After voraciously picking up his sister’s leftover comics as a young lad, Pedro bought anything that had John Romita Jr drawing it, something he still does to this day. His tiny little hands grabbed whatever they could, and left him with a taste for Captain America, Over-Sized Hardcovers, Steve Weismann, Ballin’, Amanda Waller, and Hello Kitty. He has been known to call Alan Moore a crybaby, seen suggesting tweaks to Geoff Johns’ JSA, laughing at Joe’s Manifesto and awaiting the next single of Incredible Hercules. The only thing he loves more than America are gay mutants. His current pursuits are playing Expert drums in Rock Band and finding how you got kiddie porn on to your computer. He is happy to hear that his Metal Gear Solid fan-fiction has finally disappeared off the internet.
This week, we look two semi-autobiographical Young Man Coming of Age stories that came to their conclusion in July!
Wolverine Origins #50 by Daniel Way & Will Conrad (Marvel Comics)
Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni Press)
We’ve talked about Scott Pilgrim before, particularly in FBBP #96. Be forewarned, we follow up on some of [...]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:25 — 38.0MB)
This week, the gang reads <i>Invincible Iron Man Annual</i> #1 by Matt Fraction and Carmine DiGiandomenic! It features Fraction’s “autobio comix” take on stalwart Iron Man villain The Mandarin, borrowing from both Kim Jong-Il’s kidnapping of Shin Sang-ok and, more cryptically, Fraction’s MK12 work alongside Kanye West on Common’s “Go” video.
IIM Annual #1 was also [...]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:27 — 28.5MB)
As a follow-up to our theoretically award-eligible podcast Three Number Ones, Funnybook Babylon planned to look at Four Number Ones, the Billboard #1 singles on our respective birthdays!
Sadly, due to a quirk of fate, our birthdays are paired closely together, so we only have two number ones:
“MacArthur Park” by Donna Summer (Chris & Jamaal)
“Bette Davis [...]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:23 — 38.0MB)
The Funnybook Babylon Podcast is back at full power and looking at a trio of books written by a trio of homophonic dudes!
Yes, This is Being Published: Brightest Day #1 (DC) by Geoff Johns, Peter Tomasi and a Big Bag of Artists
Underground (Image Comics) by Jeff Parker & Steve Lieber (collected edition out this week)
Sweet [...]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:00 — 35.7MB)
Funnybook Babylon has notice a trend: first issues from Vertigo are often given lukewarm or negative reviews, but once the series develops, we change our tune. It happened with Air, it happened with Young Liars (at least for some of us), and as we’ve previously panned the first issues of Greek Street (Episode 107) and [...]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (26.7MB)
The holidays were hectic around FBB Headquarters, as you may have inferred from our posting schedule. But we managed to record one last podcast for 2009 that takes a look at Luke Cage Noir, the latest in Marvel’s dusky crime-inspired Elseworlds series. We also tackle a frequently asked question regarding a beloved creator-owned series and [...]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:37 — 33.5MB)
This episode, we discuss changes over at the Comics Journal and what that means for the blogosphere, plus answer your questions about love, shame, professional wrestling and enabling habits!
If you have questions or topics you’d like to see addressed in future podcasts, write us at editors AT funnybookbabylon DOT com, or take advantage of our [...]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:05 — 40.6MB)
This episode, we take a look at Peter Milligan’s recently started run on Hellblazer, as one of the original British Invasion writers becomes the latest in his gang to tackle one of the longest running monthly American comic books in print.
Does Milligan still have “it”? Does John Constantine? Are they both self-sabotaging, self-destructive British [...]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:52 — 17.2MB)
Sometimes our tough love strikes listeners as a little too tough. We’re sensitive to concerns about our negativity — and our tendency to ramble on — and so here we have a brief conversation where each of us describe a recent comic we’ve genuinely enjoyed.
Want to be spoiled? Our picks lie below!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:34 — 12.8MB)
Rock ‘n’ Roll and Superhero Comics are two uniquely American creations of the twentieth century, and they share many traits — a patchwork Genesis story, arguments about who was really first, youthful rebellion, corporate co-option, a “British Invasion” coming along and showing up their American rivals, a decades-long struggle to be taken “seriously”.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:45 — 25.3MB)
Dear Listeners,
Did you enjoy the Listener Questions segment of our hundredth episode? Did you hate it because we didn’t answer your question? Do you still have a burning question for Joe?
Well, you have another chance to ask questions in a new ongoing segment. You can leave a question in the comments, or dare to take [...]
The Planetary retrospective rolls on with a podcast dissection of the series. WHERE IS THE FOURTH MAN? Sorry Jamaalamanaics, he was busy this weekend. But he’ll be back later this week in our Umbrella Academy review from the archives! Also, if you haven’t already checked it out, our Planetary Timeline has been updated with corrected [...]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:23 — 39.5MB)
For nearly twenty years, Deadpool has been a cult favorite Marvel character, beloved on the Internet for his scan-ready quips and pop culture references. But lately — whether it’s because his increased presence in movies and video games, change in market demographics, or just some sort of Yellow Word Balloon Zeitgeist — he’s a bonafide [...]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:01 — 25.5MB)
This month, Dark Horse Comics released The Life and Times of Martha Washington in the Twenty-First Century, a behemoth six hundred page hardcover so balling only Pedro could fathom purchasing it.
So instead, we just read 1990’s Give Me Liberty, the four issue series that introduced Martha. This was one of the first projects Miller and [...]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:52 — 26.8MB)
With Dark Reign entering a new phase with the release of the first Dark Reign: The List one-shots, the gang looks at Marvel’s recent experiments with telling One Big Story, from Civil War to today. Of special interest in Norman Osborn: is he the Green Goblin, Super-Cheney, or the second coming of Hitler? Marvel’s stable [...]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:53 — 28.1MB)