Remembering Patrick Stewart & Walter Koenig: Multiverse Podcast

Jason, Stephen, and Scott reflect on a rough week in geek culture, focusing on the impact of Patrick Stewart and Walter Koenig and how their work and apparent health struggles hit fans personally. They share convention memories, react to tributes, and discuss dementia details mentioned in the news, including Lewy body and Alzheimer’s. The conversation highlights Stewart’s significance as Captain Picard and Professor X, favorite Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes and scenes (including “The Inner Light,” “Chain of Command,” “The Drumhead,” Locutus, and “Yesterday’s Enterprise”), and the value of the Picard series as a gift to fans. They also touch on McKellen’s Magneto, X-Men themes, and how certain public figures’ deaths uniquely resonate, before closing with light banter.00:00 Geek World Losses00:27 Koenig Tribute01:19 Lewy Body Reality03:07 Convention Memories05:18 Christmas Carol Love07:20 Picard Final Gift08:42 Icons We Fear Losing10:02 Why Celebs Matter12:10 Picard Changed Trek15:30 Xavier and Magneto19:27 X Men Highs Lows21:15 Trauma In Performances23:31 Favorite Trek Moments26:38 Locutus Four Lights28:13 Wrap Up And FarewellMentioned in this episode:OutroIntro

Jason, Stephen, and Scott are joined by special guest Steve Safran for a conversational deep-dive into DC’s Legion of Super-Heroes—why it’s such a dense “cult” series, how decades of continuity and multiple reboots make jumping-on points tricky, and what stories and eras still resonate most. Stephen recounts being hooked by Adventure Comics #357 (“The Ghost of Ferro Lad”) and traces key Legion eras from the Silver Age through Crisis, Five Years Later, Retroboot, New 52, and the 2019 Bendis run, contrasting what worked and what didn’t. They discuss reading order versus sampling highlights, the challenge of missing/out-of-print volumes, and why Easter-egg-heavy runs can be confusing for newcomers. The group also reacts positively to the new Legion book by Joshua Williamson with Hayden Sherman’s standout, inventive art. #LegionOfSuperHeroes, #DCComics, #JoshuaWilliamson, #HaydenSherman, #FiveYearsLater, #GreatDarknessSaga, #Bendis, #MarkWaid, #PaulLevitz, #JimShooter, #Superboy, #Darkseid00:00 Legion Fan Origins00:08 First Kept Comic02:00 Legion Timeline Reboots03:53 Favorite Runs Debates08:58 Standout Stories Picks13:15 Confession New Reader16:45 Collected Editions List18:24 Where To Start Reading21:27 All Legions Exist26:26 Slogging Silver Age31:41 Missing Omnibus Prices32:46 Recommended Reading Order35:34 Legion 89 Confusion36:21 Brainiac Dox Family Tree37:51 Robot Or Organic Brainiac40:52 Legion Rules And Powers42:52 New Legion Starting Point43:45 Hayden Sherman Art Breakdown46:10 Bendis Legion Critique52:42 Bendis DC Track Record57:34 Lightning Family History01:02:45 Legion Continuity Chaos01:07:16 Flowcharts And Final MapMentioned in this episode:IntroOutro

Jason and Scott wrap their final Lanterns episode with a spoiler-filled discussion of the season finale and overall series thoughts, praising how the show kept its mysteries unpredictable while still tying key threads together. They dig into major reveals like the Manhunter twist involving the grandson and “Grandma,” Hal’s fate, the dead ring finally getting a real charge, and the surprise of Sinestro ending up stranded on a Fear Planet with the means to forge a yellow lantern. They debate what the yellow element could mean in this universe, whether a season two will happen, and what they’d like to see next (more cosmic scope, J’onn and Superman connections, and more “Green Lantern-y” visuals). They also compare the show’s pacing and payoff to Lindelof’s Watchmen and rate the season (A vs. B+).00:00 Finale Spoiler Warning02:03 Season Wrap Thoughts02:44 Manhunter Kid Reveal04:30 Truck Scene Acting05:49 Sinestro On Fear Planet06:48 Ring Rules And Yellow08:55 Hal Death Theories15:57 John Stewart Origin Arc16:40 Hal Portrayal Debate19:10 Sinestro Setup Questions19:47 Timeline Questions20:43 Yellow Impurity Setup21:47 Hal Depth vs Others22:31 Guardians and Sinestro Lore23:35 John Stewart Oath Debate26:01 Season Two and Gunnverse Stakes30:18 Dream Spinoffs and Guy Bits32:09 Not Enough Green Action35:21 Final Grades and Recommendations40:41 Watchmen Plug and WrapMentioned in this episode:OutroIntro

Stephen recounts finally wearing a long-owned Adam Hughes Power Girl T-shirt to the mall with his youngest daughter after his wife initially says it looks nice, only to draw intense stares from men and disgust from women; he tries (and fails) to discreetly cover it with a hoodie, then buys a new shirt at Dillard’s to change immediately as his daughter jokes that he now knows how women feel and that he’s been shamed into covering up. Back home, his wife rethinks it and agrees it probably wasn’t a good idea, and Stephen vows not to wear the shirt in public again. The hosts then introduce special guest Steve Saffran, a longtime friend, comic collector since 1966, retired Hurst Police Department officer (1984–2020), and adjunct professor who teaches police academy courses including verbal communication, force options theory, crisis intervention (with an autism block he created), and duty to intervene, before shifting into discussion of Superman and Captain America portrayals and how story drives audience reaction.00:00 Rough Day Opener00:09 Graffiti Tee Confession01:26 Power Girl Shirt Disaster02:13 Mall Stares And Shame03:54 Cover Up At Dillards05:15 Daughter Drops Truth07:08 Wife Reacts And Anatomy Talk08:49 Adam Hughes Fix It09:53 Graffiti Shirt Scalper Rant11:54 Meet Steve Saffron15:02 Police Career Background16:36 Teaching Force Options18:23 Training Then Vs Now19:41 Duty To Intervene20:35 Academy Culture Shift21:29 Bat Belt Tools Mindset23:04 Why Superman Matters26:05 Snyderverse vs Classic Hope29:53 Actors vs Story Quality34:09 Captain America Gets It35:08 Best Screen Superman Debate36:35 Superman and Lois Recommendation38:20 Watchlist Chaos and WrapMentioned in this episode:OutroIntro

****Spoilers****Jason and Scott recap and speculate on Lanterns episodes six and seven, noting they missed a week and are counting down to the episode eight finale amid uncertainty about a second season due to creator contracts. They walk through John Stewart returning to Rushville, confronting Hal Jordan at a diner, then being pulled into the investigation after Hal is found dead, with the sheriff showing him the body and John bribing a diner worker who recognizes him. They discuss Guy Gardner delivering Hal’s ring and uniform, Carol Ferris’ brief appearance, Hal’s self-written eulogy, and John exhuming Hal to access a voice print that triggers a Hal “hologram.” They debate how the ring and battery power work, whether Hal is truly dead, clones/sentry mode possibilities, Sinestro’s escape, the sheriff and her grandson’s role, a “Blackest Night” nod, and episode seven’s suicide-related backstory change for Hal’s father.00:00 Episode Six Recap Begins00:41 Diner Apology Punch01:13 Theories And Ring Power03:19 Season Two Uncertainty06:27 Back To Hal Body07:42 Blackmailing The Diner Girl10:25 Guy Gardner Arrives12:30 Funeral And Fake Hal Theory15:07 Hal Jail Romance Questions16:03 Carol Ferris And Bitter Exes16:30 Hal’s Self Eulogy17:20 Digging Up the Ring18:07 Episode Seven Setup19:11 Sheriff Suspicion19:51 Hal’s Dad Retcon22:09 Vault and Sinestro Clues23:23 Fear Gas Factory25:00 Ring Power Mysteries30:50 Blackest Night Tease32:35 Finale and TV RantMentioned in this episode:IntroOutro

Jason, Stephen, and Scott dig into DC’s “Bad Seeds” crossover event, praising G. Willow Wilson’s long-running Poison Ivy series for turning a villain-led horror story into something character-driven and surprisingly compassionate, while noting Matt Fraction’s strong Batman run. They outline how the event is framed by “Bad Seeds: Sunset” and “Bad Seeds: Sunrise,” spans one night, and spreads across bat-centric tie-ins (including Harley Quinn) as Poison Ivy—now Gotham’s mayor—collides with escalating chaos and the fallout from killing a Parliament of Trees member. The hosts also highlight excitement for Rutgers’ “Gotham General” hospital-focused issues, riff on the comedy potential of ER life in Gotham, share a personal ER story, and touch on Harley’s tonal contrast and her relationship tensions with Ivy. , #DCComics, #Batman, #PoisonIvy, #HarleyQuinn, #ComicBooks, #Gotham00:00 Overwhelmed Reading Pile00:26 Why Poison Ivy Rules01:36 Making Villains Relatable03:21 Bad Seeds Event Setup04:31 One Night Gotham Horror06:18 Gotham General Tie In08:15 ER Comedy Pitch09:48 Real ER Storytime13:52 Halloween at Gotham General15:33 Harley Quinn Connection16:53 Wrap Up and Shelf CopiesMentioned in this episode:OutroIntro

Jason, Stephen, and Scott break down a busy FOC weekend, debating how hard to order on Absolute Batman #24 and what they’ve learned from past over- and under-orders across the Absolute line (with Batman steady while some titles cooled). They also dig into Marvel’s Midnight launch strategy: how many copies to gamble on issue #1, how quickly to push readers into subscriptions by issue #2, and how to split orders across a confusing spread of variants (including themed horror homages and creator-driven covers like Peach Momoko). Along the way they talk exit strategies for leftover stock, bundles and incentives, Marvel’s move toward lettering covers, and even share shop milestones like big view counts, new followers, and their push toward 1,000 YouTube subscribers. #FOC,#FinalOrderCutoff,#ComicShopTalk,#AbsoluteBatman,#DCComics,#MarvelMidnight,#ComicVariants,#PeachMomoko,#RetailerLife,#ComicPreorders,#Subscriptions,#Whatnot,#CGC,#ComicCollecting00:00 FOC Weekend Overview00:16 Ordering Absolute Batman 2401:03 Subs Growth and Pullbacks02:23 Exit Strategy and Bundles03:32 Ultimate Line Lessons04:28 Midnight Issue One Legs05:26 Cover Gimmicks and Grading06:42 Staked Variant Storytime07:48 How Many Covers to Order08:19 Marvel Cover Lettering Fix08:48 Variant Lineup Breakdown10:20 Choosing a Cover Split11:00 Committing to Theme Variants12:08 FOC Timing and Marketing Push13:32 Recognizing the Homages14:21 Cover Variant Fatigue15:31 Midnight Special Confusion16:09 Previewing Secret Covers17:27 Ordering Strategy and FOC18:14 FOC PSA and Social Posts18:50 Instagram Lockout Story19:42 Viral Milestones Push21:15 Comic Shop Famous Now23:14 Origin Bits and Cameo Jokes24:51 Final Order Plan and Sign25:58 Wrap Up and GoodbyesMentioned in this episode:OutroIntro

Jason and Scott review HBO’s Lanterns episodes 3 and 4 ***SPOILERS***, John Stewart’s childhood and family dynamics, including a Guardian’s role in selecting and training him and how that reframes John’s father and the family’s resentment of Hal Jordan, who repeatedly derails John’s life. They discuss Hal’s conflict with the Guardians, speculate about what oath Hal broke and how he knew a replacement was being recruited, and note the show’s “one Lantern per sector” rule and how this John blends traits associated with John Stewart and Kyle Rayner. In episode 4 (“The Weenie”), they highlight more Sinestro, Hal seeking information from him, a buddy-cop rhythm tempered by distrust, the uncomfortable nude interrogation drawing scene, the reveal involving the Manhunter, John’s relationship with the android, and theories about the Guardians as the deeper antagonist.00:00 Episodes 3-4 Setup00:15 Episode 3 Background00:45 Sports Mom Training01:53 John’s Dad Reframed04:37 Hal Ruins Everything06:07 Why Guardians Target Hal07:48 Show Lore vs Comics12:42 Episode 4 The Weenie13:59 Sinestro and Broken Oath16:28 Fandom Speculation Spiral19:10 Buddy Cop Dynamic Tease19:30 Hal Tests John20:50 Sinestro Manipulation Debate21:34 Too Much Lantern Tension23:43 Darkness Gun Plot Hole25:12 Rancher Full Monty26:09 Lindelof Pacing Tangent29:28 Manhunter Grandma Reveal31:53 Town Conspiracy Theories33:23 Guardians As Real Enemy37:06 Yellow Weakness Lore38:43 Wrap Up Next EpisodeMentioned in this episode:OutroIntro

Jason, Steven, and Scott discuss Marvel previews and upcoming releases, starting with excitement over Greg Rucka’s Punisher run being collected in an omnibus, praising the art by Chucheto and Rucka’s “Bram Stoker Dracula”-style approach focused on cops encountering Punisher’s world, plus the character Rachel Cole. They react to a new Avengers #1 lineup (Daredevil, Luke Cage, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel) and speculate about a mystery member amid rumors about Miracleman versus another character from Avengers: Armageddon, while comparing elements to Superman: Quest for Peace and joking about DC/Marvel movies. They touch on Predator vs Punisher, Infernal Hulk, a new Jean Grey mini, Gambit minis, Mary Jane and Spider-Woman, a new Venom #1 by Charles Soule, Marvel “Midnight” books, Black Cat’s longevity, Alex Ross covers and Al Ewing’s Thor, Captain America with “Baby Doom,” Indiana Jones variant covers, the Star Wars Tales #19 Indy/Han/Chewie story, and Marvel compact editions and reprints.00:00 Omnibus Buying Confessions00:32 Rucka Punisher Spotlight02:55 New Avengers Lineup Rumors03:39 Miracleman and Armageddon Talk04:59 DC Movies in Marvel World08:12 Snyder Remake Rant10:10 Back to Avengers and Defenders Wish14:25 Predator Versus Punisher Pitch14:50 Hulk Horror and Midnight Hopes15:51 Jean Grey Mini and Where Is She17:14 X-Men Relationship Lore17:44 Emma Frost Dark Phoenix19:36 Gambit Double Trouble20:37 Mary Jane Spotlight21:27 Spider-Woman and Venom22:46 Midnight Lineup Check23:30 Alex Ross Thor Debate26:23 Baby Doom and Cats28:05 Daredevil Sales Talk28:49 Indiana Jones Crossover32:30 Compact Editions Wrap33:27 Trades and Final PicksMentioned in this episode:IntroOutro

Jason and Scott discuss their reactions to Lanterns episode two, focusing on Green Lantern Lore, John Stewart’s apparent ability to manipulate Green Lantern energy without a ring, including the persistent “bird” construct that seems semi-autonomous even after Hal Jordan regains control. They share trailer spoilers for episode three suggesting the Guardians recruit humans directly and that Stewart’s parents may have known the Guardians were interested in him, while Hal insists there’s only one ring per sector and refuses to give it up. They debate the show’s lore changes they’re surprisingly enjoying, note the lantern’s pocket-universe storage, and clarify Manhunters as Guardian-created android predecessors to the Corps rather than Martians. They also touch on Atrocitus, the ongoing whodunit elements, speculation about Guy Gardner’s upcoming appearance, and the show’s strong ratings and weekly anticipation.00:00 Episode Two Reactions00:38 Guardians Recruiting Twist01:39 Lore Changes That Work02:05 Atrocitus Name Drop02:51 Manhunter Mystery Setup03:19 Manhunters Explained04:35 Martian Theory Debunked06:07 Whodunit Suspects06:35 One Ring Per Sector07:14 John Controls Energy08:49 Willpower Versus Training09:26 Construct Styles And Rebirth10:29 Why The Show Works11:40 Ratings And Episode ThreeMentioned in this episode:IntroOutro