Alternate Universes: The Podcast AU

It's the tenth issue of Alternate Universes! DOUBLE DIGITS MOFOS what whaaaat. Opinions about comic books, mostly Marvel, mostly ranty.

A double dose of the Podcast AU for the same low low price of zero dolars! This time around it's the world of cinematic comic adaptions up for debate.

The assholes assemble to pick apart this week in comics: X-Men, Uncannny Avengers, Fearless Defenders, FF, Guardians of the Galaxy and more!

This week on the Podcast AU we pick apart some of our favourite new releases including X-Men #2, Young Avengers #6, and Hawkeye #11, as well as delivering the usual in-depth analysis you've come to expect from this crack team of experts.

Mature and important things there was no room for last week: doombot sex, the rules of the Assholes Assemble drinking game, and our tips for good holiday reading.

This week: X-Men, Fearless Defenders, Young Avengers, Daredevil: End of Days, and the new Mighty Avengers lineup, as well as advice for getting in to comics in general. See the tumblr for detailed episode notes!

Yes! it's true, after only a couple of days issue six is here! Let there be rejoicing, for there is not a whole lot of that in this episode. Some of the recording got lost! I don't know how that happened but I choose to believe that Byron's mean brother scared it away. As always I kept extensive notes as I edited so if you cbf to listen then HERE HAVE A WALL OF TEXT INSTEAD: spoiler alert!! we're just straight up going to spoil Ultimate Spider-Man, plus recent issues of things like Enemy Within, Age of Ultron, X-Factor, FF, and Wolverine & the X-Men (also probably other stuff). We talk a lot about Carol's hair and how great it is (????), FF and the cishet gender normative family unit, event fatigue and AoU, find out why eyepatches are Fish's greatest weakness, Red She Hulk and Gambit cancelled :((((( Recs for the week: Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, Bedlam and Morning Glories, and FF. Also Adventures of Superman. You know. If you want to read Superman. Obligatory reminder to read JiM and Fearless Defenders! Support them lady books! Thanks to this week's assholes: Byron, Sarah, Fish, and Kiran.

Spoilers for new releases as well as older stuff (like the kid loki saga, Spider-Man, and some plot points from the Red Hood movie/comics. We spend a lot of time talking about human bodies and I probably swear at least once a minute so don't listen to it around sensitive individuals. This week: would an all female team on the Fearless Defenders result in less gross art on one of the most promising lady-focused titles coming out of Marvel right now? (We're really excited for Stephanie Hans as a guest artist on FD); the vast array of body types on offer in superhero comics; tw: unnecessary stretching; DC ladies and their sexuality; Real talk on the permanency of comic book deaths; FF and the moloids: love my Tong :) Our recs for the week are The Movement, Gail Simone's upcoming run on Red Sonja, X-Men Legacy, Journey into Mystery, and East of West. Check back in next week, and remember to always read responsibly!

Beginning with a delightful rant on Brian Michael Bendis' inexcusable writing on Age of Ultron, we are obligated to point out that he did create Miles Morales in Ultimate Spider-Man. We compare the Avengers and the X-Men titles in terms of which is more confusing for a new reader, and discuss the notion of the shared universe in the new Marvel NOW world. Captain Marvel was good this week! Captain Marvel is good every week. We talk briefly about how rad it is for characters like Betty Ross to revel in and enjoy the shit out of their powers, and spend some time imagining what our powers would be if we were mutants (Spoiler alert: we basically want to be Feels Terrorists. In Roz's case, we want to be Pope). Some time is devoted to the majesty of 90s Kon-El and Kiran and Kaya spend a lot of time fruitlessly trying to get the rest of us to be interested in Superman. Prompted by a mention of the Arkham line of Batman games we discuss some of the most revolting costumes ever imposed on female characters all in the name of "empowerment" and then we spend some time objectifying everyone's favourite greasy hobo engineer. This week's recs are the Sif-led Journey into Mystery (issue #646 onwards) and some of the source material for the upcoming Man of Steel movie: namely Superman: Birthright and Superman: Secret Identity. Then we bash time travel some more and complain about Bendis again so it all comes full circle this week!

The assholes assemble to pick apart this week's Hawkeye and Fearless Defenders, and critique some recent costume revamps, including Scarlet Witch and Captain Marvel. Fish predicts the death of the nerdy gay girl. We wonder how do you cross-dress as a Spartan, and Mal recommends people interested in the current Avengers arc check out New Universe. We discuss the concept of impermanent death in comic books and the ongoing conspiracy to get me to start reading Ultimates again. Saga #12: "That's a penis!" and our recs for the week: Red She-Hulk, Wolverine and the X-Men, and Hellblazer.

In this week's issue: the Scarlet Witch: how not to treat your female characters; Teen angst and Avengers Academy; Free Comic Book Day's coming up, what's your local store like?; A weird Dan Brown interlude? For some reason?; Blood types and Sailor Moon; The difference between a character being sexy and being sexualised; Selection criteria for becoming a Robin and miscellaneous DC problems; Wouldn't it be great to watch Under the Red Hood without being properly prepared for what's going to happen to Jason? (no. no it wouldn't); Inevitably Kiran brings up the Ultimates; Could we see a Civil War-type event in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?; We debate whether Fantastic Four or The Phantom is the better comic book movie; and some Dragon Age and Mass Effect love. Our recommended reading for this week is Captain Atom and Marvel 1602. Thanks to regular contributors Kaya, Kiran, Fish, and Sarah, as well as newcomers Kat and Amanda. Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an issue!

This issue: Uncanny Avengers and "the M word"; Captain Marvel and Wolverine: sober bros?; Lady comic book reading problems; Kaya is traumatised by Beta Ray Bill not being soft to the touch; Kelly Sue let us worship you; GOTG #1; Young Avengers #3; and a brief DC/indie interlude.

This week: OPINIONS on New Avengers; Fun with Wednesday spoilers; we shit on Greg Land. Like, a lot; Representation in comics: a lesson from video game "fans"; Timelines? and the digital vs print debate.