Funny Book Forensics 453 A Batman of the People

[00:00:04] Speaker A: Your. Your house is a nightmare. Like, it's absolutely. I couldn't start the. We wanted to start early because Greg is always whining about not being done in time. And then we talk for two and a half hours to people, and Greg is sad, and then Ann is sad and everyone is sad. And then we try to start the podcast early because we're both here and all it is is backup noises and loud cars. And. [00:00:30] Speaker B: I'm sorry, my neighborhood is under construction right now. They're slamming a bunch of houses in the subdivision next to us, and they're constructing, or not even constructing. They're just moving dirt. So it's just a bunch of heavy equipment. [00:00:47] Speaker A: I know. It's that beeping noise that happens every time Nightwing walks backwards. [00:00:51] Speaker B: Yeah. And then. And then this big dumper. When the other vehicles do their thing. And then the gravy noise of. Grr. [00:01:08] Speaker A: Well, it's been an awful. It's been an awful week for celebrities. That was last week. And then. [00:01:15] Speaker B: Yes. [00:01:16] Speaker A: This week. Or no, it kept happening because after last, Tim Curry died and then we lost Optimus Prime. [00:01:23] Speaker B: Yeah. Which [00:01:27] Speaker A: Greg has been singing the Transformers song to. [00:01:30] Speaker B: Big Batman, Big Batman it's more than meets the eyes. Big Batman he's got really big thighs. [00:01:37] Speaker A: I probably need Ann for this, actually. I need the owner of the Retro Emporium to tell us more about Peter Cullen. But, Greg, tell us what you know about Peter Cullen. [00:01:48] Speaker B: That he voiced Optimus prime in everything. [00:01:51] Speaker A: Yeah, he also did a lot of. We give us a bigger, better synopsis. [00:01:57] Speaker B: Bigger, better synopsis. He did a lot of other stuff, too, but I mean, primarily, that is what he's. He's known for. [00:02:04] Speaker A: And all the Optimus Primes, right? [00:02:07] Speaker B: All of them. Yes. He is the Parn Prime. [00:02:13] Speaker A: He is Prime. [00:02:14] Speaker B: He's Prime. [00:02:15] Speaker A: He's like Prime Superboy Prime. He rips all the Titans arms off and talks. Breaks the fourth wall and like that. [00:02:25] Speaker B: Yeah, like that. Except for in that, like, animated style movie that came out recently that. I mean, because that was a young prime. But, you know, you don't get. What. [00:02:38] Speaker A: When Optimus prime died. [00:02:40] Speaker B: Yes. [00:02:41] Speaker A: How upset were you? Honestly, from 1 to 10? [00:02:45] Speaker B: I mean, as a. As a child, of course, watching that. Not. Not what you expect when your parents drop you off at the theater to go watch this movie by yourself after watching your beloved cartoon and then. And then seeing on screen death of. Of your beloved Optimus Prime. Not exactly. And I mean, there's a lot of other Transformers that. That. That don't make it in the Battle. But Optimus prime, definitely a big hit on the heart there. [00:03:20] Speaker A: Do you think when Optimus prime came back to life, he should have come back with a black suit and long hair? [00:03:27] Speaker B: A black suit and long hair. Well, I mean, there was, there, there, there was, there is a Nemesis Prime. Nemesis Prime. He's like a, from a different dimension. So he's a, he's got black detailing color and, and purple detailing. So he's like a Decepticon. [00:03:46] Speaker A: I mean, he's like the bad Kirk. [00:03:48] Speaker B: He's the, yeah, he's the bad, he's the bad Kirk. [00:03:50] Speaker A: So, yeah, it's, it's the mirror universe. Mirror Universe Prime. [00:03:56] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, it's kind of. [00:04:00] Speaker A: So. But yeah, I mean, I could see [00:04:03] Speaker B: him coming back as, you know, he's, he's all, he's, he's dressed in black, he's got long hair, he's wearing a hat. Prime with a hat. I don't know. [00:04:13] Speaker A: Prime with a hat. Yeah, I mean, it was, I think, obviously long life. It's just one more voice of our childhood going away, which is sad. And what was your favorite Tim Curry movie? [00:04:27] Speaker B: Favorite Tim Curry movie. Oh, man, that is, it is a toss, weighted question. I mean, it's a weighted question. I mean, you know, I, I, I spent many Fridays with my, my buddy JD from junior high and high school and his sister as the tag along kids gone to go watch Rocky or Picture Show Tacoma. But the, I, you know, there's, he's, he's got a lot of, a lot of really great ones, but I think Clue just sits, it sits somewhere in my, in my love for, for his, his, his goofy character in that movie. But I mean, it's a toss up between those two. And then I do definitely love him and Annie. He sings, he dances, he does the whole thing as Rooster. And if you, if you haven't gotten a chance to listen to him sing, he's got an amazing few albums under his belt and Birds of a Feather is a fantastic song, so. [00:05:42] Speaker A: Oh, yes. I mean he was nominated for two best actor in a musical awards. For those that don't know the extent of Tim Curry. The Pirates of Panzanz, oh my gosh. Wants to sing and dance. [00:05:55] Speaker B: He wants to sing and dance. [00:05:56] Speaker A: Pirates of Panzans and Spamalot. [00:06:00] Speaker B: Of course, [00:06:02] Speaker A: he was nominated for multiple Tony awards. He won stage actor of the year in 1982 apparently for pirates of Panzan. [00:06:10] Speaker B: So I mean, there you go. That, that is, that. I mean, and, and I know there's a lot of people out There like, oh, you, you guys are talking about Pirates of Panzan. But he, he was also in another pirate movie. Yes, yes, he was in the, The Muffin Pirate movie. And that is, that is top notch, top notch acting. Just fantastic. [00:06:37] Speaker A: I mean, when isn't Tim Curry. The thing about Tim Curry is any role he played, he put everything into it. Like, literally anything into it. Which, you know, we are. We are or were. But and were in our. We were both big fans of pro wrestling and the wrestlers that are successful with over time that get stuck with a bad gimmick, put everything into it and make you end up loving them. And Tim Curry, you can always say he put everything into every role he played. [00:07:13] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:07:14] Speaker A: And made you love him. [00:07:16] Speaker B: I mean, like, and I know, like, I mean, a lot of folks that probably listen to my. The Horror Podcast with Saul Perez, Nurse from the Crypt, they know, like, we talk a lot about Stephen King stuff, so we talk a lot about it and everything like that. But, but, and as a kid, that. I'm not going to lie that his, his portrayal, Pennywise scared the. Out of me. [00:07:38] Speaker A: Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. [00:07:40] Speaker B: Oh, and, and I mean, I, I think the worst thing I probably could have done was put the idea in my, my cousin's heads that their, their mom, because her name was Penny and she was wise. [00:07:53] Speaker A: Oh, God. I did not. [00:07:55] Speaker B: I did. And, and, and then they were scared of them for. Yeah, I. It's terrible to have a, A movie like that on, On TV that was that scary for kids. I mean, and, and parents just like plopping their kids down in front of the TV because it's on TV and it's like, it's on. It's a TV movie. It's fine. It was scary as hell. [00:08:23] Speaker A: Would Amadeus actually have been a good movie if, like, the stage version, Tim Curry played Mozart instead of Peter Holtz? [00:08:36] Speaker B: I don't, I don't know. [00:08:38] Speaker A: I mean, it was such a boring movie. Or Tom Holtz. Sorry. [00:08:43] Speaker B: You know, like, I, as a kid, I watched it because my babysitter made [00:08:51] Speaker A: me watch it every. Yeah, I had to watch it in [00:08:54] Speaker B: school and I, and it was like. I think they had to watch it for, for school, so they made me watch it and it was like I had to watch it and I was. I don't know, it was kind of okay, but I was also very young too, so. Yeah, it's just boring. [00:09:23] Speaker A: Yeah, I, I mean, he won. He got not. I didn't win, but he got nominated for Best Actor in. On Stage. [00:09:31] Speaker B: I'm Sure. If he was in the, in the movie, it probably would have been a different thing. [00:09:36] Speaker A: I wonder. Yeah, well, you know, it's what if. [00:09:41] Speaker B: Oh, Dan. Okay, then what? Like, let's cast him in other stuff. What if. [00:09:50] Speaker A: What if Tim Curry. Oh, well, there is a what if hanging out there from last week that's related to what we're going to talk about today. Kind of. [00:09:57] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. [00:09:59] Speaker A: Tim Curry actually had. There was some voice voicing, voice acting going around of Tim Curry auditioning to play the Joker on the Batman animated series before it was given to Mark Hamill. [00:10:14] Speaker B: Oh, wow. That would be a tough. That's a tough casting call. [00:10:20] Speaker A: So your options are Tim Curry or Mark Hamill. Who do you go with? I think they went with the right one, actually, because Mark Hamill is really good. [00:10:30] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, he, he is. In my mind, when I close my eyes, that is, that is the voice that, I mean. Yeah. [00:10:39] Speaker A: Either hear him or Caesar Romero. Right? Like. Yes. Yeah. [00:10:42] Speaker B: There's a. Yeah, that's, that's the, that's my two. [00:10:46] Speaker A: But the laugh. The laugh is, is what it is. [00:10:49] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:10:50] Speaker A: I mean, you haven't, you haven't lived until you've heard a Mark Hamill Joker laugh live. I think it's just. He's so good. But Tim Curry would have brought a whole different element to the character. [00:11:04] Speaker B: It would have been. Yeah, it would have been a very different, A different take on it. It had been very interesting man. [00:11:16] Speaker A: Well, rest in peace, Tim Curry. Rest in peace. Peter Cullen. Rest in peace. Of course, Dolly Parton. And we've lost some others recently. And it's just. Yeah, it's been a, it's been a tough year on Marvel Comics too. You know, Salvashima died earlier this year. I probably should have mentioned that last episode. Yeah. Because I don't think we really talked about it much on the podcast. No, but you, you think about somebody who was just a top. You know, it's, it's interesting because Sal, like, he doesn't get the recognition he deserves because his brother was so good. I did mention that last week. [00:12:00] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:12:01] Speaker A: And it's just, it's, it's just interesting, you know, but things change. And one of the things we're doing is we're actually covering a comic that's not 40 years old today. [00:12:15] Speaker B: That. I know. When you, when you suggested this, I was like, wait, what? Huh? I, I, I, I. Okay, let's, let's do it. [00:12:25] Speaker A: Well, we're going back to my love hate relationship with Scott Snyder. And [00:12:31] Speaker B: it. Yeah. [00:12:33] Speaker A: Who has. Who created the. Helped create the most successful line of comics in recent comics history. [00:12:42] Speaker B: And some great pretzels. [00:12:45] Speaker A: Yeah. Snyder's pretzels is exactly what he's known for. I know that'd be actually Zack Snyder. And he is. He comes up with all the shitty flavors. [00:12:54] Speaker B: Oh, okay. I see. [00:12:58] Speaker A: Yeah. Remember, there's the Snyder that fucked up all the movies, and then there's the Snyder that is now outselling Marvel in comic books. And that would be Scott Snyder. [00:13:07] Speaker B: I see. [00:13:10] Speaker A: So, yeah, I mean, we're going to cover absolute Batman number one and. Well, you know, we assume a few of you have already read this one. [00:13:19] Speaker B: Yeah. It's the weirdest vodka tie in I've ever heard of. Like absolute vodka backing a Batman DC book. Weird collab, but I'm with it. I'm here for it. [00:13:31] Speaker A: Well, you should appreciate. You should appreciate the absolute Batman because the whole all in thing that started all this made Booster Gold the center, a big piece of the DC universe again. [00:13:44] Speaker B: Huh. [00:13:45] Speaker A: So I know you didn't read that. I'm finally getting a Legion of Superheroes book after three years. This is the ashcan version from San Diego. Thanks, Travis, for not grabbing this for me and making me go buy it on the Internet. When I told Travis to grab every Legion thing he could find, please get this for me. I don't think he understood the mission. [00:14:07] Speaker B: He grabbed it and then put it down. His hand caught on fire. [00:14:10] Speaker A: Yeah. I don't know. [00:14:11] Speaker B: He touched it and it started to burn. [00:14:14] Speaker A: But I'm getting a new Legion book. There's a lot of new things DC is doing, but they created very similar to the Ultimates line over at Marvel in the early 2000s. They just went and said, cool, we're going to launch books at number one all in. Said, there are two universes that are happening. We're going to run them simultaneously. They do end up crossing once for like a couple of panels in the DCKO storyline where the Batman where the Absolutes fight the regular superheroes for a tiny fraction. But they. They didn't. What they did not do in the crossover is stop all the books in the Absolute line and make them tie in. They just plopped it and then let it go back so they could keep doing their thing. I'm sure the plan long term is to integrate them back or do whatever they're going to do, but for now, they've let these creators have their own books, create these characters with some of the mythos, but as if they are from starting it over. And it Worked. This book sold 400,000 copies with 10 different reprints and over 30 different covers. 30. I was reading that some of the newer books with Batman are selling over 500. With Absolute Batman are selling over 500,000 copies, which is just unheard of in this day and age. A good book, just for reference. The comic companies are happy. If A book sells 40,000 copies these days. They are, like, ecstatic. That book's going to keep running. You've got a book you're not going to get canceled. Congratulations. And that's Marvel dc. Right. Like we're not in indie books. Even lower runs. Right. Like I'm imagining, you tell me. But I'm imagining if they get a 5 to 10,000 sale run, they're pretty stoked. [00:16:12] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:16:13] Speaker A: On a monthly basis. Right. So, yeah, we're looking at absolute Batman number one. And it. I guess we want to figure out why it's been such a success, what the appeal is, and that's why we're going to read it. Because that's what we do here. We break down comics. And we can't keep ignoring this thing that's been immensely successful, which I've alluded to, with DC outselling Marvel for the first time since the 70s. [00:16:43] Speaker B: And it's amazing. It is definitely something that as two people who've read and talked about comics, a giant chunk of our lives, not something we'd imagine happening, but here it is. It has happened. It's happened, it's happening. [00:17:06] Speaker A: Well, and let's start with what they did here, because number one, similar to, you know, I'll give them some similarity. Similar to putting Bendis on the ultimate books. Right. Putting an established creator, but they put an established creator, Scott Snyder, on these books. But with Scott Snyder, they're taking somebody who was well established at dc. So they didn't pull somebody from the outside, had written death metal, had done all these crossovers, had written Batman, had actually brought in Nick Capullo to draw Batman for him, which. Why would you not? Right. Or Greg Coppola. Why did I say Nick? Because I'm thinking of Nick Degrada, who's the artist here, but Greg Coppola famously co. Drew Spahn with Todd and then Drew Spahn and, you know, drawing Batman. And, you know, you. You bring in these creators to make your books come to life. And the very first thing that stands out to me about this book here is Nick Dragota's cover. [00:18:07] Speaker B: Yeah, it's. [00:18:09] Speaker A: Because it's awesome. [00:18:10] Speaker B: It is very much like, you look at it and you're like, okay, what's inside this book? [00:18:15] Speaker A: Yep. Well, who is this Batman? Like, he. [00:18:18] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:18:18] Speaker A: His cape is awesome. It's not a traditional cape. It looks like he uses it for something. Right. [00:18:24] Speaker B: Yeah. His. [00:18:26] Speaker A: His logo is different, obviously. [00:18:28] Speaker B: Right. [00:18:29] Speaker A: His chest plate, his. [00:18:31] Speaker B: His hand, his. Like, his wraps on his every. You know, his forearms, his. His big thighs. [00:18:40] Speaker A: He is now a power lifter. He is no longer a twink. [00:18:45] Speaker B: I mean, and, like, his cow is like. I mean, usually the cowl is. Is. Is kind of like just tiny bumps. [00:18:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:18:53] Speaker B: But this one, it. It definitely stands out. It's a. It's a piece that. That definitely. You look at it and you're like, oh, that's. That's something. [00:19:09] Speaker A: It's. I love how. Oh, sorry, go ahead. No, no, I'm just fine. [00:19:12] Speaker B: No, go ahead. [00:19:13] Speaker A: I was gonna say I love how the. The logo is integrated into the COVID not vice versa. So the logo almost interrupts the COVID in a sense. [00:19:26] Speaker B: Right. [00:19:27] Speaker A: But with the. It doesn't cover his face. Right. Like, he. It clearly established Batman is the primary character of this book. Right. And then Gotham is the backdrop. And there you go. Right. I mean, it's literally what the COVID conveys. [00:19:43] Speaker B: Yeah. It's very much like, okay, this is the story, [00:19:49] Speaker A: and I bet we're going to talk about Batman, and I bet we're going to talk about Gotham City in this book. [00:19:55] Speaker B: No, not at all. That is not the story. Okay, maybe it is. [00:20:02] Speaker A: Well, you flip the page and you get an advertisement for another absolute book. [00:20:08] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, you do. [00:20:10] Speaker A: Absolute Wonder Woman, which, drawn by Hayden Sherman, who is going to do the Legion series. [00:20:18] Speaker B: Hey. [00:20:20] Speaker A: Or has done, but hasn't released or the books are already out, according to my comic shop. I just can't have it until tomorrow. [00:20:29] Speaker B: Tomorrow or today. You must wait. [00:20:31] Speaker A: Tomorrow, today you must. [00:20:32] Speaker B: Tomorrow, today. You must wait one day from the time that you are thinking about it to the day that you can have it. [00:20:38] Speaker A: I am. Well, it's actually last past tomorrow. Anyway, whatever time is recording. I'm supposed to have a book, but I want a book, but I can't have it. [00:20:49] Speaker B: But the time of the release. [00:20:53] Speaker A: Absolute. Wonder Woman says, meet Diana, Princess of Hell. [00:20:56] Speaker B: Ow. [00:20:58] Speaker A: What? [00:20:59] Speaker B: Okay. [00:21:00] Speaker A: Okay. Wow. Batman. You know what's wrong with this book, by the way? [00:21:08] Speaker B: What? [00:21:10] Speaker A: I just want to point out right away. There's no fucking page numbers in this book. [00:21:16] Speaker B: Oh, you know why? It's a good book. It's sold a lot. I hear that books that sell a lot have no page numbers. [00:21:24] Speaker A: Then how come your book doesn't Sell a lot. [00:21:27] Speaker B: It did. It does. The book that has no page numbers. Yeah, [00:21:34] Speaker A: only if I'm selling it at the table. [00:21:35] Speaker B: Go to Kickstarter. It is. It is. It is. One of. It was very. A very well picked up book. [00:21:44] Speaker A: Yeah. Until, like, until, like, John Wick put all his stuff on Kickstarter. [00:21:52] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, of course. And then we launched at the same time, which was not by choice, but just by berserk. That was the only. And honestly, that's the only time we'd ever had to relaunch a Kickstarter because it. It was very hard to compete with something as. As giant as that. [00:22:16] Speaker A: Well, I know you're not drinking today, but in honor of Batman's parents, I went ahead and made myself an old Fashioned. [00:22:21] Speaker B: Oh, that's nice. [00:22:25] Speaker A: And Zorro. [00:22:26] Speaker B: And Zorro. [00:22:27] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:22:27] Speaker B: Okay. [00:22:28] Speaker A: I don't know if we talk about Zorro in here, but. [00:22:29] Speaker B: We did not. [00:22:31] Speaker A: But. Okay, well, go ahead. I was thinking of the Zor, you know. Well, we get it. Looks like there's a. There's a child, and he's like, welcome to the Cairo. You say the word. [00:22:44] Speaker B: The what? [00:22:46] Speaker A: Welcome to the Cairo patera. [00:22:51] Speaker B: Cairo. [00:22:53] Speaker A: Tara, you're the writer. You're supposed to know words. [00:22:55] Speaker B: It's a Cairo Terra. I think the P is silent. [00:23:00] Speaker A: You're a silent Cairo. [00:23:02] Speaker B: Matera Ky [00:23:06] Speaker A: is silent, too, because you're an old man with prostate problems. [00:23:09] Speaker B: It's. Geez, Dan, I take medicine for that. I don't have a problem anymore. [00:23:18] Speaker A: Just flows easy. [00:23:19] Speaker B: Yeah. And I had to go to the bathroom like eight times a day. [00:23:23] Speaker A: I don't see. That's bad, too. Bats are crazy. It says, as you enter the enclosure, we ask that you don't take pictures, but observe how bats fly. Bats walk on there. [00:23:35] Speaker B: Bats walk on. [00:23:39] Speaker A: Looks like we have a little Bruce Wayne. Oh, looking up. Actually drawn like a kid. Thank you, Nick Dragota, for drawing kids. Like kids? [00:23:49] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:23:50] Speaker A: Not like miniature adult. And backpacks with pockets. [00:23:55] Speaker B: Man. [00:23:57] Speaker A: There's a man. Looks like they're getting ready for the Gotham Zoo. And the teacher's like, there'll be plenty of time for bats later. Come on, let's start. And then we flip the page and it says, absolute Batman, the zoo. And there's a hand with a gun. Part one of five. [00:24:16] Speaker B: Part one of five is that. That's only five books. [00:24:21] Speaker A: Well, Greg, as you were aware, five comics equals one graphic novel that you can sell on the store shelf and put in soft cover. So every story has to be five issues long. [00:24:33] Speaker B: Does it have to be five Issues. Or could it be seven? [00:24:36] Speaker A: It could be five issues long. And then if you make it seven, nobody wants to print your book. And they want to charge you a whole bunch for it, and you can never get it to your customers. [00:24:46] Speaker B: That's why you have to print it yourself. [00:24:49] Speaker A: And that doesn't work either. [00:24:51] Speaker B: Sure it does. [00:24:53] Speaker A: So. Hello again, Gotham. It's been a long time. So who are you these days? Who have you become while I was gone? You're prettier, I'll give you that. Taller, brighter, but deep down, something's changed. Somebody is on a motorcycle coming back into Gotham, and we get a note from a newscaster in panels. Oh, no. Oh, no. [00:25:17] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. There's like, 16 panels. 16 panels? [00:25:21] Speaker A: No, they are not 16. Stop. I'm leaving. [00:25:26] Speaker B: It's it's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Oh, my God. It's an homage. [00:25:41] Speaker A: Yes. The party animals. A gang and slaughters. Yeah. No, it is definitely an homage to the mutants thing. Party animals, gang. But one of the things I. I will say we're going to cover a lot of it, but one of the things I like about this book and don't like about it, but mostly, like, is they do have a lot of homages to things, but it's its own story. Right. Like, they don't. You know, there's already an homage to Dark Knight Returns. Right. Right here with the way that's paneled and the way the newscaster is there and that there's a crime wave and that there's. But it doesn't take over the story in a way that makes it unreadable or turns it into Dark Knight Returns. [00:26:20] Speaker B: Right. [00:26:21] Speaker A: Though I could make an argument that the darker Batman is influenced by that. But that's something we can get into at the end of the story. [00:26:27] Speaker B: Yeah, [00:26:30] Speaker A: but the narrator says, something's changed. My third lap around, and I still can't find it. Where's your heart? You used to have a center hot. A center hot and beating. But something's hollowed you out. [00:26:45] Speaker B: I will say that. That third panel on it, like, I mean, obviously, they. Gotham is a. Like a. It's like a. Like Chicago is. It's analog. Gotham is analog for. [00:27:01] Speaker A: Actually, Gotham's analog is New York. [00:27:03] Speaker B: Is it New York? [00:27:04] Speaker A: Okay, well, I thought Chicago. [00:27:07] Speaker B: Okay. My bad. I just know that they filmed in Chicago. But, like, that. That area that he's riding the bike out of and stuff like that. Like when I was driving around with my buddy Zach, like, he he's like, oh yeah, this is like. And you can. You. You can see areas like this in Chicago. So it's like very much that feel to me again, you know. [00:27:36] Speaker A: And just for the record, I thought forever that New York was the analog for Metropolis and that Gotham was. That's what I thought. For Chicago. Yeah, that's what I thought. I did think. But Gotham City, New York is called Gotham. [00:27:51] Speaker B: Oh my God. [00:27:53] Speaker A: In real life, I did not know also when bloodhaven came around. You think about Newark in New York. [00:28:01] Speaker B: Oh, okay. [00:28:06] Speaker A: That shitty city across the river. [00:28:07] Speaker B: Hey, now, it's not so bad. There's an airport there. [00:28:13] Speaker A: Yeah. Hellscape. I will someday talk about the ride from a Uber. I got to the Newark airport where the person couldn't even find it and got lost. And we ended up on. Anyway, in the narration continues. In fact, I barely recognize you anymore. I'm not sure I like this new you Gotham. But that's okay. I don't think you're going to like me much either. My name is Alfred Pennyworth and I'm here to do some bad things. So Scott Snyder has finally got what he wishes for. Alfred is indeed a secret agent. [00:28:52] Speaker B: Is he a secret agent or is he just a guy that does bad things? Dan, we don't know that yet. We just know that he does. He's going to do bad things in Gotham. He could be the head of the. The party animal gang. [00:29:03] Speaker A: He goes to get some tea. [00:29:05] Speaker B: Yeah, that's calming. [00:29:07] Speaker A: And. Or has a lot of caffeine. It might not be very calming. [00:29:11] Speaker B: Oh, that's true. It could be. Could be both. [00:29:14] Speaker A: But he's. He narrates a lot of this. I won't read all the narration, but he goes and gets some tea. He's reconciling with his friend who is from Afghanistan. Has tea. He's got a little safe house. It looks like a tea pot. Some. A gun. A picture of him with somebody who graduated. Maybe his daughter must be Julia. His daughter because he literally says it. Or. No, no, sorry. Julia is his handler. Right. Mess that up. I was trying not to read everything. No, this is your father. Sorry. Julia is his daughter. [00:29:49] Speaker B: Daughter. [00:29:52] Speaker A: Hi. I know it's been a long time. I'm in Gotham at least for a minute. So he wants to try to see her. So apparently he has connections to Gotham that are unstated as of this moment. So we don't know exactly what they are. He apparently had a bad relationship with Julia. And he has a lot of guns. [00:30:12] Speaker B: He does have a lot of Guns. Many, many guns. [00:30:15] Speaker A: Can you name all of those weapons? [00:30:16] Speaker B: I can't name all those weapons. [00:30:20] Speaker A: I cannot either, because I don't play those games, so. [00:30:24] Speaker B: But he has a lot, and they probably have different names. [00:30:34] Speaker A: It's. Well, I'm drinking in honor of Alfred. Actually, I said it was for the parents, but it was really for Mr. Pennyworth. So Alfred has a mission. We find out that he's there to track another player in town, and they're sending some coordinates to his bike, and he's supposed to track down the party animals. But if the other player. Yeah, that's who was on the news. But if the other player. He's just supposed to observe. Right, it. Because they've raised the murder rate by 700%, which is not great. Like, Tacoma. And apparently, he's needed here. But this other player, if he gets involved, he's supposed to just watch and not involve himself. And he's confused with himself. He's like, why are you questioning orders? Probably because they just told him to sit by and watch people get murdered. And he goes outside and his bike is gone. And he's like, I hate this town. So we get to Croc's Gym. [00:31:55] Speaker B: Crocs Gym. It's a gym that you can only wear your Crocs in. [00:32:00] Speaker A: That'd be the worst gym. [00:32:02] Speaker B: Oh, that'd be the best gym. So comfortable. [00:32:04] Speaker A: I'd never be able to go. He wouldn't do any work. [00:32:07] Speaker B: You. You'd have to just imagine everybody with their different kind of Crocs on. [00:32:12] Speaker A: No. [00:32:12] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:32:14] Speaker A: It's called Planet Fitness, and that already exists. [00:32:21] Speaker B: I just don't think you get a good workout in Crocs. Not at all. [00:32:24] Speaker A: No, you would not. You not even work out at Planet Fitness, either. [00:32:28] Speaker B: Not even in sports mode. [00:32:30] Speaker A: No. Well, I've got somebody punching and kicking at the gym and saying, like, tonight, this is your city. No fear, no weakness. Tonight, you are a. And then somebody walks in and says, I think it's my turn. And this person says, oh, hey, Bruce. Sorry. I was just keeping it warm for you. Big date tonight. Got to get right in the right headspace. It's brutal. You know, I listen to Andrew Tate every day, and I talk to myself like this. That is what he said, right? Paraphrase. Paraphrase. Paraphrasing. Yeah. Yeah. And Bruce is like, don't worry. Love is in the air. He says, move, and he starts just pummeling the bag. I mean, when we say pummeling, you get some booms and assume. I really wanted that to Be a crisum. Yeah. So I could make a drink, but. And then we get some flashbacks. While Bruce is hitting the bag. It's got a lion eating a steak. And it's like, so what class would have you learned? And Bruce says that this guy has the life. He's talking about the guy, the steak. And the teacher's like, enlighten us. The lion, he says, well, it stays here. He sleeps 20 hours plus he gets fed prime rib three times a day. And he never has to be afraid of anything. And he was like, fair, he might be coddled, but he'll never affect anything. Never mean very much. And Bruce is like, he never has to go to school. And the teacher's like, says the boy to his father, the teacher. So apparently Bruce Wayne not a doctor. First change. Second change. I presume Alfred wasn't their butler, but he may have been. But I would assume school teachers can't afford butlers. [00:34:33] Speaker B: So yeah, I don't assume that Alfred is his parents butler. [00:34:41] Speaker A: Yeah. Side note, this may come out after it is over, but standing in solidarity with Seattle public school strike. Thanks. [00:34:55] Speaker B: Oh yeah, yeah. [00:34:57] Speaker A: Pay the teachers. [00:34:58] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, I'm with that. They, they deserve it. Yeah, it's, it's interesting to hear. I will say I. A bunch of folks that I work with in my day job, they, they're. There's. There, there is a lot of the folks that are like, yes, the same, the same sediments. But then also their, their whole life is upended because of this. So they're, you know, taking time off to take care of their kids during all this. And they're just like it. I'm glad that I have time that I can take off. They, they kind of knew that this was gonna probably be, be the case. So they did not go on extended types of vacations this summer. Yep, they planned ahead. There are people that did not plan ahead and now they're complaining and it's like, you're dumb. [00:35:58] Speaker A: Well, people are complaining about the teachers getting paid $90,000 a year in Seattle. And just look this up. Obviously not exact. This is from Fidelity Investments. But they estimate that the average worker with a bachelor's degree makes $83,668 a year across the entire United States. And with an advanced degree, like a master's degree, 103,064. And so the teachers are live in Seattle. It's a high cost of living area. So you think they would make more than the average for their degree. [00:36:32] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:36:33] Speaker A: And then I've seen the comments. Well, they Only work nine months a year. [00:36:37] Speaker B: No, they go back and take classes through those three months to make sure that their credentials and their teaching certificates are up to par so that they can continue to teach through the rest of the year. And some of them are still working through the summer to teach summer classes, courses and offerings to their students that might need them. And some of them might also be taking on summer jobs to subsidize themselves for the rest of the year or [00:37:06] Speaker A: they have to take on the summer teaching to subsidize themselves because they bank below the average salary and try to live in the Seattle area. [00:37:13] Speaker B: Yeah. And some of those teachers don't even live in the Seattle area and have to drive in to teach the children, which is a miserable area. [00:37:23] Speaker A: So, yeah, I mean, if you are concerned about the teachers being paid too much, why don't you take a pay cut and work in Seattle? [00:37:34] Speaker B: I think those same people complaining would not do that. [00:37:37] Speaker A: No, I think they would not. So anyway, guessing they don't have a thing. But we get a blam and we see Mr. Wayne say, oh God, looks to the side and then we get a zoom and the bag breaks. And a man with a snake holding a crocodile named Waylon, whose name sounds like another crocodile character. [00:38:11] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:38:11] Speaker A: From the other Batman book. His books. Many, many Batman books. Many Batman books. Many. Not just from the book, but many Batman books. [00:38:22] Speaker B: The mini Batman. The mini Batmans. [00:38:26] Speaker A: And Bruce says, oh, well, censored. Sorry, sorry, Waylon. He says, let's say 90 for the bag, 30 for the sand. And Bruce says, what? The sand comes in the bag? And he's, yeah, I've got to clean that up. And anyway, he's talking about creating his own another business, Waylon Scales of Gotham. He says, Ozzy hooked me up with his exotic pet license. Went in with me too. Ozzy. [00:39:01] Speaker B: Ozzy. [00:39:01] Speaker A: And who is Ozzy? Greg in the mainline dc. [00:39:06] Speaker B: Would that be a. A bird like fellow? [00:39:14] Speaker A: Yeah. Whack, whack, whack, whack. [00:39:20] Speaker B: Yes. [00:39:21] Speaker A: Danny DeVito. [00:39:23] Speaker B: Yes. [00:39:24] Speaker A: Or Burgess Meredith. [00:39:26] Speaker B: Oh, I don't know, man. Danny DeVito's characterization, scary. Burgess Meredith, giggly. Made me laugh as a child and as an adult. Still, Danny, dubious characterization. Scary. [00:39:46] Speaker A: Yeah. Obviously the most recent portrayal. Probably the best one, right? [00:39:51] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. And no, bar none, top notch. That from. From the Gotham Show? [00:40:00] Speaker A: No. Oh, from Penguin. [00:40:02] Speaker B: From Penguin. Oh, okay. I thought you were talking about like. I mean, yes, yes, but like I thought. [00:40:07] Speaker A: I am not talking about the Gotham Show. [00:40:09] Speaker B: No, I thought the Gotham show portrayal was very good too. Like I mean, just the characterization of it, of the character was. Was pretty good. [00:40:18] Speaker A: I would agree with that. But I. I'm going to argue Colin Farrell's version is by far the best version of the Penguin. Different universe, different characterization, but, God, he's good. And you can't tell it's Colin Farrell when you're washing. That's the tricky part. [00:40:38] Speaker B: All that makeup. [00:40:40] Speaker A: Yeah, all that makeup and the way he acts and limps and. Anyway. And he's a really bad guy. [00:40:47] Speaker B: He is a bad guy. But in this book, he seems like a good guy. He. Nice dude. He seems like the kind of guy that wants to help his friends out and, you know, he wants to help Waylon out. [00:40:58] Speaker A: And who carries either a dead or live crocodile, I can't tell. And snakes. [00:41:03] Speaker B: Sleeping. [00:41:04] Speaker A: He's just. Just sleeping. It looked like his eyes were open a minute ago. [00:41:08] Speaker B: Sleepy baby. [00:41:10] Speaker A: I don't. I don't know if that's a live crocodile or not. It's probably. [00:41:14] Speaker B: It's drawn. Dan. You can't tell. [00:41:21] Speaker A: Waylon's not happy with the party animals. He's like, yeah, I'm talking to you, Bruce. And Bruce just keeps leaving, kind of walking away from the conversation like Jiu Jitsu lawyer Paul. When he's done with the conversation. [00:41:34] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. He's like, I'm done. I'm out of here. [00:41:36] Speaker A: Yeah. By the way, I'm wearing my certified Jiu Jitsu shirt today. [00:41:40] Speaker B: You are? I see. [00:41:41] Speaker A: Yeah, it's. Do you know where that place is? [00:41:44] Speaker B: I don't. Where is it at? [00:41:46] Speaker A: If anybody wants to know, on 27th and Bridgeport in Tacoma, Washington. You could go train with Jiu Jitsu lawyer Paul. [00:41:53] Speaker B: Yeah. Get some mat time. Roll around. [00:41:57] Speaker A: Did you know that Jiu Jitsu lawyer Paul doesn't even need Ozzy's help to run his business? [00:42:02] Speaker B: He doesn't need Ozzy's help to run his business. He has his own exotic pet license. And you can get pets in the basement? [00:42:09] Speaker A: Yep, pretty much. [00:42:10] Speaker B: You should not say that kind of thing, Dan, because now people will show up at Jiu Jitsu Lure Falls establishment asking for exotic pets and more. [00:42:20] Speaker A: It's just like that pizza parlor in D.C. that had a basement, you know? [00:42:24] Speaker B: I know exactly. They heard it on the Internet, so it must be true. [00:42:28] Speaker A: Must be true. [00:42:29] Speaker B: Must be true. [00:42:30] Speaker A: But if you do want some legal help, you could call Paul in Washington or California and hopefully soon New York. [00:42:37] Speaker B: Wow. Yeah. [00:42:38] Speaker A: Yeah. Gotham expanding. [00:42:41] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, if I. If. If I get in a bind because of exotic pets that I found in a Jiu Jitsu in a Jiu Jitsu establishment that I may not be able to own. [00:42:56] Speaker A: Well, how would you call him? [00:42:59] Speaker B: I don't know. What's the number? [00:43:00] Speaker A: Dan, you can call him at 253-656-4475. [00:43:04] Speaker B: Oh my gosh, what's that number again? [00:43:07] Speaker A: It's 253-656-4475. [00:43:11] Speaker B: That's a good number to have on your ready. [00:43:15] Speaker A: In fact, yes, you might want to have it ready if you turn the page and you run into this guy. [00:43:21] Speaker B: Oh my gosh. Daft Punk. [00:43:26] Speaker A: Yeah, it's Daft Punk. That's what happens when you don't. This is the life you lead after you don't show up for the Colbert show or whatever, right? [00:43:33] Speaker B: Oh yeah. End up on Daily show or whatever Yacht. [00:43:37] Speaker A: And did you, did you hear about the Skrillex incident at the Gasworks Park? [00:43:45] Speaker B: Yes, I. I knew he was at Gasworks Park. I did not hear about the incident. I just know that one of my co workers went to the after party. [00:43:53] Speaker A: Well, all of the, all the bots bought the tickets. [00:43:58] Speaker B: Uh huh. [00:43:59] Speaker A: So since Gasworks park is next to the water. [00:44:03] Speaker B: Huh. [00:44:03] Speaker A: Everybody just went out on kayaks and boats and sat outside and had a party on Lake Washington. [00:44:12] Speaker B: Oh wow. [00:44:15] Speaker A: Instead of paying to go inside of Gasworks Park. [00:44:18] Speaker B: Oh wow. [00:44:18] Speaker A: Because the bots bought all the tickets and they were selling them for eight to ten times the prices. [00:44:23] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:44:24] Speaker A: Because the Trump administration met with the head of Ticketmaster or Trump. The head of Ticketmaster went kiss the ring of Donald Trump and then told Trump told the Department of Justice to drop their lawsuit against Ticketmaster. So the monopoly now lives on. If he needed another reason to hate Trump. [00:44:42] Speaker B: Yeah, man. Ticketmaster. [00:44:47] Speaker A: I love the clip of him saying, well we should just suck it up and pay a little bit more for gas. He's the best. [00:44:58] Speaker B: No, [00:45:00] Speaker A: he's kind of like this guy actually. This how I imagine him is wearing a big dome head. [00:45:05] Speaker B: Big dome head, hands clasped. [00:45:09] Speaker A: Apparently he has big dome head ladies that come out of his pool. [00:45:16] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:45:16] Speaker A: And big dome head squid assistants. [00:45:22] Speaker B: The carry the printer battery for his big dome. [00:45:28] Speaker A: He's got a bunch of people telling him there's rules. Looks like the old mob bosses rules. [00:45:34] Speaker B: There's rules. [00:45:35] Speaker A: It always seems to work out. I would say in every Batman continuity when you tell like the Joker or the Hush guy or [00:45:46] Speaker B: any and the [00:45:46] Speaker A: two Face anybody that there's a bunch of rules at a table that always seems to go really well. [00:45:53] Speaker B: It's not going to go in your favor. Just because you're the ones who made the rules. They're not going to play by the rules. They are now making the rules because they invited you to their big mega yacht with their bump and sound system. [00:46:07] Speaker A: Yeah. In fact, the guy. Have we figured out his name yet? [00:46:11] Speaker B: I think he's Dr. Something. [00:46:14] Speaker A: Doctor. Doctor. Doctor talking to Dr. Benjamin. I don't know. [00:46:21] Speaker B: I think he. I think he is doctor. [00:46:24] Speaker A: Well, he says, good idea, sweetheart. Friends, I'm afraid you have me all wrong. History is what I'm all about. That's what we're celebrating here. It's the end. And somebody says, wow, more masks. And he says, not just any mask. Death masks. I collect them. That's one is rumored to be Socrates himself. Only two exist in the world. One in my sea in gold. And this one made of virgin marble dust. And that's Martin Luther to your left. One of a kind, made of beeswax and pine. Rosenberg. That's George Washington gypsum plaster from Virginia's own quarries. And there's Mr. Maroney. Is your brother. And the guy freaks out. [00:47:16] Speaker B: Sal. [00:47:17] Speaker A: What? And that's your cousin, Mr. Falcone. Oh, we're already getting rid of the falcones out of the. [00:47:21] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:47:24] Speaker A: With places left. And they kill the guys and they unmask. They make them into death masks. It's good. And he asked Dr. Benjamin to turn up the music, so I ASSUME it's not Dr. Benjamin, but he does seem to be in charge of things, so. [00:47:45] Speaker B: Oh, yes. [00:47:45] Speaker A: Maybe. [00:47:46] Speaker B: Maybe Dr. Benjamin's like his Alexa. [00:47:49] Speaker A: And then we get another homage to Dark Knight Returns. He goes outside and takes off a mask, right? [00:47:55] Speaker B: Yes, ma'. [00:47:56] Speaker A: Am. And we get another homage to Dark Knight returns. The News 6 murdered to just today. The question is, who are these monsters? The party animals? Some say kids gone mad, hacked apart with machetes. We are warning you, the footage you're about to see is disturbing. You might want small children, too. And they say, truth is, all of us here at the station are praying for Gotham. For its people, its future. Tonight, Mayor Jim Gordon. Mayor. Mayor Jim Gordon. Huh? [00:48:25] Speaker B: Mayor Jim Gordon. [00:48:26] Speaker A: That's just like it was in the mainline books. [00:48:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:48:30] Speaker A: Town hall to discuss what to do about the party animals reign of terror. Here's hoping it's eventful. So there are. I'm. You know, I'm not happy that we read Dark Knight Returns, but I am glad we read Dark Knight Returns before we read this, because I wouldn't have known that they were lifting straight from it a little. [00:48:54] Speaker B: Little this, little that. Then you can go, oh, oh, I get. I get. I get this. Now, I can appreciate that I don't have to like this over here, but I. But I do like it like this. [00:49:07] Speaker A: And I think everybody knows I'm not a Batman fan. A huge Batman fan. And I have a lot of Batman books. I've read many. But I don't keep up. And I'm not keeping up. Not even with the Matt Fraction stuff. [00:49:17] Speaker B: So he's not a Bat fan. [00:49:20] Speaker A: It's not that. Just, it's. You know, when I'm spending $200 a month, I have to not get every book so. [00:49:27] Speaker B: Right. [00:49:27] Speaker A: They cost too much. So Jim Gordon's on the stage, and. And they're dressing him down. He looks like one of those Republicans at a town hall recently. [00:49:44] Speaker B: Oh, hey, hey, hey, simmer down. [00:49:52] Speaker A: And basically they summarize, and Jim Gordon's like, we're fighting back, but this gang, we have no idea. And then this man speaks up. Whan speaks up. This other man speaks up. I run finger Tailors on 27th every single weekday for 71 years, I've walked to my shop. Except the day my son was born. The day my wife died. 18,000, 302 times I walked there. But I don't walk there anymore. I don't walk there anymore because I'm scared, you see? [00:50:24] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:50:25] Speaker A: And I get it. Because walking on Second and Pike is, you know, not ideal true anymore anymore. So if that's where your tailor shop was, I'm sorry, it's not the best anymore. And in true Batman fashion, anytime there's a meeting, there are people coming to shoot everybody at the meeting. That's pretty common Batman trope, isn't it? [00:50:52] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. You know, oh, there's a bunch of people in this room. They're having a talk. They're doing their thing. They're discussing town or, you know, city stuff. Let's. Let's storm the building with guns and let's shoot them all fish in a barrel. [00:51:06] Speaker A: And we flip the page. And Jim says, I promise you we will bring these criminals to justice. Now, I'm working around the clock with the city police to you. And this younger man speaks up, said, the police, the party animals, just torched a station two hours ago. It's all over the news. The cops are running around on fire down on Kanan Third. The cops can't do a thing. And Bullock. Hey, Bullock. Is back for a minute anyway. Yeah. Is that so? And he's like, easy, Bullock. And he's like, so. It sounds like Sergeant Officer Bullock has maintained his intelligence level of a 3 that he rolled in every version of Batman. [00:51:48] Speaker B: And hey, continuity is important, Dan. [00:51:52] Speaker A: Yeah. And a young woman stands up and says, people look at us this way. People look at us. This is what they want. All of us fighting, scared, blaming each other. But Jim Gordon served this seat honorably for a long time. I work with his office, and I trust him. I also trust us to be better than this, because it's just up to him or Commissioner Bullock. It's up to all of us to stop these killers. This is our city, and together we will. And a grenade goes off. [00:52:25] Speaker B: That's not good. [00:52:27] Speaker A: And everybody goes down. And. And a guy with a mask on this time. They're like ape skull masks. [00:52:39] Speaker B: Yes. Ape skull masks. [00:52:41] Speaker A: Says, I think the word is you're looking for Mrs. Die. And Gordon says, up here. Look at me. Whatever you want, deal with me. He says, hi, Jimmy. Bye, Jimmy. And he shoots Jim Gordon. And a young woman looks at Jim and says, dad. And he says, barbara, let's get everyone out of here now. So Barbara became a cop, not a librarian. [00:53:05] Speaker B: Ah, interesting change. [00:53:10] Speaker A: Another difference. Yeah. [00:53:12] Speaker B: Yes. [00:53:13] Speaker A: Setting up the universe here. And the guy at the mass says, anyone want to beg? Tell us about your kids, your sick grandma. We love that. No. All right, then. Rip them up. And then that guy goes flying. Guns go flying. And I think that's Bullock says, what? What the hell was that? And he's like, my God, there's dozens out there. A whole army. And a guy with a Batman mask peeks in and says, whatever you hear, you do not open this door. And Pennyworth is asked to report on the casualty. He's watching from the side. He's ready to shoot someone because they told him to shoot Batman. Right. If he interferes, he's like. And they're like, telling him if he disrupts intel gathering, you are to engage. Because apparently they're supposed to watch silently by as the party animals kill everyone. [00:54:21] Speaker B: Right? [00:54:22] Speaker A: And the party animals, like, up there, shred him. And Batman covers himself in his cow at his cape. [00:54:31] Speaker B: Yes. [00:54:31] Speaker A: And. And bullets are bouncing off of it. That's pretty cool. It's a bulletproof cape on a cape like that. [00:54:40] Speaker B: I know. [00:54:41] Speaker A: And then giant thigh Batman, he has become a powerlifter. Right? Is that what I agree on? Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's. [00:54:46] Speaker B: He's a power lifter. [00:54:48] Speaker A: He's. [00:54:48] Speaker B: He's. He's squatting. [00:54:49] Speaker A: He's. [00:54:50] Speaker B: He's using that leg press machine. He's maxing it out. He's. He's doing it. I mean, and he's not just doing one max. [00:54:56] Speaker A: I don't think he uses the leg press just like. [00:54:58] Speaker B: You don't think so. He's. He's. He. Do you think he's, like, putting a car on there and then put the [00:55:04] Speaker A: car on his shoulders? [00:55:06] Speaker B: I mean, he's a big dude. I mean, yeah, he's. He's. He's sitting there. [00:55:11] Speaker A: He's. [00:55:12] Speaker B: It's like one of those, like, strongman competitions in which, like, this. This Batman is like. He's just sitting there and he's like, just put the bus on. Just put the bus on. [00:55:23] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, I don't know what his cape is made out of, but he uses it to, I apparently, kill someone. But doesn't he uses another one? I use it to put him in a window in a building. He wrap another guy around a lamp pole. [00:55:39] Speaker B: Yeah, he's beastmastering some people with this cape. I mean, it's very much like just throwing him around. [00:55:48] Speaker A: He's. [00:55:48] Speaker B: The cape. [00:55:48] Speaker A: Like, catch hand stilts. Yeah. [00:55:50] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:55:53] Speaker A: And it's like a bat. [00:55:56] Speaker B: It's like a real bat. Oh, my God, Dan. He's like a real. They want. [00:56:00] Speaker A: Alfred's refusing to do anything. He's just standing there collecting data still. He's just watching the party animals. More of the party animals decide to walk up the stairs while Batman has the high ground. [00:56:15] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, that's a smart idea. [00:56:18] Speaker A: And he kills all of them. [00:56:21] Speaker B: He doesn't kill them. He wounds them. He hurts them. [00:56:24] Speaker A: Are you sure? [00:56:25] Speaker B: I. I want to say. I mean, you know, maybe he's trained [00:56:32] Speaker A: in mixed martial arts. It says. [00:56:34] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:56:37] Speaker A: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Muay Thai again. You know where you could go to learn all about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? [00:56:43] Speaker B: The restroom porn. [00:56:45] Speaker A: No, no, no. [00:56:47] Speaker B: Jujitsu certified Jiu Jitsu. And hang out with Paul. [00:56:54] Speaker A: Yeah. And maybe Kiahi. Or maybe Darius. Some other people, maybe Sabrina. They all train you. [00:57:04] Speaker B: Yeah, they can all train you because they're all certified. [00:57:07] Speaker A: I don't think you would go to the Retro Emporium on Meeker street in Kent, Washington, to learn Jiu Jitsu, but you would go there to relive your childhood and maybe get some Batman toys. [00:57:17] Speaker B: But if you knew Jiu Jitsu when you walked out back onto Meeker street, you might need it. [00:57:23] Speaker A: I don't think you need it. [00:57:24] Speaker B: No, I'm just joking. I'm just joking. [00:57:28] Speaker A: That's in the Fred Meyer. I'm former Fred Meyer parking lot. [00:57:32] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh, yes. [00:57:34] Speaker A: By the way, the Kroger are closing the James Center. Fred Meyer. [00:57:38] Speaker B: Are you serious? The James Center, Fred Meyer? [00:57:40] Speaker A: Yeah. The one right across from tcc. The transit center. Right by six different apartment complexes in an elder care facility. So, you know, all of the people in the city here that use bus transportation could transport to the TCC bus transit and then go to the grocery store. [00:57:56] Speaker B: They suck. [00:57:57] Speaker A: They're closing it now. [00:57:59] Speaker B: That sucks. [00:58:00] Speaker A: The Kroger Corporation is a bunch of fucking assholes. [00:58:02] Speaker B: Yeah. Like, that was like the one that they closed by where we live. That was like, literally there was several, like, elderly establishments, I call them, you know, like, places in which elderly folks live that they could easily take the hopper shopper or Shopper Hopper bus and transit line to. And do their shopping and go back and forth. [00:58:31] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, Fred Meyer sold to Kroger. That's on them. And they were part of these communities. Kroger does not give a fuck about any community. Yeah, they're heartless, soulless piece of shit corporation that's tried to bust unions up here for years. And now they're doing it by closing stores because they didn't get their way and they weren't allowed to merge with Albertsons. And so now they're systematically closing stores and. Because they are. And. And again. And again, the Kent store was making money. Like, the argument that the Kent store wasn't making money is crazy. [00:59:03] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [00:59:04] Speaker A: It was the only store right where it is. [00:59:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:59:08] Speaker A: Right going up the hill. [00:59:10] Speaker B: Yeah. And in an area that's developing. I mean, obviously, like, literally five minutes from my house, and they're putting in 40 more fricking houses. [00:59:21] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:59:22] Speaker B: And that's. That's 40 more on top of the 50 more that they just put in. On top of the hundred more that they just built. So. And the James center area is not building. [00:59:32] Speaker A: And the James center for admirer wasn't even a full. For admirer. It's just grocery and pharmacy. [00:59:36] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:59:37] Speaker A: This was where elderly folks were going to get their pharmacy stuff as well. So it's not just the grocery piece, because the. What? Rite Aid already closed. That was in that parking lot because the pharmacy contract. Pharmacy store contractions. So Rite Aid bought. It was Rite Aid that bought. Who was it that bought Bartel? [01:00:01] Speaker B: Rite Aid. [01:00:02] Speaker A: So Rite Aid closed the Bartel and then moved it, Closed it again, and then closed the Rite Aid. [01:00:08] Speaker B: That's the same thing happened around here, too. Rite Aid bought Bartels, Bartel's closed. Then Rite Aid closed all three of their stores. [01:00:17] Speaker A: And so, yeah, so basically that James center now is going to be an empty husk with a Taco Bell. [01:00:25] Speaker B: That's depressing. [01:00:26] Speaker A: And side note, just to speak to Taco Bell, somebody dropped their Taco Bell bag in the middle of the street in a beautiful neighborhood that I walked the dogs through. And I'm gonna let you know, both dogs wouldn't even smell it. [01:00:38] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [01:00:39] Speaker A: Yeah. They, like, went toward and went away from it. [01:00:43] Speaker B: Well, if it was Jack in the Box, they would have, because Jack in the Box tacos, as disgusting as they are, are delicious. And I can say this because I worked at a Taco Bell growing up. [01:00:57] Speaker A: Yep. Well, Batman does comment. No fatalities. You are correct. [01:01:01] Speaker B: He doesn't kill. Yet. Yet. [01:01:05] Speaker A: We don't know. We don't know. [01:01:07] Speaker B: He said nice. He's a nice guy. He's a good boy. [01:01:12] Speaker A: Well, he's about to fight a guy, and he says, this hand has killed more people than you can count. Now, I'm going to give you one chance. And he gets out a giant cleaver. He says, get the. Out of our way. It's a lot of swear words. Yeah. [01:01:26] Speaker B: So many swears. [01:01:27] Speaker A: There's a lot of bleachy swear words. [01:01:28] Speaker B: This is not a book for children because those kids know what those words. Those. Those. Those not words are. They know they're bad. Or maybe this is a book for them. [01:01:39] Speaker A: It did say Teen plus on the thing. Oh, okay. Yeah, it's pretty. Which is why the swear words aren't here. Otherwise it would be adult plus. [01:01:45] Speaker B: But it's pretty gross. Gruesome. I mean, this next. The next page with this panel is freaking epic. [01:01:53] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, he pulls out a. Like a butcher knife, and Batman pulls out a bat axe. [01:01:59] Speaker B: Yeah, it. It looks like a damn razor blade in a bat symbol. It is awesome. [01:02:05] Speaker A: And he cuts off. He cuts off the dude's hand. [01:02:08] Speaker B: Here's a question, Dan. Bad axe. Does it just cut, or does it smell good, too? Because it's an axe. Is it axe? Does he use it for. [01:02:18] Speaker A: I spray. [01:02:19] Speaker B: No. I would assume that cutting off the hand would cause some spray. [01:02:23] Speaker A: Smells like iron. [01:02:25] Speaker B: Oh, yes. Or pennies. [01:02:27] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:02:29] Speaker B: Yes. [01:02:30] Speaker A: Batman. He cuts off the thing he's in. The guy's like you, and he says, I hear they can reattach them sometimes. There's a hospital three blocks south of here. Or is it east? I can't seem to remember all of a sudden, but I'd run. He's like, the rest of you. I'm giving you one chance to get the fuck out of here. Out of my way. And they all run away. And then he explodes something. [01:02:57] Speaker B: Yeah. He tells them to run away, and they start running away. And then he blows them up. [01:03:02] Speaker A: Okay. [01:03:04] Speaker B: You know, he's a nice Batman. [01:03:08] Speaker A: And. And Alfred is happy with this. And they're yelling at him, pennyworth, what's going on there? The satellite images make no sense. Whoever the player is, you're to engage. Copy. He's like, copy. And he looks at Batman, and Batman kicks him, knocks him down. And, yeah, that fight got over really quickly. [01:03:36] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:03:39] Speaker A: And we get to the next day, and they're at a construction site, and they're like, who is Batman? So who are you really? Bruce Wayne. You hide your tracks well. So, hey, guess what? Alfred's already figured out who he is. Oh, in his rental car because he doesn't have his motorcycle anymore. [01:03:59] Speaker B: That's right. Somebody stole it. In the. [01:04:03] Speaker A: Somebody says, but you hide your tracks well. It's easy when you're no one. Just some guy. 24 years old. Mom is a social worker. Dad is a teacher. You grow up in crime alley. High friends in low places, a tight group. You're smart. Excel in school. Your parents have you tested and your score near genius level. Then in fifth grade, you win a student engineering competition, creating a mobile collapsible bridge that can be used to bring aid to locations hit by catastrophic damage from war and cataclysm. Sound like a good guy? [01:04:37] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:04:37] Speaker A: The design is origami, like, based on the anatomy of bat wings. Ah. And the prize is a trophy and a trip for the whole class of the Gotham Zoo. And that's where it starts. [01:04:50] Speaker B: Oh, no. [01:04:55] Speaker A: And we see Blam in the. And his dad is following me now. And we see dead people down from the gunshots. And he's like, hurry this way into the bat house. Everyone inside. And he says, get back. And his dad closes the door and he hears, blam. And dad is gonzo. [01:05:24] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:05:24] Speaker A: We think he at least definitely was shot. [01:05:28] Speaker B: Pretty sure. [01:05:31] Speaker A: It says after you lose yourself for a while because it looks like you got arrested a couple times. You lash out, rage at the world. But then you find yourself again. Something inspires you. You played football. Best university of the state. And you seen X rays about what he did. He could have been a pro star, but he decides not to. He studies chemistry, criminal psychology, military. Theories. Theories. Social, cultural history. In fact, he's like a career community college student. He's like those students you have at the community College that get 17 community college degrees studying everything because they don't want to leave their hometown. [01:06:10] Speaker B: Hey, I Mean, I don't have 17 college degrees. I just audited a lot of classes. [01:06:16] Speaker A: I said community college degrees. You set up in Gotham and work in the power grid. You learn about sanitation, you learn about the city hall. You learn about construction. You build something here, Bruce. And I see that it's impressive, truly impressive. Back this Bruce Wayne, man of the people, Greg, man of the people. I think he'd vote for James Talarico. [01:06:42] Speaker B: You think so? [01:06:43] Speaker A: I think so. I think he's a Talafrico tale. Oh, did you not hear this? This is the. The. [01:06:53] Speaker B: The. [01:06:53] Speaker A: Ken Paxton tried to label him Talafrico and now people are wearing I'm a Talafrico shirts and. Oh, that's great. Yeah, it's a fantastic guess. The Republicans tried to label James Talarico Talofrico and it completely backfired on them. [01:07:08] Speaker B: They. They wanted. They wanted to give. Give a moniker. That's a bad thing. And they, they turned it, flipped it, and used it in a way that actually works. [01:07:23] Speaker A: Did you see the. Did you see it before we flip the page here, did you see the thing where they made the commercial of Ken Paxton stealing the guy's pen from the courthouse? [01:07:34] Speaker B: No. [01:07:35] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. So apparently Ken Paxton, by the way, if you're not aware of his Ken Paxton person, you can look him up and see all his corruption. And somehow he's running for Senate in Texas. But he, as a lawyer, he went to the. You know, when the bins go through, like, security, somebody left their, like, you know, thousand dollar pen in the little [01:07:53] Speaker B: bin, like a mont block or something [01:07:55] Speaker A: like that in, like the little bins. And he forgot it. Yeah, like a mont block. I think that's what it is. And then. And then Paxton took it up. Picked it up and took it. [01:08:05] Speaker B: No. [01:08:06] Speaker A: And so, so the guy asked them to run the security tapes. So he wanted to get his pen back. And they saw that was Paxton and he had to go get it. The police involved, to get his pen back. And so Talarico runs their campaign, runs a commercial about it, like showing the video and everything. [01:08:22] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:08:23] Speaker A: And then puts pens on the website. Their website. [01:08:26] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:08:28] Speaker A: Saying. Yeah. And sells them out in like one day. [01:08:31] Speaker B: Oh, that's awesome. [01:08:32] Speaker A: Yeah. Like, anyway, that I'm. I'm. I'm loving what they're doing down in this Senate campaign in Texas. [01:08:41] Speaker B: That's pretty good. Good for. [01:08:44] Speaker A: Yeah. So, well, anyway, [01:08:49] Speaker B: Tal. [01:08:51] Speaker A: I am a Tal Freo. [01:08:53] Speaker B: So [01:08:55] Speaker A: he's trying to track Bruce Wayne. He tracks him to a woman and she says, seriously, making your Poor mother. Wait an hour for you out here on the cold, hard streets of Gotham. That's his mom. Wow. Is this like in Spider man when Marissa. [01:09:15] Speaker B: Yeah, right. [01:09:16] Speaker A: Mom became at May. I mean, yeah. [01:09:20] Speaker B: You're like, wow. [01:09:21] Speaker A: No, like, what? Merced? [01:09:23] Speaker B: I thought he was going on a date. [01:09:27] Speaker A: I seriously thought it was going to be Commissioner Gore or. I mean. Yeah, yeah, Commissioner. Alfred's daughter. [01:09:34] Speaker B: Right. [01:09:34] Speaker A: Like, he was like, dating Alfred's daughter. [01:09:37] Speaker B: Yeah, no, it's his mom. [01:09:39] Speaker A: Yeah. And he's like, sorry, I swung by the zoo so they can be sad together. And Alfred's like, I could kill you right here in front of her. It'd be easy. It's what I should do. Then he messages to the people. Or is that from his daughter? I can't. That's from his daughter. His daughter says, never contact me again. [01:10:02] Speaker B: Ah. [01:10:03] Speaker A: And he sees them go inside. He says, but you're just a kid. [01:10:08] Speaker B: Oh, Alfred, he's got humanity, Dan. Alfred has humanity. I mean, he always had. But I mean, you. [01:10:20] Speaker A: Look, we don't know about this Alfred. He's a new Alfred. [01:10:23] Speaker B: He's a new Alfred. But, but, but you. You are like, okay. He feels things. [01:10:32] Speaker A: He likes tea up in one of the construction sites. I mean, Bruce has his own computer set up with a lot of screens. [01:10:41] Speaker B: Oh, looks like my. Looks at my workstation. [01:10:44] Speaker A: Yeah, and he's like, he's got this taken care of. And he's like, yep, pretty smart, mate. Hiding out in the tops of these buildings. So Alfred says to him, all the top floors are owned by companies and oligarchs who never use them. Just hollow investments. You know this because clearly Alfred doesn't understand the whole return to office thing, because that's not the case anymore. But I'm closing you down. [01:11:14] Speaker B: Oh, man. [01:11:15] Speaker A: And Toa is very upset about your. [01:11:18] Speaker B: Your toe is barking. My dogs are barking. That's because Anna's home. But why is Toa barking? [01:11:27] Speaker A: Because his. His dad just left him, so. But yeah, it's all good. Well, anyway, all dogs are barking. They're all upset. [01:11:40] Speaker B: All dogs. [01:11:41] Speaker A: Batman shoots Alfred in the head. And [01:11:50] Speaker B: Batman shoots Alfred in the head. He does. Oh, my gosh. Head shot. There's no coming back from that. [01:12:00] Speaker A: And yeah, a few things happen very fast. He leaves. All good. Toe is still upset. And he's not dead because apparently he shot him with some non lethal. Or not. We don't call it non lethal anymore. We call it less lethal. Correct. That's the. That's the new term. [01:12:21] Speaker B: Well, yeah, because the non lethal. They Found. They found that the non lethal launchers, as they call them, they're not weapons. They're. They're launchers are lethal sometimes when fired at range that is too close for non lethal disbursement. Anyways, that. That's what the reports say. So these less. They're less than lethal. Yes. [01:12:51] Speaker A: Well, we get a back page and Batman's riding away and he's like, hey, maybe Goth or Alfred's thinking, maybe Gotham isn't so bad these days because they've got a new hero. Oh, you get writer Scott Snyder, artist Nick Dragoda, colorist Frank Martin, letterer Clayton Cowles, covered by Dragrotta and Martin, and a bunch of variant covers. And that's not even the start of the variant covers. And it notes that Batman was created by Bob Keane with Billfinger. [01:13:21] Speaker B: I'm glad that they put that in there. It's important. [01:13:29] Speaker A: So there you go. Well, Greg, what do you think? Vamp on this for one second. [01:13:34] Speaker B: I am very pleased with this, this book, this story. I. Honestly, when you said we were going to read this, I. I was. I was kind of excited a little bit because I hadn't read it yet, and it was one of those things. I was like, all right, cool, we get to read something current, something that I want to read. So getting the chance to read this, and now I'm shocking the rest of the series because, well, gosh darn it, you kind of have to. You start reading this and it's like, yeah, no, I gotta read the rest of it. It's really good. [01:14:04] Speaker A: The. [01:14:04] Speaker B: The story's really good, the art is fantastic. So if you haven't read this, you need to go, I would say pick it up, but I don't think it's. It's kind of unattainable at this moment. So grab it digitally, as we did, and take a look at it. Check it out. But it is. It is a fantastic read. It is. It is beautifully drawn, amazingly colored, and fantastically put together. It is a. It's a really good story from beginning to end, and it makes you want for more. Like I said, I have to read the rest of it. There's no stopping this. After reading this first book, I now have to finish the rest. [01:14:49] Speaker A: And I wouldn't say it's unattainable because you can get it. There's a lot of printings. There's so first printing. [01:14:55] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:14:55] Speaker A: Yes. [01:14:56] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:14:57] Speaker A: But you can get. There's several different printings. And you can also obviously get the graphic novel version. So. Yeah. And I've Read a couple more in. It's an interesting series. And I would say of the absolutes I've read so far, I've read a little bit of the Wonder Woman. Yay. [01:15:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:15:17] Speaker A: I've read a little bit of Superman. [01:15:19] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, we might have to read a little bit of each one of these to give the reader the list. [01:15:25] Speaker A: Read a little bit of the Batman. [01:15:27] Speaker B: Yeah, Yeah. [01:15:27] Speaker A: I read a little bit of the Green Lantern. [01:15:30] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:15:31] Speaker A: I have all the Martian Manhunters, but haven't read them. And I've heard it was really good, but I have not read them yet. And then I've got the. There's a Green Arrow book out that I haven't started yet, so. But I have, like, the first issue, so. Yeah, I mean, so far I would say, like. But it doesn't really matter what my opinion is because a lot of people like them very much. [01:15:55] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, obviously people. People have jumped onto this and they're. They're liking it. They're reading this. They're reading the other stuff, so it's. It's definitely driving the market. I would say, though, what my biggest concern with this book is, and that was untouched in this issue. And maybe I'll find out as we get further on in the series, if we continue to read this or if I read this on my own, when will we find out about the absolute tie in? I'm really concerned that I. That there was no hints drawn where the vodka ties into this. Is it something that Bruce Wayne likes to drink on occasion, or is it something that they all partake in in their. In their various, you know, downtime, as. As they're not heroing. [01:16:46] Speaker A: I believe my nick is. I. I believe you'll get the tie in when we meet Ozzy. [01:16:51] Speaker B: Oh, I see. Okay, Gotcha. Okay, okay. [01:16:55] Speaker A: Got it. Got it. In fact, you'll get it next issue because you'll meet a bunch of people playing cards in crime alley, including. Okay, Bruce. [01:17:03] Speaker B: Okay, got it. [01:17:05] Speaker A: And you'll get a giant. He'll also meet some lady named Selena. [01:17:11] Speaker B: Oh, never heard of her. [01:17:15] Speaker A: Yeah, not in this universe. Universe. [01:17:20] Speaker B: Don't know who she is. [01:17:22] Speaker A: And giant bat car thing. So. Yeah, I mean, it. I will say, like, there's a lot of giant things that happen in these books. It's. There's giant crazy things going on. So. Yeah, it's. I. I like it. It's. It's a different take on something. I've been through this with the Legion many times, so I would say, like. Or, well, at least in the 90s because, you know, everything goes back to Legion. I know Travis is going to say that, but. But I would argue, like, one could argue that the 90s Archie Legion was the precursor to, like, the ability to ultimates. Right. Okay. Because they. At zero hour, they relaunch Legion. Right. As a book, basically, from the start again. Right. And then, you know, it's a lot. You meet a lot of the different heroes and villains, but they might be in a different form or a different shape or a different element. [01:18:25] Speaker B: Right, right. [01:18:27] Speaker A: And you don't necessarily know what's going to happen, but sometimes it happens the same and sometimes it happens differently. And so you have that. And as a veteran of this, I liked some of that, and I didn't like some of it. And, you know, so far here, I like some of this and I don't like some of it. [01:18:46] Speaker B: Okay. [01:18:47] Speaker A: But I would say I like much more of it than I dislike. And I think one of the other things, too, is Batman mythos is so big. [01:18:57] Speaker B: Yes. [01:18:59] Speaker A: That it is. You can say this about a lot of modern comics or a lot of classic comics characters because they've been around since the 40s, that the mythos is difficult to deal with as a writer. And so when you give somebody the start and then, you know, you change Batman so substantially, Batman goes from being a rich playboy to a person of the people. [01:19:23] Speaker B: Person of the people. Stand up kind of. I mean, you know, like, that kind of. He's a. He. He is a underdog upstart trying to find his footing. [01:19:33] Speaker A: He goes from Musk to Mondatti. Yeah. [01:19:37] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a. That's a. [01:19:39] Speaker A: That's a perfect. [01:19:39] Speaker B: Just. Just aos. So it's. It's very different, [01:19:47] Speaker A: and it'd be interesting to see how it plays out. [01:19:50] Speaker B: I know. So I'm. I'm excited to find out what happens next. [01:19:53] Speaker A: And I believe if you grab the Wonder Woman book, the same thing would happen to you. You would be like, shut up more. [01:19:59] Speaker B: Yeah, well, I'm going to eventually, but I have to read this first, so. [01:20:05] Speaker A: And there's like, 25 issues, 26 issues already, so you have a lot to read. Get started. Get started. Well, it came out in 2024. [01:20:15] Speaker B: I'm so behind. Dan. How could you let this happen? [01:20:20] Speaker A: Sorry, Greg. I'm sorry I don't keep you up on modern comics, but now we have. So read some more. [01:20:26] Speaker B: I'm glad. I'm glad, listeners, Are you excited as. As excited as I am? If you are, please let us know. [01:20:34] Speaker A: No one is more excited as Dan [01:20:36] Speaker B: though no one is more excited than Dan because he's getting a Legion book. Everyone. He is getting his Legion book finally. And he cannot contain himself. He is all smiles. His new name is Al Smiles. [01:20:51] Speaker A: I got something else to share with you. [01:20:53] Speaker B: What are you sharing, Dan? What is it? Is it. [01:20:58] Speaker A: The bad part is though, I bought it for like half price so I didn't get the E version which so I can't share the PDF of the what? [01:21:05] Speaker B: Well, why would you do such a thing? [01:21:07] Speaker A: That is a dumb question. That is a good question because now I'm going to have to go back to tomorrow's and just pay for the PDF too. [01:21:13] Speaker B: Pay for the PDF. Dan, you ready for this? Yeah. Oh, son of a. Dude, you suck. Okay people, he's got the new the Tomorrow's Crisis the Crisis companion book. It's freaking amazing looking with interviews with a few people. I. If, if you are a fan of, of those, those stories and you want some, some great back matter to just like fill up your time with to, to go in and dig in and become the comic historian that you've never thought you could be, this is where you start. You go back to tomorrows and you, you start to read these books because this is where you get your history and you become like Dan. Honestly, every time you share something like this, I feel like I'm like I am becoming more educated, more knowledgeable. [01:22:11] Speaker A: Steve Ditko and Don Siegel, co creators of the Creeper who premiered in Showcase 73. Ditko also co created Spider Man, Doctor Strange and the Question [01:22:23] Speaker B: but what's His. [01:22:24] Speaker A: And the latter being a comics code friendly version of his independent creation, Mr. A. But more importantly, this whole section is talking about no other than the Charlton characters, including one Mr. Blue Beetle. [01:22:41] Speaker B: Mr. Blue Beetle. [01:22:43] Speaker A: So there we go. [01:22:46] Speaker B: I like Blue Beetle's cousin, Beetle Bailey. Yeah, great, great, great stories. Fantastic, funny guy. Fantastic funny. [01:22:57] Speaker A: We should probably wrap this up in a reasonable time for once. [01:23:00] Speaker B: So. [01:23:00] Speaker A: Yeah, wrapping it up. [01:23:02] Speaker B: This is. Holy crap. [01:23:05] Speaker A: Good Batman book. We had fun. You're gonna meet all sorts of Enigma people soon and Selena's and [01:23:15] Speaker B: it's pretty cool. [01:23:16] Speaker A: Two faces. But yeah, it goes fast. You start to meet a lot of people quick in this book. Cool things. Number one there. There's a Kickstarter coming out soon. [01:23:29] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:23:31] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:23:32] Speaker B: What is that? [01:23:34] Speaker A: I thought you knew all about it. Travis has a Kickstarter coming out. [01:23:38] Speaker B: Travis has a Kickstarter coming out. Shut up. What's it about, Dan? [01:23:43] Speaker A: Well, I understand it's about cyborg bats that fly down and rescue cyborg dogs. [01:23:52] Speaker B: I thought they rescued cyborg cats. [01:23:55] Speaker A: No, it's cyborg dogs. [01:23:57] Speaker B: Cyborg dogs, you say it's called? Yes, Cyborg bats. [01:24:02] Speaker A: Fuck you for killing the dog in the movie. Albert Pugh. Wow. Coming out on Kickstarter soon. [01:24:09] Speaker B: That title doesn't sound very family friendly, Dan. [01:24:13] Speaker A: I don't think Albert Pune movies are very family friendly. [01:24:17] Speaker B: I would say. I beg to disagree, but I can't. [01:24:21] Speaker A: You would what? He would. You. You're like, I'll reviewing movies. Very family friendly. [01:24:29] Speaker B: The. The Captain America movie was very famous. [01:24:33] Speaker A: Oh, my God. The Captain America movie. [01:24:36] Speaker B: But. But the. The pretty. I don't know if you ever want to watch some. Some cyborgs having sex in a car, which I never thought I would see, but there. There it is. [01:24:53] Speaker A: And that's what children's author Greg Smith will be writing into his next script when he does the prequel to. No, that is by Albert Pune. [01:25:01] Speaker B: No, the Nemesis prequel does not have any of that in there because. [01:25:06] Speaker A: Oh, sorry. Nemesis, not cyborg. My bad. [01:25:08] Speaker B: Yeah, no, but. But the cyborg one that I'll be [01:25:11] Speaker A: doing, the Nemesis prequel is going to be all about cyborg sex in cars, written by children's author Grace Smith. [01:25:20] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. [01:25:22] Speaker A: And it's going to be called the Lots of Cyborg Sex in Cars. Why Cyborgs Don't Need Sniffies. [01:25:30] Speaker B: It's called Cruisin's Sunday After. [01:25:34] Speaker A: It's called Cruising on a Sunday Afternoon. Turns out the singer of that song, Smookey Robinson, great guy, right? Along with people like the pudding guy. [01:25:46] Speaker B: Oh, man. [01:25:49] Speaker A: Oh, he didn't. Oh, boy. We're. We're about to get canceled. The dogs don't even like it. They're like, you can't. [01:25:57] Speaker B: No, dogs are not having it. [01:26:00] Speaker A: Maybe I'll cut out the end of this podcast. No, I won't. Anyway, this is. This is it. So, anyway, Kickstarter soon. [01:26:08] Speaker B: Look for. [01:26:10] Speaker A: Look for that Kickstarter. It's got a lot of great things going for it. You two can get in on the ground floor of that one. And I don't think. Do we have anything else to plug right now? I. I know that you were about to announce a third book in the Junior Brave series right here on this podcast. [01:26:27] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. Okay, I. I can't. I can't announce the third book at this moment. [01:26:32] Speaker A: Why? [01:26:32] Speaker B: Because. Because it's. It's. [01:26:34] Speaker A: It's. [01:26:35] Speaker B: Things are. Things are. [01:26:36] Speaker A: This is Mike's fault. This is why Mike is not allowed on the podcast. This is Mike's fault. He will never be allowed on the podcast. He will not allow you to announce things here. He bans me from announcing things. This feud with Mike Tanner has gone too far. [01:26:54] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. I can't have. I can't have it. I can't. It's so difficult. I mean, my. My. [01:27:01] Speaker A: Like, best. Like I. [01:27:03] Speaker B: And my. And my best college friend having a feud between. Between me in. With me in as. As the inner. [01:27:15] Speaker A: You know what. You know how to solve this problem. [01:27:17] Speaker B: What? [01:27:17] Speaker A: I will cancel the ban, bring his ass on the podcast, and we'll settle it right now. Tell him to bring a book. And he needs to prove that he is a better funny book forensicator than me. [01:27:30] Speaker B: He. I. Well, I could and I will, but. But he and I. I guess we. We still have. There's. [01:27:38] Speaker A: There's. [01:27:38] Speaker B: There's things that have. [01:27:39] Speaker A: No excuses. No excuses. If he wants to end the feud, he knows where I am. Right here on Funny Book Forensics. [01:27:48] Speaker B: I'll let him know, but I don't know if he knows. If he knows what he knows to let you know what you don't know. [01:27:56] Speaker A: The end. [01:27:57] Speaker B: So when you know what you don't know, when he knows what you know, what you don't know, when you know what you don't know, when he knows what you know, that's what you're not, Vincent d'. [01:28:08] Speaker A: Onofrio. It doesn't work for you. [01:28:11] Speaker B: I. I know who I'm not, and I'm not who I'm not. [01:28:15] Speaker A: When he thinks he can defeat this Legion flight ring, bring him on this podcast. [01:28:19] Speaker B: Well, I. I'll see, but that might be after a thing or two about a thing or two. [01:28:27] Speaker A: No excuses. He always has excuses. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear about any of your excuses. His excuses. None of it. [01:28:34] Speaker B: I can't tell you. Do you want. Do you want. Do you want one nugget? No, you don't want any nuggets. [01:28:41] Speaker A: I'm only here to announce the next book. [01:28:43] Speaker B: Okay, no nuggets about the next book. [01:28:46] Speaker A: Okay, fine. What do you got? Are you giving. Are you throwing me crumbs? [01:28:49] Speaker B: I could throw you a crumb if you want, but if you don't want it, we'll save it. Do you want to save it or do you want. You want it? [01:28:56] Speaker A: I'm not good enough for the whole announcement. I only get crumbs. [01:28:59] Speaker B: Yeah. Do you. Do you want the crumb or not? [01:29:01] Speaker A: Sure, give me the crumb. It's how I know that's what I'm worth. [01:29:07] Speaker B: There's talks. [01:29:08] Speaker A: There's talks. [01:29:12] Speaker B: There's talks. [01:29:13] Speaker A: There's talks. [01:29:15] Speaker B: We, we, we. We have an artist. [01:29:17] Speaker A: You have an artist. Well, that's a big deal. Who is it? [01:29:22] Speaker B: The fantastic Jenna Ayoub. [01:29:26] Speaker A: Seriously? [01:29:27] Speaker B: Yes, seriously. [01:29:29] Speaker A: That is a big deal. [01:29:30] Speaker B: Like, that is a big. That is a big deal. [01:29:32] Speaker A: That is a big deal. [01:29:34] Speaker B: Yes. So Jen and I have been friends for I. A handful of years now, and she's a big fan of the book series. [01:29:45] Speaker A: And [01:29:48] Speaker B: when I approached her and reached out and said, hey, would you be interested in picking up on book three? Without a doubt, without hesitation, there was [01:30:03] Speaker A: a. [01:30:03] Speaker B: Yes, 100%. So. [01:30:07] Speaker A: Okay. [01:30:08] Speaker B: So that is. That is. That is. That is a pretty big piece of. That's a big breadcrumb, Dan. That is like a. [01:30:14] Speaker A: That is like. [01:30:15] Speaker B: That is not a breadcrumb. That is like. That's like getting a whole entire piece of garlic bread. Like, Like a whole loaf. [01:30:22] Speaker A: Yeah. So, I mean, no, that's. That's fantastic. I think. [01:30:26] Speaker B: I mean, if you want, if you, if you, if, if having somebody that's drawn Steven's Universe, Gumball and My Little Pony along with their own books, like, just, you know, like, that's. That's awesome. [01:30:50] Speaker A: Yeah, [01:30:53] Speaker B: I'm just like, yeah, [01:30:56] Speaker A: that. I mean, that is. [01:31:00] Speaker B: Yeah, she's, she has done. She's done an amazing amount of stuff, so. [01:31:08] Speaker A: Nice. [01:31:09] Speaker B: Yeah. So it's going to be. It's. It's pretty cool. [01:31:17] Speaker A: Well, that's. That is cool. Let me ask you live on the podcast, too. [01:31:20] Speaker B: Okay. [01:31:21] Speaker A: Should I have Brian sign my copy of Nighthawks? [01:31:25] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:31:27] Speaker A: Okay, you should, because I'm filling out my pledge thing right now. [01:31:33] Speaker B: Oh, hey. [01:31:33] Speaker A: My book. Because the book made it. So Nighthawks is a real thing? [01:31:37] Speaker B: Yes, yes. [01:31:38] Speaker A: So if they wanted an update, you [01:31:41] Speaker B: should have him sign your copy of Nighthawks. Sadly, the artist cannot sign the copy of Nighthawks because they are not in the same place. [01:31:49] Speaker A: Currently. Currently. That's okay. I have one of the artists stuff at my house already. [01:31:55] Speaker B: But yes, it's. It's super cool. I'm. I'm very excited and very happy that. That this Kickstarter made it and did as fantastic as it did. So I'm excited to be able to see what happens next. I really want book two as I'm very happy with book one. [01:32:21] Speaker A: Yes. [01:32:22] Speaker B: With my minor involvement, which was being an advanced reader and somebody who was just there as part of the support team. [01:32:33] Speaker A: Yes, that is cool. Now, the real thing you could break for me on this, though. [01:32:38] Speaker B: Yes. [01:32:39] Speaker A: Is Doesn't Jenna own me something on Kickstarter? [01:32:44] Speaker B: I don't know. Does she? [01:32:46] Speaker A: Yeah. [01:32:47] Speaker B: What does she. What does she do? [01:32:48] Speaker A: Maybe she doesn't. I don't know. [01:32:50] Speaker B: I don't think she does. [01:32:51] Speaker A: Okay. [01:32:51] Speaker B: I don't think she does. [01:32:53] Speaker A: Okay. [01:32:54] Speaker B: Did you. I mean, so I don't think she did anything on Kickstarter. [01:32:58] Speaker A: Oh, that's good news. I feel like one of these artist people, you know, It'd be something on Kickstarter, so it must not be Jenna. [01:33:05] Speaker B: If she did. If you subscribe to her. Her book on. What is it on? I'm trying to think. Her book, Sunkist. That she does. Then you should be reading that. Actually, you should be reading that, Dan. We should cover that. We should cover that. [01:33:21] Speaker A: Maybe you should invite Jenna to the podcast. [01:33:23] Speaker B: Oh, my goodness. [01:33:26] Speaker A: What a shot. [01:33:27] Speaker B: What a thought. [01:33:27] Speaker A: You have an artist, but you haven't invited her to the podcast. [01:33:31] Speaker B: Well, I guess I could. Gosh darn it. [01:33:33] Speaker A: Well, good news. Breaking news right here. Yeah, Book three has an artist. [01:33:40] Speaker B: Book three has an artist. Yes, [01:33:44] Speaker A: and it will be happening. [01:33:46] Speaker B: The artist. And if you want to read some of her own stuff, you should go check out Forever Home and. And Sunkist. You can look up Jenna, AUB and Sunkist and Forever Home as well as. [01:33:59] Speaker A: You should send me the links for that, and I can put them with the show. [01:34:03] Speaker B: Gosh darn it. Dan making me work. [01:34:05] Speaker A: Yeah. Oh, yeah. Somebody's got to do some work around here besides me. [01:34:08] Speaker B: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh. What? Jeez. [01:34:13] Speaker A: Are. [01:34:13] Speaker B: Fast guy over here. This guy. Oh, my gosh. This guy. You know, Fine. Okay. [01:34:20] Speaker A: Okay, whatever. Do it. Get it done. All right, that's it. We're out of here. So, big announcement. Get the bat. Cyborgs from Travis and Junior Braves number three. Coming soon. [01:34:36] Speaker B: Coming soon. [01:34:38] Speaker A: In a year or so, maybe, you know, sometime. Sounds about right. [01:34:42] Speaker B: We don't put any. We put any time. We don't put any time frames on Kickstarter. [01:34:46] Speaker A: Coming in a year or so, something like that, but coming probably in a year and a half. [01:34:50] Speaker B: We'll see. [01:34:52] Speaker A: All right, that's it. That's the announcement. I know I'm right. Bye.