Saturday, September 28, 2013

EP 8: The Ultimates Vol 1

Things are off for a rough start for our duo.  Dogs barking, cell phones blowing up, Dad running off to have long conversations with people on his cell phone.

Once things calm down Dad enjoys the Ultimates, but renames the Wasp Gnat Woman and Ant Man everything but Ant Man.

Dad mocks Patrick's comic book room, and laughs at people who would collect comics for 20+ years.

Dad really likes Ulitmate Hulk, and is scared of giant nude men.

Patrick explains Dad's parenting style, which involves forcing him to run or ride a bike under the threat of being pushed over.

Patrick and Dad defend Man of Steel and rebooting for new generations.

Patrick mixes up all his analogies and Dad calls him on it, and randomly discussing terrorism in the mid 20th century.

Dad brings a treat, walnut apple pie from the duo's favorite bakery for Patrick.  Patrick brings stolen oatmeal cookies for Dad.

Dad announces he still only weighs 206 lbs.

Next week Animal Man vol 1 2011
iTunes Link
Ultimates
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Sunday, September 22, 2013

EP 7: Moon Knight : The Bottom TPB

Dad is lost in the weeds with Moon Knight.  He read almost the entire trade paperback but could not follow any of the story.

Patrick tries to explain the following, Rectons, Moon Knight history, themes in comics, and why Dad should not blow his nose.


Our duo agree nuns burned information into their brains. 


Dad on the fly redesigns the rating system. 


Patrick and Dad agree Moon Knight is crazy and trying to explain Charlie Huston's version is even crazier.


 Patrick worries about Dad's eating habits and tries to bring in some healthy brownies, made from black beans and protein powder.  Dad is disgusted, but eats three brownies in the span of five minutes.


Next week something simple and light  Mark Millar and Brian Hitch's The Ultimates vol 1


iTunes Link
Protein Brownie Recipe
Moon Knight The Bottom Review

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Saturday, September 21, 2013

That is not MY Batman! It is all Retcon!



Retcon

(shortened form of RETroactive CONtinuity; first made popular in the comic book world)
1. (original meaning) Adding information to the back story of a fictional character or world, without invalidating that which had gone before.

2. (more common usage) Adding or altering information regarding the back story of a fictional character or world, regardless of whether the change contradicts what was said before.
1. Although they had previously been shown to have two other sets of parents, the retcon of making Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch the children of Magneto only altered the meaning of past events, not what had happened. 
courtesy of the urban dictionary 

Rereading Moon Knight for this week's podcast, caused me to reflect on how much character's change during their publication through the retcon.  One of the charms of comic books is that as a medium of fiction they are super long term storytelling.  More so than prose book series, film, and television, with few rivals, other than maybe James Bond films, Doctor Who, the Simpsons, and Sherlock Holmes.  
  
A character like Batman has been in existence since 1940 and every writer, artist, editor, fan base, and adaptation to other media has altered aspects of the character.  Batman has been depicted as brooding dark creature of the night to whack y fun dad and international playboy.  His sidekicks of Robin have come and gone, Batman's costume as changed dozens of times as well. Yet the basic template of damaged man who has money and determination but no super powers seeks justice but refuses to kill in doing so all while using a bat motif

Moon Knight in, who in my opinion is an erstraz Batman, has also evolved in his much shorter history.  In the 1970's 80's Marc Spector was a mercenary turned millionaire playboy who served as the avatar for an Ancient Egyptian god of the Moon and Vengeance  Konshu.  Doug Meonch and Chuck Dixon portrayed him as a gritty avenger of the night and the book had a exploitative horror theme.  Moon Knight crossed over with Werewolf By Night and fought the Committee a shadow organization and madmen like the Bushman and Midnight Man.


Copper Age to Chromium Age Moon Knight (1988-2005) brought him into the greater Marvel Universe having him join the West Coast Avengers and cross paths with the X-Men and Spider-Man often.   he became less brooding and was a team player fighting much more mainstream super heroic battles. 


Charlie Huston, David Finch to Bendis in Modern Age relaunch of Moon Knight, 2006-Today,  brought Moonie back to the dark underbelly of the Marvel U.  The real dark underbelly   Marc Spector is depicted as being flat out insane and Konshu may or may not really speak to him and give him strength.  Instead it is left very ambiguous of Konshu has any influence and Spector may be hallucinating his God.  Moonie also seems to have had a complete break with his identity, he sometimes thinks he is Marc Spector, or Ted Grant, or Jake Lockley.  Bendis pushed the multiple personalities even further with Moon Knight also imagining he becomes or is guided by Spider-Man, Captain America, and Wolverine.  To make things a bit more confusing all Moon Knight history seems in play now nothing is retconned.......maybe..........


Urban Dictionary

Complete History of Retcons and Reboots in DC Comics

Retcon Sampler
  


Sunday, September 15, 2013

The Flash #1-3 and The Flash # 23.1

Dad is very confused about who is the Flash?  What a story arc is?  What is going on with Gorilla Grodd?

Patrick attempts to answer all of these questions and make Dad sing a theme song for the podcast.  Dad claims to not know any songs.

Dad has lots of treats!   Two big East Detroit Bakery Cookies, one chocolate chip mint, the other a peanut butter and snicker doodle style.  Panda brand black licorice is a huge hit as well.

Dad trys out his skills as a Food Network judge by describing the licorice as tasting "Good." and having a "Licorice taste."

Patrick wishes he could run as fast as the Flash, Dad just wants to know the back story behind some random pigs from some random farm in one random panel.

Dad has theories that the pigs are some type of CIA powered super pigs.

Grodd scares the hell outta Dad.  Both Patrick and Dad think Flash #23.1 is insane plot wise but none the less fun.

Detroit Tigers pitchers breaking bad is discussed randomly.

Next week Moon Knight 2007 #1-4

iTunes Link

East Detroit Bakery

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Thursday, September 12, 2013

Maps of Central and Keystone City

      In preparation for the upcoming weekend podcast in which we will cover the first few issues of the New 52 Flash that launched 2011 and the single issue of Grodd #1 from the comics event "Forever Evil". I thought some maps were in order to set the stage.

         
    I love maps, the more intricate with topography of places, clever named locations that promote further investigation with some wild Google searches, and of course big fat detailed legends and keys.  I am especially fond of fictional maps, or any type of guides to places that never existed but in the mind of the author and readers.

For example I have almost zero interest in Lord of the Rings or any Tolkien work as prose but I love the world building involved and would spend hours pouring over a highly detailed atlas of Middle Earth.  The sheer world building behind the placement of Elfish capitals and their distance from human outposts would be enough to eat away a dull hour of a very slow day at work.

The DC Universe has the very clever distinction from the Manhattan-centric Marvel by creating fictional cities in which many of their heroes and villains reside.  The cities become ingrained in the DNA of the character to which they become part of the character of Batman in Gotham or Green Lantern in Coast City. James Robinson's eighty plus issue run of Starman is my favorite comic work and I do not think I could say that without his creation and expansion of Opal City in that comic.

The Flash protects a fictionalized version of the American Midwestern Twin Cities Minneapolis/ Saint Paul in Minnesota or Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.  The DCU twin cities go by the names Central and Keystone and are separated by a river and bridge.  Of course depending on the writer and era they can be located anywhere from central Ohio to eastern Kansas,

Both the maps represented here were originally published in the 1990 edition of the DCU Atlas and I am sure it is few Crisis's and reboots out of date but still fun none the less.



Keystone City





Central City

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Brit Old Soldier Vol 1 TPB

Our Duo step away from the big two and venture into Image Comics with Brit by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore.

Dad finally understands the difference between the comic book universes and the real world, we hope, with a short history lesson.

Dad likes Brit but gets confused about growing fingers for some reason. 

Patrick and Dad discuss how this differs from Marvel or DC comics and talk about how strange coaches and players have been for the sad history of the Detroit Lions.

Dad answers his phone in the middle of the podcast, Patrick takes it in stride kinda......

Treats:  Irish Cream Bar, Cookie and Cream Bar, and Lemon Tart Bars.

Next week the Flash New 52 style.  

ITunes Podcast

Brit Old Soldier

East Detroit Bakery


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Tuesday, September 3, 2013

My Map to Explain Differing Universes to Dad

Full disclosure! These two timelines will never win an award of any sort or impress a single person of any level of intelligence above that of maybe a very advanced chimp. Yet I took a whole 10 minutes to construct two different timelines in hopes of finally explaining what an alternate universe is so my Father is not thrown for a constant loop whenever it is mentioned on the podcast.


Note:  I had to print them because he would have never read the much more classy electronic versions I constructed
The first are five real events from Our Timeline.




The Alternate Marvel Universe Timeline

Sunday, September 1, 2013

EP 4: Thunderbolts #110

Dad's mind is blown to learn that superhero characters are often killed only to return months later.  

Dad is also shocked by the price of the average comic.

Patrick quickly realizes Dad read more than he was supposed to once again and confusion will follow.

The duo decide to let Dad read an entire story arc or whatever he feels he wants to read.

Dad refuses to follow Patrick to the comic shop.

High school football disappoint our duo.

Patrick is shocked by the massive amount of fat laden treats his Dad bought for his private consumption. 

The treat.......... chocolate truffles and Dad is happy

iTunes Podcast   

Thunderbolts: Faith In Monsters Review

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