Episode 265: The Shepherd

Episode 265: The Shepherd

This week, Vince and I tackle an indie series: The Shepherd. Its creator, Andrea Lorenzo Molinari, reached out to us and asked if we’d be interested in reading his work. As it turned out, we were very interested. We also discussed the $#^& storm that was Captain America, as well as X-Men: Apocalypse – also full of $#^&. Enjoy. Update: Andrea reached out with the details we asked for regarding contact information and where folks can pick up The Shepherd. Here is where you can purchase The Shepherd: Apokatastasis (a few examples): Local Comic Book Shop: Diamond Previews (the Item Code is NOV151223; Nov. 2015, page 286) Amazon (paperback collected edition; collects Issues 1-5): Comixology (digital; pdf of Issues 1-5 and collected edition): DriveThruComics (digital; pdf of Issues 1-5 and collected edition): Google Play (digital; pdf of Issues 1-5 and collected edition): For anyone who might be “on the fence,” a FREE digital copy of Issue 1 (of five) is available on The Shepherd Facebook page. Look right under the video at the top of the page. If people would like to follow us, they can do so here… Caliber Comics Facebook Tumblr Twitter: Andrea L Molinari @ShepherdCaliber Instagram: andrealmolinari Discussion The Shepherd Captain America What We’re Reading Vince: Ms Marvel Roger: Spider-Man, X-Men: Apocalypse New Releases Marvel: A-Force #6 All-New All-Different Avengers #10 All-New Wolverine #9 Amazing Spider-Man #13 Civil War II #1 (Of 7) Hawkeye Vs Deadpool #1 Moon Knight #3 Old Man Logan #7 Spider-Women Omega #1 Image: Deadly Class #21 Goddamned #4 I Hate Fairyland Coloring Book TP, $12.99 Paper Girls #6 Dynamite Entertainment: Control #1 (Of 6) IDW: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Bebop And Rocksteady Destroy Everything #1 Titan: Assassin’s Creed Templars #3 Dark Souls #2 Deus Ex Children’s Crusade #4 (Of 5) Doctor Who The Fourth Doctor #3 (Of 5) Independence Day #4 (Of 5) Valiant Entertainment: 4001 A.D. #2 (Of 4) iTunes | Stitcher | RSS feed If you enjoy the show, please make certain to stop by iTunes and leave us a review!...

Episode 187: Time’s Running Out

Episode 187: Time’s Running Out

This week, Vince decided to force a bunch of either nonsensical or bad comics on me. With the Avengers’ “Time Runs Out” event shifting gears, he figured it would make a good jumping on point for someone like me who hasn’t been keeping up with it. Turns out, as usual, that he was wrong. And of course, given the opportunity, he tried to get me to read Thor. Interesting discussion in the What We’re Reading segment, as we also covered a lot of the new comic book shows on television. Enjoy listening to the duck that got loose in my recording office when we started discussing Gotham. Discussion Avengers & New Avengers: “Time Runs Out” Thor What We’re Reading Vince: Injustice, Captain America, Winter Soldier, Guardians 3000, TMNT Roger: Chew, Magneto, Flash (TV), Gotham (TV), Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. New Releases Marvel: Amazing Spider-Man #7 Avengers #36 Axis #1 Captain Marvel #8 Nightcrawler #7 Rocket Raccoon #4 X-Force #10 DC: Batgirl #35 Batman #35 Batman Eternal #27 Earth 2 #27 Earth 2: World’s End #1 Superman/Wonder Woman #12 Image: Birthright #1 Manhattan Projects #24 Sex Criminals #8 Wytches #1 Dark Horse: Alien vs Predator: Fire and Stone #1 IDW: Ragnarok #2 Valiant: Death-Defying Dr. Mirage #2 iTunes | RSS feed If you enjoy the show, please make certain to stop by iTunes and leave us a review!...

Episode 163: Out of Time

Episode 163: Out of Time

With the recent release of Captain America 2 (the movie), Vince thought it was the perfect time to tackle the origin of the Winter Soldier. While not a huge fan of Cap’s, I still do enjoy well-written stories which feature him, and this certain fit that bill. Vince also gave his thoughts on the movie. If you’d been on the fence about watching it, this should help you decide. And lastly, great stuff in our What We’re Reading segment, including several self-published comics. Enjoy. Referenced: Creepy Archie cover Discussion “Out of Time” Captain America (2005) #1-6 What We’re Reading Vince: Winter Soldier (movie), Skullkickers, Ultimate Spider-Man #200 Roger: Astronaut Dad, Bikini Cowboy New Releases Marvel: All-New Ghost Rider #2 All-New X-Men #25 Captain Marvel #2 Deadpool #27 Iron Fist: The Living Weapon #1 Nightcrawler #1 DC: Batman Eternal #1 Justice League 3000 #1 Superman/Wonder Woman #7 Image: East of West #11 Invincible #110 Shutter #1 IDW: Samurai Jack #7 iTunes | RSS feed If you enjoy the show, please make certain to stop by iTunes and leave us a review!...

Episode 112: STILL MY Podcast

Episode 112: STILL MY Podcast

Vince and I really loved the Death of the Family story-arc that just wrapped up in the Batman titles. Snyder has proven that he’s got the chops to handle intricate mysteries and bat-shit crazy thrillers. Also this week, lots of X-Men, Avengers and even some Ghostbusters. Discussion Batman #14-17 Other Death of the Family comics What We’re Reading Vince: X-Treme X-Men, Avengers, Captain America, Ghostbusters Roger: Ultimate Comics X-Men, Savage Wolverine, Indestructible Hulk New Releases Marvel: Avenging Spider-Man #17 FF #4 Guardians of the Galaxy #0.1 Hawkeye #8 Punisher: War Zone #5 Ultimate X-Men #23 Uncanny Avengers #4 Uncanny X-Force #2 Uncanny X-Men #2 X-Men Legacy #6 X-Treme x-Men #11 Young Avengers #2 DC: Aquaman #17 Batman, Incorporated #8 Flash #17 Talon #5 Other: The Massive #9 (Dark Horse) Doctor Who #6 (IDW) Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time #2 (IDW) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secret History of the Foot Clan #3 (IDW) Transformers: Robots in Disguise #14 (IDW) Uncanny Skullkickers #1/Skullkickers #19 (Image) Witch Doctor: Mal Practice #4 (Image) iTunes | RSS feed If you enjoy the show, please make certain to stop by iTunes and leave us a review!...

Episode 101: Loosy Goosy

Episode 101: Loosy Goosy

This week, Vince and I tackle the first wave of Marvel NOW! titles. Overall, we enjoyed what we read, however we weren’t blown away by each of them. Only one of them really wowed us, which if you listened to last week’s episode, won’t be much of a surprise. Enjoy. Discussion Iron Man #1 All-New X-Men #1 X-Men Legacy #1 Fantastic Four #1 Captain America #1 Indestructible Hulk #1 Deadpool #1 What We’re Reading Vince: Thor: God of Thunder, Fear Agent Roger: Batman and friends, Amazing Spider-Man New Releases Marvel: All-New X-Men #2 FF #1 New Avengers #34 Secret Avengers #34 Thor: God of Thunder #2 Ultimate X-Men #19 Uncanny Avengers #2 Venom #27.1 X-Men Legacy #2 X-Treme X-Men #7 DC: Flash #14 Talon #2 Other: Godzilla #7 (IDW) My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic #1 (IDW) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #16 (IDW) Chew #30 (Image) Fatale #10 (Image) Witch Doctor: Mal Practice #1 iTunes | RSS feed If you enjoy the show, please make certain to stop by iTunes and leave us a review!...

Captain America Movie Review

Captain America Movie Review

Finally, the long wait is over; Captain America: The First Avenger is now in theaters. I managed to catch a midnight release screening, and was very impressed. I’m going to attempt to make this review as spoiler-free as possible, but if you know the basic story of Captain America, you know the movie. Steve Rogers was a skinny kid, unfit to serve in the military, no matter how much he was willing to fight. His fighting spirit eventually lands him in the government’s Super Soldier Program and Captain America is born. There’s a fun segment in the movie where they don’t want to risk their most prized asset on the battlefield, so Rogers becomes a spokesman for selling war bonds. He wears his classic costume and does song and dance numbers; it’s goofy and hilarious. When they try the same act in Europe, it doesn’t go over as well for the troops, and it starts Rogers down the path to becoming a true hero instead of just a poster boy. He also gets a more “Ultimate-ized” version of the costume, which is just better for a movie. Once Cap hits the battlefield and starts plowing through Hydra soldiers, the movie really finds its way. The action scenes are well choreographed, with plenty of shield-slinging and director Joe Johnston does a great job behind the camera. Guns firing, explosions everywhere and Nazis getting smashed in the face; it’s all handled well. There’s a chase scene in New York that comes across as more “Spider-Man” than “Captain America,” but it’s a small complaint that doesn’t carry through the rest of the movie. Making the villains in the movie members of the Hydra organization and setting them up as the Nazi’s “science division” works fine, both for the movie and marketing. What holds it all together is the Red Skull, with Hugo Weaving delivering a fantastic performance. He portrays Red Skull’s slimy and arrogant personality perfectly and is legitimately menacing when in his full Red Skull costume, with the exposed face and long coat. Hydra’s insane technology is everywhere, and the movie does a great job combining Kirby-style designs with real-world functionality. Beyond that, the Howling Commandos are awesome and Tommy Lee Jones absolutely kills it in every scene. Steve’s relationship with Peggy Carter is okay, with some nice scenes, but felt a bit overdone at the end. However, I’m really not a fan of the way Bucky was portrayed in the movie. In the comics, he was Cap’s younger sidekick, who wasn’t even officially a soldier because he was too young. It led to a great relationship between the two, and made the story overall more relatable to a younger audience. In the movie, he’s a longtime friend of Steve’s and just an average soldier. I understand why the change was made; instead of a couple years worth of comics, the movie only had two hours to solidify the relationship between the two to make their eventual separation more meaningful. It just didn’t do anything for me, personally. As for the larger universe-building of the connected movies, Marvel Studios has come a long way since Iron Man 2, with subtle but direct links to Iron Man, Thor, The Incredible Hulk and, of course, The Avengers. I would love to know how average moviegoers, unaware of Marvel’s larger plan, react to the after-credits sequence in Captain America. Overall, Captain America is a great Summer movie. The patriotic inspiration of Captain America is balanced well with the personal inspiration of Steve Rogers. It’s action-packed, emotional and serious at times, but is fun the whole way through. There are a few plot-holes that still nag at me, but not so much that I can’t go along with it. Looking back and comparing the two, I’d like to say Captain America is the better-made movie, but I still think Thor was more enjoyable, with its grander scope and broader appeal....

Episode 033: The Walking Brain-Dead

Episode 033: The Walking Brain-Dead

News Movies Green Lantern X-Men First Class Captain America Discussion Moon Knight #1-2 Samurai’s Blood #1 What We’re Reading Vince: Flashpoint Roger: Flashpoint, Marvel’s Civil War, X-23 New Releases Marvel Amazing Spider-Man #664 FF #5 Incredible Hulks Annual Iron Age #1 Marvel Universe vs Wolverine #1 Uncanny X-Men #535 Venom #4 Marvel Universe vs The Punisher TPB DC Batman: Arkham City #3 Flashpoint: Green Arrow Industries Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #1 Flashpoint: Project Superman #1 Flashpoint: The Canterbury Cricket Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #11 Scalped #50 T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #8 Xombi #4 Other Incorruptible #19 Walking Dead #86 iTunes | RSS feed If you enjoy the show, please make certain to stop by iTunes and leave us a review!...

Comic of the Week (4/6/11) – Fear Itself #1

Comic of the Week (4/6/11) – Fear Itself #1

Fear Itself #1 is the first issue of Marvel’s next big event. In an attempt to bring the stories of Thor and Captain America together before their movies this summer, Sin, the Red Skull’s daughter, has gained an Asgardian hammer of her own. Much like Thor’s Mjolnir, the hammer grants her the powers of a god. Meanwhile, Thor and his father come to blows while an undercurrent of fear and tension runs through the population. A good story with amazing art, “Fear Itself” is off to a great start with this issue. Fear Itself #1 Marvel Comics Story: Matt Fraction Art: Stuart Immonen, Wade von Grawbadger, Laura Martin...

Captain America Issue 611: “The Trial of Captain America, Part 1”

Captain America Issue 611: “The Trial of Captain America, Part 1”

During the previous story arc, Baron Zemo, a longtime Captain America villain, revealed to the world that the new Captain America was none other than Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers’s long-thought-dead sidekick and the former Soviet assassin known as the Winter Soldier. Obviously, the public did not take this news well and a media storm is brewing around Bucky, Steve and the other Avengers. The issue begins with an assembly of Avengers trying to decide the best course of action, before Steve takes his arguments to the President. Neither group knows just how to approach the situation. On one hand, Bucky had no control over his actions; he didn’t even know who he was. On the other, he’s still responsible for the deaths of Americans. Many of the Avengers at the meeting know better than anyone else that a person deserves a second chance, but times have changed. Bucky knows what has to be done and makes the right decision; he turns himself in. This is why Ed Brubaker is one of Marvel’s best writers right now. He continues to come up with new and interesting ways to use his characters. Not every obstacle can be overcome by punching it in the face, and Brubaker writes real-world dialog better than anyone else in the industry. The story is well-paced and sets up the rest of the story arc; it draws on the last several years of Captain America stories while still being accessible to new readers. The art, unfortunately, isn’t quite up to par. Captain America has featured several artists over the past couple years, and this is the first issue penciled by Acuña. The entire issue just lacks detail; faces have minimal expression, some characters are just vague outlines instead of being fully-drawn and it’s hard to tell what’s even going on in Bucky’s fight scene. The art isn’t bad, but only because there’s not enough of it to even be considered “bad.” It’s just incomplete and very disappointing. That said, I still loved every page of this comic. Brubaker’s work on Captain America has been leading to this point for years, and we’re about to get the payoff. I can’t wait to read the rest of this story. Captain America Issue 611: “The Trial of Captain America, Part 1” Marvel Comics Story: Ed Brubaker Art: Daniel Acuña...