Challengers Comics + Conversation’s Patrick Brower joins John and David for part 2 of this year-end conversation about all things comics in 2025. They get into why David can’t get all the variant covers, the Marvel/DC crossovers, what made the Absolute Line so successful, the good and the bad of 2025, and looking ahead at the comics industry in 2026, and Patrick makes a prediction – will it come true?

Timestamp Segments

• [00:57] Excitement for 2026.
• [04:38] The variant covers headache.
• [08:03] Marvel and DC do different books together.
• [09:59] The average customer.
• [11:09] The DC/Marvel solution.
• [12:29] DC K.O.
• [14:22] What makes the Absolute Line work?
• [17:56] Was 2025 a good year for comics?
• [19:10] PRH’s payment portal.
• [21:28] Book distributors vs comic distributors.
• [23:31] Making more money – still broke.
• [25:06] What’s coming up in 2026?
• [29:09] Patrick’s prediction for 2026.
• [30:21] Patrick mentions wrestling.
• [30:40] Warner being bought, again.
• [31:35] The longest-running comic shop.

Notable Quotes

• “I'm not saying any names, whatsoever.”
• “Your average customer isn't the expert customer you're hearing from on the internet.”
• “I'm just disappointed that Time Warner rejected the Blockbuster video bid from the early 90s.”

Relevant Links

Challengerscomics.com

Books Mentioned

• Absolute Batman, by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, & Frank Martin.
• Absolute Green Lantern, by Al Ewing & Jahnoy Lindsay.
• Absolute Martian Manhunter, by Deniz Camp & Javier Rodriguez.
• Absolute Superman, by Jason Aaron & Rafa Sandoval.
• Absolute Wonder Woman, by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, & Jordie Bellaire.
• Batman, by Matt Fraction & Jorge Jiménez.
• The Cull, by Kelly Thompson & Mattia de Iulis.
• DC K.O., by Scott Snyder, Xermanico, Javi Fernandez, & Alejandro Sanchez.
• DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool.
• G.I. Joe.
• Ice Cream Man, by W. Maxwell Price, Martin Morazzo, & Chris O’Halloran.
• Marvel/DC: Deadpool/Batman (2025- ).
• Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. (2006-2010), by Warren Ellis & Stuart Immonen.

Challengers Comics + Conversation’s very own Patrick Brower joins John and David for a 2-part year-end conversation about all things comics in 2025. They get into how Diamond’s fall reshaped the entire industry, what it takes to run a comic bookstore, the disappearance of customer service, and a week in the life of a Challengers comic book.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of The Corner Box vs Patrick Brower!

Timestamp Segments

• [01:13] The podcast peaks.
• [05:00] The fall of Diamond.
• [13:53] Navigating smaller margins.
• [16:57] Where is customer service?
• [19:05] Heroes World.
• [20:46] Delivery headaches.
• [25:09] David gets a card.
• [27:06] The shelf-life of a Challengers comic book.

Notable Quotes

• “Not being able to access customer service and talk to a real-live person in 2025, there’s nothing that makes me more angry than that.”
• “It’s not a New Year’s card. It’s a Christmas card.”
• “If you want people to look through stuff, hide it.”

Relevant Links

challengerscomics.com

Books Mentioned

• Kamen Rider, by Shotaro Ishinomori.
• Transformers.
• Transformers: Optimus Prime, by John Barber & Kei Zama.

The one and only real Jim McCann joins John and David to talk about his secret careers in music and flower arranging, the truth behind the success of the podcast, a peek the behind-the-scenes in comic book publishing offices, and how to put a double-page spread to good use. Also, David wets himself, Jim wets his comics, and John gets a rock.

Timestamp Segments

• [00:48] David’s leaky pipes.
• [04:28] Jim loses comics.
• [05:12] David finds comics.
• [06:16] The third best Jim McCann.
• [06:53] Jim is algorithm-optimized.
• [08:37] The world, summarized.
• [10:16] The best office locations.
• [17:53] The Other/Half.
• [19:30] Setting up a double-page spread.
• [22:33] The perfect page turn.
• [32:01] Working with Ignition Press.
• [42:11] Jim’s other secret projects.
• [43:25] John and G.I. Joe.

Notable Quotes

• “I was there for, if I recall correctly, about another 435 years.”
• “Sometimes, rocks are bad. Sometimes, they’re good.”
• “I’m responsible for more failed relaunches of G.I. Joe than any other human being.”

Books Mentioned

• Avengers #800, by Brian Michael Bendis, Jed Mackay, Mark Bagley, Farid Karami, & Russell Dauterman.
• Avengers Disassembled.
• Civil War.
• Conan the Barbarian.
• Dazzler, by Jim McCann & Kalman Andrasofszky.
• Deluge, by Cullen Bunn & Marika Cresta.
• G.I. Joe.
• Green Lantern: Ganthet’s Tale, by John Byrne & Larry Niven.
• Green Lantern Mosaic, by Gerard Jones & Cully Hamner.
• Hawkeye & Mockingbird, by Jim McCann, David Lopez, & Paul Renaud.
• House of M.
• Mind the Gap, by Jim McCann.
• Morning Glories, by Joe Eisma, Nick Spencer, & Rodin Esquejo.
• Murder Podcast, by Jeremy Haun, Mike Tisserand, & Nick Filardi.
• Mutant Massacre.
• New Avengers: The Reunion, by Jim McCann, David Lopez, & Jo Chen.
• New Teen Titans.
• Return of the Dapper Men, by Jim McCann & Janet Lee.
• Something is Killing the Children, by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera, & Miquel Muerto.
• Star Trek: Year Five.

Superguy creator and Comics and Chronic cohost, Anthony Iannaccio, joins John and David to talk about his career arc, from WWE arenas to writing comedy superhero comics, the super team behind Superguy, the state of comedy in comics, and the best comics of the moment.

Relevant Links

MrTonyNacho

Timestamp Segments

• [00:43] Comics and Chronic.
• [02:08] The secret to longevity.
• [03:09] Anthony career arc.
• [04:18] Getting into comics.
• [07:59] Stand-up comedy.
• [09:54] Writing for WWE.
• [13:29] Breaking into comics.
• [17:07] Superguy.
• [19:26] Comedy in comics.
• [22:29] Are audiences more sophisticated these days?
• [23:40] The Superguy Super Team.
• [26:50] Overcoming the pressure to perform.
• [29:49] David’s thoughts on Superguy.
• [31:32] The best of the latest comics.
• [35:55] Get your MrTonyNacho comics.
• [37:43] A true commitment to the fans.

Notable Quotes

• “If you’re successful in comic books, you write for other media, and if you’re not successful in comic books, you write for other media.”
• “It’s harder to write a 20-page comic than a 22-page one.”
• “I don’t think there’s enough good comedy in comics anymore.”

Books Mentioned

• Absolute Batman, by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Gabriel Walta, & Frank Martin.
• Absolute Martian Manhunter, by Deniz Camp & Javier Rodriguez.
• Absolute Wonder Woman, by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, & Jordie Bellaire.
• Assorted Crisis Events, by Deniz Camp, Eric Zawadzki, Jordie Bellaire, & Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
• Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson.
• Civil War.
• Drome, by Jesse Lonergan.
• Hawkeye, by Matt Fraction & David Aja.
• Infinite Crisis.
• Mutant Massacre.
• Nightwing, by Tom Taylor.
• Quick Stops, by Kevin Smith, Jeremy Simser, & John Sprengelmeyer.
• RoboWolf, by Jake Smith.
• Spectators, by Brian K. Vaughan & Niko Henrichon.
• Sugar Bomb, by David Hedgecock.
• Superguy, by Anthony Iannaccio & Joey Murphy.
• The Tick, by Ben Edlund.
• Ultimate Endgame (2025- ), by Deniz Camp

John, David, and Everybody Else (aka Mason Rabinowitz) return for Part 2 of the "Top 5 Runs in All of Marvel Comics"! They get into the Top 3, make some honorable mentions, add a few titillating surprises, and then the trio faces-off for the True #1 Marvel Comic Run.

Relevant Links

Behind the Panels of Marvel’s Secret Wars

Timestamp Segments

• [00:00] Check out This Secret Wars Kickstarter!
• [02:13] John’s #3.
• [05:34] Dave Cockrum vs John Byrne.
• [09:42] Mason’s #2.
• [13:35] David’s #2.
• [17:10] John’s #2.
• [18:16] Mason’s Top Comic Run.
• [19:07] Lee/Kirby magic.
• [20:22] Has David read Fantastic Four?
• [22:09] John’s Top Comic Run.
• [25:07] Why Spider-Man didn’t make the list.
• [27:58] David’s Top Comic Run.
• [32:08] When New Mutants gets really great.
• [33:32] The Liefeld rollercoaster.
• [35:54] Behind the Panels of Marvel’s Secret Wars.

Notable Quotes

• “That book is the Marvel Universe.”
• “You might be right, but you’re wrong.”
• “New Mutants: better than girls.”

Books Mentioned

• Amazing Fantasy #15, The Amazing Spider-Man – The Master Planner, by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko.
• The Amazing Spider-Man (1963-1998).
• Avengers: Kree/Skrull War, by Roy Thomas, John Buscema, & Neal Adams.
• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, & Lynn Varley.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
• Classic X-Men (1986-1990).
• Daredevil (1964-1998).
• Daredevil, by Ann Nocenti & John Romita Jr.
• Daredevil: Born Again, by Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli.
• Deadpool/Batman (2025).
• Fantastic Four (1961-1998).
• Fantastic Four: Imaginauts, Unthinkable, by Mark Waid & Mike Wieringo.
• The Flash, by Mark Waid.
• Incredible Hulk, by Peter David.

Everybody Else (aka Mason Rabinowitz) joins John and (eventually) David for Part 1 of their "Top 5 Runs in All of Marvel Comics"! They get into what makes a run truly great, some iconic collaborations and runs that didn’t make the lists, the exciting Behind the Panels of Secret Wars, and Batman’s new logo. Also, David makes a surprise appearance on today’s episode.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of The Corner Box vs Mason Rabinowitz next week!

Relevant Links

Behind the Panels of Marvel’s Secret Wars

Timestamp Segments

• [00:00] Check out This Secret Wars Kickstarter!
• [01:49] What’s David really doing?
• [02:08] Everybody Else is here.
• [02:45] David’s real Top 5.
• [03:14] The Top 5 Criteria.
• [05:12] What has Mason been working on?
• [08:46] Mason’s #5.
• [14:33] John’s #5.
• [18:41] Wait, there’s another host!
• [19:34] Batman’s new logo.
• [20:17] Honorable mentions.
• [21:26] David’s #5.
• [26:46] Mason’s #4.
• [28:23] David’s #3.
• [35:26] David’s #4.
• [37:14] Mason’s #3.

Notable Quotes

• “There is no objective measurement of this, and anybody that pretends there is, there isn’t.”
• “It’s the only run… that started in 1982 that you can still go out and pick up the current issue of, by the same writer.”
• “And then Thor becomes a frog for two issues.”

Books Mentioned

• Alien: The Illustrated Story, Manhunter, by Archie Goodwin & Walter Simonson.
• Avengers (1963-1996).
• Batman (2025- ), by Matt Fraction & Jorge Jiménez.
• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil, by Frank Miller.
• Bloodstrike, by Rob Liefeld, Dan Fraga, Danny Miki, & Thomas Mason.
• Cerebus, by David Sim.
• Daredevil, by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev.
• Fantastic Four (1998-2012).
• G.I. Joe, by Larry Hama.
• Incredible Hulk (1962-1999).
• M.A.R.S. Patrol, by Wally Wood.
• Marvel Knights Punisher, Punisher Max, by Garth Ennis.

John and David go undercover in search of the answer to the ultimate question: Why? They get into the magic of great creators and their stories, do a deep dive on the recent Batman/Deadpool comic by Grant Morrison and Dan Mora, and discuss David’s unchecked comics spending. Also, John has a revelation.

Timestamp Segments

• [01:06] Why?
• [02:07] David’s Why? Salvation Run.
• [05:46] John’s Why? Youngblood #1.
• [09:04] The most Garth Ennis of Garth Ennis books.
• [14:00] The thing about Hitman.
• [19:05] The DC One Million controversy.
• [20:34] Grant Morrison writes the comic book of the moment.
• [22:11] Batman/Deadpool.
• [23:11] All the Morrison layers.
• [31:15] Marvel vs DC stories.
• [34:36] The magical Carlos Ezquerra.
• [36:45] The Stainless Steel Rat.
• [40:43] John’s revelation.
• [44:15] Spawn: The Dark Ages.
• [49:24] The return of the Swat Kats.
• [54:01] Spending too much on comics.

Notable Quotes

• “In general, he’s just too smart for me.”
• “I take it all back, man. He’s great.”
• “I think I may have spent more money in comics than I’ve made.

Books Mentioned

• Animal Man (1988-1995).
• Back to the Future: Untold Tales & Alternate Timelines.
• Batman: No Man’s Land.
• Batman & Robin (2009-2011).
• Bloodstrike, by Rob Liefeld, Dan Fraga, Danny Miki, & Thomas Mason.
• The Boys, by Garth Ennis & Darick Robertson.
• Conan the Barbarian.
• Crisis on Infinite Earths, by Marv Wolfman & George Perez.
• DC K.O.
• DC/Marvel: Batman/Deadpool.
• DC One Million.
• The Demon Annual #2: Introducing Hitman, Dicks, Hitman, Troubled Souls, by Garth Ennis & John McCrea.
• Ernest & the Dream Stone, by Corey Perkins, M. Arief Russanto, Mariam Yasser.
• Final Crisis, by Grant Morrison & J.G. Jones.
• For a Few Troubles More, by Garth Ennis, John McCrea, & Wendy Simpson.

Rob Worst cheats death once again and joins John and David to talk about the art of collecting comics, the value of original art, the rise of AI and digital comics, and the importance of artists supporting other artists.

SUPPORT THE SHOW! DO FUN THINGS!

John has a Kickstarter | Behind the Panels of Marvel’s Secret Wars

Rob Worst has a podcast | Not Near Mint

Timestamp Segments

• [00:00] Check out This Secret Wars Kickstarter!
• [02:03] The show gains a new listener!
• [02:39] Rob’s origin story.
• [03:33] Rob cheats death.
• [05:59] To slab or not to slab?
• [13:34] Signed comics.
• [16:45] The rise of digital comics.
• [21:01] The Mark Spears phenomenon.
• [23:26] AI comics.
• [24:46] David’s Dan Mora story.
• [27:34] 3D comics.
• [31:37] Collecting CG comics.
• [32:48] The true value of original art.
• [35:58] Artists supporting artists.
• [41:07] Not Near Mint.

Notable Quotes

• “Rule #1: don’t die.”
• “You can’t smell digital.”
• “One day, today will have been 20 years ago.”

Books Mentioned

• Batman: The Man Who Laughs, by Ed Brubaker, Doug Mahnke, Patrick Zircher, Tim Sale, Aaron Sowd, Steve Bird, & David Baron.
• Daredevil: Born Again, by Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli.
• Detective Comics (1937-2011).
• Dungeons & Dragons.
• Faust, by David Quinn & Tim Vigil.
• The Forever People, by Jack Kirby, Vince Colletta, Frank Giacoia, Mike Royer, Tom Ziuko, & Jim Amash.
• G.I. Joe.
• Gold Digger.
• Grips, by Kris Silver & Tim Vigil.
• Hexed, by Michael Alan Nelson, Dan Mora, & Emma Ríos.
• Iron Man: Crash, by Mike Saenz.
• Justice League Unlimited, by Mark Waid & Dan Mora.
• The Monster and the Wolf, by Mark Spears.
• New Champions (2025- ), by Steve Foxe, Ivan Fiorelli, & Gleb Melnikov.
• New Mutants (1983-1991).
• Nightwing (1996-2009).