Vertigo Voices

We tried something a bit different for today's episode. While reviewing The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames and Dean Haspiel, we decided to get into the spirit of things with some alcoholic beverages. Listen as we discuss this serious topic with meandering conversation and slurred words. And the theme song for today's episode is Alcohol by Barenaked Ladies. I forgot to credit that while recording. I blame the alcohol. Enjoy!

Today we look at Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Directed by Bruce Timm and Eric Radomski, it's often described as the best Batman movie of all time and is definitely Sophia's favorite which is why we did back to back movie episodes. Listen as we dive deep into the underpinnings of what makes Bruce Wayne tick and why Hart Bochner plays such a great coke-head. At one point I mis-identify the person behind the Folding Ideas YouTube page as Dan Larson. Folding Ideas is actually Dan Olson. Dan Larson is the guy behind Toy Galaxy. There are too many Dans.   Email us at VertigoVoices@gmail.com. I demand it.

We watch the noted Christmas movie Red, starring Bruce Willis, based on the Wildstorm/Vertigo comic by Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner. More than any other commentary episode, we go waaaay off the rails this time. Hangovers and colds don't mix.   Don't forget to email us! vertigovoices@gmail.com

We look at DMZ, the story of life in the midst of a modern civil war written by Brian Woods with art mostly by Riccardo Burchielli. It's a story with a clear sense of place and some very intriguing characters so naturally it was adapted into a soulless television series in 2022. We discuss both of those as well as the movie that essentially is a proper take on this source material. Listen, share and don't forget to email us at vertigovoices@gmail.com

A year after announcing a return of the imprint, DC has finally announced which titles will be coming to the new Vertigo Comics. They sound unique and interesting as Vertigo books should be. We then discuss James Gunn's Superman, the film that kickstarted the new cinematic DCU. It's less a review than a list of things we loved. Who was Sophia's favorite character? What was wrong with Metamorpho? Why is Colby like Jimmy Olsen? Listen and find out!  And, as always, send feedback to vertigovoices@gmail.com!

Penguin soars while Joker flops. Colby tells an inappropriate story. Oh, and VERTIGO COMICS IS BACK...no big deal.

We take a look at the new animated Batman series on Amazon. Does Bruce Timm have another hit on his hands or does it misfire, unlike the gun that killed Bruce Wayne's parents...yikes. Anyway, give it a listen! Also, look up Brian Heinzman on Intsagram! @brianheinzman

Today we look at what is arguably the best ongoing superhero comic ever written: Starman by James Robinson and Tony Harris. It's a tale of legacy, familial responsibility, Art Deco and superheroics. Give it a listen. And for those who need a reminder: Hand Banana.

Bedbugs mate by a process called "Traumatic Insemination". Look it up. Anyway, this isn't a fun episode. It was difficult to think about, to record and to edit. Looking back, we probably shouldn't have done an episode that tackles issues of sexual assault. But this topic and this story are very personal and important to me. While it's worth discussing, I'm not sure if I'm able to provide the nuance needed for a topic like this and apologize deeply if any aspect of our discussion comes off as flippant. Sophia and myself have nothing but respect and admiration for those who have survived and thrived after something as traumatic and horrifying as sexual assault. Thank you for listening and know that there is help if you or anyone you know has been the victim of sexual assault. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 1-800-656-4673 Use your voice. Your story deserves to be heard.

After telling some stories about hanging out at Pride, attending the annual Lilac City Comic Con and almost getting "Hansel and Gretel'ed", this vertiginous duo break down the Mad Max Saga, including a 4 issue tie-in to Fury Road that Vertigo released in 2015. With a story by George Miller and writing credited to Mark Sexton (who also oversaw most of the art) and Nico Lathouris, this hard-to-find series fleshes out the world of Max, Furiousa, Immortan Joe and the like. Fun fact: It's actually up to about $300 on eBay right now! Happy hunting!

Now that the next chapter in the Sandman Universe has dropped, we pick apart the new series, how it relates to the original characters and how well it stands on its own. We also briefly discuss James Gunn's new Superman movie and get far too personal with some stories that probably shouldn't have been told. Look, this isn't our best episode, I'll be honest. That said, it may be my favorite.

While Sophia has a history with the character and an affinity for the movie, Colby has no such connection. As such, this episode is mostly spent asking questions of the film's baffling decisions, googling old issues of Cinescape magazine and deep-diving into the animation department's IMDb pages. Also, IMDb sucks now. Come for the movie talk, stay for the endless diversions.

After discussing ECCC (where Colby got to meet 3 Vertigo all-stars, including legend Shelly Bond!!) and sifting through some news of hot takes and remakes, we begin discussing who are the most prolific and important creators that made Vertigo Comics into the iconoclastic, genre-mixing behemoth that it was. Did we miss your favorite? Do you agree with us 100%? Either way, let us know at VertigoVoices@gmail.com!

Maybe we're back on a more regular basis? Who knows?! Today we review, compare and contrast Si Spencer's comic series 'Bodies' with its television series adaptation from Netflix. While the two versions of the story share the same central conceit and major characters, they diverge in some serious ways. Listen along and find out how!

We're back! Colby and Sophia return once more to catch up on DC's new Sandman series, discuss The Unstoppable Doom Patrol and then dive into some random pages of the invaluable reference book, The Vertigo Encyclopedia. Prepare yourselves, the diversions and sidetracks are many and varied this time round. Whatever, it's been a while.

We're back! For now at least. We talk about the new Sandman TV series on Netflix! It's literally taken years to get to this point so we weren't going to let it pass by without giving it the discussion it so richly deserves. What stayed true to the comic? What was changed? Listen and find out! And feel free to let us know what your favorite part was or if we missed anything!

We discuss the first volume of the DC New 52 Justice League Dark series. It's terrible! After thoroughly picking apart the worst thing we've read on the series, we say some goodbyes. To the few of you who listened, a heartfelt thank you. However, there were very, very few of you. So it's time to pack this noble failure up and move on. Maybe not forever, but at least for now. 

We each make our own list of our favorite covers of Vertigo Comics. That's it. Nothing unique or clever this week. Listen along and google the images as we discuss them. Or don't.

With 2021 being Smallville's twentieth anniversary, we look back at the two-part episode that finally took the show in the direction that it probably should've been a few seasons earlier. Season 9's "Legends" and "Society" (Aired together as "Absolute Justice") introduces the Justice Society of America to teen drama of Clark, Lois and Chloe. There's even an appearance or two of well-known Vertigo characters! Watch along and enjoy!

We look through all 10 volumes of Neil Gaiman's Sandman (not counting spin-off's or later volumes) and rank them from worst to best. Although, take this ranking order with a grain of salt because it should be noted that even the "worst" volume of Sandman is still one of the greatest pieces of art ever to be produced. Listen along and then go read this entire series!