Episode 768 - Failsons Considered

Transcript

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Speaker: Light us, I'm bored. What plaything can you offer me today?

Speaker: bad for Rocket Ajax to bring back his body. Terminator

Speaker: Hello, everybody, and welcome to War Rocket Ajax. This is the Internet's Most Explosive Comic Book and Pop Culture Podcast, and we are your hosts. My name is Chris Sims. With me, as always, is Coffee Cup the Dog and Trouble Fries the Dog.

Speaker: And also with me, as always, is Matt Wilson. That's right. Here I Matt, I have bad news. Oh, no. Yeah, it's it's ah it's a rough one, buddy. emperor The Roman Emperor Octavian...

Speaker: has declared that you are to be executed as a martyr. Oh, no. Yes. Oh, no. Well, you know, that's what he does. that's that's If I had to say there's one thing that Octavian really makes happen, it's killing those martyrs. Yeah.

Speaker: So before you are ah thrown to the lions and or beheaded ah by a lion or a person, What are you going to be the patron saint of?

Speaker: Ah, now this is interesting. I actually, I'm i'm taking a sketch writing class right now. And I wrote a sketch about All Saints Day.

Speaker: i will i won't get into the entire content of the sketch, but it took place on All Saints Day, and so I needed to know who some saints were and what they were the patron saint of. If only we knew someone.

Speaker: Yes, and so I looked a few up ah to to include them in the sketch. So that is that is a serendipitous question.

Speaker: I have to assume that by this point in history, you have to get really specific with what your patron saint of? I mean, that was just a – it doesn't have to be historically accurate, Matt. That was just a conceit.

Speaker: Yeah, but I'm going to say that I would be patron saint of people who would rather not play a game online. o That's a good one. Yeah.

Speaker: i would I would definitely be lighting that candle. Yes. i i In every case, I would rather not play a game online. Yes. that's just i like I sure don't want to chat with people.

Speaker: Yeah, man. Boy, oh boy. Everyone hates it. every Some people love it. Some people love it. I don't. Yeah, people who like to use slurs love it, Matt.

Speaker: But like yeah here's here's the thing. You ever play Splatoon? I've but maybe played Splatoon once, ever. Splatoon's great, because there's no fucking talking in it. yeah You can hit a button and it says, alright.

Speaker: And that's pretty much it. That's how it all should be. That is nice. I definitely, if... I don't want to play a game online, period. But if it's going to force me to do the chat, I'm just not going to play it. Yeah, but I don't know why... that i was playing a a racing game. A single-player racing game.

Speaker: I was playing it single-player mode. And every time I would, like, put my Steam Deck to sleep... I could no longer play it when I started it back up because I had disconnected from the servers.

Speaker: And it's like, hey, why the fuck do I need to be on the servers for this? Like, why are you going to kick me out of this game?

Speaker: so yeah I was upset about it. I will say I'm i'm okay with the FromSoft style of online game where it's just people leave notes for you on the ground.

Speaker: That I'm okay with. Or you can call in other players to like help you defeat a boss. um But there's no like actual interaction. um Chris, what would you be the Patriots Ato?

Speaker: I actually hadn't thought about this before I asked you, and you had a really good one.

Speaker: I think I would be the patron saint of of people who get really mad at things that ultimately do not matter at all. Yeah. like Yeah, okay. Like DC Comics stories published 21 years ago.

Speaker: You know, they matter to some people. They don't... In the long run of history... in the long run of history Very few things matter. Well, yeah.

Speaker: I mean, you know, i tried telling that to Emperor Octavian, but... Oh, boy. Yeah. He didn't want hear it. He didn't want to hear it. There's no world in which Identity Crisis actually matters.

Speaker: ah We got a great show for everybody this week. We are going to be taking some of your listener questions on the show. ah So, hope you asked one back on Thursday.

Speaker: ah Because if you did... We may or may not be answering it on the show, but there's a chance that we'll be answering it on the show. Hey, you've got to play to win. Yeah. ah So we'll be doing that in just a little while. But before we get to some listener questions, Chris, we have some business to take care of here at the top of the show, starting with thanking our newest supporters over on patreon That's right, Matt. These are the people who want to help out the show. They want to give a little something back to War Rocket Ajax. They want to make talent show a reality. They want to go on down and see what's at 768 Gimmick Street.

Speaker: And how do you do that? Well, let me tell you. You don't need no kettlebells. You don't need no alpha brain. All you need to do is go to patreon.com slash warrocketajax where you can kick in as little as a dollar a month.

Speaker: Become a paid patron supporter of this show. Help me and Matt out. Help us keep doing the show. Help us do the spinoffs. we have ah We have a Patreon exclusive podcast coming very soon as you're listening to this.

Speaker: Not talent show, but another fun surprise mint. Oh, that's right. Yes. One that that Chris has has done with another co-host that I'm very excited to listen to. so Yeah.

Speaker: And most importantly for me, as I enter my fifth month of being unemployed, you can help us play those gimmicks they keep sending in the mail called bills. That's right.

Speaker: And at certain levels, at one level, at the $15 level, you can join the Gimmick Street Preservation Society. Just like Lucas Brown did. a Lucas surely was a supporter already.

Speaker: I'm sure Lucas was, but ah this is Lucas's addition to Gimmick Street. as a member of the Gimmick Street Preservation Society. If you join at that level and you become a member of the Gimmick Street Preservation Society, you get to say what is at an address on Gimmick Street. And Lucas has determined what is at 768 Gimmick Street. Alright, what Lucas is at 768 Gimmick Street?

Speaker: Andre 3000 in Big Boy's Pescatarian Raw Bar and Poke Bowl Restaurant, So Fresh and So Clean. That's really good. Tagline, no heat, no beef since 2007. That's also really good.

Speaker: ah I ah got Lucas a vinyl LP of, I think, Stank On Ya for Christmas. Good shit.

Speaker: Yeah, yeah it is. That's good shit. Yeah, and so is ah ah Three Stacks and Big Boys Pescatarian Ra Voir. Yes, yes. And Poke Bowl and establishment. yeah yeah i i ah If you really want to get the good shit, Lucas, you've got to get that Dungeon Family album from 2002. I thought you were going to create and a Dungeon Family restaurant, and now i'm through no fault of your own, I'm disappointed.

Speaker: yeah There was a collective Dungeon Family album called Even in Darkness. from around 2002 that is a hidden gem. It's mostly forgotten, but it's great.

Speaker: ah Go find that and listen to it. You will you will be pleased.

Speaker: Also, Chris, you're going to hear some names of our newest Patreon supporters. That's right. These are these are the people. These are the people who are helping us out. That's right. we did We last recorded on a Sunday, I believe.

Speaker: And I think we said Aramintha. i remember Aramintha. I don't recall that one. Okay, I will start then on May 10th, even though i I think we have ah recorded... i may say some names twice, but so it goes. If you get thanked twice, or if other people get thanked twice, gratitude is not a finite resource, baby.

Speaker: That's true. ah Nathan Sear. Thank you, Nathan. Vince Solland. Thank you, Vince. Araminta. Thank you, Araminta.

Speaker: Timothy Eubanks. Thank you, Timothy. Ryan Smith. Ryan? Ryan. R-Y-N-E. Thank you, Ryan. Like Ryan Sandberg.

Speaker: Not familiar. Cubs player from way back. Yonatan. i always forget that you were a baseball card kid. I was a baseball card kid and a Cubs fan and a baseball kid.

Speaker: I played baseball as well. I like baseball, Matt. You know I like baseball. I know you do I know you Yonatan. Thank you, Yonatan. Charlie Scott. Thank you, Charlie. Richard Hanley.

Speaker: Thank you, Richard. And Jordan Wood. Thank you, Jordan. If you would like to be like any of those fine people and help us out here on the show, you can do what Chris said and go to patreon.com slash warrocketajax to kick in as little as a dollar a month to make sure that we do this show every week, that we do the Every Story Ever specials monthly, that we do comics catch-ups monthly,

Speaker: And additional stuff that we're going to be doing in the future. um If we get to 500 patrons, then we will do Talent Show, the podcast where Chris will read the entire Jim Ballant run on Catwoman and tell me about it.

Speaker: As of this recording, on Thursday, May are at 454 patrons. So we are 46 away.

Speaker: paid patrons so we are forty six away From the goal of $500. And ah usually you've got to be at the $5 level to get ah the bonus content.

Speaker: This one's going out to all paying patrons. Yes. For as little as a dollar, you can get entire impending side project podcast. Now, the show that Chris was mentioned earlier, that we're not going to give away what it is just yet, that will be bonus content level and higher.

Speaker: But Talent Show will be for all paying patrons. Matt, I'm just going to send you ah the logo. Okay. For the the new one.

Speaker: Great. Exciting. Very exciting. For the new jam. Yeah.

Speaker: at the one dollar level you get every episode of every show that we do completely ad free ah that is all of our shows all the shows i listed off a minute ago the five dollars level that's the bonus content level that's where you can get this new podcast as well as lots of bonus content that we have done over the years on patreon I just saw the logo. That is utterly lovely.

Speaker: It's pretty good. It's pretty good. i I really like it. I really like it. At the $10 level, you get line-stipping privileges for our segments, which currently include Every Story Ever and One to Ten of Swords.

Speaker: At the $15 level, that's when you join the Gimmick Street Preservation Society. And then at the $20 level, that is our t-shirt level. The logo or the image, the design of our 2026 t-shirt has been completed.

Speaker: And it is... lovely. It is gorgeous. It is a thing you're going to want. It's so good. It's so good. I don't want to dismiss or downplay any of the other shirts we've done.

Speaker: I love a lot of the shirts we've done. ah This one might be my favorite. It's really good. It's really good. And we are going to break away from our typical black t-shirts, ah white t-shirts.

Speaker: history We have had like Heather Greys and Greens. that We had a green one year. ah But this year it's going to be a yellow t-shirt.

Speaker: It's very exciting. i think I think people are going to like it. yeah And I will say, it's going to be one of those nerd shirts that's a little bit rare. Because it's not obviously a nerd shirt.

Speaker: I mean, it is. it's It's some kind of weird graphic tee. We'd all know that. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Anyway, ah the t-shirt looks great. And if you're at the $20 level, you're going to get one a little bit later in the year.

Speaker: If you're unable to help us monetarily, you can help us out in other ways. You can leave us a five-star review on the podcasting app that you use, whatever that may be. Or you can let your friends and family know about the show, spread the word about the show, give us some good word of mouth, let people know that they should listen to this podcast, War Rocket Ajax, and that they should back our Patreon at at least a dollar a month to make sure that Talent Show happens.

Speaker: I think that's a great reason to back the Patreon, honestly. Yes. All right, Chris, now that we have thanked our Patreon supporters, it's time for some checks and recs. What do you say?

Speaker: I think we should do it.

Speaker: Chris, what would you like to check in with this week? Matt, as you know, I've got a little bit of time on my hands these days. Not my choice, but but it is true.

Speaker: And you also know that that I'm trying to to to cheer myself up a little bit. You know, do some things that I know are going to make me happy. So I went back to something that I really liked before, and that is Sony's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for the PlayStation 5. A good game, as I recall.

Speaker: As I recall, I think we both kind of liked it. Yeah. and i That's right. I said, well, that's one thing we've got. ah yeah it is Look, it is probably the best superhero game ever.

Speaker: It is fun to play. it is ah It's a solid one. I enjoy it. lot of great performances in it. I will say, replaying it, I think I have noticed a couple of a couple of like kind of weird things that stuck out to me.

Speaker: Particularly with regards to the Danicast. ah which is an in-game podcast, because in the world of Sony's Marvel Spider-Man 2 for the PlayStation 5, podcasts are about 20 seconds long.

Speaker: there is ah There's the J. Jonah Jameson podcast, and then there is ah the Danica cast with with Danica, who is his opposite number in a lot of ways. She's a young, cool, woke young lady.

Speaker: who wants keep you updated on everything. Now, one thing that that kind of hit my ear weird this time was when, spoilers, if you have not played Spider-Man 2, Sony's Marvels for the play student for the Sony Computer Entertainment PlayStation 5. The Sony Computer Entertainment Workstation, but for Play 5.

Speaker: Right, yes. Did you get that that was the joke, or that was the the reason for the name, is that it's the opposite of a workstation? It's PlayStation? I think I have thought have had that thought before, but like I never knew if it was intentional or not.

Speaker: But I guess it would had to have been, yeah. Yeah, i think i I think I got that from from Jeremy Parrish. And I was like, huh, I have never, I do not think of the word workstation. Anyway, ah spoilers.

Speaker: When ah all the people in New York are getting turned into symbiotes. Insidious are attacking. it's It's such a post-COVID game, and such a post-2020 game, because A, you're not helping cops anymore. You helped a lot of cops in Sony's Marvel's Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4.

Speaker: True. ah You're helping out firefighters. Yeah. But there's a bit where Danica is like, hey, I'm really worried all these people are getting turned into symbiotes. We've got resources online where you can find them near shelter.

Speaker: and Make sure to look after the... ah I think she says the the elderly and the most vulnerable. Or the elderly and the most... It's... it's but but ah High risk, I think, is what it is. Because it's the exact phrase that was used about COVID.

Speaker: and right And I was like, okay, so who are the most at-risk people for being turned into a symbiote by Venom? It seems to be Friends of Peter Parker.

Speaker: I would maybe think that that was probably anyone. ah but It's either... It's either everyone in New York City or it is like you know Liz Allen and Flash Thompson. That game came out in 2023.

Speaker: So that is like exactly the development cycle for all of those things to be like forefront of the minds of the developers. Which which i don't I don't dislike it, but I do think that is funny to be looking out for the Elderly and Most Vulnerable when Venom's attacking. Yeah.

Speaker: it's It's not most vulnerable, because I feel like most vulnerable would have made sense. Because you can be like, you know, there are populations who would be more at risk, but high risk for a Venom the takeover is very funny to me.

Speaker: The other thing is, the the one big kind of narrative flaw, I think, in that game, because I do enjoy the story quite a bit, but the one big narrative flaw is I feel like Danica in particular is super suspicious of Spider-Man when he gets the the black costume, the symbiote.

Speaker: And she keeps saying like, hey have you guys seen Spider-Man in this, this new black costume? It's creepy. And, and I, I don't know if I trust it It's got me a little freaked out.

Speaker: And I feel like that makes a lot more sense with Spider-Man when it's just Peter And Miles isn't there also wearing a black costume.

Speaker: Black and red, but yeah. yeah Yeah, well, the the Venom suit's black and white. I know. i've like that That's the only difference. It's still a mostly black costume.

Speaker: it It's so funny to be like, i don't know if I trust that Spider-Man in the black costume. No, no, not the young one. The older one. yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah. The taller one.

Speaker: The one who's sadder. I just thought that was very funny. ah Because I was looking at all the costumes in that game, and you don't really think about about Miles having like almost... ah like I like Miles' costume.

Speaker: right like It's the Alex Ross design based on the Alex Ross design from the that was unused for the first Sam Raimi movie. I like that costume a lot. But it is like almost villainous because it's it's black and red.

Speaker: And that's what Doc Ock wore when he was Spider-Man. That's true. it's it's very It's very funny to be making some judgments on that costume. That's all I'm saying. Yeah.

Speaker: Don't be making judgments in the black costume. ah Matt, what have you been up to this week? On Wednesday, i attended all Elite Wrestling Dynamite, which was here in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina.

Speaker: And if you watched Dynamite this week, or I guess last week's Dynamite, by the time this episode goes up, you There are several segments where you can actually see the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in the background.

Speaker: There's a bit where Jon Moxley and the Death Riders are on like a rooftop with Will Ospreay. like doing like neck exercises. Nexercises.

Speaker: Nexercises. And like you can see like the city of Asheville behind them, but then you can also just see like the mountains behind them. And it is very cool.

Speaker: And very... like you know you could only have that segment outside here. i just I really enjoyed that um when they showed it in the arena. It was very fun to be there. um I went with some friends who are not exactly wrestling fans, and so I got to tell them ah who the characters were and what was going on and some what some of the moves are and how how the matches work and that sort of thing. like There was one match that ended with a quick submission and some people were like, wait, what happened? And I was like, oh, he we couldn't see it because of where he was sitting, but the opponent, Ace Austin, tapped out. Did you give them the whole... like

Speaker: And that lady, she's a stunt granny. And she's in on it. ah um i did tell somebody about the referee's role in the match.

Speaker: And how like how active of a participant in the match they actually are. um Where they're, you know... facilitating communication between the wrestlers and the people in the back and telling them about their time times and everything uh but yeah that was cool and um it was cool to see what my friends like get excited about stuff in the show and and um like figure out who their favorite wrestlers on the show were orange cat orange cassidy was a huge hit uh as you might expect

Speaker: yeah With improvisers in particular. and yeah i was going to say like oh a word with the ah with the Asheville improv crew. Also, um it was just like ah very fun matches. the the The main event between Darby Allin and Kanosuke Takeshita, it was originally supposed to be Okada.

Speaker: And then there was some kind of thing where Okada had to drop out um because he had to go back to Japan for some reason. And so they replaced him with Takeshita. But like man, I fucking love watching Takeshita.

Speaker: Takesh is like stupid. He's stupidly good, man. Yeah. yeah There was a spot where he did a German suplex to Darby Allen from the top and held on.

Speaker: He didn't release. That's wild. It was fucking nuts for both of them. That's that's bananas. Yeah. Oh, man.

Speaker: ah Anyway, that match was great. The Will Ospreay match was great. um the women's There was a women's trios match that was very fun, but unfortunately ended in a DQ finish.

Speaker: um And there were a couple of dark matches at the beginning, one of which had Sting's son in it. What is Sting's son's ring name? He's just Stephen Borden. Okay. I mean, surely he's going to come up with something else, but ah he wress onng stung yeah but he wrestled as Stephen Borden on ah on this show.

Speaker: is there Is there like a special name for for baby scorpions? I don't know. I kept calling him ah just i just kept calling him Sting Son like in the in the match. I'd be like, Son. ah Steve That's a good name right Steve really good. That's what he should be.

Speaker: Well, I'm glad that you got to see Sting's son and Sting's other son, Darby Allen. That's right they were Both of Sting's sons were there. and Anyway, a very fun show. Sting's son and Sting's son who did not go to church with Sting.

Speaker: the ah The big problem from the last time Dynamite was at the Harris Cherokee Center in Asheville, ah where like the lines for concessions were so were just like outrageously long, and they had one concession stand that was open. Yeah.

Speaker: I think they fixed that this time. ah so ah So that was good. Alright, time for some recommendations. Chris, what do you have to recommend? Matt, I am upholding a long-standing War Rocket Ajax tradition ah this week ah because I am recommending, as I have with, I think, maybe every season for the past few years, I am recommending the current season of Dimension 20, which is essentially...

Speaker: Vampire the Masquerade as what we do in the shadows. That sounds pretty fun. Yes, it's very good. I mentioned this to a friend of the show, Ted Anderson, the other day.

Speaker: But ah it is the first time in a it in my 26 years of being into role-playing games that I have thought, hey, Vampire the Masquerade looks pretty fun, actually.

Speaker: That is not a thought I've ever had before. But it is it's very, very funny. It has some of, I think, the funniest like pure comedy moments that Dimension 20 has ever had. Is this City Council of Darkness?

Speaker: City Council of Darkness is the full name of the season. Did you watch the what we do in the Shadows TV show? Yeah, yeah i love the I like what we do in the Shadows, the TV show, much more than I like the movie. Yeah.

Speaker: So that there was – you remember the council from that show? Yeah. So is it but this it like that? No, this is um a group of vampires mess up so catastrophically ah that rather than just being killed, ah the elder vampires send them to ah establish a vampiric presence in a small town in Oregon called Perpy. Okay.

Speaker: One of their goals is to master the engines of state, which in this case is ah taking over the city council, which they will do by running a dog for mayor to unseat the current mayor, who is also a dog.

Speaker: Excellent. Excellent. It's very funny because Siobhan Thompson is playing Comtesse Madeline, who is like a 500-year-old French vampire. like very Very What We Do in the Shadows, very ah like comedy Lestat.

Speaker: Lou Wilson and Allie Beardsley are playing vampiric businessmen. Who are constantly doing blood cocaine and trying to come up with ah with new business ventures.

Speaker: Emily Axford and Brian Murphy are playing a superhero and his sidekick named Darkness Man and Bat Child. Excellent. Darkness Man is seven and a half feet tall and talks like Christopher Nolan Batman.

Speaker: okay And Bat Child insists that she is not a vampire. She's just half human, half bat. okay And Zakoyama is just straight up playing one of the Lost Boys.

Speaker: Like, a kinda dumb, super hot vampire who talks about bummed out he is about the Cold War. It's really good.

Speaker: Some of the best comedy moments. Like, if you're familiar with the bit in Fantasy High where Fabian goes off by himself... ah in in a Fantasy High sophomore year.

Speaker: It's like that every couple of episodes. It's on dropout, highly recommended. oh i'm I'm not going to play a Vampire, because I know that that that is not for me.

Speaker: But it is the first time I've thought, that might be fun. don't know, y'all play Vampire. Send us enough information for me to ask Matt Wilson what Vampire clan he would be in.

Speaker: Yeah. yeah a Matt Kavian. Matt, what would you like to recommend to the for the people this week? Chris, my recommendation this week is a show that you can watch.

Speaker: um Okay, I have a couple of caveats for this recommendation. One is that it is on Bad Book Website Prime. Okay. So if you don't want to subscribe to Bad Book Website Prime, you cannot watch it, and I understand that why that would be.

Speaker: The second caveat it is is that it is hosted by Jimmy Carr, who can eat shit. jimmy Who's Jimmy Carr? Jimmy Carr is a British comedian who um has done some material that is very like... Oh, he's the he's the guy that looks like a little dork.

Speaker: He looks like he's a little dork. he he I don't know what it is, but he's some got some kind of stranglehold on hosting like British comedic shows. like I'm really glad he doesn't host Taskmaster.

Speaker: But like he hosts so much shit. He hosts 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. He hosts Big Fat Quiz of the Year. like I don't know what it is. like It's like Jimmy Carr. It's like he's got dirt on somebody. Yeah.

Speaker: I don't feel bad that sand he looks like a little twerp, because that's like his gimmick, right? Kind of. but like he's also He cultivates that look. He's done some material that's just like...

Speaker: I don't know. like it It seems like he's trying to do like anti-woke shit. i like i don't like Jimmy Carr at all. And I'm watching and enjoying this show in spite of him. so He looks like ah like a tertiary character from High and Lowest. yeah Yeah. He's got the little beady eyes. He does have some beady eyes.

Speaker: The show is called Last One Laughing. And the premise is that... it's ah It's a reality show, but the reality part of it, like the part where they're like the comedians are in like a big room together for an extended period of time, is six hours. Okay. is an entirety of six hours. And it is very funny because they show up with suitcases. Okay.

Speaker: that That's a good bit. That's good gag. Well, the reason they have the suitcases is because they're all going to do planned comedic bits. All these comedians show up. They go into like kind of like a sealed chamber, which is like one big kind of like meeting room, living room kind of space. And then there's sort of like a dressing room and a kitchen It's, I don't know, it's a weird space. It's kind of made to look like a house, but it is very obviously a studio and not a house.

Speaker: And they cannot, once the time starts, once the six hours starts, they cannot laugh. Okay. Once they do laugh, they get a yellow card, which is their you know their first warning, their only warning. And then if they laugh a second time, they get a red card and they are eliminated.

Speaker: So whoever doesn't laugh in the six hours is the winner of the show, is the winner of like that season of the show. So the show happens pretty much in real time.

Speaker: Like... There are six episodes, and the time period of the stuff is six hours. So a lot of it is just like they're together. They're in like a room. They're hanging out, and they're trying to make each other laugh while not – on more than one occasion, a comedian makes themselves laugh, which, of course, that would happen.

Speaker: um But it's very funny people. It's Richard Iowati. It's Joe Wilkinson, who is extremely funny. ah Yeah. yeah It's Lou Sanders, who is amazing.

Speaker: Like, everybody on it is very funny. um Everybody is um especially reverent of Bob Mortimer, who's on the first season.

Speaker: And, like, they're all most worried about Bob Mortimer making them laugh. Okay. ah and and the And the one they're all trying to crack is Richard Ayoade, who seems like the hardest one to make laugh. but like So they all do like little bits, like planned bits, that are called their jokers, and those are pretty funny.

Speaker: um There are other like planned things that happen that are pretty funny. But the funniest part by far is just like watching them sit around and have conversations and try not to laugh.

Speaker: And the lengths people go to to to not laugh, where they'll like just hold their face in like this horrible scowl to not laugh, um is great stuff.

Speaker: um And once some people get out, they go to the room where the host were Jimmy Carr and the co-host Roshin Kanaty are. And once there are more people in that room and they're laughing at what's going on, it's it's the show becomes more enjoyable.

Speaker: like once you get eliminated, you can go... laugh. ah so um It's very fun and and a quick watch. um and I keep i've kept getting recommended it by people because it's not the kind of premise that like I exactly think I would love.

Speaker: i don't know if I'm in love with the idea of like you know like a long contest where you're trying not to laugh, but this show really works and is really good. Um, so i don't know. Cause like I, I, we had a conversation years ago about how we did this show together for like five years before I heard you laugh at one of my jokes. You'd always just be like, that's very funny. ah Which is brutal.

Speaker: But yeah, okay, Matt, I think we should go on a show like this. I think we should go on this show, and I think we can win it. Okay, great. ah But I just eat i need you to distract everyone while I don't take my antidepressants that day. Okay, great, great.

Speaker: I don't think there's an American version of it, but maybe we can make it happen. Maybe we can make it happen. Maybe we do that. Yeah. ah Last One Laughing is the name of the show. There are two seasons on Bad Book Website Prime.

Speaker: Chris, now that we've made our recommendations, it is time to talk about some comics. What do you say? ah can't wait.

Speaker: I would say there are technically two textures choices this week, but the one I'm going to single out as the texture choice this week is Spectacular Spider-Man Brand New Day, which I texted you and Benito and was just like, this comic is weird.

Speaker: Yeah, man. Hey, we asked for it and they did it. Here's another one for the sickos. ah Here's another one for the heads. The Freaks got one at last, Matt. That's right. I'll tell you, this comic was weird for you?

Speaker: I'm playing Sony's Marvel Spider-Man 2 for the PlayStation 5 right now. Yeah. Which Yuri Watanabe and Martin Lee are all over that bad boy. That's true. That's true.

Speaker: they got They got the Dan Slott fam in there. Here's what I find especially weird about this, though. like it's it's in on the okay It is weird that it is a return to Spider-Man status quo of 18 years ago or whatever. Yeah. like It is exactly a immediately post one more day Spider-Man status quo.

Speaker: Yeah, which, here's what I could not figure out. And this is a very, look, I know, even by asking this question, I am the problem.

Speaker: Yeah. But, like, is this, like, an untold tales of Spider-Man, where this is stuff that, like, happened during Brand New Day? or is this, like, an X-Men Forever, where this is a different universe,

Speaker: That if Brand New Day had, known if Dan Slott had written Brand New Day. Well, he was he was part of the brain trust. but Yes, Matt, I know. Yes. ah But this is Dan Slott and Marcus Toe um on this particular issue. Even though there are pages that look like Marcus Martin.

Speaker: i don't Yeah, Marcus Toe does a bang-up job on this, thought. mar Marcus Martin did draw a couple of pages in this. ah So, okay. Okay. That that answers that.

Speaker: The only thing i I didn't actually like about this comic was the logo. I don't love the logo. I've never liked that spectacular Spider-Man logo. Yeah, that was also not the logo...

Speaker: At the time. During yeah yeah during Brand New Day. Well, that's because during Brand New Day, the only title was Amazing Spider-Man. Yeah, so it was just the regular Spider-Man logo. yeah Here's what I don't understand about this, and here's why I find this especially weird. and and it it It plays into your question about whether this is an alternate universe or it's happening during the events of Brand New Day.

Speaker: When Brand New Day happened in 2008...

Speaker: It just like started. There was never like a moment of like... Or there was never a story that was just like an introduction. It just like dropped us into... This is the new status quo. This is who Spider-Man is.

Speaker: or what Or what Spider-Man... you know They're not married anymore. Spider-Man and Mary Jane. And nobody knows that Peter is Spider-Man anymore. This issue has an explanation of all that stuff.

Speaker: Yeah. So is it like... Again, is this an untold Tales of Spider-Man? that This is like, even okay, even the free comic book day kickoff issue of Brand New Day that introduced Overdrive.

Speaker: ah I like Overdrive. Didn't do that. Right? It just was like, there's a new status quo for Spider-Man, we're dropping you into it. Now, reasonably, readers would have known what had happened in Civil War.

Speaker: and One More Day back then. This issue, I think, assumes people don't remember that stuff. So there's a recap of what happened in Civil War, and there's a conversation between Spider-Man and Kingpin while they're fighting where Kingpin's like, I used to know who you were.

Speaker: Yeah, which is weird, because I didn't know that's how that worked. I don't think it was. I think people just forgot that Peter Parker was Spider-Man and didn't know that they used to know it.

Speaker: Well, i know that when he would reveal his identity to people, they would remember that they had previously known, because they would remember all the stuff. Yeah. So it would be like, oh, I gotta go tell Johnny, or I gotta go tell Daredevil.

Speaker: it know It's very confusing. It's a little confusing. Again, I did like the issue. like yeah we've We've talked about how you know I went back and did that big Dan Slott reread, Spider-Man reread, a couple of years ago, and and really liked it even more than I remember liking it at the time, which was a lot.

Speaker: But yeah, man. Wild. I mean, outside of like Lee and Ditko and Lee and Romita, Brand New Day is like my favorite era of Spider-Man.

Speaker: It's good stuff. So, like, i i love this. Like, I love the return to Mr. Negative. And, like, the shit that happens with Punisher in this issue. it's And it's also like a return to that era of Punisher. You know, that that that version of Frank.

Speaker: I feel like Punisher was a Frankenstein at the time. He might have been. He might have been. yeah um um Here's what I will say. ah What happens in this issue, spoilers, Punisher ah gets gets hit with ah with ah Mr. Negative disease. yeah Mr. Negative hits him with the the color filter. He hits Control-I on him.

Speaker: Right. Which, as we all know, it ah it made Martin Lee evil. And it made Venom good. Right. It made Venom into Anti-Venom.

Speaker: So we get like a negative like inverse Punisher. And if the if next issue comes out and Frank isn't just like really nice and calm, Dan Slott has fucked up. Right. if he Now he hates guns.

Speaker: yeah Yeah. He's like, hey man, let's talk about this. yeah Like, far be it for me to tell Dan Slott how to write comics. I think he's quite good at it in general and has been for quite some time. But if that's not what Negative Punisher is, I'm going to be disappointed. yeah If Negative Punisher just fights Spider-Man, dog, that's what Punisher Punisher does. yeah I know that the reason that this is happening is because of the movie being called Brand New Day.

Speaker: But like the movie isn't set in brand new day continuity, so I don't know what the fuck. ah But it is, i you know, I'm going to appreciate this while I have it. It is fun.

Speaker: Well, I mean, we'll know if it's ah meant to capitalize on the movie if fucking Paul shows up. I mean, The Punisher is in the movie, too, so that tracks. Do you, Matt?

Speaker: Do you know how excited I am up about that? He's got a van. He's got his van in the movie. About the fucking Punisher and Spider-Man Chuckle Brothers comedy hour? Yeah. yeah Can't wait.

Speaker: All right. Next up, we our other texter choice for the week is Barbara Gordon Breakout No. 1. This is a comic where Barbara Gordon sends herself to prison.

Speaker: Yes. This is picking up right after the events of the last issue of Batman. Yes. ah Which ah ended with Barbara Gordon being arrested. But in classic superhero ah fashion, you gotta get captured on purpose, Matt.

Speaker: Yes. If you don't get captured on purpose, are you even a superhero? Police Commissioner Vandal Savage is pulling some shit. And Mayor Poison Ivy. Yes.

Speaker: at the super At Supermax... Where prisoners are going in but they're not coming out. they're They're going in and they're being killed. And so Barbara has to get to the bottom of this.

Speaker: Yeah, there's a private prison in Gotham, which is ah is actually the premise of Arkham Shadow. That's right, yeah. For the the the meta quest. Yes. But Barbara's here, and she's she's going to try to save some people that she's afraid are going to be killed within the walls of the prison, because the guards are all like criminals who Batgirl has abducted in the past.

Speaker: Yeah, and like all the guards are like dirty cops. yeah Yeah. And they recognize that she's Jim Gordon's daughter, and so they're like, oh, you're going to it's going to be really bad for you here.

Speaker: Yeah. This ends on a cliffhanger where you really expect ah a character revealed to happen, but it doesn't. Correct.

Speaker: So that's surprising. um But one of the characters that is revealed... um Actually, Chris, I want to ask you about this. because like ah we i will tell you this, Matt. My first time seeing her.

Speaker: Okay, this is is this Dueladit? This is not Dueladit. No, this is Dice. Okay. who is Who is Two-Face's daughter.

Speaker: And I guess, again, this is my first time seeing her. ah I think she was in maybe Birds of Prey something. ah And she apparently makes decisions by rolling 2d6, which is hilarious. Well, she thinks that she's Two-Face's daughter, but not Harvey Dent's daughter. So I guess that does rule out Duella Dent, who thinks she's the Joker's daughter. Who thought she Joker's daughter?

Speaker: ah But nonetheless, a fun nemesis for Barbara in in the prison. Yeah, I ah really enjoyed this. and And we should say it's... Mariko Tamaki on the script. Yep.

Speaker: And some really, honestly, like really solid art yeah ah from Amanke Nahuelpan and colors by the great Tamra Bonville and colors by Ariana Mar. I like this issue, and I don't necessarily think it needs to be explained. Yeah.

Speaker: Because it is the it is the premise of the comic book. It is the price of admission. But we do get a flashback to everybody like deciding, you know, Barbara and Bruce deciding the plan.

Speaker: And it does not... It doesn't explain, in this issue at least, why it had to be Barbara. big And the only reason I bring that up is because she like one of whoever she's looking for is ah in the men's wing of the prison. Well, that some of them are in the men's wing of the prison. Some of them are in the women's drink wing. it's Well, there's a ah thing that she says that she's like, because she talks about all the people who have gone in and been killed. Yeah.

Speaker: But, you know, she mentions specifically, I've got a... ah ah I've got to go you know find my way into the the men's side of the fence.

Speaker: oh Yeah, I think she's trying to save people on both sides. um so that on the one of you know That makes sense for it being Barbara.

Speaker: According to this issue, it's Barbara because she's she volunteered to do it. Yeah, yeah. like It just feels like that is – like It feels like that's a adding a step yeah when there's there's four other people who could infiltrate this person. And Batman's like, no, don't do that. we We don't need you to do that to put yourself at that kind of risk right now.

Speaker: And Barbara's like, I kind of have to. Yeah. Which, again, i don't think it needs to be explained. and you know I'm all for Barbara Gordon going on an adventure. I just feel like that's an odd plot point to bring up like When she looks at it and she says, investigating Rascott's murder will mean figuring out how to get into the male prisoner section of Supermax and through the electric fence that separates it from ours.

Speaker: I feel like that's a weird obstacle to bring up if it's going to be Barbara. yeah But i don't know. like maybe maybe Maybe A, maybe that'll be explained later. C, maybe I'm overthinking it.

Speaker: And also, like it gives Barbara a cool thing to have to do. Yeah. you know I mean, why does this story have to have obstacles and conflict, Matt? Yeah. unbelievable But Barbara says, we help people who have no one else. even when we Even with everything else that's going on, that's still what we do. I might be someone's only chance of surviving. And that makes Batman go, okay. Yeah, which is which is a very Barbara Gordon thing to do, and I do like that. Yeah.

Speaker: ah Good stuff. I enjoyed this first issue a lot. Finally, um Chris, I'm going to have you tell me about the events of Absolute Batman number 20, which I have not gotten to read just yet.

Speaker: Okay. I wanted to bring this up because we had a conversation on the last Every Story Ever special about the various versions of ah Batman's origin that involved Joe Chill Lou Moxon and all that.

Speaker: It's been established in Absolute Batman that the ah the mass shooter who killed Thomas Wayne at the zoo was Joe Chill and he's been in jail ever since. So in this one, Batman's got those files that Jim Gordon gave him before Jim Gordon was killed.

Speaker: Absolute Jim Gordon got got. He sure did. And that indicates that Joe Chill was a pawn in a larger plot that was orchestrated by Jack Grimm, the absolute joker who never jokes.

Speaker: Do not get it twisted, Matt. He never took jokes. he he Ever. He never laughs, I don't think. He never laughs, and he never jokes. yeah he'd He'd crush it on that show. he would He would. There was a plot to create Batman.

Speaker: bruce white like The contest that Bruce Wayne won as a kid that won his class the trip to the zoo was all part of a long-term setup because Martha Wayne was in the Court of Owls.

Speaker: And the Scarecrow was there working with the absolute joker who does not joke in order to orchestrate Bruce Wayne's childhood trauma.

Speaker: And I guess maybe also ensure that he grew up to be six foot nine. That helps. That sure helps. Yeah. Yeah. And then Joe Chill kills himself.

Speaker: and then this And then this issue introduces the Mecha Robins.

Speaker: The Voltron Robins. Yeah, man. Dick Grayson's got an Iron Giant. Yeah, I gotta read this issue. This this shit's not... I don't know how absolute Batman is just buck wild. Yeah.

Speaker: But it's not... jet and weird It's not just Dick. It's not just Dick. No, but but Dick's the one in the mech. Everybody else has their own super cool vehicle.

Speaker: Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, um, fucking ah Duke has a has a motorcycle that transforms into a suit of armor.

Speaker: Yes.

Speaker: That's great. Oh, man. real Good shit. We love to see it. Yes. ah All right. That's going to do it for our comic segment. Three fun books ah this week.

Speaker: Highly enjoyable. There were some we didn't even mention. that like Mortal Thor was really good. There was other good stuff. Mortal Thor was great. Captain America was really good. yeah ah But now, Chris, it's time for us to take some listener questions. So let's do that.

Speaker: Let's do it.

Speaker: Chris, our first question is going to come from Pedro Valor, who wants to know, what's the best sandwich?

Speaker: We've done this. We've done this. with du We've done this, and we argued about it for months. I i remember ah incredulously saying, cheeseburger. Cheeseburger, yeah. Yeah. ah so you know what, Pedro? You're not going to get us again.

Speaker: ah Alright, Zach Figg wants to know, are you looking forward to the new game in the Yakuza series, Stranger Than Heaven? That game... i mean, yes. The short answer, yes. Long answer, that game seems weird, even by Like a Dragon standards.

Speaker: In that it takes place over multiple decades... Starting in, ah like I think it starts during World War, or like prior to World War II in Japan, ah which is not like a super chill era era to revisit for Japan.

Speaker: For wide variety of reasons, foreign and domestic. Also, Snoop Dogg's in it! That's like the middle era of the game.

Speaker: Yeah, it takes place over decades. Apparently the eras are 1915, 1929, 1943, 1951, and 1965. So none of modern. Yeah. I mean, look, I those Yakuza games. like those a Dragon didn't really get into Judgment... nineteen fifty one and nineteen sixty five yeah so none of it is modern yeah um i mean like look i like those yakaza games i like those like a dragon games a lot i didn't i didn't really get into judgment Uh, like, it just, like, there's too much Phoenix Wright in it for me, but, you know, I like, i certainly like the Fist of the North Star game that is a secret Yakuza game.

Speaker: And I like the one that takes place in, uh, in samurai times. So, i mean, i'm I'm all for it. I'm gonna play it. I'm, you know, I'm as close to being in the tank for it as you can be, but buddy, does it seem weird?

Speaker: Like, it's it like i I know very little about it, and I kind of don't want to know anything else. Yeah. Because they've gotta be they got to be doing something. All right. Here's a question from our good friend, Ben Gully.

Speaker: Love that guy. Blue Sky. What is your go-to order at a generic American Chinese restaurant? ah I like sesame chicken and fried wontons.

Speaker: General So's Chicken. General So's has, there is such a wide definition of what that is.

Speaker: Absolutely. I'm always excited to learn what a given restaurant's version of General So's is going to be. Yeah.

Speaker: That makes sense. that makes sense like If you want to go with something like solid that is probably going to be good and fairly consistent, sesame chicken is a good choice.

Speaker: yeah but I gotta try the general so's. You are a more adventurous than I am. I crave consistency and the expected.

Speaker: Risk taker. which Rarely, but but occasionally. I guess specifically with regards to Chinese restaurants. That's right. Unfamiliar Chinese restaurants. With with General Tso's Chicken, in particular. yeah um WCWit on our Discord wants to know, aside from sheep, what other barnyard animals would make good detectives?

Speaker: All right, because Wolverine is hanging out with them sheep. yeah moving Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. yeah yeah

Speaker: I think we should just refer to Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Would he like that? I mean, look, we know who he is because of Wolverine. That's fair. I would watch a lot of Australian TV shows back in the year 2000.

Speaker: And he wouldn't be in The Greatest Showman. Yeah. If he had never played Wolverine. And I'm going to go ahead and guess, Wolverine made that dude a lot of money.

Speaker: I'm sure he did. but There were lots of jokes in Deadpool and Wolverine about like how they're going to keep making him play Wolverine until he's 90 or whatever. ah but like Like actual Lucky Jim Halpert.

Speaker: I mean, look, fucking Ian McKellen is playing Magneto until he's 90. So that's how it goes.

Speaker: It's wild that he's playing Magneto again. It's pretty wild. wild What's he playing Magneto again in? In Doomsday. Oh.

Speaker: Well, good for him. He and Patrick Stewart are coming back for Doomsday. They're not getting a McAvoy and Fassbender? They have not been advertised, no. Okay. i I have a ah guess that they probably maybe only appear in one scene.

Speaker: Yeah, I would i would assume. Yeah. but pat Patrick Stewart was in Doctor Strange, right? He was in Doctor Strange, too. yeah

Speaker: Patrick Stewart it was in that Sam Raimi movie, right? Yes, he was. He was in one extended scene in that movie.

Speaker: ah He wasn't in a whole lot of that movie. I genuinely forget what the question was. Oh, it was about sheep. was about barnyard animals. It was about barnyard animals that would be good detectives. Goat.

Speaker: Yeah, good the the goat of being a detective. They got them specialized. They can see all the clues.

Speaker: ah Maybe like a donkey?

Speaker: Do you think a donkey would be better at solving a crime than a goat? Man, that's tough. That's tough. Because I don't think so. A goat does have like scrounging ability that would make it... like it would It would be able to uncover clues. you're You're very right about that. I feel like the obvious answer is pig.

Speaker: Pigs are smart. Yeah. And unfortunately delicious. And unfortunately delicious, yeah. i i ah I have considered hiring goats to come... like eat foliage out of my yard. Which is a thing.

Speaker: Do you remember how we talked, AC and I talked about getting a dog named Biscuit for years before we got a dog named Biscuit. Yeah. And so we kind of manifested our perfect dog.

Speaker: okay the The Blessed Saint, Bowberry Biscuit Sullivan Sims. um AC has been very similarly, like, jokingly, ha-ha, talking about getting a goat to eat the back lawn and naming it Tin Can. Because that's a goat food.

Speaker: yeah And then talking about how it is the shortest possible jump from that idea to me sleeping in a bed with two dogs and a goat.

Speaker: Because it does get cold out there, man. I'm not going to leave Tin Can out there. Yeah. Man, goats smell, though. Goats really smell. Buddy, have you met my dogs. like waves through the house.

Speaker: Yeah, I think we're going to go with goat. Although pig is also a good answer. Pig is is is good. Goat, I think, is good. Chicken? Terrible. chicken chicken and yeah Chicken ain't solving no crimes. No. Cow ain't solving no crimes.

Speaker: Cow ain't solving no crimes, but I feel like a cow is like the Mycroft Holmes of the barnyard. You know, where it's like they could, they just refuse to apply themselves. Sure.

Speaker: Sure. They're too comfortable. Yeah. Louberry on our Discord wants to know, who's your favorite fail son in comics?

Speaker: oh That's a great question. That's a great question. Who do we got? Who do we got for the Great Felsons? Well, unfortunately, but my first thought is somebody from a movie and not comics.

Speaker: Okay. But he's from a Batman movie. Is it ah fucking Christopher Walken's son, Chip Shrek? It's Chip Shrek, yeah. Chip Shrek is great.

Speaker: Is one of the greatest fail sons in film history. That guy doing a Christopher Walken impression while standing next to Christopher Walken. Incredible.

Speaker: It's so funny. Arguably the best character in those four movies. ah but My favorite part of that movie, Easily. is Chip Shrek. Dad.

Speaker: Dad. Dad. Dad, Mr. Mayor, it's time to bring joy to the masses. Oh, he's great. he's great i think that is the runaway correct answer.

Speaker: I mean, he's not in comics, unfortunately. yeah I mean, I guess he's in the comic adaptation of Batman Returns. So, in comics, we've got we've got Harry Osborn. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker: Who's only kind of a fail son. Well, I mean, failed pretty hard.

Speaker: Yeah, he he he in the end, he failed pretty hard, yeah. But he wasn't like incompetent, like you usually think of fail sons being. I mean, he didn't kill Spider-Man when he was the Green Goblin.

Speaker: That's true. But I mean, that's the the same reason I would say that John Jameson is not a fail son. John Jameson's not fail-sign because he's a hero astronaut. He's a hero astronaut who got turned into a werewolf. Yeah. um Jason Todd.

Speaker: I'm sorry. It's true. mad about it if you want. Oh, man. Oh, man.

Speaker: Let's see. did Anybody else come to mind? Is Connor Hawk a fail son?

Speaker: In that he never got over. He did never get over, yeah. I like Connor Hawk a lot. like as ah like I think he's a ah fun character.

Speaker: i liked him being like... Like... A weird kid raised in a monastery who had taskmaster powers.

Speaker: like yeah I think that's interesting. I don't think that necessarily makes for a good green arrow. But oh I did like that he... ah I liked him in general.

Speaker: But I think maybe he is up he's a little bit of a failson. What about Alexander Luther Jr.?

Speaker: Who's Alexander Luther Jr.? he's He's the son of Earth-3 Lex Luthor. Oh, yeah, no.

Speaker: I mean, Earth-3, by definition, he's a loser.

Speaker: Now, Lex Luthor 2, also not a fail son, because also not the son of Lex Luthor. Secretly Lex Luthor 1. He's a clone, yeah. yeah I don't know, who are some other sons...

Speaker: Well, I mean, technically, many, many of them are sons. About half. Well, superheroes about 75%. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. But you know what I mean. You know what I mean.

Speaker: um I'm trying to think of who has kids. Wally West has kids, but I like those kids. But like usually ah usually a failed son is also like the son of someone who is rich and powerful. Yeah. So like so Oliver Queen, Bruce Wayne, Lex Luthor,

Speaker: Jameson. And Norman Osborn. Norman Osborn. Do any other villains have kids? Felix Faust had a kid.

Speaker: Yeah. remember Remember Felix Faust Jr. who used his father's bones as knives? I do remember that. i tell yeah Hell yeah. Underworld Unleashed, baby. That's mid-90s DC Comics.

Speaker: like ah A lot of the fail sons are in movies. because like Remember um John Cryer in Superman 4? Oh yeah, he was a nephew. Oh, he wasn't a son. He was a nephew. That's right. yeah What's his name? Lenny? Lenny Luther?

Speaker: I believe Lenny is what his name was. like like Lex has a daughter, not a son. Yes, and she's great. Yeah, she's great, yeah. um i mean, by the default... The Supersons were great, but did not get over.

Speaker: me and Bob Bainey are the only ones who give a shit about them. Well, the modern Supersons of John Kent and Damian Wayne are pretty great. Yeah, I like John Kent and Damian Wayne.

Speaker: Yeah. I guess by default it might be Harry Osborn. Yeah, I think i think Harry Osborn's kind of the archetypical comics fail son. I mean, you say he's not incompetent. What has he done?

Speaker: yeah Except do a drug and die. Yeah, except he did a drug. He was Green Goblin. He died. He came back. He died again. Yeah, true enough. And you know what? I'll say it.

Speaker: His son sucks too. I don't i don't fuck with Normie. Aw, little normie. Don't name your son after your abusive father who also murdered Gwen Stacy. That's true.

Speaker: And you know he did. Yeah. I actually do like video game Harry Osborn lot. Because he he's pretty fun.

Speaker: But generally speaking, Harry Osborn is a nothing character until he is Green Goblin 2. Like... and Well, I guess probably until he does a drug.

Speaker: Right. But, like, right you don't want Peter Parker's best friend to be someone one who's kind of like Peter Parker, but rich and not Spider-Man. Like, we had a conversation... Does Randy Robertson count as a fail son?

Speaker: Randy seems to be doing okay. Randy, like, has gotten into some bad situations, but he... yeah like i don't I don't think you wind up with Janice Lincoln if you're a fail son. But that has gotten him into trouble.

Speaker: But that has gotten him into trouble, yes. yeah ah What were you going to say ah like Spider-Man has so many other good best friends who have a contrast to him.

Speaker: And I even think like Randy Robertson is a lot of times just like kind of a solid guy. And that's all the characterization he gets for a really long time. As a contrast to Peter, yeah. As a contrast to Peter. But that's at least a contrast to Peter, as opposed to Harry, who's just kind of like a body.

Speaker: Well, he's he's a rich guy who can ease through life in a way that Peter can't. Yeah, but that shit never comes up. In, like in like the like, before He's Green Goblin 2. That shit never comes up. That is all, like, revised stuff. Like, that's fucking post-James Franco stuff.

Speaker: yeah Stuff that probably should have been there, but wasn't really. Yeah, no, stuff that makes sense, but they didn't do it. They didn't do it, yeah.

Speaker: Here's an email question from Sean Bell. Who says, as you guys have reviewed Venom, Amazing Spider-Man, and most recently Death Spiral, I wonder what your broader thoughts were on Mary Jane as Venom, given all that's happened. I've loved Ewing's run and think MJ as Venom's host is the best, funniest, and most creatively interesting idea Marvel's had in years.

Speaker: So I would kind of like her to take the role permanently. I think it is a thing that is designed to be temporary. I don't think we're going to get permanent Mary Jane Venom, but it is fun while it's going on.

Speaker: Yeah. At this point, I feel like Venom having a new host is like, that has become an element of Venom in the same way that, you know,

Speaker: the multiverse has become an element of Spider-Man in that, like, it's kind of weird that it's like that, but like, yeah, we've had a lot of people as Venom and we're probably, you know, it's going to go back to Eddie Brock, but then I think it's going to go to other people as well.

Speaker: I don't think it's ever going to be, but I don't think anyone's going to be Venom permanently. Yeah. I mean, if anybody's, if it's going to come back to anybody repeatedly, it is going to be Eddie. Yeah.

Speaker: Eddie. Eddie. Which I think is weird because, like, comics Eddie Brock is so radically different from movie Eddie Brock. And I don't think they can ever really quite marry the two of those. Yeah, it would be it would be interesting to see, like, to see them try.

Speaker: But, well it like, movie Eddie Brock was never Peter Parker's rival. So. Yeah. like it It would be really hard. But it's like it's like how Star-Lord was original obscure 1970s Star-Lord, who had that one comic, like one shot in the 90s, and then was Annihilation Star-Lord, which mutated into movie Star-Lord, which mutated back into comic Star-Lord, and then he got turned back into Star-Lord.

Speaker: Which was an Al Ewing joint. Yeah. Yeah. ah So yeah, I think we're going to see different people get the Venom symbiote. That said, I think Mary Jane as Venom is, it's like, you're dead on. It's hilarious.

Speaker: And it's it's the most MJ has gotten to do in almost 20 years. Yeah. MJ's been, like, three different superheroes in the past... 15 years.

Speaker: Well, she was jackpot. Well, she she wasn't jackpot, though. Right? She wasn't jackpot originally. She wasn't jackpot originally. And then she was jackpot. And then she was jackpot.

Speaker: Yeah. And then she she got the the slot machine gimmick. that That's when she was jackpot. Yeah, that's when she was jackpot. But she was also someone else. Or am I just thinking of when she got Spider Powers in Spider Island?

Speaker: She did get Spider Powers in Spider Island. Yeah. Yeah. like That's a thing that I think is really fun about the Marvel Universe, and that I think doesn't really... like It's a thing that the Marvel Universe has that the DC Universe doesn't, and I like it as kind of a feature of the Marvel Universe.

Speaker: Anybody can be anybody. Yeah, yeah. Like, Captain America can be Nomad. Falcon can be Captain America. you know Iron Man can be Doctor Doom.

Speaker: War Machine can be Iron Man. Venom can be Mary Jane. Spider-Man can be two guys at the same time.

Speaker: um She really has only been jackpot, I feel like. um And Venom. she's had like Yeah, and Venom. ah like she's She's had like very brief um other identities, but um it's really just been jackpot and Venom.

Speaker: What if the first thing you ever said to Marlene like weirdly defined your life forever? Yeah, yeah. that's That's Mary Jane. That's the life of Mary Jane, for sure.

Speaker: I do really love the design of Mary Jane as Venom, where she's like two-thirds of the height. Yeah, because she's like little. She's like just like...

Speaker: ah riding inside Venom. There's just like oh like a tiny model inside Venom. yeah Very funny. Very good. very funny i I like MJ as Venom.

Speaker: i think it's I think that's a very fun idea. Gulen on our Discord server asks if it's a little early for Halloween names. I don't know if that's Halloween or not. Anyway, Ghoulin asks, if AEW were to make a women's only tournament, what woman should they pay tribute to? Alright, I'm going to propose something here. okay I think it should be one of two people. okay like They could go way back and do like Mildred Burt or somebody.

Speaker: ah but and And I know that that's like a big Tony Storm influence. I wonder if you and I are thinking of the same person. right I'm thinking of two people who were rivals, and both still alive.

Speaker: okay This is not a tribute to someone who's dead. This is this is ah a tournament that would be a tribute to two living people. First, Bull Nakano.

Speaker: good Good choice. good choice like The Bull Nakano Invitational Tournament would be incredible. Second, Medusa.

Speaker: it's ah ah We were not thinking you didn't hit either one of mine. okay i think those are good choices. I think i i think Medusa might be a harder sell, not for any fault of her own, but just because she is maybe the most misused talent of all time in professional wrestling.

Speaker: That is true. that is And she's misused everywhere she worked. Yeah, she was misused in w you e the WCW dropped the fucking ball with her. yeah Yeah. Well, WCW didn't have any opponents for her, is the problem. Yeah, except they they could have.

Speaker: They could have. She fucking wrestles the dangerous queen, Akita Hokuto. I mean, they they brought it yeah they brought in like... Hokuto and some Japanese joshi wrestlers for her to face off against. But like she didn't have like ah she didn't have anybody that she could have a program with week to week. Yeah. yeah And so the storyline she ended up in were just like weird like stuff with like Sherry and Harlem Heat and stuff like that. Yeah, and and Colonel Robert Parker.

Speaker: And Colonel Robert Parker, yeah.

Speaker: All right, what are your two? ah My pick, but you just said it, Sherry Martell. Sherry Martell would be incredible. i I do think that Sherry is probably too associated with w WWE.

Speaker: Maybe, but you know she did she was in the AWA. The AWA was where she mostly wrestled. Yeah, that's true. ah that's true you know And she had she had her stint in WCW.

Speaker: Yeah, I always think of her as being a WCW character, because that's where I first encountered her, you know? Yeah. And then I think if, ah like, the the obvious pick for me would be, if I can give you two Japanese options, Megumi Kudo.

Speaker: ah Yes, yes. The... the Fucking goat. I mean... do Also Manami Toyota, but... And Manami Toyota. That was my other pick. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker: Yeah. Boy, if you've never watched that Megumi Kudo versus Combat Toyota bar player death match... Holy... It's the best. AC's favorite match. it's It's one of the best matches of all time.

Speaker: Yeah. No shit. No joke. It's one of the best matches of all time. No, Megumi Kudo is... yeah is like one of my favorite wrestlers of all time.

Speaker: She rules. And I love that her whole thing was like, she was the you know pink, you know high femme, almost like you know pop idol, and then she would come out in jeans and just fuck you up.

Speaker: Also, how great is it that Combat Toyota's first name was Combat? Yes, ah that's the kind of thing that can only happen in ah in Joshi, in Puro Resu.

Speaker: Yeah. I think Manami Toyota has a a a good ah claim on it. um i think ah but But I think Sherry Martell would be my oh first pick. Sensational Sherry.

Speaker: The problem with with a lot of this would be like...

Speaker: A lot of the women that you would choose, weirdly enough, are like really associated with w WWE. like Even the ones who have problems with w WWE, you know like like Wendy Richter, would not have been...

Speaker: you you know I don't think she's a fan of w WWE now. but like I certainly wouldn't be. Most of the career that you remember is was in w WWE.

Speaker: Yeah. um Anyway, Luna Vachon. Luna Vachon would be a great pick. Yeah. It's just a matter of like who would w WWE lay claim to I mean, if if they can't lay claim to Monami Toyota or Akira Hokuto. Well, you know, it's it's... I mean, it's slightly different, but you know they've got the Owen.

Speaker: yeah And I would say most people would strongly associate Owen Hart with WWE. But, you know, that was also his real name.

Speaker: And also, like, you know, there's a good reason why... yeah yeah His family does not associate with ww WWE anymore. er Well, everybody but Brett.

Speaker: Antony Discord says, Got any favorite nominees for the industry's second most prestigious awards, the isrs Eisners? Thank you for giving the Gordies the proper respect.

Speaker: Yes, yes, yes. Because we all know that's the show. That's the show. but That's the show. ah i'll so I'll say this. I saw the list of best ongoing comic nominees, and I immediately was like, there is there is ah a book that has a lock on this, and it is absolute Wonder Woman.

Speaker: who Yeah. Yeah. I actually haven't looked at any of the nominees, so like the only thing that I know is that our friend Jodi ah worked on the ah ah DC Pride anthology and that got nominated. yeah so So I'm hoping that wins for Best Anthology.

Speaker: Absolute Batman Annual is nominated for Best Single Issue. I mean, that's a hard one to to beat. That is a hard one to beat.

Speaker: i mean, that's the only the that's probably the only Eisner-nominated comic where someone gets hit with the One-Winged Angel. i would I would guess. I would guess.

Speaker: Fraction Batman is is nominated for Best New Series. That's also a good one. Pretty on board for that. yeah I've been really enjoying that book.

Speaker: Oh yeah, Best Anthology, DC Pride 2025 is in there.

Speaker: I hope everyone that I know who got nominated for an award, I hope they all win. ah None of our, I don't think any of our Friends who regularly get nominated for Eisner's got nominated this year. Yeah, did Erica get one this year?

Speaker: I don't think Erica got one this year, unfortunately. Well, they should give her one anyway. And neither did Kyle. man Now, that's ah that's a shame.

Speaker: Kyle put out some good stuff. Kyle put out some great shit. I mean, you know. But they both do every year. They both do every year. this is This is true. It is known.

Speaker: um Absolute Martian Manhunter got a ton of of nominations, and um it should win. It should win for art. Javier Rodriguez on that book is unbelievable.

Speaker: Yeah, that's that's unsurprising. because like Not only is that a good comic, ah because it's an excellent comic, and I ah love reading it. Another great issue came out this week.

Speaker: oh but it is also like exactly the kind of superhero comic that is going to get nominated for an Eisner. Absolutely. I mean, the the the Absolute Books put up a very good showing at the Eisners this year. but I mean, as well they should. They're pretty they fucking good.

Speaker: Yeah, they're they're kind of saving comics. so yeah I was thinking about how I don't really give a shit about the Oscars.

Speaker: Yeah. And I think one of the reasons is... Why is the best movie of the year never a comedy? Or a horror movie.

Speaker: Yeah. Like, why is it always kind of the same kind of movie... And it's never one that is enjoyable to watch. The same kind of prestige drama yeah every time.

Speaker: like I was really, really rooting for Sinners to win yes ah this year. like The only reason I care about the Oscars at all is I want to see recognition for movies that I really like and think deserve it.

Speaker: Yeah. And... but it almost never happens. yeah Like I thought sinners deserve to win and it wasn't even close, but of course they had to give it to the, like, you know, more quote unquote respectable drama and not to the vampire horror movie.

Speaker: Uh, I don't know. Sinners is a much better made movie. it i mean, I don't even dislike one battle after another, but like Sinners is better. I just don't understand why the best movie is never a comedy.

Speaker: Yeah. Well, they don't make comedies anymore. so Oh, because because you can't make jokes anymore? No. Comedy's not legal anymore? I mean, i that may be the reason, but it's just like...

Speaker: I dare you to go like count the number of actual theatrical comedies released in the last like couple years. There aren't many. We're getting a new scary movie.

Speaker: We are getting a new scary movie, thank God. And it's not woke. ah oh Oh, thank God. but are you Are you going to review new Scary Movie? No.

Speaker: No. right to the end I thought about suggesting Scary Movie 4 because that's the one about Saw. ahha But we're not doing it. What if they what if this one has like a bunch of Chucky and Annabelle and Megan stuff in it, Matt?

Speaker: It doesn't. um It has fucking long legs for some reason. That's weird. Yep, it's got long legs. Robbo on our Discord asks, are the tops of supermen Superman's boots just shaped like that, are they supposed to look like an M for man?

Speaker: ah I believe it was Ed McGinnis ah who pointed out in a... ah the a a ah You know how Wizard Magazine used to run the like, you know, Michael Turner shows you how to draw a sexy lady, or whatever. And they had like, Ed McGinnis shows you how to draw Superman.

Speaker: Yeah. And I remember him saying that he always thinks of it as the curl is an S and the boots are an M for Superman. like And that's like the more subtle like the more subtle hint than like just the ah the big shield.

Speaker: So for Ed McGinnis, yes, it is supposed to look like an M. The boots aren't always that exact shape, but... Well, they weren't they were back when Jose Luis Garcia Lopez was drawing that damn style guide.

Speaker: That's right, yeah. And giving everybody their real clothes that they should still be wearing.

Speaker: I'm old. I never thought of the boots as an M, but... I don't hate that. I don't hate that as an idea. I mean i just think like i think it's generally just like a cool design. Because Wonder Woman's... like Batman's boots sweep up to a point. like the and We're talking about the Jose Luis Garcia Lopez costumes, the classic costumes.

Speaker: Batman's boots sweep up to the point. Superman's have the dip. And then Wonder Woman's have just the point. And so you get like the three, like kind of like the Sailor Scouts, they all have different shoes.

Speaker: And I always thought that was cool. And then you know Flash's boots have the wings, Martian Manhunter's boots are like the Corsair boots. So you get some like interesting footwear in there.

Speaker: Yeah. I'm looking at different designs of Superman boots. they They changed them a lot for the Superman and Lois TV show.

Speaker: ah they They're not an M at all.

Speaker: In Superman 2025, they're kind of an m But it's not like a an actual point. weird ah Quinn wants to know, where do I even start with Star Trek and what do I skip?

Speaker: Oh, see, those now those are two different questions. Well, it's like the thing about Star Trek is, except for like modern Star Trek, which is more serialized,

Speaker: like Up to like Discovery, up up to everything up to, through, before a Discovery, you can kind of start anywhere.

Speaker: Yeah. like All of it was... i mean, you know the original series, obviously... Yeah.

Speaker: yeah and even though voyager was on a network because voyager was on upn oh it was designed to be like each episode is an adventure um Yeah, I guess Enterprise is more serialized. Enterprise is the first one that was really serialized, and you should not watch it because it's bad.

Speaker: Yeah, I don't really like Enterprise. um Here's what I'll say about Star Trek.

Speaker: A good chunk of it's bad. A good chunk of it, but like that's that's TV. That's TV where you have 20-some episodes a season. Yeah.

Speaker: Yeah, there's 60 episodes of it's going to be bad the original series, and about 30 of them are good. yeah But the bad ones are usually still enjoyable to watch, for the most part. There are some glaring exceptions. Our mutual pal, ah my buddy Annie Creighton,

Speaker: like ah decided that she was going to start watching Next Generation on her lunch break every day. And was going to start at the beginning. Uh-huh. And she's watched like some here and there, but has never done like the whole series watch. So I decided to watch along with her. So I'm re-watching Next Generation Season 1.

Speaker: It's bad. It's rough. And Season 2's worse. Well, there Season 2 has better episodes. Season 2 has a couple of good episodes, but like the bad ones are Or really bad. Because season two happens during a writer's strike.

Speaker: Right. I would say if you're going to start somewhere, just start with season three, episode one of Next Generation. i mean, because that's a safe bet, yeah.

Speaker: Yeah, because it'll tell you everything you need to know. You don't need like long introductions to the characters.

Speaker: And season three is Yeah. so I would say watch Measure of a Man and Who from Season 2.

Speaker: And those are kind of the only ones you need to watch. Q is a godlike being who likes to fuck with ah this one dude for some reason. But you don't even have to go back to those. You can just start with Season 3, Episode 1. And then if you like it and decide you want to go back to the Season 1 and 2 episodes, you can do that later.

Speaker: Well, the reason I say those is because Measure of a Man is genuinely great and is one of my favorite episodes. It's very good, yes. It's it's the best episode of Season 2. is arguably the best episode of the first three seasons of Star Trek, of The Next Generation.

Speaker: um And Q-Who introduces the Borg and is a pretty good episode. Yeah. You could argue that Yesterday's Enterprise is a better episode than Measure of a Man. but Yeah, I mean, Yesterday's Enterprise pretty fucking. good Yesterday's Enterprise may it might be my favorite episode of the whole show. yes Look, Yesterday's Enterprise is the shit you will not get an argument from me.

Speaker: Yeah. You know I love Yesterday's Enterprise. ah But I would also say, literally, watch any random episode of Star Trek the original series.

Speaker: Because that's almost how it was meant to be seen. We're going to do one more question. it is from BlackArmorBossDog.

Speaker: Patrick O'Duffy. that's some armor I like. Yeah. The Patrick O'Duffy armor. Who says, when the Absolute DC project inevitably ends, which Absolute character should make their way to the mainstream universe and replace the standard version?

Speaker: Well, don't want any of them to replace. I mean, if one is going to... Martian Manhunter? Absolute Wonder Woman. Oh, you would take Absolute Wonder Woman? Yeah. Yeah. Absolute Wonder Woman is so much better. Well, I mean... Look, I don't disagree with you.

Speaker: But I feel like Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman has the potential to to be as good as that character.

Speaker: Martian Manhunter is like... And I say this as someone who likes the Martian Manhunter. Absolute Martian Manhunter so much better and has so much better ideas. For sure.

Speaker: Yeah, absolutely. i like i Look, I don't want any of them to replace the mainstream versions, really. um But if one is going to like bleed over, if one is going to Miles Morales their way into the main DC universe, I want it to be Absolute Wonder Woman.

Speaker: Yeah. i i see I see what you mean. yeah I would also like Superman to be a ah full revolutionary space communist.

Speaker: I mean, that is, that yes. But I think you could make regular Superman that with relatively few changes. um

Speaker: Yeah. and i But i I don't know that I agree with the premise of your question. Patrick, i don't I don't think that's going to happen. ah Given how well the Absolute books are selling, i don't know how long it's going to be. i i don't know how brief the Absolute project is going to be. It might go on for quite some time. Well, I mean, you know, consider that the Ultimate books were also very successful, and yeah those did eventually come to three or four ends.

Speaker: that's so They sure did. They sure did. um And there's another ultimate ending happening right now. I do think Wonder Woman should be permanently seven feet tall. Yeah, man.

Speaker: Yeah, man. Have that big sword.

Speaker: I love Absolute Wonder Woman. I love that take. Yeah, it's good. character It's really good. Yeah. All right, that's going to have to wrap us up. um If you would like to send us a listener question, there are a few ways you can do that. You can send it to us on BlueSky, WarRocketAjax.com on BlueSky.

Speaker: um You can send it on our Discord, which you have to be invited to join, but if you ask us nicely for an invitation to join the Discord... We will get you one and you can join over there. ah You can also email us at our email address, which is warrocketpodcast at gmail.com. Another place you can get in touch with us is on Tumblr.

Speaker: We're there at warrocketpodcast.tumblr.com. That is where show notes for these episodes go up. So ah follow us on Tumblr so you can read the show notes for these episodes.

Speaker: We mentioned our Patreon, patreon.com slash warrocketajax. Go... kick in some support there if you can. Warrocketajax.com is our website that has every episode of the show that we've ever done. Warrocketwiki.com has all kinds of information about the show, Warrocket Ajax. So go check that out.

Speaker: And contribute to it if you'd if you'd like. Yeah, you can. you think there's ah there's a good a category of show information or bit explanation? then by all means, i' become a contributor to the War Rocket Ajax wiki.

Speaker: If you want to find me and my stuff, go to mattdwilson.net to find links to my comics, my books, my other podcasts, and my social media accounts. Chris, where can people find you? Everybody can find me by going to the-isb.com. That is my website. It has things you can read on it, things I've written, links to comics, all kinds of good stuff. Hey, ah the ah full second issue PDF of Steel Tango is out now.

Speaker: ah So you can go to ah David Wynn's Patreon and ah grab that. I'm pretty sure it's up there for free. So ah that is ah the book that I am scripting based on David's plots and his very fun artwork.

Speaker: ah I take over scripting halfway through the second issue, which is about robots fighting robot dinosaurs. It's fun times. Fun? In the South London criminal underworld.

Speaker: Fun times indeed.

Speaker: We'll be back next week with another episode, so come back for that. Until then, everybody, do not forget Black Lives Matter. Trans rights are human rights. As are abortion rights.

Speaker: Drag is not a crime. Cops aren't your friends. Fuck ice. Free Palestine. We love you. We love you. Yeah!