The Comic Panel Podcast

Superman's Secret Black-Ops Team (Superman and the Authority)

We are continuing our theme of Superman! The original Superhero who fights for Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow.

 

In our second book we are reviewing Superman and the Authority. The writer for this book is none other than Grant Morrison along with  Mikel Janin on art, as well as Travel Forman, Evan Cagle, and Fico Ossio for some page assists.

This limited series ran for 4 issues in 2021 and ended with a one shot in 2022. It follows a Superman who's powers are fading so he forms a group of misfit anti-heroes to try to solve the real problems in the world. But first they have to get over their own problems. We also reflect on the proposed plans for DC Comics 5G initiative since this story started out as part of that plan.

 

If you liked this episode be sure to follow us on Twitter @thecomicpanel1 and listen to more of us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Our title is The Comic Panel Podcast. You can also listen to us on ksuaradio.com or 91.5 FM in Fairbanks, Alaska. Be sure to tune in two weeks from now for our next book Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow!

 

Music: "You Go" by Collective Action Comics

Superman becomes a Japanese food fiend! (Superman vs Meshi)

Dun da dun dun! Who’s faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and can leap tall buildings in a single bound. Is it a bird or a plane, no it’s Superman!

We are starting a new theme focused on Superman, inspired by the wildly successful Superman movie that released last month. For this episode we are reviewing Superman vs Meshi. In this manga, Superman/Clark Kent develops an intense interest in Japanese Chain restaurants. And it even begins to draw in other members in Superman's life such as the Justice League! Enjoy our review of this humorous jaunt through Japanese cuisine with us and Superman leading the way! We hope you enjoy it as much as Superman enjoys that beef bowl!

If you liked this episode be sure to follow us on Twitter @thecomicpanel1 and listen to more of us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Our title is The Comic Panel Podcast. You can also listen to us on ksuaradio.com or 91.5 FM in Fairbanks, Alaska. Be sure to tune in two weeks from now for our next book Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow!

Music: "Neon Nights" by Patrick Patrikios

So are we just not going to delve into it? (Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot)

Welcome all! Today we are reviewing Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot by Frank Miller and Geof Darrow as our third book in the theme focusing on Geof Darrow.

The Big Boy and Rusty the Boy Robot is two-issue comic about an attack on Tokyo by a giant 4-armed, 4-legged, Iguana with atomic breath…

Anyway, Rusty the Boy robot, an Astroboy-like artificially intelligent weapon created by the Japanese government, is sent by the state to save the people of Tokyo but is walloped. Now the leaders of Japan must make a drastic call, one they would have avoided had they thought that lives wouldn't be sacrificed, they called in the Americans. The Americans sent Big Guy, a man in a robotic exoskeleton to take out the giant iguana and he does so by using nuclear power to blow the creature to smithereens. After this Rusty and Big Boy become partners, reluctantly on Big Boy’s part. 

In this comic there is also a short story about The Big Boy and Rusty taking on creatures during the Fourth of July.

If you liked this episode be sure to follow us on Twitter @thecomicpanel1 and listen to more of us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Our title is The Comic Panel Podcast. You can also listen to us on ksuaradio.com or 91.5 FM in Fairbanks, Alaska. Be sure to tune in two weeks from now for our new theme of Superman!

Music: "A Dyin' Breed" by The Grey Room and Density and Time

An ex-monk and a talking mule walk into the desert...

Welcome all! This is our review of Shaolin Cowboy by Geof Darrow!

Shaolin Cowboy: Start Trek is a story about the Shaolin Cowboy, a former Shaolin monk who wanders the land with a talking mule named Lord Evelyn Dunkirk Winniferd Esq. the Third. Having been "asked" to leave the Shaolin temple, he has since had a bounty placed on his head, which many are eager to collect. Collecting that bounty will prove mighty difficult as the Shaolin Cowboy doesn’t go down easy. 

If you liked this episode be sure to follow us on Twitter @thecomicpanel1 and listen to more of us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Our title is The Comic Panel Podcast. You can also listen to us on ksuaradio.com or 91.5 FM in Fairbanks, Alaska. Be sure to tune in two weeks from now for our next book in the theme of Geof Darrow.

Music: "Repeat" by Mark Karan, Scott Guberman, Angeline Saris, Jeremy Hoenig

Is is Geof or Gee-off? No, it's Lieutenant Blueberry - A review of Lieutenant Blueberry first issue

Hello all, and welcome to our new theme where we focus on the comic book artist Geof Darrow. For our first book we are reviewing Lieutenant Blueberry by Jean Giraud aka Moebius, a book that greatly inspired Geof Darrow. 

Lieutenant Blueberry follows two military members in post-Civil War America. Lieutenant Craig, a proud son of a military general, and Lieutenant Blueberry, a member of the U.S. Cavalry with a bit of a rebel streak. Both are on their way to Fort Navajo when they come across a ranch that's been ransacked by the Apaches. The owner of the ranch is alive just long enough to inform them that his attackers kidnapped his son. Craig and Blueberry make their way to Fort Navajo to get help in finding the boy, but things take a turn for the worse. Colonel Dickson, who’s in charge of the fort has to convalesce and Major Bascom is left in command—someone who has a deep-seated hatred for Indians. This happens right before a peaceful meeting between the Americans and the Apaches to discuss the boy’s whereabouts was to take place. Instead, Bascom launches an ambush on the Apaches, which seemed to have sparked an even greater conflict between the Americans and Apaches.

We cover how this story unfolded, the techniques employed in telling it, whether it landed well, and much more — all in our usual conversation-between-friends style review.

If you liked this episode be sure to follow us on Twitter @thecomicpanel1 and listen to more of us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Our title is The Comic Panel Podcast. You can also listen to us on ksuaradio.com or 91.5 FM in Fairbanks, Alaska. Be sure to tune in two weeks from now for our review of Shaolin Cowboy.

 

Music by SOULFULJAMTRACKS from Pixabay

Our Western comics retrospective but there's really only one book

Welcome all! If you read the title, you may be confused, but when you listen to the episode you'll get it. (hint: it's Elfquest). We are so glad you are taking the time to listen to our episode. There are many podcasts you could listen to and so the fact that you are listening to this one means a lot. 

Now, without further ado, we are ending our Western comics classics theme. To recap, the books we read for this were The Galactus Trilogy of the Fantastic Four written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby, Corto Maltese by Hugo Pratt, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore, and Elfquest by Richard and Wendy Pini. 

If you liked this episode be sure to follow us on Twitter @thecomicpanel1 and listen to more of us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Our title is The Comic Panel Podcast. You can also listen to us on ksuaradio.com or 91.5 FM in Fairbanks, Alaska. Be sure to tune in two weeks from now for the start of our new theme Geof Darrow.

Music: "Radar" by The Grey Room and Density & Time

The story of resilience, in comics and out of comics (Elfquest)

Welcome all! This is our fourth and final review for the theme of Western Comics Classics before our Retrospective. We hope you've been enjoying these episodes as they have been fun to record!

Elfquest is a classic by Wendy and Richard Pini. The story focuses on the Wolfriders, a tribe of elves fighting for survival while dealing with a longstanding conflict with the local tribe of archaic humans. After rescuing a captured fellow elf they’re driven from their forest home by the humans who set their forest home on fire. Seeking refuge, the Wolfriders turn to their uneasy allies, the trolls, only to be deceived and exiled into a scorching desert and without water. Given no other option, the elves trek through the desert. Against all odds, the Wolfriders discover a new tribe of elves in a community called Sorrows End, sparking culture clash and distrust. Tensions mount, especially between our  main character Cutter, chieftain of the Wolfriders and the proud hunter elf Rayek of Sorrows End. They both vie for the affection of Leetah, who is the daughter of the tribe leader and has magic healing abilities. She is at first reluctant to choose a life-mate, as she values her independence, but through the magic process called recognition, she is matched to Cutter. As the tribes inch toward unity, the Wolfriders prove their strength lies not just in survival, but in forging bonds across differences. By Issue 5, the story underscores themes of resilience, identity, and the possibility of harmony between rival peoples.

There you have it, that is our review of Elfquest issues #1-5. If you liked this episode be sure to follow us on Twitter @thecomicpanel1 and listen to more of us on Spotify, our title is The Comic Panel Podcast. You can also listen to us on ksuaradio.com or 91.5 FM in Fairbanks, Alaska. Be sure to tune in two weeks from now for our retrospective.

Music by Luca Francini from Pixabay

The Book that made us ask "Did you have to go there?" (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen)

Welcome everybody! This is our review of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen vol 1 by Alan Moore. This is our third book in the theme of Western Comics Classics. 

 

This comic follows a group of individuals who are brought together by a woman who was recently divorced, by the name of Wilhelmina Murray. The team is composed of Miss Murray, a washed up adventurer named Quartmain, a hermit sea captain named Nemo, a one Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the Invisible Man. An astute reader would notice all these characters are pulled from Victorian literary fiction. This team is sent to recover an object known as the Cavorite Crystal, a crystal of antigravity. It's fallen into the hands of Chinese criminals in the East side of London. Through deception and stealth they steal the object back and return it to their employer, Mr. Bond. However, through reconnaissance, the Invisible Man discovers that Mr. Bond’s employer Mr. M is not Mycroft Holmes as Miss Murray assumed. The “M” stands for James Moriarty. Yep, the infamous arch rival to Sherlock Holmes. The League must stop Moriarty before he uses it to power his airship of destruction and wreak havoc on London.

If you liked this episode be sure to follow us on Twitter @thecomicpanel1 and listen to more of us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Our title is The Comic Panel Podcast. You can also listen to us on ksuaradio.com or 91.5 FM in Fairbanks, Alaska. Be sure to tune in two weeks from now for our next book, Elfquest.

"Whirlpool" by The Mini Vandals

Indiana Jones' More Drifter Cousin: Corto Maltese

Welcome everybody! Get ready an exciting adventure that awaits! The comic book for today is Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of Capricorn. This is our second book in our new theme of Western Comics Classics.

This comic starts off with Corto Maltese reclining in Madame Java’s Inn at Paramaribo in Dutch Guiana. The caption boxes describe him as a “man of destiny”. Corto decides to go to his boat and along the way he runs into professor Jeremiah Steiner who is being roughed up by some ruffians. Corto saves Professor Steiner and then stashes him in his boat. When Corto returns to the inn a boy named Tristan Bantam is there and requests his aid. While they are discussing the situation, one of the ruffians that was beating up Steiner, attempts to assassinate Tristan. The attempt is foiled and this influences Corto's decision to help Tristan. The rest of the book follows Corto, Steiner, and Tristan as they go on various adventures.

If you liked this episode be sure to follow us on Twitter @thecomicpanel1 and listen to more of us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Our title is The Comic Panel Podcast. You can also listen to us on ksuaradio.com or 91.5 FM in Fairbanks, Alaska. Be sure to tune in two weeks from now for our next book, The League of Extraordinary Gentlmen.

Music: "Sly Sky" by Telecasted.

When Galactus comes to town (The Galactus Trilogy + one more)

Hello all! Welcome to the first episode of our new theme Western Comics Classics! For this theme we pick western comics that are considered classics in the genre. For our first pick we are reviewing The Fantastic Four issues 48-50 aka The Galactus Trilogy and issue 51 "This Man This Monster". 

The synopsis of The Galactus Trilogy is Galactus comes to earth and the Watcher comes to help the Fantastic Four to defeat him and Silver Surfer learns the value of life. For "This Man This Monster" it's a scorned scientist jealous of Reed Richards steals the identity of The Thing and infiltrates The Fantastic Four only to discover a shocking truth.

Find out all this and more in our out-of-this world review!

If you liked this episode be sure to follow us on Twitter @thecomicpanel1 and listen to more of us on Spotify, our title is The Comic Panel Podcast. You can also listen to us on ksuaradio.com or 91.5 FM in Fairbanks, Alaska. 

Music: "Invisible" by Anno Domini Beats