Ex Machina by Brian K. Vaughn and Tony Harris - Part 1

In this episode, Phillip and Eric watch an episode from the maligned Titans tv series starring the secret origin of Hawk and Dove. Hear them lose their minds on the dark edginess of the series, plus they talk about being unable to find pizza places that sell by the slice and Wonder Man being renewed for another season.

Phillip and Eric are back to conclude their rewatch commentary of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem animated movie written and produced by Seth Rogen! They talk about Ice Cube's career, the supporting mutant characters from the comics, and also highlight the "accomplishments" of the figures of Black excellence that is Kamala Harris and Jasmine Crockett.

Phillip and Eric break down the indie comic that kicked off a pop culture franchise, the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird from their creator-owned Mirage Studios. They discuss its grittier tone and black and white art style, its homages and spoofs of Jack Kirby and Frank Miller, and talk about the Lanterns teaser and the whiny reaction from fanboys.

Phillip and Eric kick off a month devoted to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the indie comic that became a billion dollar franchise with the latest film incarnation, the animated film Mutant Mayhem! They talk about its stylized visuals, the emphasis on the "teenage" part of the turtles' characterizations, and Eric asks about Phil to explain Dr. Umar Johnson and the concept of snow bunnies.

Phillip and Eric talk about another of the best comics of 2025, the Image dystopian sci-fi comic, Assorted Crisis Events Deniz Camp and Eric Zawadzki! They dissect its unique premise of melding temporal distortion with current socioeconomic anxieties, its ambitious layout designs and bold coloring, and Eric shares his experience about being recruited on Linkedin by AI companies.

Phillip and Eric finally wrap their rewatch/commentary on David Fincher's adaptation of The Killer graphic novel. They discuss the eponymous character's subtle character arc, Fincher's meticulous style of filmmaking, and Eric asks Phillip to explain K-Pop Demon Hunters to him.

Phillip and Eric break down the first volume of the alternate history superpower Image comic series The Power Fantasy by Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard! They discuss its new take on the "beware the superman" narrative, the dissonance of its vibrant color scheme with the subject matter, and give fake lamentations about their graduate alma mater shutting down due to running up a $24 million deficit.

In this episode, Phillip and Eric attempt to continue their rewatch of David Fincher's The Killer adaptation, but things go awry and instead subject themselves to Captain America: Brave New World starring Anthony Mackie. They break down how immensely boring the film is, Phillip educates Eric on who Joaquin Torres is, and talk about how they should've watched M.A.N.T.I.S. instead.

For their first comic talk of 2026, Phillip and Eric break down the surprisingly good Marvel crossover, Aliens Vs. Avengers by Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribić. They discuss how it subverts the expectations of the cheap cash grab IP crossover, its exploration of the narrative themes Hickman gravitates towards, and how Alien: Earth is better than anyone gives it credit for.The Patrick H. Willems video essay on Hollywood franchises that inspired this episode.

Eric finally gets Phillip to watch the Netflix adaptation of The Killer graphic novel, directed by David Fincher. They discuss its capture of the introspective spirit of the comic, Fincher's directorial style making him a great fit for the graphic novel, and twenty minutes about Gang of London season 3, Avengers: Doomsday teasers, and the kidnapping presidents abroad.