EPISODE 256 - LEGENDS...30 YEARS LATER PART 4

Episode 256 - Legends...30 Years Later Part 4

This is it, folks!  The final chapter of my four part series about the DC Comics crossover event...Legends!  Legends turns 30 this year and I thought it deserved some coverage.  But not just any coverage...oh no...I decided to not only cover the six issue main series but each and every crossover chapter as well.  This time out my guests and I cover the epic conclusion to Darkseid's evil plan to wipe out the very concept of heroism on Earth.  In addition to the conclusion to Superman's trip to Apokolips, the "final" Justice League adventure, a battle with the Time Trapper and an origin for a certain team of villains that form some sort of squad.  

Comics covered in this episode include..

• Chapter 19: Action Comics #586 (with Andy Leyland from the Keep 'Em Flyin': A Firefly Podcast)
• Legends #5 (with Chris Franklin of the Batman: Knightcast podcast)
• Chapter 20: Cosmic Boy #4 (with Siskoid of First Strike: The Invasion Podcast!)
• Chapter 21: Justice League of America #261 (with Rob Kelly of The Power Records Podcast)
• Chapter 22: Secret Origins #14 (with Chad Bokelman of The Action Comics Weekly Podcast)
• Legends #6 (with The Irredeemable Shag and Rob Kelly of The Fire and Water Podcast)

Once again I want to thank all of the guests I had on over the last four episodes.  This series would not have been as epic as it was without them.  I cannot recommend each and every one of their shows enough.

I have gotten a good bit of feedback on social media about this series and the one aspect that has gotten the most attention is the music drops I put before and after each segment.  Here is the full list of songs I used during the course of Legends...30 Years Later.

• Main Episode Theme - Main Title from the Masters of the Universe score by Bill Conti
• Batman #401 - Been Caught Stealing by Jane's Addiction
• Detective Comics #568 - Birdhouse in Your Soul by They Might Be Giants
• Legends #1 - Holding Out For a Hero by Bonnie Tyler
• Green Lantern Corps #207 - Bad Attitude by Meat Loaf
• Legends #2 - Because of You by Kelly Clarkson
• Cosmic Boy #1 - Once in a Lifetime by The Talking Heads
• Justice League of America #258 - A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall by Bob Dylan
• Secret Origins #10 - The Stranger by Billy Joel
• Firestorm #55 - Let's Hang On by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
• Legends #3 - Suicide is Painless by Johnny Mandel from the MASH soundtrack
• Cosmic Boy #2 - Saturday Night's All Right For Fightin' by Elton John
• Justice League of America #259 - Gypsy Lou by Bob Dylan
• Firestorm #56 - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do by Neil Sedaka
• Blue Beetle #9 - Time of the Season by The Zombies
• Legends #4 - Spiraling Shape by They Might Be Giants
• Warlord #114 - The Great Pretender by The Platters
• Cosmic Boy #3 - Back In Time by Huey Lewis and the News
• Justice League of America #260 - Everything is Broken by Bob Dylan
• Blue Beetle #10 - Time Is On My Side by The Rolling Stones
• Warlord #115 - My Evil Twin by They Might Be Giants
• Superman #3 - On The Dark Side by Eddie and the Cruisers (aka John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band)
• Adventures of Superman #426 - Let's Get It On by Marvin Gaye
• Action Comics #586 - Champion by RuPAUL
• Legends #5 - Join Together by The Who
• Cosmic Boy #4 - I Want It All by Queen
• Justice League of America #261 - Never Say Goodbye by Bob Dylan
• Secret Origins #14 - Carry On by Fun
• Legends #6 - You're The Voice by John Farnham
• Wrap Up - The End of the Tour by They Might Be Giants
• End Theme - End Credits from the Masters of the Universe score by Bill Conti

And that's pretty much it.  As I said in at the end of the episode this series was so much fun to put together and I am a bit bummed out that it's over.  Someday I hope to get back to covering Crisis on Infinite Earths but beyond that I don't think any of the other crossovers have my love and devotion like Legends does outside of Invasion!  Siskoid and Bass are doing such an amazing job covering Invasion! over at The Fire and Water Podcast Network I wouldn't even think of touching of that series.  So for now this is it for me and DC crossovers.

In my end piece thing I mentioned that The Irredeemable Shag (the Diet Coke of Evil) hosted Justice League International: The Bwa-Ha-Ha Podcast and that Aaron Head Moss hosted The Task Force X Podcast.  Give those a listen.  I think you'll like them.  

Next Time: Nothing next week as I need a break but the week after that I'll have the Views 2017 Christmas Special!

EPISODE 253 - LEGENDS...30 YEARS LATER PART 1

Episode 253 - Legends...30 Years Later Part 1

Welcome, one and all, to a Views From The Longbox event!  Starting with this episode and going for at least two more I will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the DC Comics crossover...Legends.  Legends is one of my favorite DC crossovers and I thought it would be fun to cover it here on the show but I wanted to do it right.  I wanted to do it justice.  So instead of simply covering the main series and paying lip service to the crossover issues I got together with the best and the brightest in the comic book podcasting realm to cover each and every main issue and crossover associated with Legends. 

Some may call this insane or mad or a colossal waste of time but for me it was the only way to go.   

This time out I cover...

• Chapter One: Batman #401 (with Andrew Leyland of The Fantasticast)
• Chapter Two: Detective Comics #568 (also with Andrew Leyland of Palace of Glittering Delights)
• Legends #1 (with Rob Kelly and The Irredeemable Shag of Who's Who: The Definitive Podcast of the DC Universe)
• Chapter Three: Green Lantern Corps #207 (with Chad Bokelmen of The Lantern Cast)
• Legends #2 (with Ryan Daly of Gimmie Those Star Wars)
• Chapter Four: Cosmic Boy #1 (with Siskoid of First Strike: The Invasion Podcast)
• Chapter Five: Justice League of America #258 (with Rob Kelly of Pod Dylan)
• Chapter Six: Secret Origins #10 (with Joe Crow of The RevCast)
• Chapter Seven: Firestorm #55 (with The Irredeemable Shag of the Justice League International: Bwa-Ha-Ha Podcast)

Be sure to check out the links next to the names of my guests for this episode.  They all host or co-host fantastic shows that are well worth your time and attention.

Speaking of links I mentioned during my talk with Andy that he and I discussed Batman #400 on an episode of Bailey's Batman Podcast.  Click on this link to check that out if you are so inclined.

A HUGE thank you to the people that took time out of their busy schedules to talk about Legends with me.  The only reason these episodes are as epic as they are is because I had a great group of  knowledgeable podcasters to talk to.  

Next Time: Legends...30 Years Later Part 2!

EPISODE 247 - DRAGONCON 2016 PART 3: WONDER WOMAN THE 75th ANNIVERSARY

Episode 247 - DragonCon 2016 Part 3: Wonder Woman The 75th Anniversary

I have a real treat for you this week, folks!  On Sunday, September 4, 2016 I and some of the other Classics Track Irregulars had the honor of sharing the stage with the one, the only George Perez!  Our subject?  Wonder Woman: The 75th Anniversary!  During the panel you'll hear us talking about Diana's history but mainly you'll hear about how George started working on the character and some of the highs and lows of his run.  He also gives an insight on what he brought to the character and the ways he changed her for a new generation.

Seriously...it was so awesome.  I cannot express how grateful I am to Joe Crowe and Gary Mitchel for letting me be a part of it.  Speaking of being a part of it, my fellow panelists were;

• Jessa Phillips: Editor In Chief over at Good To Be a Geek, home of the Comic Book Heroines podcast
• Kevin Eldridge: One of the hosts of the Flopcast
• Elizabeth Keethley: She writes stuff and is just awesome.  

Towards the end of the episode I mentioned that another panel I was on had been released over at the Needless Things podcast.  You can check out the GI Joe panel by clicking on this link.  Give the Phantom Troublemaker some love.

Next Time: Suicide Squad with Thomas Deja!

EPISODE 243 - KINGDOM COME 20 YEARS LATER

Episode 243 - Kingdom Come 20 Years Later

Kingdom Come turns 20 this year.  Alan and Emily Middleton help me talk about it.  

...

What?  You want more than that?  I mean what else can I say outside of the fact that Kingdom Come is now 20 and that the wonderful daughter/father team of Emily and Alan Middleton were nice enough to stop by to spend about three hours talking about this epic story?

...

Okay.  I'll put a little more effort into these show notes.

This time out I am joined by the previously mentioned Alan and Emily Middleton (hosts of Shortbox Showcase and Dorkness to Light) to discusses the already mentioned Kingdom Come.  There are many different ways we could have tackled this subject.  The art alone merits its own episode.  We chose to tackle the story from the standpoint of the characters so after a short history lesson and a somewhat entertaining synopsis the three of us dive into the main players of this story.  Superman.  Batman.  Wonder Woman.  Captain Marvel.  The now badly named Mankind Liberation Front.  All of them get thrown under the microscope as we talk about what the stories means to those characters, what those characters mean to us and where things went right or wrong.  I also go over the merchandise, the adaptations and the legal problems that crop up when you publish a companion book to a series put out by a large corporation.

I'd like to thank Alan and Emily for coming out to play and the fun isn't over.  This is actually part one of a two part podcasting crossover event and the second part should be up in a few days over at the Dorkness to Light podcast.  There Alan and Emily were nice enough to have me on to talk about the biblical and spiritual aspects of this story.  Be sure to listen to that episode and everything else these two produce podcasting and blog wise because they're awesome and deserve your support.

Next Time: Thomas Deja stops by to talk about the first eight issues of John Ostrander's Suicide Squad! 

EPISODE 242: VIEWS ON REBIRTH MONTH ONE

Episode 242: Views on Rebirth Month One

DC Comics has once again revamped their line.  You might have heard about this.  It's been in the papers.  After five years of creative upheavals and weird directions and just bone headed decisions the powers that be decided that something was missing in the DCU and so they tapped Geoff Johns to craft a course correction for the line.  The result?  DC Rebirth.  

I usually shy away from covering newer comics for a variety of reasons but this is a pretty big deal and...shockingly some might say...I've really liked what DC has been laying down.  So I thought it might be fun to talk about the first month worth of books and I brought a friend along for the ride.  Joining me to this time out is Kevin Cushing, formerly of the Spider-Man Crawlspace Podcast and other fine shows.  Kevin has not been podcasting at all over the past year or so.  Some say he's been on the run from the mob.  Others say that he was framed for a crime he didn't commit and disappeared into the Los Angeles underground.  There's this rumor that he wasn't all that hot on new comics so he's stayed away from the microphone.  No matter the case he's back on Views and I was glad he decided to join me.

After a brief discussion about the DC Univerese: Rebirth one shot we dive into all of the Rebirth comics from June.  We spend a lot of time on the Superman books because it's my show and I am so in love with the new creative regimes on Action Comics and Superman that it just felt right to talk about them for so long.  We also go over Batman, Detective Comics, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lanterns, Aquaman and Green Arrow in that order, which just so happens to be the order I read the books when I pick them up at the shop.  It's a fun two hours worth of comic talk.  What titles did we like?  Did we have any problems with them?  Has Rebirth been worth it?  Listen and find out.  

Thanks again to Kevin for coming out to play.  Hopefully we'll get together to record another one of these next month!

Next Time: The father/daughter team of Alan and Emily Middleton stop by to start a two part crossover with one of their shows  that is all about the 20th anniversary of Kingdom Come!