Wednesday, October 26, 2016

JLU Scene-by-Scene: Batman v Superman Scene 60

This episode of the Justice League Universe podcast focuses on the "Martha" scene after the Batman-Superman fight in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Snyder.


Download MP3 here: http://jluniverse.podomatic.com/enclosure/2016-10-10T19_56_15-07_00.mp3

  • Batman takes Superman down
  • Your parents and my parents
  • Force the world to make sense
  • Superman does bleed
  • "Martha"
  • Thoughts from listeners
  • Terrio and a moment of shared humanity
Thanks to Alessandro Maniscalco

Full podcast: http://jluniverse.podomatic.com

https://twitter.com/GothamDuder/status/771616471000621056
http://pulpklatura.tumblr.com/post/141843209469/batman-v-superman-the-modern-revenge-tragedy
http://dceu-positivity.tumblr.com/post/144865464065/whoever-calls-their-mother-by-first-name-and-why


http://www.manofsteelanswers.com

Follow @JLUPodcast on Twitter

<Transcript of the episode>

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Review of Supergirl Episode 202: Superman and Metallos

Jason Book and I discuss the second episode of season 2 of Supergirl (CW).


We have a lot that we like about the show and the new season, but we also bring up some concerns.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

DC Comics Continues Sales Surge in September

In the past, I wrote about how the DC Rebirth initiative made a lot of business sense (doubling down on the core characters and taking advantage of cross-media momentum), and how the comic sales were playing out very well in July 2016 and especially August 2016 when DC solidly overtook Marvel... something that very rarely happens.

Well, DC Comics continued that hot selling streak in September 2016 and they also led the way in pushing comic sales overall to heights that haven't been seen since the boom of the 1990s.


For September, DC Comics garnered 36.5% of the dollars earned through physical sales (Marvel 31.4%, Image 9%) and DC offered a relatively low price per issue, with most at $2.99, and so that generosity to the fans meant that DC actually had 43.5% of the units sold. That makes three months in a row that DC outsold Marvel, even with Marvel's Civil War II event going on and Marvel boosted by the sales of the Star Wars series.

Batman (two issues) and All-Star Batman took the top three spots for the month, and Justice League (two issues), Trinity, Supergirl, and Suicide Squad also showed up in the Top Ten. That means DC had 8 of the top 10 bestselling issues! And you can see the benefits of the cross-media connections. It is also proving wise that Rebirth spread out its new #1's, because the fact that #1's are still coming out give a consistent boost and new momentum to the initiative overall.

Walking Dead was still the king of the trade paperbacks, but DC posted 6 of the top 10 in that category as well --- Marvel only posted 1 (Secret Wars).

Overall, the sales are not only good, but the stories and artwork are good, too. Here are my current top five (in no particular order) from the DC Rebirth line:

Superman 7-8: Momentum in the Comic Series

Jason Book and I discuss the recent issues of the Superman ongoing series from DC Comics, written by Peter Tomasi.



As we describe in the video, we're very excited by the storytelling and the artwork that is happening in this book and we're looking forward to what comes next.

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Review of The Flash (CW) Flashpoint Paradox

Jason Book and I discuss the first two episodes of Season 3 of The Flash (CW).


We have loved this show over the course of its first two seasons. But here at the start of Season 3, we have a few concerns. There is still a lot of potential for the season, though.

Review of Supergirl Season 2 Premiere

Jason Book and I discuss the premiere episode of Supergirl on the CW, featuring the full introduction of Superman in the DCCW universe.


This episode dropped a couple threads from the first season but also set up some interesting things that I will be eager to see play out. With regard to Superman, I love the cinematic version of Superman that has been developed in Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and even Suicide Squad, but I also don't mind multiple versions of a character. This CW Superman fits the style of the show pretty well.

Friday, October 7, 2016

Batman v Superman Ultimate Edition Commentary

In this episode of the Justice League Universe podcast (@JLUPodcast), Alessandro and I give our commentary on the extended cut of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Snyder. We synchronize our playback to the moment right at the start when the leaf is floating right in front of the WB logo.


Man of Steel Answers, Suicide Squadcast

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

JLU Scene-by-Scene: Batman v Superman Gladiator Match

This episode of the Justice League Universe podcast focuses on Scene 59 of Batman v Superman, the big gladiator match between Batman and Superman.


  • The physical and visual setting of the fight
  • Falling motif and above/below motif
  • Superman trying to talk to Batman
  • Batman's traps and the bat signal
  • Batman on the edge
  • BvS and its positioning of violence (Pulpklatura)
  • Comments from listeners - Michael, Sofia, Casper
  • Fear and bravery
  • The Dark Knight Returns connections
  • Batman's true motivations in the fight
Thanks to Alessandro Maniscalco
Man of Steel Answers, Suicide Squadcast
Follow @JLUPodcast on twitter

<Transcript of the episode>