Tag Archives: superheroes

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Listen to Episode 125, “The Bacon Waffle Betrayal”

Bacon waffles

Gobbledygeek episode 125, “The Bacon Waffle Betrayal,” is available for listening or download right here, and on iTunes here.

It’s been a long, grueling month, but Paul and AJ have finally awoken from their slumber. Which, as it turns out, was not so slumber-y; there was much to survive, from bouts of the plague to the holidays to all this Superior Spider-Man nonsense. And if that’s not enough for you, the boys close things out by discussing truth and perception of same in the media. Ooh, intellectual! But fear not: the phrase “bacon waffle” is in the title.

Next: the boys are joined stuntwoman Clodagh Power.

(Show notes for “The Bacon Waffle Betrayal.”)

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Paul & AJ’s Top 10 Comics of 2012

We’ve already listed our favorite TV shows and movies of last year, and we’ve got a couple more lists just before the new season begins. Here are our favorite comic books of 2012; check back tomorrow for our favorite albums (though, considering our extensively detailed history of not knowing how to talk about music, with YouTube clips instead of commentary).

PAUL: 10. THOR: GOD OF THUNDER (Marvel)

Thor in 'Thor: God of Thunder' #1. Art by Esad Ribic.

There was a period of time when Thor was my favorite character in comics. The golden Walt Simonson era was for me the height of otherworldly sword and sorcery super heroics. And while its been quite some time since the character has achieved anything close to that level of wonder, in recent years he’s enjoyed something of a renaissance. From his “death,” to his literal return to Earth under the guidance of J. Michael Straczynski, to his big screen debut, the petulant son of Asgard is kind of back in a big way.

Thor: God of Thunder is the newest incarnation of the title, with the unlikely writer Jason Aaron giving us a triptych of thunder gods, a tale of an alien butcher seeking to torture and destroy all deities told across three different periods of Thor’s life. We see young, arrogant Thor (pre-Mjolnir) and his first meeting with Gorr the God Butcher; modern-day Avenger Thor going full CSI trying to solve the mystery of who or what Gorr is; and far-future Thor, old and broken, sitting on the throne of an empty Asgard, the last surviving god, waiting for Gorr to finish him. It’s a brutal, bloody, and fascinating premise, though I do wish Gorr was slightly more imposing-looking rather than just being a Voldemort rip-off. Aaron creates a genuine mystery and sense of danger with real stakes for our hero, and the painterly art of Esad Ribic suits the romantic epic nature of the story. It’s not quite Simonson-level Mighty Thor (there’s thus far no Beta Ray Bill here), but Thor: God of Thunder is the best the character has been in a long time.

AJ: 10. ANGEL & FAITH (Dark Horse)

Angel, Willow, Connor, and Faith in 'Angel & Faith' #14. Art by Rebekah Isaacs.

I know Whedon fandom is crazy, but I might just be the biggest Buffy fan on the planet. That’s a huge claim, and while I haven’t tattooed James Marsters’ face on my ass or anything (yet), it really is difficult to describe how much Joss Whedon’s world means to me. Without Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I wouldn’t be here today. You wouldn’t be reading these words and I would have even less of an idea of what I want to do with my life. So it pains me greatly to say that the canonical Season 8 and Season 9 comics, though they have certainly had their moments, are largely disposable and occasionally worse. But then there’s Angel & Faith, which has done the impossible, making a monthly comic book series feel like the weekly television shows we fell in love with all those years ago. Christos Gage knows these characters inside and out, both their voices and their motivations. It’s never a question of if the comic will tie back into the shows’ stated mythology, but when and how spine-tingling those connections will be. These are the characters I have loved for a good deal of my life in a story that’s being brilliantly told by Gage and brought to life with wonderful clarity by artist Rebekah Isaacs. If you’re skeptical about Buffyverse comics, you have every right to be, but this one should be a priority.

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Paul & AJ’s Top 10 Films of 2012

Last week, we discussed our favorite TV series of the last year. This week, we turn to the big screen.

PAUL: 10. DJANGO UNCHAINED (dir. Quentin Tarantino)

Jamie Foxx in 'Django Unchained'

With Django Unchained, director Quentin Tarantino takes us once more back to a terrible moment in our history, and once again asks us to indulge him his little anachronisms and revisionist revenge fantasies. This time, instead of Nazis and baseball-bat-wielding Jews, we get slavers and bounty-hunting dentists. Set in the pre-Civil War Deep South, Unchained is Tarantino’s homage to the Spaghetti Westerns of Leone and Corbucci, which he prefers to call his Spaghetti Southern. I’ll say that the absence of editor Sally Menke is sharply felt here, though. If I, of all people, notice the nearly three-hour runtime, then there could’ve been some tightening. The cast is great across the board, including a list of hidden cameos longer than my arm (among others, original Django Franco Nero makes an appearance). Jamie Foxx is great in the title role, though I imagine what Will Smith could’ve done with the part, as was the original intent. Leo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, and Walton Goggins all shine in their respective roles. Kerry Washington was reduced to little more than the damsel in distress, however, which is unusual for a Tarantino picture. But the standout here is Christoph Waltz. He is every bit as charmingly heroic and admirable this time as he was charmingly repulsive and hateful in Basterds.

AJ: 10. MOONRISE KINGDOM (dir. Wes Anderson)

Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman in 'Moonrise Kingdom'

Wes Anderson’s films often have a childlike quality about them, whether it be his colorful storybook compositions or the petulance of many of his characters. So it’s fitting that he’s finally made a film about children, one in which the kids are on the run from what’s expected of them and their adult guardians are forced to accept the roles they’ve played in their children’s abandonment of them. Newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, both in their first screen acting roles, give perfectly awkward performances. Anderson regulars Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman are in their element here, while Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton join the auteur’s troupe with ease. Perhaps most encouragingly, Moonrise Kingdom is the first sign of life in years from Bruce Willis–who, with a movie soon to appear on our lists, proved later in the year that he’s most definitely still kicking–and Edward Norton, two actors who really needed a movie like this.

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Listen to Episode 124, “2012 in Review”

It's the end of season 3 as we know it (and Bat-Turkey feels fine).

It’s the end of season 3 as we know it (and Bat-Turkey feels fine).

Gobbledygeek episode 124, “2012 in Review,” is available for listening or download right here.

Another year coming to an end. Another season of Gobbledygeek over. Before you begin your mourning process, Paul and AJ have a lot–and we do mean a lot–to say in this super-sized finale, gabbing about their favorite movies (superheroes and tigers get a nod), music (they really don’t have the same taste at all), books (haha, they’re illiterate), and much more. It’s been a great year for the show; we salute you. Have a happy holiday and a wonderful new year. See you in 2013!

(Show notes for “2012 in Review.”)

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Listen to Episode 114, “Do You Know the Muppet Man?”

Gobbledygeek episode 114, “Do You Know the Muppet Man?,” is available for listening or download right here.

Is it just us, or are the works of Jim Henson kind of making a comeback? Then again, they never really went away. Paul and AJ discuss Henson’s life and career, including such legendary projects as The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and more. Plus, the boys geek out over the Avengers Blu-ray and Paul lets us know how his cassowary presentation went.

Next: Halloween’s creeping up on us once again, so the boys kick off a month about Halloween-themed TV episodes with a look back at Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s “Fear Itself.”

(Show notes for “Do You Know the Muppet Man?”)

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Listen to Episode 110, “#12″

Gobbledygeek episode 110, “#12,” is available for listening or download right here.

It’s been one year–and exactly half the show ago–since DC rebooted their entire line, dubbing this bold creative decision/shameless marketing ploy the “New 52.” Paul and AJ check back in on the New 52, pointing out what’s working (Animal Man, Swamp Thing) and what’s not (Justice League, Detective Comics). Has this whole thing been worth it? Has it made a difference for the company? And what are we to make of the editorial troubles that have been messily dragged out into the public? We can’t promise any good answers, but we sure try! Plus, AJ talks about the best birthday present he received and Paul has exciting adventures at the zoo.

Next: celebrate Gobbledygeek’s eleventy-first episode as the boys discuss the 1977 Rankin/Bass animated musical television special The Hobbit. BYOPW (bring your own pipe-weed).

(Show notes for “#12.”)

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Listen to Episode 107, “@#$% You, Science!”

Gobbledygeek episode 107, “@#$% You, Science!,” is available for listening or download right here.

Paul and AJ had an idea for what they wanted this show to be about: science! Unfortunately, it didn’t really work out. Fortunately–we think–they managed to come up with a bunch of other things to talk about: Joss Whedon’s return to The Avengers, Jason Shayer’s blog about 1980s Marvel, the found-footage horror of V/H/S, how AJ pretty much bawled his eyes out at the new issue of Spider-Men, and, yes, science (Mars Curiosity for the win).

Next: Geek Challenge time once more! Paul will watch Grave of the Fireflies and AJ will watch Watership Down. That’s not gonna be depressing at all.

(Show notes for “@#$% You, Science!”)

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Listen to Episode 106, “The Olympics of Gay Chicken, Superheroes, and Furbys”

Gobbledygeek episode 106, “The Olympics of Gay Chicken, Superheroes, and Furbys,” is available for listening or download right here.

The dog days of summer have arrived, and with them even less of a sense of purpose and direction than our hosts usually display. So they babble on about a variety of topics: Chick-fil-A’s rampant homophobia (which accounts for the annual violation of their “No Politics” rule!), Olympics spoilerphobia, the forthcoming Marvel NOW! relaunch, and the return of the Furby, among other things.

Next: again, who knows, Paul and AJ’s brains are fried.

(Show notes for “The Olympics of Gay Chicken, Superheroes, and Furbys.”)

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Listen to Episode 104, “The Long Dark Knight of the Soul”

Gobbledygeek episode 104, “The Long Dark Knight of the Soul,” is available for listening  or download right here.

The third (last?) major superhero movie of the year has arrived in the form of The Dark Knight Rises. Going into it, AJ was pumped and Paul was basically dreading it; amazingly, the two have united and agreed on something for the first time in what feels like months. They discuss the pay-offs to each character’s arc, the Bane voice and the Batvoice, what political message can be derived from the film, and how often Michael Caine bawls. Plus, AJ talks about seeing Jaws on the big screen and attending a local comic book show, while Paul offers another monumental national update on the state of his health.

Next: the boys discuss the books that were important to them in their formative years.

(Show notes for “The Long Dark Knight of the Soul.”)

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Listen to Episode 103, “Does Whatever a Reboot Can”

Gobbledygeek episode 103, “Does Whatever a Reboot Can,” is available for listening or download right here.

The year’s second big superhero movie, following The Avengers–which you may remember we discussed and AJ even wrote a review of–is The Amazing Spider-Man, rebooting the franchise that sputtered to an end but five years ago. Paul and AJ, both opinionated Spider-Man fans, are at odds over Marc Webb’s new film; Paul considers it the best big screen Spidey yet, AJ not so much. Is Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker a faithful representation of the one in the comics? Do Spider-Man’s jokes work? Is the Lizard a good starter villain for this new wall-crawler? Is Emma Stone completely adorable? (Spoiler: they agree on that last one, at least.) Plus, the boys geek out over the announcement of more Sandman and share their experiences of seeing Singin’ in the Rain on the big screen.

Next: We’re back, back in the Gotham groove. Paul and AJ rise up to discuss Christopher Nolan’s Bat swan song, The Dark Knight Rises.

(Show notes for “Does Whatever a Reboot Can.”)