Comic Geek Speak Podcast - The Best Comic Book Podcast

We return the favor after many an appearance on his Back to the Bins podcast, as Chris, Shane, Murd and Ian are joined by longtime friend and fellow podcaster, Paul Spataro! After starting with some comic news, including James Gunn becoming head of DC Studios, the casting of Disney+'s Wonder Man and the upcoming Vision Quest, and the Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania trailer, the crew go on to review in spoilery detail Dwayne Johnson's superhero spotlight and DC's latest film, Black Adam. From there, topics include Ian's trip to Boston and pilgrimage to Newbury Comics, Pop Star Assasins: Of Suspicious Minds, Shane and Chris go Blue and Gold, Paul reminisces on John Buscema and his time on Silver Surfer, DC Universe Infinite gets closer to day and date, Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths continues, Human Target continues to hit the target, Gotham City: Year One, some Bronze Age Marvel Monster action in the Tomb of Dracula and The Monster of Frankenstein, thanks to Werewolf by Night's influence on Chris and Murd, B

We join the the Geeks already in progress, as there's plenty to discuss with a group consisting of Peter, Brian, Pants, Shane and now Kevin! Topics include selling Kevin's collection; the trade paperback market; Heritage Auctions; Werewolf by Night; the need for more Marvel animation; the first episodes of Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Moonlighting; Sword of Azrael by O'Neil, Quesada and Nowlan; the Paper Girls TV show; a recap of NYCC 2022, and more! (2:02:30)

Say their name three times and they'll appear...Comic Geek Speak! Comic Geek Speak!! Comic Geek Speak!!! The Speakers of Geek present a Creepy Creature Double Feature just in time for All Hallows' Eve. First, head back to 1988 and Tim Burton's classic, Beetlejuice. Then, we go modern (and simultaneously retro) to give our thoughts on Marvel's first ever holiday special, Werewolf by Night. So grab your candy bucket, tuck the kids in, and turn out all the lights, this one's gonna be a scare! (1:52:43)

New York Comic Con 2022 was held from October 6-9, 2022. Now that the con has been put to bed, this Comic Timing/CGS crossover episode goes into the minutia of what went down, from the mindset of longtime convention attendees, artist alley participants, and one first-timer. The crew consists of Ian Levenstein (haven't missed a NYCC yet!), Kris Naudus, Jamal Igle, Julian Lytle, and Donovan Morgan Grant. They discuss both positives and negatives, ranging from layout to inconsistent rules management, panel slate, the exhibition floor, crown management, and a whole lot more. Plus some comic book recommendations at the end to round us out. (2:06:18)

Mid-month Previews action ahead for you all! Ian and Murd are joined by Chris up until the back of the book, when the two soldier on as a duo, giving you the best comic picks they can muster in Diamond Previews 409, DC Connect 29 and Marvel Previews Vol 6 issue 16, for books mostly set for release in December. Some holly jolly holiday fun to be had, plus the return of a Disney Afternoon gem thanks to the combined might of Dynamite and Greg Weisman, Gargoyles! (2:22:39)

Bryan, Peter, Pants and Shane return for more casual conversation of the geek variety. Topics include a return to conventions, original art and the comic book art world; Willow; Andor; She-Hulk; Star Trek; Batman: Hush; Daredevil 1 by Kevin Smith, Joe Quesada & company; Spider-Man 1 by Todd McFarlane and company; and more! (2:07:30)

It's still September, so here, have a Previews! Murd, Ian and Shane start the show off dissecting Diamond Previews 408, DC Connect 28 and Marvel Previews Vol 6 issue 12, for books primarily set for release in November 2022. Chris then joins the convo in the middle of DC and sticks around for the rest of the episode. To summarize this month, the 90s are back in so many ways; Wildstorm, Crossgen, WildCATS, Spawn, Ben Reilly, Young Justice, oh my! And after all of that, there's some t-shirts worth mentioning in the Merch section. (2:44:36)

In an unprecedented turn of events...PANTS IS BACK!!! Listen as he joins The Founders™ Peter and Bryan, along with Shane, to go over so many topics, such as...Cobra Kai; 60s TV; the Fugitive; Retro Con; Rogue Squadron; the Last Jedi; the Hobbit trilogy; Rings of Power; Dark Crystal; old lore vs new lore; a Netflix rant ; She-Hulk; Thor Love & Thunder; Clerks 3; Kevin Smith; movie theatre talk; Tom King comics; Amazing Spider-Man; John Romita Jr.; Alex Ross' Fantastic Four Full Circle; Todd McFarlane's Spider-Man; Heroes Reborn; Peter David; Dan Slott; Werewolf by Night and more! (1:52:05)

Inker extraordinaire and longtime friend of the show Juan Castro joins Chris, Murd, Ian and Shane for this episode, as we discuss his work on books including Blood Syndicate, The Wrong Earth, and Dudley Datson and the Forever Machine! We also go into our thoughts on Netflix's Sandman, Amazon Prime's (unfortunately canceled) Paper Girls, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Clerks 3, Elvis, and recent reads ranging from Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 to Supergirl: World of Tomorrow, Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler, X-Men '92: House of XCII, Amazing Spider-Man 900's back-matter, and much more. Plus some World of Toys GI Joe updates, a listener voicemail, Muddle the Murd, mailbag, and more! (2:32:20)

Hot off the heels of a return to the studio, let's return to the origins of CGS, shall we? Bryan and Peter reunite on Zoom once more, this time with a third in the form of the one and only Shane. The trio discuss a bevy of geeky topics, as is tradition. That include changing habits of watching TV; Umbrella Academy; DVDs vs streaming libraries; the art of Chris Bachalo; Strange New Worlds; For All Mankind; Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness; our current comic reading habits; the world of comic retail; G.I.Joe toys; Everything Everywhere All at Once and more!  (2:05:10)

It's time to open up the queue and query some questions! Murd, Chris and Ian are here to answer these to the best of our abilities, submitted by our faithful Patrons. Best of all, the festivities occurred live and in studio! And if you listen closely, you may hear a familiar voice from times gone by asking said questions. Who, you may ask? Listen, and figure it out! (1:11:50)

We're back, live in studio for the first time in a little more than a year! And as has become tradition when us Geeks get together, a spotlight will follow. Chris Eberle meticulously drafted a breakdown of one of Marvel's most meticulous, crafty, and dangerous villains, the one and only Green Goblin! We go through his cooky origins featuring a movie set, a broomstick and The Hulk to stories much closer to the Goblin we know and love as the Silver Age draws on. Key issues include The Spectacular Spider-Man Magazine issue 2, Amazing Spider-Man 39 and 40, and the first issues of Marvel to dare to go without the Comics Code Authority, issues 96 through 98. We also discuss Norman's fatherly relationship with Peter and his lack thereof with Harry, some appearances in other media, and so much more. And after all, what better way to get ready for fall than to talk about various pumpkins? (2:18:19)

Back at it again with that Previews catalog! Tonight, Murd and Ian are your duo of choice, covering solicits within the pages of Diamond Previews 407, DC Connect 27 and Marvel Previews Vol 6 issue 11, for books mainly scheduled for release in October 2022. Many a spoooooky selection to be had, in honor of the upcoming Halloween season. So grab some candy, and enjoy this treat of an episode with us! No trick. (2:52:59)

Slather on that sunscreen, put on your shades, grab your beach chair and your favorite comic book, as CGS embraces the season with some scorching comic book conversation! Ian, Shane, Chris and Murd go over the happening of this year's SDCC, including Marvel Studios' reveals for Phase Five and Phase Six, trailers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Shazam 2 and Black Adam, and Dark Crisis' true nature being revealed. The geeks also discuss Batgirl getting shelved by WB and Hasbro's new toy releases, then converse on recent reads such a Chip Zdarsky's Public Domain, Amazing Spider-Man 900, Ian catching up on Saga, Murd's tribute to the late great Alan Grant via Detective Comics 608, the last fifteen issues of Justice League via Shane, and much more. Plus we play a listener voicemail, and a Muddle the Murd to cool us down. (2:39:00)

Get your monthly dose of Previews, compliments of Murd and Ian, then Chris as of Dark Horse! We cover Diamond Previews 406, DC Connect 26, and Marvel Previews issue 10, for books mostly set for release in September, 2022. Get ready for some of the corniest jokes you've heard from us in a while, and some Murd singing! It's the cure for what ails ya. (2:48:41)

Have at thee! Another Thor film has made its way down to Midgar, and we mere mortals have the privilege of reviewing it. Chris, Ian, Shane and Murd, aka the Warriors Three Plus One, give their full spoilery thoughts and opinions on Love and Thunder. Does Taika's second attempt at Thor belong in the hallowed halls of Valhalla, or was it a swing and a miss of an Enchanted Uru hammer? Listen in, dear listeners and discover for yourselves; but don't tell Stormbreaker, it'll get jealous. Oh, there's also a voicemail from an old friend. (1:38:51)

It's just Chris and Ian all the way through for this one, as we give you listeners our finest offering from Diamond's Previews issue 405, DC Connect 25, and Marvel Previews Vol 6, issue 9, for issues mostly set for release in August, 2022. Just a quick note that due to supply chain issues, a decent amount of Marvel comics mentioned in this very episode may no longer be available for pre-order. But fear not, they will be resolicited as needed, so we soldiered on and gave picks according to the existing catalog. Madness, I tells ya! (1:50:50)

Get your best Shatner scream at the ready, and expose your chest for all to see! That's right, in celebration of forty years since its original release, Comic Geek Speak goes back in tiiiiime once again to give the formal review treatment to the gem of the Star Trek movie franchise. Chris, Shane and Ian all rewatched Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan for the assignment, while Murd experienced it all the way through for the very first time! Listen in to find out more about what this movie means to them all, and Star Trek in general. It's a real ear worm of a movie, I tell ya. (1:35:16)

The Founders™ gather once more for some old school CGS convo! This time out, Bryan and Peter start with some discussion of Joe Quesada's exit from Marvel and how he's always been there for as long as CGS has existed. They then maneuver to the glut of Geek entertainment and how impossible it is to watch everything to thoughts on Spider-Man No Way Home, Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The potential of the Fantastic Four in the MCU, and as usual, more! (1:39:01)

Chris, Ian and Murd have comics to talk about, so let's do the Comic Talk again! Within, topics discussed include Joe Quesada leaving Marvel Comics, the first two episodes of Obi Wan and Season Four Part 1 of Stranger Things (spoiler free), Chris gives us a Kurt Busiek twofer on Astro City: This Was Then... and Arrowsmith Behind Enemy Lines, then a Batman duo with Chip Zdarsky's Batman: The Knight and Tom King's Batman: Killing Time. Ian gets further into Dark Crisis with Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis and the FCBD Dark Crisis issue, then gives his thoughts on issues 1 and 2 of Zeb Wells' and John Romita Jr's Amazing Spider-Man and Zdarsky's The All-Nighter, with some Patsy Walker 1955 thrown in for good measure. Then, Murd hops in the Bubble for Decades: Marvel In The '50S - Captain America Strikes! in honor of Memorial Day, and Dean Haspiel's The Red Hook in honor of...Brooklyn. Plus Muddle the Murd, and more! (1:45:54)