The Comics Canon

On this episode, we get an early start celebrating the spookiest time of the year with a look at the frightfully fun first appearances of Jason Blood and Etrigan in The Demon #1-5 by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer, published by DC Comics! As Camelot falls to the forces of Morgaine Le Fey, the wizard Merlin dispatches his faithful demon servant, Etrigan, to await further instructions. (Why does Merlin have a faithful demon servant? No idea!) Centuries later, brooding demonologist Jason Blood reads an inscription on Merlin's tomb and transforms into (can you guess?) … that's right, Etrigan! Can Jason Blood and his chaotic alter ego defeat Morgaine Le Fey and foil the plans of the deadly Reincarnators? Can they survive the threat of Ugly Meg and the cuddly lil' fear monster known as the kamara? And can they withstand the sinister scrutiny of that cursed cabal known as … The Comics Canon? Also in This Episode: Why was Kirby's Fourth World canceled? Harry Mathews: World's Worst Friend So, like, what is Merlin's deal? The Devil Rides Out Resident Evil Mooncop by Tom Gauld Join us in two weeks as Etrigan visits everyone's favorite muck monster (and a certain cute lil' demon creature returns) in The Saga of the Swamp Thing #25-27! Until then: Please consider donating to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky! And as always, thanks for listening!

The Vision gets his turn in the MCU spotlight next month with the Disney+ series VisionQuest, so it seems like the perfect time to turn the Comics Canon spotlight on the origin of everyone's favorite synthezoid with a look at "Behold … The Vision!" from Avengers #57 and "Even an Android Can Cry" from Avengers #58, published by Marvel Comics! When Janet Van Dyne is attacked by a strange, unearthly being, she enlists the aid of her fellow Avengers to figure out who he is and why he's been programmed to kill Earth's mightiest heroes! Joining forces with the newly christened Vision, the team confronts the villainous robot Ultron-5 and begins to unravel the mystery of their new friend's murky past! What in the world does the late Wonder Man have to do with all of this? Will the Avengers accept their new friend, who just recently tried to kill them, into their ranks, without even running a background check? And will Curt and Kevin invite him to march with them in that Robot Parade known as … The Comics Canon? Also in This Episode: Matthew Modine as the Vision Kevin's favorite Shakespeare play Percy Bysshe Shelley OWNS Ultron Stop trying to make synthezoid happen! Curt makes a promise for 2027 My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante Atomic Robo and the Fightin' Scientists of Tesladyne Furious on Hulu Join us in two weeks as we get ready for spooky season with a look back at the first five issues of Jack Kirby's The Demon! Until then: Please consider donating to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky! And as always, thanks for listening!

It's back-to-school time, and we celebrate with a look at the first volume of the mega-popular manga Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo, published in the U.S. by Viz Media! The unflappable super-spy known only as Twilight has just received the most challenging mission of his career: In order to get the goods on a reclusive politician, he must marry and produce a child – a child who must be accepted into the ultra-elite Eden Academy in one week's time! In short order, he adopts 6-year-old Anya and recruits shy office worker Yor to pose as his wife. But what he doesn't know is that Yor is secretly the deadly assassin known as Thorn Princess, and Anya is a telepath! Can this lone wolf learn to rely on Yor and Tanya and complete his mission? Can Yor survive the dinner party from Hell without killing everyone in sight? Will Anya be accepted into Eden Academy? And can these undercover operatives that treacherous volcanic island base known as … The Comics Canon? Also in This Episode: Those dumb Mission: Impossible masks Let's cast the Spy x Family movie Housemaster Henderson's very specific kink A special cameo from a certain vampire cow Spoiler for the 1976 film Taxi Driver The Castle of Cagliostro Mr. & Mrs. Smith on Amazon Prime The End of Oak Street Join us in two weeks as we gear up for Vision Quest with a look at Vizh's first appearance in Avengers #57-58! Until then: Please consider donating to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky! And as always, thanks for listening!

On this episode, Dark August Knights, our two-part miniseries on Batman and Batman-adjacent stories, concludes with a look at Gotham Central Vol. 1, In the Line of Duty, collecting Gotham Central issues #1-5 by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, published by DC Comics! In the criminal justice system, offenses committed by members of Batman's Rogues Gallery are considered especially heinous. In Gotham City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these crimes are members of an elite squad known as the Major Crimes Unit, for whom a search for a missing young girl might lead to a deadly encounter with Mister Freeze and a scorching-hot encounter with that pyromaniacal perp known as Firebug! Can Detective Driver solve the murder of Bonnie Lewis and move past the death of his partner? Why don't Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen get more to do? And can these casefiles make it onto the desk of those loose cannons known as … The Comics Canon? Also in This Episode: Homicide: Life on the Street Hey, is that Alan Moore? Kaya and the Lizard Riders Matt Goldberg on Sadie Sink's character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day Mischief: A Novel of the 87th Precinct, by Ed McBain Join us in two weeks as we discuss Spy x Family Vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo! Until then:Please consider donating to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky! And as always, thanks for listening!

On this episode, we kick off a two-part miniseries, Dark August Knights! That's right, we're focusing on Batman and Batman-adjacent stories during the month of August! And first up is the introduction of the Dark Knight's iconic villain Ra's al Ghul – as seen in 1971's Batman #232 and 1972's Batman #243-244, by the titanic team of Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams, published by DC Comics! After Robin the College-Aged Boy Wonder is kidnapped, Batman is visited by the mysterious Ra's al Ghul, whose daughter, Talia, has also been abducted! The trail takes the World's Greatest Crime-Fighter and his enigmatic new acquaintance to Calcutta and the Himalayas, where a showdown with the lethal Brotherhood of the Demon awaits! Later, the Dark Knight Detective and a team of allies travels to the Swiss Alps to take down this international crime lord – who turns out to be immortal! Can Batman defeat the Head of the Demon in a desert duel to the death? And can this trio of tales infiltrate that mountaintop lair of villainy known as … The Comics Canon? Also in This Episode: Batman, International Man of Mystery Sit, Ubu, sit! The Caped Crusader's implausible detecting skills Spider-Man: Brand New Day Dungeon Crawler Carl, narrated by Jeff Hays Taking work from cat actors Join us in two weeks as we wrap up Dark August Knights with a look at Gotham Central #1-5! Until then:Please consider donating to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Impress your friends with our Comics Canon merchandise! Rate us on Apple Podcasts! Send us an email! Hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky! And as always, thanks for listening!