Cover B Podcast: Recent Episodes
Tee & Chris, Your Weekly Comic Book Nerds
Join hosts Chris & Tee on this weekly comic book & nerdy entertainment focused podcast! They’ll share their views on brand new issues of your favorite comic titles, update you on important entertainment and nerd news, and provide comedic relief for about an hour at a time. Subscribe today and never miss another episode of Cover B Podcast!
Not sure whether to see the new superhero movie that just hit theaters? Check out Cover B’s ‘REEL EXTRA’ episodes, where they review the newest blockbusters right after they release. Get honest opinions in both spoiler-free and full-spoiler sections, letting you decide whether the film is worth it (or definitely worth waiting for RedBox).
Looking for something new to read? Cover B has you covered with segments like the Secret Shortbox, where we offer alternative comic book reads based off your favorite authors, or Graphic Novelties, where we review original trade paperback releases you may have never heard of before.
Want some hard-hitting debates on your favorite nerdy IPs? Check out Cover B’s segment Key Issues, where Chris and Tee discuss polarizing issues from the entertainment space, like toxic fandom and lackluster cross-over events.
When you spend as much time as we do reading, thinking about, arguing over, and theorizing on comics, it helps to get it all out on a regular basis. Cover B Podcast – your weekly comic book & nerd entertainment podcast!
Subscribe to Cover B Podcast for weekly episodes and visit coverbpodcast.com for more information about the show’s hosts and previous episodes. You can also follow us on social media - Facebook and Twitter - @coverbpodcast!
Coming into this film, we knew it was going to be a challenge to try and top the original, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. But hot damn, they achieved. Incredible art, an engaging storyline, cameos and references and fan service, oh my! It's like watching the live-action world blend with the comic world in a majestic symphony. Well done, Sony (but don't get comfortable, we still know what you did to Morbius...).
Graphic Novelties: Cuckoo Oh snap, we've got another Joe Sparrow graphic novel, and this one is quite a bit thicker and meatier than Homunculus, but still in the same sci-fi vein. Our main character, Dorothy, goes through something strange and unexplainable when she's a child, and it isn't until much later, when she's struggling with college and her future and what she really wants to do with herself, that it comes back to have a significant impact. Less of a coming-of-age, and more a coming-to-terms-with, being an adult is hard and no one articulates some of those weird feelings better than Dorothy. It's supernatural, it's weird, it's beautifully drawn - this book hits on some heavy topics in a powerful way that feels relatable and inspiring. Go get this book!
It's weird, it's creepy, it's kind of gross at times - it's very Junji Ito. Early in 2023, Netflix launched a new anime dedicated to the story-telling style you know and love from the horror king himself. Featuring some familiar faces, as well as some stories you may not know, it's a compilation of macabre with some hits, some misses, and some icky bits to keep you up at night. If you're into his style, it's definitely worth a watch.
Graphic Novelties: Homunculus There's been a lot of talk about AI lately - some exciting, some scary, some that seems straight out of a science fiction novel. What's so interesting about Homunculus by Joe Sparrow is that it tackles AI head-on, but not in the "what happens when we get overtaken by robots and they enslave us all" angle we see so frequently, but more in a "what happens when humans inevitably destroy themselves, and leave all this AI behind?" It's a deeply emotional, but also uplifting and hopeful take on our relationship with artificial intelligence that left me all up in my feels.
In all honesty, Marvel hasn't felt quite on their game lately. The majority of the recent films have felt just okay and a couple even outright disappointed us (looking at you Thor... sigh...).
Not this one. An emotional rollercoaster that can absolutley wreck your tear ducts, this one is well written, well directed, well acted, and serves as an incredible finale to the Guardians' storyline. Definitely go see it, but also come well prepared with a box of tissues.
Powered Gaming: Marvel Snap RIGHT, SO, we took a bit of a break because we MOVED! We weren't totally planning on taking a break, but between the busy-ness of it all, and the lack of internet for multiple weekends in a row, it just sort of worked out that way. ANYWAY, Tee got all wrapped up into Marvel's fancy TCG, and decided to spend an episode trying to convince Chris to play it. Is she successful? Probaably not. But you'll have to listen to know for sure!
Graphic Novelties: The Passageway Beautiful, ethereal, metaphorical - it's not a very long book, and it doesn't say a ton, but the vagueness adds to the eerie strangeness. A new tale in the Bone Orchard mythos from Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino, the endless depths of a hole on an island by a lighthouse leaves way more questions than answers. Of course, this all adds up to some quality creepy horror.
Sometimes, a movie that has smaller ambitions gives us a bigger payout, and that's exactly how it feels with Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Rather than trying to build a whole new universe, this movie is telling a straightforward story with a relatively contained cast, and it makes all the difference for the fun, relatable narrative.
Children's programming can be really hit or miss; sometimes it leans too crass and silly, sometimes it leans too adult and isn't entirely appealing for kids. Moon Girl, on the other hand, nails the balance perfectly. Beautifully animated, brilliantly acted, and a killer soundtrack, we are anxiously awaiting season 2!
Graphic Novelties: Jenny Finn It's Industrial England, heavy topics, and a bunch of fish people. Sure, not something you pick up every day, but this read has that distinct Mignola flavor that brings wide-spanning themes altogether. The story isn't necessarily ground-breaking, but it's a quick, interesting read that is as much an ambience piece as anything else.
You know, it feels really good to be able to come here and talk about a Marvel movie and actually feel really happy with the outcome. After a couple real bummer-inos, this new installment of Ant-Man introduced some really great characters, some long-lasting villain implications, and a good bit of depth to a majority of the established heroes. Heck, Marvel, it's almost like you DO know how to make a movie.
Key Issues: Navigating Fanship Around Problematic People We hate to bring in the raincloud, but we really felt this was something that needed to be discussed. There's been a lot of discourse around how to handle loving an IP or a book or movie when it becomes unfortunately connected to someone problematic. In today's Key Issues, we share where we draw the line for our own ethical consumption.
News Brief: The Gunnening 2: DC Boogaloo Holy heck, James Gunn just dropped a LOT of information on us about where the DCU is headed in a recent social video drop, and we've taken the time to process what it all means, decide what we're most excited about, and most importantly, pinpoint exactly which things we TOTALLY CALLED in our Coverspiracy from last December!
Powered Gaming: Munchkin Presents Batman There are a LOT of types of Munchkin - some work better than others, for sure, but this one is a pretty solid iteration of the fan-favorite game. With custom art, the traditional playful silliness, and a deep understand of what makes Batman so weird, this is a version definitely worth picking up.
Graphic Novelties: Chronophage This book, while definitely on the spicier side, is an excellent deviation from the more traditional sci-fi romps we've taken in recent comic titles. It's time travel, it's aliens, it's pocket universes - but also, none of those features feel like they overwhelm what's ultimately a story about love, family, and being honest to oneself. It gets pretty deep, but it's worth it, we promise.
Powered Gaming: Marvel Dice Throne If you listened to our end of the year "Best of" episode, you know that Chris's favorite board game of the year was Marvel Dice Throne. Well, now you get to find out why it's so great! From its portability, to its quick pace, to its easy to grasp gameplay, this is one of those games you'll want to pick up for the family ASAP!
Key Issues: The Best of 2022 It's the end of the year, and we're looking back on the best of the best in comics, graphic novels, movies, TV shows, video games, board games, and episodes. Let's get down and dirty on our top picks from 2022!
Coverspiracy: The Gunnening of DC Boy howdy, there's been a LOT of speculation around the future of the DCU! Rumors about who's in, who's out, who hates who, and what random characters may get introduced have been whirling wildly all over the internet, with only limited confirmations or denials coming from the Gunn-man himself. We're here to help clear up what's true, false, and undecided, along with our theories about what's next for the DC Cinematic Universe.
So, this movie came out almost 3 years ago at this point, but because of the dreaded panini, it really fell under the radar for most folks. We recently had a chance to check it out, and decided to share our thoughts on this pretty decent Vin Diesel flick that should have gotten way more love than it did. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong company, wrong circumstances.
Reel Extra: The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special We're not saying this short flick is going to replace your yearly rewatch of A Christmas Story, but it is a holly jolly joyful little romp to brighten your season. With the focus on Mantis, we get a delighfully goofy and heartwarming tale about saving Christmas for Starlord. Oh, and Kevin Bacon is awesome, even if he IS just a stupid actor.
Powered Gaming: Gotham Knights Gotham's missing a Batman in the new DC video game, but that's not the only thing this game is lacking. A very mid- experience; it has some high points in interesting crafting & crime-stopping, but some really low points in villain development and boss fights. Should you spend a lot on it? Probably not. But it might be worth a pick up on a steep Black Friday sale.
Reel Extra: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever There was a lot of speculation around how they would incorporate the loss of Chadwick Boseman and his rendition of T'Challa into the MCU, but it was done gracefully and with a lot of empathy. Beyond that, the movie itself is well done - great acting, beautiful visuals, and a solid story - even though there were some small but pronounced holes that could have made the film better with a little more fleshing out. More than anything, we're just proud the MCU has started to really figure out how to mix up the tone of their movies; we've come a long way from the Tony-Stark-ization of every character, and that's something to be celebrated, for sure.
Reel Extra: Black Adam I wouldn't say that the rock has brought something hugely new and different to the genre, but I would say he's helped create a super fun, action-packed popcorn movie that's definitely worth seeing on a big screen. Oh, and it DOES have some implications for the rest of the MCU so, you know, be ready for that.
Graphic Novelties: Dissolving Classroom It's our last episode for spooky season, and we're capping off with a goopy, gross, funny, and poignent title in Dissolving Classroom - the most recent anthology from one of Cover B's favorites, Junji Ito. It's weird and over-the-top, but still does a great job of calling out the ongoing trend of disingenuous apologies we see and experience a lot of the time. Get your candy, light your pumpkin, and join us for another spooky time!
Reel Extra: Werewolf By Night It's a Halloween spooky special from your fright-night friends at Cover B! This week we're covering the recently released Werewolf By Night, a Marvel & Disney+ short horror film that does an incredible job stylizing itself after the old-school genre films. You know, except randomly for the "not-TVA" folks. Which... well, we'll tell you all about it. Time for some spooks!
Key Issues: The Troublesome Journey from Comic to Screen It's been flop after failure-to-launch after cancellation when it comes to comic adaptations lately, and boy has it left some pretty big sticks in our collective craws. Today, we're talking about the three things that keep blocking the paths of comic IPs to the big or silver screens: a lack of marketing, good writing, and advocacy.
Graphic Novelties: Leone: Notes on a Life As two English majors talking about media on a weekly basis, it is super exciting when we get a graphic novel like this one that gives us something to really sink out teeth into. This book is beautiful, creative, subjective, and leaves so much up to the reader. From the use of color, to the nonsequential storytelling, to the subtle weaving of music the whole way through, this title has so much to offer. Definitely not one to miss!
Reel Extra: Paper Girls This episode is both necessary and super sad. You may have heard that the Prime Video adaptation of Paper Girls has already been cancelled after just one season. While it may not have been the best new show to drop this year, it was a solid rendering of the story and a lack of renewal is a huge loss of potential. Just another hit to comic-based TV... sigh.
Reel Extra: Revealer Grab your pumpkin spice lattes and Halloween soundtracks - it might only be September, but we're going full spooky season with this Shudder original, Revealer. Released with a comic promo/tie-in from Vault, get ready for an apocalyptic romp through the 80s, packed with religious zealotry and exotic dancers. This movie was super fun and we are REALLY hoping Shudder does more titles like this!
Graphic Novelties: The Girl and the Glim It's back to school season, so we thought we'd pick up a family-friendly graphic novel this time, and BOY did it deliver! A story about new schools, bullies, magical glowing wisps and evil shadow monsters, this book might be a little scary for the smallest of readers, but it offers a lot of joy and beautiful graphics for a younger age group.
Key Issues: The Power of Family The long-standing trope in comics has always been the death or demise of family - from Spider-Man's tragic loss of Uncle Ben, to Superman's whole dang planet exploding, a lack of family has often been a crutch for plot development. But lately, superheros are not only situated within happy families, but those relationships help provide major forward momentum for their heroism. We are BIG fans of keeping it in the family.
Graphic Novelties: Summer Fires Summer may be winding down for us, but in Summer Fires, by Giulia Sagramola, we get to start the summer all over again... the summer of two-thousand-(insert mumbled date here). But in all fairness, this story of youthful awakening, sisterhood, and learning to drive is a beautiful story set to beautiful color shading. The fires burn hot, but nothing burns hotter than adolescence.
Reel Extra: The Sandman From beautiful visuals, to incredible effects, to brilliant casting and dynamic portrayals, this is one of those adaptations we'll be talking about for a LONG time. Hey, HBOMax, if you need some advice... maybe you should be chatting up Netflix?
Cover B 2022 State of the Union This may not be the episode you were expecting, but we promise only good will come of it! We're changing things up with a format change, added blogs to our website, and even more content to our socials. It's an exciting time for Cover B!
Reel Extra: Thor: Love and Thunder This movie had one heck of a hype train behind it! Now that it's here, we've taken it upon ourselves to step out of summer break just to tell you that it's.... fine. Yep. It's... a movie... Damnit, Taika.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Sins of the Black Flamingo #1 * Public Domain #1 * Mindset #1
We're about to go on summer break for a month, but we're wrapping up this season of standard episode with three fantastic books, including a flamboyant noir, an attack on the MCU, and a venture capitalist getting offed with a fire extinguisher. What a week to go out on!
Graphic Novelties: Azimut This is one of the most clever, creative, inventive titles we've read in a very, very long time. A fantasy story that's not afraid to play with surealism, post-modernism, and utter chaos, this book has a little something for everyone. It's a big chongus of a read, too! Go get it! Go get it now!!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Do A Powerbomb #1 * A Calculated Man #1
We're working so hard to get back to a normal schedule, but as you can tell from Tee's voice, it's been easier said than done. But this week has a couple excellent new books, both with constant surprises around every page turn. Boom - necromancy out of nowhere! This is why we love comics.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Astronaut Down #1 * The Ballad of Ronan #1 * Aquaman: Andromeda #1 * Poison Ivy #1
Alright, so we might sound raspy and kind of groggy... but it's only because we are. Despite the illness among us, we're powering through because this week had some excellent comics we didn't want you to miss out on, including TWO whole books from DC worth mentioning!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Triskele #1 * Neverender #1
We're back, baby! And with a couple excellent indie titles about being swept onto adventure without ever seeing it coming.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Spectro (One-Shot)
Sorry we've been away for a while, off fighting transportation woes and technical difficulties, but we're BACK with an excellent vignette-style anthology of sci-fi, horror-y goodness.
Key Issues: Over-Powered Characters in Comics TO PREFACE we love Darth Vader and Doctor Aphra and Wolverine and Batman and Superman and all these folks as much as the next loud-mouthed podcast team. However, when a character is OP, or they constantly overcome challenges just by being themselves - their stories start to become predictable, and worse, boring. Let characters be good at stuff, but maybe not the BEST at everything they touch, okay?
Reel Extra: Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness It's got a really long name, but between some excellent acting, tasty horror vibes, and pure Sam Raimi goodness, there's a lot to enjoy about this movie. Do we have our qualms?... yeah, we do. What, did you think this was a Spider-Man movie or something?
Weekly Pull Highlights * Quests Aside #1 * Metal Society #1 * Twig #1 * Starward #1 * Past the Last Mountain #1
Tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day, but we can't even think about that right now with the huge load of excellent titles that already dropped this week! You've got some great reading ahead of you, folks!
Graphic Novelties: Children of the Woods There is something very -novel- about a book that subverts horror tropes and expectations to make something new and different. And yes, that was a pun, and no, I don't feel bad about it.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Blood Stained Teeth #1 * Vermillion #0
At this point, there have now been so many bad vampire books that the only ones left to make are good ones. At least, that's the theory we're going with.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Dark Beach #1 * Corollary #1 * Cancelled (One-Shot)
Please disregard the innevitable lawnmower noises in the background - we couldn't evade them, and now neither can you! But that didn't stop us from covering some very excellent space-age books this week.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Breakout #1 * Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #1
Tee may have no voice left, but the comic show must go on! Cover books from last week that we weren't able to share thanks to technical difficulties, this scary/scifi fare was not something to be missed.
Powered Gaming: Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga The newest edition to the Lego game saga is here, and it's a new take on old classics with the definitive Skywalker collection. Fun, family-friendly, and plenty of variety, this game has something for everybody.
Weekly Pull Highlights * STRGRL Ep. 01 * West of Sundown #1 * The Ocean Will Take Us #1
Look, comics don't HAVE to be bleak and depressing and drab. They can be colorful and playful and feature young people with powers and drama and OKAY, THERE'S ANOTHER VAMPIRE BOOK. SUE US.
Reel Extra: Morbius So, it's not the worst movie we've ever seen. In fact, it might even be better than Venom: Let There Be Carnage... but that doesn't mean it's good. Or even, really, okay. It's just sort of... well, it's kind of bad. Sony, why do you keep doing this to us?
Graphic Novelties: The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel Time for another very different Graphic Novelties - this time, we're focused on a book set in the Outlander universe. Having not read the original source material, we may not have gathered all the juicy context there was to be had, but that didn't hinder our enjoyment of this saucy Scottish tale.
Graphic Novelties: This Is A Taco This release from Oni Press is a children's book, but it's adorable, hilarious, and it's creative use of breaking the fourth wall is heckin' impressive. Come on a journey with us with Taco the Squirrel, who really loves tacos (don't we all?).
Weekly Pull Highlights * We Have Demons #1 * Ghost Cage #1
Whether it's building an entirely new mythos or developing a very different subgenre of manga, we're always impressed when boundries are pushed in comics. Also, where the heck did March go?!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Slumber #1 * Batman/Superman: World's Finest #1 * Playthings #1
Not every superhero story needs to be super deep, or super depressing, or super dramatic. Sometimes, it's just super people fighting bad guys and shaking hands. And honestly, we're totally into it.
Secret Shortbox: George Orwell What do you do if you're concerned about government domination and classist control? You read comics! Or, at least, we do. Anyway, we think Orwell would probably do the same, and these are probably some of the titles he'd choose to read!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Hit Me #1 * Little Monsters #1
We know we've talked a lot of trash about the amount of vampire books coming out recently, but the new title from Jeff Lemire proves that we CAN like vampires, you just have to do something interesting with them!
Reel Extra: The Batman There have been many movies about the Bat, but the new 3-hour spectacle from Matt Reeves is unafraid to take risks and do things the previous films haven't done, while staying very true to the comic source material. To say we were impressed is an understatement! However, when we say don't buy the big drink from concessions, we mean it...
Weekly Pull Highlights * Radio Spaceman #1 * Everything Sucks
There's something special in a story that knows it needs to end, and does so when it's supposed to, and doesn't drag out forever, and ever, and ever... Man, it's harder than it looks.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Step by Bloody Step #1 * Kingjira One Shot * Heavy Metal Drummer #1
The written word isn't the only way to tell a story, and these visual driven indie books are definitely proving that this week. From a vast story in another world, to a kaiju invasion on our home turf, there's all sorts of tales being told with no dialogue in sight (and we're super okay with that!).
Key Issues: The F-Word in Comics First of all, if you don't like hearing the F-word, this is probably not the episode for you (or the kiddos in your life)! This week, we're discussing how over-using the f-bomb doesn't really make you sound edgy, but it can make you sound like you don't actually know how people talk. Writers, there are better ways to get your point across, we promise.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Until My Knuckles Bleed #1 * QUAD: Terah & Elvis
The age of vampires might be ending, but the following trend is coming up very... yellow? It's not what it sounds like. But I guess you have to listen to know that!
Reel Extra: Marry Me It's not every day that we get to talk about a romantic comedy on the podcast, but heck, it doesn't get more appropriate than on Valentine's Day! And this one IS a comic book movie, just with a lot less punching (but still a fair amount of spandex...).
Weekly Pull Highlights * Suicide Squad: Blaze #1 * Cover of Darkness #1
Are we tired of vampires? Absolutely. Are we more forgiving when the story does really interesting, unique things and STILL incorporates vampires? Yeah, okay, fine, now you've gotten our attention.
Graphic Novelties: Maus We don't always discuss older graphic novels, but when this one recently came back into the news cycle (for all the wrong reasons), we thought it only appropriate that we cover this masterwork. A brilliant telling of a horrible period in history, we think everyone should have access to Maus - when we forget our history, we're doomed to repeat it.
Weekly Pull Highlights * New Men #1 * All Guts No Glory #1
What's this? Books from publishers we rarely ever talk about? Don't mind if we do! Excellent new titles from Action Lab and Zenescope. Didn't see that coming, did ya!
Powered Gaming: Sentinels of the Multiverse (Definitive Edition) It's an oldie, but a goodie, and now it's getting a definitive edition! Thanks to Kickstarter, we got a sneak peek at the new design and cool changes made to one of our all-time favorite board games. If you haven't played Sentinels, you are REALLY missing out.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Bolero #1 * Arrowsmith #1 * Batman the Knight #1
What an excellent chunk of new books this week! Romance with a science fiction twist, fantasy in a natural environment, and the awkward in-between years of Batman.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Rain #1 * We Ride Titans #1
We can't talk enough about the new title Rain, based off the short story by Joe Hill, and just how GOOD it is! The tension, the character development, the slow burn... it's rare to feel this affected by an event you know is coming from page one.
Graphic Novelties: Mafiosa It's rare to get the female perspective from a 1920's-based noir story, but this one gets right down in the thick of all the deep troubles you'd expect to be associated with being a woman in a gangster crime syndicate. It's pretty heavy, but pretty important, too.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Monkey Meat #1 * The Fourth Man #1
Welcome to a new year, and new type of noir! Instead of that old fashioned narrator looking back on our life, our focus character is... dead? We'll explain it all later, promise.
Coverspiracy: How Will the X-Men Enter the MCU? Brand new year, brand new segment! Introducing Coverspiracy, where we give our hair-brained theories and outlandish predictions about what's coming next in comics, movies, and more. This week, it's all about how we believe the MCU will introduce our favorite mutant crew into the universe.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Mega #1 * Swamp Thing: Green Hell #1
The year has come and gone (somehow very slowly and very quickly, all at once), but that doesn't mean we don't have a couple great books to ring in the new year with. We hope 2022 starts with the best possible scenario - lots of time to read!
Key Issues: Hollywood Hating on Superhero Films Why do so many in Hollywood find it necessary to diss superhero films? Directors, actors, filmmakers - you name it, celebrities of all calibers have decided it's the "posh" thing to do to hate on a whole subgenre of films that make millions of people around the globe, very, very happy. But why? We talk about the who, what, and why of these haters - and why they're inherently wrong for being so rude about the whole thing. Have an opinion, sure, but be kind, folks!
Powered Gaming: X-Men: Mutant Insurrection When was the last time you had a really great time playing a board game, DESPITE losing... a lot? We played this game a bunch of times, lost EVERY time, and STILL are ready to play it again. That's gotta be the best recommendation for a game, right?
Reel Extra: Spider-Man: No Way Home It's amazing. There, we said it. They learned from past mistakes, righted wrongs, and gave us all the well-executed fan service we so desperately deserved. Truly, Marvel did right by us this time, and now we (im)patiently wait for whatever the future may hold in the MCU.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Odin's Eye #1 * Cloaked #1 * Third Wave '99 #1
What's real and what's a fabrication? That's exactly what we're piecing through this week - whether it's the grey area between dream and reality, rumors and the truth, or the fiction of a book and the real-life happenings of our world.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Daisy #1 * Crimson Cage #1
There's nothing better than a modernized retelling of a classic, and this week, we (kinda) have two! From a professional wrestler dealing with his own Lady Macbeth, to what really happened to fallen angels, these books give us something to chew on.
Powered Gaming: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy It's been a hot minute since we've had a Powered Gaming! While we went in with relatively low expectations (we can only play as Starlord? really?), the resulting game from Eidos-Montreal was incredibly fun (despite the sometimes game-breaking bugs). A great depiction of characters we know and love, this is one we're glad we put on our to-play list.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons #1 * King of Spies #1 * Animal Castle #1
Tee's got a deep, sultry, post-bronchitis tenor going on, but the comic reviews rest for no one this week! This was a big week, especially if you're a fan of turning literature on it's head. Time for some post-turkey reading material!
Reel Extra: Injustice Did you even know this was released? We're gonna guess that's a no, since we barely found it out about it. Is it better than the game? Not really. Is it a bad flick? Not entirely. But we'll cover all of that, so maybe you don't have to go hunt this down in the local Redbox.
2021 Holiday Gift Guide What do you get for your favorite comic book reader? Well, we've got some ideas! From hard cover editions, to fancy Legos, to the nerdiest of jewelry, we have something for everyone in this year's edition of the holiday gift guide!
Secret Shortbox: William Shakespeare If ol' Willy S had a box of comics under his (or her...look it up!) writing desk, what do you think would be in there? We have a couple guesses - in fact, that's what this whole episode is about!
Graphic Novelties: Friday, Book One: The First Day of Christmas TP Do you remember all those Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books you used to read? This is like that, but like, grown-up, and much more focused on what it's like to BE a teen mystery machine, rather than just what happens TO a teen mystery machine.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Regarding the Matter of Oswald's Body #1 * What's the Furthest Place from Here #1 * Robin & Batman #1
Well, I'm not sure what your bingo card said for "next recurring theme in comic books," but if you've got "conspiracy theories," you've won tonight's free coupon for a dozen donuts from the Bigfoot bakery! Adios, vampires - we were sick of you anyway.
Reel Extra: Eternals Marvel finally dove head first into the weird IPs of Jack Kirby with Eternals! This movie has a lot going for it, from beautiful visuals to excellent acting, but stumbles over it's third act and suffers from tonal confusion. We get into the thick of it in this week's REEL EXTRA.
Weekly Pull Highlights * The Rush #1 * Newburn #1 * The Heathens #1 * The Human Target #1
Get your honorary whistles out, this episode is dedicated to all the many fan clubs we've built on Cover B! There's something for Chip's Ahoy, something for Bunn's Huns, even something for the Spurritos... look, we don't make the rules. These things just happen.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Refrigerator Full of Heads #1 * Nita Hawes' Nightmare Blog #1 * Catwoman: Lonely City #1
DC is having a good week! New Hill House horror with a follow-up to Basketful of Heads and an excellent new Catwoman title that shows an older, more relatable Selina. Plus, an extension to the Killadelphia world means we've got some really good reading for this week!
Graphic Novelties: After the Fall Remember the post-apocalyptic movies and video games from the 80s and 90s? This is just like those, but with beautiful art and a heartwarming ending. We'll get into the finer details in this week's short but sweet episode about After the Fall.
Weekly Pull Highlights * A Righteous Thirst for Vengeance * Dirtbag Rapture #1 * Intrusion (One-Shot) * Out #1
You can guarantee that if there's a book that takes place in WWII with Nazi's getting eaten by occult demons, we're gonna talk about it. That's how you KNOW it's a good week for comics. Oh, and there were a few other great ones, too.
Reel Extra: Venom: Let There Be Carnage A new Sony/Marvel movie collab, we finally get to see Carnage on the big screen! Even with all the excitement surrounding the film (including the biggest US opening of the pandemic), the movie is... fine? We have some qualms and some praise, but as Linkin Park so eloquently states, "in the end, nothing really matters..." (Spoiler Alert!)
Powered Gaming: Love Letter: Infinity Gauntlet We're away on a MUCH needed vacation, but we made sure to get a new episode ready to go during our break! We had the chance to sit down and play the Marvel-themed Love Letter iteration centered around the Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos, and it's super fun! A quick, lively romp (and Tee won twice!), you won't be disappointed when you pick this one up.
Graphic Novelties: Batman: The World Did you know that Saturday was Batman Day? It timed out beautifully for us to be able to highlight a brand new compilation all about Batman from a global perspective. We share our favorite stories from the book, but it's honestly an excellent read cover to cover. Here's to you, Brucey-boy!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Primordial #1 * Nobody's Child #1 * Harley Quinn: Eat Bang Kill Tour #1
An alternate history filled with conspiracies, a potential future filled with humans being terrible, and Harley Quinn joyriding. Don't you just love a week of comics?
Weekly Pull Highlights * Deadbox #1 * Mazebook #1 * Bountiful Garden #1
We've got a big theme of space in this episode, from the movie-in-a-comic in Deadbox, to the Space Case-meets-Alien vibe in Bountiful Garden, to the endless void built from grief in Mazebook. It's a lot, but it's really good, promise.
Reel Extra: Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Marvel is not messing around with Phase 4! We hit our local theater to see the new box office smash, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and it did NOT disappoint! The fight choreography is incredible, the storytelling is excellent, the acting is exceptional, and the magic is, well, magical. Let's get into it (and be advised, we do give a spoiler warning)!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Monster Kill Squad #1 * Pyrate Queen #1 * Almost American #1
Despite the ongoing battle Chris is fighting with Bad Idea comics & their vast array of gimmicks, we've got not one, but TWO books from them to cover this week, plus an excellent modern spy tale based on a true story.
Key Issues: Substack So you've heard that your favorite comic book creator is joining Substack - but what does that even mean? Substack is a newsletter publishing site that's recently courted some of the bigger names in comics. Does this spell the end for the print medium? Probably not, but we get into the nitty gritty of what this could mean for the industry and how it could affect your pull list.
Weekly Pull Highlights * St. Mercy #1 * Lifeformed #1 * Echolands #1 * Darkhawk #1
Brand new time, same great comic content (I mean, we think it's pretty okay, anyway)! This week we have a blast from the past, a book turned sideways, and a big twist (surprise! it's aliens) - not too bad for a Thursday, huh?
Graphic Novelties: Sensor Something a little different, we've got the brand new release from Junji Ito, and it's just as creepy as you're expecting! This new multi-chapter book from an absolute horror master covers all your scary bases: cults, bugs, natural disasters, eldritch gods - what else could you ask for?
Weekly Pull Highlights * Killer Queens #1 * Eat the Rich #1 * God of Tremors One Shot
Did you miss us? We're finally back from summer break with three awesome indie books that bring the retro-chic, the wealthy elite, and the Victorian bleak. It's good to be back, baby!
Reel Extra: The Suicide Squad We're back, baby! Welcome to season two of your favorite (we assume) comic and entertainment podcast! This week we took our keisters to the theater for the release of The Suicide Squad, and hot damn, was it worth it. A great mix of gruesome violence and heart-warming character development, suddenly you're grossed out and aww-ing at the cuteness all at the same time. It's a lot, but we cover it all!
Reel Extra: Black Widow It's the movie we were promised a decade ago, and hot damn it actually lives up to our expectations! Not necessarily a revelation in cinema, but a hellova fun ride and certainly the film Natasha deserves after a long-served tenure in the MCU. And can we just TALK about how fantastic Yelena is? Anyway, let's get into all deets!
Summer Break Archives - Worst Comic Couples Cover B is on summer break, but we'll be back with brand new episodes in August. In the meantime, were sharing some segments from way back when that you may have missed. This week, were talking the worst couples in comics - and trust us, there are some doozies. It's all happening now on Cover B.
Summer Break Archives - Key Issues: Crossover Events Cover B is on summer break, but we'll be back with brand new episodes in August. In the meantime, were sharing some segments from way back when that you may have missed. This week, it's one of our early Key Issues, all about cross over events and how little they seem to matter in comics nowadays. It's all happening now on Cover B.
Summer Break Archives - Comic Cons Cover B is on summer break, but we'll be back with brand new episodes in August. In the meantime, were sharing some segments from way back when that you may have missed. With events getting back to normal, we though this week we'd share our segment on conventions and how to keep yourself sane in the big broohaha of it all. It's all happening now on Cover B.
Summer Break Archives - Graphic Novelties: My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies Cover B is on summer break, but we'll be back with brand new episodes in August. In the meantime, were sharing some segments from way back when that you may have missed. This week, it's our very first Graphic Novelties discussing My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, by (you guessed it) Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. It's all happening now on Cover B.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #1 * Seven Swords #1 * Save Yourself! #1
We're feeling a little ssssassy this week with a whole lot of titles starting with "s" - and what's even better is that they're all really good! From a Supergirl book not focused on Supergirl, to a fun twist on the "we're here to save the world" trope, there's all sorts of really need sssstories this week!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #1 * The Secret Land #1 * Bunny Mask #1
Can we talk about how little the romance genre is used in comics? Can we also talk about changing that? One title this week sets about righting that wrong, as well as a martial arts comedy and a creepy new cryptid. Look at all that genre diversity, folks!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Everfrost #1 * Basilisk #1 * Nice House on the Lake #1
This week came out swinging HARD, man! An excellent new horror title from Cullen Bunn, a bold new sci-fi title packing a ton of narrative threads from Ryan K. Lindsay, and one of the most stunning horror pieces we've ever read from James Tynion IV - and we mean ever. Hope you're ready to go get some books, folks, because there's plenty to choose from this go round!
Reel Extra: Jupiter's Legacy The beginning of the Millar-verse on Netflix, we got through all eight episodes of the brand new Jupiter's Legacy adaptation and we were... well, kind of underwhelmed. But I guess that'll happen when you spend 8 hours on 2 comic issues. Come hear what worked, what didn't, and what we hope to get from a (maybe?) season 2.
Weekly Pull Highlights * The Blue Flame #1 * Made in Korea #1 * Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom #1
It's pop culture references, denied sneezes, and a very hungry Chris for this week's episode! Oh, and we talk about some excellent new books, too. But I mean, you're really here for our dissertation on how much less Clark must make than Lois, right?
Powered Gaming - The Initiative Holy heck, this game is FANTASTIC! A relatively recent release from Unexpected Games, this board game mixes mystery tropes, comics, engaging characters, creative gameplay and well-placed surprises to be one of the most fun games we've played in a long time. But hey, we'll get into all that. In the meantime, what are you waiting for? Go get this game!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Justice League: Last Ride #1 * Silver City #1 * Time Before Time #1 * House of Lost Horizons: A Sarah Jewell Mystery #1
Whether you're looking for a new(ish) twist on the Justice League (Chips Ahoy!), or an unexpected direction for time travel, we've got a whole lot of very cool stories this week.
News Brief: An Interview with Pat Shand Potentially our coolest episode ever, we had the opportunity to chat with Pat Shand, author of Destiny, NY - a book we recently talked about on the show! He shares his experience as a writer, what it was like to Kickstart a graphic novel, and what exciting things are coming up next for him in the comic world. This is NOT one to miss!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Eden * The Good Asian #1 * Invincible Red Sonja #1
Not sure what to get Mom this Mother's Day? Here's a handful of excellent titles, ranging from deep looks into societal flaws, to pulpy endeavors on pirate ships, to gruesome body horror... look, Mom isn't all scented candles, you guys.
Graphic Novelties: Friend of the Devil (A Reckless Book) Brubaker and Phillips are at it again with another excellent installment in the Reckless series! This time set in the 80s against some really bad dudes, Ethan takes on a mystery from the Hollywood underbelly that will shake up his whole life. Beautifully written, beautifully drawn, this book is a great sophomore edition to the pulpy franchise.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Helm Greycastle #1 * Robin #1 * The Marvels #1
What happens when you drop a traditional tabletop RPG crew, complete with bard and fighter and wizard (oh my!), into a traditional Aztec setting? We don't know yet either, but we're really excited to find out! That and more on this weeks episode (and our theory on Robin's new name... fingers crossed!) - check it out now!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Phantom on the Scan #1 * Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow #1 * Home #1 * Duplicant #1
Oh heavens, there's some real heavy talk up in this episode. Political commentary, moral quandaries, emotional turmoil - important books make us have important discussions, but take solace in the fact that we still end with a debate on flare leg jeans, okay?
Weekly Pull Highlights * Geiger #1 * The Rise #1 * Silver Coin #1 * Project Patron #1
Indie titles are really flexing on taking older tropes and stories and completely flipping them upside down. This week, we've got a "super" spin on post-apocalyptic wastelands, a bloody take on horror anthologies, the corporate prequel to the zombie sequel, and the hidden figures behind good old Supes' himself. Man, we love indie books.
Reel Extra: Godzilla vs. Kong It's a battle for the ages - the giant ape who just wants to be left alone, versus man's protector, the ever alpha mega-lizard. Who wins, who loses - is it the best movie ever?
It's Godzilla vs. Kong! And it's... fine? Look, we're not breaking any barriers with this flick, but come find out if our predictions were right anyway!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Beta Ray Bill #1 * Silk #1 * Destiny, NY #1
There's TWO WHOLE MARVEL BOOKS in this week's episode. I know, I know, it's basically blasphemy. But with new titles focused on Beta Ray Bill and Cindy Moon, it's not THAT surprising... plus, and excellent new indie title that's the perfect lovechild of manga and comic. Oh, and if you see an old wizard around... just ignore him, okay?
Secret Shortbox: Mary Shelley Another edition of our segment the Secret Shortbox, where we theorize what our favorite authors would be reading off the comics rack! This week, we're giving our picks for the mother of modern monsters herself, Mary Shelley!
Reel Extra: Zack Snyder's Justice League After years of talking smack as non-believers, we sat down and committed the time to watch the newly released Zack Snyder cut of Justice League. And honestly guys... we were wrong. This movie is awesome!
A relatively non-spoilery episode, we break down WHY it's better, and why having a 4 hour runtime is actually it's biggest strength.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Orphan and the Five Beasts #1 * Ultramega #1 * Midnight Western Theatre #1 * Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade #1
Well now, how about THAT! We made to episode #100, and it's all thanks to you, our amazing listeners. This episode is a bit of a long one, but it's because we have some really great books this week that dive into some really intense themes. And lord knows, we can't pass up a chance to go hyper analytical... it's just what we do.
Graphic Novelties: Aster of Pan What happens when you mix the Hunger Games with the 2004 Vince Vaughn film, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story? Well, believe it or not, it's probably this book from French filmmaker, Merwan. But don't be deceived by this peculiar summary - this book is a pleasure to read, with incredible storytelling, beautiful artwork, and engaging character development that will you have you fist pumping the air with each page turn. We promise, this is one you won't want to skip out on.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Karmen #1 * Proctor Valley Road #1
Were there quite a few new books that dropped this week? Yes. Did we want to talk about all of them? No, because we want to make recommendations for you, not just announce new releases like an audio listicle. Does that mean this is a short episode? Not really - y'all know we like to talk (a lot).
Weekly Pull Highlights * Nocterra #1 * Eniac #1 * BRZRKR #1 * Demon Days: X-Men * Dead Dogs Bite #1
This week is just a giant station for all the hype-trains that have come into town! From Keanu being Keanu, to Skynet meets Ultron, to Wolverine in his absolute best form, there's some really interesting stuff in stores this week.
Weekly Pull Highlights * By the Horns #1 * Stray Dogs #1 * Marvel Voices Legacy #1 * Nuclear Family #1 * Two Moons #1
Themes in comics tend to come in waves (vampires, anyone?), so when we get a few books that shift the tide into untouched waters, it's a nice reprieve. This week has all sorts of time periods, perspectives, and purposes - and it's definitely appreciated.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Shadow Doctor #1 * Black Friday #1 * Hollow Heart #1
This week might be a quickie, but we're sharing some excellent new titles, one of which takes a horror-filled looked at the evils of consumerism and corporate commercialism. ...did we mention we have new merch?! Visit https://teespring.com/stores/coverbpodcast to get yours today.
Weekly Pull Highlights * The Shepherd #1 * Orcs! #1 * Casual Fling #1 * Radiant Black #1
Look, sometimes a rant comes out of left-field and we just really need to share our feelings, okay? From unexpected hits, to misses that get bigger the more we talk about them, we discuss the big indie #1s of the week.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Maniac of New York #1 * Fear Case #1 * Chained to the Grave #1 * Luna #1 * Redemption #1
We love it when fiction pushes the usual boundaries! From esoteric horror, to reality-bending westerns, to visual representations of drug trips, this week has all sorts of weird and wonderful goodies. And hey - we love an all-indie week, don't you?
Roundup: Future State - Week 4 It's our final week of Future State titles! Let's wrap things up with a handful of titles that were even more removed from the timeline - but that may have made them even better. We'll be covering Aquaman, Batman/Superman, Legion of Superheroes, Suicide Squad, and Superman vs Imperious Lex. Yeehaw, we're almost through it, y'all!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #1 * Rain Like Hammers #1 * Crimson Flower #1 * I Breathed A Body #1 * Abbot 1973 #1
From social media managers losing their souls, to coping with loneliness and depression, we're getting deep, but also awesome, with new indie titles this week. Hey, they can't all be rainbows, right?
Roundup: Future State - Week 3 Oh snap, it's more Future State #1s! This week, we talk about Catwoman, Superman: Worlds of War, Immortal Wonder Woman, Nightwing and Shazam - and when we say talk, we mean try and figure out when in the heck these books all take place in the timeline! I think we need a roadmap, DC, sheesh. Let's get rolling!
Roundup: Future State - Week 2 It's round two (pun intended) of our Future State Roundups! This week, we're covering Dark Detective, Green Lantern, Justice League, Kara Zor-El Superwoman, Robin Eternal Superman/Wonder Woman, & Teen Titans - a whole lot of references without a whole lot of payoff. We give you the rundown on what to pick up, what to skip, and what we preferred of all the new titles.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Star Wars the High Republic #1 * Eternals #1 * Scout's Honor #1 * Ninja Nuns #1 * The Last Witch #1
We're back from break and boy were there some great titles this week! Whether you're looking for something adorable, something dark, or something regal, there are all sorts of options. There's even something for folks looking for a comic about ninja nuns fighting the Flying Spaghetti Monster! Comics are weird, y'all. Happy New Year!
Roundup: Future State - Week 1 In the aftermath of Dark Knights: Death Metal, DC is putting the rest of their series on hold to make room for the exciting developments in Future State! We're giving you a "roundup" of all the new titles this week - including Wonder Woman, the Next Batman, Superman of Metropolis, Harley Quinn, Swamp Thing, and the Flash - and filling you in on what's a must-read or an easy pass.
Reel Extra: Wonder Woman 1984 Delayed for months thanks to quarantine, the next installment of the Themiscyran hero is here... and it was not what we expected. Or wanted. Or asked for. Boy howdy, there's a lot to unpack here. Buckle up for a quite long (and quite aggressive) episode of REEL EXTRA!
{Spoiler Warning at 23:12!}
Graphic Novelties: Reckless Look here, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips - you guys are seriously killing this whole quarantine thing. Not only did we get PULP not long ago, we now have the start of a whole series of graphic novels on the way, with this being the first introduction to Ethan Reckless and his associates. Could y'all quit making the rest of us look bad, please? (But don't stop making stuff, it's all great, really.)
Weekly Pull Highlights * Post Americana #1 * King in Black: The Immortal Hulk #1 * Sh*tshow #1 * Red X-mas #1
The holidays are upon us, but it's going to be an apocolyptic Christmas if our comic pull has anything to say about it! From another King in Black tie-in, to some "the world has basically ended, what's going on now?" books, to Santa dealing with some really heavy loss, it's maybe the end of the world... but isn't that kind of appropriate in 2020? Merry Christmas, folks!
Weekly Pull Highlights * SWORD #1 * Home Sick Pilots #1 * Vampirella: The Dark Powers #1 * Piecemeal
'Tis the season to be creeped out by haunted houses, apparently! Between a no-end-home experience in Home Sick Pilots #1, to the mysterious mind-games (pun intended) from Cullen Bunn's one-shot 'Piecemeal,' there's a whole lot of horror going on. And, as always, we are more than here for it.
Weekly Pull Highlights * King in Black #1 * Justice League: Endless Winter #1 * Fantastic Four: Road Trip #1 * Batman/Catwoman #1 * M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games #1 * E-Ratic #1 * Knock 'Em Dead #1
Jeez Louise, talk about a hefty week! Two new crossovers began this week - one that seems like it could be "the big one," and one that's... a little more generic. Plus, an excellent F4 one-shot, the start of Batman/Catwoman, and some cool new indie titles. Hope you're ready for a heavy read list!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Marvel Voices: Indigenous Voices #1 * Sea of Sorrows #1 * The Recount #1 * Frank at Home on the Farm #1
Talk about some eccentric titles this week! Creepy sea stories, political intrigue, and paranoia on the farm - get ready to have uneasy dreams with these cool new books. Plus, we discuss the excellent new installment of Marvel Voices.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Cutting Edge: The Siren's Song #1 * Terminal Punks #1 * Scarenthood #1 * Hot Valley Days and Cocaine Nights #1
Some excellent books this week from publishers we don't normally get to talk about! The indies are teaching us all sorts of cool stuff, like how to be a parent AND be haunted, how the upper elite REALLY live, and how absolutely insane the 80's really were. Ah, adventures and then some.
Graphic Novelties: Dracula, Motherf**ker! So, uh, if you're not a fan of the f-word, this is probably not the review for you - it's pretty hard to avoid when it's in the title of the book! But if you can look past that, you'll find an excellent horror graphic novel that subverts standard tropes and holds some of the best artwork Erica Henderson has ever produced. I mean, who doesn't love a 'dude in distress,' amiright?
Weekly Pull Highlights * Crossover #1 * John Walker: US Agent #1 * Pantomime #1 * Red Atlantis #1 * Sweet Tooth: The Return #1
Well heck, there were a TON of new comics this week! We finally got our hands on the much hyped new Cates title, 'Crossover,' and the hilarious new Priest title 'John Walker: US Agent.' There's so many books, we couldn't even cover everything, and honestly, this much distraction was exactly what we needed from a stressful week. Here's to new beginnings!
Weekly Pull Highlights * TMNT The Last Ronin #1 * Sympathy for No Devils #1 * The Electric Black Presents #1 * Black Widow Widow's Sting #1
It's Halloween, and honestly our reviews this week are a little spooky. There's one shining star in the bunch, but a lot of this week had titles that couldn't quite get past the finish line... maybe we're just grumpy from Mercury in retrograde.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Batman White Knight Presents Harley Quinn #1 * Werewolf By Night #1 * Scumbag #1 * Dark Nights Death Metal Robin King #1
Man, this was a powerful week for books! We get more from the excellent White Knight Batman universe, a filled in plot hole from Dark Knights Metal, and a couple new titles with very cool, very different vibes. Oh, and we try to figure out who damaged the poor psyche of Peter Tomasi. I mean... really, man. Who hurt you?
Weekly Pull Highlights * We Live #1 * Commanders in Crisis #1 * Warhammer 40K: Marneus Calgary #1 * Rorschach #1 * True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys: National Anthem #1 * Devil's Red Bride #1
WOWZER that's a lot of heckin' books! And we don't even cover everything that came out this week! Some cool new stuff, including the new Rorschach from Tom King, and Kieron Gillen taking on Marvel's first foray into Warhammer 40K, and you've got a week primed for a visit to your LCS. Oh, and what's the deal with superhero costumes anyway?
Powered Gaming - Marvel's Avengers Surprise! It's us, from the past, talking to you, in the present... our future... or... okay, we forgot to post it last week. But hey, here we are with our review of the relatively recently released Marvel's Avengers (we played on PS4). We lay out what's good, what's not as good, and our hope for what they can do to make it better. Also, can we please get a little more hype for a game focused on Kamala Khan? She. Is. Awesome.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Champions #1 * Norse Mythology #1 * American Ronin #1
So, we didn't post our Powered Gaming on time (our bad, we're fixing it, we promise!), but we do have stuff to talk about today! Like, the current political climate and how young folks are being glorified as revolutionary heroes... and also how Marvel didn't do too bad when they stole the Norse mythos. Come celebrate Tee's birthday and lets chat books!
Weekly Pull Highlights * X of Swords #1 * The Immortal She-Hulk #1 * Miles to Go #1 * The Autumnal #1 * The Unkindness of Ravens #1
And now back to your regularly scheduled programming! We had to take a couple weeks off thanks to a big move (new place is shaping up great though!), but now we're back and ready to read with some very exciting new titles. She-Hulk died, the X-Men are bringing weird Marvel organizations back from the dead... it's a lot. Let's get into it!
Weekly Pull Highlights * We Only Find Them When They're Dead #1 * Inkblot #1 * Grendel, Kentucky #1 * Spy Island #1 * Hellblazer: Rise & Fall #1 * Lonely Receiver #1
What a heckin' beefy week for comics! A ton of excellent new indie titles, all from very different genres - you want horror, we've got horror! You want sci-fi or fantasy? We've got you covered. You want romantic drama, we've got that, too. This week really had it all!
Reel Extra: New Mutants We've been dangled this mutant-based horror movie for what seems like FOREVER, but it's finally here, and we braved the scary outside world to go see it! Luckily, it was definitely worth the effort - and we explain why you shouldn't always listen to the critics when it comes to fan-focused flicks.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Three Joker's #1 * Mars Attacks Red Sonja #1 * Locke & Key: in Pale Battalions Go #1 * Mega Man: Fully Charged #1 * Daredevil Annual #1
WOW are there some intense plot points this week! From there finally being actually three Jokers, to the surprise throwback in the Daredevil Annual, there's no limit on the comic craziness this episode. OH, and aliens attack Red Sonja... we're not kidding.
(Want to avoid Three Jokers #1 spoilers? Skip to 25:10!)
News Brief: DC Fandome Prepare for an onslaught of brand new DC news! This past weekend, DC held their online fan convention, DC Fandome, revealing all sorts of cool movies, comics, games, trailers and more, We'll go through all the highlights to help keep you in the know!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Atlantis Wasn't Built for Tourists #1 * Shadow Service #1 * Ninjas & Robots #1 * Voyage to the Stars #1 * Maestro #1 * Death Metal: Guidebook #1
I mean, I know we mentioned this last time, but like, why are there so many vampires right now? It's like every new round of books includes at least one vampire-focused title! At least this week has a ton of options for folks who love vampires, folks who don't!
Reel Extra: The Umbrella Academy (Season 2) After much anticipation, the new season of The Umbrella Academy has come to Netflix and it is EXCELLENT. In a very un-spoilery fashion, we give you a brief reminder of what went down in season one and share our favorite parts of the new season. And yes, we can confirm, the hype train is real - season two is WAY better than the first.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Horizon Zero Dawn #1 * Vampire: The Masquerade #1 * Alien: The Original Screenplay #1 * The Dreaming: Waking Hours #1
Look at all these re-visited IPs! From video games, to classic films, to a new title in an existing comic line, we help guide you through these new books and give some insight into the worlds they come from. Maybe instead of all these movie reboots, we can just have brand new comics instead?
Graphic Novelties: PULP Our first stand-alone edition of 'Graphic Novelties,' where we discuss graphic novels, both new and old, that we think you should know about. This week, we're discussing the new Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips book, 'PULP,' and all it's neo-western glory. A book Ed didn't even really want to make (thanks for prodding him, Sean!), this is an excellent tale with beautiful art. Time to add something a little heftier to your comic buy!
Reel Extra: The Old Guard Admittedly, this week was kind of light on new titles and books we thought you needed to know about, so we decided to give our thoughts on the new Netflix Original movie adaptation of Greg Rucka's "The Old Guard." A good flick with great action (Charlize, you're a goddess), we cover the nuanced needs of bringing a comic to the big screen and the dangers that come with giving fans what they think they want.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Chu #1 * Canto and the Clockwork Fairies #1 * Bliss #1 * Yasmeen #1
We don't know what happened over at Scout Comics, but they are KILLIN' IT right now with their new titles! This week we discuss Yasmeen #1, as well as a handful of other great new indie books we're excited about. Oh, and if you thought Tee had finally moved beyond Baby Yoda... well, that's more on you, really.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Empyre #1 * It Eats What Feeds It #1 * Murder Hobo: Beaten, Broken & Buggard #1 * Sacred Six #1
The much anticipated Empyre #1 is finally here and it's got a heckin' twist that you won't (or totally will) see coming! We've also got DnD inside jokes galore, and an incredible new Dynamite title you don't want to miss. Also, leave my teenage online diary alone.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Fantastic Four Empyre #0 * Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow #1 * DCeased: Dead Planet #1
After a week with no Marvel or DC, we come roaring back with three great books! Dan Slott kicks off the Fantastic Four's side of the Empyre story, DCeased comes back to make us all cry (again), and the Whedonverse grows a little more with a brand new title dedicated to Willow. It's like we never left (but don't lie, you missed us)!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Bleed Them Dry #1 * Captain America Marvels Snapshot #1 * That Texas Blood #1 * S.O.S #1 * Avengers Empyre #0
What a week in comics! Brand new Marvel throwing us into the deep end of the new Empyre event, incredible new indie comics putting genres on their side, and a super sweet compilation all about the joys of your local comic shop. The world might be crazy, but comics keep us grounded, folks. Let's get into it!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 * Wynd #1 * A Man Among Ye #1
We took a couple weeks off for some personal (and some political) reasons, but we are BACK and coming at you with a relatively short, but certainly to the point, episode. With a handful of great new number ones, and a surprising ability to stay on topic, we hope this Cover B is refreshing without weighing you down, like when you eat a banana instead of nachos. You're welcome.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Rogue Planet #1 * Dead Day #1 * Avengers #33 * The V-Card #4 * Doctor Aphra #1
It's beginning to look a lot like new comics in here! From new beginnings, to quality endings, we've got everything from Star Wars, to alien planets, to potential reboots galore. Things are finally starting to feel a little more business as usual, but we still hope you're safe and sound. Join us for more, NEW, Cover B!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Ludocrats #1 * Kyrra: Alien Jungle Girl #1 * Year Zero #1
The COVID-19 comic drought has officially ended with this week's new comic day! While Marvel is still out for the time being, and DC is only publishing very limited titles, we DID get our hands on 3 great new indie titles that we're so excited to share and talk about! We thank you for your immense patience as we waited for the comic world to restart, and we're glad to have you back with us for a BRAND NEW EPISODE of Cover B!
Let's Talk Cosplay with Tee! This week was pretty crazy, and since Chris wasn't able to join for our weekly recording, Tee decided to take the reins and talk all about something near and dear to her heart - cosplay! Learn some surprising tips for getting started, including 5 things you may think you have to do, but don't, to be a cosplayer! (Hint: No sewing machine required!)
Let's Meet the Cover B Crew! We thought the comic drought would be the perfect time for us to share a little more about us, your weekly Cover B crew! In this episode, we talk all about why we got into comics, what comics mean to us, and why we hope everyone takes the time to stop by their local shop to pick out a new title!
Powered Gaming - Marvel Champions Time for another gaming review to help you get through stay-at-home! These week we're talking about the cooperative card game game, Marvel Champions; a surprisingly balanced, easy-to-learn living card game featuring your favorite Marvel heroes. Even if you're not into the big-name card games (like your Magics or Yu-Gi-Ohs), this is an excellent option if you're looking to kill an hour or so.
Secret Shortbox: Jane Austen Our first stand-alone edition of 'Secret Shortbox,' where we decide what would be in the comic collection of our favorite authors, both new and old! We've covered a couple more modern authors before, but this week we decided to take it back to one of our all-time faves, Jane Austen herself! From hilarious web comics to some of the most world-renowned titles, we give a great list of options for those who love Austenian works.
Reel Extra: Superman: Red Son As we continue along the COVID-19 comic drought, we thought it might be nice to get our superhero fix with the recent release of 'Superman: Red Son,' the newest installment from the DCAMU. This cinematic retelling of the fan-favorite Mark Millar story is an interesting take on what would happen if Superman had been born into Soviet Russia. Plus, we give a little bonus speculation on our hopes for new DC video games (fingers crossed for some more Arkham!). Come let us help you kill time during quarantine!
Key Issues: The Great Comic Drought The comic industry is going to be a weird, scary and unstable place for the foreseeable time-being thanks to COVID-19. Diamond Comic Distributors, the primary distribution source for comics, has had to stop sending new books to retailers, so no new comics are hitting stores any time soon. For that reason, we wanted to share 5 ways you can help the industry - both your local store and the smaller publishing companies - during this time of great turmoil and uncertainty. We'll get through it together, fam.
Weekly Pull Highlights * No One's Rose #1 * Grumble: Memphis and Beyond the Infinite #1 * Killing Red Sonja #5 * Hellions #1 * Conspiracy: Alien Abduction #1
This is gonna be the last of our traditional episodes for a while, because Diamond has had to cancel comic distribution thanks to COVID-19. We'll still have new episodes coming every Sunday, but expect more of our bonus formats like REEL EXTRA and Powered Gaming. It's a crazy time to be alive, but we're going to keep on trucking as best we can. Stay safe, everyone!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Outlawed #1 * Robin 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 * Black Stars Above #5 * Artemis & the Assassin #1
If you're cooped up abiding by the social distancing rules, we've got some great reads for you this week! From the big chongus of a Robin compilation, to the finale of the amazing horror title Black Stars Above, to a feisty debate around child vigilantism, we've got plenty to keep you entertained!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Decorum #1 * North Bend #1 * Sweet Heart #1 * Jim Henson's Storytellers: Ghosts #1
It's all about really cool new indie titles this week! From Jonathan Hickman doing his thing in Decorum, or a super creepy new set from Jim Henson's Storytellers, we address all the important questions out there, like how profitable is it to sell a comic license, or why Harry Potter didn't just use a fire arm. You know, the important stuff.
Powered Gaming - Talisman: Batman Super-Villains Edition Are fantasy games not your bag? Looking for a game that's competitive but not TOO competitive? Ever wish you could go wreck Arkham Asylum and ruin Batman's day? We have a game for you!
Talisman: Batman Super-Villains Edition is a new take on the traditional Talisman game with interesting game design and cool art. It's not without it's flaws (ring balance can definitely be an issue), but game isn't? Find out how our game went (and who won... obviously) in our newest edition of Powered Gaming!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Strange Adventures #1 * Twin Worlds #1 * Cimmerian: Queen of the Black Coast #1 * Mercy #1
We've got some spicy books this week, filled with intrigue, deception, sex, and slaughter - it's like our whole comic pull list came from HBO! From invading forces from Twin Worlds, to pirate queens in Cimmerian: Queen of the Black Coast, to a mysterious beauty in Mercy, there's a whole lot to get passionate about. Something... something... something... Cover B!
Key Issues: The Cosmic Rumor Mill The internet is a huge web of information (world wide web... I get it now!), but that doesn't mean it's all true. The recent speculation about the departure of Dan DiDio, AT&T and the future of DC Comics is just that - speculation. We know it can be hard to sift through what's real and what's rumor (especially with some nefarious characters stirring the pot), so we thought we'd break down this recent news story and help guide you through what's confirmed, what's conjecture, and what's straight up malarkey.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Force Works 2020 #1 * Giant Size X-Men: Jean Grey and Emma Frost * Conspiracy Area 51 #1 * Finger Guns #1
Well, this week wasn't the MOST exciting week in comics, but it was full of the unexpected! From a really unenthusiastic Marvel team-up, to the dialogue-free Giant Size X-Men, to a couple of kids living life with powers, there's always stuff to talk about... mostly.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Plunge #1 * DCeased Unkillables #1 * Wolverine #1 * Marvel's Voices #1
Choo Choo! All aboard the hype train, rolling through Comics Town, USA. First stop, the new Hill House title, Plunge, followed by the much funnier than expected DCeased: Unkillables #1. Then we roll into Marvel country with the new Wolverine series and a one-shot inspired by the Marvel's Voices podcast. Please stay seated as we HYPE SO HARD.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Alienated #1 * Undone by Blood #1 * Gwen Stacy #1 * Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey #1
From teens dealing with alien tech, to melancholy westerns set in the 70's, to Gwen Nancy Stacy Drew, there's a handful of really great new number ones this week. But we do discuss our less-than-positive opinion of the new Black Label titl- WAIT, Bats, please, don't hurt us again!
Reel Extra - Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey What's a better movie for date night this Valentine's than watching Harley and her epic squad of badass chicks kicking the bad guys' butts? Answer: there isn't one! This movie is fun, clever, creative, energetic and the definition of the word rambunctious. It doesn't matter what they want to name it - we call it a must-see. So what are you waiting for? Get to the theater! Go on! GIT!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Adler #1 * Backtrack #1 * After Realm Quarterly #1 * Man Who Effed Up Time #1 * X-Men/FF #1
This week was all about characters showing their (not-so-nice) true colors, from the devilish deal-maker in Backtrack, to the chaotic-evil Loki from After Realm, to Reed Richards being a total butthead (color me unsurprised). But hey, at least it's the weekend, right?
Weekly Pull Highlights * Frankenstein Undone #1 * Protector #1 * Amazing Spider-Man Daily Bugle #1 * Avengers of the Wasteland #1 * Dr. Strange The End #1
It's something special to witness when writers are allowed to build characters however they damn well please. This week, Mike Mignola holds no punches when it comes to playing our heartstrings in the new Frankenstein: Undone, while Ed Brisson brings us back to the wastelands of Old Man Logan in his new title. Plus, Leah Williams makes Dr. Strange a grumpy, old curmudgeon, which is really all I've ever wanted out of the character (he's just so sassy!).
Weekly Pull Highlights * Kidz #1 * Red Sonja Age Of Chaos #1 * Wonder Woman #750 * Guardians of the Galaxy #1 * Ruins of Ravencroft Dracula #1
Can you believe we're celebrating the 750th issue of Wonder Woman? We talk about her momentous milestone this week, as well as other powerhouse women in comics with the new Guardians of the Galaxy title and the new Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #1! (Who run the world? GIRLS.)
Weekly Pull Highlights * Jessica Jones Blind Spot #1 * Rising Sun #1 * Ruins of Ravencroft: Sabretooth #1 * Venom The End #1
January hasn't been much for number 1 titles, but we did read some fun stuff this week including the new samurai title Rising Sun from IDW and the very cool Venom The End one-shot from Marvel. Plus, the recently Marvel Unlimited-exclusive title, Jessica Jones Blind Spot, is finally released on paper and it. is. great. Let's talk comics!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Star #1 * Marvels X #1 * The End Miles Morales #1 * Ruins of Ravencroft Carnage #1 * The Clock #1
A whole lot of books on the shelf, but not a ton of "Oh man, this is the best book ever!" type of titles. Plus, Tee is awfully salty about the direction of Star #1 (in a good way) and Ruins of Ravencroft Carnage (in a not as good way). Oh well, you listen to us for the opinions, right? (We're so sorry.)
Reel Extra: The Mandalorian We know you've been waiting for it, and we've finally delivered our thoughts and opinions on Baby Yoda: The Show! For real though, we finally got caught up on the 'The Mandalorian' and wanted to discuss some of the highlights and why this was the Star Wars story we've been waiting for. General spoilers, but nothing too extreme - by now, if you're not caught up on all the precious Baby Yoda goodness, what are you doing with your life?
Weekly Pull Highlights * Star Wars #1 * Hawkeye: Freefall #1 * X-Men #4 * Thor #1
Not a huge week, but we did get a handful of great number ones from Marvel! From the relaunch of Star Wars, to Matthew Rosenberg's new Hawkeye title, to Donny Cates taking on Thor (with a new look that is I GUESS forgivable), there's a lot to look forward to in 2020!
Reel Extra: The Rise of Skywalker It's the end of an era with the final installment of the Skywalker Saga and we're covering what we liked, what we didn't, and everything in between! As always, we give our spoiler-free opinions then sound the warning alarm and break down some of the more nuanced opinions about the plot and particular peaks and valleys of the movie. May the force be with you!
Weekly Pull Highlights * The Low, Low Woods #1 * Suicide Squad #1 * Wonder Woman: Dead Earth #1 * Star Wars Rise of Kylo Ren #1 * Harleen #3 * Doomsday Clock #12 * Strayed #5 * Guardians of the Galaxy #12 * King Thor #4 * Batman: Last Knight On Earth #3 * Doctor Strange #1 * Spectacular Spider-Ham #1
It's a holly jolly episode with a giant-sized list of comics to cover, from a handful of number ones to a ton of great final issues from last week. Then our holiday gift to you is a sneak peek preview of some Marvel books that come out tomorrow! Merry Christmas, everyone!
Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Adults Edition What do you buy the nerdy grown-up in your life who has everything? Let us give you some ideas! From top comic picks from 2019, to fun geeky games for adults, to home goods like a Star Wars-themed Instant Pot, we've got a collection of some of the best nerdy goodies you can give this holiday season.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Red Mother #1 * Lucy Claire Redemption #1 * Dark Knight Returns: Golden Child
This week's episode is all about analyzing a couple great new horror titles and how they completely subvert the expected tropes we've come to know from classic genre flicks, from developing realistic relationships to world building. We wrap up with the new Dark Knight Returns one-shot, which is... well, it's something. And definitely worth analyzing, too.
Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Teens Edition They might be hard to handle, but buying gifts for the teens in your life doesn't have to be! We've put together a list of comics, movies, games and collectibles that will appease even the most snarky of our hormonal youths. From Batman to Spider-Man to princesses in 'Another Castle,' you'll be able to satisfy any teen gift giving need.
Weekly Pull Highlights * 20XX #1 * The Butcher of Paris #1 * New Year's Evil #1 * Kill Whitey Donovan #1 * Conan Serpent War #1 * Angela Della Morte #1 * X-Men #3
We're low on sleep, but high on energy, and boy does it show. From the reveal of the genius logic behind the new X-Men run, to the strange use of the word 'fatty' in Angela Della Morte, we're giggling this whole episode, and hope you're as entertained as we are.
Holiday Gift Guide 2019: Kids Edition 'Tis the season for gift giving, and we want to make it easy to check everyone off your good list! Similar to last year, this month we'll be doing three holiday gift guide episodes, each one focused on a different age bracket. This week, we're covering all the comic, media and gaming goodies you should consider buying for the kids in your life.
Oh, and if you're interested in that episode of 'Powered Gaming' we mention, you can listen to that here.
Weekly Pull Highlights * John Constantine Hellblazer #1 * Avengers #27 * Fantastic Four Negative Zone #1 * The Crow: Hark The Herald #1
Now that you've eaten all the food and spent all the money, let's talk some comics! From a holiday-slaughter in The Crow: Hard the Herald one-shot, to another kind of slaughter in Avengers #27, there's a whole lot of doom and gloom about. At least the Fantastix are here to remind us what being a hero is all about (hint - it's not always murder!).
Weekly Pull Highlights * Olympia #1 * The Question: the Deaths of Vic Sage #1 * Captain Marvel #12 * Deadpool #1
Ready to feel sentimental? Preparing for Thanksgiving, we dive headfirst into the sweet and funny Olympia, by father/son duo Curt & Tony Pires. But with family gatherings come (un)friendly debates, so we wade into the morally ambiguous new Black Label title, "The Question: the Deaths of Vic Sage." Finally, just like your favorite holiday recipe, we cover the enjoyable, if not exactly what you were expecting, new run of Deadpool by Kelly Thompson. Happy Turkey Day!
Weekly Pull Highlights * The Dollhouse Family #1 * Far Sector #1 * Event Leviathan #6 * Black Stars Above #1
While Chris is now fighting the cold-weather-sick, we finally find out the identity of Leviathan (yawn), discuss the creepy new title in the Hill's House line, and Tee shares a great new title called Black Stars Above. Oh, and we got Disney Plus, so stay tuned for a review of episode one of The Mandalorian, coming soon!
Powered Gaming - 5-Minute Marvel The premiere of our brand-new segment, Powered Gaming! We'll be bringing you reviews and critiques of board games, card games, video games, and all other playable goodies from the nerd realm. This week, we played the super-fun but super-stressful card game '5-Minute Marvel.' Perfect for those with little time but nerves of steel!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Crone #1 * Undiscovered Country #1 * New Mutants #1 * X-Force #1 * Legion of Super-Heroes #1
Illness has been conquered and our dynamic duo is back at it with a wide range of new comics this week, from the Not-Quite-Red-Sonja title Crone, to the Still-Not-Quite-The-Right-Characters in New Mutants, to the Most-Bendisy-Bendis-Title-Ever in Legion of Super-Heroes. Oh, and with our 50th episode comes a slightly new format, which we hope you'll enjoy!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Contagion #5 * Silver Surfer Black #5 * Excalibur #1 * Basketful of Heads #1 * Joker: Killer Smile #1 * Last God #1 * Snow White Zombie Apocalypse #1
We're back from the mountains, and Tee's come down with the plague (or so she'd like you to think... it's a nasty head cold). Which means Chris covers the pull for this week, including a variety of zombie options, from the close of Marvel's Contagion to the beginning of DC's Last God. Oh, and we listened to your requests, so new episodes will be posted on Saturdays!
Weekly Pull Highlights * X-Men #1 * Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda #2 * Crazy #1 * Captain Marvel #11 * Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Knightfall #1 * Strayed #3 * The Mask: I Pledge Allegiance to the Mask #1 * Archie & Sabrina #708 * The Marked #1
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming! This week Chris covers all sorts of new titles, including the return of 'The Mask' and the much-anticipated X-Men #1. Meanwhile, Tee faces her comic demons with a whole slew of unsatisfying titles and the imminent fear of disappointing Kelly Thompson (seriously, still love you, girl). Oh, and we'll be on vacation next week - so be sure to check the blog for your weekly comic update instead!
Reel Extra: Joker The super-dark, super-acclaimed, super-controversial Joker movie is now in theaters, and we wanted to give our review of the good, the weird, and the refrigerator. Definitely wasn't what we expected, but we'll give you both the non-spoiler and definitely-spoiler opinions in this episode!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Contagion #1 * Ghost Rider #1 * House of X #6 * Bizarre Adventures #1 * She Said Destroy #5 * Dark Ark: After the Flood #1 * Nomen Omen #1 * Vampire State Building #1 * Ruby Falls #1 * Maneaters #12 * Archie Halloween Special #1
Halloween is starting early with a bunch of horror books featuring a plethora of baddies, ranging from evil fairies, to weirdly-drawn vampires, to the patriarchy. But our most pressing fear has been quelled - for now - thanks to Spider-Man being back in the MCU!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Powers of X #5 * Strikeforce #1 * New Mutants: War Children #1 * Harleen #1 * SFSX #1 * The Plot #1
Not a ton of books, but a whole lot to say! From the implications of a murder at the end of Strikeforce #1, to the effects of Harley Quinn's past on her relationship with the Joker, to the revolution of sex workers in Safe Sex #1, we're hitting the hard comic book issues you need to hear about. Oh, and no Ghost Rider show, which sucks. Listen now!
Weekly Pull Highlights * House of X #5 * Spider-Man #1 * Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda #1 * Inferior Five #1 * Superman #15 * Year of the Villain: Lex Luthor #1 * Flash Forward #1 * Archie '55 #1 * You Are Obsolete #1 * Rick and Morty vs Dungeons and Dragons II: Painscape #1
(Pssst... spoilers for House of X from 4:55 to 17:05!)
What would it be like to play Dungeons and Dragons with Sofía Vergara? Why don't we have a wrestler named Apex Flex? Why was Superman just a 15 issue advertisement for the Legion of Super-Heroes? Why does Tee have such a hard time processing space lycanthropy? We ask these questions and more in this week's episode!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Powers of X #4 * Captain Marvel #10 * Moon Knight Annual #1 * King Thor #1 * Riddler: Year of the Villain #1 * Young Justice #8 * Gotham City Monsters * Chastity #1 * Trees: Three Fates #1
Happy Friday the 13th! We've got a spooky episode up for you, filled with suspense, intrigue, and a conspiracy about Taco Bell that will rattle you to your bones!...
...Not really, but we do talk about some character development for the Riddler, how this issue of Captain Marvel fell flat, and how ducks can be super mean. Check it out!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Web of Black Widow #1 * House of X #4 * Alpha Flight: True North #1 * DCeased: Good Day to Die #1 * Legion of Super-heroes: Millenium #1 * Spawn #300 * Battlepug #1 * Something Is Killing the Children #1 * Everything #1 * Midnight Vista #1
Our thoughts are with those suffering from the wrath of Hurricane Dorian as we roll in to this week's episode - if you're able, consider donating to the Bahamas Disaster Relief Fund or the American Red Cross. This week in comics covered everything from creepy monsters, to Canadian heroes, to a giant pug. It's been a weird week.
Weekly Pull Highlights * House of X #3 * Spider-Man: Life Story #6 * Marvel Comics #1000 * Runaways #24 * Marvel Monsters #1 * Thor #16 * Batman/Superman #1 * Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chosen Ones #1 * Mountainhead #1
From hurricane preparations, to the D23 Conference (She-Hulk!!), to the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Trailer, we cover all the big talking points from the week. Comics this week were heavy on the Marvel-side with lots of middle issue melodrama, and another DC title all about villains without actually telling us who's the Year of the Villain is all about!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Powers of X #3 * Marvel Action: Captain Marvel #1 * Marvel Comics Presents #8 * Deadpool Annual #1 * Strayed #1 * Pretty Violent #1 * Bad Reception #1 * Year of the Villain: Black Mask #1 * Pearl #12
Technical difficulties can't keep us down! Join us as we discuss the pending divorce between Marvel and Sony, and watch helplessly as poor Peter Tingles cries in between his two unwavering parent-folks! We also talk comics, including a couple titles about cats, a couple titles about serial killers, and more updates on the Powers of X series (didn't we just read one of those?)!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Absolute Carnage: Scream #1 * Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety #1 * Invaders #8 * Powers of X #2 * Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #47 * Gwenpool Strikes Back #1 * White Trees #1 * Event Leviathan #3
Did you get one of the 20 issues of Absolute Carnage #1 with an exclusive sketch from Mark Bagley in the back? We cover what those suckers are likely worth, and why it might be better to pretend you never got one... at least for a while. Plus, updates on Powers of X, WHO'S LEVIATHAN, and how dare Ryan North make Squirrel Girl cry!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Future Foundation #1 * House of X #2 * Agents of Atlas #1 * Absolute Carnage #1 * Archie 10 Year Anniversary #1 * Dark Age #1 * Coffin Bound #1
Boy, is Tee mad about the brain archetype in media! After a significant rant (a mini key issue?), we get to some juicy X-Men spoilers in our review of House of X #2. We round out with a handful of new indie titles, including the spectacular Coffin Bound #1.
(SPOILER ALERT! House of X Spoilers from 16:54-28:41)
Weekly Pull Highlights * Red Hood Outlaw Annual #1 * Justice League Dark Annual #1 * Green Lantern Annual #1 * Batman Last Knight on Earth #2 * Batman Who Laughs #7 * Powers of X #1 * Knights Temporal #1 * Manor Black #1 * Paper Girls #30
We kick off this episode with a quick review of some of the deleted scenes from Avengers: Endgame, but swoop right into a slew of DC Annuals that came out this week! It was an awesome week for comics, from big Batman title releases, to brand new books from Cullen Bunn, to the end of an era with the last issue of Paper Girls. Oh, and we maybe share a little more about ourselves than you wanted to know - no regrets.
Weekly Pull Highlights * Batman Curse of the White Knight #1 * Archie vs. Predator II #1 * Guardians of the Galaxy #7 * Shuri #10 * House of X #1 * Valkyrie #1 * History Of The Marvel Universe #1 * Fearless #1 * Web of Venom Funeral Pyre #1 * Sword Master #1
Hope you're ready to get bombarded with a whole bunch of brand new Marvel #1's! From Valkyrie and Sword Master, to Hickman's highly-anticipated House of X, we're breaking it all down in a super long episode filled with Marvel history you may or may not have ever cared about knowing. Excelsior!
Weekly Pull Highlights * Age of X-Man Omega #1 * Uncanny Xmen #22 * Loki #1 * Hot Shots #5 * Unstoppable Wasp #10 * Superman Pal Jimmy Olsen #1 * Assassin Nation #5 * Sonata #2 * Sera and the Royal Stars #1 * Vampirella #1
To endings and new beginnings! We cover everything from our apprehension of the X-Men's future (Age of X-Man & Uncanny X-Men), to the need for levity in comics (Unstoppable Wasp), to how much modern voicing can be ANNOYING in an old-timey book (Sera & the Royal Stars). Oh, and Vampirella wears basically nothing. Enjoy!
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Invisible Woman #1
- Venom #16
- Wolverine Vs. Blade Special #1
- War of Realms Omega #1
- Black Cat #2
- Naomi #6
- Event Leviathan #2
- Unearth #1
- Reaver #1
- Ghosted In LA #1
- Second Coming #1
What's new, listeners! Well, for us, it's a bunch of number one's across the board, from the one-shot Wolverine's Hair Vs. Blade #1, to the much anticipated (and unsurprisingly controversial) release of Second Coming #1. But hey, if you're not asking yourself "WHO'S LEVIATHAN," are you really even reading comics? (I mean, we hope you are, otherwise, we're really surprised your here!)
Reel Extra: Spider-Man: Far from Home Our friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man is back again for another installment of romance, intrigue, deception... and the best after-credits stingers EVER! Join us as we give our reviews, both non-spoiler friendly and SUPER spoiler-y!
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Magnificent Ms. Marvel Annual #1
- Secret Warps Soldier Supreme Annual #1
- Aero #1
- Female Furies#6
- Lois Lane #1
- Sea of Stars #1
- Space Bandits #1
- Heathen #7
Buckle up for the Walking Dead news of the CENTURY. Or at least the next few days or so. We also have more Numba Ones than a Kids Next Door Marathon and a whole lot of apologies to the people of Hoboken. We cap off with our suggestions for books to read to get into the Patriotic Spirit! Enjoy, muchachos.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Batman Damned #3
- Canto #1
- Steel Cage #1
- War of the Realms #6
- War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas #4
- War of the Realms: Uncanny X-Men #3
- War of the Realms: Punisher #3
- Avengers #20
Howdy and welcome to the new and improved Cover B (a podcast that is by all definitions still new so calling it new and improved seems a little redundant).
Going forward, there is gonna be more content regularly with less content per episode. Episodes will focus essentially on one theme or type of topic instead of three or more. We explain it all in the intro.
As for comics this week, we discuss the endings to Batman Damned, War of the Realms and its various tie-ins and Age of X-Man X-Tremists. We also discuss two adorably heart-warming independent titles: Canto and Steel Cage.
Thanks for listening!
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Goddess Mode #6
- Assassin Nation #4
- Superman: Year One #1
- Crucified #1
- Lab Raider #1
- Age Of X-Man Nextgen #5
Chris shares some interesting new indie number 1's, while Tee wraps up DC's Goddess Mode (albeit a little... overwhelmed). The news is a little light this week, but we do get a good chuckle over some savage marketing by Marvel.
We wrap up this week with a brand new segment called Graphic Novelties, where we discuss and review "My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies," an OGN by Ed Brubaker.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Jughead's Time Police #1
- Superman #12
- Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #45
- Event Leviathan #1
- Silver Surfer: Black #1
- Sonata #1
This week, Bendis changed the DC Universe (again), Squirrel Girl is saving the world (again), and Image is killing it with a brand new title (again).
Then we mostly just poke fun at Rob Liefield (oops) for going after DC on Twitter... Even though he might be right (oops again) (our bad) (don't hate us, Rob).
Reel Extra: X-Men: Dark Phoenix Well, despite the hate and hostility from incoming reviews, we decided to brave the theater and wade our way though the final film in Fox's X-Men series. And it was... a movie!
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Justice League #25
- Incredible Hulk: Last Call
- Thumbs #1
- Ignited #1
- Black Cat #1
- Lady Mechanica: Sangre #1
- Female Furies #5
A big bunch of hot & fresh new number ones (some definitely better than others). Then, Tee continues through the dregs of Female Furies as we push toward the (hopefully?) satisfying conclusion.
In the news, we've got the sad report that Happy was cancelled after two seasons (that's ironic, right?) and Deadly Class is axed after just one. But we pull through the broodiness thanks to DC heroes supporting some real heroes.
Our third segment comes tomorrow when we review the new X-Men: Dark Phoenix film during a special Reel Extra episode!
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Doomsday Clock #10
- Heroes in Crisis #9
- Batman Last Knight on Earth #1
- Superman Leviathan Special
- She Said Destroy #1
- Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt #5
- X-23 #12
This week, DC comes in with a 4-hit combo of awesome stories and leaves Chris broken and abused. Luckily Tee is there to discuss some other comics while he gets up and ices his bruised readin' eyes.
In the news, we got more Tom King, more Deadpool, more Sonic the Hedgehog.... Wow, things tend to repeat, huh? Also info on the Avengers game coming out of Square Enix and we briefly talk E3!
Finally, Tee raises a key issue about Marvel and their lack of commitment. Seriously, guys, we just want to know what we are to you. We want a label, we don't just want to be some podcasters you know. This is real, we can feel it!
....wait, that's not what she meant by commitment? Haha, yeah.... I knew that all along..... totally....
Reel Extra - Brightburn The much anticipated sort-of kind-of evil Superman movie has arrived, and we discuss the highs, lows, and horrifying gore of the new James Gunn-produced horror flick.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- War of the Realms Strikeforce: Land of Giants #1
- War of the Realms Journey into Mystery #3
- Detective Comics #1004
- Assassin Nation #3
After EVEN MORE War of the Realms (are you sick of it yet?), it's all kind of Batman talk as we debate the potential awesomeness (or blandness) of the Arkham Knight's origin and the sudden, and marginally incomplete, departure of Tom King from the current Batman run.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Black Widow #5
- Naomi #5
- War of the Realms Giant Man
- War of the Realms Strikeforce: The War Avengers
- War of the Realms Spider-Man And The League Of Realms
In this episode, Chris continues the dutiful task of covering all the War of the Realms titles so maybe YOU don't have to (or maybe you do - we like providing options)!
For the news, we cover the details of an alleged crime with horrible consequences that has people across the country up in arms... Game of Thrones Episode #8.
Finally, we give our best tips for the fan who wants to hit the Con circuit without drowning in big crowds and social anxiety.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Female Furies #4
- Excellence #1
- War of the Realms Strikeforce: New Agents of Atlas
- Batman and the Outsiders #1
- Flash #70
- Doctor Aphra #32
- Betty and Veronica #5
Tee is back in action this week, and makes her comic penance by going over the female dis-empowerment of Female Furies from last week, plus Chris gives some solid jumping in points for late issue comics.
As for news, we run you through a whole bunch of trailers both big and small, including the new 'Spider-Man: Far from Home,' AKA, 'Jake Gyllenhaal as everyone's favorite member of the Babysitter's Club'.
We wrap up with a Mother's Day special about how not very special the poor mama's in comics are.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- DCeased #1
- Year of the Villain #1
- War of the Realms Strikeforce: The Dark Elf Realm
- Savage Avengers #1
- Hashtag Danger #1
- Self Made #6
So, you only get half the sexy voices this time around. Tee is out of town, so Chris runs you through his picks of the week, some general news going on, and kind of just laughs at his own stupid jokes.
As for comics, it is seriously a bad time to be a DC hero, what with all the zombies and Super Villain teams. In the news, we've got Polka Dot Men, Swamp Things, Hedgehogs with toddler bodies, and many other bizarre things to talk about. Seriously, it's basically a Ripley's Believe it or Not crossover episode.
Reel Extra - Avengers: Endgame Holy crap, Endgame....
Not much to say here. Enjoy our review.
Spoilers at 21:46
Weekly Pull Highlights
- War of Realms: Uncanny X-Men #1
- Avengers #18
- Vader: Dark Visions #3
- Heroes in Crisis #8
- Jughead the Hunger vs Vampironica #1
This week: PERIL! Death threats! Creepy stalkers! Butt Censorship!
We also spend a sizable amount of time discussing the best Star Trek Captain and providing our Avengers Endgame theories.
Come share a meal with us as we discuss the Hellboy reboot starring David Harbour, Daniel Dae Kim, and Sasha Lane! We'll be discussing the use of horror in action films, the changes between this series and the Guillermo del Toro series, and how delicious Cool Ranch Doritos tacos are.
{SPOILER WARNING}
Weekly Pull Highlights
- War of Realms: War Scrolls #1
- War of Realms: Punisher #1
- Avengers: No Road Home #10
- Thor #12
- Mary Shelley Monster Hunter #1
- Buffy #4
- Angel #0
Lot's of wrap ups and round ups this week as we talk about War of Realms tie-ins and concluding thoughts on Avengers: No Road Home.
Then, we discuss the plethora of Star Wars news coming out of Celebration, including an interesting theory from Nerd Commander-In-Chief Kevin Smith in regards to the title of Episode IX. We also talk Disney+ pricing, The Boys trailer, and the unfortunate future of the DC Universe streaming service.
We'll be back this Saturday for an episode of Dinner and a Movie where we will be talking Hellboy and eating tacos.
Because why not.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Symbiote Spider-Man #1
- War of Realms: Journey Into Mystery #1
- Detective Comics #1001
- Wonder Twins #3
- Infinite Dark #5
- Rat Queens: Swamp Romp
- Faithless #1
This week we discuss tons of comics (probably too many, sorry wallet) and dish out some stellar news about release dates for some sweet-ass comics and shows coming up. We close talking about what comics James Patterson might read if he had a secret comic collection stowed away under his writing desk.
Reel Extra: Shazam Welcome to our first edition of REEL EXTRA, where we discuss the big recent movie release. This edition is all about Captain Marvel SHAZAM!
[SPOILER WARNING]
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Major X #1
- War of Realms #1
- Female Furies #3
This week episode is just a short two-parter as we dive into a new format on movie release weeks: an episode on Friday with just the pull highlights and the news, and then an episode on Saturday with our review of the hot new movie in question!
In the world of comics, Chris goes absolutely mental (in a bad way) over Major X, War of Realms takes it's first bloody and entertaining steps, and Female Furies get reenacted LIVE by Tee.
In the news, we discuss the Joker trailer, End Games massive presale numbers, and a slew of casting and release date news!
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Detective Comics #1000
- Hex Wives #6
- Dial H for Hero #1
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch #1
Happy 1,000 issues, Batman!... Hope you survive the experience!
In the news, we've got DJ Big Driis cast as a mousey jedi, Zack Snyder just out and out loosing his shit, and a bunch of Marvel comics announced at C2E2: Electric Boogaloo.
Finally, we close the episode with a very serious discussion about religion in comics and the effects that developing theology has played in regards to art in the modern world.
.... Nah, we talk about weird-ass comic book stories. Because of April Fool's Day coming up. It makes sense, get over it.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Firefly: Bad Company
- Spider-Man Life Story #1
- Invisible Kingdom #1
- Lazarus Risen #1
- Dark Red #1
More new number ones flood in this week, and we go on to discuss CEO scandals, media acquisitions, creator-driven comics and more! We end this episode discussing our Key Issues with toxic fandom and the ripples Nerd-Rage can cause.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Little Bird #1
- Assassin Nation #1
- Riverdale #1
- Batman Who Laughs: the Grim Knight #1
- Magnificent Ms. Marvel #1
- Age of Conan: Belit #1
An absolute smorgasbord of new comics, a handy guide to navigating the mire of Age of X-Man, and plentiful news including the fate of Second Coming and a ton of Marvel/Disney updates.
Solid episode, overall.
And then we go and ruin it by talking about green characters and doing an offensive Irish accent.
Well, we're nothing if not predictable.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Ronin Island #1
- Morning in America #1
- Female Furies #2
- Black Order #5
- Ziggy Pig and Silly Seal #1
- Cosmic Ghost Rider Destroys Marvel History #1
- Darth Vader: Dark Visions #1
My Goodness, there sure is a lot of comics and news topics to discuss this week. Good thing we laid out our time properly to give each item the appropriate amount of discussion time.
....oh, whoops...
Rushed overly complicated schedule aside, we cap off this episode with our review of Captain Marvel COMPLETELY SPOILER FREE!
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Captain Marvel: Braver and Mightier #1
- West Coast Avengers #8
- Ice Cream Man #9
- Life is Strange #4
Disclaimer: Cover B does not have anything personally against Greg Rucka. We love you, Greg. Please don't hate us.
We also talk about Thor's ding dong, a plethora of DC updates and the absolutely exquisite Umbrella Academy show.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- High Level #1
- Sharkey the Bounty Hunter #1
- Wild Storm #20
- Miles Morales Spider-Man #3
- Shuri #5
- Unstoppable Wasp #4
Hey, did you know comics are sometimes made into movies or television shows? Well if you didn't you, you will after this episode. Stay to the end for a new segment, the Secret Shortbox, wherein we discuss what comics are great for fans of different authors. For our first Secret Shortbox, we talk about the little known writer named Stephen King. You may want to look up some of his stuff before hand.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Wonder Twins #1
- Justice League Dark #8
- Avengers No Road Home #1
- Magic Order #6
Movie and TV news abound this episode, as a week of Ho-Hum comics is rescued by a week of casting and cancellation buzz. Then, we discuss the best examples of the worst superhero couples. Which super people should not be tangling capes? Find out here!
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Batman #64
- DIE #3
- Female Furies #1
- Daredevil #1
This week we discuss the start of "The Price," new directions for Daredevil, and gush over how beautiful DIE is. In the news, people can barely contain their appreciation for Avengers Endgame, Chris Evans's possible future with Marvel, Alfred Pennyworth is a gritty badass, and Chris derails the whole thing to rant about Star Wars. Finally, we get political and then judge others for getting political. I mean, what says politics more than being a total hypocrite?
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Unstoppable Wasp #4
- Exiles #12
- Heroes in Crisis #5
- Justice League Annual #1
- Ice Cream Man #9
- Peter Cannon Thunderbolt #1
Somehow we managed to defrost our microphone, scrape the ice off our computer, and get an episode out into the world! It's cold, y'all. Don't fret, we got you covered with hot comics, toasty news and... well a discussion about cold-themed characters.... That last bit may not help, but it will be fun!
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Guardians of the Galaxy #1
- Crypt of Shadows #1
- War is Hell #1
- Uncanny X-Men Annual #1
- Naomi #1
- Blossoms 666 #1
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1
Dive in to the very beginning of multiple stories with a whole slew of #1 issues! Then, we discuss some fairly heavy news involving corporate shake-ups, celebrity controversy and production limbo. Finally, we cover our feelings toward Punisher Season Two, or the worlds first streamable Valium! Also, Chris makes terrible impressions! It's just awful, really.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Uncanny X-Men #10
- Invaders #1
- Black Widow #1
- Justice League Dark #7
- Middlewest #3
Whether they're Far From Home, stealing someone's intellectual property, getting cancelled by EA, or coming back from the dead, you'll hear about it first (more likely last) from us!
This we we introduce a new segment called Key Issues where we whine about stuff to unwind all that built up millennial angst. We're laying out the issues we have about events and crossovers in DC and Marvel and how they just tend to fall flat.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Avengers #12
- Captain Marvel #1
- Young Justice #1
- Criminal #1
Weekly pull includes the return of one of our favorite creative teams as well as the continued saga of Tee's love for Bendis and Thompson. In the news is a handful of greenlit projects and the ever-growing presence of digital comics. Finally, we discuss our theories about the end and future of Marvel's Netflix shows. Enjoy!
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Scarlet #5
- Lucifer #3
- Uncanny X-Men #8
Happy New Year!
Ring in the New Year with a fine bounty of movie news, plenty of Bendis fan-girling, and a deep discussion of superhero reinventions! Chris even gets one of his resolutions out of the way. It's a magical time for all!
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Fantastic Four #5
- Maneaters #4
Slow week coming out of the holiday, as we discuss the very VERY few books available on the shelves. We continue by giving our thoughts on two staples of entertainment (Video Games and Theme Parks), and we close with reviews of the Deadly Class pilot and a little movie called "Aquaman."
It's an odd, short episode. We're probably still a bit buzzed on eggnog.
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Infinity Wars #6
- Spider-Geddon #5
- Extermination #5
- Thor #8
- Betty & Veronica #1
- Killmonger #2
This week we review some of the endings to recent Marvel events, discuss our feelings on the new Hellboy trailer and talk about the Border Town controversy at DC. We wrap the episode up with our spoiler-free review of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. All this while Chris suffers immensely from the illness eating away at his insides! Yay, flu season!
Weekly Pull Highlights
- Batman Annual #3
- Batman Damned #2
- Batman Who Laughs #1
- Goddess Mode #1
- These Savage Shores #2
- Superman #6
This week we dare to ask bold questions: Who the heck is this Superboy? How is the next Avengers movie going to wrap everything up? What is Alan Moore up to these days? Why does DC care so much about Bruce Wayne's anatomy?
We top this episode off with our Indie Gift Guide for any comic fans or aren't all about that Marvel/DC life.
Weekly Pull Highlights: Martian Manhunter #1, Shazam #1, Grumble #1, Die #1 Self Made #1
This week, we discuss the absolutely MASSIVE slurry of #1 issues from this week. Afterward, we discuss our feelings toward the Captain Marvel trailer and get admittedly a little long-winded analyzing MCU power levels, character personalities and the future of the Street-Level Heroes. We cap this episode off with a guide to Holiday shopping for any DC fans in your life!
Weekly Pull Highlights: Heroes in Crisis #3, Ironheart #1, Maneaters #3, Dead Man Logan #1, Uncanny X-Men #3 and Hex Wives #2
This week we discuss the saga of Old Man Logan, debate if George Lucas should be allowed to touch more Star Wars movies, talk about the success of Rebellion, and more! We end with part one of our Holiday Gift Guide, starting the series off with gift ideas for the Marvel fan in your life!
Weekly Pull Highlights: Lucifer #2, Cover #3, Web of Venom: Carnage Born, Archie #700, Exorsisters#2 and Middlewest #1
This week we discuss a big time lawsuit with Image Comics, run through the myriad of trailers recently released, and discuss our favorite comic families.
Weekly Pull Highlights: Uncanny X-Men #1, Thor #7, Avengers #10, Firefly #1 & Bitter Root #1
Join us as we remember Stan the Man, discuss movie news and explore the finer points of "Twitter Hacking." We also pay our respects to our fighting men and women who have gone on to play a super role! Welcome to Episode One!