Cinematic Universe

This one's practically a megasode, as there's an awful lot to get through while we attempt to wrestle the podcast back onto a more regular schedule. Our Doctor Strange episode will be with you later in the week, but in the meantime, it's about time Joe got around to catching up with those X-Men comics recommendations. They were the first volume of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's New X-Men (E is for Extinction), plus a whole heap of grab-bag single issues from across the years recommended by James. In the news section, meanwhile, there's a specially recorded bit featuring Seb and James, as the three of us take a look at those Logan and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 trailers that dropped a couple of weeks back. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A week later than planned - thanks to a technical glitch and editing saga that's too annoying and tedious to even relate - we look at Bryan Singer's 2000 franchise-starter, X-Men. There's also time for a bit of a news catchup - although because this episode was recorded almost a fortnight before release, we haven't yet got to the Logan and GOTG Vol 2 trailers that came out this week. We will, though. We will. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Brexit? Pah! This week's bonus Cinematic Universe episode comes to you from PARIS, where James found himself at a junket for Netflix's brand new Luke Cage series. So listen on for exclusive interviews with showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker, and cast members Mahershala Ali (Cottonmouth), Simone Missick (Misty Knight) and Luke Cage himself, Mike Colter! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's Nick Fury vs Dirk Anger, as Joe looks at our recommendations of Jim Steranko's classic late '60s S.H.I.E.L.D. run, and Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen's equally classic early 2000s Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. It's like Shakespeare, but with lots more punching... Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're back from our summer sort-of-break, with a look at a true classic of the genre: the 1998, David Hasslehoff-starring Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV movie! The question is, is it the worst live-action property to feature the words "of S.H.I.E.L.D." in its title, or not? We also take a run through the latest comic book and TV movie news, and look at some early DC Rebirth recommendations. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The minisodes go mega, as Joe returns from his honeymoon to catch up with a whole load of news, and then two episodes' worth of comics recommendations. Appropriately enough for Batman Day, he gets through Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's The Long Halloween, Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo's Joker, Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke's Trail of the Catwoman, and the Batman: Harley Quinn collected anthology. Phew! Normal Cinematic Universe service will resume next week, with our next full episode, and then we should be back onto a regular schedule. Thanks for your patience during our summer break! And head on over to CinematicMultiverse.com if you want links to where you can find this episode's comics to buy. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's another one of our occasional news specials, as Seb and James catch up with the stuff that's been going on while we've been putting out pre-records and such. We tackle a range of topics including the Hulu Runaways announcement, Doug Liman jumping ship from Gambit to Dark Universe, the What Thor Did During Civil War short, Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders, Zendaya's (probable) casting as Mary Jane Watson, and a bunch more besides. Plus, we recommend two comics that we probably won't ever find an excuse to recommend on a regular episode. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In a special pre-recorded episode, filling the gap while Joe is away on honeymoon, we look at Tim Burton's 1992 sequel Batman Returns. Is it the best of the '90s Bat-films? Heck, is it the best Bat-film full stop? As it's a pre-record, there's again no news chat this week - but we do find time to explain to Joe just what "cheesecake" art means. And James and Seb will be back with a catchup news minisode next week... Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this time-crossing minisode, the Seb of this week runs through the latest news before handing over to the Joe of a couple of weeks ago, as he gives his thoughts on the Spider-Man 2-inspired comics recommendations of Web of Death and My Uncle... My Enemy. And keep listening for an update on exactly where our schedule is up to while we cover for Joe's wedding-induced absence! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you had enough HOT TAKES on Suicide Squad yet? Hopefully not, as we've finally got around to giving you ours, in our last regular episode before Joe heads off to get married and stuff. Unfortunately (or possibly fortunately, from his perspective) Seb was too unwell to get to see the film over the weekend, but happily Joe and James are again joined by Amon Warmann to discuss the film that's sparked fervent debate about just what's going on with all of these superhero movies and are they actually any good for us? But more importantly... what did we think of the film itself? For those who were wondering, by the way, we haven't forgotten about the Spider-Man 2 minisode - it's just that we wanted to get this one out in as timely a fashion as we could manage. We'll get back to that minisode next week, and the following week we'll have the first of our pre-recorded episodes (the identity of which is revealed, as usual, on this week's pod). At some point things will settle back down into a normal schedule, but A

Back in 2004, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 was immediately considered one of the greatest superhero films ever made. Have things changed in 2016, or does it still stand up as one of the best? Find out, in the latest edition of our occasional series, Seb And James Have Very Strong Feelings About Spider-Man! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With so much news coming out of SDCC this year, we needed an entire bonus podcast to cover it all - so listen on for a whopping hour’s worth of chat from Joe, Seb and James on all things DCEU, MCU, Flarrowverse and a lot more besides. And we’ll be back in just a few days’ time with our next full-length episode, on Spider-Man 2! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's been a very Thor week for Joe. So Thor, in fact, that he got a migraine and so had to delay this week's minithode. Anyway, having got the puns out of our system, let's take a look at J. Michael Straczynski and Oliver Coipel's Thor (2007) vol. 1, and Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee's Thor: The Mighty Avenger. There's also a roundup of some news bits, although note that the ep was recorded before SDCC kicked off in earnest - so we'll catch up with all the goings-on from there on our next full ep! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's a bit of a different one this week: with Seb absent, the talking is down to just Joe and James; and we're also trialling leaving out the news section on some episodes, in order to get to the film discussion more quickly. Fortunately, we're otherwise on familiar ground as we return to the MCU and kick off a pretty impressive sequence of films with 2011's Thor. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It’s a quiet old time for news, which actually gives Joe the opportunity to get straight into last week’s comic book recommendations instead. So listen on to hear what he made of Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba’s Casanova: Luxuria, and Warren Ellis and Jason Masters’ James Bond: VARGR. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Joe and Seb are joined by writer, script editor and avid "Tweetnoter" Andrew Ellard to discuss Matthew Vaughn's 2015 Kingsman: The Secret Service. How does the film stack up to the Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons comic on which it's based? And, perhaps more pertinently, how does it stack up to the James Bond canon that it's so clearly pitching as a postmodern take on? The resulting chat is so long that we actually had to cut out one of the news bits - so hopefully you'll think it's worth it... Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Due to scheduling problems we have a week's gap before our Kingsman: The Secret Service episode, so Joe and Seb thought it was about time they got around to having a big old chat about their favourite superhero TV show of recent years: The Flash! Expect spoilers for both seasons so far, as we talk about just why we like the show so much, and our hopes and expectations for the upcoming third season. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's a light news section this week, which is good, as Joe has probably his best week so far for good comics recommendations to talk about: the first two volumes of Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and the first volume of James Robinson and Tony Harris' Starman. But did he like these books as much as Seb and James do (which is to say, a heck of a lot)? You'll have to listen to find out, as if that wasn't obvious. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cinematic Universe goes steampunk... sorry, "dieselpunk"... for the film that ended not one but TWO Hollywood careers. Yes, it's The League of Extreme... sorry, Extraordinary Gentlemen! In the news, meanwhile, we react to the Captain Marvel casting chat, and the shifting sands of the DC movie universe. Oh, and just so you know, there are Flash season two spoilers in the introductory question section, so skip on a bit if you haven't yet caught up with the finale. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's been a little while since we've had a proper news roundup, thanks to a glut of new-movie-release episodes, so Joe finally takes the opportunity to catch up on the last few weeks' worth of stuff. Then it's on to discussing James' X-Men: Apocalypse-inspired recommendations: The Adventures of Cyclops and Phoenix and Uncanny X-Force: The Apocalypse Solution. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/cinematicuniverse.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.