First Issue Club Comic Books

This week, the club decodes a prelude to Marvel's Empyre event, after checking out the comic book adaptation of Stephen King & Owen King's best selling novel Sleeping Beauties.

This week Synder and Capullo are back with an encore to their popular DC series with Dark Knights: Death Metal, and club favorite author James Tynion IV releases his next title on Boom!, called Wynd.

This week in comic book news, we talk PS5 and the Miles Morales' price boom, DC ditching Diamond, Comicsgate vs Gamergate, and Christopher Cantwell taking the wheel on Iron Man in the fall. Then, it's on to last weeks first issues. Image comics brings us Matt Fractions Adventureman, which takes a sec to set in with the club, but once we get it, ooo baby! Next, Ryan Ferrier sends Rick & Morty to Hell in a new mini-series out on Boom! Studios.

We are missing Greg and Kaitlyn again this week, so it's up to Mike and BK get you your fill of first issues. After discussing "the cartoons are better" argument for DC, the club gets into Kelly Thompson's second volume of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, with Sabrina: Something Wicked #1 (art by the Fish family). Next, Nailbiter is also back for a second volume in the horror inspired title Nailbiter Returns from Joshua Williamson & Mike Henderson.

The club talks about some of this weeks comic book news, before getting into Cullen Bunns Rouge Planet, and Joe Harris's Disaster Inc.

This week, the club got to read some brand new first issues for the first time in a couple weeks! One of our favorite online publishers, Panel Syndicate, has a creative team that brings it for Bad Karma #1, and Ludocrats #1 sees Kieron Gillen & Jim Rossignol get even more absurd than the title of their new Image Comic suggests.

This week, the club chats with Kelly Thompson, one of our favorite writers at Marvel Comics. You may know her work from her current runs on Deadpool, Captain Marvel, & Star, as well as her past work on some club favorites like West Coast Avengers, Hawkeye, and Captain Phasma.

For our special 150th episode we discuss our favorite scenes from the legendary Snyder cut of the Justice League film!

This week we talk about DC branching out from Diamond and what that might mean for the future of comic book distribution. Next, the scales have never been more greatly tipped in regard to our differing reaction to the two books we're covering... The Panel Syndicate released Friday with its' traditional "pay what you want" model, and AWA releases Old Haunts for free on their website. Which one did we like, and which one had us perplexed? Gotta listen to find out!

This week the club reads Eat, and Love Yourself, an inventive YA graphic novel by Sweeney Boo, out now on Boom! Box. We also catch up on some great things creators are doing to support comic book shops, and others suffering from the effects of the Corona Virus.

This week, the club checks out two offerings from TKO - discussing the first issue of Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Walta's Sentient, before moving to Garth Ennis and Steve Epting's first chapter of Sara. TKO offers these first issues for free on their website, if you'd like to dip your toe in and read along with us.

This week, we talk with Sean Lewis! Comic book writer and co-creator of club favorites such as Image Comics' Saints, The Few, Coyotes, & Thumbs.

No new first issues this week, so the club sat down for a video chat to discuss comic book news and more!

After catching up comic book news, the club gets into: HELLIONS #1 (10:20) Zeb Wells' pens the newest entry into to the X-Men's Dawn of X world, where we see Mister Sinister getting his own team of misfits and misunderstood mutants to oversee. NO ONE'S ROSE #1 (24:00) Zac Thompson and Emily Horn write this complex sci-fi thriller about Earth long after a livable atmosphere is gone, and the classism created by the worlds habitable domed cities.

The club was super excited to see what Karla Pacheco is doing with Jessica Drew in her premier issue of her new comic, Spider-Woman #1. We also check out what the Allred family has been up to, as the comic book superstar duo of Michael and Laura Allred team up again for X-Ray Robot #1. Intro @ 0:00 (Duh) Spider-Woman #1 @ 14:30 X-Ray Robot #1 @ 27:00

The club is in full blown overreaction & panic mode over Diamond shutting down distribution for comics. We got on the phone and to talk about what that means for shops, publishers, and consumers.

This week, the club talks about the reality of life during Covid-19 setting in, before getting into this weeks featured issues: Jonathan Hickman kicks off Decorum on Image comics — his first independent comic since his tenure piloting the greatly acclaimed Dawn of X series on Marvel. We also discuss the newest title from the X-Men family, with Gerry Duggan's Cable! Stay safe, and catch up on comics! 00:00 Intro 20:10 Cable 33:00 Decorum

On this weeks episode Mike D and Greg get STRANGE with DC's Strange Adventures and Marvel's Strange Academy. We also announce our panels for Kansas City's Planet Comicon and have more details about the New Mutants premiere with local duo Two Views Movies Podcast. We laugh, we cry, we cough into our elbows so as not to spread the dreaded Coronavirus. Don't forget to rate and review where ever you listen to First Issue Club and hit us with that 5 STARS! We also have the Patreon with so much more BONUS content. BYE!

We had a fun filled weekend in Chicago checking out C2E2. This week, instead of covering first issues, we download on the highs and lows of our trip.

Club favorite author Matt Kindt pens a 007 inspired adventure that questions the fabric of the leads reality in BANG! #1, and our old friend Wolvie is back in his self-titled series that keeps up with his adventures in his new life and role in Krakoa.

In this weeks episode the boys discover a new metric for rating books, and choose fur-sonas. They also manage to cover Alienated from Boom! Studios and Tartarus out on Image Comics. Be sure to rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts and leave that 5 star submission. You can also find other goodies at FirstIssueClub.com and even MORE premium content on our Patreon. 00:00 Intro 16:00 Alienated 26:00 Tartarus 37:00 Bonus Treats

This week, Budget King and Greg are joined by Writer/Educator/Futurist Mark Sable to talk about his new book Godkillers and what inspired him to write it. Mark is a professional writer and writing professor. He's written such characters as SPIDER-MAN (What If?) for Marvel Comics and BATMAN for DC (Two-Face: Year One). His passion however is his creator-owned work, including GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRES (with Paul Azaceta and Matthew Wilson), GROUNDED (With Paul Azaceta and Nick Filardi) , FEARLESS (with David Roth, PJ Holden and Nick Filardi) and UNTHINKABLE for Boom! Studios. Two new graphic novels, THE DARK (with Kristian Donaldson and Lee Loughridge) and DRACULA: SON OF THE DRAGON (with Salgood Sam) were published by Comixology Originals in the Fall of 2019, Mark also consults as a futurist. Projects and clients have included The Atlantic Council's Art of Future Warfare, the National Intelligence Council's 2035 Global Trends report, the Royal Australian Navy, Marine Corps University, The Center for International Maritime Security, The Institute for Human Machine Cognition, The Sci-Arc School of Architectural Thinking and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab among others.

The club went to see Birds of Prey during last Thursdays early bird showings. Since then, the movie has gotten and title change, had a variety of mixed reviews, and is teasing the line of box-office success & disappointment. Listen and see what the club thought of this flick! BONUS: At the end we run down some of our favorite non-super hero books from the last year or two.

In this week's episode Mike D, Budget King and Greg cover the latest and greatest in comic book news and debate whether or not My Chemical Romance is a big deal or not. Also in the episode, we explore the arid and deadly world of Avengers of the Wasteland (13:00) and try to make sense of the highly researched Protector (30:00) Don't forget to rate and review wherever you listen to First Issue Club and join the Patreon for extra content weekly. You can also find us at firstissueclub.com

Al Ewing takes over on Guardians of the Galaxy, and Kidz out on Ablaze makes a few nods to Spielberg films in this zombie story that brings Super 8 to mind.

The future is now... and BOY it's a mess! Join the clubbies as we try to unravel "Iron Man 2020"; and stay as we discuss all the buzz surrounding the new girl in "Archie & Katy Keane". We also announce C2E2 news and run through the TOP 10 sexiest "comic book" cars. 00:00 Intro/10 Sexiest Comic Book Cars 00:16 C2E2 announcement 00:21 Archie and Katy Keene 00:39 Ironman 2020

Our pal Shan comes for a visit, helping us talk through a sciencey-thriller on Top Cow called The Clock, which takes on world problems both hypothetical and real. But not before we discuss Star #1 from Marvel Comics. A mini-series that stars the breakout character Star, (the titular Star, from the title "Star"...) from Kelley Thompsons current run of Captain Marvel. And as always, nerdy news, and dorky tangents.

We start the year off by getting way deeper into a conversation about Drake then we ever expected, but eventually find our way to discussing the much anticipated Thor #1 on Marvel Comics, penned by Donny Cates, and follow with lighter fare in Ryan Ferrier's new comic about a TV psychic thats hard up for cash, in I Can Sell You a Body #1.

The club takes a look back on 2019, talking through our favorite first issues and more. Later, we round out the year with a contest to name the very first First Issue Club Champion who will reign over 2020.

This X-mas the club goes around the horn, pitching each other new ideas for comics books.

This week, we discuss a new entry from club favorite Jeremy Haun in Red Mother #1 out on BOOM! Studios, and Dying is Easy #1 - the newest Joe Hill project on IDW. Join us as we get sentimental about our favorite media from 2019, and then argue about these comics. 00:00 - We moved! 05:00 - 2019 media faves 13:00 - Red Mother 30:30 - Dying is Easy

This week the club takes a journey with the ALREADY optioned Kill Whitey Donovan and explores the bureacracy of contracting super powers in 20XX. Also, long time friend of the show Randy Newman stops by for a visit. Don't forget to rate review and find us on Patreon for more BONUS content. Be kind to one another and D A B on the haters. Intro: 00:00 Kill Whitey Donovan: 11:15 20XX: 18:55 Randy Newman Outro: 33:01

The club is back in driver seat with an independent door buster, Killadelphia (Image). The round out with a new The Crow (IDW) book (yeah the famed 90s movie), but this time it's a Christmas edition called Hark The Herald! At the top they talk about a Marvel Comics #1 selling for over a million and other gems you might find in the comic collection process.

HAPPY TURKEY WEEK! On todays episode, we discussed two books that are loosely about mutants! The independent offering Heart Attack, takes a look at two persecuted powered individuals who find a unique bond, and fan favorite Deadpool gets a new creative team that throws the character into a fresh situation, wherein Deadpool needs to be "the sane one".

A crazy week of big Independent books! Matt Kint's Folklords (Boom!) is a medieval world with a modern dude figuring out how to hunt down his fantasy thesis. Jeff Lemire's Family Tree (Image) is an apocalyptic story with everybody turning into Groot, it's a freaking blast!

This week the club discusses two comics that couldn't be more different! Undiscovered Country gives us an unexpected twist, and Crone delivers a unique spin within a trope filled tale. COMIC BOOKS!

On todays episode, we discuss 2 new series, both on DC imprints from a couple club favorite creators – Basket Full of Heads penned by Joe Hill, and Joker: Killer Smile written by Jeff Lemire.

First Issue Club's production company sent your favorite four hosts on a retreat, where they met a brand strategist, and several guest speakers who aim to help the fix the club's many issues. Somehow the club still seems to find the time to do what they do best… Cover first issues! This week features a doozy with Money Shot out on Vault Comics. Happy Halloween & New Comic book day!

You bet your ass Jonathan Hickman can write a comic, come check out the launch of new x-men with us. Image dropped The Marked and we chat about magical tattoos. Be warned we talk about politics up front, but this is still an all comics all the time podcast - tweet us and tell us to be more on brand please, we need it.

With Greg and Kaitlyn still gone honeymoonin', Mike and BK are holding down the fort with two new offering's from DC this week in RWBY, and The Batman's Grave (by club fav Warren Ellis). As usual, there are several diversions including NYCC & Martin Scorsese's comments on Marvel Movies. COMIC BOOKS!

Per usual, we're guiding you through those muddy and murky waters of the comic book landscape by doing news hits, providing some clarity on Images Nomen Omen, and getting pumped for Ghost Riders new direction on Marvel Comics.

The Club gets into spoonfuls of sex issues with with DC's new Black Label book Harleen and Image's SFSX (also known as Safe Sex).

This week Mike & BK are in the studio, covering off on comic book headlines, the Abrams family giving writing comics a shot in Marvels Spiderman, and club favorite Jeff Lemire taking on a DC classic in Inferior 5.

King Thor brings Jason Aaron's amazing Thor run to a close! and Chastity is the Dynamite book from Leah Williams that thwarts all expectations you might have had from the covers. There was a lot of good stuff on this episode that got cut for our patreon so make sure to check that out: https://www.patreon.com/FirstIssueClub

Two wildly different books this week folks. After rounding up some comic news, we get into Everything from Dark Horse - a comic which asks, "what if a mega-department store drove your childhood town crazy?" Second, we get into the less subtle Battlepug, which begs the question, "what if Conan had a giant pug?"

Marvel Comics 1000 hit stands with splash of surprises, news, and nostalgia. Dive in deep with Greg and Budget King here. Also Mountainhead (IDW) will leave no reader uninterested, so make sure you check out this episode!

First Issue Club gets into it this week with the Sony/Disney breakup fallout; Batman tragedies; Dark Captain Marvel and our first picks of the week! "Strayed" has cats talking, astral projecting, working for the gov., will it be anarchy?! And "Pretty Violent…with lots of swears." which is exactly the brutal mess you think, with a pretty violent-ly good twist.

It's Gregs Bachelor party, and to celebrate, the boys get a lesson in a new kinky way to have fun, before deep diving into this weeks comics. Once & Future out on BOOM! Studios, and The White Trees, were both from club favorite creators, and a complete delight, but only one stayed on theme with our sex-fueled intro. Interested?

This week in the club we have bound-ti-ful topics with the surprising debut of "Berserker Unbound", and the dark and wild landscape of "Coffin Bound".

We interview Cullen Bunn to talk about his two new indie. books! He also drops serious knowledge on the industry experience and growing up nerd, don't miss this interview. If you don't know Cullen Bunn, now is the time to check him he delivers on everything he touches from Harrow County (Dark Horse), to Unearth (Image), and Uncanny X-men and X-men Blue (Marvel).