The Comics Canon

01:29:28

Episode 264: Jack Kirby's The Demon

The Comics Canon ·

2026/09/30

On this episode, we get an early start celebrating the spookiest time of the year with a look at the frightfully fun first appearances of Jason Blood and Etrigan in The Demon #1-5 by Jack Kirby and Mike Royer, published by DC Comics! As Camelot falls to the forces of Morgaine Le Fey, the wizard Merlin dispatches his faithful demon servant, Etrigan, to await further instructions. (Why does Merlin have a faithful demon servant? No idea!) Centuries later, brooding demonologist Jason Blood reads an

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01:12:45

Episode 263: Behold … The Vision!

The Comics Canon ·

2026/09/16

The Vision gets his turn in the MCU spotlight next month with the Disney+ series VisionQuest, so it seems like the perfect time to turn the Comics Canon spotlight on the origin of everyone's favorite synthezoid with a look at "Behold … The Vision!" from Avengers #57 and "Even an Android Can Cry" from Avengers #58, published by Marvel Comics! When Janet Van Dyne is attacked by a strange, unearthly being, she enlists the aid of her fellow Avengers to figure out who he is and why he's been programmed

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01:15:54

Episode 262: Spy x Family 1

The Comics Canon ·

2026/09/02

It's back-to-school time, and we celebrate with a look at the first volume of the mega-popular manga Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo, published in the U.S. by Viz Media! The unflappable super-spy known only as Twilight has just received the most challenging mission of his career: In order to get the goods on a reclusive politician, he must marry and produce a child – a child who must be accepted into the ultra-elite Eden Academy in one week's time! In short order, he adopts 6-year-old Anya and

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01:14:58

Episode 261: Gotham Central Vol. 1 – In the Line of Duty

The Comics Canon ·

2026/08/19

On this episode, Dark August Knights, our two-part miniseries on Batman and Batman-adjacent stories, concludes with a look at Gotham Central Vol. 1, In the Line of Duty, collecting Gotham Central issues #1-5 by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, published by DC Comics! In the criminal justice system, offenses committed by members of Batman's Rogues Gallery are considered especially heinous. In Gotham City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these crimes are members of an elite squad

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01:11:14

Episode 260: Batman – Daughter of the Demon

The Comics Canon ·

2026/08/05

On this episode, we kick off a two-part miniseries, Dark August Knights! That's right, we're focusing on Batman and Batman-adjacent stories during the month of August! And first up is the introduction of the Dark Knight's iconic villain Ra's al Ghul – as seen in 1971's Batman #232 and 1972's Batman #243-244, by the titanic team of Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams, published by DC Comics! After Robin the College-Aged Boy Wonder is kidnapped, Batman is visited by the mysterious Ra's al Ghul, whose

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01:10:39

Episode 259: The Incredible Hulk vs. Wolverine

The Comics Canon ·

2026/07/21

On this episode, in true Comics Canon fashion, we look ahead to the July 30 release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day with a discussion of (what else?) a pair of classic battles between the Hulk and Wolverine, natch! First up are "And the Wind Howls … Wendigo!" and "And Now … the Wolverine!" from 1974's Incredible Hulk #180-181, featuring the debut of the first and greatest Canadian superhero! Then we jump ahead 13 years to 1987's "Vicious Circle" from Incredible Hulk #340, for a rematch between a

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01:17:46

Episode 258: Captain America and Marvel Golden Age...

The Comics Canon ·

2026/07/08

In this episode, we mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S.A. by looking back at the origin and first appearance of the nation's greatest super-soldier, Captain America, in 1941's Captain America Comics #1! We also look back at the first appearances of two other Golden Age Marvel characters who are still around today – Cap's fellow Invaders the original Human Torch and Namor, the Sub-Mariner – in 1939's Marvel Comics #1! And just for kicks, we throw in the first appearance of the Red Skull –

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01:15:50

Episode 257: Sex Criminals Vol. 1 – One Weird Trick

The Comics Canon ·

2026/06/23

Content warning: If the title didn't tip you off, this book deals with sex -- in graphic, often hilarious ways. Consequently, we're slapping an Explicit label on this episode, for both language and subject matter. In this episode, we look ahead to Amazon's upcoming Sex Criminals streaming series with a look at Sex Criminals Vol. 1: One Weird Trick, by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, published by Image Comics! When Jon and Suzie hook up at a party, they discover that they both possess a unique

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01:23:55

So … We're Talking About Cerebus

The Comics Canon ·

2026/06/09

Content warning: Sexual assault It's finally happened! After 10 years and more than 250 episodes, we finally get around to discussing the elephant (or, rather, the aardvark) in the room: Dave Sim's 300-issue magnum opus, Cerebus! And to help us grapple with the weight of one of the longest-running, most creative and most controversial comics in the history of the medium, we're joined by longtime friend of the show Bryan Stratton of Marvel by the Month! Self-published by Sim's Aardvark-Vanaheim,

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01:22:45

Episode 255: Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, Book...

The Comics Canon ·

2026/05/27

In this episode, we conclude our two-part look at Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons with a discussion of Books 2 and 3, by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Gene Ha and Nicola Scott, published by DC Black Label! The Amazons accept Hippolyta and other disenfranchised women into their ranks as they continue their mission to hunt down those who abuse and oppress women. But it isn't long before their activities catch the attention of a wrathful Zeus, sparking an all-out war between the Amazons and the gods of

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01:00:08

Episode 255: Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, Book 1

The Comics Canon ·

2026/05/13

In this episode, we kick off a two-part look at a book we've had our eyes on for some time with a discussion of Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, Book 1, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Phil Jiminez, published by DC Black Label! Phil Jiminez makes the artistic statement of his career to date with a visually arresting first issue that explores how and why the Greek goddesses (with the notable exception of Hera, Queen of the Olympians) come to create the Amazons, a race of women sworn to find and

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01:44:44

Episode 254: The Punisher Origins

The Comics Canon ·

2026/04/28

Note: This episode was recorded before the death of Gerry Conway, who wrote two of the stories we talk about. The Punisher is gearing up for a busy summer on the big and small screens (with Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Punisher: One Last Kill, respectively). So what better time to dive into some key early stories charting the evolution of everyone's favorite gun-toting vigilante? We start with a look at the Punisher's pop-culture inspirations, including the Executioner and Dirty Harry,

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01:24:24

Episode 253: DC Superheroes vs. Super-Gorillas

The Comics Canon ·

2026/04/15

On this episode, we revisit that bygone era when Detective Comics Comics would use any excuse to feature gorillas on its covers with a furry foursome of titanic Silver and Golden Age tales: "The Gorilla Boss of Gotham City" (Batman #75), "Titano the Super-Ape" (Superman #127), "Menace of the Super-Gorilla" (The Flash #107) and "The Brotherhood of Evil" (Doom Patrol #86)! Can DC's greatest (and strangest) heroes prevail against these powerful, petrifying primates? And can these heavy-duty hominids

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01:18:18

Episode 252: The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans

The Comics Canon ·

2026/04/01

For our first episode of April, Kevin and Robb go into full-on geek mode as they look back at THE superhero crossover event of 1982: Marvel and DC Present The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans, by Chris Claremont and Walter Simonson! This hotly anticipated team-up pits Marvel's X-Men and DC's New Teen Titans against the tyrannical space god Darkseid, as well as the deadly assassin Deathstroke the Terminator (yes, that's really his name) and … Dark Phoenix?!! Will these two teams engage in

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01:06:46

Episode 251: Green Lantern Origins

The Comics Canon ·

2026/03/16

We're dropping into your feed a day early for this St. Patrick's Day episode, as we look ahead to the August debut of HBO Max's Lanterns and discuss the first appearances of Green Lanterns Alan Scott and Hal Jordan -- followed for no particular reason by a couple of Tales of the Green Lantern Corps written by Alan Moore! First, in "The Green Lantern!" from 1940's All-American Comics #16, construction engineer Alan Scott meets a talking lantern that used to be … a meteor in ancient China? It's a

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01:13:36

The Ask Us Anything Episode

The Comics Canon ·

2026/03/02

We asked for questions, and you … asked them! In this, our second of two out-of-format episodes marking our 10-year anniversary, we answer the questions on your mind, including: Are there any episodes we'd like to do over? What are our favorite classic comic-book ads? Which comic had the worst movie adaptation? But first, Curt gives his first-ever State of the Canon address, breaking down the characters, creators and comics publishers most represented in that body of great comic-book works

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15:02

Call for Questions!

The Comics Canon ·

2026/02/23

There's still time to submit questions for our upcoming March 4 episode, which features an Ask Us Anything segment as well as something Curt cryptically refers to as "The State of the Canon!" If you've ever wondered how we choose the books and storylines we cover, whether we've ever changed our minds about something we've covered on the show, or just want to cast a vote for something you'd like to see discussed on the podcast, send us your emails at letters@comicscanon.com or drop us a line on

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01:32:26

The Gateway Episode

The Comics Canon ·

2026/02/18

Got a burning question for The Comics Canon? Submit a question for our upcoming Ask Us Anything episode, airing Wednesday, March 4! Send us an email at letters@comicscanon.com or hit us up on Facebook or Bluesky no later than Friday, February 27! After 10 years and 250 episodes of rendering judgment on the greatest comic book stories of yesterday and today, we decided it's finally time to record an episode for newcomers to the podcast – or to comics themselves! In this super-accessible

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01:39:44

Episode 250: Understanding Comics

The Comics Canon ·

2026/02/04

On this milestone episode, we tackle our white whale of show subjects: Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud's fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of the comics medium, how it works, and what it can do – told in the comics format! Join us as we ask the burning questions: What ARE comics, anyway? How long has this particular form of communication been around? (Hint: Longer than you think!) How many different ways can it illustrate the passage of time or the concept of movement? What are

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01:38:26

Episode 249: Zot! The Earth Stories

The Comics Canon ·

2026/01/21

On this episode, we celebrate our 10th anniversary -- and gear up for our 250th episode -- with a discussion of Zot! The Earth Stories! Specifically, Zot! #28-36 from 1989-1991, written and drawn by Scott McCloud, originally published by Eclipse Comics! The high-flying teen superhero Zot zips merrily along in a bright, shiny and cool retro-futuristic version of our world, cheerful and carefree – so what happens when he ends up stranded on OUR Earth? Mostly, he cedes the stage to his

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