Screw It, We're Just Gonna Talk About Spider-man

The Born Again saga begins jumping from character to character faster and faster, but Miller's taut prose and Mazzuchelli's deft art keep everything feeling smooth. Matt is healing, Ben Urich is scared and the not scared, Karen is on the run and then not on the run and Foggy has a bowling ball. We talk about how fearsome the Kingpin is despite his ridiculous habit of beating up scores of employees in karate gis. The Daily Bugle scenes are so beautiful and cinematic that you almost want the whole comic to take place there. And we make an argument that drug dealer/murderer Paolo is the accidental hero of some twisted version of this tale. --               SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

Because of the new Moon Knight television show, the Milksops do a crash course in to the comics portrayal of Moon Knight, a character neither of them know that well! After an admittedly fast and intense few days of reading, we give our first impressions of most of the different incarnations of the characters. But that's tough because the characters has been rebooted many times in very different ways. The original incarnation was an impassioned but scattered story of a mercenery resurrected (maybe) by an Egyptian god to do good. Along with multiple secret identities, a confusing array of allies and assistants, and a dark past -- the ingredients were set for the multiple reboots that followed. Your hosts see Moon Knight get labelled with interesting facets: multiple personality disorder, an insistance that villains "see him coming," a duty to protect travellers at night, loyalty to his Jewish heritage. A fun, complicated, constantly changing character. We hope you enjoy our guide! --               SHOW INFORMAT

Despite some very big limitations and shortcomings, Born Again stands out as an incredible achievement of monthly comic book creation. Each issue is tense, interesting, has surprising developments, humor, character moments, ending in a terrific cliffhanger. Writer Frank Miller is excellent at taking characters you know and exaggerating them to more powerful versions of themselves. Kingpin is not just a crime lord, he's an imposing terrifying figure of doom. Murdock/Daredevil is not just a run-of-the-mill good guy, but a man who is unable to quit even when he loses his mind. Ben Urich is a tough-as-nails reporter commtted to getting the truth -- so what does it feel like when he gets truly scared? Karen Page is the well-known misfire in this story -- she's all damsel in distress with little personality other then begging Matt to save her. But for 1986, you can see that this run blew away its peers for presenting an exciting can't-wait-for-next-issue story. --               SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItCom

Professor Xavier is a jerk, says Kitty Pryde and X-Nation agrees, or at least the Milksops agree. We are into the beautiful Paul Smith epoch of the Claremont era of the X-books and things are cooking. We've got the final showdown with the Brood as the X-Men meet the New Mutants, Kitty (once again) proving herself to be worth of X-man status, and then a very cool and fun adventure in the sewers as the X-Men meet the Morlocks. The Milksops love these issues, and we can't believe how far we've come! We're almost up to the Secret Wars! Plus we get a great email from a fellow alumnus of our high scool, where the mascot was improbably a giant hat. --               SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

The Milksops can't stop obsessing over Frank Miller, so we're going from Dark Knight Returns to Frank's awesome return to Marvel's Daredevil: the Born Again stories. Along with artist David Mazzuchelli, this seven part Daredevil story is one of the greatest Daredevil stories ever and one of the great Marvel comics stories. The Kingpin finds out that Daredevil is really Matt Murdock and so he... ruins Matt Murdock's life. What could be a simple one or two issue story becomes a prolonged exploration of what makes Daredevil truly a hero. We see Matt Murdock go completely insane, Foggy Nelson being a new love affair, Karen Page go on a doesnt-age-that-well struggle with drug addiction, Ben Urich stand up for getting the true story no matter what the cost -- all wrapped up in taut, lively compelling crime fiction. Oh, and the best cliffhangers in the biz! --               SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

Brood, Brood and more Brood. The X-Men find themselves in an impossible situation when they realize that a hostile alien force has planted eggs inside of their bodies, and the only way to stop the hatching is to die! Luckily they find a simple (not) solution involving the prophet/singer leader of a fleet of peaceful space whales, spirtual bonds that heal bodies, and a rogue dragon who eats eggs. Paul Smith starts his run as artist for the X-Men and it's a great fit right away. Also Professor X gets ready to begin the New Mutants. Will is more sympathetic to the good parts of recent stories, wheras Kevin has had it with The Brood taking up so many issues. They discuss if an unenjoyable run on a comic makes the comic as a whole bad. --               SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

The final issue of the Dark Knight Returns brings a showdown that maybe only Frank Miller was asking for: Batman takes down Superman. We see a very Batman-centered view of Superman: a sellout, a toady, an obstacle. Superman meanwhile saves the lives of millions and is rewarded with an order to capture Batman. We see Gotham collapse into utter chaos when a nuclear bomb takes away all power in the city. Batman resorts to old tech to rally the mutants and Sons of Batman to put away the guns and restore order. The Green Arrow, now with one arm, wants to help take down Supes. Yindel has a change of heart. Carrie Kelly helps Batman carry out the ultimate con. As we turn the last page, we realize Batman - the story, the character, the myth -- will never be the same again. --               SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

Batman doesn't kill. But should he? Frank MIller's portrayal of the Joker puts this question to the test after the Clown Prince of Crime begins a murder spree in already-collapsing Gotham. Also we see glimpses of Superman, who is forbidden from being talked about on the news. We see the old mutant gang decalre themselves to be the violent sons of Batman. New Commission Yindel makes no bones about this: Batman is a criminal and should be put in jail. The stakes keep going up up up! Oh yeah, there's also creepy flying doll bombs who have full personalities? --               SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

The X-Men stories are getting so complicated it's tough to summarize correctly. But basically we've got: a quick fight against Dracula (no big), a demon who pulls Illyana into limbo for 6 or 7 years, Professor X remembering that he and Magneto were once allies and then shaking off a coma, and the beginning of a showdown against the increasingly horrifying (to the Milksops) Brood. Kevin is still a bit "meh" on how disorganized the stories are but Will sees that the characters' back stories are being improved and strengthened for the next era of X-Comics. Plus we get a great trivia game in our mailbag, questions about villains, and some corrections! --               SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

Issue 2 of this seminal series is the only one that features a wholly original villain: the hyper-violent, extra-brutal leader of the Mutant Gang. Batman gets a new Robin: the extremely fun and optimistic Carrie Kelly. We also see the Bat-Tank version of the Batmobile, and get hints of a SUPER guest to come later in the story. This Kevin's favorite issue and Will's second-favorite. Can the Milksops survive such a disagreement (yes, it's no big deal). --               SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

The Starjammers are back and things get confusing! It's something to do with a missing possibly kidnapped Princess Lilandra, and a coup among the Shi'ar, and also some villains called The Brood, and also Scott's dad is back (again), and Kitty hacks into computer and there's a living ship which is a brain-dead space-whale, and also.... we meet soon-to-be X-Man Rogue! In the mailbag, we get corrected for mis-remembering the source cartoon of Horny Wolf, and consider a Doom solo movie. --               SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

The Milksops begin their in-depth look at THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, the 1986 Batman story by Frank Miller (and Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley) that changed the character and all of superhero comics forever. We get into: the violence, the density, the intelligence, the fun (yes, this bleak world has a lot of joy in it), the tons of captions, what it was like for Kevin to read this as a wee lad. We also get into the legacy, the influence, and the absolute enormous HIT this was at the time. Takes us about 25 minutes before we actually start discussing the issue and frankly I think we were rushing. --               SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

Hilarious Correction Department: it's Emma FROST not Emma STONE. Anyway: A rival school for mutants drafts Kitty Pryde, and Storm switches bodies with Emma Frost. Plus a cute fairy tale that charmed Will and kinda was okay to Kevin, plus the Starjammers returns as Cyclops (again?) remembers the story of his father. In our mail, we are shamed for not mentioning the Daredevil cameo in "No Way Home" plus we have to pick the worst X-Men villains and Will just sys Galactus? Go to shortboxed.com/screwit to win a copy of a 2018 pressing of Dark Knight Returns #1 signed by Frank Miller and Klaus Jansen! --             SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

The Milksops convene for a emergency episode to discuss their feelings on the new Spider-Man movie "No Way Home." Big spoilers starting at about 10 minutes in -- we warn you. Among topics discussed: Kevin balancing his wishes for MCU Spidey versus him actually enjoying the movies, fan service vs good story, the many redemption arcs for actors in this film, ranking all Spider films, what moments made our respective audiences burst out with applause and more! --           SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

Magneto is back and badder than ever! Wait, no, maybe he's good! No, he's bad! Anyway: he's fun. The post-Byrne era continues. Claremont likes off-panel big events and big emotional reactions, even if these are completely different emotional reactions than happened the previous issue! In the mailbag, we talk about what we should cover after X-Men, the tragic news about George Perez and his gracious handling of it, comics of the early 2000s and how to pronounce "Darkseid." --           SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

We take a break from the superheroes with this one. Actor/writer Ben Rodgers (Lower Decks, Workaholics) joins the Milksops to discuss the indie comic classic Eightball, specifically issue #11. Eightball, written and drawn by Dan Clowes, was an anthology comic that featured a mix of short brutally hilarious pieces, surreal genre stories, longer more grounded explorations of every-so-slightly grotesque characters, mixed in a with lots of commentary on pop culture and our relationship to it! All with amazingly well done art. Ben, who once aspired to draw comics himself, is a passionate reader of lots of different comics and we loved talking with him about what he loves about Dan Clowes. --           SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

Five more Claremont X-Men issues. We say goodbye to John Byrne with a cracker of Kitty Pryde story, followed by a Man-Thing story (the most awkwardly named Marvel character ever), followed by Cockrum Era Part II -- which means more Nightcrawler, kids! We are still loving these X-Men stories, so expect more. We also get into the mailbag, where we get helpful comments about the Dr. Doom story we read with Chris Gethard, and thoughts on the new Spidey movie and more! --         SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

We're joined by Brett White, a writer for Decider.com, former employee of Wizard magazine and deeply devoted life-long X-fan. Brett gets into his passionate defense of X-Factor #84 and X-Force in general! Early and mid-90s Marvel gets criticzed a lot these days, but Brett explains about what made this time period special. We get into the X-Men cartoon on Fox that drew so many fans to the comic, and what Brett doesn't like about the current run of X-books. The Milksops maybe disagree with many of Brett's finer points on comics but we love him and love how well he descirbes and defends his viewpoint. Enjoy! --       SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

The hits keep on coming! The Milksops have reached another X-Men milestone: the two-issue story "Days of Future Past." This is where we see an adult Kathryn Pryde in the future journey back to our present to prevent an mutant apocalypse. Written by artist John Byrne (with dialogue and some key plot points altered by Claremont), this story is a legendary chapter in the X-Verse. Will loves it, Kevin... mostly likes it? We also dive into our mailbag, where we talk crossovers, behind the scenes of X-Comics, and a possible Fancy Dan appearance in the Venom-movie-verse. --     SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify

Chris Gethard (Beautiful/Anonymous, Planet Scum, Half My Life special on Amazon Prime) returns to discuss a gem of a graphic novel from 1989: Dr. Strange and Dr. Doom - The Triumph and The Torment. We also get into: a old issue of FF the Gethard has acquired, whether or not Kevin and Will appreciate the X-Men the way they do the FF, Byrne / Claremont / DeMatties as interview subjects, Mark Gruenwald's run on Captain America, the impact of an FF movie on the MCU, The New Warriors, a tiny bit of UCB/improv history and the impact of graphic novels themselves! --     SHOW INFORMATION Twitter: @ScrewItComics Instagram: @ScrewItComics Email: ScrewItComics@gmail.com Subscribe: Apple Podcasts Subscribe: Spotify