Kray Z Comics and Stories 667: February 2025 Comics Reviews

Joe and Cory!! read a LOT of comics, and this week, they will review a big batch fo them, including:
-Dog Moon and Hell Eternal (Vertigo)

-Mad Magazine 44 (DC Comics) 

-Smarg – A local Minnesota comic 

-The Little Stooges (American Entertainment)

-Astro City Metrobook 6 (Image)

-Epitaphs From The Abyss 7 (Oni)

They also discuss:
-Cory!! hypes his Gwandanaland subscription and they don’t even pay him to do it.

-Joe talks about how he would watch The Monkees at 3 am when Twin Cities TV went 24 hours

-They wander off onto a rabbit trail about syndicated TV packages of the 1970s

All of this, the usual shenanigans, and much, much more!

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Kray Z Comics and Stories 666:  15th Anniversary?  Oh Hell!

It’s our 15th anniversary as well as Epiusode 666, so we have TWO things to do. Our secret origin and then the history of Marve;’s Son of Satan!  We also discuss:

  • Why was the show ALMOST called Travelling Geeks?
  • Where did freaking and geeking come from?
  • What is the “push and pull” of the show?
  • Joe still wants the podcast to be live on video.  
  • What was the FIRST version of Son of Satan Sta Lee recommended
  • And then there was a SECOND series name before Son of Satan
  • How Son of Satan had to deal with 1970’s Marvel “Revolving Door” or artists
  • A sideline into the Marvel Fill In series
  • How the write when Son of Satan went from Marvel Spotlight to his own book was…problematic
  • What happened to Son of Satan after his 70’s hayday? 

Joe’s Retro Review is the first issue of Hogan’s Heroes

All of this, the usual shenanigans, and much, much more!

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Kray Z Comics and Stories 665: Diamond Comics Distributor’s Bankruptcy

Diamond Comics Distribution has declared bankruptcy, which means they are going to reorganize under Chapter 11. This is a HUGE change in the industry, so Joe and Cory!! Have to talk about it. In doing so, they discuss:

  • Cory gives a history lesson on how comics distribution got to where it is today.
  • He starts with 1957. Wait, what?
  • The start of the direct market in the 1970’s.
  • The black and white comics collapsed in the 1980’s.
  • Comics distribution in the early 1990’s
  • Why the Twin Cities went with Capital City Distribution instead of Diamond in the 80’s and early 90’s.
  • Marvel buying Heroes world and the comics distribution collapse of the 90’s.
  • Joe talks about the weird things you had to do when ordering comics to get special discounts and rare items.
  • Issue with Diamond over the years.
  • How the pandemic was the last nail in Diamond’s coffin
  • What is the fallout going to be

All of this, a Retro Review, Freaking and Geeking, and much, much more!

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Kray Z Comics and Stories 664: January 2025 Comics Previews!

Every month, Joe and Cory!! go through Previews to highlight comics coming in the future. This time, they go through Previews for comics shipping in February 2024 and beyond, point out the new, the collected and the interesting for YOU to bother your comic shop about!

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Kray Z Comics and Stories 663: New Year, Same Old Us

It’s the year 2025, and man is still alive, as is this here podcast!  For YOU it’s only been a week, but for US it’s been nearly a MONTH so Joe needs to catch us up on what he has been up to and Cory!! Has comics news!  They also discuss:

  • Joe discusses passing gas for about three minutes, which is the high quality discourse that we are known for and makes us a national treasure. 
  • What did Joe and Cory!! do on New Year’s Eve?
  • Joe talks about upcoming comic conventions
  • Cory goes over the issues with Diamond Comics Distribution the last few months.
  • Previews shipping issues as well
  • How comics sales turned around in 2024 according the retailers
  • One of the local shops that does NOT get new comics hit its year anniversary!

Joe’s Retro Review is Showcase #1

All of this, the usual shenanigans and much, much more!

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Kray Z Comics and Stories 662: Marvel Vs. DC Omnibus Part 2

It’s the second part of Cory!! And Joe’s review of the Marvel/DC Crossovers omnibus. They discuss what makes a good crossover, what could the future hold, and a discussion of these stories

  • Batman/Punisher
    • In this story it’s the time when Azreal has replaced Batman
    • What they thought of it at the time and how it holds up now
  • Punisher/Batman
    • This was written by Chuck Dixon, who was writing both characters at the time.
    • Why philosophical differences between characters makes for a better story than just two heroes fighting
  • Spider-Man/Batman
    • What was the story gimmick that made this different
  • Silver Surfer/Green Lantern
    • This is the first Marvel/DC story where there is a connection between their universes because it was setting up for Marvel vs DC
    • Written by Ron Marz, who had also written both characters
  • Silver Surfer/Superman
    • Written by George Perez
    • This one had great comedy bits between all of the characters.
  • Batman/Captain America
    • Set in the 1940’s
    • By John Byrne
    • And it was an Elseworlds
  • Daredevil/Batman
    • When the crossovers started to become less of an event and more of a formula
  • Batman/Spider-Man
    • A great sequel to the first team up between the two
  • Fantastic Four/Superman
    • Was originally tabloid size
  • Incredible Hulk vs Superman
    • This is Cory!!’s favorite because it was drawn by Steve Rude
  • Batman/Daredevil
    • The last of the crossovers until Avengers/JLA

All of this, ma retro review, the usual shenanigans and much, much more!

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Kray Z Comics and Stories 661: Festivus 2024 – The Airing of Grievances!

The tradition continues!
On this, the day of Festivus, we have out annual Airing of Grievances! Joe and Cory!! join with Dangerous Dan Mohr for this time honored tradition as we have a lot of problems with you people, and now, you’re gonna hear about it!

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Kray Z Comics and Stories 660: December 2024 Previews

Every month, Joe and Cory!! go through Previews to highlight comics coming in the future. This time, they go through Previews for comics shipping in February 2024 and beyond, point out the new, the collected and the interesting for YOU to bother your comic shop about!

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Kray Z Comics and Stories 659: Marvel vs DC Omnibus Part 1

The Marvel vs DC Omnibus has come out and both Joe and Cory!! have things to say about it, including the book itself, the stories, and their memories of when these crossovers came out. So, this week, they discuss:

  • Superman vs Spider-Masan
    • What Earth does it take place onb?
    • Stories behind the scenes about the the art
    • How did it come to be?
  • Spider-Man vs Superman
    • Why Cory!! Didn’t like thai as much
    • Differences between this and the first big crossover
  • Batman vs Hulk
    • Editorial differences between hsi and the previous book
    • JOSE LUIS GARCIA LOPEZ ART!
  • X-Men and the New Teen Titans
    • How big a deal this was
    • Walt Simonson art
    • The humor Claremont dropped in
    • How Louis Jones kept Marvel Editorial at bay.
    • Why Marvel and DC quit doing crossovers
  • Darkseid vs Galactus
    • How just an odd crossover came about

All of this, the usual shenanigans and much, much more!!

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Kray Z Comics and Stories 658 – Odds and Sods 2024

There are things we don’t quite finish up or feel are long enough for an entire episode, and this is one of those “clean up” episodes where we fishing what we started. For example, we finish up the Eisner winners for best new series, where we went over every award winner. We pick up where we left off, starting in 2015. We also discuss:

  • Cory!! is horribly behind on everything!!
  • They discuss some of the Marvel/DC crossovers
  • Local Comic Shops who won an Eisner
  • Cory!! Picks 5 obscure comic characters he likes more than he should

All of this, the usual shenanigans and much, much more!

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