Month: May 2020

OVERLOOKED DARK KNIGHT EPISODE 39 – STARLIN’S BATMAN PART 1

Episode 39 – Starlin’s Batman Part 1

Welcome to the thirty-ninth episode of The Overlooked Dark Knight. The is a non-index index show where the hosts, Andrew Leyland and Michael Bailey, look at Batman comics that rarely, if ever, get talked about.  In one episode they will talk about Bat books from the late seventies and early eighties.  In another episode they will talk about the animated Adventures titles that DC published in the nineties.

Sometimes they talk about whatever strikes their fancy.

Which is what they are going to do starting with this episode.

For several years now (since 2012 actually) Mike has been wanting to cover the Jim Starlin run of Batman and now that Ryan and Chris over at Batman: Knightcast have changed the remit of their show, Mike thought the time was right to finally talk about these comics.  Andy is an agreeable sort of fellow, so it wasn’t a hard sell.

So, starting in this episode and continuing for the next few month, the guys are going to look at every issue of Jim Starlin’s run (which spanned Batman issues 414-430, as well as the four issue Batman: The Cult prestige format series) and discuss them.  This time out they start with issue 414, which begins a mystery regarding a serial killer in Gotham that, surprisingly, doesn’t get resolved at the end of the issue.  Then they talk about issue 415, which was a Millennium crossover story and because of that they didn’t have much to say about it.  Finally, before reading some feedback, they briefly touch on issue 416, which they actually covered several years ago, so it doesn’t get the full synopsis and discussion treatment.

Below are the covers and select pages from the books discussed in this episode.

Andy and Mike want your feedback on this episode so they can read it on an upcoming show!  You even have options in how you leave your feedback.  The most direct way is to leave a comment right here on the site.  You can also send all questions, concerns, fears and trepidations to overlookeddarkknight@gmail.com.  Then there’ the Facebook page, where you can also leave a Batman related question for Andy and Mike to answer at the beginning of the show.  If you talk about this show on the social medias please include a #overlookeddk so the guys know where to find it.

If you want to subscribe to the show here’s the RSS Feed and the Apple Podcast link.  If you use iTunes please leave us a review.  Not only will we read that on the air like the other feedback but it really helps the show out.  The show is also available on the Google Play Store and Spotify.

Next Time: The Starlin’s Batman Run coverage continues with the first two chapters of Ten Nights of the Beast!

IT ALL COMES BACK TO SUPERMAN EPISODE 18 – SUPERMAN AND COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS PART 2 – SUPERMAN: SACRIFICE

Episode 18 – Superman and Countdown to Infinite Crisis Part 2 – Superman: Sacrifice

JLMay 2020 continues…

In case this is your first experience with JLMay, it is an annual podcasting crossover where a bunch of different networks and shows get together to cover a particular maxi-series, fifth week event, or crossover.  It started in 2016 and over the years we’ve talked about JLA: Year One, Justice (the Alex Ross grown up Super Friends series), The Silver Age (a DC Fifth Week Event), and Blackest Night.  This year we’re covering Countdown to Infinite Crisis.

Not Infinite Crisis.

Countdown to Infinite Crisis.

The event before the event.

This time out I continue my look at what Superman was up to around the whole Countdown to Infinite Crisis era by examining the Sacrifice story line.  To say that this arc was important to the lead up to Infinite Crisis is an understatement.  Sacrifice was one of the most pivotal moments of this era and since it tied into what was going on in the OMAC Project mini-series, I thought it would be a good idea to bring in the people covering that mini-series for JLMay.

Jon and Maggie Schaefer-Hames (hosts of Married With Comics) were nice enough to stop by and talk about the issues of Superman, Action Comics, Adventures of Superman, and Wonder Woman that made up the Sacrifice arc as well as the issues of Adventures of Superman and Wonder Woman, which detailed the immediate aftermath of how Wonder Woman solved the Maxwell Lord problem.  We also talk about the era in general and get into a few tangents about the way some artists depicted women in the early 2000’s and how Marvel and DC were doing pretty much the same thing in different ways with Infinite Crisis and Civil War.

Here are the covers and select pages from the comics we discussed.

Oh, and here’s the picture of me from 1991 when I had glasses with round frames.  It comes up in the episode.

A huge thank you to Jon and Maggie for appearing on this episode and making it as fun as it was.

The fun of JLMay 2020 rages on!  Be sure to check out the following shows over the course of May to continue the epic coverage of the event before the event.

Also, if you are listening to these shows and digging this podcast crossover, be sure to use #JLMay2020 if you’re sharing these episodes on social media.

It All Comes Back to Superman is available on a variety of formats.  It’s on Apple Podcasts, the Google Play Store, and even Spotify.  If you like accessing the RSS Feed directly, you can do that here.  Feedback for the show can be left below or you can head on over to the It All Comes Back To Superman Facebook Page.  The email address for the show is itallcomesbacktosuperman@gmail.com.

Next Time: Jon and Maggie of Married with Comics join me to talk about the Sacrifice story line!

IT ALL COMES BACK TO SUPERMAN EPISODE 17 – SUPERMAN AND COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS PART 1

Episode 17 – Superman and Countdown to Infinite Crisis Part 1

Welcome to another exciting installment of  JLMay 2020!

In case this is your first experience with JLMay, it is an annual podcasting crossover where a bunch of different networks and shows get together to cover a particular maxi-series, fifth week event, or crossover.  It started in 2016 and over the years we’ve talked about JLA: Year One, Justice (the Alex Ross grown up Super Friends series), The Silver Age (a DC Fifth Week Event), and Blackest Night.  This year we’re covering Countdown to Infinite Crisis.

Not Infinite Crisis.

Countdown to Infinite Crisis.

The event before the event.

This episode kicks off a three part series that explores what Superman was up to around the time of Countdown to Infinite Crisis.  This mainly involves the OMAC Project mini-series, but eventually Superman plays in the Villains United sandbox, but that will have to keep until the third part of this series.  For this first installment, I give a rundown of where Superman was as a character in 2005.  This involves a good bit of history, but I try to break it up with some musical interludes, so hopefully that makes it more interesting to listen to.  Then I get into Superman issues 217 and 218, which involves Superman dealing with a world that suddenly fears him.  What do I think of these issues?  What do I think of that concept?  What does OMAC stand for?  All of that and more is explored over the course of an hour and change.

Below are the covers and select pages from the comic discussed in this episode.

The fun of JLMay 2020 rages on!  Be sure to check out the following shows over the course of May to continue the epic coverage of the event before the event.

Also, if you are listening to these shows and digging this podcast crossover, be sure to use #JLMay2020 if you’re sharing these episodes on social media.

It All Comes Back to Superman is available on a variety of formats.  It’s on Apple Podcasts, the Google Play Store, and even Spotify.  If you like accessing the RSS Feed directly, you can do that here.  Feedback for the show can be left below or you can head on over to the It All Comes Back To Superman Facebook Page.  The email address for the show is itallcomesbacktosuperman@gmail.com.

Next Time: Jon and Maggie of Married with Comics join me to talk about the Sacrifice story line!

OVERLOOKED DARK KNIGHT SPECIAL – “OVERLOOKED” KNIGHT-CAST: THE JOKER’S 5 WAY REVENGE

“Overlooked” Knight-Cast: The Joker’s 5 Way Revenge

Welcome to a very special episode of The Overlooked Dark Knight. Normally this a non-index index show where the hosts, Andrew Leyland and Michael Bailey, look at Batman comics that rarely, if ever, get talked about.  In one episode they will talk about Bat books from the late seventies and early eighties.  In another episode they will talk about the animated Adventures titles that DC published in the nineties.  Sometimes they talk about whatever strikes their fancy.

Not that they have a mandate.  But they do.  It’s complicated.

This time out, Andy and Mike welcome Chris Franklin and Ryan Daly from the Batman: Knightcast podcast from The Fire and Water Podcasting Network to talk about a book that is the very opposite of overlooked.  As someone joked during the show, this is an extremely looked over Batman story.  The Joker’s 5 Way Revenge from Batman #251, written by Denny O’Neil with art by Neal Adams, is a story that redefined The Joker for the Bronze Age and has served as the template for future creators to work from in terms of telling stories about The Clown Prince of Crime.  The guys discuss the issue at length and take a few tangents to talk about other projects from Neal Adams, how part of this comic was used in Batman: The Animated Series, and more.

Be sure to check out the other part of this podcasting crossover, which you can find on Episode (insert number here) of Batman: Knightcast.  (Click on the link already!)

Below is a gallery of the cover and select pages from the book we discussed in this episode.

Andy and Mike want your feedback on this episode so they can read it on an upcoming show!  You even have options in how you leave your feedback.  The most direct way is to leave a comment right here on the site.  You can also send all questions, concerns, fears and trepidations to overlookeddarkknight@gmail.com.  Then there’ the Facebook page, where you can also leave a Batman related question for Andy and Mike to answer at the beginning of the show.  If you talk about this show on the social medias please include a #overlookeddk so the guys know where to find it.

If you want to subscribe to the show here’s the RSS Feed and the Apple Podcast link.  If you use iTunes please leave us a review.  Not only will we read that on the air like the other feedback but it really helps the show out.  The show is also available on the Google Play Store and Spotify.

Next Time: The beginning of a brand new series on the show where Andy and Mike look at the Jim Starlin run of Batman!