Comics Therapy

Episode 13 - Just A Man And His Will To Survive

Comics Therapy. No Reviews, Just Analysis.

Three comics from October 16, 2013. Plus your Nerd Confessions and Aaron's Inner Child. On The Couch this week: writer and artist Brandon Graham.

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is survival of the fittest. The choices you make when you're in the trenches are the only ones that matter. Do you have what it takes? Gah. No pressure.

Liberator #4 9:30
Animal abusers, beware. After a lengthy discussion about their past punk lives and poultry pasturing, your co-hosts admit that they'd rather read about extreme activism than live it.

Nowhere Men #7 25:50
If you're not loving this book, Andrea doesn't want to be friends with you. Hear that, Meyers?

Amelia Cole #11 Hidden War Part 5 36:53
Impulsivity as the key to heroic behavior. Also, #TeamLemmy

The Couch - Brandon Graham 45:25
Artist and writer Brandon Graham’s work includes his critically acclaimed, Eisner-winner King City, the relaunched Prophet series from Image Comics, and Multiple Warheads, the first of which was recently reprinted by Oni Press. As if that's not enough, Walrus, his first art book, is available through PictureBox.

That's it for Comics Therapy this week, kids. Keep sending those fantastic nerd stories/confessions and hit us up via the sidebar with questions or comments. And we're having a blast with The Couch, so if there's a specific creator you're interested in hearing from, drop us a line. We have more amazing folks lined up over the coming weeks! Stay tuned.

Episode 12 - Miracles

No Reviews, Just Analysis.
Three comics from October 9, 2013. Plus your Nerd Confessions and Aaron's Inner Child.
And this week, we also welcome our first guest to The Couch: writer Kelly Sue DeConnick.

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is hubris, by way of science, by way of man’s constant struggle to catalogue and control the natural power around us, and within ourselves. It hardly ever goes as planned.

America's Got Powers #7 12:20
This is the (un)true story...of (countless) strangers...picked to live in a house (on Alcatraz Island)...work together (trying to kill each other) and have their lives (and deaths) taped...to find out what happens... when people stop being polite (or normal)...and start getting real (powers).

FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics #4 23:00
Comic book science done right. Now featuring actual science!

Paul Pope's Battling Boy 32:35
An almost-perfect all-ages book that combines familiar mythology with recognizable pulpy science tropes in an appealing and approachable way. Our first conversation about a graphic novel, because Aaron was so excited he just had to talk about this book immediately. Turns out he was right.
We read on The Internet that the final stage of the grieving process is acceptance and hope, so for now we say goodbye to Grief Counseling and The Walking Dead and look ahead to our exciting new segment featuring candid interviews with creators we respect whose work we admire.

The Couch: Kelly Sue DeConnick 41:15
Up first, the venerable powerhouse that is Kelly Sue DeConnick, writer of Captain Marvel  from Marvel Comics, Ghost from Dark Horse Comics and her highly anticipated new creator-owned series Pretty Deadly from Image Comics.

Thanks for listening. Everything you could possibly want to know about us or the show is to your right. And keep those nerdy stories coming, kids. Cheers.

Episode 11 - Outsiders

 
No Reviews. Just Analysis.
Three comics from October 2, 2013, plus your Nerd Confessions, Aaron's Inner Child and the last segment of Grief Counseling (for now).

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is outsiders. Period.

Todd The Ugliest Kid In The World #6 15:20
There's probably some societal commentary going on when the boy with the bag on his head is the most beautiful thing in the book, right?

Iron Man #16 23:08
Arguably the most iconic Marvel character at this point (sorry, Peter), Tony Stark is once again having an identity crisis. Somebody get the poor guy a drink. Oh. Awkward.

Mara #6 37:53
Transcending humanity is the ultimate disconnect from everything she once knew. A fulfilling conclusion to Mara's search for her new sense of self.

Grief Counseling - The Walking Dead, Vol. 8 #43-48 45:35
This one should come with a warning label.
Each week for the the past eight weeks, Andrea has been reading a volume of The Walking Dead. If you read it, you probably remember what happens in #48. You probably also understand why she's probably definitely taking a break from continuing with this game. She'll take Tony's drink, though. Make it a double.

Thanks for listening, and thank you THANK YOU to Edward for the extraordinary new audio equipment. We're one step closer to world domination thanks to your generosity, sir.
As always, contact and subscription information is in the sidebar. And don't forget to share a sweet, silly or sophomoric nerd confession with us to play on the show. Don't be an outsider, everybody is doing it.

Episode 10 - Parents Just Don't Understand

No Reviews. Just Analysis.

Three comics from September 25, 2013, plus Nerd Confessions, Aaron's Inner Child and Grief Counseling.

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is parents. Everyone has them at some point. Many of us become them later in life. The bond between parent and child is unlike any other in this world, but that doesn't mean that everything's always coming up roses.

Jupiter's Legacy #3 14:25
Why focus on just parenting when you can focus on really bad parenting? Or bad child-ing? It's every parent's fear that they'll outlive their children, and these children are doing everything in their power to ensure it won't happen. You can't choose your family, but you can choose how long they'll live.

FF #12 30:05
What kind of parent sends their kid to a school where the students are smarter than the teachers? It's the Future Foundation, not the future of parenting. Whitney Houston may not have believed it, but these children aren't going to wait to lead the way. Is anyone over the age of ten actually in charge?

Saga #14 42:28
Being a parent is hard. Being a parent is harder when people want to kill you. Being a parent is the hardest when everyone in the galaxy wants to kill you. Except your mother-in-law. She stopped wanting to kill you five issues ago

Grief Counseling - The Walking Dead Vol. 7 [#37-42] 52:24
Andrea faces her fears each week by reading a volume of The Walking Dead.
She had no idea he wasn't dead. Sorry, Andrea.
Sidebar's got the contact info for questions, concerns or suggestions for the next Grief Counseling focus. Subscribe, comment, and send us your #nerdconfessions! Thanks for listening, everyone.

*Special Edition Tenth Episode Show Notes With Celebrity Guest Editor, Twitter's Own Cameron Williams.

Episode 9 - Faith

No Reviews. Just Analysis.

Andrea got her hopes up this week when Aaron was dying from toddler plague; the opportunity to stack the deck with a co-host who actually likes her was just too good a chance to pass up. Unfortunately for her, (but fortunately for everyone else?) Aaron made a last minute recovery to talk about three books from September 18, 2013. Plus Nerd Confessions, Aaron's Inner Child and Grief Counseling, just for funsies.

Show Notes:

Theme of the show is faith and belief. What makes a god a god? How do you believe in more when you've only ever believed in yourself? And what choices do you make when you know the truth is out there somewhere.

Thor: God of Thunder #13 19:45

Invincibility vs. omnipotence, and the role gods play in the Marvel Universe. Not nearly enough attention is paid to the drinking and the wenches. Or the comic.
(Editor's note: Andrea has found no evidence that Aaron was correct in his assertion that "Thor" was created as Marvel's answer to "Superman", and would like to submit the theory that in fact, he was just talking out his Asgard.)

The Bounce #5 36:45

Is everyone on drugs in this book? Does it matter? Well, maybe not. Because there's a lot being said about what we believe and what we perceive is real in this life and/or the next.

X-Files Season 10 #4 46:30

The ultimate testament to wanting to believe in a higher power, be it man-made or from the stars. Just no guarantees that power is benevolent, right, Mulder? Also: bonus reminiscing from your adorable hosts about the book Chariots of the Gods?

Grief Counseling - The Walking Dead Vol. 6 #31-36 59:40

Each week Andrea faces her fears by reading a volume of The Walking Dead.
She's ready to be done now. Any suggestions for what Aaron should be forced to read next
(Ahem. Yes, Andrea is contractually obligated to continue to be a guinea pig for TWD or another suitable title, but come on. Can't it be Aaron's turn?!)

Questions, comments, concerns? Look to the sidebar for contact info and subscription details, as well as new ways to send us your weekly #nerdconfessions.

This week's intro is by George Michael.
And the outro is by Simple Minds.

Episode 8 - Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves

No Reviews, Just Analysis.

This episode is for the ladies. After freaking out over gender roles at the end of last week's show, Andrea ups the ante with three books from September 11, 2013 that feature strong female characters. Plus Nerd Confessions, Aaron's Inner Child and the most disturbing Grief Counseling yet.

Show Notes:

Theme of the show is the female problem. Take that as you will.

Intro Music
Intro 0:00 to 10:50

Red Sonja #3 14:50 to 29:17
Can a kickass female warrior empower women and break longstanding gender barriers while wearing a skimpy chain mail bikini? Why doesn't Sonja have the sense to just put on some damn pants? It's as if the traditional audience for this character was almost exclusively male...
(Mentioned in this segment: Burnt Weiners Episode 168, in which Aaron and Andrea guest host and discuss Red Sonja #1, among other things.)

X-Men #5 29:36 to 38:45
Battle Of The Atom Part 3, or How Many Jean Greys Does It Take To Destabilize The Timeline of A Lightbulb? It's a sweet reunion between mother and daughter that will probably lead to the end of the Marvel Universe as we know it.

Rachel Rising #19 40:14 to 49:49
Once upon a time there was a girl. She died. The end. But then it wasn't the end anymore. In fact, it was just the beginning. Of the end. That's usually how these things work.

Grief Counseling - The Walking Dead, Vol. 5 #25-30 50:00 to end

Each week Andrea faces her fears by reading a volume of The Walking Dead.
Bonus points if you can note the exact time Aaron makes her cry.
That's it for us this week. Contact info and subscription details are to your right, and don't forget to keep those #nerdconfessions coming!

Outro Music

Episode 7 - Brand New Day

No Reviews, Just Analysis.

Three books from September 4, 2013. Grief Counseling. And a new segment, Aaron's Inner Child. Plus your Nerd Confessions throughout. Wheeeeee!

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is starting over. It's a brand new day, what are you waiting for? Everything is going to be great!
Wait, what's that you say? It's just a new kind of terrible? Yeah, sorry about that. Our bad.

But before you perfect your wallow, here's some good news from the real world. An exciting new all-ages anthology that will burst even the most cynical gum chewer's sullen bubble. You'll hear two messages from creator Isaac Cates during the show. And a lovely email interview with Isaac is on our interview page here.
For more information about Cartozia Tales and to pledge your support, visit their Kickstarter project page.

And now, on to the analysis.

Suicide Risk #5 15:50
Something something absolute power something something corrupts absolutely.
Or Something.

Satellite Sam #3 30:20
We could talk about the comic, or we could talk about whether a new generation of young hipsters are searching for sci-fi serials from the dawn of the television age. Mostly we do the latter.

Forever Evil #1 46:00
Bad guys running amok. Heroes are dead. Does anyone care? (Spoiler alert: some do.)
Also, one of our hosts reveals his or her complete and total ignorance of the New 52. Guess who? (Spoiler alert: it's probably not Aaron.)

Cartozia Tales Message 2 60:02

Grief Counseling - The Walking Dead, Vol. 3 #19-24 60:04

Each week, Andrea faces her fears by reading a volume of The Walking Dead.
This volume pissed her off. The zombies are back, which is never a good thing. But you'll have to listen to hear the real reason why Andrea is so angry with this book. And Aaron. Always with Aaron.
And that's a wrap. Need to reach us in between shows? We're very social people. Take a look at the sidebar and pick your poison. Don't forget to call in your #nerdconfession. We never judge. (Spoiler alert: we always judge.)

Episode 6 - It's The End of the World As We Know It, And I Feel Fine

No Reviews, Just Analysis.

The issues in the issues from August 28, 2013. Plus your very own Nerd Confessions and the third installment of Grief Counseling. (That's usually where things fall apart.)

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is endings. Horrible, depressing endings. Relationship endings, world endings. Everything is terrible. Drink up.
 
 Introductions: 0:00 to 2:15

Week recap: 2:15 to 14:55

Sabre Graphic Novel Kickstarter Can Be Found Here: 14:55 to 16:30

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jsacks/sabre-graphic-novel-by-don-mcgregor-and-trevor-von

The Massive #15 16:30 to 31:41

There's something about Mary, isn't there? We don't know what, but shit definitely just got real. Mother Earth might have something to say about her imminent demise, thank you very much.

Young Avengers #9 33:46 to 48:39

SO MANY FEELS. OH IT'S SO SO SAD. And it's clearly impossible to talk about this book without sounding like one of its teenage protagonists. Luckily, Andrea's own superpower seems to be speaking in the colloquial slang of someone half her age, so we've got that covered.

Mimd MGMT #14 48:40 to 59:55

The end of an era. The start of a plan. Or a war. Maybe that's good? Maybe things aren't as terrible as we thought? (But who put those thoughts in our head, anyway?)

Grief Counseling - The Walking Dead, Vol. 3 #13-18 1:00:00 to 1:13:00

Each week, Andrea faces her fears by reading a volume of The Walking Dead. She whines a lot.

Wait. This volume was...different. The zombies weren't the only monsters. Is it possible Aaron was right about this metaphor thing all along?

That's the show, kids. As always, thanks for listening. Drop us a line in the comments, on Twitter or via email. You can even find us on Facebook or Tumblr or Google+ if you want. We're equal opportunity social butterflies. And don't forget to leave us a message with your #nerdconfessions!

Episode 5 - Papa Don't Preach, I'm In Trouble Deep

No Reviews, Just Analysis.

In a disgusting display of everything that is wrong with society today, Andrea is still on vacation. Why should you care, other than to be all Judgey McJudgerson about it? Well, it means Aaron has to edit the show this week. We apologize in advance.

Thanks for listening (especially in light of the above). If you have feedback or accolades, drop us a line in the comments, on Twitter or via email. Hell, you can even find us on Facebook or Tumblr or Google+ if you want. We're equal opportunity social butterflies.

Show Notes:
Theme of the show is legacy: escaping the past sins of our fathers (and ourselves) or being doomed to repeat them. How do you break the cycle?
This week's intro music is This Good Robot's new song "Super Spy" based on the Matt Kindt book. It's amazing. Listen to the whole thing here.

Intro 0:00 to 1:06

[1st confession]

More intro 1:40 to 2:47

[2nd confession]

Banter - 3:01 to 11:00

Dream Thief #4 11:24 to 23:15

This book could have been called I Wake Up With Dead People. (Proving once again why we talk about comics, we don't make them.) Either way, awkward city to inherit this particular "power" from your dad, eh?

[SPX Announcement]

Nova #7

A new Marvel superhero who happens to be fourteen years old? Yet the book isn't appropriate for all-ages? Yeah, this isn't going to devolve into a conversation about state of the industry or anything at all.

[4th confession]

Numbercruncher #2 38:38 to 49:20

Maybe all this wishy washy destiny stuff is a load of crap. It's just numbers, so if you can master the maths you can master your life. Or, why paying attention in algebra is the key to unlocking the secrets of the universe. Now with 100% more cockney.

[5th confession]

Grief Counseling - The Walking Dead Vol. 2, #7-12 49:45 to End

Each week, Andrea is going to face her fears by reading a volume of The Walking Dead. This can only end poorly.
Yup, she still hates it. But for increasingly complex reasons.

Thanks again, kids. Leave us a message with your #nerdconfessions and let us know what you think about the show. Until next week...

Episode 4 - If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On. With Zombies.

No Reviews, Just Analysis.

Three books from August 14, 2013 plus Nerd Confessions PLUS Grief Counseling. What's that, you ask? A new segment? (Also known as a sick joke at Andrea's expense.)

A reminder: we are getting some fantastic Nerd Confessions! It's pretty much first come, first serve, so if you didn't hear yours the week you called in, it'll be on the show the following week. Feel free to call again to leave another confession out of spite. Details in the sidebar, and archives above.

Thanks as always for listening to the show. If you have any suggestions or feedback, hit us up below or on Twitter, or you can email us at: show@comicstherapy.com

Show Notes:
Theme of the show was going to be perception, but Aaron trumped that with some shit about the universal stories of humanity. And zombies.

Mind the Gap #12 (14:30)
What is real, anyway? And how much musical theater can you cram into a comic book before people start to notice? Aaron thinks this is a soap opera, Andrea thinks it's a mystery. They both agree it's a lot different reading it in trade vs. month to month. Which leads us to...

Infinity #1 (31:32)
Aaron is a Hickman fanboy. Period.

For Galador. #neverforget (45:22)

The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys #3 (55:32)
Dystopian fiction by way of My Chemical Romance music videos. Seriously. Watch them here. Do your homework. And then ponder your place in the world as a whole. 

Grief Counseling - The Walking Dead Vol. 1, #1-6
Each week, Andrea is going to face her fears by reading a volume of The Walking Dead. This can only end poorly.

In the first ever segment of Grief Counseling, Aaron tries to promote the notion that TWD is metaphorical. All Andrea sees are zombies. It's riveting.

Thanks again, kids. Leave us a message with your #nerdconfessions and let us know what you think about the show. Until next week...