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Reading the End Bookcast, Ep.9: Comics Episode Returns! Iron Man 3, SHIELD, Nova, and Guardians of the Galaxy

The comics episode has returned for another go! Randon and I talk about the cinematic Marvel universe as it’s developed since last we spoke; we discuss the Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy series in Marvel Now; and we respond to a reader comment about knowing how to read comics. You can listen to the podcast in the embedded player below or download the file directly to take with you on the go.

Episode 9

Or if you wish, you can find us on iTunes (and if you enjoy the podcast, give us a good rating! We will appreciate it very very much).

If you want to skip around, here are the contents of the podcast:

Starting at 1:15 – We talk about Iron Man 3, the newest installment in the cinematic universe of Marvel comics.

2:20 – That’s the plot of Spiderman 2, right? Toby Maguire freaks me out with his face, and I have not revisited those movies in many years. Also because my mother taught me when I was very young that MJ is no good, and Gwen Stacy is where it’s at, as far as Spiderman heroines go.

Starting at 18:45 – We talk about Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. This marks the one and only time I will type out the full title with all the periods. I know that my record on this blog has been very consistently in favor of correct punctuation, but Marvel is just asking too much of us with this.

27:45 – I really, really want there to be a press secretary character in Agents of SHIELD. Just someone who’s awesome at being a press secretary and spends all his or her time chasing down the main cast members and trying to get them to give press conferences or interviews to show the public the friendly face of SHIELD. That would be funny and I would love it.

Starting at 28:48 – We talk about the first six issues of Guardians of the Galaxy and the first eight issues of Nova.

30:37 – Science note: Space PTSD is not different than regular PTSD. Actually, count how many times we say “space” while talking about these comics. I think you can conclude that we just like using “space” as a modifier. Space heroics. Space helmet. Space history.

35:44 – It’s Spartax. I had to look that up twice because I kept forgetting it as soon as I closed the internet window where I had looked it up.

Starting at 46:20 – We discuss the different way of reading that’s necessary for comics. It’s legitimately an acquired skill! Here is an example of a Maus layout:

And here’s one from the first volume of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman (click to embiggen):

SND_Preludes_p14_750

If you’re interested in learning more about the conventions and possibilities of comics, I cannot give you any better recommendation than Scott McCloud’s wonderful Understanding Comics. It is fantastic and engaging.

54:01: Closing remarks and outro

Credits
Photo credit: andreybl / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND
Song is by Jeff MacDougall and comes from here.