Matt Fraction Talks Batman

Today on the GateCrashers podcast we have the pleasure of being joined by writer Tate Brombal, known for his extensive collaborations with James Tynion IV on his Slaughterverse books, including the just launched Fall of the House of Slaughter and Image Comics' Everything Dead & Dying. Over the last couple years, he has made a name for himself as a rising star at DC Comics, first with Elseworlds's title Green Lantern Dark and an ongoing run on Batgirl starring Cassandra Cain, #19 having just been released this week. Along with this, Brombal has recently taken over New Titans, delivering a much-needed fresh take on the beloved DC team. We chat about all this and more in our interview that you can listen to right now! For more info on all of Tate Brombal's books, check out our reviews and solicit texts for all his first issues mentioned above here: Fall of the House of Slaughter by Tate Brombal, James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'Edera, Adriano Turtulici, and Tom Napolitano. As the House of Slaughter's ailing Old Dragon enters his final days, Cecilia Slaughter and the other Heads gather to determine his successor. Deadly ambitions begin to take shape as the House and the Order prepare for a new legacy to begin — and the conflict will no doubt be lethal in this all-new miniseries set in the world of Something is Killing the Children! Can the House of Slaughter survive a new Dragon coming into power?  New Titans by Tate Brombal, Sami Basri, Adriano Lucas, and Tom Napolitano. WHO ARE THE NEW TITANS? After helping save the world from yet another world-ending event, the Titans have earned some much-deserved rest. Back in Titans Tower, they're glad to be reunited again... But it almost feels too good to be true. Are these Titans who they claim to be? And if they can't trust each other... can they even trust themselves? Tate Brombal and Sami Basri kick off a brand-new era for the next generation of superheroes! Everything Dead & Dying by Tate Brombal, Jacob Phillips, Pip Martin, and Aditya Bidikar. Everything Dead & Dying follows Jack Chandler, the sole survivor of the zombie apocalypse hunkered down in his rural farming community. But rather than eliminate them, Jack has chosen to continue living alongside the undead — including the husband and adopted daughter he fought so hard to have. But when his town is discovered by outsiders, Jack suddenly becomes the one thing standing in the way of those who hope to kill his family for good. Batgirl by Tate Brombal, Takeshi Miyazawa, Mike Spicer, and Tom Napolitano. Hold on to your seats, clutch your pearls, and rejoice in celebration because Cassandra Cain is taking center stage in her first solo Batgirl series in nearly two decades! When a deadly group of assassins shows up to kill Cassandra, Lady Shiva comes to the rescue, and they must put their complicated past aside and work together as mother and daughter to ensure they make it out alive. Unfortunately, things are never as easy as they seem, and Cass must embark on a jaw-dropping, martial-arts filled adventure in her quest for truth and justice... and revenge?! It's a Batgirl book like never before, so join us as we dive into the psyche of one of Gotham's deadliest fighters, while exploring her deep and complex relationship with her mother. Green Lantern Dark by Tate Brombal, Werther Dell'Edera, Giovanna Niro, and Tom Napolitano. On a post-apocalyptic Earth overrun by monsters, the battle between good and evil ended long ago — and evil won. Now darkness prevails as humanity struggles to survive in the corrupted wasteland that remains. Only one hero is said to haunt what's left of our shadowed cities, the one who wields the mystical green flame that could return light to a dark world--The Green Lantern. But she's been missing for years, and on the isolated island of New England, Solomon Grundy's undead army only grows larger and more powerful every night... Celebrated horror artist of smash hit Something is Killing the Children Werther Dell'Edera teams with rising-star writer Tate Brombal (House of Slaughter) to bring you a chilling tale of desperation, hope, and resurrection from the bitter remains of the fan-favorite Tangent Universe!  

In comic stores today, If Destruction Be Our Lot is the new Image Comics book from Matthew Rosenberg, Mark Elijah Rosenberg, Francesco Segala, Andy Macdonald, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. To celebrate the release, we had the pleasure of being joined on the podcast by Matthew Rosenberg to talk about his new sci-fi book. We also discuss Rosenberg's other comics work, including We're Taking Everyone Down With Us, also published by Image Comics, featuring art by Stefano Landini, and much more! You will hear Dan gush over all the books in live audio fashion! If Destruction Be Our Lot #1 / Rosenberg, Rosenberg, Segala, MacDonald, and Otsmane-Elhaou / Image Comics For more info on Matthew Rosenberg's If Destruction Be Our Lot, check out the solicit text for Issue 1 below, and make sure to grab it from your local comic store! SERIES PREMIERE EXTRA-LENGTH DEBUT ISSUE! Humanity is extinct and all that remains are the robots who once helped us.The robots who once helped us are happier now, doing their work without human interference. But not Abe. He believes there must be something more out there. After nearly getting killed, he's determined to wander the Earth until he finds it—or gets recycled trying. Brilliant artist ANDY MACDONALD (Doctor Strange, Wonder Woman), and adequate writers MARK ELIJAH ROSENBERG (Approaching the Unknown, Year Million) and MATTHEW ROSENBERG (WE'RE TAKING EVERYONE DOWN WITH US, 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank) bring you an ongoing sci-fi adventure about finding purpose, holding onto hope, and really lonely robots. And if you're looking to find out more about Matthew Rosemberg's We're Taking Everyone Down With Us, here's the solicit text for Issue 1! After her mad-scientist father is killed by the world's greatest spy, 13-year-old Annalise is left all alone in the world. Sort of. Her dead dad's robot bodyguard is following her around for some reason. Now Annalise has a choice: try to lead a normal life for the first time ever…or seek revenge and maybe overthrow the world order in the process. Image Comics proudly presents a journey of regret and retribution, super spies and pseudoscience, growing up and global domination from brilliant artist STEFANO LANDINI (Prodigy, Hellblazer) and okay writer MATTHEW ROSENBERG (WHAT'S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE?, Uncanny X-Men). Matthew Rosenberg's other credits include Task Force Z, DC vs. Vampires, Hawkeye: Freefall, and much more! Check out Ashcan Press here!  

Matt Fraction is the current writer on Batman, and has written a lot of great books in the past, such as Hawkeye, Sex Criminals, Casanova, and Immortal Iron Fist. The latter was one of the books that I read when really getting into comics; it's just embedded in my comics DNA, and Batman is my favorite comic currently being published, so it was wonderful to finally be able to interview him. We talked about Batman particularly, what goes into it, what it's like writing it, and a bunch of other stuff Find more at www.gatecrashers.fan! 

It's Star Wars Day! And to celebrate the GateCrashers crew gathered for a chaotic, rambling discussion about all things Galaxy Far, Far Away. From projects we want to see that Disney would definitely consider making, to a truly terrible Darth Maul impression, we really cover the full gamut of everything you could want to discuss about Star Wars! And if, after listening you're still in that May the Fourth mood for more Star Wars, why not check out some of our extensive writing on everyone's favourite space opera: Have you been wanting to get into Star Wars comics? Then check out our handy Crash Course! Wondering what everyone's favourite spiky Sith Lord is up to? Give a read of our Maul - Shadow Lord review! Harkening for the brilliance of Genndy Tartakovsky's 2D Clone Wars? Our retrospective is sure to remind you of the good times! Maybe you're looking for something more serious from the Galaxy Far, Far Away? In that case, our Andor review is the place to go! Did you play Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and wish there were even more characters to play as? Then our ranking of 25 Glup Shintos you can't play as is perfect for you! Ever wondered what Luke and Lando got up to between the Original and Sequel trilogies? Find out in our review of the game-changing Shadow of the Sith! Are you tired of annoying people on the internet constantly complaining about Rey being a Mary Sue? We agree! Do you love Doctor Aphra as much as we do? Our ode to everyone's favorite space thief/archaeologist/gay disaster is right here! Did you ever wonder what Colin Trevorrow's Duel of the Fates, the original finale to the Sequel Trilogy, might have looked like? Then check out our recap of the script! And lastly, make sure to listen to our homemade Star Wars audio adventure, Wild Space! All this and more can be found at our Star Wars landing page!  

By now, I have done over a hundred interviews but every one is still special to me. But ones like this are why I do what I do. I met Jimmy Gaspero through talking and writing comics online. Jimmy's unique critical view was one that I fell in love with the first time I read it. Since then, I have had Jimmy as a writer on my site for awhile and now he's helping lead the charge over at Comic Book Yeti. There is a level of love and heart he brings to everything he does from his own work to being a dad to being just a pillar of the comics community. Not only that, but Jimmy's wife is photographing my wedding; Jimmy is a brother to me. I have had the pleasure of watching him start his comics career and grow into a published author of this status. His anthology Made in Delco is a love letter to the area we both hold close to our hearts. Jimmy is a writer who you want to keep an eye on because his future is so bright. That is why I was so excited to get the chance to read his first full published graphic novel Penny and the Yeti from Papercutz (A Mad Cave Imprint). Penny and the Yeti is written by Jimmy, art by Amber Akin, and letters by Buddy Beaudoin. In our conversation, we discussed the novel and how it handles adult themes in a way that helps children navigate them on their own. Penny and the Yeti is a beautiful story of family, friendship, and the struggles of working through unpleasant feelings. I highly suggest it to any parent or child who is looking for a wonderful journey with a cryptid. YETI OR NOT, HERE WE COME! Penny and Yeti are pretty typical best friends: they go to school together, play together, and have fun adventures. The twist? Yeti's a living breathing myth! Before Yeti, Penny had a super normal life with her big sister Peri and their parents, Fenton and Maxine. Penny thinks life is pretty great, especially when Peri draws and colors with her—Peri draws the best monsters called "cryptids!" The only real problem is that Penny's parents argue… a LOT. Penny wishes her parents would stop, but what can she do? That's when Yeti shows up, right out of one of Peri's drawings and smack into Penny's life! With Yeti's help, Penny comes up with a plan to get her parents to stop fighting. Penny, however, soon finds out that her parents may need more help than even a magical Yeti can provide…

I have been the luckiest horror fan in existence because I have had the chance to watch CJ Leede's career start from before her debut Maeve Fly. From those first few pages, I knew I had a new favorite author with a unique voice and POV in the horror genre. This is our third conversation, so there is more nuance to the topics we get the chance to discuss. This book is an absolute sucker punch of mystery, tragedy, and the cracks in the mirror of the human psyche. Be sure to check out Selena's review here to get more in-depth thoughts on how the book succeeds at drawing you in like a wolf in headlights. We dive into road trips, nature, wolves, and so much more in this interview. Music has been an important part of CJ's fiction thus far in her career, and we take some time to dive into that. We also discuss how her books always teach me something new and why that sticks with readers long after the book ends. My audio was a bit spotty, so apologies for that, but CJ is crystal clear, and that's what matters. In Headlights, Special Agent Daniel Stansfield is ready for a change. Burnt out and defeated by the job, it's his last day with the FBI. But before he can turn in his badge, he's summoned back to Denver, the city he ran from four years ago, with a chilling message: it's happening again. C.J. Leede is a Los Angeles-based horror writer whose debut novel, Maeve Fly, received the Golden Poppy Octavia E. Butler Award and a Splatterpunk Award, and was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. Her works, including Maeve Fly and American Rapture, are noted for their brutal and gory elements, while also exploring themes such as conservative religious extremism, the psychological effects of strict upbringings, and societal decay.

It's Awards Season, baby! Join GateCrashers regulars Patrick, Jon, and Ethan as they talk about all things Oscars! The guys ramble their way through 98 years of Oscars history (more or less), including some of the great moments in Academy Award history. One of the major tentpoles of the film industry, the Academy Awards, or the Oscars, is the premier award show of Hollywood and the English-speaking world's film industry. This year's Academy Awards, which will see the head-to-head matchup of major critical and audience successes Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another and Ryan Coogler's Sinners, will be held on March 15, 2026. As they dive into the Oscars as an institution, Patrick, Jon, and Ethan talk about some of the highs of the award show (Marissa Tomei, Parasite, and so on) and some of the… let's say less highs (Green Book, Crash, what have you). More importantly, they talk about a wide variety of Oscar-nominated movies and performances that were just really cool and really good (because honestly, that's what matters most). Towards the end of the conversation (and let's be honest, all throughout the episode), the guys talk about this year's nominations, including the new award for Casting, the record nominations earned by Sinners, and the interesting nominations (good and… less good) for the acting nominations this year. All-in-all, this episode is certainly a preview for this year's Academy Awards and a bit of a retrospective. Come in and enjoy as you listen to Patrick, Jon, and Ethan's opinions on film that will certainly not upset anyone we are sure! 🙂 (Please don't be mean to us, we are just guys with opinions! We will cry!) And we hope to see you at future episodes about a number of topics that will certainly include films at some point!  

With the recent rerelease of the Bram Stoker Award and the Shirley Jackson Award-winning Night of the Mannequins, I sat down to chat with Stephen Graham Jones once again. I'm not shy about admitting that Stephen is the reason I started reading prose again, because I felt like I could really hear the voices of his narrators. It made me fall in love with reading in ways I hadn't felt since childhood. We get into his unique voice in his work, which makes it sing in a different way than anything else. But with that unique voice, we also spend a lot of the conversation talking about the power of audiobooks and how his in particular always has the tone perfect for the Texas air that lingers in the text. Texas is also a hot topic of conversation and, in itself, a character in many of Stephen Graham Jones' novels. There are also comparisons made between the leads of Night of the Mannequins and I Was a Teenage Slasher, with tinges of unreliability in the narrators. We also get into the power of the novella and how Tor Nightfire has been a major factor in making the horror novella front and center. The novella is available wherever you buy books now! About Night of the Mannequins From the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians, Stephen Graham Jones, comes a slasher story where a teen prank goes very wrong and all hell breaks loose in a small town. Winner of both the 2020 Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Awards! We thought we'd play a fun prank on her, and now most of us are dead. As summer winds down and his friends are growing up, Sawyer has a plan for one last prank to spook his buddy working at a nearby movie theater. Smuggling in a mannequin and seating it in the middle row is just harmless fun - until it wakes up, walks out, and starts killing. Luckily, Sawyer devises a plan to save as many people as possible. But in order to be the hero, sometimes you have to become a monster first. NIGHT OF THE MANNEQUINS asks "questions about the nature of change and friendship" (NYT) between its blood-spattered pages that will leave readers reeling.  

You read that title right, GateCrashers does sports again! Come join Patrick, Dan, and newcomer Kate McGowan as they dive into the Olympic Games, just in time for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy! The Olympics are probably the most prestigious sporting event, uniting the world every 4 years for international competition across a wide variety of sports. Patrick, Dan, and Kate talk about the history of the Olympics and their personal relationships with the Games (like how Patrick watches every single medal event at each Olympics!) before diving into what to expect at this year's Winter Games. Patrick eagerly talks about the absolutely wild new sport of Ski Mountaineering, and Dan talks about his love of all things Curling. Patrick and Kate give an overview of the broader Olympic program, including sore spots like the lack of women's Nordic Combined and the absence of most Russian and Belarusian athletes. They also talk about what to expect at this year's Olympic ice hockey tournament, with the return of NHL players for the first time since 2014 (and some very direct comments on how, if you want to support queer people in ice hockey after watching Heated Rivalry, women's ice hockey might be for you). Kate then gives us a deep dive into the marquee event of any Winter Olympic Games: the Figure Skating program. She gives us an overview of the differences in the figure skating events (which include men's singles, women's singles, pairs, and ice dancing), as well as a very brief explanation of different jumps that constitute the sport, including the recently unbanned backflip. Patrick and Kate then preview who the medal contenders are this year, including who is representing Team USA. They also teach Dan about the unprecedented athletic feat that is Ilia Malinin and his quadruple axle. We hope that you enjoy this episode and join us for 19 days of incredible international sports at the 2026 Winter Olympics!  

Yo Gabba Gabba has always had a special place in my heart. I watched the series with my sister and fell in love with Brobee, the green monster. The show featured many musicians I loved while still being whimsical and fun. It also introduced me to one of my favorite bands, The Aquabats. So getting the chance to interview the co-creators of the original and the new series, Yo Gabba Gabbaland, was an honor. I spoke with them about their philosophy for creating children's entertainment, what guides their musical guests, and the staying power of monsters. The show's second season premieres on January 30th on Apple TV, and the first season is streaming now! Be sure to check it out after listening to or watching our interview!   ABOUT "YO GABBA GABBALAND!" SEASON TWO: Inspired by the original "Yo Gabba Gabba!," the vibrant new ten-episode season is led by rising star Kamryn Smith as Kammy Kam and features the original performers: Brobee (Amos Watene), Foofa (Emma Penrose), Muno (Adam Deibert), Toodee (Erin Pearce) and Plex (Christian Jacobs). Season two brings this group together with a new roster of musical guests to create dynamic performances and original songs to help kids and families uncover life lessons through music, movement and joyful discovery. Created by Emmy Award-nominated Scott Schultz and Christian Jacobs (co-creators of "Yo Gabba Gabba!"), "Yo Gabba GabbaLand" is produced in partnership and collaboration with WildBrain and Yo Gabba Gabba, LLC, co-owners of the brand. Schultz and Jacobs also serve as executive producers for Yo Gabba Gabba LLC, alongside Stephanie Betts and Josh Scherba for WildBrain. Season one of "Yo Gabba GabbaLand!" was recently nominated for a 2026 Children's & Family Emmy Award.  The 'Super Music Friends' and special guests feature an all-star mix of acclaimed and Grammy winning artists including Santigold, Ziggy Marley, Sharon Van Etten, Sleigh Bells, Yola, Still Woozy, Silversun Pickups, Chicano Batman, The Aquabats! and Hemlocke Springs. Viewers will also hear fresh jingles from Freedom Fry, Turnpike Troubadours, Ginger Root, CHVRCHES, King Tuff, Mates of State, Hatchie, Sylvan Esso and Chai. In addition, the new season features returning fan favorites and new guest stars including Billy Eichner ("Bros"), Tiffany Haddish ("Girls Trip"), David Arquette ("Scream"), Brendan Hunt ("Ted Lasso"), Jaime Camil ("Jane the Virgin") and more.