waller and Christopher Reeve's Superman. Join us for a giant-sized episode.
Jace welcomes writer Josepn Sieracki to the show to talk about the Zoop campaign for the collected edition of The Life and Death of the Brave Captain Suave. Inspired by the classic novel Don Quixote, this story focuses on a homeless man who exhibits relentless hope despite mental health challenges that impact they way he percieves reality. The story is set in Cleveland which becomes a character unto itself and adds to the interesting roster of supporting characters in the story.
Jace chats with Director Remsy Atassi and Executive Producer Sal Abbinanti about their documentary showcasing the legendary comic book series Kingdom Come. Written by Mark Waid and fully painted by Alex Ross, this groudbreaking story, first released in 1996, was so impactful it influenced a whole generation of future comic book creators. In this film, you will hear bith Ross and Waid talk about the development of the story, as well as, some behind the scenes moments that led to it's remarkable staying power. Also, veteran comic creators, comics journalists and even fans, give their thoughts on Kingdom Come and the impact it had and continues to have on pop culture.
Jace welcomes writer Pornsak Pichetshote back to the show and artist Terry Dodson is joining us for the first time. The guys are here to chat about The Manchurian, the first of the Horizon Experiment books. The imprint is the brainchild of Pornsak wherein he has recruited writers to take some classic tropes in comics in storytelling and reimagine them with different main characters from diverse backgrounds. Specifically for The Manchurian this means taking the classic idea of James Bond and flipping it around to feature a Chinese spy and showcase the difference between western and eastern spycraft. We get to hear about the impetus of the project and how Terry came on board plus what he enjoys most about drawing something so grounded in the real world. Pornsak also lets us know about the other upcoming Horizon Experiment stories and creative teams.
The digital collecting space is just beginning to take hold and the crossover with physical collectible is just starting. How can you learn more? Tune into Comics and Crypto to learn about the latest trends and what is being offered. Plus what is the difference between owning a digital comic versus having it accessible on a digital reading platform like Comixology? The digital space for collectible is growing quickly and there is so much to learn. So join us as we chat with Spencer and Sean from Comic and Crypto and get the scoop!
Jace and Rocky chat about the DC Comics releases for the week of September 18, 2024. It's a bit of a strange time with so much focus on the upcoming All In initiative, the Absolute Universe and all the new story arcs and creators that are about to make their mark on DC. That being said, there are plenty of great books this week and some we can't wait for a return to regular stories after the end of the Absolute Power crossover.
Jace chats with writer Marc Andreyko and artist Piotr Kowalski about the Violator: Origin series launching Septermber 18, 2024. Set in the greater Spawn Universe this is a series narrated by the Violator himself, so you are never quite sure what is true and what is not. The guys talk about the incredible art from Piotr both in the action and character scenes. Piotr also talks about how he lays out the panels and always tries to add detail in the background to provide realism. Join us to hear about the series and what's to come for this fan favorite Spawn character.
Jace chats with creators J.T. Krul and Freddie Williams II about their run on Captain Atom for The New 52. Starting with an interesting prompt for DC comics on how to approach the character, J.T. and Freddie gave us an incredible foundation for the character that is criminally underrated. Also the guys chat about the creative process and collaboration that was a new way of doing things for both of them and it led to the singular vision for the character that we have in this run. We actually have not seen a lot of Captain Atom since this run and it is hugely disappointing that this take on the character wasn't built upon more. Get some behind the scenes information on how the story was built and some ideas that didn't make it into the back as we look back on one of the best titles from The New 52, that no one talks about.
Jace chats with writer Alex Wilson about the third issue of Starweed. The title has all three issues available on Kickstarter telling the wild story of a world where the remains of dead celebrities are a desireable commodity to smoke! We follow the crew that steals the bodies, from their initial prison break to their heists of the bodies. The guys chat about the origins of the project and how the story was developed. Join us for the chat and be sure you go check out the campaign.
Jace chats with the co-producers/co-showrunners of the Lego Star Was: Rebuild the Galaxy special from Lucasfilm and Disney+. Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit give us their take on how Lego and Star Wars are a natural fit, especially for this story which offers a look at a new Star Wars Universe where the events you know may not have happened the way you remember. Plus we meet several new characters while characters we know are presented in a new way. Dan and Benjo also talk about the bkance of creating a show for new fans of Star Wars while having plenty of reference for long-time fans and how similar that is to appealing to younger and older viewers. Join us for this fun conversation.
Jace welcomes writer Zack Kaplan back to the show to talk about his new series from Mad Cave, Dark Empty Void, The guys dive deep into the synergy of the story that focuses on a psychologist brouight into the solve the mystery of a woman who emerges from an experimental black hole. There are a lot of parallels to be explored and Zack discusses that as well as the structure of the story and characterization that allows for the greatest relatability. Also, Zack's recently concluded story Beyond Real, is now out in a collected edition and Zack talks about how it is his homage to creators and the act of creating. Exploring the classic science fiction concept of life as a simulation, but not a computerized "matrix" version, but a version inspired by the act of creating which led him to draft 7 distinct and different artists for the project. Ambitious visually as well as naratively, the story is extremely thought-provoking as it follows a visual artist through her journey to find the source of the simulation all the while fighting against the doubts and self-sabotage she has fought all her life. There is tons of great conversation in this one, so join us!
Jace and Rocky talk about the DC Comics titles for the week of September 11, 2024. Primer comes to a conclusion for it's second volume with the same high-quality storytelling we have had thoughout the series, DC Vs Vampires confirms the shocking death we saw in the last issue is indeed permanent, while Green Lantern is wall-to-wall action. Batman '89 returns with it's engaging story but lateness has robbed the title of it's momentum. Gotham By Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age explodes with expansion as the world being crafted has hints of the familiar but with all new concepts.
Jace is joined by writer Jeremy Whitley to talk about his YA Graphic Novel from the Mad Cave Studios imprint, Maverick. The story of two girls who have newly moved to North Carolina and meet on the first day of school. Both have various challenges from tehir past they are dealing with, but through discovering a love of an unfinished Manga that they both never finished ad friendship blossoms. Could there be more than just a friendship coming? You will have to read to find out. Wonderful characterization from Jeremy Whitley and gorgeous art from Cassio Ribeiro give a realsim to this touching story. We recommend it highly.
Jace welcomes the legendary writer Jeph Loeb to the show to talk about The Last Halloween. Jeph tells the touching story of reviving this project that he originally conceived with long-time collaborator, the late Tim Sale. Deciding that if he couldn't make this series with Tim, he would make it for Tim and his choice of how to handle the art is truly amazing. You can hear the passion Jeph has for this project and they excitement is very real. We can think of no more touching tribute to the legacy of Tim Sale. There are a few hints about the story and some talk of what made the predecessor of the story, The Long Halloween, so special. Join us for all the deatils and pre-order The Last Halloween.
Jace welcomes writer Adam Rose t the show to talk about his series from Titan Comics, Huge Detective. Set in a world where an entirely different species has emerged from hiding. The Huge, as they are known, are humanid in appearence but much larger than humans and that isn't the only difference. After initial conflict an uneasy co-existence is established with both races realizing a prolonged conflict will only harm the planet and both humans and Huge. In this strange new status quo, Huge Detective tells the story of a human and Huge detective who are attempting to solve a murder. Drawing inspiration from classic crime noir and fantastical stories like BFG, this is a great series to dive into.
Jace welcomes writer Mark Bertolini to the show to talk about the Zoop campaign for his title Breakneck. Taking inspiration from The Authority and telling a subversive super hero story mcuh like The Boys, Breakneck is a story of the last villain in a world where the heroes have effectively wiped them out. The heroes are quite the role models they appear to be and as the story ramps up the villain comes to realize this. The series is paced entremeely well with visceral, stylized art. Listen in for the details and go join the campaign.
Jace welcomes writer Rich Douek back to the show to talk about A Phone Call Away. A true crime thriller from Mad Cave Studios showcasing a family, the Walkers, that suffered the tragedy of having a daughter kidnapped, but eventually turned their advocay for other missing children into a successful social media career complete with a reality TV show. When their second daughter is kidnapped 14 years later, it leads to stunning revelations about the Walkers and the truth about their first daughter. Jace and Rich talk about the nature of what makes true crime so compelling and how it influenced this book. Also, they discuss the structure of this story, how it was best suited to be told in one complete volume and the great experience he has had working with Mad Cave.
Jace quizes Rocky about his thoughts on last week's books. Then the guys dive into the DC titles for the week of September 4, 2024. Plenty of Absolute Power talk, the Penguin mini accomplished what it set out to do and ends on a high note. Plastic Man leans towards tradgedy and if anyone is still reading Justice Society, there is only one issue left. Hear about these books plus a whole lot more.