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The Incomparable

314: Vampire Batman

 

00:00:00   the incomparable number 314 artists 2060 [TS]

00:00:14   [Music] [TS]

00:00:17   welcome back everybody to the [TS]

00:00:20   uncomfortable i'm your host Jason Steele [TS]

00:00:21   we're here to talk [TS]

00:00:22   it's our comic book club hey look at [TS]

00:00:24   that a comic book club is back and we're [TS]

00:00:26   going to talk about a series of comics [TS]

00:00:30   from a person whose name i have a [TS]

00:00:33   problem i pronouncing but i think david [TS]

00:00:36   Laura will help me out [TS]

00:00:38   David it would be Kurt you see eck cured [TS]

00:00:41   Busey accurate that's is a carrier to [TS]

00:00:44   Kurt it's just Kurt Kurt pc oh yeah i [TS]

00:00:48   know i managed to mispronounce the wrong [TS]

00:00:50   name anyway David Lawrence here hi David [TS]

00:00:52   hi this is my eyes are also here for [TS]

00:00:55   comical club of course hi Lisa [TS]

00:00:57   it's a pleasure to be here Tony sindelar [TS]

00:01:00   also joins us hi Tony [TS]

00:01:01   hi everybody hello nerds okay you broke [TS]

00:01:05   down and you did your catchphrase look [TS]

00:01:07   at that people people get angry when I [TS]

00:01:09   came with i'm just still like it hit [TS]

00:01:11   okay fair enough attention Sutter I [TS]

00:01:13   welcome at f3 case [TS]

00:01:15   alright comic book club is back in [TS]

00:01:17   session we we I think we kind of talked [TS]

00:01:19   ourselves into this in the last episode [TS]

00:01:20   we're going to talk about Astro City by [TS]

00:01:22   kurt busiek and it started in the mid [TS]

00:01:26   nineties i never read it [TS]

00:01:28   i I've been catching up over the last [TS]

00:01:31   couple of days and you cost me a lot of [TS]

00:01:33   money people because I'm just gonna keep [TS]

00:01:35   buying them now because it really good [TS]

00:01:36   either really very good there from image [TS]

00:01:39   originally and but anyway it's it's it's [TS]

00:01:42   kurt musics invention you may know him [TS]

00:01:46   from Marvel's actually is the place [TS]

00:01:50   where I I i mean i think i'd seen his [TS]

00:01:52   work before but that's the that is one [TS]

00:01:54   of the comics that really brought me [TS]

00:01:55   back i think we talked about this in our [TS]

00:01:56   marvels and kingdom come [TS]

00:01:58   episode that those those comics but [TS]

00:02:00   brought me back to comics really when I [TS]

00:02:01   saw those in the bookstore and and and [TS]

00:02:04   Astro City has some things in common [TS]

00:02:06   with Marvel's i would say this is a this [TS]

00:02:08   is I was trying to explain this to my [TS]

00:02:09   son who asked me today what this thing [TS]

00:02:11   was that i was reading and I said it's [TS]

00:02:14   kind of a comic about a city full of [TS]

00:02:15   superheroes and what it's like to live [TS]

00:02:17   there because that's kind of what it is [TS]

00:02:20   but I i was wondering if those of you [TS]

00:02:23   who got more of a history with Astro [TS]

00:02:25   City could maybe put the what this is [TS]

00:02:27   into a little more context [TS]

00:02:29   well it's [TS]

00:02:30   it's a sort of sparked from reading and [TS]

00:02:35   writing all the traditional things for [TS]

00:02:38   Marvel and DC and all and the the idea [TS]

00:02:42   of writing this alternate group of [TS]

00:02:46   superheroes in this alternate universe [TS]

00:02:48   really that had a history that wasn't [TS]

00:02:52   just you know [TS]

00:02:52   ok here's the first issue with this [TS]

00:02:54   superhero and that's all you see and [TS]

00:02:56   then it goes forward the the stories [TS]

00:02:59   master city it's really more of an [TS]

00:03:01   anthology and you know issues and books [TS]

00:03:06   can be set in any period in astor city's [TS]

00:03:09   history they can be single issue stories [TS]

00:03:13   they can run multiple issues it's it's [TS]

00:03:16   kind of amazing and the freedom of it [TS]

00:03:20   you know when you know that you don't [TS]

00:03:22   have to do 700 issues with this one hero [TS]

00:03:26   and his team or his group or his family [TS]

00:03:29   it's it's liberating it's also nice [TS]

00:03:31   because he's able to do things with [TS]

00:03:34   these characters that you wouldn't do [TS]

00:03:36   with Superman or Batman they can die [TS]

00:03:39   they can be changed and transformed in [TS]

00:03:43   ways that wouldn't happen any major [TS]

00:03:47   comic companies superheroes so that that [TS]

00:03:52   adds a little bit to Italy so what's [TS]

00:03:54   your what's your history with after [TS]

00:03:55   sitting it's not as deep as i thought it [TS]

00:03:57   was because it wasn't one of my must [TS]

00:04:01   pulled titles for vertigo and i read a [TS]

00:04:05   few issues and I liked that I liked how [TS]

00:04:08   fully developed the universe was that [TS]

00:04:12   seemed to spring from his head and I've [TS]

00:04:15   since circle back to it after having [TS]

00:04:18   marinated much more in Marvel and DC and [TS]

00:04:21   now and now I even though i went back [TS]

00:04:24   and read it again [TS]

00:04:25   I was just kind of blown away by how [TS]

00:04:29   well thought-out it is it's [TS]

00:04:32   one of those series where I don't think [TS]

00:04:35   I'd handed to somebody who's just [TS]

00:04:36   getting into comics unless that person [TS]

00:04:39   was like sure i would like to see [TS]

00:04:41   reconstruction of the hero meet those [TS]

00:04:42   and comics that sounds like something [TS]

00:04:44   that slate recommended i should read [TS]

00:04:45   God's if this was somebody who had been [TS]

00:04:50   reading comics forever never had never [TS]

00:04:52   gotten around to it i would why would [TS]

00:04:53   have us over in a heartbeat and be like [TS]

00:04:55   here read this because you will be [TS]

00:04:57   amazed at how many different sources he [TS]

00:05:00   pulls and how many different conventions [TS]

00:05:01   this guy effortlessly juggles while [TS]

00:05:04   managing the crease and it's wholly [TS]

00:05:05   original so yeah it was definitely not [TS]

00:05:08   part of my 20-something comic reading [TS]

00:05:10   experience I'm glad that I came back to [TS]

00:05:11   it though which like raises an [TS]

00:05:14   interesting side question which are are [TS]

00:05:16   are some comic series just better suited [TS]

00:05:18   to different times of your comic reading [TS]

00:05:20   career than others but that's a whole [TS]

00:05:22   other podcast I I think so because I i [TS]

00:05:25   had fallen away from comics and I i [TS]

00:05:28   think i discovered this just after our [TS]

00:05:30   first child was born because i was i was [TS]

00:05:32   killing time in indianapolis and we went [TS]

00:05:34   to a comic book store and I'm wheeling [TS]

00:05:36   them around in the stroller don't know [TS]

00:05:38   what's this and and kind of the way [TS]

00:05:40   Marvel's brought you back into comics in [TS]

00:05:44   Astro City brought me back into reading [TS]

00:05:46   long series of comics and collecting [TS]

00:05:49   graphic novels again [TS]

00:05:51   yeah I as somebody who has read a lot of [TS]

00:05:54   comics over the years I felt like this [TS]

00:05:55   was for me like it was speaking to me [TS]

00:05:58   about the form and it did it did give me [TS]

00:06:01   some watchman vibes in the sense that it [TS]

00:06:03   was it was trying to balance more has [TS]

00:06:07   like to actually since then to when he's [TS]

00:06:08   done some other stuff like like top-10 [TS]

00:06:11   hehe caduceus is well aware of all the [TS]

00:06:17   tropes and is playing them all the [TS]

00:06:19   difference is that the it's it's much [TS]

00:06:22   sunnier and fun then watchman is and i [TS]

00:06:25   think was enough the forward to the [TS]

00:06:28   first trade he says as much that it was [TS]

00:06:30   intended to be that way but I feel like [TS]

00:06:32   I i totally agree i get a lot more from [TS]

00:06:35   at having seen a lot of different [TS]

00:06:37   superhero comics over the years and so [TS]

00:06:39   knowing what he's playing with and what [TS]

00:06:41   he's saying and and being able to [TS]

00:06:43   appreciate it on on that [TS]

00:06:45   their level that he's playing it out i [TS]

00:06:48   would agree with that so I i should also [TS]

00:06:50   explain so that the the there are three [TS]

00:06:52   different runs of Astro City [TS]

00:06:55   the first was 1995 and the the second [TS]

00:07:01   was what 1996 they say it was a short [TS]

00:07:06   run miniseries and then there was a [TS]

00:07:08   longer run 96 and then there's been some [TS]

00:07:12   standards committee series in 2003 yeah [TS]

00:07:15   and then it started in 2013 a monthly [TS]

00:07:18   series has debuted and continues to be [TS]

00:07:20   published to this day which means that [TS]

00:07:22   if you're living on the trades there are [TS]

00:07:23   13 trades now of Astro City and they're [TS]

00:07:27   all cooked [TS]

00:07:28   Oh God again you're costing me money [TS]

00:07:31   sorry I'm gonna have to pick up so much [TS]

00:07:35   freelancer so but the ones that we the [TS]

00:07:37   ones that we wrote it or the one we read [TS]

00:07:39   were life in the big city and confession [TS]

00:07:42   that's a good place to start and those [TS]

00:07:44   are both available in print and [TS]

00:07:46   digitally I think life in the big city [TS]

00:07:47   just got a reprint recently so those are [TS]

00:07:51   all those are all coming back out now [TS]

00:07:53   start at the beginning the Jason smell [TS]

00:07:55   method i think so this is where the [TS]

00:07:57   siracusa method but i might be why not [TS]

00:07:59   even yeah I don't always go for the [TS]

00:08:01   Syracuse method but with this even [TS]

00:08:04   though the ecology are you get the [TS]

00:08:05   beginning does not get a name would be [TS]

00:08:07   that is the recommended but even though [TS]

00:08:12   it's an anthology and you could [TS]

00:08:13   theoretically dip in at any point it's [TS]

00:08:16   just so much richer when you start from [TS]

00:08:17   the beginning there's so many little [TS]

00:08:19   things that pay off later [TS]

00:08:21   sure it's it's more fun when you get [TS]

00:08:24   them early and go oh will he ever come [TS]

00:08:27   back to it and yeah he was the answer is [TS]

00:08:30   almost always yes i would think the [TS]

00:08:32   other thing that struck me and rereading [TS]

00:08:33   it the first time I encountered after [TS]

00:08:35   Astro City was back in the late nineties [TS]

00:08:38   it it was already being collected by the [TS]

00:08:41   time [TS]

00:08:42   Chip and I started reading it but ship [TS]

00:08:44   had gotten me back into comics after a [TS]

00:08:47   long long time of not reading them by [TS]

00:08:50   way of Sandman so I was already open to [TS]

00:08:52   different and other arm serialize [TS]

00:08:56   storytelling in graphic format [TS]

00:08:58   and for me Astro City as you said [TS]

00:09:02   there's a strong watchman vibe although [TS]

00:09:04   even I watched i read watchmen after i [TS]

00:09:07   read Astro City if i remember correctly [TS]

00:09:08   but Astro City has the benefit of not [TS]

00:09:12   being a single story line if i [TS]

00:09:15   understand correctly watchman was always [TS]

00:09:17   intended to be that one run one story by [TS]

00:09:20   Alan Moore here [TS]

00:09:22   music has the time to really develop [TS]

00:09:26   these characters much more than the [TS]

00:09:30   snapshots that we learn bit by bit [TS]

00:09:32   during watchman we have the character [TS]

00:09:34   development happens with the story here [TS]

00:09:36   there's whole issues devoted to [TS]

00:09:39   essentially character development or [TS]

00:09:42   developing the world of showing [TS]

00:09:43   different bits and pieces different [TS]

00:09:45   viewpoints are so being able to take [TS]

00:09:48   your time in developing this alternate [TS]

00:09:52   as we said alternate universe on where [TS]

00:09:55   the superhero tropes are there but can [TS]

00:09:59   be upended can be changed can you know [TS]

00:10:02   go in any direction that he wants on was [TS]

00:10:05   really attractive see I don't get the [TS]

00:10:08   watchman by um and and I understand [TS]

00:10:11   whether it's the time I understand why [TS]

00:10:13   but when I was rereading especially [TS]

00:10:16   vol.1 it seems like music has infinite [TS]

00:10:20   amounts of compassion for his characters [TS]

00:10:22   and I and there's there's i'll look I [TS]

00:10:27   love watchman don't get me wrong [TS]

00:10:28   um and I i think that there is a great [TS]

00:10:32   howling humanism at the heart of Morris [TS]

00:10:34   work but he is pretty pitiless when it [TS]

00:10:37   comes to his characters he's really [TS]

00:10:39   unsentimental as to their motivations [TS]

00:10:41   and who they are I think for me that the [TS]

00:10:44   watchman thing happened partly because [TS]

00:10:46   of the undercurrent of questioning the [TS]

00:10:50   superheroes I mean you have this entire [TS]

00:10:52   subplot especially in the second volume [TS]

00:10:54   that we all read of you know basically [TS]

00:10:57   the population just sort of you know [TS]

00:10:59   turning on the heroes and questioning [TS]

00:11:02   you know either [TS]

00:11:03   why are you doing this you're hurting us [TS]

00:11:06   or why aren't you doing more you're not [TS]

00:11:08   protecting us enough [TS]

00:11:10   and there's a lot of that questioning [TS]

00:11:11   and coming apart at the seams sort of in [TS]

00:11:14   watchmen for me and that's where I saw [TS]

00:11:16   the parallel I see a lot of connections [TS]

00:11:18   there to me because there's all the [TS]

00:11:19   questions of like you know if we [TS]

00:11:20   actually had super-powered people [TS]

00:11:22   wandering around what with all the [TS]

00:11:24   problems be like that wouldn't just be a [TS]

00:11:26   panacea right what was funny about vol.2 [TS]

00:11:28   as i read that and I thought this is [TS]

00:11:30   just showing you how badly Margo but [TS]

00:11:32   marvel bungled the Civil War plotline [TS]

00:11:34   both in condone and the movies like the [TS]

00:11:37   whole time i was reading this I thought [TS]

00:11:39   this is so much more plausible the way [TS]

00:11:41   it unfolded and the reactions of the the [TS]

00:11:44   reactions of the super-powered you know [TS]

00:11:46   the vigilantes and the superheroes and [TS]

00:11:48   all that like the way they respond in [TS]

00:11:50   the way the crowd responds in the way [TS]

00:11:51   one thing naturally leads to another [TS]

00:11:53   makes so much more sense than civil war [TS]

00:11:56   as a comic book or civil war as a movie [TS]

00:11:58   ever did and it predates it by by quite [TS]

00:12:02   a few years too so it's not like the [TS]

00:12:04   people who wrote Civil War were unaware [TS]

00:12:06   of the options they had what i mean i-i [TS]

00:12:10   had avoided watchman for years and I [TS]

00:12:13   went up reading watchmen after a sister [TS]

00:12:16   city as a result I don't like watchman [TS]

00:12:19   my love aster city i could see that I'm [TS]

00:12:23   with Tony I do feel like there are there [TS]

00:12:26   are there are vibes there they're also i [TS]

00:12:27   mean references to Marvel's I mean maybe [TS]

00:12:29   young reporter story in the first trade [TS]

00:12:33   is is so cool very clearly by the same [TS]

00:12:35   guy who wrote Marvel's I i could I see [TS]

00:12:38   that residence in there too because he's [TS]

00:12:39   making similar sort of comments you've [TS]

00:12:41   got the old heroes that's like oh well [TS]

00:12:43   there's a past generation heroes you've [TS]

00:12:44   got the whole thing about are we going [TS]

00:12:46   to have are our heroes register that had [TS]

00:12:48   a little of the vibe i would say it's [TS]

00:12:50   like it in some ways but it's also [TS]

00:12:52   diametrically opposed to others because [TS]

00:12:53   it is a very different kind of view of [TS]

00:12:55   the world than Alan Moore brings to it [TS]

00:12:57   even though they're trotting on the same [TS]

00:12:59   source material essentially the [TS]

00:13:02   anthology part of this also I found [TS]

00:13:04   fascinating the fact that that we get to [TS]

00:13:07   see that you know there's the story [TS]

00:13:08   about the the the young reporter and [TS]

00:13:13   that leads to which is to flashback that [TS]

00:13:16   that's a really great little short story [TS]

00:13:18   we learn about the Samaritan who is your [TS]

00:13:22   Superman [TS]

00:13:23   figure and he's always rushing from [TS]

00:13:26   place to place and we we find out that [TS]

00:13:28   he's got a secret identity that's very [TS]

00:13:30   clever because it allows them to close [TS]

00:13:31   the closed and locked the door and then [TS]

00:13:34   go save the world and then just kind of [TS]

00:13:35   popped back out like oh yeah I'm going [TS]

00:13:37   to lunch and then continue to save the [TS]

00:13:39   world and we we kind of that then [TS]

00:13:41   there's an issue later we're where we uh [TS]

00:13:43   there's almost like a little [TS]

00:13:45   intervention between this Superman [TS]

00:13:46   analog in the Wonder Woman analog where [TS]

00:13:48   they're both like you people are really [TS]

00:13:50   busy you should take you should go out [TS]

00:13:51   on a date because you placing you [TS]

00:13:53   lighten up a little bit and and rather [TS]

00:13:57   than just having a story about his back [TS]

00:13:59   of his origin story we learned his [TS]

00:14:01   origin story as he's devoting it on a [TS]

00:14:03   date [TS]

00:14:04   yeah yeah which is creating such a [TS]

00:14:06   sucker for anthologies though period [TS]

00:14:08   like I love the Robert aspirin thieves [TS]

00:14:11   world for the for the same reason [TS]

00:14:12   um yeah edited by george RR martin if [TS]

00:14:17   you at the inn and jason i have both I [TS]

00:14:20   think talked in the past about the [TS]

00:14:22   wildcards anthologies from so this was [TS]

00:14:26   like right up my alley and what I liked [TS]

00:14:28   about the two selections we had was the [TS]

00:14:30   first the first trade is an anthology [TS]

00:14:31   where you begin to get pieces of this [TS]

00:14:35   world and how it hangs together and when [TS]

00:14:38   I love about the first one is it [TS]

00:14:40   balances civilian perspectives with the [TS]

00:14:42   perspectives of the people who you know [TS]

00:14:43   are our heroes are the people who want [TS]

00:14:47   to invade the plan also they're all [TS]

00:14:50   parts of the society you know [TS]

00:14:52   yeah they are and what I love about [TS]

00:14:53   confession is how it's one long arc that [TS]

00:14:55   rewards people right pay attention [TS]

00:14:57   through the first to the first [TS]

00:14:59   collection and it hangs together as a [TS]

00:15:01   story beautifully and still keeps adding [TS]

00:15:03   all sorts of backgrounds and little [TS]

00:15:04   hooks for stuff that you hope will come [TS]

00:15:06   up in subsequent volumes to like I [TS]

00:15:08   really love the crossbred yeah yeah i [TS]

00:15:11   love you i almost Twilight Zone episode [TS]

00:15:13   kind of thing which is the one about the [TS]

00:15:16   guy who discovers the secret identity of [TS]

00:15:18   one of the superheroes and heaps of a [TS]

00:15:21   jack-in-the-box and heaps he just sort [TS]

00:15:23   of accidentally sees him take off his [TS]

00:15:24   mask and he has no idea what to do and [TS]

00:15:27   in place through all the scenarios where [TS]

00:15:28   everybody knows a criminal and it always [TS]

00:15:30   ends up with him getting killed and he [TS]

00:15:33   ends up at the end just taking a bus out [TS]

00:15:35   of town [TS]

00:15:36   Alaska yeah just a minute it's just [TS]

00:15:39   added such as I mean I will you wait for [TS]

00:15:41   Rod Serling to stand on the corner is [TS]

00:15:43   the bus pulls away and say this poor [TS]

00:15:44   little man didn't know what to do with [TS]

00:15:46   this information he can keep it to [TS]

00:15:47   himself in the twilight zone it was all [TS]

00:15:49   that kind of feel it's so great to have [TS]

00:15:51   that versatility [TS]

00:15:52   I love had also basically shoots the [TS]

00:15:54   origin story of villains in the kneecaps [TS]

00:15:55   to because in comics a lot there's now [TS]

00:15:58   that i know your identity i can ruin [TS]

00:16:00   your life and this guy is like I have [TS]

00:16:01   this information and it's literally [TS]

00:16:03   going to get me killed there's no way [TS]

00:16:05   responsible for me and it's a great [TS]

00:16:08   there's another great a story that is a [TS]

00:16:10   single-issue anthology story which is [TS]

00:16:12   about the the there's the the place [TS]

00:16:15   that's up against the mountain right in [TS]

00:16:17   Astrakhan shadow have said a lot of [TS]

00:16:19   Cheryl right place to live and it's [TS]

00:16:21   about about a woman who lives there and [TS]

00:16:23   works in the city and her parents kind [TS]

00:16:24   of think that she's gonna leave them [TS]

00:16:26   and.and she--and and we learned this is [TS]

00:16:29   how we learn about shadow hill on the [TS]

00:16:30   fact that they have like special awards [TS]

00:16:32   and precautions because there's strange [TS]

00:16:33   creatures that lurk there at night [TS]

00:16:35   Eldridge it powers our our play and [TS]

00:16:38   everyone's like yeah that's ok that's [TS]

00:16:39   the thing introduces the mystic side the [TS]

00:16:41   fathead that this this universe happily [TS]

00:16:44   like just like a lot of other comic [TS]

00:16:46   universes happily mixes you know science [TS]

00:16:48   fiction vs metahuman vs in our advanced [TS]

00:16:53   science versus mysticism and this is the [TS]

00:16:55   this is the story that introduces that [TS]

00:16:57   hey there's a mystic side to this [TS]

00:16:59   universe and does it very well [TS]

00:17:01   yeah and and that story ends with an [TS]

00:17:04   unexpected ending which is that after [TS]

00:17:05   all of this and and the woman whose are [TS]

00:17:08   our viewpoint character it's sort of [TS]

00:17:10   exerting her independence and and she [TS]

00:17:13   she does what her parents wanted to do [TS]

00:17:15   which is keep her life on you know in [TS]

00:17:19   her neighborhood instead of going back [TS]

00:17:20   out into the downtown of this city and [TS]

00:17:23   that was I that kind of blew me away [TS]

00:17:24   because it wasn't exactly what I did not [TS]

00:17:26   expect to happen so just great i also [TS]

00:17:29   like matter because that's where it [TS]

00:17:31   starts planting seeds of the anti-hero [TS]

00:17:33   sentiment like that this woman this POV [TS]

00:17:36   character sees Winged Victory the Wonder [TS]

00:17:39   Woman analog while she's riding with us [TS]

00:17:41   going into town and the people on the [TS]

00:17:44   bus some of them are grumbling about you [TS]

00:17:46   know how she's like a cult leader and [TS]

00:17:48   that sort of thing and then others like [TS]

00:17:49   don't you dare she [TS]

00:17:50   working for us so it's like that far [TS]

00:17:52   back these seeds of people disagreeing [TS]

00:17:55   about the role of the superheroes in in [TS]

00:17:58   this universe is already there and you [TS]

00:18:01   also get to meet the Fantastic Four [TS]

00:18:02   analog in that world to the first family [TS]

00:18:04   that the first family that could be any [TS]

00:18:07   family didn't get it at first and then I [TS]

00:18:09   saw one of the with a higher guy one of [TS]

00:18:11   the cover art want to cover things where [TS]

00:18:13   there's the world like a lizard orange [TS]

00:18:14   lizard guy but he totally yeah is the [TS]

00:18:16   thing right a legally distinct different [TS]

00:18:18   maze except for yeah yeah it's it's it's [TS]

00:18:21   pretty it's pretty great and what I [TS]

00:18:24   really liked about that story was [TS]

00:18:27   showing the stratification of the [TS]

00:18:30   bubbles that sort of the surrounding [TS]

00:18:32   radiate out and that's the thing that [TS]

00:18:34   they come back to in Astro City [TS]

00:18:36   confession when the person who becomes [TS]

00:18:38   the ultra boy [TS]

00:18:39   first comes to Astro City and you find [TS]

00:18:43   out how insular and how weary capes and [TS]

00:18:46   vigilantes tend to be and how even among [TS]

00:18:48   that class there are people that are [TS]

00:18:51   like there's a reason why there's the [TS]

00:18:53   regulars and I just like i love how [TS]

00:18:56   thoughtful how thoughtfully constructed [TS]

00:18:58   this world is like there's not a single [TS]

00:19:01   detail that doesn't make sense or or [TS]

00:19:03   isn't relevant in some way later I [TS]

00:19:05   really love that that that that that [TS]

00:19:06   thoroughness in world-building yeah i [TS]

00:19:09   mean the two of the things that I love [TS]

00:19:11   in anything good [TS]

00:19:14   well let me try that again to the things [TS]

00:19:17   that are in common with all of the books [TS]

00:19:20   and movies and things that I just love [TS]

00:19:22   beyond reason they surprised me and they [TS]

00:19:25   are very well thought out and very well [TS]

00:19:28   you know again that that kind of world [TS]

00:19:30   building and and he does that time and [TS]

00:19:32   again I i can't remember another book [TS]

00:19:35   where he gets surprised as often as this [TS]

00:19:37   yeah you know if I if I could only take [TS]

00:19:39   one comic series to a desert island to [TS]

00:19:41   this would be at now I love that I love [TS]

00:19:43   that issue with the young woman who [TS]

00:19:45   lives on shadow hill because it's also [TS]

00:19:47   great examination of the immigrant [TS]

00:19:49   experience to or you know or or how one [TS]

00:19:54   of the unique things about living in the [TS]

00:19:55   city of people often think about urban [TS]

00:19:57   existence is being pretty cosmopolitan [TS]

00:19:59   there's a pretty healthy mixture [TS]

00:20:00   exchange of ideas and of course people [TS]

00:20:02   who live in cities [TS]

00:20:03   eat a different types of ethnic food [TS]

00:20:05   every week and go different vessels and [TS]

00:20:07   it also points out that there are people [TS]

00:20:08   who are pretty much committed to the [TS]

00:20:11   exact opposite experience and for their [TS]

00:20:13   kids there's a huge tension between you [TS]

00:20:16   know the the strong cultural [TS]

00:20:18   identification versus having the same [TS]

00:20:21   kind of flattened out cosmopolitan urban [TS]

00:20:24   lifestyle that that they may see or [TS]

00:20:26   among their peers are having the [TS]

00:20:27   workplace and I thought this is this is [TS]

00:20:30   actually kind of a complication [TS]

00:20:31   you should have people read if you're [TS]

00:20:32   ever doing like a class on on the urban [TS]

00:20:36   that the immigrant experience in America [TS]

00:20:37   because I don't know abuse its personal [TS]

00:20:40   histories and I don't know what his [TS]

00:20:41   background is but he really seems to [TS]

00:20:43   capture the tension well between e [TS]

00:20:47   between generations or between you know [TS]

00:20:50   people's attitudes towards the place [TS]

00:20:51   where they live and I thought it's [TS]

00:20:53   really nuanced for comic yes was giving [TS]

00:20:57   me all kinds i've recently my husband [TS]

00:20:59   and I and our son went to New York City [TS]

00:21:01   for a vacation and you know the the same [TS]

00:21:05   idea i'm fairly certain that beauty [TS]

00:21:08   pulled from more than New York that [TS]

00:21:09   there's probably several different [TS]

00:21:11   cities that he sort of pulled from to [TS]

00:21:12   create the idea of Astro City but still [TS]

00:21:16   as you said all of these different areas [TS]

00:21:18   of the working class neighborhood the [TS]

00:21:20   immigrant neighborhoods the shiny [TS]

00:21:23   beautiful downtown all of these [TS]

00:21:26   different areas on the first trade [TS]

00:21:28   paperback in the back there's like a [TS]

00:21:30   special section where they include some [TS]

00:21:31   of the maps and the drawings as they [TS]

00:21:33   were putting together the city also i [TS]

00:21:37   admit the only one I actually caught was [TS]

00:21:40   kirby but all of these names of streets [TS]

00:21:42   or landmarks of neighborhoods all harken [TS]

00:21:45   back to Golden Age earlier comic artists [TS]

00:21:49   mhm so that was a really cool touch away [TS]

00:21:52   for him to pay homage but yet even [TS]

00:21:54   reading through these and thinking you [TS]

00:21:56   know I'd have flashes of you know the [TS]

00:21:57   New York experience of the fact that you [TS]

00:22:00   know some of the friends that we visited [TS]

00:22:02   will talk about how you know they almost [TS]

00:22:03   never went to you know x neighborhood or [TS]

00:22:07   why neighborhood because they had their [TS]

00:22:09   own area that was there bubble there [TS]

00:22:12   their world their their neighborhood was [TS]

00:22:15   right there and they didn't have a new [TS]

00:22:17   need to go farther and setting it up [TS]

00:22:19   this early with the shadow hill episode [TS]

00:22:23   helps make the later developments in the [TS]

00:22:27   second volume with the with confession [TS]

00:22:29   more believable as the serial killer [TS]

00:22:32   starts attacking shadow hill resident [TS]

00:22:34   right and there's then instantly this [TS]

00:22:36   divide of you know for most of the rest [TS]

00:22:39   of the city not our problem [TS]

00:22:41   it's those weirdos it's those crazy [TS]

00:22:43   people you know what will let other [TS]

00:22:44   people handle it that helps build the [TS]

00:22:47   tension that the alien invaders take [TS]

00:22:51   advantage of to create even more [TS]

00:22:54   division to discredit the superheroes so [TS]

00:22:56   that they can try to lead up to invasion [TS]

00:22:58   on it all felt very real [TS]

00:23:01   yeah I agree yea even as you had [TS]

00:23:03   eldritch as you said Eldridge beings [TS]

00:23:06   guardian of the neighborhoods and [TS]

00:23:07   vampires and I'll inhale Ian talk about [TS]

00:23:11   creepy guardian for for shadow hill it's [TS]

00:23:14   the end man and it's so he's got like a [TS]

00:23:17   like a noose around his neck and like a [TS]

00:23:19   burlap sack over his head and he floats [TS]

00:23:22   around and yet he's like the beloved [TS]

00:23:24   neighborhood landmark like everybody who [TS]

00:23:26   lives there is all hey man hey hey but [TS]

00:23:31   you know don't look at me they not to [TS]

00:23:32   him they don't expect him to look back [TS]

00:23:34   yeah right i like when they do the the [TS]

00:23:37   during the alien invasion and they do [TS]

00:23:38   the check-ins with all the different [TS]

00:23:40   cities throughout the world and they [TS]

00:23:41   showed in every city has kind of their [TS]

00:23:42   their resident yeah [TS]

00:23:44   many of them locally themed gotten [TS]

00:23:46   ridiculously low Chicago's the [TS]

00:23:48   untouchable yes [TS]

00:23:50   yeah you're skyscraper the Boston [TS]

00:23:52   silversmith but you know but after city [TS]

00:23:54   is it is the place with all the you know [TS]

00:23:56   with more superheroes per square mile [TS]

00:23:58   than anywhere else so so i have to admit [TS]

00:24:01   when i read through confession and the [TS]

00:24:02   penny drops for me as to what exactly [TS]

00:24:06   was going on I actually set out loud [TS]

00:24:09   re spoiling a book that's like 20 years [TS]

00:24:11   old this point or do I have to because [TS]

00:24:14   like I I said holy crap to me Batman a [TS]

00:24:17   vampire and [TS]

00:24:20   I was just like I was literally and like [TS]

00:24:23   I literally stop and just took a moment [TS]

00:24:24   to let that wash over because it's one [TS]

00:24:26   of them most like you have this [TS]

00:24:29   Cathedral that is basically the the [TS]

00:24:31   Winchester Mystery House of of of [TS]

00:24:33   consecrated buildings from the way it's [TS]

00:24:35   described and then you have again you [TS]

00:24:39   have Batman and he's a vampire in a [TS]

00:24:41   priest and it and he you know he gets a [TS]

00:24:43   little sidekick the altar boy and it [TS]

00:24:46   just feels like this this is amazing [TS]

00:24:49   this [TS]

00:24:49   oh my god whoever writes bad like [TS]

00:24:51   probably cried into her pillow for a [TS]

00:24:53   week over not having thought of this [TS]

00:24:54   first cuz i'm just taking a break [TS]

00:24:57   well and in in Batman would have had to [TS]

00:25:00   have been in elseworld whereas here it's [TS]

00:25:02   just the story [TS]

00:25:03   yeah yeah yeah the vampire bat man it's [TS]

00:25:07   always gonna be good and an altar boy is [TS]

00:25:09   it is an actual adult which is why it [TS]

00:25:11   also makes sense to is he's a young [TS]

00:25:13   adult and he's got his own you know [TS]

00:25:15   orphan thing going on but he's a [TS]

00:25:18   grown-up and so that takes away all [TS]

00:25:19   whole lot of the eyebrow reason you're [TS]

00:25:23   like really Batman is running around [TS]

00:25:24   with a very young teenage boy solving so [TS]

00:25:27   many single teenager I think it's still [TS]

00:25:29   intentionally somewhat unsettling and [TS]

00:25:31   obviously aspect only adds to it i mean [TS]

00:25:32   yeah the choosing the name altar boy for [TS]

00:25:35   your sidekick that's significant I know [TS]

00:25:37   I know right now is wait for it [TS]

00:25:39   this is a pretty spotlight world I i [TS]

00:25:41   want to haha but still it's a little bit [TS]

00:25:44   is I admit a little bit of I raising but [TS]

00:25:48   they do depict him as a young man and [TS]

00:25:50   not a teenager so it's not quite as [TS]

00:25:52   quickly as it could be [TS]

00:25:54   yeah right you're looking like 18-19 [TS]

00:25:56   number in there but yeah it's like the [TS]

00:25:59   the Deacon I mean yes it's ok you can [TS]

00:26:01   have you could have an adult sidekick [TS]

00:26:03   but just there's something about altar [TS]

00:26:04   boy it just sounds right [TS]

00:26:06   I just appreciate how gradually things [TS]

00:26:07   are introduced right i like it doesn't [TS]

00:26:10   he's not on anyone else's schedule right [TS]

00:26:12   like we will get a mention of a [TS]

00:26:15   character many many issues of you know [TS]

00:26:17   that this is the Confessor gets [TS]

00:26:18   mentioned in the the alien bug guys like [TS]

00:26:21   you know basically his list of the [TS]

00:26:24   important heroes to be aware of and he [TS]

00:26:26   doesn't appear until many issues later [TS]

00:26:28   yeah and it's so it's not like we need [TS]

00:26:30   to set something up now so we can use in [TS]

00:26:32   the next issue so that it can be a big [TS]

00:26:34   thing [TS]

00:26:34   the issue after that Ryan that then we [TS]

00:26:36   can be done with it it's like no there's [TS]

00:26:37   just this big world there's lots of [TS]

00:26:39   little things going on various [TS]

00:26:41   characters are wandering through and [TS]

00:26:42   doing stuff and I just I appreciate that [TS]

00:26:45   is it feels like there's all this stuff [TS]

00:26:47   and it's not just there because we [TS]

00:26:48   needed to be there [TS]

00:26:49   it's like now there's all this stuff is [TS]

00:26:50   all the stuff is happening in the world [TS]

00:26:52   yeah and to follow on that that that not [TS]

00:26:57   only is there the luxury of time that [TS]

00:27:00   you see it gets in creating this world [TS]

00:27:03   but there's also the fact that you know [TS]

00:27:05   he's not constrained by typical [TS]

00:27:07   superhero tropes something that occurred [TS]

00:27:10   to me as I was reading at this time [TS]

00:27:11   around is the fact that he chooses his [TS]

00:27:15   point of view characters in such a way [TS]

00:27:18   that something a storyline that would be [TS]

00:27:22   like the big storyline it would be like [TS]

00:27:25   a346 issue arc uh come culminating in [TS]

00:27:30   this massive climax and in Astro City [TS]

00:27:34   it's almost like it's in the background [TS]

00:27:37   the alien invasion thing um you know it [TS]

00:27:39   gets introduced and what the fifth issue [TS]

00:27:41   of the first trade with the Bridewell [TS]

00:27:43   character who is an advanced spy for [TS]

00:27:45   this for these aliens and you know at [TS]

00:27:49   the end he decides yes i'm going to call [TS]

00:27:51   them and they're going to come and [TS]

00:27:52   invade and that feels like it gets [TS]

00:27:55   dropped in favor of the Samaritan [TS]

00:27:58   victory getting a date and then you've [TS]

00:28:01   got this totally new character coming in [TS]

00:28:03   from the outside traveling to Astro City [TS]

00:28:06   who wants to get to know these [TS]

00:28:09   superheroes he's not looking to become [TS]

00:28:11   one at that time he just wants to you [TS]

00:28:14   know be around them but then [TS]

00:28:15   circumstances happen he gets noticed the [TS]

00:28:18   Confessor takes him on as his sidekick [TS]

00:28:19   and the events that are driving the [TS]

00:28:23   problems the unrest in the city we learn [TS]

00:28:27   later on were being caused by the aliens [TS]

00:28:30   taking advantage of the shadow hill [TS]

00:28:31   issue and then the giant invasion you [TS]

00:28:35   know once the aliens are revealed and [TS]

00:28:37   the Confessor dies and all the [TS]

00:28:39   superheroes have to come together but [TS]

00:28:41   that's not the focus [TS]

00:28:43   yeah you get this background report of [TS]

00:28:45   what happens in the invasion and then [TS]

00:28:47   there's like an oh yeah of course we [TS]

00:28:49   want the entire battle with Oliver [TS]

00:28:51   superheroes against an alien invasion [TS]

00:28:53   fleet is a single page i'm not getting [TS]

00:28:58   its getting late for panel it's a single [TS]

00:29:00   page that begins with in the end of [TS]

00:29:02   course we won that's the first line in [TS]

00:29:05   that on that page and i read that and [TS]

00:29:07   thinking to myself you know this is this [TS]

00:29:09   is the thing we've we've done episodes [TS]

00:29:11   about big events before you have these [TS]

00:29:13   you have these huge scale events where [TS]

00:29:15   it's just you know massive carnage and a [TS]

00:29:18   billion different characters are [TS]

00:29:19   fighting and as a reader I generally [TS]

00:29:22   find it uninteresting because you've [TS]

00:29:24   lost you know unless you're focused on [TS]

00:29:26   on specific characters it ends up just [TS]

00:29:28   being kind of like huge scale action and [TS]

00:29:31   although it sounds really great as an [TS]

00:29:33   idea from page to page it's actually [TS]

00:29:35   kind of boring and I saw this and I i [TS]

00:29:37   was sort of gleeful I was like yeah four [TS]

00:29:40   panels and we beat the aliens done move [TS]

00:29:42   let's go back to the story and it's like [TS]

00:29:45   it's a small world of a of heroes 2 [TS]

00:29:47   because you've got oh it's the [TS]

00:29:49   Kookaburra down and Canada Australia and [TS]

00:29:51   I think that's the real thing in atlanta [TS]

00:29:54   and then it's the birds-of-paradise in [TS]

00:29:56   rio de janeiro and you know the real [TS]

00:29:59   things without wears a red suit and he's [TS]

00:30:01   got a script on his units on my run to [TS]

00:30:04   write and liking in its bubbles or [TS]

00:30:06   something and then they have trolls up [TS]

00:30:08   in up in Scandinavia and I was just [TS]

00:30:11   delighted by the respectful attention [TS]

00:30:13   pain to civic identity there it was it [TS]

00:30:17   was it was like so much more [TS]

00:30:19   it felt so much more fun than you know [TS]

00:30:22   having we have a Russian character boys [TS]

00:30:23   law [TS]

00:30:24   yeah yeah yeah yeah and similarly the [TS]

00:30:27   other big thing in the second volume of [TS]

00:30:31   the shadow hill thing gets resolved in a [TS]

00:30:33   page it's like after the alien invasions [TS]

00:30:35   over and that's done there's one more [TS]

00:30:37   murder by the serial killer and then [TS]

00:30:38   whatever for whatever reason the [TS]

00:30:40   hangman's figured out what's going on [TS]

00:30:41   you have this one big page of the Hanged [TS]

00:30:44   Man in with your giant more like the [TS]

00:30:47   leader yeah and that's resolved and you [TS]

00:30:50   know and it's all focused through a [TS]

00:30:53   Brian the altar boys yea you know own [TS]

00:30:56   growth you know the it's in the [TS]

00:30:59   background because we are focusing on [TS]

00:31:01   him as a character growing it to a point [TS]

00:31:03   where he steps up and he's apparently [TS]

00:31:06   going to be the new confessor and he [TS]

00:31:07   finally understands and forgives his [TS]

00:31:09   father right right which i think it's i [TS]

00:31:12   think it's really good use of you point [TS]

00:31:14   to that we uh and he's very consistent [TS]

00:31:17   music is with the way Brian refers to [TS]

00:31:20   his father and tells the story of his [TS]

00:31:22   father this way he starts by saying his [TS]

00:31:24   father was a doctor and PE didn't like [TS]

00:31:28   make sure people paid and they owed him [TS]

00:31:30   and then he died and he died and they [TS]

00:31:32   had all of these debts and everything [TS]

00:31:34   was ruined for Brian and he and he hated [TS]

00:31:36   everything and now he's coming to the [TS]

00:31:37   big city and and when you get to that [TS]

00:31:40   moment where he really kind of fights [TS]

00:31:43   with his with his mentor with a [TS]

00:31:45   confessor the confessors comment about [TS]

00:31:48   his father is because you're worse than [TS]

00:31:50   my father uses I I your father sounds [TS]

00:31:52   like he was a great guy I wish I could [TS]

00:31:54   have met him and it's like you realize [TS]

00:31:55   you realize you're reading this that [TS]

00:31:57   yeah you know we've been I mean I i read [TS]

00:32:02   that he was being angry with his father [TS]

00:32:04   right but it's like the narrative is [TS]

00:32:06   very consistent about where with brian [TS]

00:32:08   brian has a lot of anger toward his [TS]

00:32:09   father but it's really jarring when the [TS]

00:32:11   Contessa just out and says you know no I [TS]

00:32:13   think your dad was great and it and it [TS]

00:32:15   takes Brian another long period of time [TS]

00:32:17   before you can really come to terms with [TS]

00:32:19   the fact that his father was a good man [TS]

00:32:20   and and although he you know sort of [TS]

00:32:23   ended up in a putting his family in a [TS]

00:32:24   difficult place he was he was being [TS]

00:32:27   selfless by saving people like a [TS]

00:32:28   superhero might exactly the parallel [TS]

00:32:31   there is just so elegant it is it's [TS]

00:32:33   really well done and you you see you [TS]

00:32:35   know he's a young kid and he has to go [TS]

00:32:37   through the ESN like work through his [TS]

00:32:38   anchor and then grow up and realize what [TS]

00:32:41   what the end of the reality of the [TS]

00:32:43   situation wasn't and there's time taken [TS]

00:32:45   because that one goes over multiple [TS]

00:32:47   issues there's you get the time to watch [TS]

00:32:49   Brian go from being his first day in the [TS]

00:32:52   big city to and the end being a hero in [TS]

00:32:55   the big city on his own [TS]

00:32:57   it's a more plausible transformation [TS]

00:32:58   then then anything I've seen in the DC [TS]

00:33:01   Universe i'm going to say harking back [TS]

00:33:03   to sidekicks you get pushed into [TS]

00:33:05   therefore no just not name names or [TS]

00:33:07   anything [TS]

00:33:08   nowhere mean [TS]

00:33:09   anyway when Grayson but I it's this is [TS]

00:33:18   just such a thoughtful book and like i [TS]

00:33:21   said earlier there's a huge amount of [TS]

00:33:22   compassion that goes through it because [TS]

00:33:24   when i read that when i went back and [TS]

00:33:26   read the first issue with the Samaritan [TS]

00:33:28   and then reread it i just felt so [TS]

00:33:29   exhausted and so bad for this poor guy [TS]

00:33:31   he he's never the eighth there there is [TS]

00:33:34   literally nothing in his life thanks to [TS]

00:33:37   look forward to accept more of the same [TS]

00:33:39   and it's not going to stop until he dies [TS]

00:33:41   like there's just no way he's ever going [TS]

00:33:43   to be able to retire and that's horrible [TS]

00:33:46   well I mean this is business the [TS]

00:33:48   argument this is the argument about [TS]

00:33:49   Superman right is yeah if if you taking [TS]

00:33:54   an hour to read a book means that you [TS]

00:33:58   don't stop a damn from bursting [TS]

00:34:00   somewhere that kills five thousand [TS]

00:34:02   people [TS]

00:34:03   what do you do you ever read a book then [TS]

00:34:05   or do you are you literally going all [TS]

00:34:07   the time and that's the story of the [TS]

00:34:08   Samaritan he is he can't bear to live [TS]

00:34:11   through that moment where he doesn't [TS]

00:34:12   save somebody because he he's taking [TS]

00:34:16   time off and the irony here and they say [TS]

00:34:18   this is like there are all these other [TS]

00:34:20   superheroes [TS]

00:34:20   there they go out on the date because [TS]

00:34:22   they're the everybody else is basically [TS]

00:34:24   conspired to say we will mind the store [TS]

00:34:26   while you guys go out on a date just [TS]

00:34:28   please do it where you're really hard to [TS]

00:34:30   be around take some time right yeah it's [TS]

00:34:34   interesting cuz music actually tackles [TS]

00:34:35   the Superman thing in on one of my [TS]

00:34:38   favorite Superman stories to date the [TS]

00:34:39   secret identity for issue series he just [TS]

00:34:41   where you know it's it's legitimately in [TS]

00:34:44   New Yorker writer named Clark Kent who [TS]

00:34:45   somehow it does have powers and [TS]

00:34:48   basically makes a devil's deal with the [TS]

00:34:52   US government to work with or for them [TS]

00:34:54   over the course of his adulthood but by [TS]

00:34:56   the end of the series that was like we [TS]

00:34:59   have superheroes coming out of our ears [TS]

00:35:00   at this point we really don't need you [TS]

00:35:02   and so to have that everyone to have [TS]

00:35:05   that pushed back again with the [TS]

00:35:07   Samaritan it makes me it makes me think [TS]

00:35:11   that music has a very definite idea over [TS]

00:35:13   like the psychological toll of being [TS]

00:35:15   someone like Superman or being someone [TS]

00:35:17   like my winged victory [TS]

00:35:19   I'm and and that the idea is that if you [TS]

00:35:22   want the pace that's presupposed in [TS]

00:35:24   other books you would be kind of a [TS]

00:35:26   record lunatic one of the other or [TS]

00:35:29   possibly supernatural like the Hanged [TS]

00:35:31   Man but i want to ask um I especially [TS]

00:35:35   least an inch in about one of the [TS]

00:35:37   aspects of winged victory that i thought [TS]

00:35:39   was really interesting is that in that [TS]

00:35:40   in that date they have a very [TS]

00:35:42   interesting debate she and submit [TS]

00:35:44   Samaritan where he basically says what's [TS]

00:35:48   your strategy about who you save right [TS]

00:35:50   because they're talking about he's [TS]

00:35:51   obsessed with saving everybody and and [TS]

00:35:53   she says well you know I'm I my goal is [TS]

00:35:56   to be independent and to look out for [TS]

00:35:57   women and that that's what I'm that's [TS]

00:35:59   what I'm focusing on and he any kind of [TS]

00:36:01   pushes back on her and says well you [TS]

00:36:04   know what if there was so there was a [TS]

00:36:05   guy dying in a woman dying and you could [TS]

00:36:07   save one of them but not the other you [TS]

00:36:08   would say the woman she's like yeah [TS]

00:36:09   that's what I do and I I thought I kept [TS]

00:36:12   waiting for that moment where I was like [TS]

00:36:14   what is going on and in fact he just he [TS]

00:36:17   just walks the line so beautifully in in [TS]

00:36:19   letting both of those characters not [TS]

00:36:22   entirely except where the other one is [TS]

00:36:24   coming from but but letting them walk [TS]

00:36:26   through that and I just I what what did [TS]

00:36:28   you think of of winged victory and her [TS]

00:36:29   like she she is a she is explicitly a [TS]

00:36:32   feminist superhero this is she's going [TS]

00:36:34   to use her powers for feminism that is [TS]

00:36:36   her thing I i think it's fascinating [TS]

00:36:39   I like that I like that you took Wonder [TS]

00:36:41   Woman to the logical extreme because in [TS]

00:36:43   the books wonder woman is pretty cagey I [TS]

00:36:45   mean oh she comes from an all-female [TS]

00:36:46   island and she's devoted and so on and [TS]

00:36:48   so forth but they've always been really [TS]

00:36:50   careful with Wonder Woman respecting all [TS]

00:36:52   life and and and I think it's because [TS]

00:36:55   you can't have a character like that in [TS]

00:36:58   DC who says yeah you know I mom [TS]

00:37:01   yeah i'm watching out for ladies first [TS]

00:37:04   without provoking like some big crybaby [TS]

00:37:07   fan backlash but what I like about this [TS]

00:37:12   is the way she lays out her case is um [TS]

00:37:15   she's like look there's a lot of [TS]

00:37:17   systemic there's a lot of the system is [TS]

00:37:19   stacked against women and statistically [TS]

00:37:20   speaking women are more likely to be the [TS]

00:37:22   victims of this kind of stuff [TS]

00:37:24   why would i not do this and it [TS]

00:37:28   absolutely makes sense because the way [TS]

00:37:30   Samaritan season is all victims [TS]

00:37:33   your equal and he's kind of ignoring [TS]

00:37:35   whatever built-in inequality there maybe [TS]

00:37:39   and in the Astro City universe and that [TS]

00:37:41   is actually where she starts from is by [TS]

00:37:44   taking a look at the built-in [TS]

00:37:45   inequalities and who has more advantages [TS]

00:37:47   here advantages and what is she couldn't [TS]

00:37:49   love the playing field and I thought it [TS]

00:37:52   was I thought it was great to have her [TS]

00:37:53   lay it out so calmly and so and and with [TS]

00:37:56   such determination of purpose [TS]

00:37:57   yeah it's a really neat contrast of [TS]

00:37:59   philosophies because she's not only [TS]

00:38:01   decided that you know her focus is going [TS]

00:38:04   to be women first if she's got to save [TS]

00:38:06   people she's gonna start saving women [TS]

00:38:08   first but she also backs it up we find [TS]

00:38:12   out that she operates this whole network [TS]

00:38:14   of what started out as shelters for [TS]

00:38:17   women who needed shelter shelter from [TS]

00:38:19   whatever domestic violence or getting [TS]

00:38:22   away from parents who have for whatever [TS]

00:38:24   reason and then when she saw that the [TS]

00:38:26   women were beginning to depend on her [TS]

00:38:28   too much she turned these shelters [TS]

00:38:30   essentially into schools teaching these [TS]

00:38:33   women's self-defense teaching them [TS]

00:38:34   skills teaching them what they needed to [TS]

00:38:36   be independent on their own which is why [TS]

00:38:41   she gets sort of the occult tag from [TS]

00:38:43   some of the people who aren't looking [TS]

00:38:44   closely at what she's doing out in the [TS]

00:38:46   population so she's she's trying her [TS]

00:38:50   best to back up what she's doing and set [TS]

00:38:52   it up so that she's not needed as much [TS]

00:38:54   on the other hand you know the poor [TS]

00:38:56   Samaritan in it he's as she puts it you [TS]

00:38:59   know he looks it he looks at it in a [TS]

00:39:01   matter in matter of time [TS]

00:39:03   the maximum number of people i can [TS]

00:39:05   rescue with the time on given and for [TS]

00:39:09   him it can be something huge like [TS]

00:39:11   stopping a tsunami on the coast of the [TS]

00:39:13   Philippines or getting a cat down from a [TS]

00:39:17   tree for a girl it doesn't matter if it [TS]

00:39:20   is on his way if it is where he can do [TS]

00:39:22   something about it he does it [TS]

00:39:24   there's also the neat bit of the fact [TS]

00:39:27   that he makes time even though he knows [TS]

00:39:29   it's costing lives somewhere in the [TS]

00:39:31   world when people want to honor him when [TS]

00:39:33   people want to give him that banquet or [TS]

00:39:35   hand in that plaque thanking him for his [TS]

00:39:38   service he does it because he learned if [TS]

00:39:41   he tries to ignore it [TS]

00:39:42   people got upset with him and angry with [TS]

00:39:44   him for not letting them ignore [TS]

00:39:46   watch what he does so he makes the time [TS]

00:39:49   to essentially be the perfect superhero [TS]

00:39:51   even though it is the wearing him down [TS]

00:39:54   the wing victories of brush everything [TS]

00:39:56   reminds me sort of a movie a she-devil [TS]

00:39:58   where oh where the hell yea where the [TS]

00:40:01   spurned what no because this burn wife [TS]

00:40:03   has left more or less powerless one her [TS]

00:40:05   husband leaves her because he gives her [TS]

00:40:08   next to no assets he makes he takes the [TS]

00:40:10   children [TS]

00:40:11   she's left to work ascot job and I [TS]

00:40:15   although the focus of all the [TS]

00:40:18   hierarchies basically i'm gonna ruin his [TS]

00:40:20   life and she goes around and she does it [TS]

00:40:22   she does it by built by starting a temp [TS]

00:40:25   agency for all of the women in the world [TS]

00:40:28   who who have been treated as disposable [TS]

00:40:31   have been discarded or overlooked or [TS]

00:40:32   ignored and she empowers them and she [TS]

00:40:35   helps them create a network of a [TS]

00:40:37   professional network of women who can [TS]

00:40:38   help each other to and um when your [TS]

00:40:41   victory begins talking about yeah we [TS]

00:40:42   have self defense classes we have ways [TS]

00:40:44   to teaches women to be economically and [TS]

00:40:46   physically independent and confident of [TS]

00:40:48   themselves in the world I'm like oh my [TS]

00:40:49   god semester rose and I i find it [TS]

00:40:55   interesting that that's an idea that [TS]

00:40:56   actually comes up again and again in a [TS]

00:40:58   in a lot of different iterations on how [TS]

00:41:02   to empower women and it basically comes [TS]

00:41:04   down to giving women the tools to take [TS]

00:41:06   care of themselves [TS]

00:41:07   I find it really interesting however [TS]

00:41:09   that comes up in the comics because [TS]

00:41:10   that's not something you see a whole lot [TS]

00:41:12   of in comic book culture and all like [TS]

00:41:15   you very rarely see a concerted effort [TS]

00:41:18   among women to organize for themselves [TS]

00:41:20   or for their own benefit unless it's [TS]

00:41:22   going to be like some sort of silver age [TS]

00:41:24   where the Amazons her hero overthrew the [TS]

00:41:27   Justice League because women is over [TS]

00:41:28   whatever and then you're like oh god [TS]

00:41:30   sixties but it's still it's pretty it's [TS]

00:41:35   it's a pretty radical insertion and [TS]

00:41:36   comic book culture you don't I can't [TS]

00:41:38   recall seeing much like it in [TS]

00:41:41   um either Marvel or DC or even when I [TS]

00:41:44   think about it you know the wild storm [TS]

00:41:46   and image stuff of their own of the turn [TS]

00:41:48   the turn into the 21st century either [TS]

00:41:51   and music just sneaks it on there and [TS]

00:41:53   ate [TS]

00:41:54   I want to throw in a couple other things [TS]

00:41:57   i just want to mention it but this feels [TS]

00:41:58   very scattershot but it's like this is [TS]

00:42:00   an anthology series it's just there's so [TS]

00:42:02   much did to discuss so I wanted a couple [TS]

00:42:05   of things I want to mention one is the [TS]

00:42:06   sense of history there's a nice scene in [TS]

00:42:09   the very beginning of the the confession [TS]

00:42:13   storyline where the kid who brian who at [TS]

00:42:16   that point is just working in a bar it's [TS]

00:42:18   his first job in Astro City it says [TS]

00:42:21   who's that over there and it in the [TS]

00:42:24   bartender who used to be himself a [TS]

00:42:27   superhero explains that it's Iron Horse [TS]

00:42:30   the human locomotive he's been around [TS]

00:42:33   since 1862 which I really love and he's [TS]

00:42:37   like oh I thought eres was the first one [TS]

00:42:39   is like I was the first one to get [TS]

00:42:40   headlines but the Hanged Man the old [TS]

00:42:42   soldier and we see the old soldier in an [TS]

00:42:46   another story and the and Ironhorse the [TS]

00:42:48   Iron Horse kid and i love that the idea [TS]

00:42:50   that oh these guys go back you know [TS]

00:42:53   we've been having superhuman characters [TS]

00:42:55   all the way back in time and the old [TS]

00:42:57   soldier is almost like a he's he's a [TS]

00:43:00   little captain america like but he's [TS]

00:43:02   also like the spirit of soldiers from [TS]

00:43:05   all times and he liked appears when he's [TS]

00:43:08   needed which is really interesting too [TS]

00:43:10   so i liked i thought it was a really [TS]

00:43:12   nice touch to do not only have like this [TS]

00:43:14   rich world but this rich history that [TS]

00:43:16   extends you get the sense you know way [TS]

00:43:19   back than anybody even knows and i just [TS]

00:43:21   love that that sense of depth back there [TS]

00:43:23   it makes me believe in this in this [TS]

00:43:25   world just with those little tidbits and [TS]

00:43:27   i'll share one other one that I that I [TS]

00:43:29   like and then and then maybe you can all [TS]

00:43:30   chime in with things that you want to [TS]

00:43:32   mention that we haven't gotten to yet [TS]

00:43:34   which is i love that issue with the new [TS]

00:43:37   the new reporter or the who gets the [TS]

00:43:39   story of x from the old the old old guy [TS]

00:43:43   the old editor who used to be a reporter [TS]

00:43:45   and so it goes back in time we don't see [TS]

00:43:48   a lot of things we get we get introduced [TS]

00:43:50   to the silver agent who is a definitely [TS]

00:43:53   a Johnny hand some kind of superhero but [TS]

00:43:55   he's introduced as the soup the silver [TS]

00:43:57   agent the poor doomed silver agent and [TS]

00:44:00   then his fate is not revealed in any of [TS]

00:44:03   these stories it's just there you know [TS]

00:44:04   he's doomed the whole time and then the [TS]

00:44:06   other part of the end is so great [TS]

00:44:07   is that it becomes this funny journalism [TS]

00:44:09   story at the end where the Edit where [TS]

00:44:11   the young reporter gets back to the the [TS]

00:44:14   paper and they're like nope you don't [TS]

00:44:15   have any evidence you were the only at [TS]

00:44:16   because he goes to another dimension and [TS]

00:44:18   sees this great battle and comes back [TS]

00:44:20   like nope it's just the facts me [TS]

00:44:22   rewrites nope still not nope nope nope [TS]

00:44:24   and in the end the punch line is that [TS]

00:44:27   the only story that they allowed him to [TS]

00:44:29   print is trolley delayed by shark just [TS]

00:44:32   be anything [TS]

00:44:33   yeah yeah I'll and and yet again to talk [TS]

00:44:36   about comic book issues you should you [TS]

00:44:38   should teach people in class [TS]

00:44:39   this should absolutely be something that [TS]

00:44:41   is taught in a school yes it's true it's [TS]

00:44:43   like you know you you have no there are [TS]

00:44:45   no other witnesses and you have this [TS]

00:44:46   fantastic story and even if it's true [TS]

00:44:48   and he eventually does prove that it's [TS]

00:44:50   true after a long time by talking to [TS]

00:44:52   some of the heroes who were there it's [TS]

00:44:54   too late at that point but it's like [TS]

00:44:55   what are the facts what what is provable [TS]

00:44:57   and it's completely deluded down too [TS]

00:44:58   well I return from that dimension on the [TS]

00:45:01   trolley tracks along with the one dead [TS]

00:45:03   shark man yeah yeah sure [TS]

00:45:07   shark delayed the trolley so that's the [TS]

00:45:10   students know by Leiter made me laugh [TS]

00:45:12   and also toxic but i think when i had [TS]

00:45:14   the journalism Benson I love about that [TS]

00:45:16   story is how he does eventually like [TS]

00:45:18   prove the story and so it tells you that [TS]

00:45:20   in the back of his mind there was some [TS]

00:45:22   professional presents like I'm going to [TS]

00:45:23   make sure i can tell the story at some [TS]

00:45:25   point like you just know the first time [TS]

00:45:27   he got a property witnesses like now how [TS]

00:45:29   can i is there a way i can publish that [TS]

00:45:31   but oh my gosh now it sits on that such [TS]

00:45:35   a great issue I yet they refer to the [TS]

00:45:39   the silver agent and I don't know about [TS]

00:45:42   you but i had to pretty much physically [TS]

00:45:44   talk myself out of going on amazon and [TS]

00:45:45   order in the next class just think [TS]

00:45:48   that's a brother [TS]

00:45:49   they're up to 13 now and the newest now [TS]

00:45:53   that it's back now that's advert ago [TS]

00:45:55   they there on like issue 37 it'sit's I [TS]

00:45:59   think maybe the the longest sustained [TS]

00:46:02   run they've had its green and not to [TS]

00:46:05   spoil anything but we do eventually find [TS]

00:46:07   out how he became poor and doomed [TS]

00:46:10   yeah what else we're anything else that [TS]

00:46:13   uh that the people want to met mention [TS]

00:46:15   about astro city other than its it's [TS]

00:46:17   great i mean i-i was I had no background [TS]

00:46:19   and I [TS]

00:46:20   I wanted to say that i've really enjoyed [TS]

00:46:22   it i thought it was really great i love [TS]

00:46:24   the character designs [TS]

00:46:26   oh yeah oh damn homie there because they [TS]

00:46:28   managed to be wholly original while also [TS]

00:46:30   suddenly simultaneously plant paying [TS]

00:46:33   homage to their analogs in DC or marvel [TS]

00:46:37   as the case may be Winged Victory being [TS]

00:46:39   an especially nice case of that like I [TS]

00:46:43   think it's great that they've managed to [TS]

00:46:45   get her and evoke like the Grecian ideal [TS]

00:46:48   of winged victory and you're at the same [TS]

00:46:49   time the first restaurant Wonder Woman [TS]

00:46:51   and part of it is that you have alex [TS]

00:46:55   ross working on a lot of the character [TS]

00:46:56   designs yeah so it's got that style it's [TS]

00:46:59   got that real classic look and of course [TS]

00:47:03   he steeped in history all these things [TS]

00:47:04   anyway of of the real things that [TS]

00:47:06   they're making analogues of and it's [TS]

00:47:08   just so smartly put together and one of [TS]

00:47:11   the things that struck me reading at [TS]

00:47:14   this time around [TS]

00:47:15   just the incredible scope of characters [TS]

00:47:20   there are so many characters that we [TS]

00:47:22   only get a we get not as like there's [TS]

00:47:26   there's the big ones we get a lot of [TS]

00:47:27   Samaritan we get a lot of the Confessor [TS]

00:47:29   of of winged victory and then there's [TS]

00:47:32   this whole second layer of characters [TS]

00:47:35   the honor guard and that sort of thing [TS]

00:47:37   that we get bits and pieces of we get a [TS]

00:47:40   decent look at like jack-in-the-box but [TS]

00:47:43   we never get his origin we never get how [TS]

00:47:46   he started and we're not sure what [TS]

00:47:50   happened to him at the end of the second [TS]

00:47:52   trade there's the the implication is [TS]

00:47:54   he's been killed but we don't know and [TS]

00:47:58   so many other characters the you know [TS]

00:48:00   we've got jack in the box and then [TS]

00:48:01   crackerjack who is just the most bonkers [TS]

00:48:05   um booster goldish character played by a [TS]

00:48:09   young bruce campbell I believe but yeah [TS]

00:48:15   um and you know in the background we [TS]

00:48:18   have others like the speedster is mph [TS]

00:48:21   and you know we get almost nothing of [TS]

00:48:23   him other than the fact that he's a team [TS]

00:48:26   player and he's the one who sort of [TS]

00:48:28   spearheads getting Samaritan and winged [TS]

00:48:30   victory out for their date for one night [TS]

00:48:32   you know Cleopatra I guess sort of big [TS]

00:48:37   barda is she's kind of you know but [TS]

00:48:39   above all of all these things you get [TS]

00:48:41   all these glimpses of all these [TS]

00:48:44   different heroes that you know through [TS]

00:48:47   guys you said 13 trades for all of these [TS]

00:48:50   characters to be developed and explored [TS]

00:48:51   and played with i want to mention [TS]

00:48:54   crackerjack i love crackerjack he is he [TS]

00:48:57   is introduced it easy he's lazy he's [TS]

00:49:01   totally takes credit for everything he's [TS]

00:49:04   not he's not not a hero he is a hero but [TS]

00:49:06   he will also talk you into sharing the [TS]

00:49:09   credit with him and then taking all the [TS]

00:49:11   credit and he does it again and again [TS]

00:49:12   and apparently he's not completely [TS]

00:49:14   worried about evidence [TS]

00:49:16   yeah just like grab some folks up and [TS]

00:49:18   dumped in front of the police officers [TS]

00:49:20   say here you go it's not my problem [TS]

00:49:21   right and and he doesn't seem to have a [TS]

00:49:23   secret identity so much as he has a [TS]

00:49:25   various like run of identities that he [TS]

00:49:28   takes temporarily and then kind of [TS]

00:49:30   throws away and he's got the little [TS]

00:49:32   curly mustache thing just whole lot just [TS]

00:49:35   hilarious character because it's not [TS]

00:49:37   that he's not a hero [TS]

00:49:38   he's not a fraud it's just that he is an [TS]

00:49:41   awful person [TS]

00:49:42   Darrell's plan is to create it was he is [TS]

00:49:47   in some ways it's a it's his grading [TS]

00:49:48   personality that triggered the alien [TS]

00:49:50   invasion [TS]

00:49:51   oh yeah part this is completely [TS]

00:49:54   insignificant completely in company guy [TS]

00:49:56   and he does just one thing and that just [TS]

00:49:59   sets off that the alien spot my record [TS]

00:50:05   collection i have to say as much as that [TS]

00:50:07   as much as I love a spider-man I i saw [TS]

00:50:10   some spider-man and Cracker Jack right [TS]

00:50:12   he's like he's kinda there's a spider in [TS]

00:50:15   there he talks a good game but uh that's [TS]

00:50:19   about all but it's beautiful it's a [TS]

00:50:22   beautiful thing [TS]

00:50:23   so he was one of my favorite little [TS]

00:50:25   things and jack in the box i want to [TS]

00:50:26   mention and we will get too close to [TS]

00:50:28   check the box but he's a he's a it's a [TS]

00:50:31   ridiculous looking a ruling [TS]

00:50:33   ridiculous-looking character but uh but [TS]

00:50:36   i think is very interesting in the in [TS]

00:50:38   his interactions with a guy who [TS]

00:50:40   discovered the secret identity and I [TS]

00:50:41   thought that was kind of a it just yeah [TS]

00:50:43   great character designs [TS]

00:50:45   nice stuff they'd be on the bridge well [TS]

00:50:48   thing where there's the spy alien spy he [TS]

00:50:51   gave me almost like a wild cards five to [TS]

00:50:54   go back to the george RR martin yeah [TS]

00:50:55   anthology was like that kind of [TS]

00:50:57   character because there's this fifties [TS]

00:50:59   pulpy alien invasion thing going on [TS]

00:51:01   that's uh that's you know it's 50s pulp [TS]

00:51:03   sci-fi as much as it is the Silver Age [TS]

00:51:06   comics stuff not just all all all good [TS]

00:51:10   stuff just all and not and not again if [TS]

00:51:13   you're somebody who has a read this but [TS]

00:51:15   his red you know watch man or something [TS]

00:51:17   like that the difference is that [TS]

00:51:18   watchman set the table although i love [TS]

00:51:20   watch men for a lot of really dark unfun [TS]

00:51:24   grinds through superhero tropes and this [TS]

00:51:29   is not that at all not even Glenn and [TS]

00:51:32   more is telling one story and he has one [TS]

00:51:34   grim idea that he wants to get across [TS]

00:51:37   where is this is such a wide range of [TS]

00:51:39   styles [TS]

00:51:40   yeah yeah totally wide open yeah that [TS]

00:51:43   you can get something as well crafted as [TS]

00:51:45   the Confessor you know born of a border [TS]

00:51:48   priest becomes a vampire but you know [TS]

00:51:50   he's going to be a good nails all this [TS]

00:51:52   time higher bid yeah where is he wears a [TS]

00:51:55   cross on his shell on his chance to get [TS]

00:51:58   her stuff he doesn't hurt [TS]

00:52:00   yeah it's awesome yeah but it's just two [TS]

00:52:02   points to remind him and I'm flip side [TS]

00:52:05   sin in like the very last there's a cota [TS]

00:52:07   issue at the end of the collection for [TS]

00:52:10   confessions where you have a care of [TS]

00:52:12   villain that place with time and causes [TS]

00:52:14   these interdimensional things and the [TS]

00:52:17   care and the superhero that stops him is [TS]

00:52:19   basically a 1940's football player and [TS]

00:52:22   his little sidekick the basement asking [TS]

00:52:24   baseball area slender it they get kind [TS]

00:52:29   of the corniest possible you know that [TS]

00:52:31   was that was one that made me think the [TS]

00:52:33   tick let that a particular character [TS]

00:52:36   yeah the kind of over-the-top [TS]

00:52:37   ridiculousness of it but but it worked [TS]

00:52:40   it was beautiful it's sort of like i [TS]

00:52:41   mean i was i was saying this earlier [TS]

00:52:43   that this is my favorite of the [TS]

00:52:45   alternate heroes and troops unless you [TS]

00:52:47   count the tick [TS]

00:52:48   I mean this is like good stories i love [TS]

00:52:51   the tick but but this is like well [TS]

00:52:53   written the point of the tenure is [TS]

00:52:55   basically jokes [TS]

00:52:57   yes yeah right madman [TS]

00:52:59   the scene version of this yes thank you [TS]

00:53:01   bad magazine is a good way to put it [TS]

00:53:02   because it's basically i'm gonna sing [TS]

00:53:05   for the punch line every time and it's [TS]

00:53:06   like this in innocence you even when it [TS]

00:53:09   when it catches up to that and and their [TS]

00:53:12   moments even through the lady folks were [TS]

00:53:14   some of our villains go go a little [TS]

00:53:16   maybe make a little over that line [TS]

00:53:18   unfortunately yeah and when it it [TS]

00:53:20   reminds me of a line that used to [TS]

00:53:21   describe in the writers room for the [TS]

00:53:24   adventures of brisco county jr that [TS]

00:53:26   would be up trust me trust me out they [TS]

00:53:29   wanted it to be just under over-the-top [TS]

00:53:31   which makes a lot of sense haha this [TS]

00:53:34   actually achieves it [TS]

00:53:36   yeah it is hard with those characters [TS]

00:53:38   that are kind of kind of a commentary on [TS]

00:53:39   other characters kind of a joke i think [TS]

00:53:42   this does it that the better you do [TS]

00:53:44   better than the tech does it better than [TS]

00:53:45   a venture brothers tries to walk that [TS]

00:53:48   line a lot with a lot of us actors [TS]

00:53:49   online is clearly influenced a lot by [TS]

00:53:53   the tick this does it well I mean it is [TS]

00:53:56   strange i read this pretty early on in [TS]

00:53:58   my comics reading a career career is [TS]

00:54:00   that a word and I'll pass time you know [TS]

00:54:03   i think you're sorry and costs vary got [TS]

00:54:05   it got into coming but that was it may [TS]

00:54:07   look like not printed out for you okay [TS]

00:54:09   oh okay put it onto a nice thick paper [TS]

00:54:12   watchman was one of the first things i [TS]

00:54:14   read which was very weird to read [TS]

00:54:15   watchmen and uh and not have a huge [TS]

00:54:17   background in having reading comics I [TS]

00:54:19   mean obviously you can't live in this [TS]

00:54:21   country and not pick up a lot of [TS]

00:54:22   superhero jargon that's just the world [TS]

00:54:25   we live in [TS]

00:54:25   but I read this not too long after and I [TS]

00:54:28   think I definitely got a lot more out of [TS]

00:54:29   it coming back and reading it reading it [TS]

00:54:31   this weekend there's a lot you know [TS]

00:54:34   there's there's all the superhero tropes [TS]

00:54:35   is familiar with from all the other ways [TS]

00:54:37   that we experienced superheroes and [TS]

00:54:38   unity and movies and video games but now [TS]

00:54:41   i get that added layer of you know of [TS]

00:54:43   several hundred issues of superhero [TS]

00:54:45   comics that I'm not consumed too so I [TS]

00:54:47   interrupt this podcast to tell you [TS]

00:54:49   something that's not quite an ad [TS]

00:54:50   although it is self-promotion the [TS]

00:54:52   incomparable will be at the now hear [TS]

00:54:54   this podcast festival in anaheim [TS]

00:54:58   california this October we're not going [TS]

00:55:00   to be there alone will be there with [TS]

00:55:01   dozens of your favorite podcast public [TS]

00:55:04   radio comedy storytelling and us onstage [TS]

00:55:07   all in one place tickets are on sale now [TS]

00:55:09   it sort of like a comic-con but [TS]

00:55:12   for podcast it's a weekend jam-packed [TS]

00:55:14   with live performances and special [TS]

00:55:15   events for podcast fans Marc Maron will [TS]

00:55:18   be there with his producer to share [TS]

00:55:20   favorite moments from WTF their live [TS]

00:55:22   performances a great podcast like how [TS]

00:55:24   did this get paid the moth criminal the [TS]

00:55:26   gist comedy bang bang [TS]

00:55:28   I'm very excited hello from the magic [TS]

00:55:30   tavern one of my very favorite podcast [TS]

00:55:31   is going to be there and hey one of your [TS]

00:55:34   favorite podcast is going to be there [TS]

00:55:36   it's us lots of people from the [TS]

00:55:38   incomparable are coming to anaheim for [TS]

00:55:40   this so register today at now hear this [TS]

00:55:43   fest dot-com now here hcar this fast [TS]

00:55:48   dot-com check out special ticket options [TS]

00:55:51   reserved seating VIP express lines and [TS]

00:55:52   other stuff meet-and-greets stuff like [TS]

00:55:54   that it's october 28 through 30th in [TS]

00:55:57   anaheim california the happiest place on [TS]

00:55:59   earth [TS]

00:56:00   so go to now hear this fest dot-com for [TS]

00:56:04   more info and hopefully we will see you [TS]

00:56:06   there in late October before we go I [TS]

00:56:09   wanted to add go around in case because [TS]

00:56:11   this happens sometimes in case there's [TS]

00:56:13   something that's a comic that you've [TS]

00:56:15   been reading lately that you would like [TS]

00:56:16   to plug you like to promote that you've [TS]

00:56:19   enjoyed it's a segment that I like to [TS]

00:56:21   call what are we reading although again [TS]

00:56:23   the president the president fool you [TS]

00:56:25   something recent that you'd like to [TS]

00:56:27   mention it's always nice to do that Lisa [TS]

00:56:29   do you have anything that you're reading [TS]

00:56:30   or have read lately that you want to get [TS]

00:56:33   out there in the world for people to [TS]

00:56:34   check out said i'm pretty sure i talked [TS]

00:56:37   about atomic robo at our last comic book [TS]

00:56:39   club tonight you may have but hey it's [TS]

00:56:42   always good to promote atomic robo rate [TS]

00:56:44   which is hilarious and the writer the [TS]

00:56:47   writer that is brand Clevenger that [TS]

00:56:48   spelled CLE VI n ger and I went and got [TS]

00:56:53   his copy of adventures and the Infinity [TS]

00:56:55   Gauntlet which was a what he did for [TS]

00:56:59   Marvel and long story short pick it up [TS]

00:57:02   because the doctor do lines alone [TS]

00:57:04   hilarious comedy gold I was laughing and [TS]

00:57:07   laughing and spider-man just gets it [TS]

00:57:11   coming and going this it's really funny [TS]

00:57:12   and and again i want to point out the [TS]

00:57:14   doctor dooms lines or comedy called [TS]

00:57:16   especially when he call Shotgun on the [TS]

00:57:18   spaceship so totally recommend that [TS]

00:57:21   I'm another series that I've picked up a [TS]

00:57:24   little bit is secret avengers i just [TS]

00:57:27   finished vol.1 yeah which yep which I [TS]

00:57:30   really enjoyed and so plan on diving in [TS]

00:57:34   and spending more money on that too [TS]

00:57:37   and the other thing and this is off the [TS]

00:57:40   superhero reservation but I've been kind [TS]

00:57:43   of going on a retro indie indie comic [TS]

00:57:47   strips terror as it were and I just [TS]

00:57:50   finished reading Alison Bechdel Zhan the [TS]

00:57:53   essential dykes to watch out for which [TS]

00:57:56   spans just years and years and years and [TS]

00:57:58   what is you know I get the cast of [TS]

00:58:02   thousands so it's a lot like reading [TS]

00:58:04   your tip your typical you know Tyson [TS]

00:58:06   flights comic book and what's really [TS]

00:58:09   interesting about it is watching a how [TS]

00:58:12   the the plot lines and the priorities [TS]

00:58:15   and the characters lives shipped from [TS]

00:58:16   the mid-eighties all the way up to 2007 [TS]

00:58:20   went back to help with the the strip on [TS]

00:58:22   hiatus seemingly permanently so and it's [TS]

00:58:27   interesting because her artistic fairly [TS]

00:58:29   consistent and when she doesn't update [TS]

00:58:31   the characters looks as though it's [TS]

00:58:32   always tied into two storylines and I'm [TS]

00:58:35   want to talk about another female [TS]

00:58:38   cartoonist / comic comic artist who [TS]

00:58:41   doesn't get a whole lot of attention [TS]

00:58:43   these days but her name is Mary Ann [TS]

00:58:45   Handley and I just read an illustrator [TS]

00:58:47   graphic memoir she did called the [TS]

00:58:49   shiniest jewel a family love story which [TS]

00:58:52   is her story of a failed adoption Russia [TS]

00:58:55   followed by a successful adoption Russia [TS]

00:58:57   all while her father is dying and it's [TS]

00:59:01   just it's so elegantly drawn and written [TS]

00:59:06   with such warmth and such heart is [TS]

00:59:07   really just a beautiful book and it's [TS]

00:59:10   available used on amazon it didn't get I [TS]

00:59:12   don't think you got the attention that [TS]

00:59:13   it should have but it's just a great [TS]

00:59:16   afternoons read i really loved it and [TS]

00:59:18   that the last few pages have just really [TS]

00:59:20   stuck with me [TS]

00:59:21   so a plus plus we have read again as a [TS]

00:59:24   matter of fact so Tony what are you [TS]

00:59:27   I i haven't picked up any new series [TS]

00:59:29   recently so i don't know if i have [TS]

00:59:30   anything super exciting too [TS]

00:59:31   the ad i just read yesterday the latest [TS]

00:59:34   volume of miss marvel i just read the [TS]

00:59:36   latest volume saga [TS]

00:59:38   yeah so still reading lots of Hellboy [TS]

00:59:41   and hellboy spin-offs that that's Tony [TS]

00:59:43   alright that's the song that dive n [TS]

00:59:46   that's the beauty of David any comics [TS]

00:59:48   that you've been reading lately that you [TS]

00:59:50   want to mention sure [TS]

00:59:51   well I've been catching up on the ester [TS]

00:59:53   city i'm master trades that i have not [TS]

00:59:56   had not read a city that's hot [TS]

00:59:56   had not read a city that's hot [TS]

01:00:00   that's great we should do I know with [TS]

01:00:01   some incentive for years some kind of [TS]

01:00:04   city of Astros you say is the Houston [TS]

01:00:07   Astros Jason and I've been rereading the [TS]

01:00:11   Darwin cooks adaptations of the Parker [TS]

01:00:16   novels by Richard stark really Donald [TS]

01:00:19   westlake which are gorgeous gorgeous in [TS]

01:00:23   period adaptations of these these really [TS]

01:00:26   hard nor heist novels great work great [TS]

01:00:31   heart and and maybe the best adaptation [TS]

01:00:35   of those books in any medium I mean [TS]

01:00:36   there's been plenty of movies based on [TS]

01:00:38   several of them now go to go to the [TS]

01:00:41   Darwin cookbooks and I've been reading [TS]

01:00:43   catching up on ms marvel and the the [TS]

01:00:46   last thing that i bought as a collection [TS]

01:00:49   was spider-man and the x-men written by [TS]

01:00:53   elliott kalyan which possibly has my [TS]

01:00:55   very favorite comic panel of all time [TS]

01:00:58   and you'll know it when you see it all [TS]

01:01:00   right Shannon anything to recommend [TS]

01:01:02   unfortunately I'm behind on my reading [TS]

01:01:05   I've got a stack of things that you all [TS]

01:01:07   have been recommending Brubaker's fade [TS]

01:01:10   out and stuff like that i need to read [TS]

01:01:12   that like several titles that have been [TS]

01:01:14   recommended recently but this is the [TS]

01:01:17   itinerary but Lisa tells me segment I [TS]

01:01:21   subscribe to that mailing list please [TS]

01:01:23   read the shinies jewel please give Mary [TS]

01:01:24   Ann Handley some money at such great [TS]

01:01:26   book but i did stumble across hardback [TS]

01:01:32   copies of the adaptation of stephen [TS]

01:01:34   king's the stand on in a comic book [TS]

01:01:38   store they were all like half off except [TS]

01:01:40   that I grabbed up the entire run except [TS]

01:01:43   for the last one that's the 1i still [TS]

01:01:45   need to track down so I've been you know [TS]

01:01:47   rereading that the stand is one of my [TS]

01:01:49   all-time favorite novels ever ever ever [TS]

01:01:51   and its really interesting having of [TS]

01:01:56   course read the original book and read [TS]

01:01:57   Stephen King's expansion of his original [TS]

01:01:59   book we put all the stuff you have to [TS]

01:02:01   cut out back in arm and of course there [TS]

01:02:03   was the miniseries a number of years ago [TS]

01:02:05   and now to read the graphic novel [TS]

01:02:08   version on and to see what things get [TS]

01:02:11   emphasized and what things get put away [TS]

01:02:12   is [TS]

01:02:13   a rather interesting exercise in medium [TS]

01:02:18   and what things get directed in which [TS]

01:02:21   way when you change medium so that's [TS]

01:02:24   been an interesting experiment reading [TS]

01:02:25   through those and for me I'm going to [TS]

01:02:27   recommend one I I to have sort of slow [TS]

01:02:30   down i'm reading some of the same stuff [TS]

01:02:31   is always always have talked about [TS]

01:02:32   before but i found now I knew this came [TS]

01:02:35   out but it's now coming out on Marvel [TS]

01:02:37   unlimited it's a mini series of five [TS]

01:02:41   issue i think miniseries called x-men [TS]

01:02:44   colon worst X man ever [TS]

01:02:48   this is written by Max Bemis who is the [TS]

01:02:51   lead singer and creative force behind [TS]

01:02:53   the punk band say anything which is [TS]

01:02:55   actually I'm a big fan of that band and [TS]

01:02:58   his pizza his songwriting but it's [TS]

01:03:01   hilarious [TS]

01:03:01   it's a guy obviously this is a guy who [TS]

01:03:03   has spent a lot of his life reading [TS]

01:03:05   x-men comics and this is the story of a [TS]

01:03:08   guy named bailey kid named bailey who [TS]

01:03:10   discovers he's a mutant and his power is [TS]

01:03:13   really dumb and single-use because it [TS]

01:03:15   will kill him if he uses it and yet he [TS]

01:03:19   has to live around all the x-men in the [TS]

01:03:21   in the school and what does that mean [TS]

01:03:25   for him how do you live life when you're [TS]

01:03:26   a mutant but not a good one uh and it's [TS]

01:03:31   it's very funny and silly and I and it [TS]

01:03:34   looks great i think michael walsh is the [TS]

01:03:37   artist but next be mrs. worst x-men ever [TS]

01:03:41   check it out especially if you're on [TS]

01:03:42   Marvel unlimited okay but we're yeah [TS]

01:03:45   check it out you you may find it maybe [TS]

01:03:47   why he absolutely why it turns out he [TS]

01:03:49   has to live at the Savior school is [TS]

01:03:52   horrible and also laugh-out-loud funny [TS]

01:03:54   so yeah check it out [TS]

01:03:56   all right I think we've reached the end [TS]

01:03:59   and let me thank my panelists for for [TS]

01:04:02   talking about Astra city and also for [TS]

01:04:04   controlling me into reading after city [TS]

01:04:06   because I wouldn't have done it if it [TS]

01:04:08   weren't for this podcast I'm very happy [TS]

01:04:09   that I did chance on it thanks for being [TS]

01:04:11   here [TS]

01:04:12   always a pleasure David lower thanks for [TS]

01:04:14   continuing to agitate for Astro City [TS]

01:04:16   until finally we did it and and now i [TS]

01:04:19   can take a bus ride to Alaska so you [TS]

01:04:21   know and that's good yeah Tony sindelar [TS]

01:04:24   Batman the real Batman is not a vampire [TS]

01:04:26   uh probably not okay thank you very much [TS]

01:04:30   at all right [TS]

01:04:31   yeah but doesn't mean he couldn't be one [TS]

01:04:33   someday he spends a lot of time around [TS]

01:04:35   bats so it works really hard you get [TS]

01:04:38   rabies from this probably more likely [TS]

01:04:39   rabbit actually well you know a lot of [TS]

01:04:42   people trace of vampire mythology two [TS]

01:04:45   forms of rabies [TS]

01:04:46   that's a fact you didn't ask for good [TS]

01:04:48   job Tony and Lisa Schmeisser thank you [TS]

01:04:50   thank you had a great time [TS]

01:04:52   alright thanks every other for listing [TS]

01:04:53   we will see you next time goodbye [TS]

01:04:55   goodbye nerds [TS]

01:05:11   kurt busiek Kurt Kurt it's pronounced [TS]

01:05:17   hurts it's pronounced ok [TS]