Episode 211: Extreme Makeover - Comics Edition

In Marvel Fanfare 15, it’s April Fools’ Day, and Johnny Storm decides to play an elaborate prank on his old buddy Ben Grimm. Unfortunately for Johnny, the Thing isn’t exactly known for his sense of humor, and payback is a bitch! The whole thing is brought to us by the incredible Barry Windsor-Smith, who handles the writing, pencils, inks, and colors!In the backup, things get a little more serious as Daredevil investigates a series of arson attacks in Hell’s Kitchen. It turns out the Man Without Fear has a connection to the firebug going all the way back to his childhood.The backup, “Crimson Ash,” is written by Roger McKenzie, with pencils by Jack Sparling and inks by Ian Akin and Brian Garvey. We also get a Daredevil illustration on the back cover from Akin and Garvey.You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Bluesky, & X https://linktr.ee/comicsdiscourse114Also, please leave us a 5-star review at your favorite podcast platform.

With Hassan away fighting the Joker, Brian and Bryan dive into some great Disney comics featuring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck! We explore Mickey’s Craziest Adventures, Donald’s Happiest Adventures, Donald Duck Vacation Parade, and Zombie Coffee by Lewis Trondheim, Nicolas Keramidas, Frédéric Brémaud, Federico Bertolucci, and Régis Loisel, published by Fantagraphics.You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Bluesky, & X https://linktr.ee/comicsdiscourse114Also, please leave us a 5-star review at your favorite podcast platform.

In Marvel Fanfare 14, Scarlet Witch is missing and Vision has decided the Fantastic Four have her! What the heck is going on? Why would the FF kidnap Wanda?The main story is brought to us by Roger McKenzie, with Rick Leonardi on pencils and Joe Rubinstein on inks.In the backup, someone has stolen Black Bolt’s royal scepter, and all eyes in Attilan immediately turn to Quicksilver. Now Pietro has to clear his name and find the real thief. With Quicksilver’s personality, I’m sure he handles being falsely accused calmly and rationally.The backup is written by Jo Duffy with art by Alan Weiss.You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Bluesky, & X https://linktr.ee/comicsdiscourse114Also, please leave us a 5-star review at your favorite podcast platform.

It’s another Top of the Stack episode featuring our recent comic book reads. Or is it?First, we cover the good, the bad, and the ugly of comic book events as we discuss Spider-Man: Death Spiral, Superman: Kingdom of Zod, and Batman: Bad Seed.Then it’s back to our usual Top of the Stack as we dive into a whole bunch of books from DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Oni Press, Archie Comics, Image Comics, IDW Publishing, and Abrams.2Our reads include Emperor Aquaman, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees Halloween Special, Sabrina the Teenage Witch Compact Edition, Bug Wars, Corpse Knight, The Last Driver, Doctor Strange: Endless Nightmare, Daredevil, and Clayface: Celebrity Dirt.You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Bluesky, & X https://linktr.ee/comicsdiscourse114Also, please leave us a 5-star review at your favorite podcast platform.

In Marvel Fanfare 13, we reach the action-packed conclusion of the Black Widow storyline!Natasha finally discovers who has been pulling the strings, and you’ll never believe it! Trust us, you won't.The Black Widow story is brought to us by Ralph Macchio and George Pérez, with Pérez on pencils and John Beatty and Brett Breeding on inks.In the backup, we travel to Asgard for “Ballad of the Warriors Three.” Idunn sends Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg on a quest to find her missing husband, Bragi, the god of poetry. What follows is a very different kind of Marvel story, with absolutely gorgeous artwork by Charles Vess.The backup is written by Alan Zelenetz with art by Charles Vess.You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Bluesky, & X https://linktr.ee/comicsdiscourse114Also, please leave us a 5-star review at your favorite podcast platform.

We continue our celebration of spooky season with one of DC Comics' most powerful and vengeful spirits, The Spectre!We dive into issues #1–7 of the legendary The Spectre series by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake.You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Bluesky, & X https://linktr.ee/comicsdiscourse114Also, please leave us a 5-star review at your favorite podcast platform.

In Marvel Fanfare 12, the web tightens around the Black Widow!Natasha has six assassins trying to kill her, including Iron Maiden, and she’s going to have to fight her way through all of them! With a little help from S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jimmy Woo, the Widow turns the tables on her attackers, but another assassin is waiting in the wings.The Black Widow story is brought to us by Ralph Macchio and George Pérez, with Pérez on pencils and Al Milgrom on inks.Then it’s Assistant Editors’ Month! Ann Nocenti and Roger Stern take over Marvel Fanfare and somehow Captain America gets dragged into the insanity. “Marvel Annfare” is written by Stern from an idea by Nocenti, with art by Al Milgrom.And finally, this issue features a portfolio from Rick Leonardi!You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Bluesky, & X https://linktr.ee/comicsdiscourse114Also, please leave us a 5-star review at your favorite podcast platform.

Halloween season is here, and we’re diving into some new horror comics from Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Ignition Press! Find out which books we loved, which ones we liked, and which ones didn’t quite win us over.We kick things off with Marvel’s new Midnight line, featuring Midnight Fantastic Four by Benjamin Percy and Kev Walker, Midnight Spider-Man by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and ScieTronc, and Midnight X-Men by Jonathan Hickman and Matteo Della Fonte.From DC Comics’ Next Level initiative, we discuss The Demon, written and illustrated by James Harren, and Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death, written and illustrated by Michael Walsh.Finally, we turn to Ignition Press for Dinner Date by Joanne Starer and Khary Randolph, and 12-Foot Skeleton by Aaron Campbell, Tim Seeley, and Ben Templesmith.You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Bluesky, & X https://linktr.ee/comicsdiscourse114Also, please leave us a 5-star review at your favorite podcast platform.

In Marvel Fanfare 11, the Black Widow is back in the U.S.S.R.!Natasha goes undercover in Russia searching for Ivan, but this is the Black Widow, so things don’t exactly go according to plan. Before long she’s on the run from the KGB, heading to Hong Kong, and facing a colorful collection of assassins hired to take her out.The story is brought to us by Ralph Macchio and George Pérez, with Pérez on pencils and Joe Sinnott and Jack Abel on inks.In the backup, we reach the end of our journey through The Jungle Book. Jo Duffy adapts Rudyard Kipling, with Gil Kane on pencils and P. Craig Russell on inks.And finally, we get a collection of pin-ups featuring Cloak and Dagger, Hulk, Man-Thing, and Doctor Strange from Terry Austin, Jim Shooter, Bob Wiacek, and P. Craig Russell.You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Bluesky, & X https://linktr.ee/comicsdiscourse114Also, please leave us a 5-star review at your favorite podcast platform.

Sometimes a comic book character gets an extreme makeover and it works. Other times, it fails completely. And then there were the ’90s!Brian and Hassan look back at some of their favorite extreme makeovers from Marvel and DC Comics, along with some of the changes they would rather forget.You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Bluesky, & X https://linktr.ee/comicsdiscourse114Also, please leave us a 5-star review at your favorite podcast platform.