Monthly Archives: January 2025

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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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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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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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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