Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Comics Catch-Up 062: Batman/The Shadow (2017)
1.2k Plays4 months ago
This month, Matt and Chris read the Steve Orlando/Scott Snyder/Riley Rossmo Batman/Shadow crossover from a few years back. Do the two very similar characters mix well, or do they clash?
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Comics Ketchup
00:00:33
Speaker
didn't see you there. Welcome to Comics Ketchup. This is the show that is a spinoff of War Rocket Ajax, where the hosts of War Rocket Ajax, that's me, Chris Simms and Matt Wilson, catch up on some comics that we missed somewhere along the way. Whether because it just flew under the radar, or we read the first issue and then got distracted, or it was just not in our wheelhouse at the time.
Batman and The Shadow Crossover Discussion
00:01:01
Speaker
That's true. That's not that's not the case with this one, though, which seems to be a right in our wheelhouse. That's true. Technically, this show is a spin off of the spin off. Because, yeah, this is a spin off of every story ever, which is a spin off of for rock and Ajax. But you know what it also is fun. And you're right about this being in our wheelhouse.
00:01:27
Speaker
big in our wheelhouse because it's a character we both like a lot. You in particular, Batman. And The Shadow. This is one of two Batman Shadow crossover series written by Steve Orlando that came out at roughly the same time. Weird. ah But this is the one that ah Orlando co-wrote with Scott Snyder.
00:01:56
Speaker
isn and ah that has art by Riley Rossmo. The other one, The Shadow Batman, is ah by Steve Orlando and Giovanni Timpano. We did not read that one.
Art and Storytelling Elements
00:02:12
Speaker
I guess we could if people say that one's also good, um but like sincerely they came out at like almost exactly the same time or we're pretty close to each other and and both are Batman shadow crossovers. so
00:02:28
Speaker
Well Matt, you have already tipped your hand. Oh yeah? You have already said that this is good. It is good. There are things I definitely like about it. And I will tell you the things I like about it right now. That's what we should do on the show from now on. We we need to announce in detail what we are about to do every time we do something. I will now stop talking so that you can talk. Here's what I like about this comic book. One,
00:02:58
Speaker
the Riley Rosmo art, it is beautiful. Very good. Very, very good. Yeah. And, and like expressive and has like a sense of motion and kineticism. That is really cool. It really fits this story.
Exploration of The Shadow's Identity
00:03:19
Speaker
Because the thing about this story is that brother, it fucking moves.
00:03:25
Speaker
I do like that about it it. It maybe moves in places a little too fast, yes which is honestly always preferable to the alternative. Yes. there There are times when I would contend that the story is perhaps a little hard to follow, isn but I would rather that than it be kind of plotting and be an issue's worth of story stretched out to six. You know what I mean? I would always rather have a story that moves too fast than a story that moves too slow. Yes, and I think this is one of those for sure. Because there is so much in here to
00:04:22
Speaker
to kind of get through. there's There's so much story packed in here. The big revelation in the first issue is that the shadow, Lamont Cranston, is also Henri Ducard, which is a cool idea, I think.
00:04:49
Speaker
It is a cool idea yeah yeah it's a cool
Challenges of Batman-Shadow Genre Fusion
00:04:52
Speaker
idea. And I think it does take advantage of the like the shadows like the the the shadows you know undercover identities that he has. And they even bring in the worst thing about the shadow, which is that he is Lamont Cranston, but he's also secretly a different guy.
00:05:13
Speaker
Oh. Is it that he's Lamont Crest and Kent Allard? And Kent Allard, yeah. Yeah. And they call him Yinko in this, which I did not remember if that was just what he was called in the movie, or if that was actually part of like Shadow pulp novel canon. But I liked the I liked the reference regardless. He has all multiple aliases, I believe in various forms of media. Yeah. In the same way that Batman has like matches Malone, the Shadow also has his undercover identities, and he also has his network of operatives. um i I'll say this right up front. I also think this is a good comic. I am probably going to sound more negative than I actually feel
00:06:01
Speaker
because I feel like it's kind of fundamentally broken in a lot of ways, despite the fact that it's well-written, well-drawn, and has like cool ideas in it. Well, I think there's one key problem with it that sort of makes it fundamentally broken. But I also understand that it's very hard to avoid. Because if the concept of the book is that the shadow has secretly been Batman's mentor the whole time. Which is cool. Again, it's cool. which Which I do like, yeah. Because it ties the whole shadow being the inspiration for Batman idea into the narrative, right?
Philosophical Differences Between Batman and The Shadow
00:06:53
Speaker
Yeah. So so it's not that I don't think that's cool, but
00:06:59
Speaker
It also makes the conflict between the Shadow and Batman throughout this book, the Shadow continually asking Batman, why aren't you like me?
00:07:14
Speaker
And that's because that's not, that's fundamentally not who Batman is. Yeah. I think you really hit the nail on the head because this is a book that literalizes the idea of the shadow being the inspiration for Batman. Yes. I think that is the coolest thing about it on like a a textual and metatextual level. I think it's also the not worst, but like the most problematic part of writing a story like this. Uh, I,
00:07:49
Speaker
I have a lot of opinions. Do you want me to save him or do you want me to just go into it? Go into it. Let's let's hear it. A Batman shadow story doesn't work. Like, kind of fundamentally, it doesn't work. Because the shadow is a pulled vigilante and Batman is a superhero. And as much as Batman descends from the shadow,
00:08:10
Speaker
Those are different genres with different conventions. The second the Shadow pulls out his two guns and starts murdering people, which he does, it's the Shadow's entire deal, then he can no longer coexist with Batman. That's what Mask of the Phantasm is. That's what Batman Year 2 is. We know how that story goes. And so doing a Shadow Batman story seems like it's the most natural thing in the world and is, in fact, fundamentally kind of broken. Right, because ah Batman is an evolution of the shadow, of the concept of the shadow. It's the same thing as a Batman Sherlock Holmes story, which is also a thing that exists, where yeah it like it seems like when you hear it, you're like, yes, obviously that works.
00:09:05
Speaker
It doesn't. You can't have two world's greatest detectives in the same story. Because one of them's got to figure it out. And if they both figure it out at exactly the same time, it's boring. You can't have the character and the character that he's stealing from if you want to be uncharitable or refining if you want to be a little more charitable and have them work because it only makes their incompatible differences and what is different about them, it makes them unavoidable. it makes them It makes them part of the story in a way that they can't be. And I feel like the only way you could do that would be to have this story be Batman versus the Shadow and Batman wins.
00:09:59
Speaker
because Batman won. Like, like we got 12 Batman movies and one shadow movie, you know? Like we' got we've got a lot more Batman than we do the shadow because culture moved on from the shadow and embraced Batman. So Batman wins that fight. Yeah, I do think it is admirable, I suppose is the word.
00:10:28
Speaker
that this book does try to address that. Yeah, no, I think, again, I think Steve Orlando and Scott Snyder, both creators that we like a lot, they're smart enough to play with the ideas, but I don't think anyone, regardless of how good they are and how how talented they are and how well they construct their story,
00:10:58
Speaker
are going to be able to pull it off as a story in a way that is satisfying.
00:11:09
Speaker
yeah it um I don't know that i would say i don't know i would say that this story is unsatisfying. i I admire some of the things it tries to do. I i like the sort of um like Batman fundamentally believing himself to be different from the Shadow and and operating from that point of view. And the Shadow and Alfred actually having more similarities and being able to kind of like connect on that level and Alfred
00:11:47
Speaker
essentially telling the shadow the shadow you're not gonna change him. um I like that interaction a lot. i know That's also really good, yeah yeah. I think the stuff with the Joker and Stag is also interesting it because the Stag is such an empty vessel almost. um the The Stag is the archetype of the murderer. It's it's discussed that he's probably Cain.
00:12:18
Speaker
The first murder. That's gotta be Kane. That's gotta be Kane. Um, I don't know if that is part of the Stags lore from like the shadow. I actually don't know if the,
Complex Narrative Elements and Character Contrasts
00:12:32
Speaker
I am not sure that the Stag was not created for this story. That is something that I would have to look up. Actually, according to the DC database, the Stags first appearance was in Batman annual volume three, number one.
00:12:48
Speaker
An annual volume three number one. Yeah, in 2017. So I don't know. But so I'm not sure. But the the the the concept of stag being cane is interesting. And a the stag being this kind of like, again, empty vessel who only says, what is it? I am an honest signal. I am an honest signal. Yeah. yeah um to with the ball
00:13:19
Speaker
i don't I don't know who did what, what was plot, what was script. I will bet $100 that Scott Snyder. That is such a Scott Snyderism. Yeah. Scott Snyder, the guy who created a character named Signal. Yes. And explained the etymology though, I love Scott. This is so good. the the The thing where Stag like kind of only ever says I am an honest signal.
00:13:47
Speaker
to reply to anything such that he is even more enigmatic than the Joker, where the Joker is like trying to figure him out. That's fun. That's a fun interaction. Yeah. ah and And the idea of there being multiple stags, that's one element of the story I couldn't quite parse.
00:14:12
Speaker
because i like It's easy, Matt. There's the comedian, and the criminal, and the clown.
00:14:19
Speaker
There's like an army of stags, but there's still also like one main stag. Right? No, I don't think there is a main one. They're all like whoever we see is just like that's the big reveal is that this guy that the shadow keeps killing who keeps coming back right which which I do like because like that is a good that's a good Batman reason like like a good way to to contrast the story. And in fact, like there's a really good moment where Batman's like, yeah, dude, if you hadn't fucking shot him a bunch and you put him in jail so he could be questioned, you would know this. Yeah. Yeah. Which, uh, which I like cause like, I always like it when Batman does give his like very obvious reason why he doesn't kill people. Right.
00:15:16
Speaker
But yeah, like I like that as a contrast. But as I understand it, they're a i mean they're essentially a family of people who are just all... but they're They're like ah a family slash cult. They're they're a Wyatt family. ah and And I also like the the sort of escalation of the story, where it ends up in Shambhala and and The fight is over this kind of like realm of magic and wonder. um Were you let down a little that it was Shambhala and not Dambala? Turning people into haunted dolls? and I did have that Three Dog Night song in my head the whole that hole when I was reading that whole issue isn about the halls of Shambhala.
00:16:12
Speaker
ah Yeah, i I ultimately think this story is a mixed bag. But I came out of it feeling more positive than negative. Partially because of the art, which again is absolutely gorgeous. Yes. Partially because I think it does explore that sort of like philosophical
00:16:42
Speaker
difference between Batman and the shadow and like how the shadow relates to and deals with his family, quote unquote, and how Batman relates to and deals with his family. Like I like those contrasts. I don't know that it fully Gets there cuz I don't like you said I don't know that you fully can do that with but that these two characters who were such different sides of the same coin but I like the exploration of the philosophy that is in here and um I love the way that it just like
00:17:26
Speaker
sort of it tells you the reader, okay okay, here's what we're doing now. you know Now Batman got stabbed with an ancient knife and he's definitely going to die, so he's going to put on his clothes to keep him alive for a little while so he could fight the Joker. I'm always i'm always up for that. you know Yeah.
Crossover Storytelling Challenges
00:17:47
Speaker
Again, I probably sound darker than it. I probably sound like I think it's worse than I do. Because yeah I also, I think we probably like this about the same amount from the sound of it. I think it's as good as it can be. I just don't think this story can be that good. Because the because structurally, the thing about a crossover, right? ah Is that
00:18:21
Speaker
it's it's It's face versus face. Both guys have to go over. ah Right. Both of these characters, you can't have a definitive Batman is better than the shadow or the shadow is better than Batman. If you're picking this up, you like at least one or probably both of these characters. So they have to team up. But I don't think that works.
00:18:49
Speaker
it's like It's like Batman Punisher. Like Batman Punisher doesn't work. And the um the part of Batman Punisher that does work is when Batman stops Frank from killing the Joker and then Frank punches him and Batman says, you get one. Which that moment owns. I can't remember. I think that's Denny O'Neal. I don't think that's Chuck Dixon. If it is Chuck Dixon, then I i regret to inform you that it owns. I i mean, the the only way you can end a story like this, and I'm sure it is part of the other Batman Shadow crossover from about the same time, is they kind of have to end with, okay, let's agree to disagree, which is exactly what this ends on, right? Yeah. Which which you know Batman, the guy who agrees to let you kill people.
00:19:45
Speaker
That's what he does, right? I feel like if if I can armchair edit this, and and again, I will freely admit, Steve Orlando and Scott Snyder are both better writers than I am. I will not even brook that as a question, not that I think anyone was asking. But if I was going to do this, if if I was going to maybe give them some tips and tricks from the way I understand how this works,
00:20:15
Speaker
I would say that the only way you can do this is to have it be a crossover in that they're dealing with the same thing in different eras. The shadows fighting a guy in 1940, Batman is fighting the same guy in 2024 or whatever. You could make it the stag.
00:20:37
Speaker
yeah Yeah, you can make it this tag, you can make it anything. What's the little boy's name and ah in the movie, Shuan Khan? hu He gets name-checked in here, too. And so you have like part of the story that takes place in the 40s, and you still do the stuff where it's like, oh, that's why the Shadow didn't like didn't know what he was dealing with. He kept killing this guy and assuming he was immortal because he kind of is. And you never have the characters meet so that the things that the Shadow learns in his investigation kind of kicks the can down the road for Batman to deal with. Unfortunately, I think that would be a tough sell, if not for readers, which I think it probably would be, but ah definitely for publishers, because that, again, ultimately makes Batman the hero and has the Shadow kind of fucking things up. And and also, like, part of the the promise of a crossover is that the two characters meet.
00:21:34
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, exactly. ah I also would have done it so that, like, instead of actually being the Shadow in disguise, that Batman's network of people that he went to to get trained, including Picard, were all members of the Shadow's, ah like, network. And I would even include the thing where it's like, maybe even, like, you know, the Shadow at the age of 104 or whatever, because Margot Lane is in this,
00:22:04
Speaker
being a Being a real active senior and she's gotta be 106 years old. Oh yeah. It's wild.
00:22:15
Speaker
ah But yeah, I would have it even be that like, oh yeah, you know, the shadow told us that like someone would come along and he would be like, he would be a successor. Like the reason we trained you, it wasn't just you, it was that we knew you were coming and we had to make the new shadow.
00:22:32
Speaker
Like, I think that is also a cool idea in this book. Bruce is the next version of The Shadow. It's loaded with cool ideas. Yeah, there's a ton of cool ideas in here that I really, really like. It's just that the conflict central to it is a conflict that... on the basis of... The thing about superhero comics, period, is that...
00:23:00
Speaker
Stories that would otherwise have satisfying put a period on it conclusions never do because superhero comics keep going.
Narrative Continuity and Character Constraints
00:23:16
Speaker
Yeah. They always keep going and they will never stop going. It is rare for a superhero story to have an ending, at least in comics. like That's why All Star Superman is so easy to recommend, right? Because it's one of the few. But like, yeah, and then you and you recommend it and then you don't tell them that it's actually a sequel, prequel and interquel to DC 1 million. That's right. And they may never know that but it is. So
00:23:52
Speaker
This conflict that you want to have resolved here, to to resolve here, cannot. yeah Because the Shadow nominally has to go on as a character, and Batman absolutely has to go on as a character. Yeah, the Shadow might not have a book coming out next month, but Batman sure does. yeah And you also don't wanna, like, ah I don't want people to get the idea from this that i I don't think the Shadow is a good character. Because I do. Like, I think the Shadow is a like a very good character for the kind of character that he is. The kind of character that he is so can't really exist alongside Batman. And the only way to do this story and have it be satisfying would be to make Mask of the Phantasm.
00:24:41
Speaker
Like, there's a reason we never really get to see what would happen if if the JLA had Marvel-style flaws. But you can read Squadron Supreme. Yeah. Like, it's it's kind of the same, but not. And the Phantasm and the Reaper, on whom the Phantasm was based, that's just the shadow. We've seen the best version of this story because the only version of the story that makes sense has the shadow as a Batman villain.
00:25:12
Speaker
Oh, one other concept in this book that I need to point out that we didn't even mention because there's so much other stuff going on in this comic. Batman is offered by a HP Lovecraft style tentacle god immortality and he turns it down and his reason for turning it down absolutely rules because he says there is no Batman without death.
00:25:40
Speaker
That is great. Yeah. And I love that he's like, no, no, you don't get it. Bruce Wayne's going to die. And that that's the plan. Yeah. But I've made something bigger than me, which I think is great because I think that's another key difference. Like, yeah, like the shadow has to be this one guy. Well, yeah, that's it. Like, like,
00:26:03
Speaker
It's like I said, it like the connection between the Shadow and his family, and the but Batman and his family, right? like The Shadow's family are all incredibly old. They're all like 106, like you said. And they're gonna die, and the Shadow's gonna keep living, because the Shadow, I guess, is immortal. Yeah. And as a result, they're tools. Yeah, yeah. They're tools in his quest.
00:26:33
Speaker
Whereas, cause yeah, when we see Margot Lane and Harry Vincent, they're, they could not possibly be older. All of Batman's family is young and they're going to succeed him. Um, which is again, is another very cool contrast. Yeah. It's the, it's the idea that I always talked about with regards to Batman and Robin, right? Where.
00:27:00
Speaker
People who don't think Robin needs to exist don't get that Robin is is the proof of concept for Batman. like We know Batman needs to exist because Dick Grayson doesn't grow up to be Bruce Wayne. yeah And I think that's even mentioned here. Bruce is like, yeah, I've known since Dick became Nightwing that he was gonna be better than me, which I love.
00:27:29
Speaker
But, like, it's proof of concept because without Batman, you become Batman. With Batman, you become Batman, but you are a well-adjusted person that everybody likes. And to have that contrasted with The Shadow, who is in a very real-world way the step before that, like, he's Batman's dad.
00:27:56
Speaker
in a meta sense. I think that's really cool. Also, I do really like the design for Batman Shadow with the the red cape and the scarf and two Uzis. That's pretty cool. Even though we only get it for one panel, I don't want Batman to have two Uzis. He's also on the cover of issue six, but yeah. Yeah, on the very misleading cover of number six. Yes. That is a cool design. The red and black color scheme. It looks cool.
00:28:26
Speaker
Yeah, it's very it's it's like almost Batman Beyond. Yeah, with guns. All right. There's, ah there's a lot of cool ideas here for people who like thinking about Batman. Which I think if you're gonna make a comic for people who like thinking about Batman, Scott Snyder and Steve Orlando is the team to get like those are the writers that you want because those are the dudes who are gonna think a lot about Batman.
00:28:55
Speaker
True. I just don't, again, it's as good as it can be. I don't think it can ever actually be that good.
00:29:05
Speaker
Let's rank this now. Okay. You know what we should read, Matt? What should we read? We should read that Andy Helfer Kyle Baker run of the shadow from DC in the 80s, 80s and early 90s. Maybe that'll be our next hand shop.
00:29:22
Speaker
I think it should be because again, I like the shadow and that run is wild. He gets a robot body at one point, Matt. I mean, that's certainly creative. It's Andy Helfer and Kyle Baker. Two creative guys. Dick Tracy's own Kyle Baker. That's right. The question is how much of there how much of that is there?
00:29:49
Speaker
ah There's I think there's it might be too much for one, but I don't think I would be surprised if there were more than 25 Okay, well we'll we'll check into it and see if that that'll be our next catch-up or two possibly for now, let's rank Batman the Shadow a Comic that we liked But that has some kind of
00:30:20
Speaker
key core problems.
Comic Ranking and Future Reviews
00:30:24
Speaker
um Now, this is the is that shadow series different from the Bilson-Kevich shadow series from the late 80s? those might be part of the same run. i It might all be Andy Helfer. It is Andy Helfer. I think Andy Helfer is the writer throughout the whole thing, but I think we get – I know Kyle Baker draws – It's Kyle Baker at the at the end. It's 19 issues and a couple of annuals, so maybe that'll be two catch-ups. We'll see.
00:30:58
Speaker
anyway I would say this book, this Batman Shadow book is probably, it's probably probably a middle of the lister.
00:31:13
Speaker
Like I like it, but there are some some key problems that hold it back from being like really, really high. Yeah. Right? Yeah, I would say that's fair. I i mean, again,
00:31:28
Speaker
I think it's pretty good. I think it's as good as it can be, but I think that ceiling is kind of low. Right. So let's see. Uh, let me, I'll just throw some stuff out that we can compare it to. The, uh, the run that starts with Holford and Sinkevich become like Kyle Baker comes on. That is a 19 issue run plus an annual two annuals. So I think that would be two catch-ups probably. Okay. All right. But we could do that if you want. I'm happy to read those. I think that would be great. Okay. We will read those then. Those I guess will be our September or October catch-ups unless we want to do something spooky in October. How do you think this compares to Batman Blind Justice, which is at $8.52? Blind Justice? Blind Justice isn't good.
00:32:27
Speaker
Well, that's not true. Blind Justice is fine. ah That is the Sam Ham story that is literally just Nightfall, but like in 1990, it's like three years before Nightfall starts. They just did it as a three-part story by the writer of Batman 89. I mean, it's pretty good. there's a There's a guy who looks just like Bane except not a luchador in it. Great. It's pretty good, I would say.
00:32:56
Speaker
I'm looking around there, and I was initially thinking like much lower. like I was thinking in the quads. But looking at the stuff around there, I mean i would probably... you know ah For all my griping, this is probably better than Secret War, you know which is at 859.
00:33:18
Speaker
yeah it's it's like these This is the part of the list where it's like good or important, not perfect, you know? Can can I tell you what I found really honestly annoying about this book? Sure. the the shit You remember when we read Uncanny X-Force and we were like, this whole thing where like Phantom X just goes, oh, that was a misdirect and like a bunch of shit that happened on panel didn't actually happen? Uh-huh.
00:33:45
Speaker
This book does that with the shadow clouding your mind. The shadow can do fucking anything. And then just be like, sorry, I was clouding your mind. And I'm like, cool, I get that's, I get that's kind of his deal. But I feel like he doesn't turn invisible. Ever. Yeah, like, uh,
00:34:11
Speaker
Like, he doesn't do the one thing I was kind of expecting to do. He's just like, Alfred's like, I have a gun. And the shadow's like, no, you don't.
00:34:21
Speaker
It's an illusion, Michael. um Okay. Let's, let's go lower and see where we stand. Okay. All right. Uh, what do we have at 900? Batman Hellboy Starman. At 900 is Batman Hellboy Starman. Another crossover with Batman.
00:34:40
Speaker
Yeah, in which very smartly on the part of James Robinson, ah Batman barely appears. Yeah.
00:34:51
Speaker
I, okay, I do think stone slow pitch softball is better than this. That's at 8.99. So I think, I think we're looking in the right neighborhood. Okay. I don't think these are better features Aries. At 8.85.
00:35:10
Speaker
is Batman Venom. Oh, not i for a second, I was trying to remember if there was a Batman Venom crossover. No, no, no, the Batman Venom. There comes over between Batman and Eddie Brock's alien symbiote from the planet Klintar. But you're you're but lower than that. You're at 907, saying it's not better than Ares. No, Venom, I think is actually like pretty good. Yeah. I would say it's definitely not better than Ten Knights of the Beast, which owns. OK, it ain't better than Sea Guy either. It ain't better than Flexmetallo.
00:35:41
Speaker
oh
00:35:44
Speaker
Is it, but legitimate question, is it better than Cap Wolf?
00:35:52
Speaker
It's prettier. it's but It's better drawn, for sure. Cap Wolf is more fun to read. Okay. But is it better? Is it better than the Batman Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover?
00:36:11
Speaker
No, because that that one's great. Okay. ah Is it better than... I wish people hadn't photoshopped in where Batman says, this is where my parents died, Raphael. And then they they like photoshopped in Raphael saying, like, cowabummer or something. Yeah. And You don't have to do that. Batman telling Raphael the Ninja Turtle, this is where my parents died in fucking crime alley. That's funny enough.
00:36:45
Speaker
um Is it better than... Let's see. I think it's better than US-1, but only just. So below Stardust the Super Wizard.
00:36:58
Speaker
Start off Super Wizard, Matt, for for what it is, it's perfect. Yeah, okay, so this is the new number 928. Yeah. Batman the Shadow.
Creative Storytelling in The Shadow Comics
00:37:08
Speaker
And folks, it is a top-heavy list. It is a top-heavy list, indeed. And just just to be clear, this is Batman the Shadow 2017. Not to be confused with the Shadow Batman 2017.
00:37:30
Speaker
Wild. I think the Shadow Batman came a little later and ran into 2018. But these did come out at very close to, say I think they came out like back to back, which is wild. That's that's that. we we have We have ranked this and read it and now we're gonna read some Shadow comics from much earlier.
00:38:01
Speaker
ah published by DC Comics. ah So when they were like, when they were like, yeah, but there's a there's a Kmart in Minneapolis, Matt, there was a Kmart in Minneapolis until very very recently. And it's like, in the middle of a major street, like, Nicollet Avenue, dead ends at a Kmart and then resumes after the Kmart is passed.
00:38:28
Speaker
And to the reason is because Kmart signed a 75 year lease in the mid 70s to have just the middle of a busy city street, like a main thoroughfare for South Minneapolis to just take it and turn it into a Kmart.
00:38:56
Speaker
Um, and recently, that like, Kmart is no longer a going concern. So true. It's, it's, it is not that any longer. I believe there are plans to tear it down and actually like have the street resume going through it. But every time I think about that, and how the city of Minneapolis was like, fuck yeah, take it 75 year lease. It is very obvious to me that that is a cocaine idea.
Conclusion and Show Support Information
00:39:23
Speaker
That's cocaine ideas. And I feel like, yeah, we have the license to the shadow. Let's get Andy Helfer and Bill Sinkevich, then Kyle Baker to do it. And we will and he will get a robot body and be frozen and wake up in the modern day and have Uzi's. That is also a cocaine idea. That is that is a good idea. Well, we will we will dig into that ah next time.
00:39:56
Speaker
on comics ketchup. So come back for it. um If you would like to support comics ketchup and the show it spun off from every story ever and the show that spun off from War Rocket Ajax, as well as the other podcasts we do here at Cletus Media, ah go to patreon dot.com slash War Rocket Ajax and kick in as little as $1 a month to make sure that we can do all those shows and so that you can get all of those shows completely ad free as well as other cool rewards, which ah you can go to the Patreon and check out. ah there' is There's a lot of good stuff you can get ah by being a patron on our Patreon, so so go do that. um If you want to email us a suggestion for Comics Ketchup, you can do that at our email address, which is warrocketpodcast.gmail dot.com. We're on Tumblr, warrocketpodcast dot.tumblr dot.com. We're on Blue Sky at warrocketajax.bsky.social.
00:40:52
Speaker
Our website is warrockinajax.com and has every episode of the show we've ever done. And War Rocket Wiki is the fan run repository of information about the show, War Rocket Ajax.
00:41:05
Speaker
Biscuit says, don't ask, just back it. If you want to find me and my stuff, go to mattdwilson.net to find links to my comics and my books and my other podcasts. Chris, chris where can people find you?
00:41:17
Speaker
ah They can find me at the newly revamped ah and essentially deleted the-isp.com that is the website that used to be my comics blog for several years ah that I updated daily between 2007 and 2010 and then didn't really write anything on for like 14 years ah and then There was a problem, so I deleted everything and started over. ah But you can go there and ah find out about the comics that I've written, the podcasts that I do. ah You can even get some free comics there if you want. And if you poke around, you might even see a brand new, never before seen, 5500 word essay ah that I wrote because I've been wanting to write something like it for a while. And it good. You should go read it. Thank you, man. That means a lot. Bye, everybody.
00:42:09
Speaker
Bye everybody, and hey, till next time, good catching up.