This week the HBO show does some world building based on a throwaway concept from the original comic book as we see Angela's childhood in the 51st state, Vietnam. In the present day there's an elephant in the room and Laurie learns the bad guy plan and then someone gets a hammer to the forehead. Multiple times. 

Before that we discuss the Netflix show Dark Tourist, when a phone call is better than texting, who Scarlett Johansson might play in The Batman Part II and whether Weird Al is racist against Italians. If you don't care about any of that skip to 1:05:52.

Want your questions answered on the show? Send an email to ask.cinema.sangha@gmail.com and ask away, and ask about pretty much anything at all. Make sure your subect line contains the name of the show on which you want your question answered. One question per email, please, but feel free to send in multiple emails!

Listen to our four hour extravaganza about The Last Jedi, available only to those at the $7 and above levels. It's a real discussion, no culture war BS and no acrimony towards those who don't like it!

Want to show the world you support this weird podcast? Check out our supply of merch that is mostly made up of in-jokes for Derek. Click here!

Spread the word! Tell your friends about us! And go to our YouTube channel and subscribe to our video feed!

Travel back to the 1930s as this episode of Watchmen rewrites the story of Hooded Justice, and it may just be the best retcon in history. We discuss the filmmaking on display, the changes to canon and what they mean and then we have a fierce argument about the geopolitical realities of the 1980s vis a vis the Cold War and threat of nuclear annihilation. 

Before that: Why Aaron Paul quit Invincible. Marty Supreme. Life in North Carolina. Kendrick Lamar's movie. Apt Pupil. And much more! If you don't care about any of this, skip to 55:50.

Listen to our four hour extravaganza about The Last Jedi, available on the Patreon to those at the $7 and above levels. It's a real discussion, no culture war BS and no acrimony towards those who don't like it! 

Want to show the world you support this weird podcast? Check out our supply of merch that is mostly made up of in-jokes for Derek. Click here!

Spread the word! Tell your friends about us! And go to our YouTube channel and subscribe to our video feed!

This week reveals the big twist we all saw coming, and it features a cameo by a major DC character. The wheels have stopped spinning and the story is really underway. It's the best episode of the season so far! Plus a lengthy detour into DC Comics' many Crises.

Before that: capers on pizza, Fortnite figures out what the Peacemaker dance actually is, Dappion returns and more! If you don't care about that skip to 47:09.

Thanks for listening!

This week we're talking about the 96th annual Academy Awards, the first Oscars Derek has watched in over a decade! And he picked a good one to return to, as the night had surprisingly deserving winners, big fun moments and also Godzilla. 

Find out our thoughts on who deserved what they won and which losers should have been winners. Hear us discuss "I'm Just Ken" and also get into an argument about celluloid! This one has it all. 

By the way, join our Patreon at the $5 or above level to get our lengthy podcast about Dune Part Two, which is hitting later today!

This week we're doing something a little different. We're pulling an episode of Watch Men out from behind the paywall and letting you get a listen to it - free! The episode is about The Marvels, a much-maligned MCU film that we quite liked and that is now on Disney+ and finally picking up some appreciation. What better time to get this back in front of your ear canals?

But don't worry - if you've already heard this we have a solid hours of news and putzing around, so you've got plenty to listen to this week.

If you like what you hear and want to get more of our longform movie discussions, join the Patreon at www.patreon.com/cinemasangha. You get Watch Men at the $5 and above levels! The next episode will break format as we discuss Dune Part II.

The Dynamic Duo is born... and right off the bat there's something a little odd about their relationship. Now, we're not taking Wertham's side on this one but it is really strange for a rich guy to simply abscond with a recently orphaned little boy. 

It's Detective Comics #38, the first appearance of Robin the Boy Wonder, the multi-murdering sidekick to the Dark Knight Detective. And there are backup stories galore, a few of which contain racism!

Before that: the news! The Fantastic Four are cast. Should the movie open in such close proximity to Superman: Legacy? Or can movie theaters support both films?

Next week: we're taking a break. In the meantime, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/cinemasangha at the $5 level so you can get our upcoming podcast where we will discuss Madame Web!

When Captain America throws his mighty shield.... well, he's not throwing his shield yet, but he's already got a 9 year old sidekick who sleeps in bed with him? Yes, this is just one of the revelations coming out of Captain America Comics #1, where Joe Simon and Jack Kirby introduce the Star-Spangled Avenger and his nemesis The Red Skull. 

And there are backup stories, and get this - they're first appearances of major Marvel mythological concepts as well! Pretty impressive for 1941.

Next week: Detective Comics #38, the first appearance of Robin, the Boy Wonder!

Comics are for kids. We all know that. But don't kids deserve a little bit more respect? This is the question that hangs over the two stories in The Flash #110, which sees the introduction of Wally West, aka Kid Flash, aka a future Flash. 

Before we get to the origin of this scarlet speedster we got ourselves some news, including pondering about whether they'll keep Israeli superhero Sabra in the new Captain America, which seems like it's going to do a complete reshoot in the coming months. 

Next week: join us as we revisit the first appearance of Captain America himself in Captain America Comics #1! Lets knock out some Ratzis in this comic you can find on the Marvel app and likely for free on a bunch of other services.

Want more? Join us on the Patreon at www.patreon.com/cinemasangha and get more podcasts and hang out on our Discord!

We all know the Mighty Thor today, thanks to the MCU and of course his appearance with the Incredible Hulk on TV, but how did he start? The latest entry in our Secret Origins series has shown us that many of the most famous comic book characters were born with their fundamental DNA intact. Not so much with the Mighty Thor. 

In fact, in his first appearance Thor is visually recognizable... but that's about it! And maybe his first appearance isn't actually all that good, believe it or not. 

Plus: some Marvel and DC news. Plus: a mysterious piece of bread ends up on my windshield. 

Next week: The Flash #110 (1959), the first appearance of Kid Flash. Available on the DC Universe app, and likely easy to find elsewhere online. 

Thanks for listening!

The finale of Echo is here, and the show was better than we expected - but how much better? We do not agree on this particular point, but we do find ourselves in agreement on a lot of elements that we actually did like quite a bit.

And then there is the news - a lot going on in the world of comic book movies, including the groundbreaking news that Superman will have a sense of humor in the upcoming James Gunn film, and if you think that sent a certain segment of fandom into a rage spiral... well, you may be a prophet!

By the way, did you know we have a store, and there is merch in that store? Come visit at this link and get yourself some confusingly branded mugs, shirts, hoodies and more!

Also: join us at the Cinema Sangha Patreon by becoming a $5 a month member and gain access to our monthly superhero deep dive podcast, Watch Men. This month rather than do a movie based on a comic book, we're doing a movie that launched a comic book - Planet of the Apes, which spawned long-lived Marvel and Boom comic runs. That episode should be out this week at some point!

Thanks for listening. See you next week as we discuss Journey Into Mystery #83, the first appearance of The Mighty Thor!

This week I finally come clean about my serious case of John Krasinski Derangement Syndrome,  and we speculate about Pedro Pascal's schedule. Then it's on to the first three episodes of Echo, which showed up on Disney+ and Hulu this week. The whole series was released at once, but we're splitting it up because it would be a very, very long episode indeed if we did it all. 

The big takeaway? Neither of us hated this show the way we expected we would. Maybe the most shocking thing - we both agree the show could have used more episodes. When's the last time you heard that about a binge show?

Next week: the last two episodes of Echo season one!

You asked, we answer. This week we interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you a special Q&A episode. We asked your for your questions and you came through - so much so that we couldn't answer everyone! The questions range from the silly to the sublime, and if you listen you can find out why I would marry the Red Skull, who Derek's least favorite Flash is and whether we ever intend to do more podcasts on different subjects.

Next week we will be talking about the first two or three episodes of Echo, so don't miss that mature audiences conversation!

This week we are talking about all the episodes of What If...? season two all at once. That's partially because Disney+ dropped em one day after another and partially because I had COVID and we couldn't do this in two parts like we intended. 

Was this a bad season? One of us thinks so! Was this a 'whatever' season with a few good eps and one great episode? One of us thinks so! Is What If...? wasting the entire concept by just doing rehashes and being afraid of killing any characters? Everybody agrees!

Next week: your questions! Come join us on the Discord to leave your questions that we will answer. To join the Discord just become a subscriber at www.patreon.com/cinemasangha. Even a buck a month gets you in!

The wheel on the show keeps on spinnin', but at least the spin is entertaining. Peacemaker goes head to fist with Flag, Leota may have a new career and there are astonishing revelations about Eagley. Also: is it too simple for the alternate Earth to be a white supremacist world, or does that actually offer Peacemaker a chance at the redemption he's long wanted?

Before that: Tom Holland gets injured on the set of the new Spider-Man, we congratulate my girlfriend on her new Emmy and Doomsday finishes shooting. Plus: should Fantastic Four: First Steps have come out at Thanksgiving? And why you should always agree to be on any panel that invites you. If you don't care about this, skip to 48:51.

This weekend we released the latest Watch Men, talking about Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3. Now's the time to make sure you're subscribed at the $5 or above level at our Patreon so you can hear us go deep on the overhated film!

Thanks for listening, see you next week. 

Trigger warning: someone farts on mic this episode. 

And if that's not bad enough, my mic was not set properly for the intro of the episode. But don't worry, the bad sound quality only lasts fifty minutes. We talk about all kinds of news and stuff, and also there's a recorded fart, but it sounds very bad. So if you don't want to suffer through it skip to 50:19. 

When we get to All-Star #8 we are faced with a stultifying Justice Society of America book-length epic before diving into Introducing Wonder Woman. Along the way we talk about what a weirdo William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman's creator, was and we examine how very different modern warrior Wonder Woman is from the character's initial origins. 

We'll be covering What If...? in our next few episodes, and then Echo. Meanwhile we will be doing an episode of Watch Men about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, available only to subscribers at the $5 and above level. Click here to subscribe!

A Cinema Sangha Special Presentation!

This week we are giving you a free glimpse at one of our other podcasts, The Bad Batch. That's our weekly Star Wars show, and this week we're talking about the new documentary A Disturbance In the Force, about the legendary Star Wars Holiday Special.

It's a pretty terrific documentary that gives you a good sense of the context of early Star Wars, of 1970s TV and just how the hell something as truly awful as the Star Wars Holiday Special even came to be. 

If you like this episode join the Patreon to get more! For just $1 a month you'll get The Bad Batch every week and access to our Discord, where we hang out and talk about movies, TV and all kinds of stuff. But get this - it's not toxic! For real!

Click here to join the Patreon!

This week it's a look back at the birth of the Marvel Age of Comics, and it's not completely what you might expect. It's weird, silly and not actually the Marvel Universe as we know it. For one thing, the Fantastic Four debut in a fictional city, not New York!

Before that we have some news, and some movie talk - Derek has caught up with Napoleon and The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, while I've been playing Baldur's Gate 3. Find out what we think about these, what we think about Sean Gunn playing Max Lord in Superman: Legacy, and a whole bunch more. 

Next week: All-Star Comics #8, the first appearance of Wonder Woman! Find it on the DC Universe app.

And by the way - we sell stuff now! Check out our web store and buy a shirt, a mug or a horrific sweatshirt. Click here to buy something nice for Christmas (no guarantee it arrives by Christmas).

Welcome to the debut of Batman... or should we say, The Bat-Man. In Detective Comics #27 Bob Kane and Bill Finger introduced a character who would impact the pop culture of the 20th century in ways nobody could have guessed. Hell, reading this entire comic book it becomes clear nobody would have guessed this stuff would still be around in ten years, let alone 80+ years later. 

We attempted to read all of Detective Comics #27, but the length and the general crumminess stymied us! Still, reading some of the other stories helped give some interesting context for just how samey and yet how different Batman is in comparison to these other detectives.

Also: what the hell is wrong with the movies? We go on a long digression and kind of an argument about the way that franchises - especially action franchises - have disappointed at the box office this year. Are we on the cusp of an inflection?

Thanks for listening! Join us on the Discord by becoming a member at www.patreon.com/cinemasangha!

This week we're back to reading comics, and we are continuing our origins project. It's Amazing Fantasy #15, the historic first appearance of Peter Parker, the spectacular Spider-Man!

You can find this comic on Marvel Unlimited or for free on the Kindle app; what's nice is that Marvel has reprinted the whole comic, which includes a bunch of frankly terrible back-up stories... which we also read and talk about!

How does this tale hold up? Did Stan Lee and Steve Ditko get it right the first time? Find out!

By the way - we have merch now! Hit up our merch store where you can buy one of two t-shirt designs, both based on Derek's iconic catchphrase "Aggressively Fine." All sales from the shirts go to Derek, who frankly does not get paid enough for these podcasts. Put some spending money in his pocket!

Click here to check out the merch. 

While we wait for What If...? to start, we decided to do more comic book readalongs. But we learned a lesson from Secret Wars II - we can't ask you guys to read 9 comics a week. So our interim activity will be reading first appearances of famous characters, and what more famous a character to start with than Superman himself, first appearing in 1938's Action Comics #1.

But first: a whole lot of news! Pedro Pascal! We talk about Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (no spoilers)! Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and what that has to do with Fantastic Four! And so much more, inckding how Derek broke his phone.

And when it comes to Superman, we discuss Jerry Siegel's Batman-like origin story, what elements of the Man of Steel were in place from the start, Superman's relationship to Judaism and immigration, and we broach the dangerous topic of "Were Siegel and Shuster geniuses or just two guys with one good idea?"

Next week: the first appearance of Spider-Man! It's Amazing Fantasy #15, which you can read on the Marvel Unlimited app (and which is almost certainly easy to find elsewhere on the world wide web). 

Thanks for listening!

It's the end of Loki... and it's the end of Loki? Big series finale here, with major consequences for the God of Mischief. But does the rest of the season support the finale? Is it possible the last episode of a show can be amazing if the ones before are kind of not great? Find out!

Also: we talk a little bit about The Marvels, saving the main discussion for our podcast Watch Men. You can get that by subscribing at www.patreon.com/cinemasangha. Just $5 a month! Somehow that is now the cost of a cup of coffee.

Next week we're trying something different. We enjoyed talking Secret Wars II but the investment in time - some weeks we asked you to read 9 comics! - was too much. So as we wait for Echo to start we're going to read famous first appearances of classic comic characters. First up: Superman in Action Comics #1! That's available free on Comixology and also on the DC Unlimited app. 

Thanks for listening, see you next week!

Believe it or not this week I'm not complaining. The penultimate episode of Loki season 2 is a lot of fun and has the kind of lovely strangeness that's been missing. It also has the Velvet Underground... and that I complain about, believe it or not. 

Plus: hot takes on that big Variety piece about Marvel Studios, and which parts sound kind of like BS. Who is throwing Nia DaCosta under the bus here? And what does it mean when FX are "out of focus?"

Next week: the season finale! It's probably gonna be big, so join us to hash it all out.

This week's Loki ends on a major cliffhanger, but is the journey to get there worth it? On this episode we try to figure out what the different characters actually want, and what the stakes of the show are - things you would hope the program made clearer!

Before that - a revisit of Infinity War and Endgame leads to discussion about why Phase Four feels so different, excitement-wise, from the first three phases. What's different, and what does the future hold? Plus - we finish reading MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, and have some thoughts!

Thanks for listening and see you again next week. 

What does everybody want in this show? This week we talk about some muddled motivations and some muddled stakes, but do those things mean the episode isn't enjoyable? Not necessarily!

Also: we're reading MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios and it's giving me memberberries about the days when I was in the scooping game.

Come join the Patreon at www.patreon.com/cinemasangha!

Last week's Peacemaker left us with quite a cliffhanger as ARGUS showed up at Peacemaker's house while he was totally unprepared. Clearly this episode is an all-out war, right? Right? Okay, well not so much. But does the episode work or is it wheel spinning? Does this show need more Vigilante? And were my eyes playing tricks on me or did that alien have a twig and berries?

Before that: Doctor Doom is seen! We discuss what we would turn into a shared universe. And is the Marvel method particularly bad or is it sort of similar to how other big tentpole movies get made? All of this and more in this week's episode! If, for some reason, you don't care about all that, simply skip to 54:39. 

Thanks for listening and see you next week!

This week it's a twisterooni, as I am the one nitpicking and Derek is the one defending. However we both agree this episode's cold open was designed to make us feel like we missed a whole episode of the show. 

Plus there's news! A bunch of trivia questions whose answers just don't feel right! Plus I reveal the dark reason I won't review the new book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios (I know one of the authors and he's a really good dude and it would be awkward if I didn't like the book).

Thanks for listening! Come join the Patreon for even more shows!

After years we get the second season of Loki, and it starts off with a bang. This episode also starts off with a bang as I tell a tale from my old drinking days when I tried to get into a fight with someone involved with the production of this episode. Who? You'll have to listen!

Also this week: Derek gets to be the one who laughs at a mispronunciation, we remember how much we love Owen Wilson and we wonder if an event at the end of the episode is going to be resolved as obviously as we think it will.

Join the Patreon! Go to www.patreon.com/cinemasangha to support the show and get access to the Discord!

The cosmic conclusion of the nine part Secret Wars II saga is upon us! This week we have only one crossover, an epilogue with the Avengers, and otherwise this whole episode is going to be about baby killing. Yes, you read that right - baby killing is a main component of this final issue of the superhero crossover comic book series. 

Did you enjoy Secret Wars II as much as we did? Interested in more comic readalongs? Let us know! Join the Patreon to get into the Discord and join the discussion - click here!

Next week: we're back to television with the first episode of Loki season two. After that we may go back to X-Men: The Animated Series or another comic book, depending on how you feel about it. Let us know!

The Beyonder has had enough. This universe, and all of the desire and disconnection he has found here, has driven him to the brink. The only option left to him is to destroy it all so that he can once again be alone. But can Marsha cuck Owen Reese, the Molecule Man, hard enough to save reality?

This week's crossovers include some of the best books we've read in this whole little project. In many ways this issue and the best of the crossovers (not so fast, Fantastic Four) represent the ideal version of what Secret Wars II - and by proxy comic book crossovers - could be. 

Next wee it's the finale, and your homework is simple: 
Secret Wars II #9
Av engers #266

That's it! See you then. 

The Beyonder has a lot to think about, and this issue that's pretty much all he does - sit and think. But this guy has an impact on the world even when he's just parking his kiester on a rock in the South Pacific, and first he gathers a crowd of followers and then a group of villains, sent by Mephisto. 

This episode we talk about how Puma should be the star of a Sony movie, what Peter Parker line makes Derek feel seen and how a lifetime of comic reading can really alter the way you perceive the world. 

Homework for next week:
Secret Wars II #8
Amazing Spider-Man #274
Avengers #265
Fantastic Four #288
New Mutants #37
Uncanny X-Men #203

The Beyonder has turned away from his despair, and now he wants to help people. But this bugs Captain America and Mister Fantastic who yet again  do nothing about the Beyonder but do continue to threaten him. The Marvel cosmic beings show up in this issue, and something happens that finally gets Molecule Man off the couch. 

Plus we have a whole bunch of crossover comics, including a Thor/Power Pack crossover and a Micronauts story that is so wild you just have to read it.

Next week's homework!
Secret Wars II #7
Amazing Spider-Man #273
New Defenders #152
New Mutants #36
Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #111
Uncanny X-Men #202

This week The Beyonder gets real sad and goes emo with a 13 year old girl, who ends up being a significant recurring character in the X titles! The Avengers pull a Ray Stantz, and Derek wonders if Iman Vellani is scabbing by promoting her new Ms. Marvel comic book. 

Next week's Secret Wars II is much more crossover heavy than some of our recent issues, and one of the comics you need to read is simply unavailable anywhere. With that in mind I have included a link where you can find the issue. 

Your homework: 
Secret Wars II #6
Cloak and Dagger #4
The Micronauts: The New Voyages #16 (read this issue here)
Power Pack #18
Power Man and Iron Fist #121
Thor #363

The Beyonder goes to pound town this issue as he seeks to understand this crazy little thing called love. What is love and desire? And can he make Dazzler love him? This week sees us having a big argument about Dune Part II moving and the Oscars in general, as well as, believe it or not, a big argument about the existential philosophy of an issue of Rom: Spaceknight. 

Next week the Beyonder gets sad! And we have a handful of crossovers for homework. Your reading for next week:
Secret Wars II #5
Doctor Strange #74
Fantastic Four #285
The Thing #30

That's not so bad, and this time all of them are on Marvel Unlimited! See you in a week, gang. 

This week The Beyonder takes over the whole world - but can that satisfy him? We also have a mixed bag of crossover comics; there's Derek's favorite ever issue of The Incredible Hulk and there's an issue of Daredevil that saw Denny O'Neil quit the book. It's a mess, but is it purposefully recalling the temptation of Christ in the desert?

Next week: the Beyonder tries to understand love. We have some crossover action again, but be aware: there is one crossover comic that is hard to find. It's not on the Marvel Unlimited app because it's Rom: Space Knight, which was a licensed book. But fear not, we have a link to where you can read the issue. 

This week's homework: 
Secret Wars II #4
Alpha Flight #28
Avengers #261
Dazzler #40
Rom #72

That Rom comic can be found right here. And if you like it, be aware that Marvel struck a deal with Hasbro and they will be releasing a Rom omnibus in the future! Look out for it. 

When is a crossover not a crossover? When it happens in only one panel of the comic book in question, I'd say. 

This week we follow the Beyonder to New York City, where he bumbles around and learns to poop. Then we get two fantastic Spider-Man crossover comics and a Fantastic Four issue that is, crossover or not, just kind of bad. 

Next week: the Beyonder takes over the world! Here's your homework:

Secret Wars II #3
Avengers #260
Daredevil #223
The Incredible Hulk #312

This week Peacemaker finds himself loving the alternate dimension more than ever, but what's the catch? Your stalwart hosts know there must be one, but we disagree what it might be. And could Alt Peacemaker be a member of the Sons of Liberty?

Before that: we saw The Conjuring: Last Rites, we talk about having the very R-rated Peacemaker be the prologue to the likely family friendly Man of Tomorrow, and what's the deal with vibranium anyway? All of that and more in the opening, but if you don't care about this skip straight to 40:11. 

Thanks for listening!

This week we're doing a big pivot. Now that Secret Invasion has finished we have decided to not return to X-Men: The Animated Series just yet. Instead we're going to spend the next few weeks reading Secret Wars II and all of the associate crossovers. Yes, it's a trip back to 1985 to talk about the granddaddy of all crossover event series. Secret Wars II is weird and shaggy and an awful lot of fun, even if it isn't exactly one of the great comic book storylines.

This week we cover:
Secret Wars II #1
New Mutants #30
Captain America #308
Uncanny X-Men #196
Iron Man #197
All of these are available on Marvel Unlimited with a subscription.

These crossovers really run the gamut from making Secret Wars II the main focus to almost totally ignoring the events of the comic. And they run the gamut from great to kind of dull, and also Kitty Pryde says the N word. Seriously.

Thanks for listening! Join the Patreon at www.patreon.com/cinemasangha to get access to our Discord; at the $5 level you'll get our Watch Men podcast - this month we will have two episodes, one about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and one about Blue Beetle. Don't miss them!

Well that's a let down. 

The Secret Invasion series wraps up with a whimper, and it didn't have to be this way. There is stuff that happens in this episode that, had it happened in episode three, would have made this series an all-timer.  After this episode the hierarchy of power in the MCU is changed, but will anyone care or ever reference it?

Next week we begin a new project here: a weekly read-along of Secret Wars II, the 1985 comic book miniseries and all of the tie-in comics. That's nine weeks, which should bring us pretty much up to the debut of Gen V, the spin-off of The Boys, which we will tackle next. X-Men: The Animated Series will return... someday.

Until then, thanks for listening and consider becoming a $5 patron at www.patreon.com/cinemasangha as we will be doing two episodes of our $5 and above exclusive podcast, Watch Men: one about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and one about Blue Beetle!

Things start coming to a head this week on Secret Invasion, but they also kind of stop making sense. Lotta plans that aren't very coherent and some weird decisions and just some other things that don't hold up under too much scrutiny. But we also get a pretty good shoot-em-up, so maybe it all evens out. Then again, there is also a cameo that absolutely no one on Earth cared about, which isn't a great sign. 

Heads up: after Secret Invasion we are not returning to X-Men: The Animated Series. Not right away, at least. We're going to bridge the gap between now and the debut of Gen V (the spin-off of The Boys) with a new concept: we're going to read Secret Wars II. Yes, the sequel crossover miniseries featuring The Beyonder done up like a disco dude. And we're going to be reading all the tie-in issues as well! 

You can follow along by reading on the Marvel Unlimited app, which is well worth a subscription, or by finding it elsewhere or don't read along and just listen to us talk about it. This is not an ironic bit! We love Secret Wars II and will try and make a case for it over the next few weeks. So next week we wrap Secret Invasion and then after that you'll want to read the following comics: 

Secret Wars II #1
New Mutants #30
Captain America #306
Uncanny X-Men #198
Iron Man #197

The numbering on Marvel comics is a nightmare now, but all of these are 1985 comics and should be volume 1 of each individual series. Get reading and meet us back here in two weeks for that new series!

It's strike time, baby. Hollywood is shutting down and we spend a little bit of time talking about this, and about Disney's Bob Iger and his big fat mouth. We also have some (limited) news, including intriguing casting on James Gunn's Superman: Legacy. If you don't care about all that good stuff skip to 

This week's Secret Invasion has good booze and a middling firefight, but once again we get a bunch of scenes where good actors get to go for it. Plus: are supposed to give a single damn about Emilia Clarke's character?

We shall be back next week as Secret Invasion heads into the homestretch and we are really wondering how the heck they're wrapping this one up. 

Let's get one thing out of the way: my audio isn't great this episode. I tried to adjust it best as possible, but I'm not a podcast engineer. I'm taking steps to make the next episode sound better. 

On to the show - the third episode of Secret Invasion gives us more spy tropes as well as what feels like an honest to God romance between Nick Fury and Talos. Am I shipping them? I'm shipping them!

In the intro we talk about Star Trek for a minute, as well as the low-level news that has been hitting the transom. If you don't care about that stuff, skip to 35:39. 

See you next week!

Do you like dialogue scenes? Because this episode has some good dialogue scenes, including what could be Nick Fury's best scene and best line. 

Before we get to the big reveals about the Skrull invasion, we spend a little time talking about blinds (you know, on windows), the Superman: Legacy casting, and we have some truly bad trivia. Then it's time to argue endlessly about whether or not 2000 could have been killed in the explosions we saw last week. If you want to waste no time getting to the body count argument, skip to 30: 13.

We shall return next week!

We've been away for a bit but we have returned with the latest Disney+ MCU show, Secret Invasion. Loosely based on a comic book event, this show finds an old and decrepit Nick Fury dealing with a Skrull invasion of Earth. But what are we dealing with? Is it a gripping spy drama or kind of a boring slog?

Before that we have some news, and we argue vociferously about the state of the studios, we talk about the controversial AI opening of the show and we discuss the latest Marvel Comics event, Ultimate Invasion. If you don't care about any of that stuff and just want to get to the Skrulls, skip to 48:00.

We will be back next week! In the meantime, please consider joining us at the Patreon: www.patreon.com/cinemasangha. You can get more podcasts - hours and hours a month! - but also access to our great and wonderful and growing Discord community. It's a non-toxic space online, believe it or not. 

If you've noticed this podcast being non-existent for the past few weeks it's because my beautiful, beloved wife was in the hospital and then, on June 9th, passed away. I was there with her as she drew her last breath and I held her and loved her as she left us. 

Last week we buried her, and I delivered a eulogy. Before we get back to our regularly scheduled programming I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge her, and the loss, and to share with you the words I said that day. This is a sad episode, and if you're not up for that please feel free to skip it. We will be back with our usual bullshit later this week, as we talk about Secret Invasion. 

Hey, this podcast hasn't happened in a minute. What's going on? Well, I'll tell you. This episode is just a catch up, where I talk about some of the very heavy updates in my life over the past two weeks - as well as the beautiful and uplifting updates. We also cover some of the more interesting news that we missed over the past couple of weeks, everything from Marvel to DC to Star Wars. It's not Marvelvision, it's not The Bad Batch, it's just sort of an opportunity for us to reconnect with you. 

Because of the nature of my situation right now - listen to the episode for more detail - I can't promise you we will be back next week. I can only promise you that we will be back, not only because I know you want us back but because I love doing these shows and they're healing and helpful for me.

Thanks for still being here, and we will see you when we see you.

This week the trivia questions almost kill me. They're funnier than the jokes on The Bad Batch! We also talk about a whole bunch of news, including some wild Fantastic Four rumors that people are straight making up. Just pulling right from their bholes.

All of that goes until 40:03, and then we get to the meat of the X-Men episode, which sees Wolverine getting out of a car in a way no person ever has before. More than that, this episode brings in complicated elements of Marvel Comics continuity related to Rogue's origin that it didn't have to, and you gotta respect that. 

Thank you for listening! We shall return next week! 

Just when we thought this show might be getting a bit morose, Tim Meadows shows up like a ray of comedy sunlight and brings Peacemaker season two to the kind of hilarious place we want it to be. Hallelujah! Also: Eagley really kicks ass, and we wonder if James Gunn would ever kill Peacemaker's avian sidekick (who is maybe a duck? Or a parrot?).

Before that: you know how the news is these days. It's coming in slow and steady, but we also have your questions for the answering. And yeah, as an Xboxer I'm late to the game but I've started playing Helldivers II and lemme tell you, Derek could not care less. Do you also not care? Do you not care about us, our hopes, our dreams, our lives? Then skip right to 41:42 to get right at the recap/review.

Next week: more peace is made! See you then. 

This week we argue about the TV show Jury Duty and about Adam Driver. News! Views! The usual stuff that, should you want to skip it, ends at 37:17.

The main episode this week is pretty much a repeat of last week - it's the Back to the Future Part II of the X-Men show. But not as good. Plus: Cable passes on his cybernetic arm to his child. 

We shall return next week with more X action. Thanks for listening!

This episode of X-Men is just us watching Cable watch an episode of X-Men. Very meta! Cable is in a crummy future and must, for some reason, decide whether to stop it from ever happening. The Legacy Virus makes its animated debut, and we go on an extensive side journey through racial slurs for white people.

Plus: news! Although you know you want to hear the list of racial slurs, that's really the selling point of the episode.

We shall be back next week! In the meantime, come join us on the Patreon - www.patreon.com/cinemasangha - and get more podcasts and become a member of our Discord, where a great community has formed. Come hang out!

This week I yell at my cat live on mic! In the spirit of transparency in which I try to operate I left it in, as well as Derek disapproving of how I deal with the cat. Are other Marvel podcasts brave enough to do this?

It's a Gambit-centric episode of X-Men, and we don't like Gambit! However, this show is so reliably goofy that we had a great time. Also: I talk about being a sweaty weirdo at the book store, Derek gives COVID updates and we talk about all the news, including the new The Marvels trailer. If you don't care about that, skip to 40:52.

Thanks for listening and we will see you next week!