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We are back, back, back again in the Age of Apocalypse for our final coverage of the epic 1995 X-Men event. Today, we discuss the conclusion to the story, how the AOA continues to pop up to this day, the spinoff video games and when and how we'd like to see the AOA on the big screen. 

Ep. 111 What if the Age of Apocalypse finally wrapped up but appeared in X-Men comics again and again for all of eternity?
Part 3 of our X-Men: AOA coverage
From Marvel's Earth-295 in various comics before and after X-Men: Alpha #1
Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers

It's the final part (for now) of our Age of Apocalypse coverage! We find out what happens to Magneto, Rogue, Gambit, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Wolverine and the big blue meanie. We discuss parts 4 of the individual titles plus X-Men Omega, all coming from such writers as Warren Ellis, Scott Lobdell, Jeph Loeb, John Francis Moore, Larry Hama, Fabian Nicieza, and Mark Waid. We also talk what comes after the 1995 event, the toys, the video games, and the future of the AOA, including whether we will ever see it on the big or small screen.

We'll be returning to the world of the AOA soon with a What If episode with a special guest!  
Plus, listen to hear about Guido's upcoming Spider-Man book, solicited in this month's Previews! 

Reading List:

• Age of Apocalypse: X-Calibre #4, Generation Next #4, Astonishing X-Men #4, X-Man #4, Factor X #4, Weapon X #4, Gambit and the X-Ternals #4, Amazing X-Men #4, X-Men Omega #1 (Marvel comics 1995)

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Showtime Synergy! We throw on our holographic micro-projector earring for a celebration of all things Jem & the Holograms! First we explore the 5-episode beginning to the iconic 80s series by Christy Marx...which Guido loves and Rob has just discovered. Then it's off to one of the wildest multiverses ever that sees Jem team up with such properties at GI Joe, Transformers, Micronauts, Stretch Armstrong, MASK, Action Man, Magic or Dungeons and Dragons, and more to create a shared Hasbro universe that only exists in a super rare 2011 New York Comic Con exclusive issue. We wrap up by chatting about IDW's 2015 Jem comic book series from Kelly Thompson and Sophie Campbell and what could be next for the band! 

Ep. 110 What if Jem & the Holograms were heroes in the Hasbro multiverse alongside Micronauts, Transformers, GI Joe, MASK, Candyland, Inhumanoids, Stretch Armstrong, and others? (from Unit-E comic book)
From Hasbro's multiversal earth in Unit-E #1
Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers

Throw this episode on your tape deck, it's time for Dear Watchers' exploration of the iconic girl group Jem and the Holographs across TV and comics! We kick off with a brief history of Jem as toys and on TV before we dive into the first five episodes of the 80s animated show. Next up, we travel to a bizarre multiverse that sees Jem's Synergy putting together a super-team of Hasbro heroes including Jem herself! This never fully realized mashup only appears in a super rare New York Comic Con exclusive comic from 2011. We ponder what could have come next for this never realized story by Andy Schmidt (that also includes art by Art Adams and others). We wrap up by jumping into Jem's 2015 ongoing comic book series from Kelly Thompson and Sophie Campbell that reimagines the Holograms story for modern times. Of course, we also ponder some possibilities about what's next for this iconic band. 

We’ll be back next week with part three of our coverage of Age of Apocalypse on episode 111 including the conclusion of the story and the future legacy!

Reading List:

• Jem & The Holograms, Episodes 1 to 5 (TV show 1985)
• Unit-E #1 (Hasbro comic book 2011)
• Jem & The Holograms #1 (IDW comic book 2015)

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It was the best of times, it was the...Age of Apocalypse! We are back for part two of our three part coverage of the mega comics event in X-Men and Marvel history! We start off by exploring how Age of Apocalypse played out on X-Men: The Animated Series with the two-part "One Man's Worth". Then we head back to the comics to discuss the four months of material across multiple X-titles that also shows what happens to Tony Stark, the Fantastic Four, Bruce Banner, Gwen Stacy and more in this darkest timeline. 

Ep. 109 What if the Age of Apocalypse continued in X-Men books for four months? (Part 2 of our X-Men AOA coverage)
From Marvel's Earth-295 in various comics before and after X-Men: Alpha #1
Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers

It’s the second of our three part Age of Apocalypse deep dive! We start out by discuss how X-Men: The Animated Series and the comics worked together to develop their versions of the Age of Apocalypse story only on the tv show, there is no Apocalypse. Instead, we see Bishop, Shard, Wolverine and Storm team up to take down Fitzroy, Nimrod and the Sentinels across multiple timelines. Then we dive into the 20 (!!!) books across four months of AOA stories from writers including Howard Mackie, Fabian Nicieza, John Francis Moore, Larry Hama, Warren Ellis, Scott Lobdell, Jeph Loeb, and Terry Kavanagh including the fracturing relationship of Logan and Jean, Summers brother vs. Summers brother, Nightcrawler teaming with mom Mystique, Gambit in space, and whatever is happening in Generation Next. Plus, Guido tries to explain what the M'kraan crystal is! 

We’ll be back then in two weeks with part three of our coverage on episode 111 including the conclusion of the story and the future legacy!

Reading List:

• X-Men: The Animated Series - One Man's Worth Part 1 & 2 (TV show 1995)
• Age of Apocalypse: X-Men Chronicles 1-2, Amazing X-Men 2-3, Factor X 2-3, Weapon X 2-3, Gambit & The X-Ternals 2-3, X-Calibre 2-3, Astonishing X-Men 2-3, Generation Next 2-3, X-Man 2-3, X-Universe 1-2 (Marvel comics 1995)

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Hello fellow "humans"! Your two hosts Guido and Rob - who are certainly and 100% real human beings - are taking you through a Secret Invasion! We start with the landmark 8-issue mega event from Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu before heading to our alternate universe for What If? Secret Invasion to ponder What if the Skrulls succeeded in their secret invasion? We wrap up by sharing our thoughts on the new Disney+ MCU tv show. 

Ep. 108 What if the Skrulls succeeded in their Secret Invasion?
From Marvel's Earth-10021 in What If: Secret Invasion #1
Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers

We are invading your speakers with our coverage of all things Secret Invasion! Your definitely 100% genuine human hosts kick off their coverage with the 8-part comic book event Secret Invasion from Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu that sees Earth's Mightiest Heroes face off against versions of themselves. Then we head to our alternate universe with What If? Secret Invasion from Underworld creator Kevin Grevioux, Karl Bollers, Pow Rodrix, and Frank Martin to ask the question What if the Skrulls succeeded in their secret invasion? This story sees Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Ms. Marvel battling for humanities freedom, but is humanity actually better off under Skrull rule? We wrap up by sharing our thoughts on the new Disney+ / MCU Secret Invasion tv show from Kyle Bradstreet, Brian Tucker and Ali Selim and the many, many ways it is different from the comics. Plus, news about our next giveaway contest! 

Reading List:

• Secret Invasion #1-8 (Marvel comics 2008-2009)
• What If? Secret Invasion #1 (Marvel comics 2009)
• Secret Invasion (Marvel TV show on Disney Plus 2023)

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Attention X-Fans! For the first of three episodes, we are tackling one of the major Marvel multiversal storylines: Age of Apocalypse! We start with an extensive history of X-Men comics in the 90s and how the event was created. Then we discuss the prequel series LegionQuest that sees Legion kill his father Professor X and finally we tackle the first nine (!) issues of AOA. It’s the darkest timeline but a great episode!

Ep. 107 What if Legion killed Professor Xavier in the past, triggering the Age of Apocalypse? (Part 1 of our X-Men AOA coverage)
From Marvel's Earth-295 in various comics before and after X-Men: Alpha #1
Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers

It’s the first of our three part Age of Apocalypse deep dive! We give a thorough recap of where the wildly popular X-Men comics were in the 90s before diving more into the genesis of AOA from the minds of editor Bob Harras and writers Scott Lobdell and Fabian Nicieza. We kick off our coverage with the six issue LegionQuest that sees Charles Xavier’s unstable son accidentally kill him, setting off a universe ending moment. We then head to the bleak multiverse with the first nine issues of AOA from writers Scott Lobdell, Mark Waid, Warren Ellis, Fabian Nicieza, Larry Hama, John Francis Moore, and Jeph Loeb plus artists Roger Cruz, Steve Epting, Chris Bachalo, Joe Madureira, Ken Lashley, Tony Daniel, Adam Kubert, Andy Kubert, Steve Epting, and Steve Skroce. We see Magneto, Gambit, Forge, X-Man and more face off against Havok, Beast, and the big man himself. Meanwhile Mr. Sinister, Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey and Angel have their own plans brewing. 

We’ll be back then in two weeks with part two of our coverage on episode 109 including our discussion of AOA on X-Men: The Animated Series, stay tuned for another multiversal episode next week!

Reading List:

• LegionQuest: X-Factor #190, Uncanny X-Men #320-321, X-Men #40-41, Cable #20 (Marvel Comics 1994-1995)
• Age of Apocalypse (First Wave): X-Men Alpha #1, Generation Next #1, Astonishing X-Men #1, X-Calibre #1, Gambit and the X-Ternals #1, Weapon X #1, Amazing X-Men #1, Factor X #1, X-Man #1 (Marvel Comics 1995)

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It's Riverdale by way of Gotham City as Archie Comics' Betty & Veronica meet Batman's Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy! We're thrilled to be joined by returning guest Tim Hanley to discuss Betty as a superhero, the 2017 crossover series and Tim's book Betty & Veronica: The Leading Ladies of Riverdale, now available as an audiobook! Grab a chock'lit malted and listen! 

Ep. 106 What if Betty + Veronica (Archie Comics) met Harley Quinn + Poison Ivy (DC Comics)?
With special returning guest author, comic book expert & historian Tim Hanley
From an Archie Comics / DC Comics mash-up Earth of an unknown designation as seen in Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica #1
Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers

Archie Comics and Batman don't seem to have much in common but on this week's episode we discuss the 2017 miniseries Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica by Marc Andreyko & Paul Dini and illustrated by Laura Braga. We also go back to 1966 to see Betty Cooper as Superteen, share a brief history of Archie Comics and talk to returning guest Tim Hanley about his comprehensive book Betty & Veronica: The Leading Ladies of Riverdale, now available as an audiobook. Plus, more stories from Rob when he worked on the Archie Comics Broadway Musical! 

Reading List:

• Betty & Me #3 (Archie Comics 1966)
• Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica (Archie Comics & DC Comics 2017)
• Betty & Veronica: The Leading Ladies of Riverdale by Tim Hanley (Roman & Littlefield 2020 book & 2023 audiobook)

Find Tim at HERE & Find Tim's audiobook HERE

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On this week's groovy podcast, we explore the twin worlds of Xena Warrior Princess and The Evil Dead / Army of Darkness! We start with the backstories behind Xena Warrior Princess and The Evil Dead and their shared co-creators of Robert Tapert and Sam Raimi. Then we dive into the 2008 Dynamite comic book series that sees Ash (as portrayed by Bruce Campbell) landing in the world of Xena (as played by Lucy Lawless). We wrap up by discussing the future of these franchises. 

Ep. 105 What if Xena Warrior Princess met Ash of Evil Dead to fight the Army of Darkness?
From Dynamite Comics Earth of an unknown designation as seen in Xena Warrior Princess Vs Army of Darkness #1
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On this episode, we not only discuss comic books but also the Book of the Dead! It's Xena Warrior Princess vs. Ash and the Army of Darkness. We discuss the 1992 film Army of Darkness, directed by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell along with the introduction of Xena in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess from 1995. Next up is the 2008 Dynamite comic book series that sees Ash meet up with Xena and Gabrielle from John Layman & Brandon Jerwa and artist Miguel Montenegro. We wrap up by speculating on what's next for these series and could they continue without Bruce and Lucy Lawless. Grab your S-Mart snacks and join us! 

Reading List:

• Army of Darkness (Universal Pictures movie 1992)
• Hercules: The Legendary Journeys & Xena: Warrior Princess (TV show 1995)
• Xena Warrior Princess vs Army of Darkness (Dynamite comic book 2008)

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"Oh say can you see... Captain America in the Civil War... and throughout US history?" We head back to 1976 with Jack Kirby's Captain America's Bicentennial Battles where Cap is annoyed by Ben Franklin, meets Geronimo in the Old West and witnesses the creation of the atom bomb. We then tackle an interesting if problematic modern What If and the United States of Captain America which both feature Indigenous versions of Cap. All this plus a quick history lesson on the US bicentennial! 

Ep. 104 What if Captain America fought in the Civil War (the one from US history) and other tales of Cap in American History?
Plus a history of bicentennial comics!
From Marvel Earth-717 as seen in What If: Captain America #1
Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers

Just in time for the 4th of July - Independence Day in the US - we follow Steve Rogers throughout history! We start in 1976 with a special issue written, drawn and edited by Jack Kirby that sees Cap in the 1700s, the Old West, WWII, classic Hollywood and much more (plus he beats up Hitler!). Then we ask the question what if Captain America fought in the Civil War courtesy of Tony Bedard and Carmine Di Giandomenico which includes and evil Bucky Barnes and some misplaced Native mysticism. We wrap up with an issue of United States of Captain America with stories by Christopher Cantwell and Darcie Little Badger featuring Joe Gomez as Captain America of the Kickapoo Tribe. 

Reading List:

• Captain America's Bicentennial Battles (Marvel comics 1976)
• What If: Captain America #1 (Marvel comics 2005)
• United States of Captain America #3 (Marvel comics 2021)

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Hope this episode scratches your Poison Ivy itch! This Pride month, we are diving into how Poison Ivy became a genuine queer icon and had the sweetest relationship ever with the "Cupid of Crime", Harley Quinn. We cover Poison Ivy's first appearance in 1966, the start of her partnership with Harley on Batman: The Animated Series, and chat about her 2023 solo series. 

Ep. 103 What if Batman villain Poison Ivy became a queer icon (and had the sweetest relationship ever with Harley Quinn)?
From the DCAU aka Earth-12, the DC Animated Universe, as seen in Batman: The Animated Series

The Batsignal is rainbow colored this episode as we cover the history of Poison Ivy and her emergence as a queer icon alongside her main squeeze Harley Quinn. We start back in 1966 with the creation of Poison Ivy in the pages of Batman and her connection to the Batman 66 tv show in which she never appeared. We then watch Ivy and Harley's first outing as partners courtesy Paul Dini on Batman: The Animated Series in 1993 and we wrap up by cultivating the seeds in Ivy's 2023 solo series from G. Willow Wilson and team. Plus, we discuss the Harley Quinn animated series, the future of these characters on screen and even Uma Thurman's vampy performance in Batman & Robin. 

Reading List:

• Batman #181 (DC Comics 1966)
• Batman: The Animated Series "Harley and Ivy" (TV show 1993)
• Poison Ivy #9 (DC Comics 2023)

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You want to get nuts? Let's get nuts! We are telling the story of DC Comics in film from Christopher Reeve's Superman to Michael Keaton's Batman through the Synderverse, all leading up to our coverage of 2023's The Flash and its take on the multiverse alongside a brief recap of the film's messy production history. Plus we speculate as to what's next for DC on film. 

Ep. 102 What if the DC superhero movie universes were a bowl of spaghetti?
Including Michael Keaton’s Batman, resurrecting DC film worlds lost or only imagined, and our review of The Flash (2023)
From Infinite earths as seen in dozens of DC comic book based films

Holy film studies Batman! We explore DC Comics on film starting with Superman: The Movie through to the original Batman quartet to the Nolan trilogy and into the DC Extended Universe. Guido and Rob share childhood recollections of the first time they saw some of these films, personal favorites, and early examples of requels (hello, Superman Returns!). Plus your hosts share their differing opinions on 2023's The Flash alongside a brief and tangled history of this character coming to the screen in his own solo movie. To wrap up, we debate what is next for DC on screen, whether we will see more multiversal stories and whether that multiverse is really a big bowl of spaghetti. 

Reading List:

• Superman (movie 1978)
• Superman II (movie 1980) 
• Superman III (movie 1983)
• Supergirl (movie 1984)
• Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (movie 1987)
• Batman (movie 1989)
• Batman Returns (movie 1992)
• Batman Forever (movie 1995)
• Batman & Robin (movie 1997)
• Batman Begins (movie 2005)
• The Dark Knight (movie 2008)
• The Dark Knight Rises (movie 2012)
• Superman Returns (movie 2006)
• Green Lantern (movie 2011)
• Man of Steel (movie 2013)
• Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (movie 2016)
• Suicide Squad (movie 2016)
• Wonder Woman (movie 2017)
• Justice League (movie 2017)
• Aquaman (movie 2018)
• Shazam! (movie 2019)
• Joker (movie 2019)
• Birds of Prey (movie 2020)
• Wonder Woman 1984 (movie 2020)
• The Suicide Squad (movie 2021)
• The Batman (movie 2022)
• Black Adam (movie 2022)
• Shazam! Fury of the Gods (movie 2023)
• The Flash (movie 2023)

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For episode 101, we explore the history of the multiverse in DC comics...and it's not what you think! We provide a (brief) overview of the first examples of multiversal theory in fiction and science before discussing the first multiverse story in DC comics (which is NOT The Flash but rather in the pages of Wonder Woman)! We then discuss the iconic and meta Flash of Two Worlds and the first use of the term "multiverse" from an All-Star Squadron story by Roy Thomas. 

Ep. 101 What if the Flash of Two Worlds was incorrectly identified as the origin of the DC Multiverse?
Infinite earths as seen in hundreds of DC comic books

For the start of our NEXT 100 episodes, we travel to the beginning of the multiverse in DC comics when Wonder Woman encounters an alternate universe version of herself back in 1953! We then tackle the iconic and super meta Flash story "Flash of Two Worlds" from Carmine Infantino and multiversal godfather Gardner Fox which brings together Barry Allen and Jay Garrick for the first time! We wrap up in the pages of All-Star Squadron which sees the Justice Society of America (or more preciously Doctor Fate) travel to a very Ditko-esque universe to battle The Spectre and to utter the word "multiverse" for the first time in DC comics courtesy of the legendary Roy Thomas. Plus Michael Moorcock, William James, Spider-Verse the upcoming Flash DCU film and much more. 

Reading List:

• Wonder Woman #59 (1953)
• The Flash #123 (1961)
• All-Star Squadron #27 (1983)

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It’s our 100th episode and we’re celebrating! Guido and Rob count down the 10 most listened to episodes while sharing alternate universe characters they want to see on screen, favorite episodes, what they’ve learned about themselves hosting the podcast and more. Plus we announced an exciting summer long giveaway! 

Ep. 100 What if to celebrate 100 episodes we counted down multiversal things (plus had a bunch of comic book giveaways)?

To celebrate our 100th episode, it’s lists and lists and lists! Your Council of Watchers share the 10 most listened to episodes (by people like YOU) including interviews and stories focused on Superman, Namor and Hulk. We also talk stories and characters we want to see on screen like Darkclaw and Age of Apocalypse, favorite alternate universe stories like RoboCop and His Dark Materials, favorite episodes, least listened to episodes, what we’ve learned doing the podcast, and our favorite things about doing the podcast. Plus we share details about our upcoming summer giveaway contests including signed comics! 

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Hey ho, let's go! As we prepare for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, let's visit the introduction of Hobie Brown aka Spider-Punk in comics! We start with his first appearances in The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Verse before unleashing the power (chords) of his five-part mini-series by Cody Ziglar and Justin Mason. Plus we share a Ramones song (meaning it is very short) size history of punk rock and speculate on what's next for the Spider-Verse on screen. 

Ep. 99 What if Spider-Man was in a punk band aka what if Spider-Punk formed the Spider-Band to take on fascists?
Plus previewing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Earth-138 as seen in Spider-Punk #1-5

Grab your safety pins and leather jacket, it's time to enter the Spider-Verse with our exploration of Hobie Brown aka Spider-Punk! We kick things off with Hobie's first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man by Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel plus his origin story by Jed MacKay and Sheldon Vella. Then we head to his five-part mini-series by Cody Ziglar and Justin Mason co-starring Captain Anarchist, Riotheart, a Latine rock drummer Daredevil and a Misfits-inspired Taskmaster. We wrap up by speculating on what's to come in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and beyond. Plus, Rob gives a bite-size history of punk rock and Guido takes us into the twisted web of history for the Spider-Verse. 

Reading List:

• Amazing Spider-Man #10 (Marvel Comics 2015)
• Spider-Verse #2 (Marvel Comics 2015)
• Spider-Punk #1-5 (Marvel Comics 2022)
• Sony & Marvel Films Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse & Across The Spider-Verse (spoiler-free!)

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Email Podcast@DearWatchers.com

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We return to the worlds of What If as we wonder what if Spider-Man had remained possessed by the evil alien symbiote suit? We discuss the unusual story behind the suit’s creation by fan Randy Schueller to its introduction in both The Amazing Spider-Man 252 AND Secret Wars 8. We dive into this week's What If that sees both a Venom-ized Hulk and Thor plus an awesome turn for Black Cat before diving into a recently Venom-ized Hulk in Absolute Carnage. All of this plus special guest Joey Vazquez from Midtown Comics. 

Ep. 98 What if the alien costume had possessed Spider-Man? With SPECIAL GUEST Joey of Midtown Comics
Plus a HISTORY of Spider-Man's black costume that becomes the symbiote Venom
Earth-1089 as seen in What If Vol. 2 #4

On this week's episode we kick off with the strange history of the black symbiote suit from fan Randy Schueller to it's introduction in both Amazing Spider-Man 252 and of course Marvel's Secret Wars 8 by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck. We then head to the world of What If to ask the question what if Spider-Man remained possessed by the black costume. Oh, and what if The Hulk and Thor were too. This issue by Danny Fingeroth and Mark Bailey also features some great scenes for the Black Cat too. Then we wrap up by seeing the return of Venom-ized Hulk in 2019's Absolute Carnage by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. We conclude with our special guest Joey Vazquez from Midtown Comics by speculating what's next for Venom, Spider-Man and the symbiote on screen. Also in this episode: A brief background of Secret Wars, the eventual realization of Randy's dream in Sensational Spider-Man: Self-Improvement, and much more. 

Reading List:

• Secret Wars #8 (Marvel Comics 1984)
• What If #4 (Marvel Comics 1989)
• Absolute Carnage #3 (Marvel Comics 2019)

Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers
Email Podcast@DearWatchers.com

Following Joey on Twitter and listen to Dear Watcher's interview with him here. 

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It’s Sore vs Superbman, I mean…what the?! Yes exactly! We cover Marvel’s humor book What The—?! featuring The Avengers (The Revengers) vs the Justice League of America (Just-Us League) years before this battle became official. We discuss a history of both parody books and the “big two” crossovers plus speculate if we will ever see Marvel and DC team up in print or on screen again. 

Ep. 97 What if the Avengers fought the Justice League in a parody spoof before it happened for real?
Plus a HISTORY of Marvel/DC Crossovers
Earth-89923 as seen in What The--?! #7

It’s all your favorite characters: Charlie America, Black & Blue Panther, The Least and more from the house of Marble vs. Hawk-mensch, Mr. Bat-mom, Doctor Face and other members of the Just-A-League in this Marvel vs. DC crossover in the pages of What The—?! Brought to the page by writer Scott Lobdell and artist Rurik Tyler plus work from Tom DeFalco, Terry Kavanagh and more, this skirmish (organized by Kranky the Master of Time and the Poker) comes years before the official Big Two battled it out. On this episode, we discuss the history of both parody comics (including Not Brand Echh and more) and comic crossovers from the beginning to today. We also wonder if thanks to folks like James Gunn and Jim Lee we could see a Marvel and DC crossover on the page or screen again soon. 

Reading List:

• What The--?! #7

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We have another One Bad Day as we head to Hollywood with Batman's shapeshifting foe, Clayface! We go back to 1940 for the first appearance of Basil Karlo aka Clayface then to James Tynion IV's revamp of his origin story (with a nod to Batman: The Animated Series). And we trade gloomy Gotham for sunny LA as Basil leaves a muddy trail of destruction through Tinsel Town in the truly amazing take from Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing and Xermánico in the One Bad Day series. We wrap up by speculating what is next for Clay including a potential role in The Batman 2. 

Ep. 96 What if Batman's villain Clayface had one bad day in Hollywood?
Earth of an unknown designation as seen in Batman - One Bad Day: Clayface #1

We have another One Bad Day, this time with Batman's shapeshifting foe Clayface! We provide backstories to the four primary Clayfaces (there are over eight of them in total including Clownface!) before diving into the initial appearance of the first Clayface (aka Basil Karlo) before he even had powers, back in 1940 from the minds of Bill Finger and Bob Kane. We jump to 2018 to see the current DC Universe's origin story for Basil/Clayface with Detective Comics Annual #1 from James Tynion IV and Eddy Barrows. We then center our conversation around the truly stellar multiverse story in One Bad Day that sees Basil travel to Los Angeles for a one day homicidal stroll in the sun from the minds of writers Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing and artist Xermánico. But what's next for Clayface? We chat about Alan Tudyk's hilarious turn on Harley Quinn and whether Clayface will turn up in The Batman 2 from Matt Reeves. We also chat about the connections to Boris Karloff and Mike Flanagan's would-be take on this iconic character(s). 

Reading List:

• Detective Comics #40 (1940 DC Comics)
• Detective Comics Annual #1 (2018 DC Comics)
• Batman - One Bad Day: Clayface #1 (2023 DC Comics)

Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers
Email Podcast@DearWatchers.com

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We got the band back together and we are heading to Riverdale to discuss Josie and the Pussycats from Archie Comics. We cover a brief history of Archie Comics and Josie, the band’s first appearance in the 1960s, the 2016 reboot, their role on Riverdale and especially the 2001 film which is much more satirical and meta you might remember. Plus Rob discusses his experience working on the Archie Comics Musical! We are joined by resident Josie expert and superfan Ethan from MakeMineAmalgam who literally watched the film every day for a year. 

Ep. 95 What if Josie and the Pussycats saved the world from being destroyed by teenagers turned into capitalist zombies?
With Special Guest Ethan of MakeMineAmalgam
Earth of an unknown designation as seen in the Josie & The Pussycats (2001) Film

We take our first trip to Riverdale to cover everyone’s favorite all girl band, Josie and the Pussycats! We share a quick background on Archie Comics and Josie co-creator Dan DiCarlo and how it is still a family business. Rob shares his experience working on the Archie Broadway Musical and how he played a small role in bringing current Archie mastermind Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa into Riverdale. We start off with early Josie in the 1960s before jumping ahead to discuss special guest Ethan from MakeMineAmalgam’s favorite film, Josie and the Pussycats from 2001 starring Rachel Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson, Tara Reid, Alan Cumming, Gabriel Mann, Paulo Costanzo, Missi Pyle and Parker Posey and written and directed by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan (plus the great soundtrack by Adam Schlesinger, Adam Duritz, Jane Wiedlin, Anna Waronker, Babyface and more). In the very meta and satirical film, Josie and the Pusscats find themselves part of a global conspiracy to brainwash teens and turn them into consumerist zombies! We head back to comics with Josie’s short lived revival in 2016 by Marguerite Bennett, Cameron DeOrdio, and Audrey Mok. We wrap up with some mixed reactions to an episode of Riverdale (directed by Robin Givens) that sees the return of the Pussycats. We also chat while Alexandra Cabot is the true start of the Josie-verse and could we possibly one day see a return of the Rachel Leigh Cook led version of the band.

Follow Ethan at MakeMineAmalgam on Twitter and Instagram. 

Reading List:

• Josie & The Pussycats #45 (Archie Comics 1969)
• Josie & The Pussycats (Film 2001)
• Josie & The Pussycats #1 (Archie Comics 2016)
• Riverdale Season 5 Episode 15 (TV show 2021)

Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers
Email Podcast@DearWatchers.com

Theme music is Space Heroes by MaxKoMusic (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0)

Hey Girls and Boys, Lads and Lasses, the biggest superhero team on any Earth, The Legion of Super-Heroes, tangles with the villainous Time Trapper as he turns their former ally Superboy against them. It’s an ambitious story in the post-Crisis world that serves as a template for DC storytelling to this day. We discuss this all with Legion super-fan and "DC Book of Lists" author Randall Lotowycz!

Ep. 94 What If the Time Trapper created a pocket universe to turn Superboy against the Legion of Super-Heroes?
With Special Guest author and editor Randall Lotowycz
Earth of an unknown designation as seen in the Superman & Legion of Super-Heroes crossover

The Legion of Super-Heroes can seem intimidating with their 20+ members from the traditional members like Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, and Mon-El to the wacky powered beings like Matter Eating Lad, Shrinking Violet, and Bouncing Boy, which is why we break down this team from the 60s through their major turning point post crisis in the 1980s. We travel through a multi issue arc constructed by major architects Paul Levitz and John Byrne that sees the Legion and Superman battle their old friend Superboy in a pocket universe, all controlled by the mysterious cloaked Time Trapper. We also discuss Time Trapper co-creator and Weird Tales writer Edmund Hamilton and how we are still seeing the reverberations of this story in DC’s current multiverse and alternate Earth storytelling on film and TV - including the upcoming Flash film from 2023 and more! Finally, we speculate what’s next for the Time Trapper and whether Marvel’s Kang stole his onscreen...time. We are joined by special returning guest, author and editor Randall Lotowycz.

Follow Randall on his website or on Twitter or Instagram. Purchase "The DC Book of Lists" here & watch for The Flash (2023 film) Visual Companion coming this June!

Reading List:

• Adventure Comics #318 (DC Comics 1964)
• Adventure Comics #321 (DC Comics 1964)
• Legion of Super-Heroes #37 (DC Comics 1987)
• Superman #8 (DC Comics 1987)
• Action Comics #591 (DC Comics 1987)
• Legion of Super-Heroes #38 (DC Comics 1987)
• Predictions on 2023's DCU Flash film, plus references to Infinite Crisis, Final Crisis, and more!

Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers
Email Podcast@DearWatchers.com

Theme music is Space Heroes by MaxKoMusic (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0)

ThunderCats hooooo! Or should we say, By the Power of Grayskull! Two 1980s icons join forces in He-Man / ThunderCats as the Masters of the Universe pair up with Lion-O and team to battle the combine forces of Skeletor and Mumm-Ra in this six-part comic book series from DC Comics. And speaking of joining forces, we are joined in this conversation by special guest Mike from Multiverse of Badness.

Ep. 93 What if He-Man teamed up with the Thundercats?
With Special Guest Mike of the Multiverse of Badness Podcast
Earth of an unknown designation as seen in He-Man / Thundercats #1-6

It’s all 80s as we explore the crossover between Lion-O and the ThunderCats and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in their six part comic book series from DC Comics and writers Rob David & Lloyd Goldfine (from Mattel) and Freddie E. Williams II (Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). We discuss the origins of both properties including their iconic tv shows, dive into the the long comic book roots of ThunderCats head writer Leonard Starr, wonder if Cats the musical influenced ThunderCats and speculate what could be next for these two franchises. All this plus what happens when these characters get amalgamated with Superman and each other in our conversation with Mike from Multiverse of Badness. 

Reading List:

• He-Man & The Masters of the Universe (TV Show 1983)
• Thundercats (TV Show 1985)
• He-Man / Thundercats #1-6 (DC Comics 2016-17)

Follow Mike & Multiverse of Badness on Mastodon, email him at mike@multiverseofbadness.com or listen on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers
Email Podcast@DearWatchers.com

Theme music is Space Heroes by MaxKoMusic (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0)

This episode is as big as Lex Luthor's ego! We finally cover the legendary Elseworlds story Kingdom Come that sees DC Comics' holy trinity of Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman battling a new generation of meta humans, aging super villians, the United Nations and each other in Alex Ross and Mark Waid's epic tale of visions and visionaries. We talk through all four parts with special guest and Superman super fan Elliot from ElliotComicArt.

Ep. 92 What if we covered Elseworlds legendary tale KINGDOM COME from DC Comics?
With Special Guest Elliot of ElliotComicArt
Earth-22 as seen in Kingdom Come #1-4

On this jumbo size Dear Watchers we are covering one of the most iconic of all Elseworlds tales, Kingdom Come from writer/artist Alex Ross and writer Mark Waid. On this alternate Earth, a new generation of so-called heroes battle each other and the full villains that are left as the original JLA retreat into their later years. This all changes when a long absent Superman returns to reshape the planet but is he doing it for the better? The allstar comic cast also includes Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Lex Luthor, Captain Marvel, Green Arrow, Black Canary, The Spectre, The Sandman, Hawkman, Aquaman, Magog (in his debut) and so many others. We hear first-time reader Rob's reactions along with long time fan Guido as they cover all four parts of this epic story while also extensively covering the background behind this story and the histories of its two primary creators. We also speculate when we could see a Kingdom Come live-action or animated version in the future DCU. 

Reading List:

• Kingdom Come #1-4 (DC Comics 1996)

Follow Elliot on Twitter and Instagram or visit his store.

Find us at https://linktr.ee/dearwatchers
Email Podcast@DearWatchers.com

Theme music is Space Heroes by MaxKoMusic (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0)