M6p: Marvel 616 Politics

Episode 018 - Blah Blah Blah! We all know it is an new era with heroes and villains clearly defined with little or no guesswork. Great. But what does this mean for ME?!? t means that we will know exactly what evil is and what evil looks like. And really, what's more evil than vampires? And I'm not talking about any sissy glittery grey "kiss me kill me" vampires either. We're talking DRACULA and the rest of his merry men. Sure we saw a precursor in a little title called "Captain Britain and the MI:13, but no one read that craptacular book...did they? SAYS WHO!?! I read it, dang it! I read it and hated every minute of it. I suffered and agonized and nearly enjoyed it too. Eh, well...whatever. I guess we all have our own crosses to bear. (Tee Hee. I cracked a funny) But aside from the waxing undead, we have bigger fish to fry. The Avengers are jumping from rooftop to rooftop celebrating their much needed rest from the past couple years...only to find Kang...making empty promises with candy-flavored doomsday d

Episode 017 - It is the End of an Era. We all know this. We all mourn this. We all celebrate this. It is a time of jubilation, a time of mourning, a time of singing and merriment, a time of gnashing of teeth. A time where we can't even recognize the Hulk universe; where the X-Men are fighting for survival, where mega-events are overshadowed by smaller, tightly compacted story events; where Spider-Man is immature and hated; where the space opera is uncertain but continual; where younger heroes are being trained to uphold the ideas of the previous generation; where no one knows or cares what is happening to Ghost Rider and the Immortal Iron Fist. Wait--this is...this is just like the last era. This so-called Heroic Age is a crock!! How much for the book?!? There's one...two...three different titles I have to buy to kick this off? Cheese and Rice! Alright. Breathe. Just breathe. I'm not focusing on that. I'm here to talk about the END of the era. Dark Reign, Siege, Dark Avengers, New Avengers. All these thing

Episode 016 - There comes a time in every super hero's life where they need to fish or cut bait. Crap or get off the pot. Put their money where there mouth is. Practice what you preach. Turn or burn. Believe or deny. I--I think I'm getting off track here. The question then boils down do you believe in Hope or don't you? Would you give your life for the life of the Savior of Mutanity? Sure, we all feel this way. I know I'd give my sixth two on my left foot and my fourth eye and even smision (that's my seventh sense) for a chance to protect Hope. All that being said, however, the last question still remains: WHY WHY WHY Nightcrawler!?!?!?!?!?! Yyle (Kyle and Yost), you torment us with doubt anguish and the salty discharge that are my tears. We--we care. And even though we couldn't really ask them our question, Jarid lent us his uncanny ability to channel the writers so that we could get extremely close to the truth...well, close enough. Hope you enjoy. Until next time, Make yours Marvel 616 Politics!

Episode 015 - Do we really have to get into how we name the episodes? I mean, it's not that complicated. I edit them, then you listen and you say, "Oh, that's what he meant when he named this stinky little number." (I know you don't really say that thing about the stinkiness of the show. I know you are more respectful than that, but....nevertheless, I digress.) My point is that you should take careful notice of this title. I could have named it any number of titles that would most likely offend myself, my co-host, or most likely any number of minority AND majority groups out there. The bottom line is that whether you're Democrat, Republican, the Green Hulk, the Red Hulk, or some blue guy that is made up by Loeb's daughter--you may find yourself leaving our fan base. We loved to have you and well, you can at least walk away knowing some of our deepest darkest fears and desires. WHAT!!??!! NAHHH, I'm just joshin' ya! Everything is pat. Go on and enjoy the episode. And until next time, make yours: Marvel

Episode 014 (pt2) - Black Panther and the Tina's

Episode 014 (pt1) - It's a sad, sad day when Andy has to threaten the very life of Tina Turner. But, alas, that day has come. Through malice and anger and strife, Andy has laid down the proverbial gauntlet and invited the star of our show (Tina, not Jarid) into Thunderdome. Two men enter....you get the idea. Unfortunately Andy is a bit too chicken to take on the Titaness in all her resurrected glory and so he has tapped the stupendous Storm to take her to task. (I'm really trying with the alliterations, guys.) Anyway...join us as we discuss the epic events of the Marvel 616 and try to reconcile the dual lives that all comic fans live: that of fiction and real-life deadlines. And for those of you that all experience "missing time" between issues of Incredible Hercules...seek help. Thanks and until next time, Make yours Marvel 616 Politics!!!

Episode 013.5 - Raw Clips with Andy: I will be brutally honest: After our battle over the Tea Party Captain America episode, Jarid and I were just not into being friends anymore. The rest of the show felt forced and convoluted. We tried to resolve our differences, and we tried to stand each other…but I just couldn't take that smug son of a gun any longer. So, as we cool off in our own corners we'll throw the extras, left overs, clips, etc., to you whilst you still care about our opinions. (Remember us as you listen through our gnashed teeth and the clenched fists, and remember that we will always stay together…for the listeners. For YOU!)

News Flash! Special Report! And all that jazz… Alright, Jarid and I have had our disagreements in the past, sure, but this time that liberal commie has gone too FAR!! Oh, wait…I'm the liberal, you say? Regardless, join us this episode as we delve into the media firestorm that is Captain America #602. Is the Tea Party racist? Are they too angry? Is Marvel a den for liberal media? Is the term Tea Bagger offensive? This is where the rubber meets the road and tempers begin to flare. Eh, let's not kid ourselves. We're all friends in the Comic Book community (except those DC duds), so we could never let a silly thing like politics get in the way.

Join us and the Body Politic as we reach further down into the depths of Jarid's true hate of the Sentry and all he stands for…no, what? I'm not jaded…I'm just a little *sniff*…I got something in my eye. No, it's true. Jarid hates the Sentry with a passion, but that doesn't stop us from following his CRAZY antics in Siege issues 1 and 2. Will Osborn survive? What will finally unite all the heroes? What will make the Dark Reign crumble and usher in the new Heroic Age that Marvel is keeping from us?

Someone just had to do it. Somebody just HAD to burst our bubble. Someone had to make Red Hulk fit into 616 continuity so tightly that it would now be impossible for us to untangle ourselves. But let's face it, we knew it was coming. You'd be kidding yourself if you thought that Marvel was just going to let Jeph Loeb do his own thing without at least trying to reconcile it to the rest of the Marvel U. And that someone is Jeff Parker. Jeph, Jeff…I think I see where this is going now…"The FAll of the Jepfs"…or however you would spell that. Along with our review of Fall of the Hulks Alpha, we give our take Siege: The Cabal, the disappointments of Steve Roger's return as well as an approving nod to the Marvel editorial team for being "on the level" as they say. ALSO, let us not forget the fabulous return of the TINA AWARDS!! Oh, and as per Jarid's request we have a picture of Andy's tattooed fingers. Enjoy!!

The Future is Now!!! Here at Marvel 616Politics we encourage you to take the future by the horns. Live your life. Grab the bull by the horns. Be existential– WHOA! Don't get carried away now. Slow down there Cyclops! Sure we've had our fun, our gripes, and our separate interests; but this year (20 X, as we have taken to calling it) we put all that aside for the sake of unity. And what better way to encourage this type of togetherness than laying the smack down on some of our favorite 2009 covers and their artists. I'm not gonna even lie. It gets pretty violent as we step out on faith and open up our innermost thoughts to each other on the high points of this past year and what we hope to see in 20 X.

Alright, I'm telling you right now. You need to be positive about this episode. Just as Jarid and I are trying to be positive about arguably the worst things about the 616, so too should you give this a chance. Join us as we have a Q and A session concerning some of the most awesomest corners of the Marvel U. Everything from Slott's Mighty Avengers to Mark Millar's flights of fancy. NOTE: This podcast was recorded at 8000Hz instead of our usual 44100Hz. Sorry about the loss of fidelity.

There, there. It's alright. It's okay. Yes, the sad truth is that Dark Reign is coming to a close soon, but there is a Silver Lining: The List is FINALLY OVER!! Now we can all do away with the mediocrity of event tie-ins and concentrate on conquering our event fatigue. Hold on, let me get a Gatorade. Whew! Thank you, electrolytes!!! This episode brings you controversy and riots over the satisfaction of The List, the art of Necrosha, and the promise of the DoomWar. Finally that good-for-nothing so-and-so will get what's coming to him! Also, we all learn a lesson from Jarid about flashing the old wedding ring during those "awkward" moments. Enjoy!

Sometimes it's just good practice to take a minute, sit back, and take stock in what you've been blessed with. And with Thanksgiving just around the corner, what better time than now to examine exactly how blessed we all are that we aren't married, engaged, or even dating shape-shifting mercenaries, weather goddesses, or even furry tiger-tailed bikini-clad heroes? (Not to say, these things are bad…I mean, it's okay if that's who you are, right? Eh? Whatever.) My point should be obvious, there's a lot going on in the 616 right now that brings the terror yet piques the interest. Tales of intrigue, murderous planning, and ominous resurrections.

Hello all you rabid listeners with your clawed hands and your glistening teeth…oh yes, we see you (and here you too). Since this is our long week and the next episode will come out sometime next week, we've decided to throw you some scraps, eh um "clips" of our last episode. We can see a little bit more of what Jarid's about and how his life and feelings of Tina have changed over the years. Now we know that you will be disappointed that it isn't LONGER, BIGGER, BETTER, and with more EXPLOSIONS…but that's just a gimmick. OH yes, we have you on the hook and we'll promise more than we can deliver just to keep you there…here…or wherever. The point is: enjoy. Excelsior!

"You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of words and art, but of mindlessness. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the sign post up ahead, your next stop…Spider-Man: Brand New Day!" That's right! The Body Politic is traveling to another dimension. Yes, the 616 is still our destination, but it's not what we remember. Will we recapture the awe, the experience, the nostalgia? Or will we create new, more vivid memories of times that have not happened but apparently should have? Either way, Jarid and Andy discuss the new status quo of our favorite Web-Head, as well as the finer points of J. Scott Campbell's work: Black Cat's butt! Excelsior!

Complain, complain, complain. Sometimes it's just good to get it out in the open. But, to be fair, you should always try to find the silver lining. I mean, if the Wolverine title is no longer in continuity then maybe it will be good as a "What If" book. Sure Incredible Hercules isn't really on issue number 135, but at least it only focuses on Herc every other issue. And yeah, the List isn't all its cracked up to be, but at least the stories have the common thread of Norman in them, even if everyone else is out of character. And last but not least, sure the school that Jarid works at is infested with killer bees, bed bugs, and swine flu; but at least it's not YOUR school! Join us as we talk about these things and more including a review of Dark Avengers/ Uncanny X-Men - Exodus, New Avengers 57, and The List. Excelsior

Disney buys the House of Ideas, but is this really the coup of the century? Jarid and Andy discuss the possible pros and cons of the acquisition as well as "getting back" to basics with the New Avengers and the lip-licking fun of X-Force 18. We also discuss the multiple threads of the 616 spanning the Core, to the X-Men and on to the Cosmic front and how it all fits together. All this and Jarid's forgiveness of Ike lead us to our five Tina's for the week. Do you agree or disagree with our choices. Let us know! Excelsior

What makes a man? Does Marvel know? Do we know? Does anyone know? The lines of masculinity blur as we discover a mutual love to "break it down" in the middle of the cereal isle, discuss the rippling muscles of Ares God of War, and repulse ourselves over the "Namor/Norman Shower Scene" faux pas.

Reviews and Summaries. Talking about going back to work for the school year as well as dealing with my first visit to the ER as a father. Spider-Man #600 X-Force #17 Immortal Weapons #1 Thunderbolts #134 Captain America: Reborn #1, New Avengers #55