Some Of My Friends Read Comics

We've never read a Supergirl comic and it's time to change that! We're taking a look at Tom King & Bilquis Evely's 8-issue miniseries, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which also serves as the inspiration behind her new movie. But is it secretly a Coen Brothers movie in disguise??? Then we're continuing The Ultimates with issue #8 where we meet some new cast members! Next Time: We celebrate April Fool's Day with Marvel's Smallville parody, Marville (2002)!

It's The Heroic Age! All the Marvel heroes are friends again and there are no villains! Or something like that, and the Avengers want to keep it that way. So they're training up a team of brand new recruits in Avengers Academy while also lying to them. Perfect. We read an unprecedented NINE issues of this series, all so we get to Taskmaster and talk about him. Then we continued Ultimates with #7, and it definitely had some pictures in it. Next Time - Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

We're going back to the early 90s to another Robin miniseries where the Joker is wild. It's called Robin II: Joker's Wild, and Batman's not in this one, Robin's flying solo! We get some interesting looks at how he interacts with Batman's supporting cast when he's not around. And we also meet some of Robin's own supporting cast. We didn't know he had friends. Then we go onto Ultimates #6 where we distinguish the Ultimates from their 616 counterparts. Next Time: Avengers Academy (2010) #1-9

Woop woop! X-Men alert! It's a double-sized grab bag of X-titles! First up, we're taking a look at Uncanny X-Men #200 where Magneto is on trial in Paris in front of the UN. We get some weird twins and some space aliens. Then we finally get into the Age of Apocalypse finale with X-Men Omega. And then we gotta keep going with Ultimates #5, in which we get meet the Incredible Inappropriate Hulk. Next Time: Tim Drake fights the Joker for the first time, in "Robin 2: The Joker's Wild!"  

Marvel and DC crossovers are back! This time they come to us in the form of two one-shots called Deadpool/Batman and Batman/Deadpool, with a few bonus short stories in each comic. Are these two collabs better than the big events from years past? We'll find out, and then we'll jump into Ultimates #4, where we finally get a villain... almost. Next Time: Magneto goes to United Nations in Uncanny X-Men #200 + we finally end the Age of Apocalypse in Age of Apocalypse: Omega!  

It's the holiday season, so we're reading... oh it's not a holiday comic. That's ok, it's Grant Morrison's Animal Man! We're taking a look at his first 5 issues from the early 90s, where we'll analyze cell reconstruction and Looney Tunes. Then we continued our long read of the Ultimates with issue #3 in which... we still don't have a villain. Next Time: Marvel & DC crossover for the first time in 20 years with 2025's Deadpool/Batman & Batman/Deadpool!  

Surfs up, it's time for some Silver Surfer comics! Many years ago, we read a single Eisner-nominated issue of Dan Slott and Mike Allred's run on the book, but now we're going back to read the first 5 issues from their reboot in 2014. We meet the Surfer's new companion, Dawn Greenwood, as she tries to teach the Silver Surfer some manners, and make friends with a bunch of aliens. Glorp! Then we continue our long read of Ultimates with issue #2, in which we almost have all of the introductions out of the way. Next Time: Animal Man by Grant Morrison #1-5

It's been a little while since we did a non-superhero indie comic, so we're reading about some cute animals living in a cute animal town where everyone knows everyone and they're all happy... until the murders start happening. It's Patrick Horvath's Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, and it's simultaneously adorable and gruesome. We're taking a look at the first volume to see how apt the Dexter comparisons are. Then, we're starting a new long read with The Ultimates #1, in which our alternative universe Avengers team... is mostly absent. Next Time: Silver Surfer (2014) #1-5 by Dan Slott & Mike Allred!  

We're finally at the end of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing! When we last left him, he was stuck in space on an alien planet, making the best of his situation with whatever plants he could find. Will he ever make it back to Earth to see Abigail? Or will he just putz around with Adam Strange and Hawkgirl for a while? We'll find out in issues 57-64! Next Time: We continue spooky season with "Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees" by Patrick Horvath! Plus we start our next long-read with "The Ultimates #1"

We loved Peter David's X-Factor so much last time, so we're going back in for more! Except this time we're taking a look at his 2005 reboot of the title, coming hot off the heels of House of M and Decimation. We've still got Multiple Man struggling with controlling his dupes, but now we've got depowered mutants and an inexplicably omnipotent little girl to deal with. Then we finish up our long read of Thunderbolts with #25, in which they take down 25 supervillains and we see who's behind the Crimson Cowl. Next Time: We finish up Alan Moore's Swamp Thing run with Volume 6 (Issues 57-64)!

Today we're taking a look at Peter David's classic run on X-Factor! We get a spotlight focus on Jamie Madrox aka Multiple Man, we meet Strong Guy, and we get a nice new team of mutants to work with. We're reading his first arc in issues #71-75 and then jumping forward to a fun therapy issue with #87. It gets weird. Then we're getting to the end of our long read of Thunderbolts with #24, where Citizen V stops being a dudette in the shadows! Next Time: We check out Peter David's next run with X-Factor in X-Factor (2005) #1-6!  

We've got Freaky Friday Fever and we're reading three body swap stories that are all over the map! Daredevil and Doctor Doom swap places in Daredevil #37 & 38! Emma Frost spends some time in Iceman's body in Uncanny X-Men #314! High school-aged Peter Parker trades places with Wolverine in Ultimate Spider-Man #66 & 67! And we're still continuing Thunderbolts with #23, featuring an unexpected cameo from U.S. Agent. Next Time: Peter David's first X-Factor run with issues X-Factor 71-75 & 87!  

Did you know Superman hates racism? It's true, he's been fighting against it for decades now! We're taking a look at Superman Smashes the Klan from 2019 by Gene Luen Yang and art by Gurihiru, which is not just set in the 1940s, but also based on an old radio play from the 1940s. As the Klan makes their presence known in Metropolis to scare away a new Chinese family, Clark learns more about embracing his alien origins. Then we continue Thunderbolts with issue #22, where Hercules comes in to cause some chaos. Next Time: Our Freakier Friday "Body Swap Special" Ultimate Spider-Man #66-67 (Spider-Man & Wolverine) Uncanny X-men #314 (Iceman & Emma Frost) Daredevil #37 (Daredevil & Dr. Doom)

It's time for some Starman! We're taking a look at James Robinson's 1995 reboot of the golden age character with art from Tony Harris, and we get to meet FIVE Starmen in this book! He's not exactly a household name. I barely even knew there was one Starman. We learn all about them in issues 0-5. Then we're continuing with Thunderbolts #21, where Hawkeye is offering to lead the team! Next Time: Superman Smashes the Klan!

When you mix Chris Claremont with Frank Miller, you get Wolverine and ninjas. It's as simple as that. We're taking a look at Wolverine's first self-titled comic, a 4-issue mini-series from 1982 where Logan goes to Japan and lots of people die. Then the Thunderbolts start heading in a new direction with issue #20, where a surprise guest wants to join the team!   Next Time: Starman #0-6 by James Robinson & Tony Harris

Hot on the heels of Kurt Busiek's take on a real-world(ish) Clark Kent, we're reading his Batman focused followup called Creature of the Night from 2017, with art by John Paul Leon. We meet a young kid in a non-superhero world named Bruce Wainwright who's obsessed with Batman comics, and that doesn't really change after his parents get murdered by robbers. So what's the deal with this Batman that starts showing up immediately? Then we move onto Thunderbolts #19, featuring the winner of the Wizard Create-A-Villain contest! Next Time: Wolverine (1982) by Chris Claremont & Frank Miller

We're double-dipping on Kurt Busiek today! We're still continuing his run on Thunderbolts with #18 and the rudest French supervillain you'll ever meet, but first we're reading Superman: Secret Identity from 2004, with Stuart Immonen on art.  It's a story about a regular kid named Clark Kent in a regular universe where superheroes only exist in comics, who gets ridiculed constantly for his name. And then he gets powers. Whoa! Join us as we follow this variant Clark Kent through a full lifetime, and we discuss the duality of Busiek. Next Time: We check out the Secret Identity spiritual sequel, Batman: Creature of the Night!

It's only been about 10 years since we read the first 5 issues of Alan Moore and Gene Ha's Top Ten, but now we're finishing the full first season with issues 6 through 12.  As the precinct deals with criminals on multiple fronts, there's one question on everyone's lips: What's Sergeant Dog Cop up to? Then we move onto Thunderbolts #17, which had a sword fight, an exploding castle, and a dude who can control gravity. Next Time - Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek & Stuart Immonen

We've never fully delved into the artistic stylings of Rob Liefeld, but it's finally time to take the plunge. We look at his work on relaunching Captain America during Marvel's Heroes Reborn event in the 90s along with Jeph Loeb, and we find plenty of... interesting art choices to discuss.  We read the first 5-issue storyline as well as a 6th issue that perplexed us. Then we move onto Thunderbolts #16 which brings up a new mystery! Next Time: Celebrate the podcast's 10th anniversary with Top 10 #6-12!

We're finishing up the back half of Secret Wars II with issues #6-9. So far, we haven't been very impressed with The Beyonder and his antics on Earth, but will his cool new "Thriller" vest help matters at all? Thankfully the Molecule Man takes center stage to give us something to latch on to. Then, the Thunderbolts are back on Earth in issue #15, and they've gotta figure out how to live life on the run. Next Time: Captain America (1996) #1-6 by Rob Liefeld