kurt busiek

Some of My Friends Read Comics 252 – X-Factor by Peter David: The 2000s Run + Thunderbolts #25

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We loved Peter David’s X-Factor so much last time, so we’re going back in for more! Except this time we’re taking a look at his 2005 reboot of the title, coming hot off the heels of House of M and Decimation.

We’ve still got Multiple Man struggling with controlling his dupes, but now we’ve got depowered mutants and an inexplicably omnipotent little girl to deal with.

Then we finish up our long read of Thunderbolts with #25, in which they take down 25 supervillains and we see who’s behind the Crimson Cowl.

MP3: https://tinyurl.com/335ter77

Next Time: We finish up Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing run with Volume 6 (Issues 57-64)!

Some of My Friends Read Comics 246 – Batman: Creature of the Night by Kurt Busiek & John Paul Leon + Thunderbolts #19

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Hot on the heels of Kurt Busiek’s take on a real-world(ish) Clark Kent, we’re reading his Batman focused followup called Creature of the Night from 2017, with art by John Paul Leon.

We meet a young kid in a non-superhero world named Bruce Wainwright who’s obsessed with Batman comics, and that doesn’t really change after his parents get murdered by robbers.

So what’s the deal with this Batman that starts showing up immediately?

Then we move onto Thunderbolts #19, featuring the winner of the Wizard Create-A-Villain contest!

MP3: https://tinyurl.com/39njdkh2

Next Time: Wolverine (1982) by Chris Claremont & Frank Miller

Some of My Friends Read Comics 245 – Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek & Stuart Immonen + Thunderbolts #18

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We’re double-dipping on Kurt Busiek today!

We’re still continuing his run on Thunderbolts with #18 and the rudest French supervillain you’ll ever meet, but first we’re reading Superman: Secret Identity from 2004, with Stuart Immonen on art. 

It’s a story about a regular kid named Clark Kent in a regular universe where superheroes only exist in comics, who gets ridiculed constantly for his name. And then he gets powers. Whoa!

Join us as we follow this variant Clark Kent through a full lifetime, and we discuss the duality of Busiek.

MP3: https://tinyurl.com/3msba9v5

Next Time: We check out the Secret Identity spiritual sequel, Batman: Creature of the Night!

Some of My Friends Read Comics 229 – Ms. Tree + Thunderbolts #3

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We’re reading some detective comics this week! No, not the Bat. We’re reading a lesser known PI published by Renegade Comics in the 80s: Ms. Tree, written by Max Alan Collins with art by Terry Beatty.

We jump into the middle of the book and read issues #18-23 in which Ms. Tree deals with the death of her archnemesis… and kills a ton of people.

We were expecting a little more noir and a little less Punisher.

Then we continue Thunderbolts with issue #3 in which the former Masters of Evil meet the current Masters of Evil!

MP3: https://tinyurl.com/a8b5fp24

Next Time: Hulk 417-419 (Rick Jones’ Bachelor Party) & Hulk: The End

Some of My Friends Read Comics 228 – X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills + Thunderbolts #2

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It’s another classic X-Men story! We’re reading God Loves, Man Kills by Chris Claremont and Brent Anderson from 1982, which served as the inspiration for the X-Men 2 film.

We get to know the evil reverend, Stryker, who has made some… questionable life choices. But why didn’t they make him a reverend in the movie? 

Then we continue our long read of Thunderbolts with issue #2, which contains the ugliest statue ever erected to honor a superhero.

MP3: https://tinyurl.com/yv68jk5n

Next Time – Ms. Tree: Heroine Withdrawal

Some of My Friends Read Comics 227 – I Hate Fairylnd, Vol. 2 + Thunderbolts #1

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It’s time to go back to Fairyland! We loved the first volume of Skottie Young’s I Hate Fairyland when we read it back in 2020, so we thought we’d check out volume 2.

Will the art still manage to simultaneously be cute and grotesque? You know it!

Also, we begin our next long read with Thunderbolts #1 by Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley, with villains posing as heroes. How devious!

MP3: https://tinyurl.com/32ytc5wf

Next Time: X-Men – God Loves, Man Kills

Some of My Friends Read Comics 224 – Avengers (1998) by Busiek & Perez + Earth X #11

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It’s time for us to visit the late 90s with Kurt Busiek and George Perez’s relaunch of The Avengers!

Who will be on the new roster? Will we remember any of the history that Busiek digs up? And is it ever a good idea to relaunch a book with an alternate reality story?

Then we go onto Earth X #11 where we say farewell to the character with the best one-liners.

MP3: https://tinyurl.com/yue9w6rh

Next Time: Dragon Ball, Vol. 1

Some of My Friends Read Comics 134 – I Hate Fairyland by Skottie Young + JLA/Avengers #3

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It’s a scientific fact that stories about maniacal ax-wielding children are always entertaining. I Hate Fairyland is no exception, although I guess technically it’s about a woman who just looks like a kid because she’s spent 27 years stuck in a sugary wonderland.

We read the first 5 issues of writer/artist Skottie Young’s recent Image series and then we continued JLA/Avengers with issue #3.

MP3: https://bit.ly/3gwevaL

Next Time: Marvel Assistant Editor’s Month 1984 (Avengers #239, Dazzler #30, Defenders #127, Marvel Team-Up #137, Thing #7)

Some of My Friends Read Comics 132 – Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Travelin’ Heroes + JLA/Avengers #1

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This week on the show, we remember Dennis O’Neil with a look back at his run with Neal Adams on Green Lantern from 1970, in which he explored a few topics that superheroes didn’t often tackle.

Green Lantern shared the spotlight with Green Arrow to start their “Hard Travelin’ Heroes” Era, and we read issues 76-81. After that we jumped into another DC/Marvel team-up with the first issue of JLA/Avengers from 2003.

MP3: https://bit.ly/2AJgskM

Next Time: Aliens vs. Predator (1990)

Some of My Friends Read Comics 127 – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Manga, Vol. 1 + Marvels: Epilogue

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somfrc127

Some of My Friends Read… Manga?!?!? And Play Video Games?!?!?!

After 5 years, we finally delve into some content from Japan: The Ocarina of Time manga adaptation from the Legend of Zelda series. Did we get confused reading right to left? Were we able to switch back for the Marvels Epilogue? (Yes, it was fine.)

MP3: https://bit.ly/3aLpg5q

Next Time: We close out The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with Volume 2 + we start reading DC vs. Marvel issue by issue.