This story arc is a turning point for the series, and transitions us into the home stretch of Sandman stories.

This is also a very plot-heavy arc, so we take a look at the plot and extract some meaning from this one. What can we learn from Dream and Delirium's journey? And what can we learn from Destruction at the end of their journey?

This episode continues our discussion of Sandman, and we have covered all the previous arcs in previous episodes. Take a look through our feed to find our discussion of your favorite Sandman stories.

Sean attended Star Wars Celebration and had a grand old time. Let's discuss!

Paul attended wrestling and had a grand old time. Let's discuss!

We talk about the storytelling elements of each of these, to understand what is compelling about each.

Tune in and enjoy.

Sean started reading the Criminal books, which are good stories told well. So we also talk about some other crime comics. This reading is courtesy of Humble Bundle, and we talk about the virtue of Humble Bundle and Hoopla for trying out new stuff.

What do we keep? What do we get rid of? That is the eternal question for a collector. We talk about this conundrum a bit.

We talk about the ins and outs of comic book purchasing also. Sean is dipping his toe into Doctor Strange comics with the classic stuff from the 70s. Paul finds his niche in collecting basketball cards.

Castlevania is a very difficult game. Why is Sean playing this? Let's talk about MetroidVania games while we're at it.

Plus, a conjuring universe movie update.

This leads to a discussion of the whole sequence of Conjuring movies, which Paul has seen, but Sean hasn't. Some of them are closer to what Paul likes in his horror movies, some less so, so we talk about different types of horror movies, with different levels of reveal about the supernatural element, and different levels of gore.

We seem to narrow down on the type of creepy that we like in our horror, along the lines of The Ring and Paranormal Activity. Also, we talk about how horror movies can modify our consciousness. 

We finish up by talking about EVERY HORROR MOVIE that Sean has ever watched. Don't worry, it isn't too long of a list. It is a lightning round of discussion about the greatest hits of horror.  

We argue about what amount of Legos is the correct amount. One of us has some wacky ideas about that. Is it like having a huge comics backlog? Plus, we talk about the way we played with Legos.

Paul has no time for Breath of the Wild. That game needs to get off his lawn. Link's Awakening, however, should stay on his lawn all day long. We also talk about Link To The Past and how it is a fantastic Zelda game.

Paul has watched Yellowstone, which is some sort of drama ensemble show that is apparently very good. Good enough to keep Paul up all night. It sounds complicated. Somehow this has something to do with Chang Shi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Back to video games, Sean has a mythological type of game that he wants to play, but he is not sure that it exists. Where is the complicated role playing game that is only 2 or 3 hours long? Maybe a remake is the way to go.

First up is "The Hunt" from issue 38, in which a grandfather tells his granddaughter a story from the old world about a young man that thinks he wants something, but may actually want something else.

Next is "Soft Places" from issue 39, in which Marco Polo gets lost in the desert and meets some interesting people. In the process of this, we learn about the power of stories to last through the ages.

The final Convergence story is "The Parliament of Rooks" from issue 40, in which a baby Daniel makes his way into the Dreaming to hear some stories from some of our favorite inhabitants of Dreams.

We also talk about "Ramadan" from issue 50, in which a king looks for a way to make his kingdom last forever. Will the King of Dreams be able to help him with this? And at what cost?

Darth Vader is not a good father by any metric, but there is still a lot to learn from his story about the importance of fatherhood. After all, if losing his fatherhood status punctuated his fall to the dark side, gaining it back sparked his return to the light.

Splinter, whether a reincarnated father to adopted father figure, is the mentor that the turtles need, and he teaches them to understand and respect each other's differences, as any good father should.

Pa Kent and Jor El are both fathers to Superman, and both of them make him the hero that he is. Superman's two fathers also show us that families are made from deciding to be a family, even when that decision literally falls out of the sky.

Danny Tanner and Homer Simpson round out the conversation. Yes, Full house and the Simpsons. Behind that sitcom character status are characters that demonstrate the attentiveness that fathers should provide to their children, and the perseverance and effort to be there for their children.

The day after Christmas was the greatest day as a kid. Now, as an adult, it is a little different. Still, it is a nice day to record a podcast.

But that is just warm up. Sean has Action Force! This is a new indie toy line of 6-inch figures in the same vein as G.I. Joe. Sean has the entire wave 1 and talks a little bit about these great figures.

The toy line has some interesting connections to the original G.I. Joe toy line, including Steel Brigade and Sgt. Slaughter, in addition to the name Action Force itself.

Paul has been enjoying his wrestiling action figures, so we get a chance to talk about what we like about action figures.

Somehow this also leads us into a conversation about sports, and some of our fvorite teams: Oakland Athletics, Lakers, and Dodgers. It turns out that no matter what, we like the teams that play with heart as a team.

The main character of this story is Barbie, and so we discuss her character and what happens to her extensively. Her journey seems to be about accepting who she is, and coming to peace with the inner world of her thoughts and imagination.

Thessaly seems like just a bland vanilla milktoast character, then we find out that she is a vanilla milktoast ancient witch. We talk a bit about our reactions to her character.

Hazel and Foxglove show us a bit about relationships, and how to process through problems and feelings without losing sight of one another.

Wanda is a character that seems to be protrayed with a lot of understanding, and so we take a look at what we can learn from her story.

And, of course, there is the Cuckoo, the main villain of the story. What is the Cuckoo? What does the cuckoo show us about the other characters in this story?

Before that though, Joecember shows Sean just how weird and kinky Cobra is. Copperhead has a very odd leather jock strap, and then there is Dr. Mindbender, and it only gets stranger from there.

First, we remember Keith Courage in Alpha Zones on the TurboGrafx-16. It is a weird game that involves fighting good fortune cats, with bonus points for the gold ones. That's just the overworld. In the underworld, Keith Courage becomes a mech fighter with an array of weird weapons to fight all manner of strange enemies.

We are able to relive these old games by watching people play these games on YouTube, which can sometimes be more enjoyable than actually playing the old game.

Second, we remember fireworks from our youth. It was always exciting when we got our hands on the good fireworks. Nothing stokes a young teenager's pyromania like the really good fireworks. Now, when your uncle builds his own bombs, that ramps all of that up to eleven!

Third, we talk about Battlestar Galactica! This show seems like it kicked off the current golden age of television storytelling that we have experienced for the last 15 years or so. On top of that, it was just a really great show, so Sean shares his memories of enjoying the show to entice Paul to get on the ball and watch it!

But first! Joevember and drawing! Sean has been drawing Joes, and we give away how far in the past each of these have been recorded.

Also, The Art of Manliness and goal setting! Otherwise known as: the art of avoiding threats! This also applies to our digital comics backlog. Also, basketball card collecting.

For the bulk of this episode we discuss Westworld, Season 1. Sean watched it a while ago, and Paul recently finished it. 

We talk about the show from the angle of the humans that go to the park, and what it reveals about them (and us), and we discuss the show from the perspective of the hosts, and whether we are routing for them or not, and if we want them to get agency over themselves.

There is a lot to unpack about this dense show, we do our best to cover it all in just a few minutes.

Comic Con and how Comics bring us together.

Hawkeye, the show, and the comic. 

Trade paperbacks, and having too much objects.

Names and mispronunciation.

A Bride's Story.

The Wheel of Time show. 

We talk about older games we remember from our younger days, and how sometimes chasing that nostalgia is futile. Some games were fun at the time, but when we revisit them now, are not quite as fun. We are looking at you, Super Mario and Mega Man!

Also: Super hero comics are changing as a result of the realities of movies and TV. We are seeing a lot more change to super hero comic book characters, and this seems to be the result of the dynamic of actors that portray these characters.

Somehow, we draw the line at Batman though. One of us wants him to always be Bruce Wayne, one of us wants Bruce to retire for good.

We feast on this food for thought.

The Distant Mirrors stories fall between Season of Mists and A Game Of You, and are all historical fiction in one way or another. The Song of Orpheus is a stand alone story from the Sandman Special Edition that was also published around this time.

Previous stand-alone stories have been very enjoyable. How did we like these, that incorporate more plot-centric story beats? What are our takeaways from each of the stories? Is there a common theme to these?

Our Sandman episodes are some of our favorites, so tune in while we get back to reading one of the greatest comic series of all time.

Thank you everybody that sent in some listener questions.

We talk about video games, books, movies, music, crossovers between all of them, and more.

You spoke, and we listen! Then WE speak!

Some good TV is pretty bad, like Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. And Life is Strange, which is how we got on this.

Paul is back on the Junji Ito train, so we go back to that well.

Comic book collecting is the perfect hobby for retail therapy.

Paul is reading all the manga again, and tells us a bit about Mermaid Saga, which is not what it looks like and is actually a horror manga.

Sean has started reading X-Men again and is on the road to Onslaught! It has to improve one of these days! We have so many comics available now, we are very spoiled.

We talk about some other schlock...

Then, we discuss Passive Aggressive!

This comic book was secretly two comic books: "Passive" and "Aggressive". The covers are the same, but the interior is different. The region of the country where you bought yours determines the contents.

We have both read both parts, but in different orders, so we discuss that experience, and if there is any effect on our thoughts on the book as a result of the order we read the books.

Also, we disagree.

We talk about unique records, because Sean is interested in those. The Music Tapes "1st Imaginary Symphony for Nomad". Tom Waits, "Beautiful Maladies". Philip Glass and Alan Ginsberg, "Hydrogen Jukebox".

Somehow this bends around to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the musical episode. Which is really good, actually. Also, the Simpsons is good too. 

Why don't kids these days like Ninja Turtles? 

Last of all, we plan for the future of 99th Episode.

For better or worse...

Paul played Zelda! The original, like for the NES. What was that like, and how much did he rely on the walkthrough guides to find that one secret entrance hidden in the woods? This allows us to discuss some of the virtues of Zelda as well.

Sean touches on Zelda II, and how it captures the fun sense of exploration that the original had. Of course, Sean played that one because it was the Zelda he had as a child. That touches on our childhood experience versus our adult experience. Now, entertainment is so easy to get, we are certainly spoiled.

We come to the painful realization that our experience isn't necessarily the best experience, and there are many other great experiences out there. For Paul, Ninja Turtles has shown this to Paul. For Sean, it is Star Wars.

Finally, Sean read Transmetropolitan again, which was really good. He has also been reading a lot of Isaac Asimov, which is really good. Both of them, however, value truth and logic quite highly, in such a way that it points out how much our current society does not value truth and logic. It makes us sad.

This list is compiled of games ranging from the days of the original Nintendo all the way to the most recent console systems. Some hits that you would expect are there, as well as a couple surprises.

We haven't played every game on this list, but we have played a lot of them, and we have plenty to say.

The list we found is a compilation of aggregate reviewer scores, which leads to a well-rounded list. If you want to follow along, the list is published by that go-to source for video game news, Business Insider:

https://www.businessinsider.com/best-video-games-metacritic-2017-11

Come for the business, stay for the video games!

It makes for good discussion though.

This list is compiled of games ranging from the days of the original Nintendo all the way to the most recent console systems. Some hits that you would expect are there, as well as a couple surprises.

We haven't played every game on this list, but we have played a lot of them, and we have plenty to say.

The list we found is a compilation of aggregate reviewer scores, which leads to a well-rounded list. If you want to follow along, the list is published by that go-to source for video game news, Business Insider:

https://www.businessinsider.com/best-video-games-metacritic-2017-11

Come for the business, stay for the video games!

It makes for good discussion though.

Season of Mists is possibly the most mythology-heavy and plot-heavy arcs of Sandman. We dive into this story of the burden caused by the Key to Hell in this episode.

This is a strange story arc to us in many ways. It doesn't have the thematic takeaways to it that previous stories have had, at least on first glance. We dig a little deeper to see if we can reveal any.

We even find a lot to enjoy in the middle issue of this story, about the child away at boarding school, that reinforces some of the central themes of this story arc.

This story also expands the world of Sandman in some interesting ways, and leaves a lot more open plot threads than any story so far. We discuss how this effects this story, and how it places this story within the greater series.

Hop in and enjoy the episode!

Shonen Jump provides a nice easy way to read some nice easy manga, like Chainsaw Man. Chainsaw man may not be as nice and easy as it seems though, because the description of the premise is fairly long and convoluted.

Concrete is an easy book to read if you don't need all of the background on who and why the characters are. Just accept it and read!

When we pick up something new, what is the merit of jumping in right in the middle, vs starting at the beginning? Entertainment seems to more and more assume that you have watched or read what has come before. Harry Potter and Avengers are guilty of this. Or, maybe we are just crotchety old men.

Hell In A Cell, unfortunately, does not take place on the metaphysical plane of Hell. These matches are also overdone, apparently. 

After all, Our perspective is not reality. Please don't assume it is.

We also talk about the fun, and challenges, of discovery in today's modern day of the internet. Nobody explains their biases, and algorithmic discovery trends back to the norm.

Aqua Team Hunger Force sounds like a really bad show to Sean. This leads to a discussion of Super Meat Boy, which is good. Plus, other old games that are good to varying degrees.

Paul explains the divergent sequences of Mario games. Warning: it is complicated. What does it have to do with Star Wars? The connection is dubious.

Also, we discuss the quintessential vs the most interesting. 

Sean doesn't care for the discussion around Bad Idea, he just wants to talk about the comics. Paul keeps hitting on the hits though.

Plus, what do we think of Eniac? And Tankers? And Whalesville?

All will be discussed.

Plus, of course other stuff.

Sometimes, we only have time for a small moments of enjoyment. In this episode, we talk about some video games that fit this criteria. Super Meat Boy, Braid, and PUBG all get discussed as good options.

Also, Paul is still on his manga trip, and talks about Urasawa, Pluto, and Monster.

Sean is sorting trade paperbacks, and has experienced the perils of tracking what you have across multiple media formats.

Also, we talk about Witchblade, which is better than you think.

Also, water cups. The water cups part doesn't make sense, but there it is.

Calliope is a very uncomfortable story to read now. It depicts a particular kind of violence against women in a brutal way that is truthful to how bad it is. Still, this story was included in this series, so what can it tell us about the growth of the main character of the series, and the themes of Sandman?

A Dream of A Thousand Cats condemns keeping cats as pets. Beyond that though, it is a delightful cat fairy tail. It also serves as a metaphor for another kind of dream, the kind that actually can change the world.

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a bit of a slog for us. We appreciate the merits of this story, but still find it difficult to really engage with the dense Shakespeare contained within. Still, this touches on some central themes of Sandman, so we explore those in our conversation.

Facade tells the story about the internal damage we can do to ourselves by telling us about Element Girl, and her desire to die. We both have very different interpretations of the meaning of this story, so we investigate that.

We round out the conversation with a discussion that these one-shot stories play within the greater Sandman story. What do they add? What do we like about them, in the context of the whole?

Nobody is a nice succinct action movie. Commando is an excellent action movie that Paul has not seen. Parks and Rec is a comedy show that Sean has not seen.

Sean wants to rewatch Neon Genesis: Evangelion again, but is concerned that it might be like Catcher In The Rye; you can't go back.

Blood On The Tracks is very uncomfortable, but strangely compelling. This reminds us that there is a lot of new Junji Ito. Including the new Pop figures. Which we won't buy.

Action figure scarcity messes with our heads. Toys are nuts now anyway. Cards are nuts now anyway too. Everything is nuts now.

Vertigo is the famous imprint from DC Comics, that started with titles like Sandman, Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, and Animal Man, and continued with such hits as Preacher, Y The Last Man, Fables, and a lot more.

We find a very scientific list of the 52 best titles from Vertigo and discuss. Some we have read, some we haven't. Some we mean to read eventually. We discuss all of these takes on these titles in a whirlwind recap of all of the best Vertigo titles.

This is by no means actually scientific, it is just a list we found, but it is a good starting point.

Are your favorites on the list?

But first, the movie itself. Was it good? What is our history with DC?

The conversation around the movie, however, has devolved (or has always been bad), and it seems like it is because there is a lack of conversation about basic assumptions. 

We talk about basic assumptions, and the role they play in our opinions, yet nobody seems to talk about them. 

Also, some other stuff, and yes, it was a windy day and *someone* doesn't have a wind shield for their microphone. Sorry.

Somehow, we end up saying "earhole" a whole lot more than either of us ever wanted.

In addition:
- The rules of wrestling is strange
- Unity is convoluted and impressive
- The virtue of recommendations
- We talk about headphones and earholes waaaay too much
- The Wu-Tang clan is something I don't remember
- Reading of packages not guearanteed
- I thought I was a smart kid, but I guess not
- What's wrong with all the games you have!
- Elder Scrolls vs Fallout -- there is a clear winner

Tune in!

We start off with the comics. Something Is Killing The Children, and Paul is all-in. It is a book that kept him awake despite being old! It is a compelling story, and Paul discusses why so.

Next off, X-Men: Grand Design is a rewarding recap of Claremont's tenure on X-Men. It is a whirlwind review with a cool twist. The art is amazing too.

The bulk of our conversation comes back to collecting, as usual, and how we interact with our collections, and how we navigate these increasingly costly waters where everything seems to be collectible.

After all, it is a complicated world. Let's try to stay safe.

Paul and Sean have both had a busy couple of months, so we unwind and discuss some of the things on our mind. Paul is re-read HoXPoX, which gives us a chance to revisit what is great about that series, and why it has so much re-read value. We talk about the way we unwind and relax after work has kept us wound up.

How do we re-engage with our hobbies? How do we keep collecting from being something more than acquiring stuff and stashing it in a box, never to be seen again? Lot's to discuss.

Do you ever feel judgmental about how judgmental other people get? Then we have a nugget of a conversation for you.

And yes, there is some talk about Doritos at the end.

In addition:
- X-Men? Or Ten Men!
- HoXPoX is a certifiably good re-read
- The difference between mystery and meaning
- Locke & Key... NOT a certifiable re-read 
- The trouble with winding down
- Ninjago? Nobody likes Ninjago
- Don't be jealous of my Zartan!
- Collecting vs Acquiring
- How many troop builders is enough?
- Stormtroopers inaccuracy is explained well
- Can you remember the birth of cool (ranch)?
- Caution! Chew your chips!

Enjoy!

We discuss Tomie, since Paul has now read some of that work by Junji Ito. Paul played Nier: Automata, and so he tells us about the virtues of that video game. Last, Sean has been watching Wandavision, and we have a non-spoiler discussion of that show.

In addition to that, we talk about:
- Paul has problems with his streaming stick. 
- Tomie weaponizes infatuation
- Sean likes good shelf
- There are a lot of fancy robots, we discuss two of them
- Dead Androids are not kid appropriate
- Strategy guides are a thing of the past.
- Wandavision is the most comic-book-like show ever

Tune in now!

What death's are the most memorable? Which are the most satisfying? Why is that even a question? What characters had the best progression throughout the series? How to not be dissatisfied by the ending. 

Also, Paul has some words to say about Run The Jewels.

And in addition:
- Jim Shooter, friend or foe?
- Definitely legend though!
- We have spoilers for Charles Manson
- Paul doesn't believe the hype
- Game of Thrones has terrible stuff
- Why do we like awful things?
- Cat themed Hip-Hop -- You know, for the ladies

We each chose five X-Men characters to discuss, and pruned for overlap, to come up with a list of ten to discuss. We talk about why we like these characters, and why they made the list over other great X-Men characters.

Also, Paul has finally watched Cobra Kai, season 1, so we talk about that! 

Also:
- Most collectible comics.
- Guilty pleasures in music featuring Wordburglar and Kelly Clarkson
- DangerDoom and the Gray Album
- Sage Francis blew young Paul's mind
- When you remove Star Wars and Comic book movies, what is left?
- Comedy greats: Old School and Zoolander
- Unique and interesting movies are more enjoyable than nonunique and noninteresting movies
- Why was Brett Hart so great?
- Jack McDoogal never got his chance...
- The Frankensteiner is as dangerous as it sounds
- There have been a lot of memorable shows, but which was the most memorable?  
- Silent Hill and Parasite Eve have one memorable thing in common 
- Flaming Carrot has the best origin of any character
- Madman shows Mike Allred's progression to be the best illustrator
- What is the most important album?

Also:
- Spoilers don't matter when you aren't in tune.
- The show swims in misery to give us surprises
- What shows have you rewatched multiple times?
- Show highlights are the way to go 
- Disconnecting from social media alerts for mental health
- 15 Fantasy leagues is a few too many
- Math proves warranties of poor value 

Thank you for tuning in!

Game of Thrones is quite a dreary show. It is not a happy place. But still, it has some merits, so we discuss. 

Mandalorian is a happy place for Sean, and Paul is catching up, so we discuss some of the merits of that show.

Along the way, we ask if some things work better as TV shows than as movies? Or is this a silly question? Also, how does binging compare with watching something weekly?

Also:
- The virtues of Limbo and Inside
- Paul finally played The Long Dark, which is Sean's favorite game
- Sean is playing Cyberpunk 2077, which is a bit overwhelming
- What makes a good sequel?
- Also, how was that Wonder Woman movie? A lukewarm review...

Of course we want to eat better, exercise more, and all that. But we also have a lot of cool stuff to read and do, and that's what we talk about. Plus, how do we approach goals? What makes a good goal or resolution?

Tune in!

Here are the categories we go through:
- Best Action Figure
- Favorite Comic Book
- Most Memorable Comic Book
- Biggest Nerd Accomplishment
- Best Discovery of the year
- Best Viewing Moment of the year
- What we are most looking forward to in 2021

And also:
- The stupidest thing Sean did this year
- We're getting old, so our music listening habits are too
- Smashing Pumpkins becomes appropriate for the year
- Paul defines slippery slope for us
- We put the action into our action figures
- Sixth World is where it really gets exciting
- It is best to get paid to collect comics!
- Spoilers for Red Dead Redempion 2!

Happy 2021!

Also:
- Parenting present storage failure!
- Kids enjoy the two months of Christmas
- The story of the Barbecue stocking miracle
- More doing, less thinking!
- Crucial stocking design theory is discussed
- Action figures are not cheap anymore!
- Include the instructions!
- Beating a game as a child was much more rewarding 
- Finding love in online video games is real
- It's fun to be part of the block

We have three smorgasbords to cover! On Paul's comics smorgasbord, we talk about Death Note, The Way of the Househusband, Cells at Work! Code Black, Scooby Doo Team-Up, and Dementia 21. On Sean's action figure smorgasbord we talk about G.I. Joe Classified, Joy Toy, Mythic Legions, and Star Wars Black Series. On our combined Netflix smorgasbord, we discuss The Mandalorian, The Last Dance, Floor Is Lava, and Cobra Kai.

And also:
- Some things are only enjoyable in 10-minute chunks
- Hot beer and cold tea
- There are two types of people in the world. Or maybe three.
- That nesting phase! Oh how we nest!
- The virtue of Pile-O-Loot
- Gung Ho is a big beefy dude
- One vs Many, which is better?
- Red Ninja is not a crucial G.I. Joe
- Short and sweet is the way to be 

We talk about this from two angles, how it is a great X-Men story, and how it still works as to convey the mutant-as-metaphor meaning in the X-Men. How do you talk about this book without talking about politics? We try to find out, and somewhat fail.

Then! Paul has completed his run of Uncanny X-Men from issue 94 to 300, so we dig into that accomplishment with some celebratory questions and answers.

Also:
- Stress is like goldfish
- A secret trick to changing perspective on work stress
- Where the politics at!
- GLMK is a good entry point to reading older comics
- "...and we'll pay her in kind!"
- Remember, be like Nightcrawler
- Buying comics in person is so much better!

Also: Bruce Lee movies! Paul watched The Final Boss, and so we talk a bit about the experience of watching old Bruce Lee movies.

Note: This episode ends abruptly, some emergency work-related responsibilities popped up during this recording!

Emergencies aside, this episode also includes:

- Neil Gaiman has perspective that we perspect on
- Bank customer service teaches us about compassion
- Sean has rage at the world and profits
- We would rather be our pets
- Bullitt isn't what it used to be

Thank you for tuning in.

We each have a list of ten, some are timely and pertinent to this year, some are evergreen items we are thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This volume has a mix of the horrifying and the meaningful, so we dig deep into what this volume of The Sandman means to us.

Want to follow along with Sean's dive into Hip-Hop with Paul's suggestions? Listen to the followig before next week's show:
Sage Francis, "A Healthy Distrust"
Aesop Rock, "The Impossible Kid"
Eyedea & Abilities, "By The Throat"

And as always, little tidbits such as:
- The Mandalorian - two reasons it is good.
- Great female action figures are somewhat rare.
- Poor Boba Fett went down for a burp joke.
- Action figures are better when they have a variety of body types
- How does one start collecting Pops?
- The 90s in comics may have been wacky, but in action figures? Awesome.
- The 80s and 90s in wrestling may have been wacky, but in action figures? Awesome.

And as usual, sounds of outdoor Maine, such as the cars driving down the street.

No more fancy descriptions than that, just a lot of talking about things we think are good.

Berzerk is a particular type of story. If you are in the mood for a silent loner to wreck violent havok on demons, this is the book for you. But you need to be in that mood...

X-Men is fantastic right now, as it exceeds the bounds of the typical superhero stories and becomes somethign bigger and greater than that.

As always, we meander and take tangents as we discuss these two stories.

PLUS! 20th Century Boys is a Highest Recommendation.

Also, we recount our adventures in listening to Audiobooks. Does it work for you? When, and when not? We discuss the types of audiobooks that work for us and the types that don't.

Also:
- Parenting tips in the morning
- How to make Marvel Unlimited worth it 
- Nobody cares about Hawkeye!
- Selling regrets! Selling triumphs!
- We never take breaks
- The circle of giving is a beautiful thing
- Great courses are great 
- Vegan eatin' is good
- The "genre" of anime, and how we approach that
- Nausicaa finds the cracks in the definitions! 
- 20th Century Boys is GOOD
- Fourth World vs Jonathan Hickman

And one very noisy blue jay!

Also:
- Mike Tyson makes a lot of sense in the Age of Apocalypse
- The Summers brothers, "naw, but actually"
- Claremont's X-Men makes us love the characters, and you can't go wrong
- Mind MGMT follows the rules and pulls it all together
- Fear Agent belongs in the dictionary for "Stick The Landing"
- Harbinger doesn't live up to the memories, for one of us
- Ranking the adult animated comedy shows!
- We need a James Joyce moment comparing Ulysses to Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man
- Maybe Watchmen IS a good starting point for comics...

Also:
- Physically - middle aged; mentally - adolescent
- A Black Panther heads up 
- Who doesn't remember Bonk!?
- Is the guilt of betraying your video game system loyalties real?
- Simulation vs just simple skins on the gameplay, we like one more than the other
- We recount our video game system history
- The old days of hard wired Xbox leads to the best video game experience ever
- The good old days when video game fun took EFFORT.
- Do YOU remember the first time you saw The Matrix?
- What does all this have to do with Biggie and Tupac?

Sean's List:
- Fear Agent
- Transmetropolitan
- Jack Kirby's Fourth World
- Starman
- East Of West

Paul's List:
- IDW G.I. Joe
- Deadly Class
- The Sixth Gun
- Sandman
- The Girl From The Other Side

Also:
- Limitation breeds creativity!
- We preview our upcoming read through of Sandman
- Also, that audio book is sometimes good, sometimes... falls a little short 
- Our favorite Audiobooks, and... Faulkner?
- What is Hoopla and why is it great?
- Ty Cobb is a terrible person
- Derailed... by Bill Cosby (no!!!) 
- Paul has never read the King! Where to start? 
- We've been working too much 
- Paul triggers Sean with his Comixology habits
- Stack those code sales!

- Do you remember the first time you started following a comics creator, rather than a comic title? Sean and Paul's experiences are drastically different, because of the decade they each started reading
- Hellboy vs B.P.R.D., which is which? We talk about which stories are great, and the best way to read it.
- Rumble is a great John Arcudi book you may have never heard of
- How best to read a book like Mind MGMT, and take in all the extra bits
- Sometimes burning books is awesome
- Deadly Class is pretty crazy, and a good read
- Shout out to Brave New World!
- Matt Kindt delivers the map, which is a symbol
- We remember when Valiant was the Bruce Lee of Comics 

Before that, however, Sean talks about his Target adventure to find the new Cobra Island G.I. Joe Classified figures. It is an "old men being sad about toys" story, but with a happy ending. Also, Paul shares his love of the Technodrome with his son.

- Mushroom coffee vs smoothie
- Non-Licensed means more articulation
- A Saturday Night Live skit came to life
- Waiting in Target is something nobody ever wants to do
- Poor Roadblock gets to hang from the pegs
- Micro Machines return! Were you in that micro toy generation? 
- Paul is a serious collector, but mostly out of laziness
- We've got a grocery list of recent comic pick ups
- What does horror have to do with professional wrestling? We know...
- How a slower pace is a better pace 
- The horror of Junji Ito is like Concrete by Paul Chadwick in a particular way
- Age Of Apocalypse illustrates the danger of binging
- The build up to Avengers Vs. X-Men left a lot to be desired when the main event rolled around
- We have some gripes with Marvel, and we share them
- We also have a lot of good things to say about HoXPoX and the new X-Men line at Marvel
- Plus, one more positive thing to say at the end 

Some Highlights:
- The Button: We discuss the new click-demanding overlord
- Ramon Villalobos was announced, and it was almost missed -- we didn't miss it
- We detour into cancel-ville, and try to delicately navigate those roads
- We relish in the art of some of our favorite Bad Idea illustrators: Lewis, Ramon, Juan... now give us Mico!
- Our reading habits are smeared all over the place, do you have this problem?
- The difficulty of getting G.I. Joe Classified figures, and the NES Classic
- How do we handle that fear of missing out?
- Paul is better at avoiding the Pokemon effect -- he doesn't have to get them all
- Sean's Transformers/Wolverine rule for movies, and how it applies to G.I. Joe
- How not to tell people what to enjoy
- Umbrella Academy is some good stuff -- and strange
- Drifting Dragons aren't your hobbit's typical dragon
- Finding that New Thing is very exciting: we have recent examples

Also:
- ComicCon@Home is much like the rest of life these days, and Maine is a dearth for cons 
- Panels, panels, everywhere, that make Sean appreciate Jack Kirby
- Panels are the Yoga of information gathering
- The crazy adventure of the neighbor's dog and the 4-wheeler
- Kingyo's used books is a primer on other Manga, and other stories
- Garage sale dollar bills pay for the goods! Same with the trade-ins!
- Junji Ito gets introduced to your intrepid heroes
- Sean goes Berserk!
- Strategies to make the most digital for your dollar  
- Sean's inception-style reading habits, and why it is goods
- Inception-style doesn't work for video games though

Plus, Paul's neighbor's get in an expletive-ridden yelling fit over a dog or something. It is exciting.

Also:
- We have a Covid minute, and talk about some of our observations of this weird world we live in.
- We recall the moments that we realized that Manga exist, and the great Manga explosion in America
- Paul's Perfect Cold Brew Recipe -- in details
- The real reason for the Manga brackets, even when the victor was all but assured, revealed!
- Paul has been reading Wandering Island, and talks about what he likes about it
- Collectible pricing for commodity reading material -- not the best situation
- Kingyo Used Books teaches us to enjoy the things we enjoy without hangups
- Comic stores aren't just for comics anymore, we have examples! 
- Some cures for comic burn out 
- Age of Apocalypse has lots of levels. Well, three levels. The Summers brothers are a great example of this.
- How X-Factor helps flesh out the story of Cyclops
- Also, the story of Cyclops is very traumatic.
- 90s comic book coloring [shudder]
- Plus a whole bunch more X-Men talk

And as always, the soothing sounds of outdoor Maine.

• Build-Your-Own rap battles and air guitar solos.
• We unlock the usefulness of our childhood cartoons. And the colorforms.
• We get the lesson for the day out of the way before the 17 minute mark. It is good cognitive therapy.
• Let's talk about some Samurai movies. We compare the eastern samurai to the western cowboy.
• How we navigate a world full of streaming services.
• We judge the Joker movie by its cover.
• A little Lone Wolf and Cub talk, although only one of us has read it.
• Paul dips his toes into Manga, so we talk about his entrance into that pool of work. Also: The great manga playoffs.
• Paul is reading Deathnote, and Sean has read it in the past, so we talk about its merits, and what we like about it.
• Sean is reading Age of Apocalypse, and Paul has read it in the past, so we talk about its merits, and what we like about it.
• The physical experience of reading a physical comic book makes us appreciate the material much more.
• We are not fans of the Walmart.

... and as always, the soothing sounds of outdoor Maine.

In this episode:

• Birthdays in the time of Covid
• Sole – the Rapper.
• Meeting your heroes is sometimes what it is cracked up to be.
• We have morals and lessons from our brushes with fame.
• Star Wars! X-Men comics! And the drawbacks of binging both.
• How Knives Out is, and isn’t, like Star Wars.
• How to be a good Wolverine fan.
• Or how to be a good Star Wars fan.
• Or how to be a good fan of anything, really.
• Oh man. The recent Star Wars. And wrestling. How do we process this?
• How not to be an asshole fan. We found the line.
• How do we relate to the things we are a fan of?
• Oh, and video games.

We talk about TNMT, action figures, comic origins, movies, rap, punk rock, and a bunch of other stuff.

No set topic, just free wheelin’ conversation.