If you’ve ever felt like your city left you before you left your city, Jason McNamara’s Ghost Band is for you. Tim and Emmet discuss this post-apocalyptic look at San Francisco. Jason then taps in to explain the inspiration for the book and what happened to artist Vincent Gladnick 2/3 of the way through.

Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the Grim Reaper has an apprentice, and he saves a girl’s life — temporarily. Grimm’s Assistant, by Mamode Ogbewele and Chigozie Amadi, might be a little too stingy with important story info, but sharp art and interesting ideas make it worth Tim and Jason’s time reviewing it.

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Tim gets ever closer to catching up with the MCU! Tim and Mulele discuss Avengers: Endgame‘s time-travel explanation (and problems), Captain Marvel’s relative irrelevance to the film, how this movie set the stage for the upcoming TV shows, and much more. (Originally published on Patreon March 14, 2020)

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FLASHBACK! Sports have rarely been subject matter for comics in the US; perhaps comics’ inherent static-ness has seemed antithetical to an activity with so much movement. But Japan has seen comics about various sports, and some of them have been quite popular, even iconic.

Takehiko Inoue’s Real is not only about basketball, but about physical handicaps, relationships, and more. Kumar and Ilango find a whole lot to like about it — including the satisfying ways in which it translates sports action to the comics page. (Originally published February 16, 2015.)

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Most Americans know little about the Crimean War (1853-1856). Adam McGovern and Bruno Letizia’s The Night Brigade may go some way toward filling us in on that conflict, and it does give us several historical figures, including Florence Nightingale – but it also features a werewolf. Tim and Adam critique.

Asante Amani‘s Joe Mallard gives us short detective stories that feel a bit like Matt Kindt’s work. Tim and Jason are hoping for more!

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We left the Eternals joined together in the Unimind. The 1977 Annual doesn’t clearly fit into continuity, but features only one Eternal, Thena, together with Deviants Karkas and the Reject against a time-traveling threat! Back in the regular series, issue 13 gives us exactly two Eternals, trying to stop a Deviant attack on the Celestials. In spite of the lack of Eternals, these are two of the most fun issues Tim and Emmet have read yet!

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Chester Brown’s work has come up on this show a number of times over the years. We’ve discussed Ed the Happy Clown, Louis Riel, and Paying for It. He’s actually published 10 graphic novels since 1989, some of which are collections of his comics series. In connection with the recent premiere of the movie version of Paying for It at the Toronto International Film Festival, our own Koom got a chance to interview Brown for this week’s show!

Check out Koom’s novel, Killing Shakespeare

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FLASHBACK! A comic strip gag can be a deceptively simple thing. Once you take it apart — “deconstruct” it, one might say — you find that it actually has many moving parts.

Click to enlarge

Paul Karasik and Mark Newgarden‘s How to Read “Nancy” takes a close look at each of those parts — as well as arguing persuasively for Bushmiller’s underrated artistic chops, and giving us some comic-strip history as well. Tim and Patrick review.

PLUS: Roland Mann, Dean Zachary, and Kevin Gallegly join Tim to talk about the return of Cat and Mouse! (Originally published May 21, 2018.)

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What does an 11-year-old do when her “only friend” moves away? In Coco Fox’s “sorta” memoir Let’s Go, Coco, she joins the basketball team. But when you’re a pre-teen, everything’s fraught with challenges. Tim and Adam discuss this book – aimed at middle schoolers, but recommended for all ages.

As far from that world as possible is the first issue of King Klaus’ Digital Bardos (now live on Kickstarter). It introduces us to Darren — make that “All-Mighty Darren,” a digital god. The issue begins to answer the question of how he got that way. Tim and Jason critique.

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FLASHBACK! It’s been more than 70 years now since the debut of Archie comics, featuring (though not quite from the beginning) America’s favorite love triangle of Archie, Veronica, and Betty. Along with Jughead, Reggie, and the rest of the gang, these characters keep us coming back for more, changing with the times while still presenting an idealized America where drugs, booze, and sex seem not to exist. This week Tim talks with Archie ubercollector (and Coliseum of Comics Back Issue Manager) Jack Copley about what keeps Archie interesting, some of his favorite stories and creators, and “The Archie Room”! (Originally published November 12, 2012.)

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Eternals are only human, I guess! In Eternals issues 9-12, many of the Eternals exhibit a segregationist attitude toward the Deviants, and just about everybody assumes Karkas is going to kick the Reject‘s butt in a fight based solely on how they look. Meanwhile, are the Celestials kind, or sadistic? Tim and Emmet discuss Jack Kirby‘s statements on prejudice, as well as a shocking turn of events for a group of Soviet generals, pioneering the concept of dozens of superpowered beings in costumes all hanging out together, and… exclamation points!

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FLASHBACK! A then-recent R. Crumb compilation is reviewed by a Crumb connoisseur (Kumar) and a Crumb newbie (Tim). The book features Crumb at his sweetest and his most shocking. But can this (or any book) claim to be the perfect Crumb compilation? (Originally published June 30, 2008.) Brought to you by: To the Batpoles! podcast … Continue reading #134 “The R. Crumb Handbook”