Between The Gutters Podcast

Solo #9 is Scott Hampton's spotlight issue! He's an artist neither of us is very familiar with, so it was good to get more exposure to his work. Because we don't know his other comics well, this episode is mostly focused on talking about the stories within this specific issue of Solo. There's a Batman story in this comic, too - what more do you want? Check out Solo #9 and listen to our podcast! (Not necessarily in that order!) If you have any Scott Hampton recommendations for us, shoot 'em over!   For a handy Spotify playlist featuring all of our episodes on Solo, click here: tr.ee/LWngAKKWTt If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats Also, if you listen closely to this Scott Hampton episode, you can have a shot at winning a secret priz

We're back! It is time to continue our readthrough of DC Comics' Solo. This month, we're discussing the eighth issue, which features the incredible work of Teddy Kristiansen. Join us as we delve into his spotlight issue and discuss all five of his stories in the comic!   For a handy Spotify playlist featuring all of our episodes on Solo, click here: tr.ee/LWngAKKWTt If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

Mike Allred is one of the most unique voices in creator-owned and mainstream comics! Perhaps best known for his Madman series, he has also left a big mark on some of DC's and Marvel's biggest characters and franchises, including Superman, Batman, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, and so much more! Join us as we cover his issue of Solo! Apologies for the late episode! We recorded this well before San Diego Comic Con, but due to the busyness of life and work, didn't get a chance to edit and post it until now. But we still function. For a handy Spotify playlist featuring all of our episodes on Solo, click here: tr.ee/LWngAKKWTt If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

In this episode, we're discussing an indie comic we both backed on Kickstarter back in 2020. The Dodo Knows by Helen Greetham is an anthology of stories centered around themes of loss and discovery. It's a lovely collection for readers of any age, and we warmly recommend it. If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

We're digging way too deep into the forgotten 1993 Image lineup in this episode. Do you remember Union by Mark Texeira and Mike Heisler? If you do, this episode is for you. We take a look at the initial four-issue miniseries that took almost a year to come out! Let's party like it's 1993 again, or something like that. If DC hadn't bought up WildStorm, Union would have been the perfect mascot for the Image Comics union. If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

Jordi Bernet is an artist neither one of us was particularly familiar with, but he received his own spotlight issue of Solo, which we'll be discussing in this episode! As usual, we'll be discussing each story in the comic. Don't worry, there's a Batman story in this one... For a handy Spotify playlist featuring all of our episodes on Solo, click here: tr.ee/LWngAKKWTt If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

For the second straight episode, we're taking a close look at another underrated Image miniseries! This time around, we're examining Ghost Cage by Nick Dragotta and Caleb Goellner! This three-issue science fiction comic has a ton of the things we love, including dope character designs, immersive worldbuilding, slick action, Mega Man-esque aesthetics, and substantial subtext. It's a book we really dig, and we really enjoyed discussing it.   If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

Let's take a walk. Step by Bloody Step by Si Spurrier and Matias Bergara is truly a gem of a miniseries. It's an almost wordless fantasy story about a girl and her giant guardian traversing across their world. Featuring beautiful imagery and densely layered artwork that communicates the story of their journey, Step by Bloody Step is a work that not only demands your attention, but deserves it. Join us as we discuss and analyze it! If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

After we went through the ordeal of revisiting X-Men #1-3 by Claremont and Lee a couple weeks ago, we decided to reward ourselves by talking about a great X-Men story: House of X/Powers of X. It's two stories that are one! As the Krakoan era winds down in 2024, it's also a nice time to revisit this smash hit. While you slept, the world changed... So stay awake and listen to our voices! If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

In this month's installment of our readthrough of DC's Solo, we're finally covering the Darwyn Cooke issue! Everybody should know how great Cooke was. He contributed to a lot of the early DC Animated Universe, and he left a big impact on comics. While works like DC: The New Frontier and his Parker adaptations are probably his most famous, you should definitely keep an eye out for Solo #5 in the back issue bins. It is a treasure, and a veritable showcase of his talents. Join us in this episode as we discuss why his work in general continues to resonate with us, and as we do a story-by-story analysis of his issue of Solo! For a handy Spotify playlist featuring all of our episodes on Solo, click here: https://tr.ee/LWngAKKWTt If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platform

X-Men #1 is the best-selling comic book of all time and a big part of our youths. With X-Men '97 in the zeitgeist, we figured we could go back and revisit X-Men #1-3 (1991) by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee, taking a critical look at one of the most beloved and influential runs in popular culture. In this episode, we take some time to talk about our individual experiences with Claremont and Jim Lee's works, reflect on the early nineties X-Men, and do an issue-by-issue commentary of the first three issues of 1991's X-Men! Towards the end of the episode, we also talk about what we've seen of X-Men '97, the Disney+ animated series that seems to be pleasing fans of the old nineties show.   If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

Happy Mother's Day to all who celebrate! In this episode, we're talking about Mothers, by Kusahara Umi! Mothers is a one-woman anthology published by Glacier Bay Books. It's got a dozen stories, and virtually all of them are hits. Seriously, find yourself a copy of this book if you don't already have one! We talk in-depth and discuss each story in this book, which is rich with meaning and ideas to unpack. The tales in this collection examine themes of motherhood, family, loss, and practically the whole gamut of human emotions. It was a true pleasure to read and discuss all of these stories! If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

Lois Lane: Enemy of the People by Greg Rucka and Mike Perkins is, in the grand scheme of eternity, a relatively recent 12-issue maxiseries that we wanted to read and discuss. It's also a chance for us to talk about the impact of the creators' works. Also, because this is a Lois Lane-centric episode, we took the time to talk about the 1986 Lois Lane two-issue miniseries by Mindy Newell and Gray Morrow, "When It's Raining, God Is Crying." These are two different Lois stories from different eras, but there are some fascinating commonalities in their characterization and portrayal of Lois. If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

As we continue our readthrough of DC's Solo, we now come to Howard Chaykin's issue. He's a very distinctive artist known for his edginess, but we've certainly read our fair share of his latter-period Big Two work. Join us as we discuss our thoughts on his writing and art in general, and as we examine his spotlight issue! For a handy Spotify playlist featuring all of our episodes on Solo, click here: open.spotify.com/playlist/5Cp7xN6…565b39d437214b89 If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

We're back! Just like Superman coming back from the dead, Between the Gutters has returned to life! This week, we're discussing Superman vs. Meshi volume 1 by Satoshi Miyagawa and Kai Kitago. It's a delightful slice of life food manga featuring Superman and his appreciation for fast Japanese cuisine! This is a different type of cape comic for those who are accustomed to Western superhero comics, but manga readers know that comics about food are about as plentiful as comics about cats. (Maybe?) Join us as we discuss our experiences with Superman vs. Meshi and food-centric comics in general!

In issue three of Solo, Paul Pope takes the spotlight. This issue contains the Eisner Award-winning short story "Teenage Sidekick!" There are some other gems as well. Join us as we discuss Paul Pope's work and the bits of his career that we're familiar with. For a handy Spotify playlist featuring all of our episodes on Solo, click here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Cp7xN6T5JKdsqA2VvbUE1?si=565b39d437214b89 If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

This is a story. This is a story about us podcasting about one of the best DC comics ever, and one of the last great Vertigo ongoing series. This is a story about the next entry in our top 25 DC comics countdown! Coming in at #22 on our list... Sweet Tooth by Jeff Lemire, Jose Villarubia, and more! This science fiction post-apocalyptic coming of age story about the boy and the big man is one of the most evocative and touching comics DC has ever published. This is a story. We discussed Sweet Tooth in broad terms back when the first season of the Netflix adaptation came out. See episode 82 of our podcast. We also discussed another Jeff Lemire comic, Joker: Killer Smile, back in episode 51. We also talked a bit about Trillium, a later Lemire/Villarubia joint, in episode 37. Like we did for our Marvel top 25 list, we applied a set of criteria and scored all the DC books we've read to create our list. Our criteria are as follows: CRAFT. Is the comic technically sound? Is it well-written? Is it well-illustrated

The Seeds by Ann Nocenti and David Aja is an ecological, post-apocalyptic, science fiction, romantic, techno thriller. If that sounds like a lot, it's because Nocenti and Aja stuffed this four-issue story chock full of ideas and concepts. Perhaps The Seeds isn't a perfect comic book, but it's absolutely an intriguing one. It's a comic that demands your active attention. We tried to figure it out - no idea if we've understood it properly - but we had a good time with it. It's refreshing to read a mainstream comic that has a high estimation of the intellect of its readers. What'd you guys think about The Seeds? If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

Richard Corben... The man, the myth, the legend. About twenty years ago, he did the second issue of DC's Solo. This anthology series showcased a special artist with every issue, giving them carte blanche to do whatever they wanted. In 2024, we're dedicating one of our episodes every month to talking about one issue of this series, and after tackling Tim Sale's issue last month, it's time to turn our attention to Corben. We're admittedly only directly familiar with a small portion of his later period work, so if you have more thoughts about his overall career, or if you have recommendations for specific Corben comics we need to check out, please feel free to hit us up! If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or corrections, we're here. Feel free to hit us up on our socials, or email us! We have a Linktree here: linktr.ee/betweenthegutters Thanks again to Corey J. Beats for producing our theme music. Check out all of his music on various platforms here: linktr.ee/Coreyjbeats

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane is an underrated and underappreciated gem of a series, and we're here to shine a spotlight on it. In this episode, we're covering all twenty issues of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, plus the two preceding four-issue miniseries. All of these comics are written by Sean McKeever, mostly drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa, colored by Christina Strain, and lettered by Randy Gentile and Dave Sharpe. David Hahn drew the last few issues of the run, Norman Lee inked some of Miyazawa's issues, and there's some additional art by Valentine De Landro and Rick Mays. This is a great MJ comic, a great Spidey comic, a great romance comic... It's just a great comic by Sean McKeever, an underrated writer who deserves more love and recognition. Discussing SMLMJ also gave us a chance to talk about his work in general. Of course, we also don't want to neglect the primary artists of the run, Takeshi Miyazawa and Christina Strain, whose warm and vibrant work bring wonderful energy and zest to this incredibly addictiv