Bone: The Great Cow Race & Eyes of the Storm

We continue our way through Jeff Smith’s all-ages comedic fantasy epic, Bone. Picking up where the first volume, “Out from Boneville,” left off, the three Bone cousins adjust to their new pastoral life. For Fone Bone, that means helping out on the farm to stay close to Thorn, his love-at-first-sight crush. For Phoney and Smiley, that means trying to scam the locals by throwing a ringer into the annual cow race. But reigning champion Gran’ma Ben turns out to be more than meets the eye…and so does Thorn. In these issues, Smith draws us deeper into the lore of the Valley. Are the mysteries and worldbuilding a source of enchantment, or does the gradual shift to plot over gags start to weigh the series down? The Iron Age boys brave lightning storms and rat creatures to investigate how Smith’s art softens the tonal shifts between comedy and drama.Discussed in this episode: Bone #7-19, collected in The Great Cow Race and Eyes of the StormThe valley's economy might run on eggs and chickens, but here in Boneville we need money to keep the show running. Consider supporting the podcast at patreon.com/ironageofcomics

Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley's 1997 launch Thunderbolts had a killer high concept: what if a band of supervillains posed as heroes to con the public into trusting them? But by the end of issue #12, the central conflict and premise of the series had been effectively dismantled by exposing the team's deception and turning them into fugitives. Where could the series possibly go next? We investigate a narrative swerve that some fans thought was a mistake, but we'd argue took the series to new creative heights. Targeted by the good guys and the bad guys alike, the Thunderbolts go on the run, and Bagley and Busiek turn what could have been a limited premise into a true ongoing series in the tradition of Claremont and Byrne's Uncanny X-Men, constantly shifting the status quo and packing each monthly issue with intrigue and subplots. Plus: Jim and Justin explain why Hawkeye is one of the coolest Avengers ever as he takes the reins of the team.Discussed in this episode: Thunderbolts #13-33, #0Baron Zemo says, "Under no circumstances should you support this podcast at patreon.com/ironageofcomics!" But are you gonna let that guy tell you what you can and can't do??

Revisit 17th century Japan with us and see what everyone’s favorite rabbit ronin gets up to next! The second Dark Horse omnibus includes “Grasscutter,” an Eisner-award winning storyline in which writer-artist Stan Sakai seamlessly blends traditional mythology, meticulously researched history, and his own brand of adventure and whimsy. Miyamoto Usagi stumbles upon the legendary sword Grasscutter, a national treasure and symbol of imperial power, and is drawn into a conspiracy that could change the balance of power in Japan. He also re-encounters some old friends, makes some new ones, and faces his opposite number: the demon spearsman Jei. And don’t miss what Justin promises is his last-ever rant about flat coloring vs. gradients!Discussed in this episode: Usagi Yojimbo (vol. 3) #7-30, plus Usagi Yojimbo Color Special: Green Persimmon #1Bonus episodes and more at patreon.com/ironageofcomics

We revisit George Pérez’s redefinition of Wonder Woman with the second major arc, 1987’s “Challenge of the Gods.” In these pages, you’ll get to know Diana’s supporting cast better and find out how a hard-rebooted Wonder Woman fits into post-Crisis continuity; meet the Cheetah, a savage reimaging of one of the series’ most iconic villains; delve into an underground prison beneath Paradise Island swarming with mythological monsters; and learn the secret origin of why an Amazon warrior wears a costume that looks a bit like an American flag. It’s Wonder Woman vs. Greek mythology’s greatest hits, and Jim will explain all the historical and classics-based context that Justin did not pick up on repeated viewings of Clash of the Titans.Discussed in this episode: Wonder Woman (vol. 2) #8-14.Show your support at patreon.com/ironageofcomics

Worlds will live! Worlds will die! The skies will turn red, and cowboys and cavemen will fight side by side! Written by Marv Wolfman and penciled by George Pérez, Crisis on Infinite Earths celebrated 50 years of DC Comics by blowing up the multiverse in a massive crossover featuring virtually every major character from its history (and introducing several new ones). Designed to make a bold statement in a comics industry overwhelmingly dominated by Marvel, the original plan was to reboot the entire DC Universe from scratch. Instead we got…well, what exactly did we get? We discuss whether Crisis was a new beginning or an ultimate ending, but we also focus on the comic itself and how this apex of superhero maximalism holds up 40 years later.Discussed in this episode: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-12Become a supporter of the podcast at patreon.com/ironageofcomics or else Pariah will cry some more.

It was 40 years ago this month that the calendar ticked over to 1986, often heralded as one of the high points of the comic book industry—perhaps even the most important year in the history of the medium. Comics began to find the mainstream acceptance they’d long craved, superheroes got grimmer ‘n’ grittier, and DC Comics reinvented itself for an older and more discerning audience. We walk through the highlights of this annus mirabilis, take a look back at what was left behind in this brave new era, and wonder whether we’ll ever see another year of its like again. Discussed in this episode:​Crisis, Dark Knight, and Watchmen (again, but briefly, we promise!)​Marvel’s 25th anniversary​The New Universe​X-Men as franchise​Classic X-Men debuts​Grim ‘n’ gritty and the dawn of “the Dark Age”​Daredevil and Elektra by Frank Miller​The Punisher gets his own series​Licensed comics and other cancellations at Marvel​The rise of the post-Crisis DCU​Legends​Many fine comics written by Alan Moore​The founding of Dark Horse Comics​Maus​Creator’s rights, starring Jack Kirby, Frank Miller, and Jim Shooterpatreon.com/ironageofcomics

The Iron Age boys reflect on another year of reading classic comics and three years since launching the podcast by answering YOUR questions! (Assuming you sent them in, that is to say.)Discussed in this episode:Current readsUnderappreciated Iron Age creatorsFashion trends of the Iron AgeComics we don’t want to revisitMissed opportunitiesNon-Iron Age comics with Iron Age flavorCursing and podcast editingDick Tracy and the British 20th centuryMarvel trading cardsCreator pronunciationsMost representative American comicsThe Iron Age outside the U.S.Which comic book universe we want to live inGrowth and change vs. “the permanent Act II”When are you going to cover __________?Transition to video?The origin of the podcastAre we critics?What we learned in 2025Keep the show going through 2026 and beyond by becoming a supporter at patreon.com/ironageofcomics

Jim and Justin are know-it-all comics guys normally, but in this episode they’ll enter unfamiliar territory for them: the 22nd century milieu of brutal supercop Judge Dredd…as well as the longrunning weekly comic 2000 AD and the British comics industry in general! The epic “Necropolis” storyline might seem like an unusual entry point to Dredd: genres clash as the sci-fi dystopia of Mega-City One is attacked by the supernatural horrors of the Dark Judges, and the title character doesn’t even appear for much of the story; Dredd has exiled himself to the wastelands of the Cursed Earth, leaving a younger, less experienced genetic duplicate to carry his name and badge. Will our intrepid podcasting Yankees be hopelessly befuddled by this arc’s British sensibilities and satire, or will the thrillpower writing of John Wagner and the gritty inks and paints of artist Carlos Ezquerra cross the cultural divide?Discussed in this episode: Judge Dredd strips from 2000 AD progs 674-699(Do not adjust the rabbit ears on your podcatcher app; sound quality in this episode is suboptimal due to a recording issue. It’s probably the Sisters of Death’s fault.)Become a supporter of The Iron Age of Comics at patreon.com/ironageofcomics. It’s not just a good idea; IT’S THE LAW!

When Bryan Hitch took over as artist on WildStorm’s low-selling StormWatch title, writer Warren Ellis was inspired to ditch most of the characters and reinvent the book from the ground up. The resulting series, The Authority, pointed the way to the future of mainstream comic books and stands as one of the milestones marking the end of the Iron Age. It’s an important and influential comic, so we’ve invited writer and podcaster Cameron Kunzelman (last heard on our X-Men: The Animated Series episode) back to read the entire Ellis and Hitch run with us. We discuss the advent of “widescreen comics” and what it means for comic books as a medium to adopt a more cinematic storytelling language; the transition from StormWatch’s murky politics to the ends-justify-the-means justice of the Authority; and how the run attempts to comment on and close the book on the genre fiction of the 20th century.CONTENT WARNINGS: The plot and story contents of this series prompt discussions of racism, terrorism, colonialism, genocide, sexual violence, and related topics. We also talk at great length about toxic and manipulative patterns of behavior from writer Warren Ellis, as extensively detailed by his accusers at SoManyOfUs.com.Visit RangedTouch.com to listen to the podcasts Cameron co-hosts. You can also check out his book Everything Is Permitted on the Assassin’s Creed video game franchise here:https://www.upress.umn.edu/9781517914943/everything-is-permitted/Support the Iron Age of Comics and get access to bonus content at patreon.com/ironageofcomics

A listener asked us some time ago if we’d consider reading some Moon Knight; instead, we read a lot of Moon Knight. We used Moon Knight Epic Collection Volume 3: Butcher’s Moon to take a broad survey of a Bronze Age character’s transition to the Iron Age. In these pages, the multiple-personalities angle of the character is de-emphasized, and multiple creative teams try to crack the character of Marc Spector in their absence. The Fist of Khonshu goes from a  silver-suited urban vigilante to a supernatural avenger decked out with gold accessories, then back to a gritty and grounded international action hero (this time, with an unwanted sidekick). We’ll compare these very different iterations of the character, ask ourselves why Chuck Dixon and Sal Velluto’s take was more popular than Alan Zelenitz and Chris Warner’s, and try to figure out whether all these phases of the Moon Knight have a common denominator.Discussed in this episode: Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu #1-6, Marc Spector: Moon Knight #1-7, plus Marvel Team-Up #144, Marvel Fanfare #30 and #38, and Solo Avengers #3Support the podcast at patreon.com/ironageofcomics and get Steven Grant-caliber bonus content on a Jake Lockley budget!