First Issue Club Comic Books

On this special variant edition, we interview Jeremy Haun about his comics "Beauty" and "The Realm". Plus...why he chooses to live in Missouri, the importance of independent publishers and whether comic writers are working with television in mind now.

In this episode, "The Punisher" surprises no one with everything you expect from 'World War Frank'; "Beasts of Burden" is the FIC pick-of-the-week for all its furry and fantasy narratives; and "West Coast Avengers" is the LA laid-back team who finds themselves on film and with a BIG new problem.

This time in the FIC Fudge Mansion, "Pearl" is a Yakuza gang's take on Romeo & Juliet and the clubbies blab about Bendis; "Volition" lets us explore the idea that robots could be people, too; and "Crowded" gets slap-appy with its endearing new 'Odd Couple' assassinista duo.

Dear readers/listeners, here are the books this week... "Sandman Universe" confuses yet delights us as we look forward to what it has in store; "Black Badge" bring us back to our childhood dreams of wilderness-conquering and survival; and finally, FINALLY, "Fantastic Four" gets us in our feelings and delivers a heartfelt comeback story for one of the most legendary superteams in comics.

The clubbies get mesmerized by Leviathan's art and not-new-but-not-boring take on a classic monster of destruction story; Seeds makes us talk bees, love, aliens, internet, symbols and you guessed it... seeds; and, Infinity Wars deals with an original universe, and a new villain that could conquer Thanos?

To honor the monumental milestone that is FIC's 51st episode, we now bring your ears a special variant edition, wherein club members pitch books we'd like to see hit the shelves.

In this episode, we get into "Bone Parish", and discuss what could happen when a family-run, bone-snortin' business gets too big for its britches. "Justice League Dark" teams up the B-List that's gonna save magic - it's like Justice League, but a bit bolder & better for us. "The New World" is the FIC pick of the week, and delivers a club-love story set in a world we never hope to see, and yet already feel we're on our way.

This week, "The Mall" delivers a Mafia-style, reverse-Mamma Mia, with all the 80's you can handle, dark undertones, and everybody gets their own store! "Euthanauts" takes a 'death positive' perspective, leaving the club 'death-questioning', with its unabashed curiosity and deep-dive into the afterlife; and "The Life of Captain Marvel" is really the life of Carol Danvers, a beautifully-layered narrative about superheroism within a complicated family.

This week: "Farmhand" gives us a family drama wrapped in your average stem-cell zombie farm story; "She Could Fly" takes a serious look at OCD and mental health; and, "The Amazing Spider-Man" sends Peter back to college.

Our first issue picks this week... "Cosmic Ghost Rider" gives Frank Castle his very own golden ticket to ride out of Valhalla for more vengeance; "Unnatural" shows us how to stay sex-and-love positive when the government controls your Tinder; and, "Captain America" witnesses the death of the American Dream, and his relevance?

This week, "Modern Fantasy" helps us relive our worst days at the office, weirdest parties in college and a little adventure in between. "Sentry" is a bleak look at the one man who can do everything, but only once a day. Finally, "Teen Titans Special" shows us what happens when Kid Flash, Teen Robin and Red Arrow stop pretending, and get real. With guns.

This week: "Lost City Explorers" gives us that good Goonies vibe, "Shanghai Red" gives us a badass Mulanesque heroine, and "Iron Man" goes corporate.

Welcome to the inaugural FIRST ISSUE CLUB COMIC BOOK SUMMER SLAM! This week you're getting TWO episodes, and we need YOU...YES YOU...to vote to decide the winner. After listening, go to our social media pages on Twitter or Facebook and let us know who won!

Welcome to the inaugural FIRST ISSUE CLUB COMIC BOOK SUMMER SLAM! This week you're getting TWO episodes, and we need YOU...YES YOU...to vote to decide the winner. After listening, go to our social media pages on Twitter or Facebook and let us know who won!

This week: "The Immortal Hulk" imagines our monstrous green friend as a horror story, "Sword Daughter" gives us a mysterious origin story and "Justice League" takes us to the extreme.

Above photo from Panel Syndicate Subscribe Apple Podcasts Subscribe Stitcher Valiant Comics This week we cover "Man of Steel", "Valiant High", and "Glacier City". Plus, what type of guy are incels, are all comics expected to be tv shows now and is Superman gonna cheat on his wife? DC Comics

This week: riding off the success of the movie, "Black Panther" gives us something totally unexpected with a dash of afrofuturism. "Adventure Time: Beginning of the End" kicks off our sad goodbye to the TV show, and "TMNT: Urban Legends" takes the turtles back to their gritty 90s roots.

This week: "A Walk Through Hell" gives a slow burn horror take on our Trump era politics. Then, "Flavor" uses food to tell a story of female empowerment, and "Ether: The Copper Golems" uses alternate realities to tell a story of male selfishness.

This week: "Venom" humanizes a character we realize we don't actually know a lot about: the symbiote. Plus, "Barrier" dissects the importance of language in our charged debate about immigration, and "Fraggle Rock" reminds us the childhood joy of creating for creating's sake.

This week: "Avengers #1" brings the gang back together and "Death Or Glory" tries to make antiheroes out of some "real America" preppers.

It's free comic book day!

This week: "Thanos Annual" gives us a clip show special of Thanos' nihilistic hijinks. Plus, "Aliens: Dust To Dust" gives us new insight into xenomorphs and "Jeepers Creepers" gives us a good laugh.

This week: we cover our first book on film: "Avengers Infinity War"! That's right, we can't ignore the biggest thing in comic books this week...a movie. But, before that, we cover Image's "Skyward"!

This week: "Robocop: CItizen's Arrest" takes the neighborhood watch to a whole new level. Then "Exiles" gives us the anime wolverine we've always wanted...just not yet. And, "The Immortal Men" doesn't quite live up to the hype.

This week: have you ever been close to a comic you loved, or close to folks who have? Well the odds stack up so high with "Analog", we feel a pain so powerful with "Isola", and knock on wood with "Demi-God".

In this variant edition of the podcast, we focus in on Marvel's new Fresh Start initiative. Who will be affected by this shift, what's going to change, and why are they doing it now? We explore all the important and confusing questions.

How Many Hot Dog?

This week: "Weapon H" mashes up Wolverine and The Hulk...that's right. Then "Lucy Dreaming" takes us into some deadly teenage dreams and Stand Sakai continues his incredible, "Usagi Yojimbo".

This week: "Eternity Girl" gives us something entirely new...a superhero with depression. Plus, "Vampronica" takes another look into the horror Archie universe and "The New Mutants" reminds us of classic X-men.

This week: the author of "The Walking Dead" starts his next saga with "Oblivion Song". Then, "Gideon Falls" gets heady with a priest and a person who collects trash. And finally, "The Highest House" begins a tragically beautiful new series.

This week: honestly, "The Terrifics" is just trolling The Fantastic Four, right? Plus, the founding editor of Clickhole writes one of the funniest damn comics we've ever read, and "The Beef" is takes a new look at revenge.

This week: "Multiple Warheads: Ghost Throne" reminds us why we fell in love with comics. Plus, "Pumpkin Head" revives an 80s horror film and "Deathbed" gives us some full frontal violence.

This week: "Death of Love" critiques the "nice guy" stereotype. DC continues a pretty good winning streak of launching new superheroes with "Sideways". Then "Kickass" re-launches with an all new character behind the iconic green and yellow suit.

On this bonus episode: we cover our very first graphic novel. What would a revisionist Superman story with a black woman instead of a white dude look like? You no longer have to wonder, just pick up "Black AF" from Black Mask Studios.

This week: "X-men Red" takes us back to basics, and we honestly forgot what we were missing. Then, the story in "VS" baffles us as its visuals blow us out of the water. Finally, we dive into the world of Valiant comics with "Armstrong And The Vault Of Spirits".

This week: BK and Mike D review a cornucopia of straight fire comics. We're talking Doom Patrol, Anthony Bourdain, new DC characters and a whole lot more. Don't be the only person who doesn't listen to this episode, cause it's a doozy!

This week: expert comic reader Greg explains the intricacies of "Raven: Daughter of Darkness" and "Vinegar Teeth" to The Budget King. Plus, "Abbot" adds a supernatural lens to 1970's Detroit.

This week: "Days of Hate" takes the problem of political bubbles to its furthest extreme with a war between Antifa and the Altright. Plus, "Ice Cream Man" serves up some wholesome horror as a terrifying anthology series, DC decides they can do the Hulk better with "Damage", and "Go West" unsheathes The Blade for some apocalyptic revenge.

This week: DC has finally addressed the abusive relationship between the Joker and Harley Quinn. Now, we get to see what she does as a single woman in "Harley Quinn: Be Careful What You Wish For." Then, Hawkeye enters the Oldmanosphere with "Oldman Hawkeye". And, an original Avenger named Voyager returns in "Avengers: No Surrender". One problem, Voyager has never been a Marvel character till being introduced in this comic.

This week: three comics address the comic book world's problem with male power fantasies. First, "Rogue & Gambit" seems to tackle a famous X-men's issues with misogyny. "Rise of The Black Panther" brings female characters into the spotlight. And, "Snagglepuss" reimagines a famous cartoon character as a homosexual.

If you're into comics, you probably remember the very first issue that ignited your passion. As we close out 2017, we look back on the comics that started our obsession. Happy Holidays!

This week: Judas—yeah, the one who betrayed Jesus—fights his way through hell, an evil villain with a god complex turns dead bodies into a new drug, and the secret history of Leonardo Di Vinci's robots and sexual fetishes.

THIS WEEK: COULD YOU SURVIVE A DYSTOPIAN FUTURE, AND MAKE IT TO PARADISE? WE DISCUSS WITH "PARADISO". ALSO, WE CAN'T TAKE OUR EYES OFF OF "SLEEPLESS" AND "ROCKO'S MODERN LIFE" STILL MAKES US LAUGH.

This week: an attempt at a John Wick comic really really doesn't kill it. Also, "Mystik You" takes us to DC's version of Harry Potter, and "Sword of Ages" is the first step into an epic new universe.

This week: one of the most iconic comics of all time gets a controversial sequel. Can DC give Watchmen a "rebirth" without pissing off the fans? Plus, we take a druggy road trip through space with Void Trip. Then, your imaginary friends become nightmares with Imaginary Fiends.

On todays special bonus episode: In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the First Issue Club hosts guests, as their Fountain City Frequency sister podcast 'What's In A Game' stops by to discuss a new comic from the massive video game franchise Tomb Raider.

This week: an online model vampire decides to take a bite out of the evil oil companies that killed her shark friend...yeah. Then, Jerusalem gets wiped off the map, but no-one seems to know why, and Loki steals Doctor Strange's job after he retires to become Dr. Dolittle.

This week: Coyote takes an unflinching but fictional look at murders in a Mexican border town. Plus, what if Earth was on the border between alien words? Then Kong crosses the border into the Planet of the Apes universe. Did we mention this episode was about borders?

This week: an old cartoon about the future gets a modern day update. Plus Grave Diggers Union explores a bureaucracy of death and makes us want to get tattoos. Finally, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles team up with the Ghostbusters in a ridiculous alternate universe.

That's right folks, we recorded a special Halloween episode to fill your earholes with all the creepy crawly new horror comics. Jughead: The Hunger brings a heaping pile of gore to Riverdale and Goosebumps takes us back to those good ol' childhood haunts.