Hoo, boy... The 11 O'Clock Comic train started off down the right track -- we chugged through topics like Top Shelf, the Apple iPad and our hopes and fears for the device and its impact on the comic book industry, more on Jon O's Mera and the emotional quotient to mark making, Fantastic Four #575, Remender's Punisher, The Chill and Area 10 from Vertigo Crime, Phil Hester's The Darkness from Top Cow, more Fables and Jack of Fables, Captain America, Fall of the Hulks (Alpha, Gamma, Incredible, Hulk, and Red, with a little Hulk: Winter Guard and What If? World War Hulk thrown in for good measure) -- but it all quickly runs off the rails as we begin our goodbyes when someone mentions the Deadpool variant for Siege #3, resulting in an additional twenty-some minutes of flat-out drunken CHAOS!

As the dust settles on the 11 O'Closcars, we return to our usual streamlined, no-frills comics reportage (That's a joke, son.), throwing down hot 'n' heavy on Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #7, listener email, The Escapist(s), Neil Gaiman, Joe the Barbarian #1 by Grant Morrison and the disgustingly talented Sean Murphy, Siege #1 and Siege: Embedded #1, Captain America #602, Avengers Vs. Agents of Atlas #1, the mysteries of the Spider-Man 2010 promo image, Walking Dead (no spoilers), Fables, Ex Machina, LOST, Jerks in Space by John_K, Mera from Jon O., JMS' The Brave and the Bold, Superman: Secret Origin, and much, much more!

Jason leads the charge in this giant-size, 3.5-hour monster episode tallying the winners of the 11 O'Closcars, the comic industry's best of 2009 according to the members of the 11 O'Clock Comics forum and the four fools behind the microphones.

Crawling through the wreckage of the backlog of 11 O'Clock Comics Hotline messages!

Second verse, same as the first: we ramble, rumble, tickle, and tumble over topics such as Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell, Jason and Chris' Collectible Capers (by way of Eaglemoss and HeroClix), more holiday gifts, Emperor Doom and other Marvel Graphic Novels, Comics Journal #300, Batman Confidential #40 by Sam Kieth, reading versus looking, Jacques Tardi's West Coast Blues from Fantagraphics, Ellis and Jimenez's Astonishing X-Men, a stinkeroo called Siege #1, S.W.O.R.D., and a whole mess more!

We end the year in extra-length style, passing around hot potatoes on Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini's Last Days of American Crime from Radical, Eaglemoss, Ultimate Alliance 2, more holiday gifts, the Fantastic Four, our comic book resolutions for 2010, the price of comics (by way of Gary Panter, no less!), The More Than Complete Action Philosophers, The Waiting Place, Taiyo Matsumoto's Gogo Monster, Mike Norton's The Curse, Skottie Young and Oz, Sherlock Holmes, an episode 52 question, the audience's influence on art, and much more!

Happy holidays! Color artist supreme, Val Staples, drops down the 11 O'Clock chimney to talk to us about X-Men: First Class and Jeff Parker, Criminal and Incognito, X-Men: Deadly Genesis, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Bruce Timm, Mark Texeira, The Four Horsemen, Tim Seeley, Mike Norton, CrossGen, Greg Land, Mike Wieringo, Robert Kirkman, Transformers, and COLOR, of course! BONUS! Xmas presents REVEALED!

Infused with the red-hot energy of the Rulk laying a cosmic smackdown on the Watcher, we snap, crackle, and burn through topics like God Complex #1, Powers, Vertigo's Daytripper #1 by Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon, a trio of books from Buenaventura Press (Injury #3 from Ted May, Lisa Hanawalt's I Want You #1, and Eric Haven's The Aviatrix #1), The Looking Glass Wars and Hatter M, X-Factor #200, Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth and Man-Thing, John Byrne and Alpha Flight, FANZINE FLASHBACK: Amazing Heroes and Comics Interview, the greatness of Bill Mantlo, Questprobe, Godland, classic versus contemporary comics storytelling and dialogue, Eaglemoss, Sectaurs and Inhumanoids (Yes, you read that correctly...), and much, much more!

It's chaos from the get-go as we bluster and blunder our way through Assault on New Olympus, more on Alan Moore's Dodgem Logic, Justice Machine, Archer and Armstrong from Valiant, Five Fists of Science, Barry Windsor-Smith, Invincible Iron Man #21, Matt Fraction, the logistics and downside of company-wide storytelling, JMS and Gillen's Thor, Siege, Bryan Talbot's Grandville from Dark Horse, Jonah Hex #50, digital comics, Earth One and the Ultimate and 2099 universes, and much more!

LANGUAGE IS A VIRUS: After bidding an 11 O'Clock family member a fond farewell, the remaining members launch into spirited discussion on Ultraviolet: 69 Blacklight Posters from the Aquarian Age and Beyond from Abrams Image, Alan Moore's Dodgem Logic fanzine and website, Punisher #11, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Archie comics, The Nam, Heroes for Hope, The Other Side, another fact-filled FANZINE FLASHBACK, Jim Starlin, Mark Millar's Master of Doom and Jonathan Hickman's Fantastic Four, a letter from Catwoman's Will Pfeifer, Image United #1, Blackest Night #5, Iron Man #20 by Fraction and Larroca, Blackest Night: Titans and whole mess more!

Happy Thanksgiving: listener email, out-of-print collected editions, Peter David's X-Factor and spoilers, Nelson, Adventure Comics #4, Black Adam and the anti-hero, Pak and Manco's War Machine, Al Columbia's Pim and Francie from Fantagraphics, Stumptown, Doctor Strange, Siege, Pigeons from Hell, Deadpool Team-Up #899, Doomwar, and much more!

Agents of Atlas' Gabriel Hardman stops by to shoot the shizzle on working as a storyboard artist, Avengers Vs. Agents of Atlas, Comic Book Comics #4, the connection between John Byrne's Namor and Ed Brubaker's Captain America, Wild Pig, Sam Raimi and Spider-Man 3, an unfortunate Neal Adams experience and Gabriel's comeuppance, Punisher #11, Heathentown, pencilers and inkers and the mystical third entity created by a special combination of the two, Alpha Flight, Home Alone 3, Gabriel's working methods and influences, Noel Sickles and Scorchy Smith, Bernie Wrightson, and a whole lot more! Plus, a special suprise appearance by Davros and the usual Hotline hoohah!

Wood double-times it to make up for an absent Chris Neseman, pushing us down paths towards Dark Avengers/X-Men: Utopia, Marvel Apes, 1985, Dark Reign - The List: Punisher, Wednesday Comics, Sword #1, Astonishing X-Men, Spider-Woman: Agent of Sword, X-Factor, Shatterstar, Neal Adams and Continuity Comics, The Incredible Hulk and Sal Buscema, 3 Story by Matt Kindt, and a whole lot more!

Mysterius the Unfathomable's Tom Fowler sits in for a vacationing Jason Wood, dragging us through discussion on Wednesday Comics, What The?! #6 and John Byrne, the Marvels Project, Dark Horse's Noir (and a suggestion for a moratorium on the word), David Lapham, Ditko's cutting boards, Fowler's Legends of the Dark Knight shipping fiasco and digital delivery of artwork, Image United, John Workman, Cowboy/Ninja/Viking from Image and Shadowline, Geoff Johns and the Superman Family of titles, Powers: the Definitive Edition volumes One and Two by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Omeng from Icon, Cinderella, Box 13 from Comixology, and much more!

It's tricky! We wander aimlessly all over the comics map, occasionally stopping to collect our thoughts on the Comics Buyer's Guide, the shrinking size of Diamond's Previews catalog, the BOOM! Disney comics publishing strategy, Blackest Night #4, Warren Ellis and Planetary, even more laments from Chris over Gutsville, Wood talks cartoons (Batman: Brave and the Bold and the Wonder Woman feature film), more from David on Darkness/Pitt #1 from Top Cow, Daredevil #501, Thunderbolts, Andy Parks' original art collection, Terror Inc. from Marvel Max, X-Men: Die by the Sword, ideas for Diamond's December skip week, Parker: The Hunter, Alan Davis, Library Binding, and, try as he might, no one shares Vince's love for Dark Reign - The List: Punisher by Remender, Romita JR, Janson, and White. Forever cold and alone. So sad. Also, the requisite amount of Hotline hocum! Remender RULES!

Who wound up David? King DAP can't seem to shut his trap, leading us through discussion on Scott McCloud's ZOT!, The Stand: Captain Trips and American Nightmares with Mike Perkins, listener email, Marvel Visionaries: Stan Lee, Namor, Hitman, Bryan Talbot's Heart of Empire, the Superman Family titles, cat yronwode, Creator Spotlight: Osamu Tezuka - God of Manga by Helen McCarthy for Abrams Comicarts, Top Cow's Darkness/Pitt, Simpsons Treehouse of Horror #15, a harrowing comic book experience (with beer), Vigilante, Blackest Night, Rick Leonardi and Cloak and Dagger, X-Men Legacy #228 and Daniel Acuna, Liberty Comics #2, Dark Horse's Noir anthology, Thor: Ages of Thunder, and a whole mess more! Bonus! Crazier-than-usual Hotline calls (and that is saying a LOT).

All praise J'Rhogan! The prophet B'Dickenson hath spoken: gaze in wide wonder at the majesty of GODLAND by Joe Casey, Tom Scioli, Bill Crabtree, and Nick Filardi! After the Ibogane wears off, we manage to eek out a few comments on James Jasek and Library Binding, Jack Kirby, Terence McKenna, Mickey Mouse and Friends #296 and Uncle Scrooge #384 from BOOM!, the Losers, the Baltimore Retailer Summit, the Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks, Daredevil under Diggle, the Harvey Awards, the 10 Cent Plague, and much more! Bonus! Hotline messages aplenty! Eegah say: Unglamorate!

A lot of ground is covered as we trample through topics such as Rick Remender and Jefte Palo's Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural, X-Men/Agents of Atlas #1, Shang-Chi, Jason Lutes' Berlin, Morrison and Johns driving the DC bus, Siege and the Avengers titles, Wonder Woman, Vampirella: Second Coming from Harris Comics, Val Staples and Incognito, Haunt #1 and Image United, G.I. Joe: Cobra Special, Mighty Avengers, listener voicemail, a special Tom Fowler-inspired treat, and much more! Glory be to King DAP!

Titanic TOM FOWLER drops by to drop some science on his Mysterius the Unfathomable miniseries co-created with Jeff Parker, Wildstorm, Brian Azzarello, Howard Chaykin, Douglas Adams and the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, DC's Focus imprint, Steve Gerber, Hammer horror, Cameron Stewart, Gabriel Hardman and Agents of Atlas, Caper, Mad magazine and Monroe, Drawn and Quarterly, Darwyn Cooke's Spirit, Andy Jewett's SICKO, clever obfuscation of genitalia in comic books, Canadian delicacies, the didgeridoo, and much more! Bonus! A veritable mountain of Hotline messages and the winner of Adam Besenyodi's Deus Ex Comica essay contest!

Jason Wooode makes up for lost time by chewin' up most of this episode with talk about the Windy City Comicon, Fred Van Lente Month: Week Four - Incredible Hercules and the downside of technology, Jonathan Hickman's Pax Romana and Kirkman and Adlard's Walking Dead Volume 10 from Image Comics, Strange Tales #1, Avengers Forever, random G. I. Joe jib-jab, Exiles, Dark Reign: The List - X-Men by Fraction, Davis, and Farmer, and much more!

11 O'Clock Comics: Proudly bending reality into a pretzel for seventy-four episodes! This week, the gang's all here to discuss flea market finds, Fanzine Flashback, James Jean, Morrison's X-Men, Hellboy: The Wild Hunt, Captain America: Reborn, Nomad, The Eternal City and Cory Doctorow's When SysAdmins Rule the Earth from Robot Comics, Blackest Night: Batman, Moon Knight and Jerome Opena, The Best Radioactive Man Event EVER (Simpsons Comics #155, Bart Simpson #48, and Simpsons Super Spectacular #9) crossover from Bongo Comics, Fred Van Lente Month Week Three: Incredible Hercules and Amazing Spider-Man #605, Indie Spinner Rack's Awesome 2: Awesomer, anthology love, Batman/Grendel, Hotline hubbub, and a whole lot more!

Chris takes a breather this week, leaving us to talk about even more about Vertigo Crime: Filthy Rich and Dark Entries, the Wolverine: Tales of Weapon X hardcover, Incognito, Black Panther, the G.I. Joe books from IDW, Paul Levitz and DC Entertainment, Joe Quesada's response to the Marvel/Disney merger, Avatar's Anna Mercury, week the second of Fred Van Lente Month: Super-Villain Team-Up: MODOK's 11, Project Superpowers: Black Terror and Masquerade, Hotline hullaballoo, and a whole lot more!

Wood returns just in time to school us proper on the finer points of the Marvel/Disney merger and what they mean to us comic fans. Plus, we find the time to include talk about Incredible Hulk #601 (from Chris, no less) by Pak and Olivetti, Marvel's Utopia event, The Comics Journal #299, comments from our listeners, Vince's love letter to Fred Van Lente's Marvel Zombies 3 and Marvel Zombies Return #1 (in a segment dubbed Fred Van Lente Month by dashing David), and we finally get around to an in-depth look at Jeff Lemire's The Nobody with a little bit of Sweet Tooth thrown in for good measure.

We try and pick up the slack dropped by a missing Jason Wooode with willy-nilly wordplay on Hickman, Eaglesham, and Mounts triumphant Fantastic Four #570 (once again reclaiming its flagship status and tagline of the World's Greatest Comic Magazine), Ian Churchill and Hulk #14, crime comics: The Hunter, Filthy Rich, and Dark Entries, Vertigo's fantabulous Madame Xanadu by Matt Wagner, Amy Reeder Hadley, and Richard Friend, listener comments, leaving comics, Fanzine Flashback: Amazing Heroes #113, more than necessary on Solson, Sky Doll, Bongo Comics, The Simpsons, and the arrival of Sergio Aragones, Red Circle, Dark Reign, Norman Osborne, and Dark Reign: Mr. Negative, Daredevil #500, War Machine, and oodles more.

It's back to business as usual as we banter incessantly on Blackest Night and plastic Lantern rings, The Marvels Project #1, OHOTMU, Bendis and Maleev's Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. motion comic, the Beast and Agent Brand, Filthy Rich from Vertigo Noir, Brubaker and Phillips' Sleeper, Criminal, and Incognito, The Complete Illustrated History of the Skywald Horror-Mood by Headpress and Archaic Al Hewetson, Solson, Paul Grist and Jack Staff, Dr. Who and Torchwood: Children of Earth, District 9, Diamond's Blackest Night spoiler cover (...or is it?), Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #1 and 2 and Dark Reign: Deadpool/Thunderbolts Magnum Opus, Jersey Gods, and a whole lot more!

In our post-Wizard World Chicago...er...Chigago Comic-Con episode, Chris and Vince tell tales both long and short about their convention experience (including the D-bag in a Yellow Hat, Tex in an elevator, almost dousing Skottie Young with ginger ale, chaos at the X-Force panel, bin diving, Chris' apology, con crud, and more), after which we attempt to answer the musical question of what exactly is a cartoonist, touch upon Fantastic Four: Requiem, Gil Kane's Sword of the Atom, New Mutants #1-3, Archie Double Digest #200, Marvel's Avengers books, a merry mess of Hotline messages, and...you know the drill. Next on the horizon: Windy City!

Where in the world is Christopher Neseman? We try to answer that question, occasionally pausing our pondering to plod through perorations on Amazing Spider-Man #600, Batman or Spider-Man?, Adrian Tomine's Summer Blonde, Creepy #1 from Dark Horse, the Necrosha X-event and X-books in general, Steve Mannion's Fearless Dawn from Asylum Press, Jason rants on Marvel, DC, and IDW, and lots more!

Freewheel burning! In this down and dirty episode, we cover last weekend's San Diego Comic Con and the flurry of publisher announcements, Miracleman/Marvelman and Marvel Comics, Chuck Austin, Jim Shooter, Dark Horse and the Gold Key/Valiant characters, Jeff Smith and Bone, Stan Lee, the Eisner Awards, Invincible Iron Man, DC's Bat Lash Showcase, Hulk #600, Blondie: The Bumstead Family History and our favorite comic strips, The Nobody (no spoilers), Marvel's 70th Anniversary comics, DC's decision to split JSA into two titles, Gotham City Sirens #2, Nexus: As It Happened volume one, and much more! Vootie!

We temporarily alleviate your boredom while standing in line at the San Diego Comic Con with talk on Wizard World Chicago, Jeff Lemire's The Nobody from Vertigo, Tom Fowler, What The?!, Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #1 and Chris Samnee, Dave Wachter and the Guns of Shadow Valley, Lynda Barry and the Comics Journal #296 from Fantagraphics, images, recognition, and creation, more stragglers from Episode #52, Christopher Priest, Gerry Conway and Mike Ploog's Terror on the Planet of the Apes, Blade, Captain America, Bring Out Your Dead from Raw Dog Comics, Simon Furman and the Transformers: Primal Scream and Matrix Quest, the G.I. Joe movie, and much, much more!

Knock, knock! Who's there? It's 11 O'Clock Comics, silly, chewing the fat on Wednesday Comics #2, the DCBS nick and dent sale, Blackest Night and DC's Black Lantern ring promo, Captain America #601 and Gene Colan, Gotham City Sirens, Essential Punisher volume three, Tales of the Green Lantern Corps, David Mazzucchelli's Asterios Polyp, Terry Moore's Echo, the collected Frank Frazetta's Death Dealer from Image, listener email, Tarzan: The Joe Kubert Years volume two, Continuity Comics and Neal Adams, and a buttload more!

It's finally here! Wednesday Comics blew up all over the damn place this week, and we were more than happy to throw down the plastic sheeting and gush until we couldn't gush no more! We also managed to find some time to talk about Dave Bullock, Mike Allred and Neil Gaiman, Joe Kubert, Azzarello and Risso, DC Comics Classic Library: Roots of the Swamp Thing and Saga of the Swamp Thing volume one, the Amazing Spider-Man Annual #36, Carmine Infantino, Jeff Lemire's The Nobody from Vertigo, Batman: Year One (Guess who finally read it...) and the Bat-Universe, Harvey Comics, Messiah War and Clayton Crain, Red Robin #1, and much more!

A torrent of technical glitches washes over us as we talk about Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen and Transformers Spotlight: Metroplex from IDW, Chris reads the Parasyte manga, a hint of X, the Harvey Awards, Jack Kirby's Demon, World of New Krypton #4 and the Superman Family, Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon #150 from Image, Detroit Metal City, more on digital comics, listener email, a few stragglers from episode #52, Hotline hilarity, and much more!

Top off your non-organic web shooters and join us as we twip through topics like Detective Comics #854, the mountain of Marvel books that shipped this week, Longbox Digital Comics and digital periodical distribution, Chew #1 from Image, Chris and Laura Samnee, Batman: Gothic, Amazing Spider-Man, Image United, Todd McFarlane, Robert Kirkman, Jim Starlin, Bernie Wrightson, and Batman: The Cult, more episode #52 questions, more Hotline messages, and a whole mess more!

After some very well-deserved props to Chris Ryall and IDW, the four feisty fools launch salvos on Batman and Robin #1 by Morrison, Quitely, and Sinclair (put his name on the cover, DC!), the hubbub concerning Captain America #600, a merry mutant round-up spotlighting New Mutants #1, X-Force: Angels and Demons, Wolverine, X-23, and more (including actual contributions by Chris...hold me!), Project Superpowers Chapter 2 #0 from Dynamite, Green Lantern Corps #38, the upcoming Kamandi episode of the fantabulous Brave and the Bold 'toon, our current comic buying strategies, more Episode #52 questions from the fine 11 O'C forumites, a blitzkrieg of bonus Hotline calls, and mucho mas!

In this, our special Jason Hasn't Read Batman: Year One episode, we ramble on about Twitter, David and Vince's time at MoCCA, Chris' adventures at the Printer's Row Book Fair, Wednesday Comics, Ivan Brunetti, Galactus Vs. the Anti-Monitor, Millar and Hitch's Fantastic Four: World's Greatest, Gary Panter, Titan Books' Best of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, JSA Vs. Kobra, Jason reads the Superman family of titles (but not Year One), Boom! and The Unknown, X-Books, TMNT from Mirage Comics, the awesomeness of Kyle, Yost, and X-Force, listener email, and...Jason didn't read Batman: Year One.

Dear diary, this week on 11 O'Clock Comics, we talked about the Printer's Row Book Fare (Chris Ware, Chipp Kidd, and some guy named Gaiman), MoCCA (Gary Panter, PictureBox, and more), the new 11 O'Clock Action Word, Morrison and Quitely's Batman and Robin #1 (briefly...almost not at all...really...), Light of thy Countenance from Avatar, Project: Superpowers and The Black Terror miniseries from Dynamite, Jason Aaron and Tony Moore's landmark Ghost Rider #33-35, Herogasm #1 (Didja get any onya?), Hercules: Love and War, crossovers and events (Yes, again.), Wooode's lightning strike during the Marvel stockholder presentation conference thing, The Unknown #1, Comic Zeal for the iPhone, and Chris made my heart sing when he admitted that, yes, manga does have some merit. It was a good day, diary. Oh, yeah, and a bunch of really good guys called the Hotline and we all had a really good time. I hope they never change. P.S. I think David is cute. But don't tell him. I'd simply DIE! XOXOXO

58: The Punisher (Ennis and Remender), Borders coupons, Tori Amos and Image Comics' Comic Book Tattoo, Battle for the Cowl, Urasawa's 20th Century Boys from Viz, Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1, Shonen Jump and Stan Lee's FCBD offering, Marvel's FCBD Avengers book, G-Man: Learning to Fly, Marvel Adventures: Fantastic Four, Cerebus: Latter Days from Dave Sim and Gerhard, The Outsiders, and more.

Throw yo' panties at your iPod! We try to straighten up and fly right by discussing Cameron Stewart's response to our cursory look at the first issue of Seaguy: The Slaves of Mickey Eye, Fantagraphics' Blazing Combat collection, G.I. Joe: Cobra #3, Wolverine #73, Hulk: Red & Green and the majesty of Art Adams and Frank Cho, Marvel Mystery Comics #1, Chris' opinion of Abrams' Star Trek, the Invincible Ultimate Collection volume four, Road to War of Kings TPB, Oracle: The Cure #3, Blackest Night and event miniseries, R.E.B.E.L.S. #4, Paul Cornell, Johnny Hiro from AdHouse, the Love and Rockets FCBD book, and much more!

The Sign of Four: all present and accounted for as we throw down on Abrams' Star Trek (no spoilers), Viz's GYO by horror manga maestro Junji Ito, rating systems, Bernie Wrightson, Bill Mantlo and Cloak and Dagger, Grant Morrison's Seaguy: The Slaves of Mickey Eye, Jonathan Hickman (Secret Warriors, Dark Reign: Fantastic Four, and more), Flash: Rebirth #2, forum questions, and lots more! As always, Hotline messages abound!

Sitting in for an absent David Price, Tom (Vs. the Flash, Around Comics) Katers and Skottie (Wizard of Oz) Young help us wander our way through topics like Picturebox's upcoming pair of graphic novels from CF and Brian Chippendale, Tony Stark and why hating him may be a "good thing", Wednesday Comics, Batman Confidential, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Free Comic Book Day, Concrete, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, G.I. Joe: Cobra #2, World of New Krypton #3, The Losers, Reborn, Final Crisis Aftermath: Run, Flash: Rebirth #2, Tom talks about paper (!), European graphic albums, Wizard of Oz, Tom Fowler, Nic Klein and Viking #1, and much, much more! Go see Star Trek (if only to knock that cantankerous Canuck down a few pegs)!

The spectre of the Walkin' Dude looms large as we tear through tangents on RASL, Alien Legion, Twitter, Andy Kuhn, Sleepy's, Blazing Combat, Wired and Paul Pope, Deadpool: Merc with a Lot of Trees Killed in His Name, Atomika, Breach, Hard Time and Steve Gerber, Thor #601 and Doctor Doom(bot), Brian Hurtt, The Stand: Captain Trips and Stephen King adaptations, Project: Superpowers and Masquerade, The Twelve, Agents of Atlas #3, Jack of Fables, Chris' 100 Bullets in 100 Days project, Tom Strong and America's Best Comics, 1963 from Image, Tony Fleecs, and much more! Bonus! Even more Hotline weirdness!

Things return to what passes for normal as we drop a dime on Ivan Brandon and Nic Klein's Viking from Image Comics, Bendis' Tweets and Marvel's FCBD offering, Amazing Spider-Man, Action Comics #876, Supergirl, Messiah War (X-Force #13, Messiah War One Shot, Cable #13, and X-Force #14), The Outsiders, Yuusaku Hanakuma and Tokyo Zombie, Warlord, Exiles, Starjammers, Ignition City #1 from Avatar, the Marvel Saga freebies, Thor, listener email, and much more! Bonus! Felipe Massafera leads the Hotline assault!

It's our one-year anniversary celebration where we field questions from out fabulous forumites! Topics include: Wolverine (sigh), Civil War, Alpha Flight, Secret Invasion, story pacing, Tom Fowler, Steve Bryant, Dave Wachter, C.F. and Picturebox, Theo Ellsworth and Capacity, Gabriel Hardman, Abnett and Lanning, cement mixers, Devil Dinosaur, the Great Lakes Avengers, Plastic Man, Aquaman, Mike Ploog, Rick Veitch, Dogs both Wild and Law, Alien Legion, Fletcher Hanks, S. Clay Wilson, Amazing Spider-Man (with a HYPHEN!), Robert Williams, The Boys, Locke & Key, Jack Kirby, Mage: The Hero Discovered, The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, Moebius, Eddie Campbell, Alan Moore, Enki Bilal, Kuti, comic conventions, RASL, Herr Stark, Frank Robbins, Howard Chaykin, Dave Cockrum, Comix Book, Franks Quitely and Zappa, William Burroughs, Snakes and Ladders, Doktor Sleepless, Proof, Captain Britain and MI13, Fables, Miracleman, Tom Strong, Jim Starlin, John Byrne, Rob Liefeld, Twitter, Secret Wars II, Deadpool, Mark D. Bright, spaghetti sauce, the cancer, truffles, steak, the Monkees, and a WHOLE MESS MORE! Plus, more Hotline calls than ever before!

This time around, we talk about archive editions and the people that purchase them, Wizard's acquisition of the Big Apple Con, DC's new 40-page, $3.99 titles with special "co-features", G. I. Joe #4, Flash: Rebirth #1, Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter DVD, Alan Moore's Light of thy Countenance from the fine folks at Avatar, Len Wein, Frank Springer, Air from Vertigo, Evan Dorkin, a Beanworld nut shot, and much more! Yes, there are Hotline messages aplenty!

Around Comics' Brion Salazar joins us to celebrate our 50th train wreck! Topics include: Captain America Comics, Popgun Volume 1 from Image, Rick Veitch, The Outer Space Men, Big Man Japan from Magnolia Pictures, I Love You, Beth Cooper, Pixar comics from Boom!, FANZINE FLASHBACK, Agents of Atlas and Gabriel Hardman, X-Infernus, Vertigo Crime, Cable and Deadpool, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Flash: Rebirth, Gil Kane, Bendis and the Avengers, and much more!

Anthropomorphic! Sit right back and you'll hear a tale of bound comics, Amazing Spider-Man (With a hyphen!), the free Wolverine Saga comic containing vital information on Jeph Loeb and Simone Bianchi's Evolution storyline -- which is canon, by the way, JLA #31, unfinished comics series, Warren Ellis' Ruins, Art Spiegelman's Be a Nose! collection from McSweeney's, Black Lightning: Year One, licensed characters, Salvador Larocca and Iron Man, and muy mas! Bonus! More Hotline love!

A very special guest drops by to contribute to conversation on The Nobody and Sweet Tooth from writer/artist Jeff Lemire and Vertigo, Chris Ryall and Ben Templesmith's Groom Lake #1, more on IDW's handling of the G. I. Joe franchise, the legendary Anything Goes! anthology from Fantagraphics, Paul Chadwick's Concrete: Depths from Dark Horse, The Night Fisher by R. Kikuo Johnson, the winner of our Matthew Sturges/House of Mystery contest, a peek at episode fifty, and a whole lot more! Bonus! The Hotline callers be bringin' the heeeeeeat!

The Wooode-man takes over the joint! Join us as we wander through topics various and sundry, including the Watchmen movie, comics' good guy Tim Seeley and the quest for cheaper comics, the Definitive Queen & Country volume one, more Fanzine Flashbacks, Aaron and Moore's Ghost Rider, bad news from Rick Remender, Black Panther, David Lapham's Young Liars and Stray Bullets, All Hail Megatron, Jack of Fables, and more! Bonus! Loads of laughs from the Hotline!

Podcast Verité: Not one second of audio careens to the cutting room floor as we talk about comics fanzines in our new FANZINE FLASHBACK segment, the joy and sadness of the Internets, the Watchmen movie, listener email, "graphic novels" and "comic books", Chris' confession (Justice League International and the Death of the Stacys), Larry Marder's Beanworld: Wahoolazuma! collection from Dark Horse, Thor #600, G.I. Joe Origins #1, Locke and Key: Head Games, Marvel cartoons (by way of X3: The Last Stand), more top 70 Marvel comics of all time, Wired's look at comic book shop employees (RAPH RADIA!), and lots more! Hoka Hoka Hey! Hotline!

Cryptoid: This episode contains commentary on Andy Diggle and Jock's Losers from Vertigo, more Savage Dragon, The Darkness, recap pages, Tony Moore's Ghost Rider, Justice League of America #30, X-Factor, Scott Pilgrim, another look at the numbers (AKA Sal was right!), weekly comics, the top seventy Marvel comics of all time (*cough*), Alex Grecian and Riley Rossmo's PROOF from Image, Scarlet Traces, and more! Bonus! A veritable Hotline hootenanny!

The Marvel love-in continues as we plow through Pak and Van Lente's Incredible Hercules, JMS' Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Nova, and Annihilation: Conquest by Abnett and Lanning, Amazing Spider-Man, and much more! Plus, we dish the dirt on our Matt Sturges House of Mystery contest and an insanely generous offer by Jeff Lemire! If that wasn't enough, we also find time to tackle Bone, JSA: Black Reign, Hulk Vs. Wolverine and Thor, DMZ, Dark Horse's Savage Sword of Conan volume one, Barbi Benton, the Wolverine trailer, Gabriel Hardman, and others! Bonus! Hotline hijinks!

New York City Comicon 2009: The Aftermath, rounded out with roundtable reverie on Bad Dog #1 from Image, Remender and Opena's Punisher, Agents of Atlas, Chris' against-type Marvel love-fest (Iron Fist, Iron Man by Ellis and Fraction), R.E.B.E.L.S. by Tony Bedard and Andy Clarke, the Swamp Thing hardcover, Greg Rucka, Faces of Evil: Cobra, and much more! Who's that calling the Hotline? Listen and find out!

MASS DISPLACEMENT! Waiting for NYCC to begin, we kill some time talking about G.I. Joe #1 from IDW and the Joe Super Bowl trailer (along with some Transformers 2 thrown in for good measure), Dead Irons, Daredevil, Iron Fist, The Nobody, advance solicitations, the color of Shilo Norman's skin, Shrugged: A Little Perspective from Aspen Comics, Savage Dragon, Ghost Rider, and much more! Bonus! Hotline HEAT!

PLANTANAS! Jason "Babymaker" Wooode returns to help us impregnate your ears with talk of Final Crisis #7, Sabertooth and Mystique, Space Ghost, Steve Rude and Nexus, Death Note, Uncanny X-Men Annual #2, Amazing Spider-Man Extra! #2, Thunderbolts #128, McDuffie and Fantastic Four, JLA #29, Jonah Hex, Peter Gabriel, Power Girl, and a whole mess more! Bonus! The Hotline is SIZZLIN'!

Brion "Sal" Salazar returns to the dugout, dragging us through discussion on Jackson Pollock, Camelot 3000, Nova: Origin of Richard Ryder, Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson's Manhunter, ROM: SPACEKNIGHT, Chris Samnee, anthologies, JLA #27, Thunderbolts #128 and the secret of the sell-out, Jeff Parker and Tom Fowler's Mysterius the Unfathomable #1 from Wildstorm, Ellis' Ruins, Faces of Evil: Prometheus, Faces of Evil: Grundy, Seven Soldiers, the best-written monthly comics, JCVD, Eduardo Risso and 100 Bullets, and much more! Yee! De Hotline es ringink!

Around Comics' Brion Salazar joins the party as we ponder the impact of Obama and Amazing Spider-Man, throw down on Brian Wood's Northlanders from Vertigo, the Green Lantern Corps and magick, Gorillas from Image, and great gnashing of teeth on Frank Miller and All-Star Batman and Robin, Grant Morrison and Final Crisis #6!

Raw like sushi! It's the 11 O'Clock Listener's Choice Awards for 2008!

We ring in the new year with a torrent of talk on Tony Moore on Ghost Rider, more Cheap Ass Trades, Morrison and Quitely's All Star Superman, Superman: Our Worlds at War (Not) Complete Collection, John Byrne and Comics Journal #74, Willingham and Sturges on JSA, more babble on the cost of comics, Top Cow, Gary Frank and JMS, Midnight Nation, Rising Stars, storing comics, X-Infernus, Northlanders, and a whole mess more! Bonus! More Hotline hilarity!

In the second half of our all-night talk-a-thon with Athena Voltaire's Steve Bryant, we punch a few dead Palominos in the name of the current state of the comic book industry, sussing out Marvel's collected edition strategy, trades and new readers, Alan Moore's Top Ten, Image's Ted McKeever Library, Michael Avon Oeming, Neo Expressionism and other pretentious ways to classify pretty pictures, Cheap Ass Trades, and much more! Plus, the most Hotline messages we've received to date!

Athena Voltaire's Snazzy Steve Bryant joins us for a marathon four-hour giant-size comic book throwdown! In the first of two parts, we tackle Final Crisis #5, selling David on Fables, channeling Kirby, Mike Allred, the language of comics, God-Size Thor, the Athena Voltaire/Black Coat crossover, the impact of $4 comics on independent publishers, X-Men: Messiah Complex, Hellboy: The Wild Hunt, Steve Epting and Captain America, Frank D'armata, Fear Agent, Camelot 3000, an angry Chris Neseman, and much more! Plus, the usual Hotline hijinks!

The Woodman returns to drag us through a discourse on Amazing Spider-Man, Phonogram: The Singles Club, Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness' (Red) Hulk hardcover, Mike Norton and Green Arrow/Black Canary, X-Force #9, Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch, Original Sin, X-23, Savage Dragon #139-141, Secret Invasion #8, Image Comics and the Man of Action team, the Wanted movie, Top Cow and The Darkness, Dark Horse's Dylan Dog, back issue buying online, old comic book ads, Star Wars: Early Victories omnibus,  with everything descending into an old fart "Remember when..." lament. Good times. Bonus! Happy Hotline messages! Well, one of 'em, anyway...

Around Comics' Sizzlin' Brion "Sal" Salazar drops by to help us journey to the 5th Dimension to tune the Bat-Radia for a special episode devoted to Batman R.I.P. Bonus! Incoming transmission from the Raph-Radia and a few fabulous forumites finger the Hotline!

Happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for the opportunity to talk about Dan Didio, James Robinson, Greg Rucka, and Action Comics (along with some Flamebird and Nightwing thrown in for good measure), Skottie Young and Young X-Men, monthly comics and reading for the trade, The Boys from Dynamite, Gemini Blood, the craft of comic book lettering, JSA, Mia Kirschner's I Live Here from Pantheon, the !mpact and Charlton characters at DC, Ambush Bug: Year None, more Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, and much more!

This time around, we meander across the comic map with meaty musings on Dan Didio and James Robinson, Terra #2, WizKids, the Fourth World, Supergirl #35, Superman #677-681 and Action #871, Blackest Night, Batman R.I.P., JLA/Avngers, Deadpool, an Action without a Superman, the Brave and the Bold cartoon, Spectacular Spider-Man, Sgt. Rock: The Last Battalion, Kingdon Come Special: Superman, the World War Z film, Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel, Uncle Scrooge #382, Captain Britain and MI 13 #7,  Iron Fist, Godland, Gigantic, an much more! Plus, the Hotline is exploding with an unprecedented SIX messages from the fantastic 11 O'Clock forumites! Yee!

We're stranded on Bizarro Shit Planet with nothing more to do than talk about Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Bruce Jones, Blue Beetle (Say it ain't so, Dan!), Brit, Antarctic Press' Gold Digger, S. Clay Wilson, Scott Saavedra, McDuffie and Benes' Justice League of America, Greg Rucka, Azzarello and Bermejo's landmark Joker graphic novel, Deadpool, Ex Machina, Transformers: Stormbringer, more Avatar Press love, Freak Angels, JSA Superman Special, Zero Killer, HeroClix, and much more! Bonus! Darrel dings da Hotline!

Things get a bit serious as we ponder the price of monthly periodicals, hardcovers, digital comics, Terra #1, Agents of Atlas, G.I. Joe #0 from IDW, advertising in comics, Smallville, paper quality, Terry Moore's Runaways and Echo, Freak Angels, Alan Davis' Thor: Proof of History, Warren Ellis and Avatar, the effect of the election on comics, Final Crisis: Resist, Submit, and Rage of the Red Lanterns, Watching the Watchmen, the Adventure Comics Special featuring the Guardian, X-Men/Spider-Man #1, Jeff Lemire, Ghost Talker's Daydream volume two and coffee enemas (Okay, maybe not so serious, after all...), and a whole mess more! Plus, another hit on the Hotline!

The Contingent's Zack Kruse and Thomas Stephen Katers pitch in to help us talk about the Man-Thing, Cassie Hack, Hellboy, Savage, Archie Goodwin, Steve Ditko, Joe Orlando, Steve Niles, Eerie, Creepy, Sergio Aragones, Frank Frazetta, Ben Templesmith, Tony Moore, Mike Mignola, Vampirella, Myron Fass' Eerie Publications, Skywald, EC Comics, House of Mystery, Jose Gonzalez, Seven Soldiers Frankenstein, Werewolf by Night, 30 Days of Night, the Heap, XXXZombies, Eric Powell and the Goon, Tom Sutton, Robert Kirkman and Walking Dead, Savage, Hellblazer, Swamp Thing, and much, much more in this, our first Halloween horror comics special! Plus, the usual assortment of Hotline hijinks!

The Woodman returns just in time to talk about Mike Mayhew and Savage, Dead Ahead #1 and the incomparable Alex Nino, Cyblade #1 from Top Cow, Rick Remender, Jerome Opena and the Punisher, Judd Winick and Bruce Jones, Chuck Austin, Amazing Spider-Man #574, Final Crisis #4 (sorta), Final Crisis: Submit, Ed McGuinness, Gene Colon and the Tomb of Dracula omnibus, Dwayne McDuffie and JLA, Gigantic, Jeffrey Brown's Sulk Volume 2: Deadly Awesome, and much more! Plus, Darrel gets nasty on the Hotline and more Madness than you deserve!

It's a Wood-less Comics Wednesday as we work our way through the Superman's Pal: Jimmy Olsen one-shot (Damn you, James Robinson!), Geoff Johns' Brainiac arc from Action Comics #866-870, DC Universe Decisions, Conan the Cimmerian, Robin: Year One and Two-Face: Year One, Guardians of the Galaxy, Legion of Three Worlds, Brand New Day and Amazing Spider-Girl, Ghost Rider #28 and Marvel legacy characters, Final Crisis: Revelations #3, Comics Buyer's Guide, more Joe Kubert love, and much more! Plus, another song from the Hotline! RIP Walter Johnson. Sob.

Man alive, we made it to twenty-five! Entry the first in our brand-spankin' new 11 O'Clock hand-crafted (with love) Yuengling Lager notebook: this episode we cover the Iron Man movie, America's Best Comics Primer, Marvel Zombies 3 #1, X-Men: Manifest Destiny, Batman #680, Final Crisis skip month, Marvel Noir, Fred Van Lente, Action Comics #870, Walking Dead #53, The Stand #2, Pasqual Ferry, SNL, Eric Canete and End League, Star Wars: The Clone Wars #1, more World War Z, The Contingent #1 from Mind Storm Comics, Hellboy, Transformers Animated #3, DC Universe Decisions #2, G. I. Joe, Love & Rockets #1, and much more! Giant-Size extras include a serenade from a moving vehicle and Carlos Cordova spreads the Gospel of Veitch!

The love of all things Krypton abounds as we talk about Supergirl #34 and the Superman universe, Lego Batman, the 11 O'Clock Traffic Report, Ronin, Geoff Johns, Madame Xanadu, House of Mystery, Alex Nino and Dead Ahead #1 from Image, Gail Simone, Captain Britain and MI13, Locke & Key from IDW, Spooks: Omega Team, Jon Bogdanove, Devil's Due, Bronze Age fantasy characters, Dan Slott on Mighty Avengers, X-Force, the Squadron Supreme saga, VinceB's stupidity, Godwheel, Wonder Woman and Aaron Lopresti, Gary Frank, and much more! Bonus! Incoming transmission from the Raph Radia and the fabulous Mario calls the Hotline!

No court of law or any administrative agency can touch us as we talk about 24-Hour Comics Day, Trinity, All-Star Superman #12, JSA: Kingdom Come, Morrison's JLA, Superman Red & Superman Blue, pulping comics, John Romita Jr., DC Universe: Decisions #1, Deadpool #1 and #2, Marvel's Embrace Change ads, Guardians of the Galaxy, Joe Kubert's Tor, Max Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks, Captain America, Rick Remender, Twitter, 11 O'Clock watersports, the Minx imprint, and much more! Bonus! Incoming transmission from the Raph Radia and a pair of calls to the Hotline!

Technical difficulties and the mid-episode loss of a host are not enough to keep us from talking about John Byrne's Superman, the Marvel Must-Have format, Star Wars: Force Unleashed, Frank Miller, the Buffy Omnibus, Stephen King and the Stand, Local, Marvel cartoons and Jetix, Cable, New Exiles, Vertigo's Air, George Perez, Marvel Handbooks and why DC hasn't updated their Who's Who, Brave and the Bold #17, Secret Six, Amanda Conner and Terra, Ronin, Firestar, Action Comics and All Star Superman, and much more! Plus, Joe Quesada and Tom Morris call the Hotline! Buy Witchblade!

The Woodman is two for two as we chew the fat on Trinity, X-Men Legacy, cable, Dark Reign and Dark Avengers, Savage Dragon, Battle Hymn, Hack/Slash and Tim Seeley, Brad Meltzer and DC Universe Last Will and Testament, Tori Amos' Comic Book Tattoo from Image Comics, JSA, Skaar Son of Hulk, Amazing Spider-Man: One More Day, Brand New Day, and New Ways to Die, The Last Musketeer by Jason, Tony Moore & Jerome Opena on Fear Agent, and so much more! Bonus! Incoming transmission from the Raph Radia!

Jason Wood returns to lead the charge in discussing Gotham Central, Fell, Blazing Combat, the horrors of ComicBase, Ben Templesmith, The Twelve, the Windy City Comicon, Essex County Volume 2, Wicket and Imp, The Darkness from Top Cow, Skottie Young's Wizard of Oz, Gil Kane, Cable, Francesco!, Ande Parks and El Diablo, Amazing Spider-Man and New Way to Die, Secret Six, speculating, Phil Hester, and much more! Plus, more Hotline shenanigans!

Sitting in for a vacationing Jason Wood, Derek (Comic Book Noise) Coward and Chris (Collected Comics Library) Marshall help us talk about Final Crisis: Superman Beyond 3D, Humberto Ramos, Lucha Libre, collecting Final Crisis, DC/Wildstorm: Dream War, Jason Aaron's Ghost Rider, Marvel's X-books, Punisher Max, Library Binding, the Monster Times, First Flight of the Phantom Eagle, Chuck Austin's War Machine, the Luna Brothers' Sword and Girls, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, Comic Book Comics from Evil Twin Comics, Glamourpuss, Give Me Liberty, more Final Crisis, Tim Sale, and a whole mess more. Plus! Listener email and a trio of calls to the 11 O'C Hotline!

Our usual reliance on the Anti Structure Equation evaporates (not really) as we enter an extended examination of Robert Kirkman's recent revelations on his plan to save the comics industry. In addition to the main course, we serve up some succulent side dishes on Brian Michael Bendis, Geoff Johns, creative ownership and work-made-for-hire, the direct market and Diamond Distribution, kids and comics, digital distribution, the bookstore market, and much, much more!

Topics discussed: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier, Final Crisis: Revelations #1, rediscovering Spawn, Final Crisis #3, Secret Invasion #5, Alex Robinson's Too Cool to be Forgotten, Nick Fury's Howling Commandos, Criminal #4, Two-Face Year One #1, Ghost Talker's Daydream Volume 1 from Dark Horse Comics, X-Men Origins: Jean Grey #1 and Origins: Wolverine, re-evaluating Image Comics, Danger Girl, and much more!

Jason Wood returns as we field questions from our forum members in our first live and interactive-like episode! Dropped names include: Jack Kirby, inkers, Watchmen, Transformers: All Hail Megatron #1, Justice League New Frontier, Uncle Scrooge #377, Darwin Cooke, Frank Robbins, Jim Aparo, Jesus, Jim Starlin, Kamandi, Amazing Spider-Man, the Rook, Dwayne McDuffie, Mark Texeria, Justice League of America, Jeffrey Brown, the Dark Horse Star Wars titles, and much, much more in this special Giant-Size episode!

Jefferson Workman and Thomas Stephen Katers (pitching in for an AWOL Jason Wood) join us as mindlessly meander through X-Files: I Want to Believe, Joker's Asylum Scarecrow and Two-Face, Kirby: King of Comics and Krazy Kirby Koncepts, Dark Horse's Savage Sword of Conan Volume 2, Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #3, Barry Windsor-Smith, Whatever happened to ASP?, the 11 O'Clock Novel Challenge, Gil Kane's My Name is Savage, Injury #1 and #2 from Buenaventura Press, exclusive contracts, listener email (Aquaman Vs. Nightwing and Robin), Tom Derenick and Bill Sienkiewicz on Reign in Hell, and much more! Plus, more calls to the Hotline (and one of them is from a FOREIGNER!)! Google Mighty Muggs!

Topics covered in our 14th outing (Actually our 13th, but who's counting?): Batman: The Dark Knight, Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Umbrella Academy 2, CBLDF Presents: Liberty Comics #1, Madman Atomic Comics, the long-awaited American Flagg Omnibus, Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver on Flash: Rebirth, Final Crisis: Rogues Revenge, X-Files #0, Superman Prime, Final Crisis: Resist, more Larry Stroman and X-Factor, Booster Gold and Rick Remender, pocket universe books, the 11 O'C Agents of Atlas wager, Garth Ennis and the Punisher War Zone weekly, something about War Machine, DC Super Friends, and much more! Plus, a quartet of calls to the Hotline! Google Eyezon!

And the downward spiral begins... This episode, we poot forth a lot of hoohah about Mike Mignola and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, The Comics Journal #290 and Bob Powell, Harvey Comics, Butch Guice and Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis, Wildstorm's Storming Paradise, Final Crisis: Rogues Revenge, the Starman Omnibus, Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four, DC War comics and the great Sam Glanzman, Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam, Top Cow: Pilot Season, John from Cincinatti, Cube Lube, outrageous DVD pricing, Steve Niles' Dead She Said and City of Others, Larry Stroman and X-Factor #33, the Legion of Superheroes in the 31st Century and Shawn McManus, more Doug Mahnke, and a whole mess more! Plus, more heat from the Hotline! Google PopSoda!

Synchronicity abounds in our 11-11-11 episode as we tread the murky waters of event pricing, comic buyers' reluctance to try independent titles, underground visionary Rory Hayes and Where Demented Wented, Alex Ross and Frank Santoro, Tommy Lee Edwards, Charlatan Ball from Image, the Filipino Invasion, Final Crisis: Requiem, Camelot 3000, the 11 O'Clock Comics Challenge, listener email, and much more! Google Max Toy Company!

In the wake of Wizard World Chicago 2008, an experience filled with hilarity and heartbreak, we touch on the passing of Michael Turner, finally get rolling on Final Crisis #2 (all too briefly for my taste, but one can't have everything...), Erik Larsen and Image Comics, the repurcussions of unconstructive criticism, 1985, Mike Norton's Trinity work with Jerry Ordway, Simone Bianchi as the modern-day Alex Nino, Mark Millar and Old Man Logan, Walking Dead Volume 8, World War Z, scumbags who capitalize on the brilliance of George Romero, Astonishing X-Men #25, Warren Ellis, Avatar Comics, and much, much more! As usual, the Hotline is red-hot with ridiculous remarks! Google Cronic Dorome!

Once more into the breach! Cover your heads as we lead the attack on Stray Bullets and Young Liars, Marvel's Dark Tower and The Stand, Proof, Kevin Maguire and Batman Confidential, collected editions vs. monthlies, Marcos Martin, comics in lieu of candy for Halloween (Gemstone, Archie, Bone, Shonen Jump, and more), Northlanders from Vertigo, APE Entertainment and Radical Comics, Red Mass for Mars, Whilce Portacio and Lenil Yu, Skaar Son of Hulk, Star Wars: Vector from Dark Horse, Eternals and Guardians of the Galaxy, the Incredible Hulk movie, depressing sales figures, Joe Kubert, Marvel Vs. DC (again and again and again...) and very little discussion on Final Crisis #2 (though no lack of trying). Bonus! KY Comic Guy turns in his best Neseman roast to date! Google Blobpus.

It's our not-so-special Harvey Awards nominees episode, sprinkled with segueways on Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's All Star Superman, Scott McDaniel, the Trinity villains, Pia Guerra on Dr. Who, the depressing fall from grace of Vertigo's Exterminators, Batman R.I.P., McDuffie's Justice League, the Denys Cowan Appreciation Society, the permanence of Dan Didio, sales figures, new reader accessibility, much Fables and Mark Buckingham love, the Duckmen (Carl Barks, Don Rosa, and William Van Horn), and much more! Bonus! KY Comic Guy returns to the Hotline! Google Smogun.

Steel sharpens steel! This time around, we talk up Josh Cotter's Skyscrapers of the Midwest from Adhouse Books, the impact of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Chuck Dixon saga, Young X-Men #1 and #2, Dave Sim's Judenhass, Caliber and Hercules from Radical, Seven Soldiers of Victory, the Secret Wars II omnibus, the Wildstorm relaunch, Virgin Comics' Project: Kalki #1 and Jenna Jameson's Shadow Hunter, the greatness of Doug Mahnke, Grant Morrison Vs. Alan Moore, Batman R.I.P., Fables #73, the power of editors, Southern Knights, and much more! Plus, the Hotline is on fire with messages from Equinox, Andy Jewett, and KY Comic Guy! Vootie!

Scattershot ramblings on Transhuman, Dark Horse's Lobster Johnson: The Iron Prometheus, 1985 #1, Action Comics #865, the first volume of the Noble Causes Archives from Image, Iron Fist, Umbrella Academy, Final Crisis #1, Trinity #1, Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft and Richard Corben, Ultimate Origins #1, the anthology format, Giant-Size Astonishing X-Men #1, and much more! Plus, Carlos Cordova and a time traveler call the Hotline!

Final Crisis is here...but the 11 O'Clock Crew don't talk about it this episode! Instead, we banter on about Marvel Comics Presents #8 and #9, Humberto Ramos on Runaways, Ivan Brandon, the hopless existence of Daredevil, house styles and drawing for the original art market, Steve Gerber and Countdown to Mystery, manga, Paul Cornell, Doctor Who Classics from IDW, the magnificence of Jim Cheung, Image Comics' Pretty Baby Machine, Howard the Duck, Spitfire as a vampire, Taschen Books' Men's Adventure Magazines in Postwar America, Leonard Kirk, the 11 O'Clock Drink of the Week, and much more! Bonus! A hint is dropped concerning the identity of the Banner Artist of the Week and Equinox and The Big Largeness call the Hotline!

It's all hands on deck as we discuss Vertigo's new House of Mystery, Jim Butcher's Dresden Files #2, Gene Colan, fill-in artists, silliness (or lack thereof) within Marvel's Secret Invasion, '76, Millar and Hitch's Fantastic Four, Jay Faerber's Gemini and Noble Causes, the Horus Heresy, Crawlspace: XXXombies, the Larsenverse, Invincible and Atom Eve, beer, and much more!

The gang's all here! Our long-lost fourth member, Jason Wood, finally drags his ass into the studio to talk about Crawlspace: XXXombies, Vertigo Comics, Invincible Iron Man #1, David Lapham and Young Liars, Batman R.I.P., Walking Dead, Kieron Dwyer, Jeff Parker and X-Men First Class, Creepy and Eerie, Olivia D'abo (YUM!), Wolverine and the Amazing Immortal Man and Other Tales, Iron Fist, Matt Fraction, Mighty Avengers #13, publishing trends, and much more! Plus, Mario Muscar and evaD (Backwards Dave) call the 11 O'C Hotline!

B, Neseman, and Price discuss Avengers/Invaders #1, Secret Invasion #2, David Lapham and Young Liars, Carl Barks and Uncle Scrooge #375, IDW's Locke and Key, Don Rosa, timeless characters, generous comics fans, Matt Kramer and The Shade's Journal, cloning Dave Wyndorf, fandom, Apple Computers, and much more!

VinceB, Chris Neseman, and David Price talk about Secret Invasion, Wolverine, Fear Agent, White Picket Fences, Queen & Country, Barry Allen, Geoff Johns, Final Crisis, Witchblade, Mike Norton, DC Universe #0, John Byrne, Pat Loika, Skrulls, Jesus, Jewish people, and a whole lot more!

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Bullpen Bulletins: The End featuring VinceB and David Price, Brian Salazar, Dan C, Thomas Steven Katers, KY Comic Guy, Chris Neseman, Skottie Young, Dallan, and Chris Chavez. Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.

David hightails it to Wizard World Chicago, leaving Vince to plumb the depths of the Diamond Previews catalog for August (for books shipping in October). Subtitle this episode "VinceB's love letter to Image comics!" Super7! Stormwatch PHD! First Born! Doktor Sleepless and Harlan Ellison's Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktocman (read in its entirety!). Bonus! The Buzz Line is ablaze with no less than SIX messages from our fantastic forumites! Hunter S. Thompson! Fight Club! JFK! Anal-probing UFO abductions! Fan reaction to the Millar/Hitch Fantastic Four announcement and the Michael Golden brouhaha!

BBP friends and forumites, Chris (Equinox) Chavez and Ryan (Hulksmash) King, help us peruse the Marvel Previews catalog #47 (for books shipping in September, 2007). Bonus! Lenny Bruce! Bill Hicks! Matango, the Fungus of TERROR! Ultraman Moebius! David's Mystery Movie! The wisdom of Spicoli! More!

Derek (Comicbooknoise) Coward, Mike (KYComicguy) Sims, and Ryan (Hulksmash) King join us for our look at the Marvel mega-event of the Summer: WORLD WAR HULK (including insight on Planet Hulk, Incredible Hulk #106 and #107, and She-Hulk #18)! Extra! Savage Dragon Archives Vol. 2! Sinestro Corps Special! The Lightning Saga! Captain America! Sensational Spider-Man Annual #1! Plus, a boatload of Buzz Line messages!

After we wrap-up our post-Civil War report card with Jefferson Workman and Dave Wachter, Around Comics' head honcho, Chris Neseman, steps in to help us read some listener email, pick our dream artists for the Ultimate Man-Thing, take an in-depth look at Avengers: The Initiative #1-3, and peel back the layers on Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp's Black Summer #0. 100% pure, break-free comics discussion! [During the last twenty or so minutes of recording, we experienced some technical glitches which unfortunately could not be completely removed. Sorry for the less than pristine sound in the home stretch.]

The fantastic talent responsible for the stunning visuals in Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight, Green Lantern, and Wolverine, Young Gun Simone Bianchi talks to Miguel about working for Marvel and DC, Grant Morrison, teases us about his upcoming projects, and much more! Bonus! Scar Tissue's Dynamic Dave Wachter and Jocular Jefferson Workman join us for a post-Civil War Marvel Report Card! Extra! Boob Scotch! Inframan! Lost Highway! Violent vomiting! Free energy! Bleeding eardrums! New directions! All this and so much more absolutely no one asked for in the long-awaited 28th episode of Bullpen Bulletins!