Character Corner - A Podcast On Your Favorite Comic Book Characters

Kriss and Dpalm are back with part 2 of their Chris Claremont X-Men series. For this episode we pick up right after the end of the Dark Phoenix saga with issue 139 and go all the way through the iconic issue 200. The key to this portion of the run is recognizing that this is where most of the most notable qualities of the characters we love come from. From the friendship between Nightcrawler & Wolverine to Ororo's mothering of Kitty Pryde and leadership of the entire X-Men team. Really this arc is about the youngest X-Man, Kitty Pryde, and her mentor/mother figure Ororo. This arc of the X-Men really shows how much Claremont pushed the idea of female characters having their own agency, power and arcs. This is also when he takes back Carol Danvers and literally erases her past to build her back up again (Listen to our Captain Marvel Part 2 episode for more on this).  This is part of the arc that really elevates the X-Men into the characters we know and love today. Issues: Days of Future Past Issues 141 &

*EDIT* Correct Title is updated in all RSS Feeds Now Since it is Pride month we're taking a break from our Claremont X-Men series (I know I know, we just started it) to talk about LGBTQ characters and representation in comics. Instead of focusing on just a handful of characters we focus more in general on some of the bigger, milestone moments (both good and bad) in comics. We start with the big two (DC and Marvel) and we fully acknowledge that while there have been some great improvements, there's still a long way to go. But in order for there to be improvement, we need to know what came before. So we acknowledge milestone moments while also pointing out when if they're just hollow attempts at representation because nothing was done with those storylines. We also admit that we're just two cis-het men and so we're in no means experts on the true impact these characters and moments have (both good and bad) on the LGBTQ community. But we do our best to at least provide a starting point for listeners. Definitely

We didn't plan this but its May and our 75th Character Corner just happens to be the start of our Chris Claremont X-Men series and Claremont started his 17 year X-Men run in May 1975. It's like we were meant to do this. This is probably going to be the closest you get to us doing an X-Men comics podcast. We start at the beginning with Claremont's Phoenix saga which really covers 44 issues to truly understand Jean's evolution as the Phoenix. It fleshes out Jean, her relationship/friendship/sisterhood with Ororo (Storm) and her roommate Misty Knight (yeah...Jean was rooming with Misty Knight). We see that Charles Xavier is kinda an asshole, the first appearance of the Shi'ar, how the new X-Men come together as a family and so much more. Having reread this it makes what Fox has done with two attempts at the Dark Phoenix storyline infuriating. The Phoenix saga isn't about how Jean becomes so powerful she loses control. It's about how Jean Grey sacrifices herself to save her family. Twice. She dies and is reborn a

We promised a bonus episode and here it is. Fresh off of Endgame and our 2 part Iron Man series we jump into Tony Stark's garage. We go through some of his major armors and how some of them were represented in the MCU. Also, prepare yourselves cause in a few weeks we'll be back with Part 1 of our Chris Claremont X-Men run series.  Armors: Mark I & II - Tales of Suspense #39 & #40 Mark III & IV - Tales of Suspense #48 (Mark III) & Iron Man vol 1 #38 (Mark IV) Mark VII Silver Centurion - Iron Man #200 Mark VIII (New Red & Gold) - Iron Man #231 Variable Threat Response Battle Suit Mark I (War Machine Armor) - Iron Man #281 Telepresence Armor - Iron Man #290 Modular Armor (Mark XI) -  Iron Man #300 Post-Heroes Reborn Renaissance Armor - Iron Man Volume 3 #1 Model 29 Extremis Armor- Iron Man Vol 4 #5 Bleeding Edge - Invincible Iron Man #25 Iron Destroyer - Fear Itself #7 Black Armor - Invincible Iron Man #517 Model 40 & 41 -  Black & Gold - Iron Man Volume 5 #1 Endo-Sym - S

Kriss and Dpalm are back right before the release of Avengers Endgame with the second part of their Iron Man deep dive. This is where the character of Tony Stark really gets interesting. Starting with Iron Man Volume 3, the character of Tony Stark had some big changes. Most of this could be due to the fact that the character would soon be the launching point for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first change comes in Volume 3 with Tony coming clean to the public that Iron Man isn't piloted by an employee but by Tony Stark himself. This finally merges the characters of Tony and Iron Man into a singular point. Stories around the character evolve from a villain just wanting Tony's company to villains wanting Tony himself because Tony is the technology. Tony begins to meld more and more with machine and with that bring into question his decision making and whether he can be trusted to do the right thing. And his battles with alcohol continue. Make sure you subscribe to the Character Corner so you get the bonus

To celebrate the release of Endgame this month we're diving into the character that launched the MCU: Tony Stark aka Iron Man. Tony Stark is an interesting character for Marvel. On face value he might seem like Marvel's attempt to duplicate Bruce Wayne. A rich playboy during the day who fights crime at night. The difference is, Tony Stark is the more interesting identity between Tony & Iron Man. A lot of early Iron Man villains are really Tony Stark villains who cross paths with Iron Man because Tony hides his true identity as Iron Man by claiming the Armored Avenger is just his body guard. It's what makes early Iron Man issues very interesting in seeing Tony struggle with the dual identities and wanting to just be Tony Stark. For this episode we cover the early days of Tony Stark/Iron Man, Tony's struggles with alcohol & Rhodey taking over, Armor Wars, the birth of the War Machine Armor and the unfortunate crossover The Crossing/Onslaught and Heroes Reborn. Just kidding...we don't cover Heroes Reborn cause i

Sorry for the delay folks but we're finally back to wrap up *checks notes* Captain Marvel Part 3? Or is this Shazam? Yeah we waste no time in this episode addressing the elephant in the room: What the heck do we call this character? Kriss & Dpalm have varying opinions but one thing that is agreed upon is that this is all DC's fault. They destroyed Fawcett because the "Superman Clone" was more popular than Superman, then tried to resurrect the character 20 years later after the name had already been registered by Marvel. So we're covering the ups and downs of the "Original Captain Marvel". We cover the Whiz Comics years, the DC relaunch, Roy Thomas' interesting yet unfinished attempt at the character, Jerry Ordway's Power of Shazam and the struggle of DC trying to figure out what to do with the character that once outsold Superman Also...one of you asked for this so Dpalm also does a quick explanation of Marvelman. Just know it involves Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman and Grant Morrison. Buckle in folks. You're in fo

We're back to wrap up our two-part Captain Marvel series with two of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe: Monica Rambeau and Carol Danvers. These are not only some of the most power female characters in the Marvel stable but two of the most powerful characters ever. We start first with Monica Rambeau, the first black female character to become a member of the Avengers. While Monica has never really had her own on-going solo series, she played a significant role on the Avengers in the 80's (even becoming Chairwoman of the group). Then we move onto the life of Carol Danvers. With the launch of Ms. Marvel in 1977, Carol not only gets super powers  but becomes Marvel's feminist icon answer to DC's Wonder Woman. Unfortunately an extremely poor decision to have Carol raped (even though the book is written as if she's not) really sets the character back. Chris Claremont takes Carol back and brings her into his X-Men book which starts Carol on her long, slow return to prominence and eventually taking

Carol Danvers makes her live action debut as Captain Marvel next month. To prepare, Kriss and Dpalm are tackling the mantle of Captain Marvel. We're focusing on the three main characters to hold the title in the Marvel Universe (We'll be covering Fawcett/DC's Captain Marvel/Shazam next month): Mar-vell, Monica Rambeau and Carol Danvers.  But even before that, we start with a little bit of a crash course in the background of the Kree & the Skrull since they're not only playing a heavy role in the upcoming movie but are integral in the backgrounds of Mar-Vell and Carol. Then we focus on the life, death and legacy of Mar-Vell. His death due to cancer is probably the most impactful death and the one that will never be undone.  Episode 2 we'll do a deep dive into Monica and Carol so make sure you subscribe so you don't miss it.  Key Issues: Fantastic Four #2 - First Appearance of the Skrulls Fantastic Four #65 - First Appearance of the Kree, Ronan the Accuser, Supreme Intelligence Avengers #133 & #134 -

Kriss and Dpalm are back for the second part of their break down of the history of comic books. This episode we're tackling the Bronze Age and the Modern Age. Now the Bronze Age goes from approximately 1970 to 1985 and the Modern Age is from 1985 to the present. We think the Modern Age as it's officially broken out is a bit long and could technically be broken out into two more ages. We discuss key moments & books of the Bronze Age, the formation of Image Comics, the comic speculator market bubble bursting, how comics recovered and much more. These time periods in comics are personal to us because these are the conics and moments we grew up with. Like the last episode Kriss used two audible books for sources (both are also available on Kindle or Paperback): Superheroes! Capes, Cowls and the Creation of Comic Book Culture Marvel Comics: The Untold Story Bronze Age (1970 - 1985) Amazing Spider-Man The Green Goblin Lives publishes without the Comic Code Authority Seal Relaxing of the Comic Code Auth

The first Character Corner of 2019 is here! For this episode Kriss and Dpalm do something a little different and instead of focus on a particular character, they're breaking down the history of comic books starting with the Golden and Silver Ages.  For this episode Kriss used two audible books for sources (both are also available on Kindle or Paperback: Superheroes! Capes, Cowls and the Creation of Comic Book Culture Marvel Comics: The Untold Story Using those two sources, Kriss and Dpalm go through what lead up to the first superhero comic of the Golden Age (Action Comics #1) through the evolution of Timely Comics to Marvel Comics and the world of Stan Lee. Pre-Golden Age Pulp magazines & Comic Strips Golden Age (1938 - 1950)   Detective Comics Incorporated Jerry Siegel & Joe Schuster Action Comics/Superman   Bob Kane & Bob Finger Batman   Jerry Robinson and how Robin appealed to kids   Wonder Woman   Superman & the media (radio, movie s

The last Character Corner of 2018! Kriss & Dpalm finish out 2018 with Part 2 of Aquaman and lets just say, shit gets a bit crazy from here. For the first time ever, we have to start the episode out by recapping Part 1 just so you get a sense for how off the rails Aquaman gets from here on out. A lot of writers, some of our favorites included, owe Peter David an apology for dropping the ball and wiping out the meticulous and detailed history of Atlantis and Aquaman that he laid out in his run. Just a sample of the crazy shit that happens: Atlantis gets sent back 3000 years and Arthur gets changed into a water wraith Arthur meets the Lady of the Lake (yup, that Lady of the Lake) and gets his harpoon hand replaced with a magical water hand Arthur Joseph Curry (don't make us do this) Has his silver age origin suddenly wipe out all of what Peter David did On and off again weakness of being out of the water too long San Diego is sunk and the inhabitants can breathe underwater and so they changed the na

Time to end 2018 with the final Character Corner subject of 2018: Aquaman. The King of the Seven Seas is getting his first solo film this month and so we're taking a look at the history behind Arthur Curry aka Aquaman. Aquaman is another DC character that has been around since the Golden Age and has seen a lot of drastic changes not only to his origin but his supporting cast as well. He's a character that's struggle to get respect, with many people thinking his only powers are talking to fish and that he's pretty useless outside of water. DC didn't do the character any favors by giving the character the weakness of needing to be in water at least once every hour. All that changed in 1990 when Peter David took over writing Aquaman. First he started by building a foundation for not only Arthur's lineage but also telling the story of how Atlantis became an advanced civilization under the sea. He then takes Arthur on a journey of not only understanding who he is but what it means to be a leader & king. Also, this

We're back! This time instead of diving into your favorite, well-known characters, we're tackling a group that's a little less known: The Doom Patrol. This episode is bit different from other Character Corners we've done since there's not a whole lot of material to pull from for the Doom Patrol. This is a group that ended their first run in the late 70's with the entire team being killed off. We start off our discussion by talking about the comic landscape in the 60's and the claim from one of the Doom Patrol creators (Arnold Drake) that Stan Lee stole the idea of the X-Men from Doom Patrol. While we don't think Stan Lee stole the concept, it does lead to an interesting question: Why did creations like the X-Men & Fantastic Four take off while Doom Patrol failed to really connect? After the Doom Patrol was killed off in the 70's, other creators tried to resurrect them and get them to catch on but not with a lot of success. A lot of writers that have tried to tackle the Doom Patrol even fully admit that at the

The great Stan Lee passed on Monday (November 12th) at the age of 95, leaving behind a legacy and characters that will forever be remembered and timeless. Kriss and Dpalm talk about what impact Stan Lee and his creations had on them and why he matters so much to the world of comic books. Beyond the huge list of iconic characters he created/co-created, what stuck out so much about Stan Lee is how much he championed for diversity and inclusion in the medium. From creating the first black superhero and black supporting characters like Robbie Robertson to being vocal in the fight against bigotry. Stan Lee revolutionized Marvel with the idea that while super heroes are extraordinary individuals, they still navigate life with the same problems that everyone else has. Not only that, but Stan also championed the idea that there's strength in all of us and anyone could be a hero. Lee really nailed the idea that the Marvel universe represents the world outside of your window. He will be missed but never forgotten “Le

We’re finally back with another Character Corner. Sorry for the delays, been having a lot going on outside of the network and so it’s taken us a while to get back to where we need to be. We’ll definitely be back to a more normal schedule in 2019. We do have a schedule for the rest of 2018 and it’s as follows: Ultimate Spider-Man Part 2 (Hi) The Legacy of Stan Lee Doom Patrol Aquaman Part 1 & 2 Now let’s get into the conclusion of Ultimate Spider-Man...   It can’t be understated just how much tragedy Peter Parker suffers and that it's important that it's Peter that suffers it and not just Spider-Man. Because Peter matters in these stories, his sense of responsibility is not only real but backs up the motto "With Great Power There Must Also Come Great Responsibility". Peter doesn’t get the luxury that other heroes have, particularly as a teenager. In the back half of Ultimate Spider-Man, we watch as Peter struggles to keep his identity secret (and doing a poor job) and be a high schooler. One thing

In October 2000, Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley launched Ultimate Spider-Man and it quickly became the the ultimate success story for the ultimate line. Benis and Bagley held the record for the longest continual run on a Marvel comic series by two people. Having one creative team for so long allowed Ultimate Spider-Man to take chances and explore the world of a teenage Peter Parker in ways readers hadn’t experienced before. It takes seven issues to retell Peter’s origins, filling in details that were never explored. But not just that, the entire series rebuilds the legacy of Spider-Man from the ground up. And not just with Peter but the entire cast of villains and supporting characters.    Ultimate Spider-Man is a complete rebooting of Spider-Man, not a retelling. Some elements stay the same (the core of the character) but others change. Those changes might seem drastic at times, but the longer you read the more you realize in ways they’re improvements.   Listen as Kriss & Dpalm discuss the first 10 vol

We wrap up our discussion about the Robins with Tim Drake and Damian Wayne (with a slight detour to discuss Stephanie Brown). We've covered Tim, Stephanie before in their own Character Corners and touched on Damian's origin in Batman Part 3.  So in this episode we're going to do less of a complete deep dive and more of a conversation about each and where they are now.  If Dick Grayson and Jason Todd are the “wayward sons”, then Tim and Damian are the sons raised right by Bruce. Obviously Tim is more closely like Dick. He’s the Robin that represents one of the key elements of Batman. Grayson is the acrobat, the clear heir, the one version of Bruce that had someone to catch him and guide him through his anger. Tim is the Detective. He had his own father and family and sees the entire chess board. If you think about it, Grayson and Drake represent elements of Batman without the baggage. Jason Todd and Damian represent the anger and rage of Bruce Wayne. Jason is the rage and insecurities that Bruce has. Damian,

Kriss and Dpalm are back with another Character Corner episode. This time its Part 1 of a two part series on the Robins. We’ve covered most of the Robins already in previous episodes like Batman's Rogue Gallery, Tim Drake, all the Batgirl episodes and our three part Batman series. But we’ve never really dug deep into each of the Robins and gone into their differences and how they tell the larger story of Batman. We’re starting with Dick Grayson and Jason Todd not just because chronologically they were the first two robins but also because they represent the larger issues we’ve seen with Batman & DC Comics when they get translated to movies and TV. Everyone knows Dick Grayson is the first Robin but the reality is, by the time most of us were reading comics and aware of Batman, Grayson was far removed from being Robin. Same could be said for Jason Todd. Jason was first introduced in 1983 and was killed off in 1988. The first two Robins came and went before most people today were even 10. And that’s where we see

We wrap up our creator spotlight on Jonathan Hickman with him destroying and rewriting the Marvel Universe(s). Hickman's Avengers run is so good because it ties in with his previous work with the Fantastic Four and S.H.I.E.L.D. perfect and really brings everything home. The way that New Avengers and Avengers seem to start off as different books but slowly reveal to be telling the same story is masterful. If you want the full picture of what we discussed, make sure you listen to our episodes on Hickman's Fantastic Four and Secret Warriors/S.H.I.E.L.D. runs first.  Reading Order: Ultimate Comics : Ultimate Comics Ultimates 1 - 6 Ultimate Comics Hawkeye 1 -4 Ulitmate Comics Ultimates 7 - 12 Avengers and New Avengers New Avengers #1 - 3 Avengers #1 - 6 New Avengers #4 - 6 Avengers #7 - 13  New Avengers #7 Avengers #14 - 17 Infinity Infinity #1 New Avengers #8 Avengers #18 New Avengers #9 Infinity #2 New Avengers #10 Avengers #19 Infinity #3 Avengers #20 Infinity #4