Collecting Issues-Comic Podcast

Mick and Ben
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Books
  • Every two months

Welcome to Collecting Issues, the monthly comic book club podcast for readers who want to talk about comics properly. Each month, Mick and Ben choose a single graphic novel and invite you to read along with us. Share your thoughts, theories and favourite moments on our Discord or on social media with us, and join the conversation while you read. At the end of the month, we record a full episode on that book: the story, the art, the panel construction, the things it gets right and the things we argue about. We cover the whole range of comic book glory, from Batman and X-Men to indie, literary and creator-owned work. Expect close readings rather than recaps. We dig into character development, comic history, story analysis, art styles and the way comics do things no other medium can. Whether you're a seasoned collector or you've just picked up your first trade, Collecting Issues is a place to find great reads and talk about them with people who care about good comics. Let's celebrate the world of comics together. New episodes monthly. We also dip into our archive, remastering older episodes with new context recorded around them, and publish longer comic critical essays on our Substack. Read along with us on Discord, find us on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, and follow wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 6 Aug

    Mister Miracle (2018) by Tom King and Mitch Gerads- Archive Episode

    What happens when the man who can escape anything cannot escape himself? In this remastered archive episode, first recorded in 2019 and reissued with new context and commentary, Mick and Ben dig into Mister Miracle (2017-2018) by Tom King and Mitch Gerads, the Eisner Award winning 12 issue series from DC Comics. The episode covers: Jack Kirby's Fourth World and why the New Gods were born out of Kirby's experience as an army field artist in World War IIDarkseid as inevitability rather than brawler, the Anti-Life Equation as a proof that free will does not exist, and how "Darkseid Is" moves from a Grant Morrison and Howard Porter phrase in Rock of Ages into a formal storytelling deviceScott Free and Big Barda as one of the most realistic relationships in superhero comics, and how nature versus nurture plays out for two people raised on ApokolipsDepression, PTSD and the "stand / standing" mantra, plus the recurring shower motif and the comic's critique of push-through-it adviceMitch Gerads' art, the post-eighties nine-panel grid, and a rendition of Apokolips inspired by burning oil wells in IraqGranny Goodness, Lightray, Orion, Highfather, Funky Flashman and the Stan Lee parody nobody quite agreed onIs any of it real? Metron, the offer to return to continuity, and that final "will not be continued" panel Plus a disagreement about whether Tom King can write an ending, and recommendations if you liked this one: The Vision, God Country, Invincible. Timely too, with Mister Miracle newly announced as its own DC Animated series. (No relation to Michael's friend Tom King, who does jujitsu.) Follow the Podcast: Join the Discord and read along Read Our Substack Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Tiktok Watch us on Youtube Tags / keywords Mister Miracle, Tom King, Mitch Gerads, Scott Free, Big Barda, Darkseid, New Gods, Fourth World, Jack Kirby, DC Comics, Anti-Life Equation, Granny Goodness, Apokolips, New Genesis, comic book podcast, comic book review, nine panel grid, Eisner Award, depression in comics, Collecting Issues 00:00 Archive Episode Setup 01:28 Premise and Darkseid Context 02:45 Tom King Not Your Friend 04:03 Kirby Fourth World Basics 05:41 War and Anti Life Origins 09:19 Scott and Barda Home Life 10:19 Unreliable Reality Question 11:44 Humanizing Gods and Morality 17:22 Nature Versus Nurture Trauma 18:49 Mitch Gerads Art Breakdown 20:47 Continuity Constraints Critique 22:17 Shock Deaths No Stakes 22:30 Tom King No Consequences 23:42 End Of Fourth World 24:17 Messy Structure Endings 25:01 Darkseid Is Device 26:49 Inevitable Darkseid Dread 29:10 Funky Flashman Critique 30:30 Depression PTSD Themes 31:17 Stand And Shower Metaphors 34:05 Choice Happy Ending 36:23 Symbolism Silver Age Love 37:50 Stakes Alternate Reality 38:35 What Else To Read 41:24 Final Thoughts And Outro 42:04 Reissue And Animated News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Mister Miracle (2018) by Tom King and Mitch Gerads- Archive Episode

  2. 13 Jul

    Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King, Bilquis Evely & Matheus Lopes (2021)

    Collecting Issues is a monthly comic book book club. We have read the thing, you have read the thing, and there are spoilers all the way down. This month Ben and Michael take on Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, collecting issues 1 to 8 of the 2021 DC Comics series by Tom King, Bilquis Evely, and Matheus Lopes. King has been open that the pitch was True Grit in space, a mentor and mentee bound together by revenge, and the book delivers exactly that: Ruthye, a farm girl whose father is murdered by the mercenary Krem of the Yellow Hills, hires the most dangerous gun in the galaxy, and the most dangerous gun in the galaxy turns out to be Kara Zor-El. What we argue about: Whether the morality holds. The inciting incident is one dead father and one poisoned dog, but by the midpoint Krem has been implicated in a galaxy's worth of genocide. Does the personal revenge story survive that escalation, or does the scale swallow it?The Norman Rockwell segregation planet, and whether a comic can plausibly frame selling out your neighbours as the truest evil in a story this full of atrocity.Ruthye as unreliable narrator. She writes like a Victorian novelist, talks like a Western, and behaves like an Arthurian knight. She also does not witness the two biggest set pieces in the book, which raises the question of what we are actually looking at when Supergirl fights a space dragon.Comet the Super-Horse, first appearing in 1962, who is not a horse but a centaur named Byron, cursed by a wizard, gifted telepathy by Circe, and later beaming half-naked dream visions at a teenage Kara. Tom King brings him back and kills him off. We have questions. The Art: Bilquis Evely and Matheus Lopes, and why this book does not work without them. Evely designs a costume that sidesteps the miniskirt exploitation that has defined the character since Action Comics #252 in 1959, and she renders alien worlds that feel genuinely alien rather than Guardians of the Galaxy shorthand. If you only credit the story to Tom King, you are missing the comic. We close on James Gunn's Supergirl film with Milly Alcock, why "Woman of Tomorrow" got stripped from the title, and what the adaptation loses when it turns Krem from an ordinary man into a Hellraiser reject with plot armour. Next month: Squadron Supreme (1985), issues 1 to 12. Old-school Marvel madness. Next Month's Book: We are shamelessly riding the cinematic hype train! In preparation for the upcoming movie, we’ll be reading Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s incredible Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Read our Absolute Green Arrow Essay Follow the Podcast: Join the Discord and read along Read Our Substack Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Tiktok Watch us on Youtube Time Stamps: 00:00 Welcome to Collecting Issues 00:36 Spoilers and Banter 02:54 Tom King and Continuity 04:27 True Grit in Space 09:09 Meet Ruthye and Krem 10:48 Revenge Versus Responsibility 15:01 Racism Town and Rockwell Vibes 17:30 Krem and the Brigands Escalate 22:37 Supergirl History and Redesign 27:56 Tom King MacGuffins 32:34 Meta Finale and Ruthye Narration 34:59 Ruthye’s Unreliable View 36:58 Capturing Krem at Last 37:55 Temptation on the Beach 41:23 Comet’s Bizarre Backstory 46:28 Dog Lie and Moral Mess 51:24 Art That Elevates It 58:45 Final Verdicts and Themes 01:04:04 Movie Adaptation Changes 01:07:36 Wrap Up and Next Read Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King, Bilquis Evely & Matheus Lopes (2021)

  3. 4 Jun

    Assorted Crisis Events Volume One (2025) by Deniz Camp and Eric Zawadzki

    Welcome back to Collecting Issues, your monthly comic book book club! This month, Mick and Ben are strapping in (and trying not to burst out of identical tight t-shirts) to review Assorted Crisis Events, Volume 1, collecting issues #1-5 of the hit 2025 Image Comics series. Created by the powerhouse team of Deniz Camp (20th Century Men, Absolute Martian Manhunter) and artist Eric Zawadzki, with breathdtaking colours by Jordie Bellaire, this book asks the ultimate question: What happens when timeline-shattering multiversal events happen to ordinary, everyday people instead of A-list superheroes? It’s The Twilight Zone meets Black Mirror, but deeply grounded in the grim, weird, and human reality of 2026. In This Episode We Break Down:Issue #1: Apocalypse Now – We follow Ashley Cargill through a chronally displaced city where reality is stranger than fiction, blending pop-culture commentary with an impending nightmare around every corner.Issue #2: Slaughterhouse Nine to Five – A devastating, visceral look at the immigrant experience, generational trauma, veganism... and velociraptors. Plus, we rave over Eric Zawadzki's savant-level panel layouts.Issue #3: Crisis on Hearth 2 – A brilliant Crisis on Infinite Earths homage that serves as an unflinching metaphor for displacement, immigration, and how quickly society fractures when doppelgangers move into town.Issue #4: Time Flies – Mikey has made some terrible choices (like some really terrible choices), but is he just an adrenaline-junkie leaping through time, or is this a tragic look at regret and impulse decisions?Issue #5: Strange Loops – The world-building issue (kind of)! We meet Anna, a woman who survives a 60-second time loop that lasted 30 million years. We trace the Easter eggs, time-loop tropes, and finally start piecing together the overarching mystery of the jetpack hobo. Next Month's Book: We are shamelessly riding the cinematic hype train! In preparation for the upcoming movie, we’ll be reading Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s incredible Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Listen to the Absolute Martian Manhunter Episode Listen to our 20th Century Men Episode Follow the Podcast: Join the Discord and read along Read Our Substack Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Tiktok Watch us on Youtube Time Stamps: 0:00 Intro 00:32 Spoiler Warning Banter 02:02 Multiverse Fatigue Explained 03:32 What This Series Is 04:33 Deniz Camp Track Record 06:40 Anthology Shared World 09:49 Personal Crisis Metaphor 15:46 Issue One Breakdown 21:37 Art Layout Praise 31:43 Issue Two Slaughterhouse 35:10 Gore Vegan Subtext 37:19 Panel Layout Color Work 42:20 Crocodile Trauma Origins 43:43 Blood Fear and Family Cycles 46:33 Crisis on Hearth Two 48:00 Doppelgangers and Displacement 53:06 Chaos Camp and Panel Mirrors 56:33 Time Flies Bad Choices 59:40 Unreliable Narrator Debate 01:05:02 Strange Loops Worldbuilding 01:11:08 Medium Tricks and Rereads 01:12:07 Final Thoughts and Next Read Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Assorted Crisis Events Volume One (2025) by Deniz Camp and Eric Zawadzki

  4. 18 May

    Ultimate Spiderman (2024) Volume 1 & 2 by Jonathan Hickman, Marco Chechetto & David Messina

    In this episode, Michael and Benjamin are wading deep into the gutters of Marvel’s latest Spider-man reboot to discuss Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) Volume 1 (Issues 1-6) and Volume 2: The News (Issues 7-12) by Jonathan Hickman, Marco Checchetto, and David Messina. Is this 2024 reimagining a light snack or a massive epic? We look at everything from Peter Parker’s 35-year-old power fantasy to Harry Osborn’s consistently dreadful decision-making skills. no matter how old he is. Spider-Man might not be a dweeby 16-year-old anymore, but the classic Parker luck. and the looming threat of the Sinister Six, is still alive and well. Spoilers ahead for all 12 issues! Episode Highlights: The 35-Year-Old Power Fantasy: How Hickman shifted the target demographic from tween nerds to millennials dealing with mid-life crises. Peter has the supermodel wife, the great kids, and a steady job; so why does he still feel like he's destined for more?A World Without Aunt May: Exploring the fascinating alternate timeline where Ben Parker lives to start a his own newspaper with a surprisingly not-terrible J. Jonah Jameson.The Iron Man Ex Machina: Breaking down the "Picotech" (or McGuffin-tech) suit gifted by Tony Stark and how this tech-heavy, adult Spider-Man differs from the analogue, web-fluid-mixing teenager we all know.Accidentally Creating Venom: Why giving your advanced super-suit a sentient AI personality so you have someone to talk to is a fundamentally terrible idea.The Dinner Party of Doom: Reviewing the bizarrely brilliant, non-superheroic issue dedicated entirely to the social anxiety of Peter, Mary Jane, Harry, and Gwen Stacy awkwardly navigating a double date.The Not-Sinister Six: Analysing the shadowy cabal running the five boroughs, featuring Kingpin, Mr. Negative, Mole Man, Mysterio, Kraven, and Black Cat.Harry Osborn’s Daddy Issues: Why programming Norman Osborn's voice (we all heard Willem Dafoe) into the Green Goblin suit is the single worst decision Harry makes in the entire run. Coming Up Next Month May is a month of many comics! Make sure to subscribe and tune in next time as the lads cover: Assorted Crisis Events (Volume 1) by Deniz Camp: Our main read for May, featuring an alternate timeline, timey-wimey chaos anthology! Enjoyed the episode? Give us a subscribe on YouTube, follow us on Spotify (where you can now watch the video version!), and check out our newly remastered archive episodes, including our deep dive into Kraven's Last Hunt, linked down below! Follow the Podcast: Join the Discord and read along Read Our Substack Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Tiktok Watch us on Youtube Time Stamps: 00:00 Ultimate Spider-Man Setup 01:02 Book Club Rules 05:47 Why Spider-Man Works 08:31 Adult Power Fantasy 15:36 This New Ultimate World 19:32 Iron Man Box Origin 23:17 Learning Spider-Man Late 27:16 Costumes and Tech Debate 31:12 Bullseye and Kingpin 32:52 Awkward Dinner Party 36:31 Ensemble Shift 37:51 Stormwatch Vibes 40:00 Podcast Plug Break 41:37 Zeitgeist Retelling 42:23 Paul Saga Detour 43:11 Volume Two Tech 45:18 Oscorp And Otto 46:25 AI Voices Venom 49:41 Sinister Six Setup 52:52 Ultimates Tie In 53:33 Christmas Venom Twist 58:42 Power Responsibility Bingo 01:00:36 Final Thoughts Highlights 01:04:16 Next Reads And Archives Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ultimate Spiderman (2024) Volume 1 & 2 by Jonathan Hickman, Marco Chechetto & David Messina

  5. 22 Apr

    X-Men: Dark Phoenix Saga (1980) by Chris Claremont & John Byrne

    Note: This is a classic archive episode from the vault, originally broadcast back in the ill-fated year of 2019!Welcome back to Collecting Issues, ladies and gentlemen! This week, Mick and Ben are looking into an absolute titan of comic book history: Marvel’s The Dark Phoenix Saga (collecting Uncanny X-Men #129-137), first published in the bloody 1980s by the legendary creative team of Chris Claremont and John Byrne. Join us as we tackle a comic run that is somehow marginally older than both of us and infinitely more packed with leather corsets than we remembered. We’re digging deep into the cosmic epic that has been adapted by almost every X-Men cartoon and movie timeline (with wildly varying degrees of success). In this episode, we cover: The Big Bait-and-Switch: Why does a legendary "cosmic" space saga spend three-quarters of its time messing around with the Hellfire Club in New York fetish wear?The Claremont Aesthetic: We break down the sheer amount of psychosexual tension, BDSM aesthetics, mind-control weirdness, and female subjugation. It's an '80s trope fest featuring "frail, unstable female minds," plus a whole lot of shirtless, hairy Wolverine and a suspiciously "thick" Sebastian Shaw.The Birth of Modern Wolverine: We pinpoint the exact, legendary sewer panel that transformed Wolverine from a grumpy 24-year-old kid into the definitive, scrappy, badass mutant we know and love today.Creative Explosions & Hokey Dialogue: From Banshee's questionable Irish catchphrases to Colossus screaming about Lenin's ghost, we look past the dated tropes to appreciate the absolute sheer volume of character building and world-defining concepts introduced in just eight issues. Whether you're here for the definitive tragic tale of Jean Grey, the introduction of Kitty Pryde and Dazzler, or just to watch Cyclops stumble around in a gimp hood, this is a veritable smorgasbord of juicy X-Men goodness. Follow the Podcast: Join the Discord and read along Read Our Substack Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Tiktok Watch us on Youtube Time Stamps: 00:00 Archive Episode Setup 00:32 Dark Phoenix Overview 01:50 Adaptations and Legacy 04:20 Plot Kicks Off Muir Island 05:24 Wyngarde and Hellfire Club 07:49 Hellfire Battles and Big Twist 09:58 Claremont Kinks and Controversy 14:30 Young X Men and Early Wolverine 17:54 Modern Wolverine Born 19:10 Trade Extras And Covers 20:02 Dialogue And Stereotypes 20:58 Low Powered Early X Men 22:22 Cyclops Melodrama Era 23:06 Why This Run Matters 26:21 Hickman Era Comparisons 28:43 Dark Phoenix In Space 30:29 Byrne Art And Origins 31:51 Recommendations And Wrap Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    X-Men: Dark Phoenix Saga (1980) by Chris Claremont & John Byrne

  6. 1 Apr

    Bone (1991) Volume 1: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith

    Welcome back to Collecting Issues, the monthly comic book club! This month, Michael and Ben are stepping away from the usual superhero capers to explore an absolute titan of the indie comic world: Jeff Smith’s Bone Vol. 1: Out from Boneville (collecting issues #1-6). What starts as a seemingly harmless, 1950s Saturday-morning cartoon romp starring three weird little cousins; Fone Bone, Phoncible P. Bone, and Smiley Bone, quickly plummets off a cliff into a sweeping, Lord of the Rings-style dark fantasy epic. Is it a kids' comic? Is it an adult fantasy? We’re breaking down the incredible bait-and-switch that made this 1,300-page saga a generational masterpiece. (Warning: Major spoilers ahead! Go read the comic, hop in the Discord, and then come back and listen!) In This Episode, We Discuss:The Saturday Morning Illusion: How Jeff Smith uses influences like Peanuts, Pogo, and Harvey Comics to lull you into a false sense of security before unleashing the Rat Creatures.Character Deep-Dives: We break down Fone Bone's "Ishmael" energy, Grandma Ben's Popeye-esque tank build, the Jack Kirby-inspired Great Red Dragon, and why Phoney Bone is the absolute worst (think Scrooge McDuck with zero redeeming qualities).The Indie Publishing Miracle: The fascinating, against-all-odds publishing history of Bone. Learn how Jeff Smith refused to compromise his vision, survived the 1990s comic speculator crash, got a massive unexpected bump from Neil Gaiman, and accidentally revolutionized the collected graphic novel format before dominating the Scholastic book fair market.The Tonal Cataclysm: Analysing the exact panels where the art and story shift from goofy cartoon hijinks to sinister, high-stakes fantasy.Next Month on Collecting Issues:Get your single issues ready we are returning to our superhero roots to tackle Jonathan Hickman’s triumphant return to Marvel with Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1! Matttt's Video Essay on Bone Follow the Podcast: Join the Discord and read along Read Our Substack Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Tiktok Watch us on Youtube Time Stamps:00:00 Welcome and Spoiler Warning 01:35 Kids Comic or Not 03:02 What Is Bone 04:24 Cartoon Style Influences 05:56 Jeff Smith Origins 08:23 How the Comic Reads 11:20 Tone Shift Teased 13:17 Meet the Bone Cousins 14:51 Old Strip Inspirations 19:00 Rat Creatures and Danger 21:27 Time Jumps and Seasons 23:16 Dragon and Thorn Reveal 26:13 Publishing History Begins 28:53 Indie Breakthrough Moment 32:29 Neil Gaiman Boost 34:17 90s Speculator Context 35:04 Speculator Boom Memories 35:46 Bone Goes Graphic Novel 37:27 Wizard Magazine Feud 38:42 Market Crash Fallout 39:27 Scholastic Saves Bone 43:40 Dark Fantasy Turn 45:45 Worldbuilding And War Hints 49:37 Phoney Bone Scams 50:59 Star Mark Confusion 53:38 Why Bone Works 57:14 Favorite Moments Talk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Bone (1991) Volume 1: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith

  7. 5 Mar

    Absolute Martian Manhunter (2025) by Deniz Camp & Javier Rodríguez

    Welcome back to Collecting Issues, the monthly comic book club where we assume you’ve done the reading (and we will judge you if you haven't). This week, Mick and Ben dive into the beautiful, mind-bending melange that is DC's runaway 2025 hit: Absolute Martian Manhunter Volume 1 (Issues #1-6). Written by Deniz Camp (20th Century Men) and illustrated by the masterful Javier Rodriguez (Zatana: Bring Down the House), this modern masterpiece takes everyone's favourite green shapeshifter and strips away any trace of humanity, leaning heavily into his pure, unabashed alienness. From Darkseid's hobo bindle full of malice to fourth-dimensional telepathic smoke, we are breaking down everything that makes this comic a massive, psychedelic triumph. In this episode, we discuss: The DC All-In Universe: How Darkseid separated from main continuity to create a gritty alternate universe where classic heroes are stripped of their greatest advantages.A New Take on John Jones: Exploring John as an emotionally avoidant, chain-smoking FBI stochastic agent who finds himself bonded with a bizarre, non-linear alien entity.The Mimetics of "Bad Ideas": We tackle the philosophical core of the comic: viral thoughts, "Bad Idea Zero," and whether the world can really be boiled down to just good and bad ideas.Mind-Blowing Comic Art: Javier Rodriguez puts on an absolute masterclass. We talk about synaesthesia-inspired telepathy, fourth-wall-breaking page layouts, and physical "hold-to-the-light" gimmicks that elevate the medium.Echoes of Comic Legends: How this run perfectly blends the bizarre 1955 Silver Age origins of Martian Manhunter with the abstract, conceptual mind-fights of Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles and Doom Patrol. Next Month's Book: Get ready for a trip to the Valley! We will be reading the absolute, seminal 90s classic Bone by Jeff Smith. Grab your copies and get reading! Read our Martian Manhunter essay! Follow the Podcast: Join the Discord and read along Read Our Substack Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Tiktok Watch us on Youtube Time Stamps: 00:00 Meet Martian Manhunter 00:56 Welcome to the Book Club 02:36 DC All In Explained 04:15 Darkseid’s Twisted Universe 07:01 The New Hook for J’onn 08:20 Leaning Into Alienness 12:31 Big Art Energy 15:21 Story Themes and Bad Ideas 20:11 What Is a Meme Really 22:10 Bad Idea Zero Darkseid 26:21 FBI Agent as a Trope 29:15 Telepathy as Smoke Visuals 32:13 Ideas Over Superheroics 35:00 Johnny Thunderbolt Lore 35:31 Silver Age Origin Story 37:28 Powers And Weakness 39:01 Retcons And White Martians 41:21 Psychedelic Morrison Vibes 42:52 Ideas As Combat 44:18 Javier Rodriguez Spotlight 46:28 Mind Fights And Metaphors 49:32 Comics As A Medium 51:44 Family Rage Metaphor 54:20 Politics And Moral Absolutes 01:02:10 Best Scene Little Damascus Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Absolute Martian Manhunter (2025) by Deniz Camp & Javier Rodríguez

  8. 19 Feb

    The Beauty (2015) by Jeremy Haun & Jason A. Hurley

    The Beauty (Image Comics) vs. FX’s Adaptation: Ozempic, Body Horror, and Ryan Murphy What if an STD could make you the most perfect version of yourself? This week on Collecting Issues, Benjamin and Michael read The Beauty (Vol. 1, Issues #1-6), the 2016 hit by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley. We compare the original "buddy cop" police procedural comic against the new 2026 FX on Hulu adaptation produced by Ryan Murphy. From the eerily prescient social commentary on modern beauty standards (GLP-1s, Ozempic face) to the explosive consequences of the virus, we break down why this story hits harder in a post-COVID world. In This Episode We Discuss:The Elevator Pitch: Imagine a sexually transmitted disease that guarantees physical perfection for two years—before you spontaneously combust.Comic vs. TV: How the comic functions as a tight "90-minute action movie" versus the sprawling, body-horror-heavy miniseries.Cultural Prescience: Reading a 2016 comic in 2026; how The Beauty predicted the toxic positivity and division of modern weight-loss culture.The Ryan Murphy Treatment: A look at the FX adaptation’s star-studded cast (Evan Peters, Ashton Kutcher, Rebecca Hall) and the controversial decision to use "recasting" as a plot device.Character Deep Dive: Why Detectives Vaughn and Foster work as grounded leads, and why the villainous Carves feels like a comic book archetype dropped into a gritty drama.Coming Up Next:We are reading Absolute Martian Manhunter Vol. 1 by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez. Join us as we explore this dark, conspiratorial reimagining of J'onn J'onzz in the new DC "All In" universe. Follow the Podcast: Join the Discord and read along Read Our Substack Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Tiktok Watch us on Youtube If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It helps more than you know! Time Stamps: 00:00 Welcome to Collecting Issues + why we're covering The Beauty (and the FX show) 01:53 Spoiler warning & how to follow along (read Vol. 1, watch eps 1–2) 03:04 The elevator pitch: an STD that makes you beautiful 04:37 Worldbuilding: 800 days, stigma, and the ‘burn from the inside’ twist 09:26 Who made this? Jeremy Haun & Jason A. Hurley origin story 11:16 Publishing & rights: Image, Ignition Press, and the FX tie-in reprint 14:07 Why Vol. 1 feels like a tight ‘movie’ + anthology series after issue #6 17:41 Pre-COVID vs post-COVID reading: stigma, Ozempic parallels, and ‘earned’ beauty 28:54 Meet the cast: Vaughn & Foster, the Beauty Task Force, and the conspiracy setup 30:55 Stock characters done well? Buddy-cop structure, Caris the hitman, and what works/doesn’t 34:59 Caris the Masked Henchman: Grounded World vs Over-the-Top Villainy 36:24 Best Scenes & Twists: The Celebrity Spokesperson Hit and Foster’s Mirror Reveal 38:49 Consequences Escalate: Collateral Damage and the Air-Traffic Controller Disaster 39:19 Art That Serves the Story: Same-Face Syndrome, Visual Clarity, and Comic Fundamentals 40:43 Covers, Character Design & Horror: Mannequin Imagery and ‘Non-Beauty’ Markers 43:48 The Cure Ending: Body Horror, Consent, and the Ethics of Forcing a ‘Solution’ 48:26 Cathartic Payoff: Vaughn Takes Down Caris (and Why Characters Act Smart) 50:37 Netflix/FX Adaptation Talk: Ryan Murphy, Casting, and How the Show Changes the Premise 01:04:36 Final Verdict & Wrap-Up: Comic vs Series, Where to Comment, and Next Book Club Pick Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Beauty (2015) by Jeremy Haun & Jason A. Hurley
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to Collecting Issues, the monthly comic book club podcast for readers who want to talk about comics properly. Each month, Mick and Ben choose a single graphic novel and invite you to read along with us. Share your thoughts, theories and favourite moments on our Discord or on social media with us, and join the conversation while you read. At the end of the month, we record a full episode on that book: the story, the art, the panel construction, the things it gets right and the things we argue about. We cover the whole range of comic book glory, from Batman and X-Men to indie, literary and creator-owned work. Expect close readings rather than recaps. We dig into character development, comic history, story analysis, art styles and the way comics do things no other medium can. Whether you're a seasoned collector or you've just picked up your first trade, Collecting Issues is a place to find great reads and talk about them with people who care about good comics. Let's celebrate the world of comics together. New episodes monthly. We also dip into our archive, remastering older episodes with new context recorded around them, and publish longer comic critical essays on our Substack. Read along with us on Discord, find us on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, and follow wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Mick and Ben
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    101
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2019 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Collecting Issues-Comic Podcast