Thoughts on MOON KNIGHT! Digging into themes of the Lemire and Smallwood Marvel Comics run (2016) in light of the first episode of the Marvel Studios Disney+ show. Oh, mishaps! This week, the podcast was MEANT to cover the 2016 ”Moon Knight” run by Lemire and Smallwood (which we DO!) AND the graphic novel “Memories from Limon” by Edo Brenes… but mysterious forces struck (a power outage in Paul’s home studio) … only the first half of that promise was met. So “Memories from Limon” (NoBrow) will go on the list of UPCOMING TITLES to be discussed on future episodes of Comics Syllabus (visit us at comicssyllabus.substack.com ), along with these: The Reading List for Upcoming Reviews: “Squire” by Alfageeh and Shammas (HarperAlley/Quill Tree, 2022) “Cyclopedia Exotica” by Aminder Dhaliwal (Fantagraphics, 2021) “Walk Me to the Corner” by Anneli Furmark (Drawn + Quarterly, 2022) “Killadelphia” v1-3 by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander (Image) and Barnes’ Substack, Dark Apocrypha. “Dear Sophie, Love Sophie” by Sophie Lucido Johnson (HarperOne, 2022) and “My Badly Drawn Life” by Gipi (Fantagraphics, 2022)

This week’s Comics Syllabus podcast: “Girl on Fire” (HarperAlley). Come meet Lolo Wright, a hero for all ages, crafted by singer-songwriter-superstar Alicia Keys, co-written by Andrew Weiner, and brought to comic life by Brittney Williams. Check out the Comics Syllabus Substack, and find out how you can support Paul’s work on this podcast, at comicssyllabus.substack.com Find the Comics Syllabus at its home at Multiversitycomics.com: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tag/comics-syllabus/, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, your favorite podcast app, or use this RSS feed. Paul’s on Twitter and Instagram @TwoPlai, and you can also email twoplai at gmail :)

This week’s Comics Syllabus podcast: “Wingbearer,” an incredible new middle grade graphic novel by Marjorie Liu and Teny Issakhanian from HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books. Then, Paul’s NON-SPOILER thoughts on “The Batman,” the small indie movie directed by Matt Reeves. Check out the Comics Syllabus Substack, and find out how you can support Paul’s work on this podcast, at comicssyllabus.substack.com Find the Comics Syllabus at its home at Multiversitycomics.com: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tag/comics-syllabus/, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, your favorite podcast app, or use this RSS feed. Paul’s on Twitter and Instagram @TwoPlai, and you can also email twoplai at gmail :)

“Borders,” a graphic novel with story by Thomas King and art by Natasha Donovan (Little, Brown, & Company, 2021), is the main topic of this brief episode of the Comics Syllabus podcast, recorded in conversation with Cohost Kid. Paul and Cohost Kid are actually on a family vacation, so pardon the poorer audio quality. But catch our convo as we also chat about two recently completed mini-series, “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” by Tom King and Bilquis Evely (DC) and “Fantastic Four: Life Story” by Mark Russell and Sean Isaakze (Marvel). (As we discuss “Borders,” we also mention the children’s book I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story by Martha Brockenbrough and Grace Lim, even though I fail to remember the title.) Check out the Comics Syllabus Substack, and find out how you can support Paul’s work on this podcast, at comicssyllabus.substack.com Find the Comics Syllabus at its home at Multiversitycomics.com: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tag/comics-syllabus/, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, your favorite podcast app, or use this RSS feed. Paul’s on Twitter and Instagram @TwoPlai, and you can also email twoplai at gmail :)

On this week’s Comics Syllabus pod, I make star-eyes emojis at the litany of New Comics at Substack, covered by Multiversity here and at the Comics Syllabus Substack here. And (at 52:55) we look a little deeper at “STARSIGNS” by Saladin Ahmed, Megan Levens, Kelly Fitzpatrick, Shawn Lee, and Heather Antos, available for free at Copper Bottle. First, a warning: I let slip a spoiler for The Book of Boba Fett at around 7:00-7:10, so if you’re trying to stay away from those, SORRY and BE FOREWARNED! Skip past that moment at 7:00 if you’re keeping ears pure for the Disney+ show’s surprises. Also, in the intro I tease some talk about “Fantastic Four” #14-19’s arc, “Point of Origin,” but I ran out of time. So we’ll save that for a future chat!  Check out the Comics Syllabus Substack, and find out how you can support Paul’s work on this podcast, at comicssyllabus.substack.com Find the Comics Syllabus at its home at Multiversitycomics.com: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tag/comics-syllabus/, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, your favorite podcast app, or use this RSS feed. Paul’s on Twitter and Instagram @TwoPlai, and you can also email twoplai at gmail :)

Back from a winter break, we (eventually) dive into Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco's return to "Arrowsmith: Behind Enemy Lines" from Image Comics. First we touch bases with "Usagi Yojimbo," open The Book of Boba Fett, revisit "Shadow Hero," and then round the corner into the return to Busiek and Pacheco's storyworld of a fantasy-infused World War I. We also talk about recent runs of comics we're reading, like "Action Comics," "Amazing Spider-Man," Dash Shaw's "Discipline" from New York Review Books, and "Buckhead" by Shofo and George Kambadais (Boom!). Let's dig deep! Check out the Comics Syllabus Substack, and find out how you can support Paul’s work on this podcast, at comicssyllabus.substack.com Find the Comics Syllabus at its home at Multiversitycomics.com: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tag/comics-syllabus/, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, your favorite podcast app, or use this RSS feed. Paul’s on Twitter and Instagram @TwoPlai, and you can also email twoplai at gmail :)

Graphic Novel Review: “No One Else” (Fantagraphics) by R. Kikuo Johnson. PolyBagged (New Comics in Shops, Reviewed): “The Good Asian” #7 by Pichetschote and Tefengki (Image), “Made in Korea” #6 by Holt and Schall (Image), “The Me You Love in the Dark” #5 by Young and Corona (Image), “X-Men: Legends” #9 by Hama and Tan (Marvel), “Crush and Lobo” #7 by Tamaki and Nahuelpan (DC), “Devil’s Reign” #1 by Zdarsky and Chechetto (Marvel), “Fire Power” #18 by Kirkman and Samnee (Image), and “Amazing Spider-Man” #80.BEY by Ziglar and Fiorello (DC). Would you do us a HUGE favor and let us know on this Google Survey what you want to hear on the Comics Syllabus podcast? https://forms.gle/R5tJBDJuGgAPUC2y8 Check out the Comics Syllabus Substack, and find out how you can support Paul’s work on this podcast, at comicssyllabus.substack.com Find the Comics Syllabus at its home at Multiversitycomics.com: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tag/comics-syllabus/, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, your favorite podcast app, or use this RSS feed. Paul’s on Twitter and Instagram @TwoPlai, and you can also email twoplai at gmail :)

Would you do us a HUGE favor and let us know on this Google Survey what you want to hear on the Comics Syllabus podcast? This week, Paul asks for your input through the survey above. You— YES YOU!— can shape the future of the Comics Syllabus podcast. We want this podcast to meet your interests. Let us know! Then, Paul walks through samplings of the segments to potentially expand in the future of the podcast, including: PolyBagged (New Comics in Shops): “Decorum” #8 (Image), “Mazebook” #3 (Dark Horse), “What’s the Furthest Place from Here” #1 (Image). Infinite Unlimited: on Marvel Unlimited— “Kang” #1, “Way of X” #5, “Trial of Magneto” #1; on DC Universe Infinite— “Icon and Rocket” #5, “Nightwing” #80, and “Wonder Girl” #1. Sunday Substack Comics Rack: “FISHFLIES” by Jeff Lemire serialized at jefflemire.substack.com Archival Revival: “Hawkeye” by Matt Fraction, David Aja, Annie Wu— and in issue 7, Steve Lieber and Jesse Hamm. Also Paul’s binds of “Superior Foes of Spider-Man” and “The Fix” by Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber, as well as “Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen” by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber. Graphic Novel Review: “Grass of Parnassus” (Adhouse) by Kathryn and Stuart Immonen Check out the Comics Syllabus Substack, and find out how you can support Paul’s work on this podcast, at comicssyllabus.substack.com Find the Comics Syllabus at its home at Multiversitycomics.com: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tag/comics-syllabus/, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, your favorite podcast app, or use this RSS feed. Paul’s on Twitter and Instagram @TwoPlai, and you can also email twoplai at gmail :)

Cohost Kid joins Paul again to talk about “Laid-Back Camp” by Afro (Yen Press) volumes 1-2. This charmingly low-key manga was an enjoyable read. But first, dad and kid talk about other recent comics reads for each of them, including the “Wings of Fire” series by Tui T. Sutherland and Mike Holmes (Graphix), the “Frazzled” series by Booki Vivant (HarperCollins), “¡¡Manu!!” by Kelly Fernandez (Graphix), “Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles” by Fermín Solís (Self-Made Hero), and “Welcome to the New World” by Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan (Metropolitan). And of course, we HAVE to check in with “It’s Jeff!” the Jeff the Landshark Infinity Comic by Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru on Marvel Unlimited. Because JEFF! Check out the Comics Syllabus SubStack, and find out how you can support Paul’s work on this podcast, at comicssyllabus.substack.com Find the Comics Syllabus at its home at Multiversitycomics.com: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tag/comics-syllabus/ Find the weekly audio podcast version of the Comics Syllabus on Sundays at its home at Multiversitycomics.com: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tag/comics-syllabus/ For video segments, subscribe/follow the Comics Syllabus on Apple Podcasts or video-friendly podcast apps like Pocket Casts. You can try this RSS feed including video or watch the segments here at our podcast host Castos. For audio-only episodes, you can find us on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, your favorite podcast app, or use this weekly audio-only RSS feed.

This week, Paul talks about “Asadora!” volumes 1-4 by Naoki Urasawa (Viz) and “Marshmallow & Jordan” by Alina Chau (First Second), two comics that have provided wonder and delight in hard times. (Those chats begin around 27:40 on the podcast.) But first, Paul talks about some comics he’s been teaching and reading, including “Secret Coders” by Gene Yang and Mike Holmes (First Second) and “Long Way Down” by Jason Reynolds and Danica Novgorodoff (Atheneum). From comic shops, Paul discusses “I Am Batman” by John Ridley and various artists (DC), “Shang-Chi” by Gene Yang and Dike Ruan (Marvel), “Compass” by Robert Mackenzie & Dave Walker and Justin Greenwood (Image), and a few others. And Paul also chats about some updates on Substack comics. Thanks for listening! Check out the Comics Syllabus SubStack, and find out how you can support Paul’s work on this podcast, at comicssyllabus.substack.com Find the Comics Syllabus at its home at Multiversitycomics.com: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tag/comics-syllabus/ Find the weekly audio podcast version of the Comics Syllabus on Sundays at its home at Multiversitycomics.com: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tag/comics-syllabus/ For video segments, subscribe/follow the Comics Syllabus on Apple Podcasts or video-friendly podcast apps like Pocket Casts. You can try this RSS feed including video or watch the segments here at our podcast host Castos. For audio-only episodes, you can find us on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, your favorite podcast app, or use this weekly audio-only RSS feed.