BGN Comic Shop #20 – Hey There, Delilah!

Welcome to your twenty-second visit to the BGN Comic Shop. It’s the last episode of Castwave Studio’s season and, somehow, it’s even more musical then last week’s musical episode! Jordan leads off with a non-review of Marvel Fanfare #12, where Black Widow is menaced by the most motley band of weirdos to ever grace a comic book and their totally metal leader. Then Brian runs down a Silver Age Flash comic featuring the technology-hating, technology enthusiast, time travelling stage magician supervillain Abra Cadabra, who utterly devastates the Scarlet Speedster’s fragile ego with a mean-spirited puppet show. Then, with a heavy heart, Jordan is forced to admit that he owns both Essential Dazzlers and spotlights Dazzler #22. It’s got Angel’s blatant adultery, a 40-year old evil Rogue, Mystique’s stupidest use of her superpower ever, and more action then you can shake an experimental anti-personnel hawk at! Brian weighs in on DC’s recent PR kerfuffle where they took Harley Quinn’s role in a team called “Suicide Squad” a little too literally. Lastly, the boys lay to rest the hot-button issue as to why Jordan has to be the Marvel guy and Brian the DC guy.

On the floor of InterVention 2013, Jordan takes a momentary departure from the comic shop to indulge in one of his other many fandoms, that cowtown puppet-show Mystery Science Theater 3000, as he interviews one of the shows many independent torchbearers, Jim Hanson of Cinematic for the People (at www.cftp.us). We’ve got Fast and the Furious movies from the 1950’s that are neither fast nor furious, Dean Stockwell’s embarrassing tenth frame in the White House, and much, much more. Just remember to keep circulating the tapes!

Neither rain nor sleet nor naked men will prevent Jordan from delivering this interview with legendary comics creator Neal Adams at Baltimore Comic-Con 2013. Being the show’s “Marvel” guy, Jordan inquires about Adams’ strong early work with the pre-cancellation Uncanny X-Men, his opinion on the artist’s responsibilities with the classic “Marvel method” of comic creation, the story behind his great “unfinished symphony” of a story arc known as “the Kree-Skrull War”, and how Mr. Adams drew the first installment of what would become Jordan’s least favorite series of all time.

Donned in extremely appropriate cosplay (not that you can see it or anything), Jordan sits down with venerated comic scribe J.M. DeMattheis at Baltimore Comic-Con 2013 and chats about his early run on the Defenders, his notable work with Spider-Man including “Kraven’s Last Hunt” and “the Clone Saga”, and his late 90’s run with Man-Thing. Plus: Jordan learns a valuable lesson about being 100% certain you know how to pronounce someone’s name before you interview them!

For your merry Marvel musical twenty-first visit to the BGN Comic Shop (recorded on the floor of InterVention 2013), Jordan raises a glass to Dan Slott’s She-Hulk #9 and one melodious moment in particular where he laughed for five unbroken minutes. Following Jordan’s song, Brian dances the Batusi and reviews Batman ’66 #1. After listening to it, feel free to mention in the comments if you also think his impressions of Catwoman and Dracula sound exactly the same.

For your twentieth visit to the BGN Comic Shop, Jordan goes green with his review of the Incredible Hulk #141, featuring the debut of notable recurring supporting cast member Doc Samson and all the painful convolutions, character assassinations and rampant misogyny that implies. Bonus: you’ll learn a legitimate alternative definition of the word “libidinal” and a completely illegitimate alternative definition for the phrase “rim shot”. Brian talks about a few upcoming DC series, including “Forever Evil”, and the new ongoing starring the “Greed is Good” Lantern Larfleeze. Then the boys invite producer Colin Caccamise into a group therapy session to work through their feelings about Superior Spider-Man.

For this double-sized super-patriotic episode of the BGN Comic Shop (guest starring Zack Patterson from the Severed Dongle), Jordan belatedly celebrates America’s 237th birthday and seeks revenge against Civil War’s other frontman by trotting out Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles, written and drawn by Jack Kirby. It’s the story of an aspect of an East Asian religious prophet teaching Steve Rogers what America is all about, that being coal mine cave-ins, kelp farming and fiddles. Brian kicks off the second half with his report on San Diego Comic-Con movie news. Finally, Zack weighs in on announcements for Spider-Man and Venom’s future comic appearances, marking what is perhaps the first time that real modern comic news has ever been discussed on this show.

The eighteenth episode of the BGN Comic Shop is comin’ at yah, despite the best efforts of Castwave Studio’s cat and land-line telephone. First, the boys take a moment to unwind following their respective giant two-parters. Brian further explains why Blackest Night was the series that inspired him to follow modern comics and Jordan offers a mini-review of the initially futile, now extra-futile post-Civil War series called New Warriors. Then, Jordan takes sweet revenge against Civil War figurehead Iron Man by reviewing Marvel Team-Up #29, where old shellhead got dropped like a bad habit no less than three times by a gibbering, heat gun-wielding, techno-murdering faux Egyptian “king”. The boys conclude with a long freeform discussion on a multitude of topics including: their mercurial opinions on the Silver Age, Aunt May’s totally awesome Canadian nuclear power plant, and the John Byrne-era Fantastic Four’s exceedingly poor choice of obstetrician.