Pick of the Week Podcast

Pick of the Week #234 – The New Avengers Finale #1

Show Notes

It’s one for the ages here folks, as Conor Kilpatrick is still on vacation and Tom Katers joins Ron Richards and Josh Flanagan to tackle the tremendously large stack of comics for the past week, including the end to The Sentry saga which also may be the worst comic book printed, ever. We’re not kidding here folks, this is one to remember.

Running Time: 01:06:29

Pick of the Week:
00:02:03 – Josh shared why The New Avengers Finale #1 gave him a happy end to the past 5 years of Avengers comics.

Comics:
00:13:43 – Siege came to an end this week and, despite some nitpicks, everyone enjoyed Siege #4.
00:17:00 – Josh enjoyed the story of Dark Avengers #16, not so much the art.
00:19:01 – Siege: Embedded #4 finished strong, almost stronger than Siege #4 for Tom.
00:21:30 – There are no words to describe The Sentry: Fallen Sun.
00:31:59 – Over at DC, the big Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne story kicked off with issue #1 with some great art.
00:34:32 – Ron was surprised at how good Hulk #22 was.
00:37:05 – Tom was sickened by the death in Titans: Villains for Hire Special #1.
00:40:19 – B.P.R.D.: King of Fear #5 delivered good comics for Tom.
00:41:28 – The Flash #2 kept the positive vibes of The Flash going for Ron and Tom.
00:42:38 – The Luna Brothers finished their latest epic with The Sword #24 and Ron’s glad it’s over.
00:43:10 – It’s another insane death in X-Men Forever #23.
00:44:12 – Josh really enjoyed the end of the The Marvels Project #8
00:45:06 – …but he didn’t enjoy The Transformers: Ironhide #1 so much.
00:46:15 – And finally, everyone gave Birds of Prey #1 a shot, and it wasn’t awful.

User Reviews:
00:48:45 – akamuu enjoyed The Sentry: Fallen Sun which leads us to wonder what comic he actually read.
00:50:10 – ctrosejr had a more realistic opinion of The Sentry: Fallen Sun.

E-Mail:
00:52:46 – Steve has some questions about filling the gaps in our collections

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Music:
“Northwest Apartment”

Band of Horses

 

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Comments

  1. Now I really want to ask, because I don’t know if its ever come up before, what does everyone think of superhero funerals where everyone shows up in costume?  Personally I’m ok with it because I think its more of less them honoring him as that part of their life, I don’t think they’d ever show up to their uncle’s funeral or anything like that.

  2. no words to describe Fallen Sun? I’m expecting 10 minutes of "Bleeurgh!!"

  3. So is Tom gonna pay those $100 dollars?

  4. I couldn’t care less about Siege and the Sentry so I was never planning on reading Fallen Sun but if nothing else I’m glad that it caused such a hilariously ranty episode of iFanboy. 

    I’m almost tempted to read it just because of this. Probably won’t though.

  5. Josh and Tom on the same podcast? Worlds colliding! Dogs and cats living together!!!

  6. i love when the guys talk about terrible books, can they do an annual video podcast highlighting the year’s worst comics???

  7. "You named your cat Ron"

    Bwahahahahahahahaha!

    Tom’s a funny guy.

  8. Hahahaha.  The Internet was invented for Deadpan humor.

    For the record, I *did* choose this as pick of the week.  Mainly, because I wanted people to share this life-altering experience with.

    "excruciatingly, achingly sad", "little or no soul" "wow level writing" "fluent in Grief"   A 5 for story?  And then "Really?  A Sentry book as pick of the week?"  with a link to a fart joke?  I mean, I do tend to use hyperbole when I do reviews, but I thought this was too over-the-top to be taken seriously.  Can I please assume that Tom Katers’s "different strokes" comment inferred that I had one when I wrote the review? 😉

    In our store we had a "bomb of the week" card to represent a comic that we really didn’t like, but thought people should experience.  We had to stop using it when a customer complained to the owners because we put it on all four issues on One More Day. which was one of his favorite books.  (His favorite artist?  Liefeld.  I haven’t asked him if his favorite TV show was Cop Rock, but I’m reasonably certain that was the case.)

    This was my bomb of the…well, since One More Day, really. 

    But I appreciate that y’all were willing to "show the other side".

  9. Oh god, next time I go to the store, I’m totally going to read Sentry.

  10. Can’t stop laughing… Tears… welling. Oh, god. So good…

    -J.

  11. I was done with Paul Jenkins during Front Line. Icing on the cake. 

  12. I was surprised when a reviewer didn’t lose their credibility on this site when he reviewed a book he didn’t read.

    But now this backpedalling . . .

    Looking at the review closely, I can see a bit of sarcasm (maybe). But I see zero in the comments thread defending the review.

    Should have just stood by your review.

    But when the iFanboy founders start clowning, I guess no one’s convictions can stand tall in that wave of authority.

  13. Now all we NEED NEED NEED is a podcast just w/ Conor (n maybe the writers) w/ their thoughts on Fallen son issue!

  14. @ScorpionMasada: *sigh*  I now you’ve got your anti-akamuu cred to stand by, but, seriously?

    I responded to comments on all my other reviews almost immediately.  Yet I didn’t reply back to comments on that review (apart from reiterating my stance on Uncanny sucking) for two days.  I was having fun.

    I was overjoyed that Josh read the review, though.

  15. I think I wanted it to be sincere more than I actually thought it was.

    But thanks for the great show, either way.

  16. @scorpion Jesus, you are one vindictive joker.

  17. akamuu, I bought that book because of your review!

    Now, do you feel bad?

    Now do you understand why I am anti-akamuu?!

    Now do you realize the power your words have over the iFanbase?

    I hope you are a bit more responsible with your power next time (and work on your sarcasm–PLEASE)

  18. Yeah, I gotta say, I felt no sarcasm in the Akamuu review.

  19. Thank you for the great show.  My Sundays are slow, and I spend most of the afternoon trying to will the podcast to go up early. 

  20. @ScorpionMasada: Oh, now I do feel bad.  I humbly apologize for making you buy the book with the power of my words.  I shall endeavor to do better by you in the future. 😉

  21. In all seriousness, I use your reviews to decide whether or not to buy books I’m unsure about.

    I bet a bunch of folks here picked up that Sentry book cuz of your review.

    The line "I have little or no soul left" HAD to be sarcasm. I just wish the review had more on that level of absurdity.

  22. Oh yeah, can’t wait to listen to the podcast right now!

    Thanks iFanboy!

  23. Edward, you need to come in here and defend your boy, The Sentry.

    Make sure they see your Comment of the Week from the Siege #4 discussion.

    I think my new posting style is triple posting.

  24. “Hey, uh, haven’t seen you since Bob’s wedding. So you wanna dance? Awesome. Yeah, so I killed your son.”

  25. @Scorpion: Because I write the reviews after a full day of work, and then have to wait for them to arrive (I used to drive them from the Diamond pick up spot myself, but…no more), and then set up the store before I review them, I’m often posting them between 10pm and 2 am, having not slept since Monday morning.  Most weeks I stop reviewing at a certain point because I get punchy (I’m not sure if you were reading the week I ended each of my reviews with a string of repeating vowels, but that…and my Sentry review are what happens when I keep going).

    I’ll totally cop to this review being mixed message, since the first paragraph about the previous week’s Uncanny was sincere.  In an ideal world, I axed the first paragraph, and, while keeping the review word for word the way it was, gave the story a 1 and the art a 2.  And then didn’t stand by it in the comment section.

    Mea culpa.

  26. Avatar photo Jeff Reid (@JeffRReid) says:

    Great episode, guys. Obviously the Sentry stuff was a high point of this ep, but the discussion of getting complete runs was just as entertaining. Recently, I’ve completed a few runs (DRAGONLANCE and GUY GARDNER to be specific), and was surprised to find that sliding the last missing issue into each run didn’t cause the entire stack to glow in a soft white light. I was hoping that perhaps the issues were an elaborate totem of power that, when brought all together, would give me some sort of ability. Sadly, it didn’t happen. It looks like the DOUBLE DRAGON film has lied to me once again.

    But hey, you guys made me laugh so thanks. Nice job, Josh, Ron and Tom. 

  27. Do you think Pepper Pots really believed Tony when he asked her to run to the store to pick up a  case of…I think that’s supposed to be Mike’s Hard Lemonade…for "The Sentry’s funeral"?

  28. I’m also kind of hoping that during Hickman’s Fantastic Four run, we see the diary left out on a table, open to page nineteen and the last sentence says "Fuck you, Reed" in Skrull.

  29. im definitely buying fallen sun or whatever now. 

  30. Great show, I loved how you guys ranted on about the Sentry.

    (Been a fan of your show for over a year but finally decided to join today because I loved your hate for the Sentry)

  31. I’m with you Ron!  I can’t let this Rogue shit go.  I was actually rageing about this at one of my companies stores, that I supervise, this afternoon with an employee. Customers were just staring….

  32. I’ve done everything I can to ignore the Sentry for the past several years. From the sound of it, this is exactly why.

  33. As already stated, hilarious Fallen Son segment. It really is entertaining hearing you guys go off like that.

    I just hope you realize that in doing so, you probably helped sell a couple hundred extra copies. Everyone loves a train wreck. Especially after laughing their asses off for 10 min hearing about it.

    Great podcast once again. Really enjoy Tom as fill-in host extraordinaire.

  34. Everyone who is even thinking, "I am totally buying Fallen Sun now": the economy does not need that kind of stimulation. Get someone who already bought it to mail it to you and Pay It Forward. You could have mine, but the recycling center beat you to it.

  35. @Scorpion: I would love to defend The Sentry:Fallen Son but i haven’t had a chance to read my books yet. I had a busy weekend…. (i actually saw the Prime Minster of Australia, believe it or not)

    i will say the Marvel universe is a little more boring now. The Sentry really spiced things up. I think Bendis understood new characters have to created and fleshed out. You have to create new mythology instead of falling back on the same characters and relationships.

    Here was the genius of The Sentry. The character had built in mythology, built-in conflicts, built-in relationships. No time was given to exploring these elements because every Marvel Fanboy lost his shite instead of reading the books and keeping the importance of a comic book character in perspective

  36. @Akamuu: ha ha. i just read your review, dude. Just cop to it. You liked the book, it’s ok. it’s just a book. 

  37. Thanks for defending The Sentry when he is down and dead.

    I teared up a bit at the "Marvel universe is a little more boring now."

    You deserve to hang out with the Prime Minster of Austrailia.

    Is that like your king or something?

    And for the record, I like the Sentry.

  38. @Scorpoin: he was the guy floating in the dam in the episode of the Simpsons where they go to australia.

  39. X-Factor…. worth having a gap

  40. I will buy this comic now because of this podcast. I need to see just how bad it was.

    Maybe riff it, MST3K style. 

  41. ROGUE! I don’t accept it! (with tapping on the table)

  42. You forgot the evil floating robot.

  43. Should have listned to tje whole show.

  44. Regarding Return of Bruce Wayne #1… I was a little disappointed at how small a timespan the story covered. I expected Bruce would live out whole lives in various time periods, but he was only in prehistory for, like, two days or so.

    Also, I’m pretty sure "Robin’s" mask was painted on.

  45. Yes, I hate the cut out! I hate that Huntress costume! HATE IT!!!!

  46. "It sucked with the power of a million exploding suns." — Tom Katers

  47. Also, I enjoyed the talk about "collectong" the most.I find it interesting the different ways people collect comic books.

     

  48. I’m tempted to read Fallen Sun just to see how bad it is.

  49. Best episode in months!

  50. During the early part of the podcast, it was mentioned that no one had any idea of why Loki did what he did to precipitate the whole Siege. I cannot pinpoint exactly what Dark Reign book it was…I believe it was a Thor comic but Loki was very explicit in saying that Asgard did not belong in midgard and he wanted to start this war to show this…so…there ya have it.

  51. The rant for The Sentry: Fallen Sun started at 00:21:30 and ended 10 minutes later.

     You know what, I wouldn’t have mind if you went on tearing it apart.

     Good this issue is a train wreck as far as plotting and direction while art was servicable.

  52. This ripping of Fallen Sun was so great. I’m so glad Tom was on this show. I don’t even hate The Sentry and that was easily one of the worst issues I have ever read.

  53. I cannot express how much I want "Tom vs. The Sentry".

  54. I find it so hard to believe that the podcast wasn’t around when New Avengers started. I can’t remember what comics were like without iFanboy to bounce them off of.

  55. best episode ever.

  56. Marvel no prizes will never be awarded again, as the answer will always be "the Sentry did it"

  57. Brilliant episode, chappies!

    I think it’s very clever how at the end of Siege Thor threw the corpse of a guy with the power of a million exploding farts suns into the, er, sun for ever more. Yeah, that’ll work.

    In a typically out of touch with iFanboy moment, in my review of Flash #2 here I singled out the page most praised on the podcast as my own least liked. But I was being ironic, honest! That’s it …

    And Akamuu, ‘fluent in grief’ is a top phrase.

    Regarding Huntress’s costume in BoP #1. a chum points out that the bare belly could well be a colouring error – no real keyline where the apparent cut-off meets belly.

  58. caveman robin’s mask i assumed was painted on with soot or ash or mud or eyeliner or whatever cavemen use for facepaint.

  59. so this is the Scout dude with one arm?

    http://marvel.wikia.com/Scout_(Earth-616)

     

    so we’ve never heard of this guy either?

  60. akamuu is the Pauly Shore of ifanboy

  61. Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

    Flash Fact: Pauly Shore’s middle name? Montgomery. 

    It’s an ongoing legal battle.  

  62. I can listen you guys talk about Fallen Sun for a week straight.

  63. Great, hilarious episode, guys.

    I really don’t think reviews make much of a difference influencing what people buy. I mean reviews of all sorts across all media. The only difference is when someone’s on the bubble of buying or not buying, and then an extremely positive or negative review can sway them. Other than that, you pretty much have to write an incredibly thoughtful, convincing review praising the hell out of something for reasons that appeal to the reader. That really doesn’t happen often.

  64. Well…

    How many people reading this have bought or tried books based on a review one our show, or site, someone else’s show?

    I bet it’s plenty.

  65. I have definitely gone out and bought stuff due to you guys. If it wasn’t for you guys I would have never read Queen and Country.

  66. Listening in my car this morning, I was almost in tears laughing.   I love it when the boys turn mean.

  67. i’ve certainly tried stuff based on reviews – if you’ve gotten to know a reviewer’s taste, you can generally use that as your measuring stick.

  68. @froggulper: That’s an incredibly ignorant statement.  Many people come to this site specifically to hear about things they aren’t reading, and determine whether or not to pick them up. 

    I imagine you would have picked up on that if you’d stopped and read…well, any comment page on any podcast/don’t miss/light week/review pages.

    I guess all that Grant Morrison reading that has made you so much more intelligent than the rest of us has degraded your non-Morrison reading comprehension.

  69. @Ron, I’m pretty sure Rogue fought and absorbed some of the Sentry during the whole Utopia X-men vs. Dark X-men crossover.  Sentry could be super fast, thus tapping Rogue.

  70.  @froggulper

    I have bought a shitload of trades and started buying a lot more series because of this podcast and site

    Scalped

    Walking Dead

    Captain America

    Fantastic Four

    Fear Agent

    Green Lantern Corps

    and those are just off the top of my head

  71. Also, I know who Scout is and everything in the Fallen Sun issue made perfect sense to me except for Rogue and the Thing. I read the original mini and for the life of me i can’t figure out why Rogue was in this book or why Spider-Man and Hulk weren’t. WTF Jenkins?

  72. iFanboys, that was the absolute funniest episode ever.  Made me laugh out loud several times.  In public.

  73. @ Megnolia Tom vs the Sentry would be great. The book would reveal that the Sentry has been Tom’s brother all along.

  74. Damn … there’s $4 down the drain …

  75. Great episode I only wanted to mention my one gripe with Return of Bruce Wayne.

    If you’re time travelers and you show up late, can’t you just hop into your bubble and show up 5 minutes earlier? 

  76. @Josh-listening to your story on how you got introduced to New Avengers made me think back to issue 22. That book depicted some great moments through the eyes of Luke Cage and his family. What were your thoughts on issue 22?   

  77. I have no idea. My memory for specific stories from 3,4,5 years ago is… not so great. I probably liked it?

  78. Late to the party, but a very entertaining episode.  This week made me feel good about my discernment as a consumer because I thoroughly enjoyed all the comics I bought and hated many of the ones I heard about.  Dodged some bullets with that Sentry thing.  

  79. Steve posted a great question about completing runs or being spotty in collections. I think because of the testimonies of different ifanboy staff members I’ve shaken off the monkey of obsessive collecting and gone back to get rid of several staggered arcs of Captain America, Ultimate X-Men, and Batman that I know I won’t read again. Enter a new era of collecting. *Deep breath to steady my nerves.*

  80. Akamuu, just fess up to the Sentry thing.  It’s okay that you liked it, it’s not the end of the world that they had a little fun with you.

    You encouraged me to buy Fallen Sun in your Siege #4 review thread, which of course I did. 

  81. LMFAO! Josh’s Sentry analogy at the start of the Fallen Sun rant was Gold!

    "It sucked with the power of a million exploding suns." – Tom Katers = Succinct & kept it real.

     Ron – Agreed upon Sentry beng an insult to Marve readers everywhere,& also, for the dead-on Bendis hyping something up impersontion.

     I downloaded this months ago when it first came out…& it’s still my favourite ep too go back and listen to. I love how Sentry kept coming up when y’all were discussing other booksafter the main rant

    KUDOS TO THE NTH DEGREE,GUYS! TAKE A BOW.

    Please have Tom on again when you lads are gonna rip a book a new one ala Fallen Sun.

  82. Amazing Spider-Man #655. Sentry. Guess they don’t get Mr. Katers’ money.

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