Pick of the Week Podcast
Show Notes
Josh Flanagan has stopped coughing, and a fictional character has stopped fictionally breathing. Plus we question Paul Montgomery’s choices of 80s sci-fi film. Then Josh questions Conor Kilpatrick, and Conor questions right back. Listen, it’s all very complicated, but you’ll be able to hear everyone, so that’s something.
Running Time: 01:01:25
Pick of the Week:
00:02:02 – Batman, Incorporated #8
Comics:
00:14:42 – Uncanny Avengers #4
00:19:07 – The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror #1
00:20:37 – Punisher: War Zone #5
00:24:32 – Injustice: Gods Among Us #2
00:29:24 – Joe Kubert Presents #5
00:31:24 – Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1
00:34:30 – Amala’s Blade #0
00:36:40 – Hawkeye #8
00:40:00 – Nemo: Heart of Ice
User Reviews:
00:42:54 – The Top Five Community Picks of the Week.
00:43:55 – InvasionForce reviews FF #4
00:45:38 – ghostmann reviews Aquaman #17
E-Mail:
00:48:22 – Adrian wonders what would excite us in the world of Green Lantern.
00:51:13 – Igor wonders what we think of the current Captain America.
00:53:16 – Ashlie asks about re-reading and Wolverine’s bones.
Brought to You By:
• Harbinger Wars from Valiant Comics.
Music:
“Better Off Dead”
Bad Religion
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Paul dropping some ‘Pirates of the Dark Water’ knowledge!
+1 for you sir.
I just watched some of that for the first time this year. It… was not great.
If we’re throwing out shared birthdays I share mine with William Randolph Hearst the inspiration for Charles Foster Kane who appears in Nemo: Heart of Ice
Let’s make this a thread!
Considering I am a huge movie buff I have several actors and a director to share my birthday including: Spencer Tracy, Gregory Peck, Bette Davis, and finally Roger Corman.
I share mine with Al from Quantum Leap, T’Pol from Star Trek: Enterprise, and Anakin Skywalker from The Phantom Menace. The actors, not the characters.
Damian is actually the third dead Robin. Shame on you guys for not remembering Stephanie Brown.
Stephanie who?
She didn’t actually die though.
Wow. This was a rough episode. I hope the rest of my comments will be taken in the spirit in which they are intended. I have listened to your podcasts since 2007, and most of the time I have enjoyed your shows. I want you to produce the best possible episodes, so that as many people as possible can enjoy them.
I don’t think you guys are living up the standard that you have set. Please use these constructive criticisms to improve the show.
When you discuss a comic book that all three of you have read, the additional insights add substance to the show. In this episode, frequently one of the hosts will start to discuss a comic book and then ask “did anyone else read this book?” After it is clear that only one of the three hosts has read a book, the comments are very limited, and it sounds like certain people are “mailing it in.” While is is mildy funny to hear Josh make comments about how out of the loop or behind he is on certain topics, its not good enough to just retort things like “hey, I have a kid.” You guys really only discuss ten comic books each week. I don’t think it is too much to expect that at least two of the three hosts have read each book that is being discussed.
Marvel Comics is one of the worlds biggest comic book publishers. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly clear that none of the three hosts have a genuine love for Marvel Comics. In the past, Ron was the Marvel guy, Conor was the DC guy, and Josh was the Independent Publisher guy. Of course, there was some variation and crossover, but there was at least one host who made it clear that they loved Marvel Comics. Each publisher has a certain amount of goofiness, and it is nice to hear from someone with years of experience following those story lines. Ron’s love of the X-men, and the strange history of these characters, was one of the best parts about some of the older episodes. With the addition of Paul, who appears to primarily enjoys DC and Independent Publishers, there is a gap for listeners who primary enjoy Marvel Comics. I appreciate Conor and Paul taking Josh to task with his Onslaught criticisms (which can be summarized as “I hate all continuity that I am ignorant of”), but your show would be so much more enjoyable if there was someone who really identified with the primary comic book publisher in the market. Personally, I am a fan of Marvel Comics, and I don’t care about DC or the other publishers. When I listen to your show, I tend to tune out most of the discussions of the other publishers, but I tend to enjoy your comments on Marvel, so that I can follow along with some of the major themes that are transpiring in that universe. That has gotten progressively harder over the past few episodes, and I just would encourage you to find a way to identify more with Marvel Comics.
I’ve debated posting a message like this over the past few weeks, because I am saddened by what your show has become. If I wouldn’t have enjoyed it so much in the past, I don’t think I would have cared enough to post this comment. I really just hope that your show improves back to the standard that you established over the years, because I really want to enjoy it as much as I used to.
I hate to say it, but it does seem like their is a little less balance without a true Marvel guy in the group.
The whole Marvel guy/DC guy/Indie guy thing has been a pointless and moot stereotype of the show for years. Grow up. It’s a podcast about comics. ALL comics.
And FYI, they talked about Marvel books more than any other publisher. The fact that they didn’t go on for five minutes about how bad Onslaught was back in the day can only be a good thing.
Wait, I thought we were on the take for Marvel…
I CAN’T KEEP ALL OF OUR BIASES STRAIGHT!!!
Disagree. They were gushing over Marvel’s Punisher. And Paul said Marvel’s Infinity Gauntlet is a classic.
I was shocked to hear “Better off dead” by Bad Religion on the week Damien died. It was kind of like getting the middle finger. This was awesome because punk rock should be shocking. And to think, I was so worried about about the music choices. Y’all still got it! Happy 375th!
They Talked about 4 Marvel titles during the first part of show, mentioned how great FF was on the second half and even discussed Captain America near the end of podcast, that’s a lot of marvel talk for a hour podcast. Not to put Ron down but I find myself enjoying the show even more now with Paul on board, but @WonderManFan I suggest you listen to the entire podcast, it might open your mind to whole new world of stories that you shut out because you stay in that Marvel Zombie mode.
Am I fired? I’m fired aren’t I? God, now I’m worried.
And I’m over it.
i can’t believe i’m the one left to say this…
but your criticisms are missing the point.
talk about Marvel…don’t talk about Marvel…that’s not the greatness of ifanboy.
i think the best thing about this podcast (besides the generally superior use of microphones and editing) was always the group dynamic of 3 longtime friends shooting the sh*t about something they like.
You have to be really comfortable with people to call them out on their biases and give them the business over their hang-ups and to have the freedom to be ridiculous…
which is where the majority of the enjoyment of the ifanboy podcast used to come from…its the thing that made this podcast different from others.
you can get a rundown of “what’s happening in this weeks books” from anywhere…but taking part in friends having a good time together (or mocking their bad times more often) is special.
that said, the shows have taken a downturn in Ron’s upbeat absence…but its a downturn that i see eventually correcting itself with time…not in the same way, but hopefully in a new but equally enjoyable way as the i-threesome form their own new bonds over their new shared adventures and mash that into some fun for all of us.
either that or they’ll just throw in the towell and start the puppet show i’ve always envisioned for them.
Marvel will be talked about when they are producing great books to talk about, The bias thing is silly,, they read the books they enjoy, and I’m sure sometime in the near future Marvel will have a bunch of good books to talk about, but right now isn’t that time.
It’s not about talking x amount about brand x or brand y. I think in that regard WonderManFan’s concern is a bit off. That said, I don’t think he’s entirely off. There is indeed something missing in terms of having someone on the show with a true love of Marvel. Someone who you feel get excited when a topic or book comes up. That’s not something that you can fabricate. Talking about more Marvel books, or Paul pretending to be the new Marvel guy won’t fix what’s lacking.
I know everyone hates it when people pigeonhole the guys. But they do have their lanes. And the show used to have a guy that leaned towards all lanes, creating a really solid balance. It’s been thrown off a bit, IMO, because Ron gravitated towards a lane very much different from Conor or Josh. Where as Paul seems to be a bit of a combination of the two of them.
The loss of Ron definitely has had an effect on the show. There’s no getting around it. The show is still excellent. But everyone can feel the void of that special something that made the show legendary. That kinship you only get when you have 3 best friends hanging out, having a ball. The new show while still great, has a much more business-like feel to it. Nothing wrong with that. But it’s a change for the listeners who grew to love the old dynamic. To realize just how different the dynamic is. Josh is now the silliest member of the show. Think about that for a second. 😉
I hope Paul doesn’t take any of this the wrong way. He’s done nothing wrong at all and was the best choice possible. It’s just, he’s not Ron. He doesn’t have an irrational love of Marvel or X-books for Josh to roll his eyes at. And he doesn’t hate Superman to combat Conor. And he’s not super silly and goofy, turning the show often into giggle fits. None of that is Paul, Conor, or Josh’s fault. There was an old balance that no longer exists. And that’s too bad. But things change, and we adapt. Time to adapt to this new less Marvely (in terms of love, not quantity), less silly, more deadpan version of the show.
I got no complaints. This just isn’t that old thing we all loved. It’s just like with comic books. Your favorite creative team may have split up or finished their work on a book. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t stop reading comics. Sure, a writer might do his best work with a certain artist. Or an artist’s work might not be the same without his favorite inker or colorist. But there’s something to be said for following the evolution of creative talent. And just because Dan Slott kills Peter Parker, or Ron kills iFanboy (joking!), it doesn’t mean your old favorites are gone. You can always go back and re-read or re-listen. 😉
“Please use these constructive criticisms to improve the show.”
Ha! Check out the ego on this guy. Gimme a break.
@WonderManFan: I think your post says a lot more about your biases than it does about the guys’. We get it; you miss Ron. That’s OK. We all do. But to suggest that any one of these guys are “phoning it in” isn’t just silly, it’s ignorant. If you’re such a longtime listener, it’s kind of strange that you don’t seem to understand how the format works. Anyone can feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that each of the guys chooses three books that they’d like to discuss (not counting the POTW) on each show. Once you take that into account, it makes perfect sense that one or two of them may not have read every book being discussed. To expect all three to read all the same books every week is ridiculous. And I got news for ya; having a kid is the best excuse to do less of anything except raising your kid that I can think of. Do you have any idea how many books these guys read every week? They’re not gonna throw away money and time on something they have no interest in. That variety is part of what makes the show so entertaining, with and without Ron. In fact, looking back, I can remember Ron choosing a book that neither of the other two had read quite a few times, and it was still fun to listen to. Also, as someone mentioned above, not every publisher puts out an equal amount of books worth discussing each and every week.
For the sake of argument, let’s take a look at the stats for this particular episode that moved you, WonderManFan, to finally speak your peice and disguise a tantrum as constructive criticism. Of the ten books discussed in the first 3/4 of the show, 3 are published by DC, 3 are independents, and 4 are published by Marvel. Well, look at that. We have a winner. I hope a DC fan steps up to the plate and gives the guys a few notes on how to improve the show, otherwise they may not discuss the Big Two at all next week.
The Marvel Guy/DC Guy/Indie Guy categorization was little more than a barely accurate label. And the fact that the original three had a history together was a perk. It’s not what made the show work. What makes the show work has always been the combination of three intelligent, self-deprecating, hardworking, and witty guys who shared a deep fondness and knowledge of comics, and want to spread that love with others like them. That formula hasn’t changed. We all miss Ron, but honestly I don’t think the show has missed a beat since Paul took over.
Everyone’s entitled to their opinions, but if you’re going to complain, don’t throw mustache glasses on it and have the arrogance to call it a suggestion. Next time, just complain so the rest of us have less to scroll through.
Ok, I feel like my statement of their being being less balance is not very accurate. I’ve never sensed any bias by any of the guys. I think being a life long Marvel guy I just miss having a die hard Marvel guy in the group since Ron left. But I don’t believe the quality of the show has dipped at all.
Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown, and now Damian make 3 out of 5 Robins that have been killed, so a majority of Robin do tend to be killed at least once.
Stephanie Brown didn’t die though. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephanie_Brown_%28comics%29#Batgirl
Sorry my mistake.They killed her and brought her back.
Fun comic book shop story that also relates to podcast. I have been a regular at my shop for four years, never missed a week unless I was in school, and I always came back to all my comics there. In front of the register are a couple of books the owner read and suggests. He finishes ringing me up and hands me my stuff when he talks to me about:
Guardians of the Galaxy 0.1. He says it’s great I should try it. I say yeah, okay, next week. Instead of me doing that, the owner picks up the book, rings it out and hands it to me. This is, of course, a good way of him getting continued repeat business but I enjoyed the gesture and hope others have or can experience it soon.
Still feel like I owe him .39 cents.
EDIT: -relates to the podcast. That’s what happens when you do three things at once.
Great show guys.
I definitely have to pick up Rucka’s Punisher run. I’ve been wishing I was in the loop every time you guys have talked about it. It sounds right up my alley.
I loved the discussion about Logan’s claws. It was one of those talks that sounded completely ridiculous, but with more serious thought behind it than any of us care to admit. Happens all the time to us comic fans.
I realize none of you need me to tell you this, but don’t listen to the negativity. You just keep on like you are. I found myself nodding in agreement and laughing out loud every more so than usual this week.
Keep it up.
If Rucka’s Punisher run is ever collected into a single massive unit, I’m going to buy it for my brother who hasn’t read a Punisher story since he was 14, when he absolutely loved the character.
Injustice sounds like Irredeemable!
At the start of the show you mentioned this episode was sponsored by Harbinger Wars from Valiant Comics. As a big fan of the Vaiant relaunch I was looking forward to the “word from our sponsor” portion. As I rarely hear anyone on your show mention their books. I hear many other podcasts rave about them. So I was slightly disappointed when it sounded like Josh just quickly ran through the ad with no comment from anyone about their views on the books.
I know it sounds alittle unfair. There is no rule that says you guys have to like or even read these books. Otherwise I enjoy the show as always.
I can’t say for sure, but I feel like they typically keep the sponsor portion more or less comment-free.
(sarcasm) I mean, what would their paymasters from Marvel and/or Image say if the guys spent any more time than necessary talking about a Valiant book? (end sarcasm)
@KenOchalek: There’s no hard and fast rule. We will talk about sponsor stuff if we have something to say. In this case, Paul is the only one who reads Valiant.
yay Paul!
yes, Amala’s Blade made me instantly think of Pirates of Darkwater, which btw I LOVED.
thank you for making me feel less crazy, cause none of my friends could see it.
haha
Wolverine gets drunk all the time, he get never get a hangover or has to worry about alcohol poisoning.
The bone claws are hard to explain other than it was a cool idea for when they wanted Wolverine vulnerable to death.
It was explained that his mutation was making him more feral but the adamantinium actually stopped it. One reference in Weapon X implies that the program didn’t know he had bone claws and it was a bonus. Once Magneto ripped it out, during Fatal Attractions, his bones were tore up badly and his healing factor was messed up in the process. Later he mutated into more animal/beast like because his factor started it back. Then he got the adamantuium back and was restored to his original look.
Thank you! I thought I was the only one frightened by E.T. as a kid.
How great is Bad Religion? The greatest maybe!
Anyone get their new album “True North”? It’s so fucking good.