Between The Gutters Podcast

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin Volume 6: To War continues the flashback/prequel material unique to this version of the First Gundam story. Yoshikazu Yasuhiko adds his thoughtful personal flourishes to the lore and legend of the Universal Century, and he spends an extensive amount of time in this volume covering key formative years of Char Aznable and the Zabi family. This political potboiler makes for a fascinating stew, and there's quite a bit of story here to digest, both in terms of plot and themes. Join our conversation as we provide our commentary on volume six! In 2022, our plan is to read through the entirety of Gundam: The Origin. Once a month, we will read and discuss one volume of this manga masterpiece, the same way we did a full readthrough of Invincible last year.

After a week off, we're back with another long episode! This time around, we're examining the category of shonen manga. It's one of (if not THE) best-selling forms of comics in the world, and obviously there's a lot of super popular anime based on shonen manga. Truth be told, though we read plenty of manga, neither of us tends to read much popular shonen, so we felt we needed to step out of our preferences and study something that millions of readers love. To wit, we decided to dabble by reading the first volumes of four big titles: Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata; Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama; Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge; and Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto. Have you read these series, or watched the anime adaptations? Let us know what you think! For reference, the first portion of our podcast is a general discussion about shonen manga, and specifically popular shonen battle manga. Timestamps for the book discussions are as follows: Death Note - 1:07:00 Attack on

The Moon Knight show on Disney+ recently finished its run, and we got around to watching it. Now we're gonna talk about it. We begin the episode with some general spoiler-free impressions. Spoilers begin at around the 21:15 mark. We've both read a good amount of Moon Knight comics, and if you're interested in hearing what we had to say about various Moon Knight comic book stories, check out episode 120, where we also discuss the elements of the character that appeal to us.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin volume 5 is a significant turning point in this epic saga. This volume, titled Char & Sayla, is Yoshikazu Yasuhiko's original material; these stories were not present in the First Gundam anime. There's a lot of political intrigue at play here as we witness the formation of the Principality of Zeon as well as the backstories of Char Aznable and Sayla Mass. It's a longer podcast episode than usual because this particular chapter deserves a close examination. In addition to some general thoughts on the volume as a whole, we also provide a chapter-by-chapter commentary. If you haven't been reading along with us, or if you've never read Gundam: The Origin, try your local library or a local bookseller or comic book store. Volume 5 also contains material that was adapted into the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin anime OVAs (also directed by Yas himself), so if you've watched those, a lot of what we discuss here will make sense. You can even watch the anime (in its recut, television b

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we're talking about one of our favorite Asian American comics creators, Adrian Tomine! Specifically, we're discussing three of his stories: Hawaiian Getaway, Amber Sweet, and Killing and Dying. These are stories that were originally published in his comic book series Optic Nerve, and can now be found in the book collections Summer Blonde (for Hawaiian Getaway) and Killing and Dying (the other two stories). These three stories were (loosely) adapted into the 2021 French film Paris, 13th District, directed by Jaques Audiard. Justin from WAHW (We Are Half the World) joins us as we dissect the three comics stories and the film they inspired. We also discuss generally what we appreciate about Adrian Tomine's work. To learn more about WAHW, please visit wahw.org and give them a follow on Instagram!

It's time for a Between the Gutters-style Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness autopsy! We tried to stay away from inane fanboy theories here, though, and we definitely don't whine about all the cameos we didn't see. We tried to keep the conversation about the film by looking at it on its own merits. (Maybe there was a tangent when we got on a soapbox to talk about how Disney and these corporations should reward the comic book creators upon whose work their movie empire is built.) The first part of the podcast is spoiler-free, and we'll warn you when get into spoiler territory. If you've had a chance to watch the movie, what'd you think? For that matter, what are your favorite Dr. Strange stories and comics? Spoilers begin at about the 50:30 mark.

Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics by Tom Scioli is a fitting biography of the King in comics form. Last week, we discussed the Stan Lee biography written by Abraham Riesman, and it's only fitting that we dedicate an episode to Jack Kirby, the man whose boundless imagination continues to captivate our minds. Tom Scioli's book provides an excellent overview of Kirby's life, and we definitely recommend reading it for yourself. In this episode, we discuss what we knew about Kirby when we were kids, what he means to us now, and how comics will break your heart.

True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee, a heavily researched and all-encompassing biography written by Abraham Riesman, is an elucidating examination of one of the most significant figures in modern pop culture. Originally released a little over a year ago, the recent release of the paperback edition precipitated our discussion of the book. It's a book we think that anyone who's remotely interested in learning about Stan Lee should read. For those who don't know too much about Stan Lee, there may be things in here you'll wish you would have remained ignorant of. Join us as we discuss this prose biography! (Please note that if we said anything inaccurate or misleading during the course of our conversation in this episode, that is the fault of our own subpar recollection of what we read combined with poor note taking, not the fault of the material in Riesman's book.)

Finally, White Base arrives at Jaburo, but at what cost? In this episode, we continue our exploration and analysis of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. We take examine volume four chapter by chapter and discuss the craftsmanship behind the storytelling, and we also talk about the character development and various plot developments. It's another exciting installment of this saga, and in this volume we really see the pain of youth who are forced to grow up fighting a war that their forebears caused. If you've been reading along with us, or if you're just a First Gundam/Universal Century fan, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this one!

Darryl Cunningham's recent biocomic, Putin's Russia: The Rise of a Dictator, is a particularly relevant piece of work, especially in light of current events. It's a comic published by Drawn & Quarterly in North America, and it was released earlier this year, just before Russia invaded Ukraine. In presenting a heavily researched laundry list of numerous transgressions against his rivals, detractors, journalists, the Russian people, the concept of democracy, and even the world in general, this scathing biography is quite educational in helping us understand the despicable character of Vladimir Putin. Darryl Cunningham has produced one of the most worthwhile non-fiction comics of recent memory. Also, on a lighter note, stick around after the ending theme music to hear Albert's report on WonderCon 2022!

With the advent of the Moon Knight streaming series on Disney+, we figured it was time to do one of our signature deep dives into an MCU character to coincide with his onscreen debut. In this episode, we share about the first Moon Knight comics we ever read, we discuss the fundamental core elements of the character, and we talk about what we like in Moon Knight stories. The bulk of this lengthy episode is an examination of just about every era of Moon Knight in comics, and we take the time to talk about the standouts that have captivated our attention. If you don't know too much about Moon Knight, but you're curious about the character, we invite you to check out any of the recommendations in this episode! Like many Marvel characters, Moon Knight's had a bunch of different series over the years, so feel free to hit us up if you're confused about which volume is which. And if you are a Moon Knight fan already, what are your favorite stories? Also, if you want to play a drinking game, drink a shot every singl

It's time for our continuing readthrough of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. In volume 3, we meet Ramba Ral, one of First Gundam's more honorable antagonists. We also get some more layered character development, a look at the rest of the Zabi family, and at least one major plot twist that recontextualizes what we've experienced so far. Yas delivers incredibly exciting and thoughtful storytelling. There's also plenty of sweet, sweet mecha action. Hang out with us as we inspect the various story elements of this masterfully crafted manga!

In recognition of Women's History Month, we read a pair of short comic book biographies. In this episode, the two works we discuss are Marie Curie: A Quest for Light (written by Frances Andreasen Østerfelt and Anja Cetti Andersen, and art by Anna Blaszczyk) and Seen: True Stories of Marginalized Trailblazers: Rachel Carson (written by Birdie Willis, line art by Rii Abrego, colored by Kieran Quigley, and lettered by DC Hopkins). Marie Curie and Rachel Carson are two important and influential women who have truly affected modern society with their scientific discoveries. The two comics we read provide great overviews of their lives and contributions to their respective fields. We both enjoyed and appreciated these comics not only for being informative and educational, but for taking advantage of the comics medium.

Last week, The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves, was released in theaters. We watched it and then dissected it. So here is our autopsy report. Here is our Bat-topsy. This is THEEEE Bat-topsy. We discuss the film from the standpoint of a pair of longtime comic book readers who are big Batman fans, and take into account the comic book stories that Reeves stated served as inspiration. We also talk about what we thought the film did well, what it didn't do well, and what we appreciated and didn't like about its handling of Batman. Also, listen closely and you can learn the difference between being a comic book purist and being a comic book elitist. For more of our Batman-centric episodes, check out episode 42 to hear us sing the praises of some of our favorite Batman stories, and check out episode 110 for our critique of The Long Halloween and Hush. Have you watched The Batman? What did you think?

Maus by Art Spiegelman is universally recognized as one of the best and most significant comics of all time. It absolutely deserves the acclaim. With Maus having been in the news recently, it returned to the forefront of our minds, so we decided to reread it and discuss it. Our friend, ally, comic book comrade, and recurring guest Alexander Sheynis joins us. Before we dive in the comic and celebrate its numerous merits, we spend some time talking about the school board in Tennessee that unanimously voted to ban Maus, so prepare yourselves for slightly more soapboxing than usual.

We're continuing our readthrough of Yoshikazu Yasuhiko's Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. Things get even more interesting in volume 2 as we start to see even more world building and characterization. We really get to see how Gundam is a story that's about more than giant robots fighting. The human drama is compelling, and that's what makes the story pop. Join us as we discuss and dissect the various plot developments, characters, emotional content, and subtext.

This week, out of respect for Black History Month, we're discussing the March trilogy by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. This is an autobiographical work about the late John Lewis, specifically covering the period of his life as a young man, and his role as one of the "Big Six" in the American Civil Rights Movement. March contains important lessons for us all. It's both educational and inspirational. On top of that, it's exceptionally well-crafted as a comic book. March is truly an important work, something that's not only critically acclaimed within comics and in the world outside of comics, but it's also a great way to learn about an iconic American and a crucial period in American history. It is our sincere hope that you would give March a read if you haven't already.

Shuzo Oshimi's Blood on the Tracks is an unusually paced psychological suspense about a young teenage boy and his overprotective mother. To say much more would probably spoil the surprise of discovery, but we recommend this story to mature readers who don't mind experiencing uncomfortable thoughts and emotions through fiction. We've read the first seven volumes that are currently available in English, and the first part of this episode is a spoiler-free overview. We'll warn you before we spoil specific story elements when we discuss the intricate facets of the series. If you've read Blood on the Tracks, what did you think?

Enigma by Peter Milligan and Duncan Fegredo is an exceptional piece of work that was ahead of its time. Originally published by Vertigo, it's recently been reprinted under Dark Horse's Berger Books imprint in a dignified hardcover edition that befits its status as a bona fide classic. In this episode, we give Enigma its due and try to dissect, analyze, and interpret the concepts and ideas within the story. Whether or not you've read it before, we invite you to listen! If you haven't read Enigma before, now's a better time than ever to check it out and discover why it's so highly regarded by all the right people.

This year, we're going to be reading through the entirety of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. It's twelve hardcover volumes, so we'll be reading and discussing one volume a month, just as we did for Invincible last year. In this episode, we shed some basic information and historical context about First Gundam (the original 1979 anime TV series) and the Gundam franchise as a whole, and then discuss Activation, volume one of The Origin. We encourage you to buy yourself a copy, or borrow it from the library, and join us as we embark on this journey to Jaburo. Or if you're on the fence about it, hopefully our enjoyment and enthusiasm for the series will motivate you to at least think about giving this first volume a shot! MSG: The Origin is an ideal entry point into the world of Gundam, even if you know absolutely nothing about the franchise.