It All Comes Back To Superman – THE FORTRESS OF BAILEYTUDE

IT ALL COMES BACK TO SUPERMAN EPISODE 21 – LOST CONVERSATIONS PART 2

Episode 21 – Lost Conversations Part 2: Action Comics #300 with Bob Fisher

This time out I finish up the two part series of “lost” conversations that aren’t really lost in the traditional sense. Back in 2018 I had this series of episodes planned where I would look at the various centennial issues of Action Comics (100, 200, 300, etc.) leading up to the release of Action Comics #1000. That didn’t happen. For reasons. I go into it during the episode, so you’ll hear it there. Long story short, I recorded two installments and they’ve sat on the hard drive since then.

Until now.

Last time I had a chat with Jon Wilson. This time I have a chat with Bob Fisher, who hosts Superman Forever Radio, about the Superman story from Action Comics #300, Superman Under the Red Sun. The Man of Steel is trapped in the far future where the Earth has a red sun. How does he get out of this mess? Bob and I talk about that, where the Kents lived when Clark was a boy, Red Kryptonite, and a bunch of other Silver Age topics that involve Superman during the time period when this comic was published. We also briefly touch on the Supergirl story that appeared in this issue, which leads to a tangent about Jim Mooney and Curt Swan.

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

Promos played during this episode include…

Podcast Full of Kryptonite – Hosted by James, Jason and John
Superman Forever Radio – Hosted by Bob Fisher

Feedback for It All Comes Back To Superman can be sent to itallcomesbacktosuperman@gmail.com. You can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or stream it through Spotify and Audible. The Fortress of Baileytude Podcasting Network is on Patreon. It’s mostly a tip jar as I have no time at the moment to produce exlcusive content, but if you like the content I do produce please consider contributing a dollar a month.

The opening and closing theme to the show is titled Journey and was composed by Pontus Rufelt. It is licensed from Shockwave-Sound.

Next Time: Part one of a two part series where I look at my personal Top 10 Favorite Superman Stories of All Time!

IT ALL COMES BACK TO SUPERMAN EPISODE 20 – LOST CONVERSATIONS PART 1

Episode 20 – Lost Conversations Part 1: Action Comics #100 with Jon Wilson

It All Comes Back To Superman returns with the first of two lost conversations!

Well, to be fair, the conversations were never actually lost. Back in 2018 I had this great idea for a series of episodes leading up to the release of Action Comics #1000 where I team up with another Superman podcaster and talk about a centennial issue of Action Comics. Seemed like the thing to do. Unfortunately the dog that my wife and I got in 2002 passed away right in the middle of recording the installments and my desire to do anything, much less a series of episodes celebrating a thousand issues of a comic book.

The thing is the two conversations I did record were a lot of fun, so I thought it might be worth a lark to release them. In this first installment, Jon Wilson (of jonreadscomics.com) and I discuss Action Comics #100, which features a fun little story about a short man trying to figure Superman’s identity. We also talk about where Superman was at this point in his publishing history, what the other features were in Action Comics at this time, and even some of the ads that were in the book.

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

Promos played during this episode include…

Superman Fan Podcast – Hosted by Billy Hogan
Superman in Crisis – Hosted by Jon Wilson

The opening and closing theme to the show is titled Journey and was composed by Pontus Rufelt. It is licensed from Shockwave-Sound.

Next Time: I sit down with Bob Fisher to talk about Action Comics #300!

IT ALL COMES BACK TO SUPERMAN PRESENTS…A TRIBUTE TO GEORGE PEREZ

It All Comes Back To Superman Presents…A Tribute to George Perez

On May 6, 2022, artist and writer George Perez passed away due to complications from pancreatic cancer. To say that Perez was a force of nature in comics is a massive understatement. He wrote and drew some of the best comics published during the last fifty years while also being one of the nicest people on the face of the planet. To celebrate his life I got together with my good friend Andrew Leyland to talk about the man, and the times we met him over the years. We also talk about two Superman stories that George drew, DC Comics Presents #61 and Action Comics #644. Along the way Andy and I discuss the evolution of Perez’ take on Superman, which you can find examples of below.

Below are the covers and select pages from the two comics Andy and I discussed during the episode.

And here are select panels showing some of my favorite Superman art by Perez.

Trailers Played In This Episode Include…

The Palace of Glittering Delights – Hosted by Andrew Leyland
Superman in Crisis – Hosted by Jon M Wilson

The opening and closing theme to this episode was titled Hero Down. Other music in the episode includes Industrial Cinematic, Take a Chance, and Interloper. All of the music is by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Next Time: The show will return. Plans are in motion. Stay tuned.

IT ALL COMES BACK TO SUPERMAN EPISODE 19 – THE SUPERMAN PODCAST NETWORK REUNION

Episode 19 – The Superman Podcast Network Reunion

And lo there came a day…a day unlike any other…when a bunch of Superman Podcasts banded together from remote galaxies (okay…remote cities in America) to form The Superman Podcast Network.

That was ten years ago and while the Network is no longer a thing, I thought it might be fun to get the founders together and discuss how the Network came to be, how we all started our podcasts, and about Superman and what he means to us now. Joining me are…

Billy Hogan (host of The Superman Fan Podcast)
Michael Bradley (host of The Thrilling Adventures of Superman and Superman & Batman)
Jon Wilson (host of Golden Age Superman and The New 52 Adventures of Superman)
J David Weter (But we can call him Dave, former host of Superman Forever Radio, host of a bunch of shows on the Two True Freaks Network)
Charlie Niemeyer (host of Charlie’s Geekcast and Superman in the Bronze Age)

We had a lot of fun getting together, and I want to thank the guys for taking time out of their lives to join me for this conversation.

Next Time: I’m not sure, but I have some plans for later in the year)

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!

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.

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 16 – SUPERMAN AND SHAZAM: LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE!

Episode 16 – Superman & Shazam: Lightning Strikes Twice!

This time out I have something of a prologue to this year’s JLMay, the annual tradition where a bunch of podcasters team up to talk about a particular comic series or event, usually involving the Justice League. This year the subject is Countdown to Infinite Crisis, and the storyline discussed during the course of this episode may seem like a simple team-up/slugfest between Superman and Captain Marvel, it actually sets up a key component to the Day of Vengeance mini-series. Because this three part story line (that took place over Action Comics #826, Adventures of Superman #639, and Superman #216) features the artist formerly known as Captain Marvel, I just had to have J David Weter (host of many podcasts over on the Two True Freaks Podcasting Network) back on the show.

And a good time was had by all. Well, both of us. And my dog Gracie, who makes a special appearance at the end of the episode.

Lighting Strikes Twice is a fast paced, action packed story that was written by Judd Winick, with art by Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund. The plot is pretty simple; Eclipso wants to take over Superman and Captain Marvel takes exception to this. Along the way we are treated to epic shots of both Captain Marvel and Superman, lots of punching, some creepy bits with Eclipso, and a major plot point right there at the end. There is also a bit with how Lois is drawn that leads to a rant that you will hear more than once during the next few episodes.

Be sure to stick around after the end music for the trailer to this year’s JLMay crossover!

Below are the covers and few select pages from the issues discussed during this episode.

Next Time: The first part of It All Comes Back To Superman’s end of JLMay 2020!

IT ALL COMES BACK TO SUPERMAN EPISODE 15 – CATHARSIS…2020

Episode 15 – Catharsis…2020

Back in late 2009 I recorded an episode of Views From The Longbox with my friend Scott Gardner where we talk about our feelings about how DC Comics was treating Superman. It was a raw and honest conversation and I titled that episode Catharsis. Well, it’s now 2020 and once again I find myself at a crossroads, of sorts, with Superman and I thought it might be time to once again take a raw and honest look at where I am as a fan of the Man of Steel. Why am I walking away from the ongoing books? Why is Clark Kent as a secret identity important? What were things like back in 2007? How have my opinions on being a Superman fan changed? And what does Doomsday Clock #12 have to do with all of this? Listen and find out.

Below are selected images from Doomsday Clock #12.

Next Time: Another installment of Superman Is For Everyone.

IT ALL COMES BACK TO SUPERMAN EPISODE 14 – SUPERMAN IS FOR EVERYONE: COSPLAY

Episode 14 – Superman Is For Everyone: Cosplay

This time out I’m kicking off a series that will be going off and on this year called Superman Is For Everybody. The idea is that instead of talking about a Superman movie or television series or comic book I will be talking to people that channel their love and affection for Superman in different ways. For this first installment I sat down with two friends of mine that cosplay as Superman. David Simms and Joshua Jarmin (hosts of the very NSFW One More Round) have been cosplaying as Superman for several years at conventions and for charity. They were nice enough to give me an hour of their time to talk about what got them into Superman, what made them want to dress like the character, what goes into getting a costume, the responsibility of dressing like Superman, and more. It was a lot of fun and I’d like to thank them once again for appearing on the show.

(As if you needed to be told, I’m the guy in the middle.)

Next Time: A very naval gazing episode where I give a State of the Union of my Superman fandom and also look at Doomsday Clock #12.

IT ALL COMES BACK TO SUPERMAN EPISODE 13: SHAZAM TIMES 3, SUPERMAN TIMES 2

Episode 13: Shazam Times 3, Superman Times 2

J David Weter (but we can call him Dave) joins me to talk about two team-ups between Superman and Captain Marvel (but DC calls him Shazam). Why? Ostensibly it was to tie into the Shazam film that came out earlier this year and if I had released this episode earlier this year it would have. Now it’s just a fun excuse to talk about Superman and Captain Marvel meeting up. First up in our discussion is DC Comics Presents #49, where Superman fights Black Adam, there’s a Billy Batson on Earth-1 who isn’t Captain Marvel, and then Captain Marvel shows up. After that, David and I talk about DC Comics Presents Annual #3, where Sivana steals the power of Shazam and fights the Earth-1 Superman, the Earth-2 Superman, Captain Marvel, Jr., Mary Marvel, and Captain Marvel, who has a crisis of faith during the battle! Mixed in with all of this is commentary on Captain Marvel in general, his other team-ups with Superman, why Dave loves the Golden Age Captain Marvel adventures, and some of the ads that appeared in these books. After that, I go through some feedback on the previous issue.

Below are the covers and selected pages from the books Dave and I discussed.

Next Time: Either a year end episode or the first part in a series where I talk to Superman fans that express their fandom in other ways than blathering on about comic books.