<figure class="wp-block-audio aligncenter"><audio controls src="http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/WOTT065.mp3"></audio></figure>



In this episode of Waiting on the Trade, guest host Suzanne Payne casts foresight, as we discuss the first volume of Rat Queens.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="explanations-observations-and-links-of-note">Explanations, Observations, and Links of Note</h2>



<ul>
<li>Seriously, read <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_Queens">the Wikipedia entry on Rat Queens</a> if you want to get some sense of how wild this book&#8217;s publication history is. It&#8217;s <a href="https://bleedingcool.com/comics/speculator-corner-rat-queens-comics-never-reprinted/">a topsy-turvy mess</a>, at least partially because &#8230;</li>



<li>Artist Roc Upchurch was arrested for domestic assault during the book&#8217;s initial run. You can learn a bit more about that <a href="https://bleedingcool.com/comics/roc-upchurch-returns-to-rat-queens-finale-from-image-comics/">here</a> and <a href="https://www.themarysue.com/not-a-victim-but-a-victor/">here</a>.</li>



<li>Upchurch and Wiebe did eventually come back for a Rat Queens finale. All published Rat Queens stories (including the &#8220;never-to-be-reprinted&#8221; issue 16) are collected in <a href="https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/rat-queens-omnibus-hc">the Rat Queens Omnibus</a>, which has a stupid tentacle cover because of course it does. It&#8217;s like the creators didn&#8217;t even read their own book.</li>



<li>On a more upbeat note, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2074546/">here&#8217;s Sawyer IRL</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://comicsalliance.com/rat-queens-glaad-lgbt-inclusion/">Rat Queens did win a GLAAD award</a>. I didn&#8217;t make that up!</li>



<li>And finally, you have Pat to thank for the additional bit of audio at the end of this episode.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Follow-Up Recommendations</h2>



If you liked <a href="https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/rat-queens-vol-1-sass-and-sorcery-tp">Rat Queens Vol. 1</a>, we think you might also like:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250153708/theadventurezoneheretherebegerblins">The Adventure Zone (in comic form)</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Vox-Machina-Season/dp/B09PZG2979">The Legend of Vox Machina</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.paramountmovies.com/movies/dungeons-dragons-honor-among-thieves">Dungeons &amp; Dragons: Honor Among Thieves</a>.</li>
</ul>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots" />



New to the show? Waiting&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;Trade is a comics book club podcast, run by two gents who don&#8217;t have time for monthly comics. If you&#8217;d like to get in touch with us, you can email us at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="mailto:waitingonthetrade@gmail.com" target="_blank">WaitingOnTheTrade@gmail.com</a>.



You can also find us on:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/waiting-on-the-trade/id1454165136" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7L2QQcwTFjtN0kFRONbUDh" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spotify</a>.</li>



<li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9tYXR0cmVhZHNjb21pY3MuY29tL2NhdGVnb3J5L3dhaXRpbmctb24tdGhlLXRyYWRlLXBvZGNhc3QvZmVlZC8" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>.</li>
</ul>



As always, thanks for listening!

<description>In this episode, we discuss Rat Queens Vol. 1 with guest host Suzanne Payne.</description>

In this episode, we discuss Rat Queens Vol. 1 with guest host Suzanne Payne.

Rat Queens Vol. 1

<figure class="wp-block-audio aligncenter"><audio controls src="http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/WOTT064.mp3"></audio></figure>



In this episode of Waiting on the Trade, guest host Kathryn Prince busts out her murder board, as we discuss Emily Carroll&#8217;s A Guest in the House.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="explanations-observations-and-links-of-note">Explanations, Observations, and Links of Note</h2>



<ul>
<li>Here are links to the three Carroll webcomics we mentioned at the start of the episode: <a href="https://emcarroll.com/comics/prince/andthesea.html">The Prince and the Sea</a>, <a href="https://www.emcarroll.com/comics/worthington/">The Worthington</a>, and <a href="https://emcarroll.com/comics/darkness/">When the Darkness Presses</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/546/187/fb1.jpg">A picture of Kat preparing her notes </a><a href="https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/546/187/fb1.jpg">pre-recording</a>.</li>



<li>And that brings us to our first murder board moment. Does Sheila not look noticeably different in these two versions (<a href="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/sheila-photo-real-guest-in-the-house.jpg">one real</a>, <a href="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/sheila-photo-imagined-guest-in-the-house.jpg">one in Abby&#8217;s head</a>) of Crystal&#8217;s photo of her? (Also, compare to <a href="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/abby-sister-guest-in-the-house.jpg">Abby&#8217;s mental image of her sister</a>.)</li>



<li>Pictured: <a href="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/a-guest-in-the-house-mother.jpg">A dragon breathing fire</a>.</li>



<li>Our next murder board moment: Does <a href="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/guest-in-the-house-sheila-abby-final-image.jpg">this picture</a> depict <a href="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/embrace.jpg">an embrace</a> or <a href="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/02/painful-embrace.jpg">a pained struggle</a>?</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Follow-Up Recommendations</h2>



If you liked <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250255525/aguestinthehouse">A Guest in the House</a>, we think you might also like:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2554274/">Crimson Peak</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/lore-olympus/list?title_no=1320">Lore Olympus</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.dc.com/graphic-novels/the-nice-house-on-the-lake-2021/the-nice-house-on-the-lake-vol-1">The Nice House on the Lake</a>.</li>
</ul>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots" />



New to the show? Waiting&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;Trade is a comics book club podcast, run by two gents who don&#8217;t have time for monthly comics. If you&#8217;d like to get in touch with us, you can email us at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="mailto:waitingonthetrade@gmail.com" target="_blank">WaitingOnTheTrade@gmail.com</a>.



You can also find us on:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/waiting-on-the-trade/id1454165136" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7L2QQcwTFjtN0kFRONbUDh" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spotify</a>.</li>



<li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9tYXR0cmVhZHNjb21pY3MuY29tL2NhdGVnb3J5L3dhaXRpbmctb24tdGhlLXRyYWRlLXBvZGNhc3QvZmVlZC8" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>.</li>
</ul>



As always, thanks for listening!

<description>In this episode, we discuss A Guest in the House with guest host Kathryn Prince.</description>

In this episode, we discuss A Guest in the House with guest host Kathryn Prince.

A Guest in the House

<figure class="wp-block-audio aligncenter"><audio controls src="http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/WOTT063.mp3"></audio></figure>



In this episode of Waiting on the Trade, guest host Simon Payne joins us for a journey to the edge of space, as we discuss N.K. Jemisin, Jamal Campbell, and co.&#8217;s Far Sector.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">This Month&#8217;s Discussion Questions</h2>



<ul>
<li>How would you compare Jo to the other Green Lanterns from Earth?</li>



<li>Which of the book&#8217;s alien races was your favorite (and why)?</li>



<li>Which issue&#8217;s opening/closing quote is most fitting for the story?</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="explanations-observations-and-links-of-note">Explanations, Observations, and Links of Note</h2>



<ul>
<li>Here&#8217;s <a href="https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/sojourner-truth">a quick bio on Sojourner Truth</a> from the National Women&#8217;s History Museum.</li>



<li>Our discussion of how a society without emotion would and wouldn&#8217;t function brought <a href="https://parksandfluff.tumblr.com/post/126049066745/omg-can-you-make-a-gif-set-of-ben-saying-could-a">this Parks and Recreation meme</a> to mind.</li>



<li>In case you want an explainer of what a Dyson sphere is, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyson_sphere">here ya go</a>.</li>



<li>And finally, here&#8217;s <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SFGLHsfkDzOlVQvOTDWmTCHcSyNcRZ00xwYc5Sw3-k4/edit?usp=sharing">Pat&#8217;s breakdown of all of Far Sector&#8216;s issue-opening and -closing quotes</a>, compiled in one handy Google Doc.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Follow-Up Recommendations</h2>



If you liked <a href="https://www.dc.com/graphic-novels/far-sector">Far Sector</a>, we think you might also like:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_series">The Foundation series</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.fellowtraveller.games/citizen-sleeper">Citizen Sleeper</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://nkjemisin.com/writing/the-city-we-became/">The City We Became</a>.</li>
</ul>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots" />



New to the show? Waiting&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;Trade is a comics book club podcast, run by two gents who don&#8217;t have time for monthly comics. If you&#8217;d like to get in touch with us, you can email us at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="mailto:waitingonthetrade@gmail.com" target="_blank">WaitingOnTheTrade@gmail.com</a>.



You can also find us on:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/waiting-on-the-trade/id1454165136" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7L2QQcwTFjtN0kFRONbUDh" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spotify</a>.</li>



<li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9tYXR0cmVhZHNjb21pY3MuY29tL2NhdGVnb3J5L3dhaXRpbmctb24tdGhlLXRyYWRlLXBvZGNhc3QvZmVlZC8" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>.</li>
</ul>



As always, thanks for listening!

<description>In this episode, we discuss Far Sector with guest host Simon Payne.</description>

In this episode, we discuss Far Sector with guest host Simon Payne.

Far Sector

<figure class="wp-block-audio aligncenter"><audio controls src="http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/WOTT062.mp3"></audio></figure>



In this special anniversary episode of Waiting on the Trade, we&#8217;re looking back at the (roughly) 50 comics we&#8217;ve read so far and finally doing what the fans have demanded: Ranking all the stories against each other. This episode has arguments, updates, discussions of artistic merit, and yes, a &#8220;completely objective&#8221; ranking of every comic from every regular episode of the show, from best to worst.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Ranking Scale</h2>



Because Pat and I are us, we actually thought fairly hard about what our ranking scale should look like. Pat wanted a tier-based system, to be able to divide comics between tiers of quality more quickly, and I argued for an odd number of tiers, so completely average comics could land squarely in the middle tier.



When the dust settled, our ranking scale looked like this:



<ul>
<li>A: A perfect or near-perfect comic. Go read this now!</li>



<li>B: A good comic. You should read this.</li>



<li>C: An average comic. It&#8217;s decent; you&#8217;ll enjoy it.</li>



<li>D: A bad comic. You probably shouldn&#8217;t read this.</li>



<li>F: A very bad comic. Don&#8217;t read this.</li>
</ul>



Pre-episode, we&#8217;d actually gone back and forth a couple times about whether to rank comics from best to worst within each tier. Day of, we decided that if we were going to go for it, we should go for it. So we ranked every comic from best to worst; the first comic in our A tier is the &#8220;best&#8221; comic we&#8217;ve read, and the last comic in our F tier is the &#8220;worst&#8221; comic we&#8217;ve read.



(In case the sarcasm hasn&#8217;t come through by now, we both feel that ranking these was tough and that our rankings are absolutely colored by our individual perceptions. Your rankings and feelings may vary, and we of course recognize that making any piece of art is hard! We&#8217;re not here to trash any comics or creators; we just wanted to have a bit of fun. Even in the comics in our F tier have their good bits.)



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Finalized Rankings</h2>



With that explanation of our system out of the way, here are the final rankings:



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-attachment-id="7815" data-permalink="https://mattreadscomics.com/2024/01/07/waiting-on-the-trade-rankings-1/waiting_on_the_trade_rankings/" data-orig-file="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/waiting_on_the_trade_rankings.jpg" data-orig-size="900,806" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}" data-image-title="Waiting_on_the_Trade_Rankings" data-image-description="&lt;p&gt;Waiting_on_the_Trade_Rankings&lt;/p&gt;
" data-image-caption="" data-medium-file="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/waiting_on_the_trade_rankings.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/waiting_on_the_trade_rankings.jpg?w=723" width="900" height="806" src="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/waiting_on_the_trade_rankings.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7815" srcset="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/waiting_on_the_trade_rankings.jpg 900w, https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/waiting_on_the_trade_rankings.jpg?w=150&amp;h=134 150w, https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/waiting_on_the_trade_rankings.jpg?w=300&amp;h=269 300w, https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2024/01/waiting_on_the_trade_rankings.jpg?w=768&amp;h=688 768w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /></figure>



You can also view the rankings in spreadsheet form by <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zoHbam1z6mV6GWJUR-Agq_9oaDsYJo2ANhuXb3GDkV8/edit?usp=sharing">clicking here</a>. Do I feel slightly bad about pushing Pat into making DIE our top-ranked comic? No, I don&#8217;t. It&#8217;s that good.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="explanations-observations-and-links-of-note">A Special Thank You</h2>



As we mentioned in the episode, doing this podcast has been a blast, and we&#8217;re very grateful to all of our guest hosts, who have come on to discuss these now-ranked stories with us. The rankings have nothing to do with the quality of our cohosts; all the people we have been lucky enough to have on the show are fantastic. (And we thank them for putting up with us.)



I&#8217;d also like to thank anyone who has listened to even one episode of the show. Hopefully, we discussed one of your favorite books, and you enjoyed the discussion. Making Waiting on the Trade is something I look forward to each month, and I hope you look forward to receiving it in your podcast feed.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots" />



New to the show? Waiting&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;Trade is a comics book club podcast, run by two gents who don&#8217;t have time for monthly comics. If you&#8217;d like to get in touch with us, you can email us at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="mailto:waitingonthetrade@gmail.com" target="_blank">WaitingOnTheTrade@gmail.com</a>.



You can also find us on:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/waiting-on-the-trade/id1454165136" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7L2QQcwTFjtN0kFRONbUDh" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spotify</a>.</li>



<li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9tYXR0cmVhZHNjb21pY3MuY29tL2NhdGVnb3J5L3dhaXRpbmctb24tdGhlLXRyYWRlLXBvZGNhc3QvZmVlZC8" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>.</li>
</ul>



As always, thanks for listening!

<description>In this special anniversary episode, we're looking back at the (roughly) 50 comics we've read so far and doing what the fans have demanded: Ranking all the stories against each other.</description>

In this special anniversary episode, we're looking back at the (roughly) 50 comics we've read so far and doing what the fans have demanded: Ranking all the stories against each other.

It’s Our 50th Episode; Let’s Rank All the Comics

<figure class="wp-block-audio aligncenter"><audio controls src="http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/WOTT061.mp3"></audio></figure>



In this episode of Waiting on the Trade, guest host Trevor Doetsch takes us to a galaxy far, far away, as we discuss the first volume of Kieron Gillen, Salvador Larroca, and co.&#8217;s Star Wars: Darth Vader.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">This Month&#8217;s Discussion Questions</h2>



<ul>
<li>Has the Expanded Universe changed your view on Vader?</li>



<li>What do you think about droids and their place in Star Wars?</li>



<li>Does knowing how a story ends affect your enjoyment?</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="explanations-observations-and-links-of-note">Explanations, Observations, and Links of Note</h2>



<ul>
<li>I have a couple Vader-centric Kieron Gillen interviews to link you. <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/darth-vader-kieron-gillen">One is pre-series</a>, in which Gillen talks up his take on Vader and the logistics of working with the Disney Star Wars team. And the other is <a href="https://www.starwars.com/news/kieron-gillen-darth-vader-interview-part-1">a spoiler-filled post-series retrospective</a>. Both are worth a read.</li>



<li>If you haven&#8217;t read and/or watched anything about <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Quinlan_Vos">Quinlan Vos</a>, you should! The Dark Horse Clone Wars comics, especially, do a great job of tracking his journey through the conflict.</li>



<li>At 19:57 (and other times), I say &#8220;between Episodes III and IV&#8221; when I mean &#8220;between Episodes IV and V.&#8221; I realized this almost immediately after we recorded. Please, Star Wars nerds, forgive me.</li>



<li>Google autocompletes the phrase &#8220;why do battle droids&#8221; to <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=why+do+battle+droids+have+personalities&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS1059US1059&amp;oq=why+do+battle+droids+have+personalities&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyCQgAEEUYORiABDINCAEQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAIQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAMQABiGAxiABBiKBdIBCDMzMDdqMGo3qAIAsAIA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">&#8220;why do battle droids have personalities,&#8221;</a> so it&#8217;s not just us who have that question.</li>



<li>Thankfully, here in the show notes, I can tell you about how Star Wars renamed <a href="https://zdarsky.substack.com/p/jatz-off">Jizz Music</a> (yup, that was its name) to Jatz Music.</li>



<li>Here&#8217;s that <a href="https://mattreadscomics.files.wordpress.com/2023/12/solar-sailer-cutaway.jpg">cutaway of the Solar Sailer</a> that Pat found, for your perusal.</li>



<li>And finally, if you&#8217;ve never gone deep on the Darth Jar Jar theory, <a href="https://wou.edu/westernhowl/opinion-jar-jar-is-a-definitely-member-of-the-sith/">you&#8217;re in for a treat</a>.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Follow-Up Recommendations</h2>



If you liked <a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Darth_Vader_Book_I:_Vader">Star Wars: Darth Vader</a>, we think you might also like:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.starwars.com/series/andor">Andor</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Clone_Wars_(trade_paperbacks)">Dark Horse&#8217;s Star Wars: Clone Wars comics</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrawn_trilogy">Timothy Zahn&#8217;s original Thrawn trilogy</a>.</li>
</ul>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots" />



New to the show? Waiting&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;Trade is a comics book club podcast, run by two gents who don&#8217;t have time for monthly comics. If you&#8217;d like to get in touch with us, you can email us at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="mailto:waitingonthetrade@gmail.com" target="_blank">WaitingOnTheTrade@gmail.com</a>.



You can also find us on:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/waiting-on-the-trade/id1454165136" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple Podcasts</a>.</li>



<li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7L2QQcwTFjtN0kFRONbUDh" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spotify</a>.</li>



<li><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9tYXR0cmVhZHNjb21pY3MuY29tL2NhdGVnb3J5L3dhaXRpbmctb24tdGhlLXRyYWRlLXBvZGNhc3QvZmVlZC8" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>.</li>
</ul>



As always, thanks for listening!

<description>In this episode, we discuss the first volume of Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca's Star Wars: Darth Vader, with guest host Trevor Doetsch.</description>

In this episode, we discuss the first volume of Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca's Star Wars: Darth Vader, with guest host Trevor Doetsch.

Star Wars: Darth Vader  Vol. 1

Waiting on the Trade is a comics book club for people who can't keep up with monthly comics. Join Pat, Matt, and each month's guest host as they discuss some of their favorite trade paperbacks and graphic novels.

Waiting on the Trade

Details

Recent Episodes