Pick of the Week Podcast

Pick of the Week #491 – Howard The Duck #4

Show Notes

Who says you can’t come home again? Prodigal son Ron Richards returns to the welcoming arms of Josh Flanagan and Conor Kilpatrick to talk about this week’s books and you know what? Not much has changed in almost 3 years…

Running Time: 01:15:24

Pick of the Week:
00:03:27 – Howard The Duck #4

Comics:Howard the Duck_4
00:12:25 – Superman #41
00:18:17 – E is for Extinction #1
00:22:50 – Invisible Republic #4
00:26:05 – We Are… Robin! #1
00:31:35 – The Flash #41
00:33:04 – Rasputin #6
00:34:28 – Age of Ultron vs. Marvel Zombies #1
00:37:33 – Batgirl #41
00:40:01 – Black Widow #19

The Ron Richards AMA:
00:43:11 – Conor and Josh ask Ron about what he’s been up to since he left the show in 2012.

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Music:
“When Rock ‘N’ Roll Was Just a Baby”
Texas Is The Reason

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Comments

  1. Oh man I freaked out when Ron did the intro. Welcome back Ron. Also, thanks for letting me introduce myself to you at Ground Kontrol in Portland.

  2. Welcome back Ron!

  3. This made my week, guys.

  4. Welcome back, Ron. Didn’t even lose a step. Also, might want to change ifanboy’s twitter bio from ‘2 guys’ to ‘3 guys’.

  5. Ron!!

    I haven’t listened yet but I’m already overjoyed to have the three of you doing a pick of the week podcast again!

    • Yup, even better than I hoped it would be. Really interesting insights from Ron about the comic book industry but best of all – and no disrespect to Paul, who did a great job during his time with you – the chemistry between the three of you really makes the podcast what it is and it’s been deeply missed.

  6. Let’s talk Comics- “Would you ever do a comics podcast again?
    Ron- “No, no I think that ship has sailed.”

    Good to see that ships can sail forward and backward.

  7. Welcome back ron! Damian son of batman was fun, action with a manbat, the superpower thing did not last long.
    My pick was Wayward, Jim Zub and company are great on that book.

  8. Three jamokes talkin’ comics. Welcome home Ron.

  9. Hot damn, Ron is back!Welcome home!

  10. RON!

    I wasn’t sure if he was back or not until he announced that he had the pick. I’ll admit it, I made a noise.

    Welcome back.

  11. Avatar photo 36crazymet (@themikeylamb) says:

    Thoughts on Daredevil 16? I’m glad that these are the last couple of issues, because that red suit is getting tough to look at.

  12. This is crazy timing. I started listening to the show a couple episodes before Ron left. A couple months ago I decided to go back and listen to all the episodes I missed, so I started from Episode 116 (first one available) and I literally just caught up to 370s.

    Thanks for the show all of you guys! Was good to have Ron back.

  13. Glad that Ron is back. I enjoyed Conor and Josh as a duo but three voices gives the conversation so much more vim and verve!!

    Also, glad Ron is interested in Secret Wars. I feel that while Secret Wars and Convergence had a certain similarity, the drawback that made Convergence a bit stale was the limitations set by the world vs. world, mostly hero vs. hero, setting the stories in very specific continuities, and not necessarily teaming the right writers and artists with certain eras and characters.

    On the other hand, Secret Wars has made my summer reading really fun due to Marvel putting solid writers and artists on a lot of books. Sometimes these tie-ins feel rushed and like try outs with creators without history with the characters. The main series is also great summer popcorn action. I’m have been disappointed to not hear many reviews of the tie-ins as I think them “not counting” and just being cool well written stories have freed up some top notch guys to do cool stuff (barbarian Steve Rogers riding Devil Dinosaur through a land of Gamma chaos? What’s not to love?). Truly Ultimate End has been a poor representation of what these guys are doing. Infinity Guantlet, Marvel Zombies, Mrs. Deadpool, Where Monsters Dwell, Weirdworld, Master of Kung Fu, Runaways, Ghost Racers have all been amazing.

    I like what Ron said about just picking up the tie-ins with concepts, characters, and writers/artists that interest him. I feel that’s the best way to read comics anyway. Stick with creators you dig and whether it has stakes or counts doesn’t matter. Just nifty stories.

    Glad for the trimumverate of voices.

    Oh, and Invisible Republic is stunning!!

    • I’m with you. I haven’t seen a lot of Infinity Gauntlet love but that book is outstanding. I’d read a whole series with that family for sure. The whole dynamic of the warrior Mom who left and came back vs the non-powered Dad who had to stay behind and survive alone is something we’ve not really seen.

    • Yeah, Infinity Guantlet may be the best of the bunch. The art is amazing. The first issue was like a great action film at breakneck speed, but still able to convey character. So good. Reminded me of Mateo Scalera on Black Science or Dead Body Road but actually had more meat to sink your teeth into. I actually dislike the mother to some degree, but love the father and daughters, but I like that too. Everyone is complex even the characters I dislike.

      Red Skull was pretty fun this week. An obvious Suicide Squad rip, but felt like cool, classic Ostrander material. Much better than that current DC Squad stuff.

      Very much looking forward to 1872.

      Really fun summer reading. Marvel did well getting top notch guys on this stuff.

  14. Welcome back, Ron!

    Connor, most of the various Robins/Batman extended Gotham stuff is clearly not your bag, but just to keep you abreast of the new status quo (for better or worse):

    – Damian is alive again, the superpowers were temporary and a result of whatever New Gods thing brought him back to life, he practically exists in an out-of-continuity state at the moment outside of an appearance in Gotham Academy (Snyder won’t even write him, supposedly because he’s too close to his son’s age)
    – Current Tim Drake is still on the Teen Titans, I believe
    – Batman Beyond Tim Drake is the Tim Drake from that wretched Futures End series, so he’s a Tim Drake from a possible future flung forward into an even further possible future because Terry McGinnis came back to the earlier possible future time period and died (Deep breath, eye roll)
    – Jason Todd is Bro, bro.
    – Dick Grayson, SuperSpy is the best of these, and looking to be reintegrated into Gotham here in the next few months.

    This has been Too Many Robins.

  15. Welcome back, Ron. This made my week.

  16. Welcome back Ron!

    Also just a side note, Odysseus is the Greek (original) name for Ulysses (Roman translation). So they’re both the same person 🙂

  17. Am I dreaming?

  18. I have to ask. Are the rumors true that when you left the Image offices, you were wearing a bath robe with your pants around your ankles, weeping, and taking nothing with you (except for an ash tray, paddle game, lamp, chair, and a magazine)?

  19. Avatar photo PymSlap (@alaska_nebraska) says:

    Hi Ron, I’m reading Secret Wars: X-tinction Agenda, too, but I came to it in an odd way. Marvel sent me a solicit in an email to subscribe to Uncanny Avengers: Vol 2. I signed up for a one year subscription, and then after Issue #4, I got another email telling me that the series was ending and that my subscription was being changed to X-tinction Agenda. I felt this was unfair, but I had just read X-tinction Agenda artist Carmine Di Giandomencio’s X-Men: Magneto: Testament, and it was so good that I didn’t complain about Marvel giving me the old bait and switch.
    Nice to hear you podcasting.

  20. What a treat to have Ron back, and to hear there’s more next week. Very quickly everyone relaxed into a realm where new running gags can be born. I like that.

  21. REJOICE!
    the dream team is back together!

  22. Thanks everyone for the kind words!

  23. Three heads are better then two, especially when they have the comoridery you guys have. Welcome back Ron.

    Any more word on Darwyn’s Revengance?

  24. just listen, welcome back

  25. I know it’s been said plenty, but this really made my morning yesterday. Came back from vacation and listened a day later than usual with no idea Ron was back. Really psyched to have you three back together.

    Also pleased to hear a reprise of one of my favorite name mispronunciations/Josh reactions.

  26. Can someone explain the appeal of Howard the Duck to me?
    As far as I can tell he’s basically Danny Devito in the middle of a super powers situation- only not as charming.
    And that is saying something.
    He has no special abilities-(other than perhaps the ability to stay warm in a cold river)
    He’s short – obnoxious- and not that smart.

    I wasn’t around for his first run so I can’t comment on the cultural significance of how he was written then- but now?
    Is it just nostalgia? It seems like people proclaim to like him more than they actually do.

    • I have no context and it is the first contact with the character that I have, but I laugh out loud reading the issues. Maybe I’m just silly but I find it the funniest comic around.

    • Howard the Duck was, other than “The Comix Book,” about the closest Marvel got to doing underground comix in the 1970’s. He was created by Steve Gerber and, apparently, was meant to be a persona for Gerber (who passed away in the early 2000’s I believe). If you ever have a chance to read the original material, do so, it’s very funny (and out there – Gerber and Jim Starlin took a lot of “inspiration” back in the day…). Many would argue that Howard isn’t Howard without Gerber, but I’m glad to hear that the new stuff seems to be living up to the tradition.

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

    Oh man. Happy to hear that Ron is back. I remember tearing up when Josh teared up on Ron’s “final” episode. That was an emotional day.

    So, we getting the band back together, boys? Because I recently assembled enough material to write a kickin’ Marvel Histories on Spider-Ham.

  28. Ron’s back! This is one of the coolest news I’ve heard in a long time.

  29. Welcome back, Ron!!!

    Check that. Welcome HOME, Ron!!!!!!

  30. Welcome back, Ron!

  31. Wow, what a great surprise to have Ron back after episode binging today while working out on the farm (not joking). Welcome back!

  32. First time I’m listening to iFanboy in 2 years, finally back to the original 3 after kids / marriages / jobs.

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