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.
Jace welcomes Joe Harris to the show to chat about the Zoop campaign for Great Pacific. A somewhat prescient tale about a priveleged heir to an oil fortune who has other ideas for how to make an impact in the world. Set in the stranger-than-fiction real life Great Pacific Garbage Patch, this fast-paced story has tons of twists and turns and is a real page-turner. The main character has so much nuance and the supporting cast are diverse and richky detailed in their own right, as is the world they inhabit. An absolute must-read.
Jace covers the DC Comics titles for the week of August 28, 2024 solo with Rocky on vacation. We get the penultimate issue of Ram V's Detective Comics run and it is really starting to come together. Amanda Waller's true colors are once again shown in Absolute Power Origins while the other event tie-in books this week are filled with action. Two very different takes on Batman in Off World and Dark Age show the versatility of the character and incredible art in both titles. Finally the 30th anniversary of Zero Hour is a worthy addition to that classic story with some fantastic art callign back to the era of the 90's. Join us as we chat about these books and more in this episode!
Jace and Rocky talk about the DC Comics titles for the week of August 20, 2024. We get the start of a Jenny Sparks Black Label book where she takes no prisoners right form the start, but he choice of villain may be surprising. Meanwhile, the action ramps up in Titans to the point it might be the best issue of the eniter series so far, while the action in Dark Knights of Steel: Al Winter is just about all there is to that issue. John Stewart ends his series on a high note by showing off an ability that has the potential to change everything while Superman shows why he is a hero even without his powers. Join us as we talk about all these titles and more.
Jace talks to Joshua Viola co-owner of BitBot media and co-writer of the forthcoming Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver - The Dead Shall Rise prequel graphic noveil. It has been decades since any new Soul Reaver content has been released. No Joshua along with co-writer Angie Hodapp and artist Juan Samu are bring a prequel story to life featuring the fan-favorite character Raziel. Focusing on bridging the gam between the Blood Omen and Soul Reaver video games, this new story will explore parts of the lore of this very popular video game series that have never been touched on before. Also, to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original games release there are some exclusive items you can only get in this campaign. Tons of amazing apparel, so you can show off your love of the franchise, masks, weapons and the chance to be immortalized in the story are all available so be sure to join us as Josh tells us all about it and check out the campaign!
Jace is joined by writer Sean Wood to chat about his campaign for The Fog Within #3. It's Sean's first comic work and he chats about the impetus of the story and they inspiration for the story. The guys also talk a bit about the theme of family that runs throughout the title.
Jace and Rocky discuss the DC solicitations for November 2024. It starts off with the nature of solicitations themselves and how they are a double edge sword and a bit of a necessary evil. With the All In initiative, there are several new series that have been revealed along with their creative teams. From the return of the Justice League in Justice League Unlimited to solo series for several well known DC characters. The new series for solo characters include, Black Canary, Cassandra Cain Batgirl, Renee Montoya Question, Black Lightning. Plus DC is bringing back a weekly Holiday series leading up to Christmas with Batman - Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns. However, the BIGGEST surprise in the solicitations may be the reveal of the death or a major DC villain. Listen in to find out who it is and hear what the guys have to say about all these series plus a whole lot more.
Jace chats with writer/producer/director Steven S. DeKnight about his Comixology Original Graphic Novel, Beneath. Steven is a very talented story teller who has worked on genre defining shows such as Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel and Smallville. He is the creator of the Starz show Spartacus, where he also served as showrunner. His experience working with superheroes also extends to serving as showrunner for Daredevil. He has written several comics before such as Buffy and Conan as well as Wolverine, but this is the first time he is venturing into an original story. The result, with incredible art from Michael Gaydos, is a compelling page turner that has multiple layers of action and character. It gets our highest recommendation. So join us to hear about how the project came to life for Steven over a number of years and what he loves about the freedom of storytelling in comics.
Jace chats with the super talented Bill Morrison about his Zoop campaign for The Complete Adventures of Roswell, Little Green Man. You may know Bill's work from the longest running TV series of all-time, The Simpsons. He also had a hand in the creation and production of Futurama, and served as creative director for Bongo comics. It was during his time at Bongo that he created the series Roswell. A timeless series about the original Roswell alien who survived the crash, it is a humorous fish-out-of-water title with wacky supporting characters and classic art from Bill himself. For the first time ever, all the previous Roswell issues are being collected in one volume with some never before seen art from Bill and other artists. There are also some very rare Roswell and Futurama items available. So listen in to learn more about the campaign and go pledge to get your copy!
Recently announced by DC Comics, Tom King is teaming up with superstar artist Ryan Sook on a six-issue mini series focused on Black Canary to determine who is the best hand to hand fighter in the DC Universe. From the press release below we can see that her primary foe will be Lady Shiva. It comes as no surprise that Shiva will be the antagonist as she has long been regarded as one of the best fighters in the entirety of the DC Universe. Black Canary on the other hand, is not generally in the top five most formidable fighters if you ask most DC fans. Perhaps if you are only talking about females, her name might be mentioned. I think most DC fans familiar with these characters are much more likely to mention Cassandra Cain or the aforementioned Lady Shiva. The question does remain however, if the assertion of Canary as one of the best hand to hand fighters generates controversy, this series may not be as well-received as some of King's previous out of continuity work. As the saying goes, there is no such thing as bad press, so it is entirely possible that any online discourse about presenting Canary as possible the most formidable fight in the DCU rivaling Lady Shiva, will only have a positive effect on sales. There may be people that pick up the series just to see how the claim that Canary could best Shiva could possible me true. Only time will tell and you can decide for yourself starting on November 27th, when issue #1 hits comic shops.
Jace and Rocky talk about the DC titles for the week of August 13, 2024 Action Comics lives up to the action with an all out action-packed issue, while Hal uses every weapon in the book except his ring as he tries to escape from Amanda Waller. Will the weapons he escapes with allow the heroes to fight back effectively against Waller? The Gotham By Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age series is turning out to be a much bigger story thant you might expect, but the world building that is being done is top notch. We also have the return of DC vs Vampires, Damian Wayne vs Bane and Outsiders is setting up for a big finale. Join us for our thoughts on these books and more!
Jace and Rocky talk about the DC titles for the week of August 13, 2024 Action Comics lives up to the action with an all out action-packed issue, while Hal uses every weapon in the book except his ring as he tries to escape from Amanda Waller. Will the weapons he escapes with allow the heroes to fight back effectively against Waller? The Gotham By Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age series is turning out to be a much bigger story thant you might expect, but the world building that is being done is top notch. We also have the return of DC vs Vampires, Damian Wayne vs Bane and Outsiders is setting up for a big finale. Join us for our thoughts on these books and more!
Jace chats with the co-writers and co-creators of Ramgod from Massive Publishing. Brothers Morgan Rosenblum and Owen Rosenblum give us an overview of the world of Ramgod. The titular sport in the title is, in fact, the world's most dangerous sport and a second chance at athletic stardom for cop, Clint Bowler. it is also a way to finally connect with his estranges son, Malcolm. However, all is not as it seems in the world of Ramgod as conspiracies abound and some teams may be doing more than just competing against the other teams. There's tons of action and layered storytelling in this series so don't miss it!
Jace is joined by writer Matthew Rosenberg for a chat about DC vs Vampires: World War V. The big battle has been fought ... and the world lost. Now in the midst of a cold war with an uneasy truce, where does the conflict go from here? With Damian Wayne making his own plans and seeming to want to be on neither side, the stage is set for the end of the human race. Can the remaining DC Superheroes somehow bring humanity back from the brink?
Jace chats with writer Tom Taylor about his upcoming Detective Comics run this October for DC All In. We learn that there is something "integral" about Batman that ties into his origin that Tom will explore. It's always a challenge to go back and add to an origin so many years later, but Taylor seems confident that he has found something additive to bring to the story that will also tie into the present day story of who is killing young criminals in Gotham City. When it comes to writing Batman, Taylor explains how every story that has Batman in it, tends to gravitate towards the character, which is interesting as he is one of the few characters that seems to have his own "storytelling gravity." Do you agree? Listen in and give us your thoughts!
Ram V sits down with Jace at SDCC 2024 and talks about how personal the Fourth World story he's crafting will be. Also Ram mentions how his Fourth World story will be the most connected this corner of the DC Universe has ever been to the main continuity of the DCU. A mystery villain coupled with familiar DC characters in addition to the New Gods, this is as excited as we have ever been for a Fourth World series!
Jace chats with Nicole Maines at SDCC 2024 about Mark Waid calling her out on a panel by wondering out loud how she "got so damn good so fast!" They also talk about Dreamer's role in Absolute Power and the similarities Dreamer shares with Jon Kent.