Listen to Episode 30

A Fantasy of Power

I just got back from a night out with my partner. We stopped by a comic book shop and I mentioned the power fantasy. The clerk gushed for about five minutes about how great the series is. And that’s been a common occurrence for me. No, not going into comic shops with Carin. Having casual conversations with people about The Power Fantasy.

It’s really that kind of book that doesn’t get a ton of attention by the zeitgeist, but people who know interesting comics know about this one. And having the show out there gives me a sounding board to start from when talking about the comic.

The show made me spend time thinking about the comic and my relation to it. I also had to interview people on their interpretations of the comic while presenting it as a show for public consumption. This gave me something else. A different appreciation of the comic from a unique perspective. Nothing more or less.

As I go forward with the show, I realize that I’m gaining experience in the world of each of these topics. I’va had to confront why I enjoy something so much for the topics I chose. For Babylon 5, I had to forge a new relation to it while seeing the greater fandom for it from the outside.

I’m looking forward to sharing Steely Dan with you all - and to exploring why I enjoy their music so much. Dre and I have years of plans for the show. It’s becoming an opportunity to explore life in a way I was never able to before.

This Week’s Guest

THE Logan Trent Logan Trent

Logan Trent is the co-host of the “WNBYay” podcast on the “You Don’t Even Like This” Network and Wrestlemovie on Gamefully Unemployed.

In This Episode…

…picking up the pace with shorter topics, JMS steamrolls in, Wrestlemovia: the first podcast with segments, Etienne as Krang, making art dumber than yourself, Jubilee gets her due, Segdre got me so good, Baby Etienne experiences the holocaust, Heavy really really sucks, The Yin to the Golden Rule’s Yang, and Eliza emerges as the best artist of the Superpowers.

Mike’s Image Picks (SPOILERS!)

When Etienne was in the orphanage as an infant, he mind-controlled the Doctors into keeping him alive.

No way that dude was going to give a shit about Etienne He's already toying with the puny humans

This is what that nazi Dr. would have stopped. It’s kinda beautiful.

Brain in a jar Kree Supreme Intelligence Prequel

Etienne shuts off Kid Ignition’s Mind when he realizes he’s a spoiled frat boy.

Ouch, my brain The best superpower is a brain-dead superpower

Heavy immediately begins slaughtering the Pyramid followers in retaliation.

Dev having a bad day Heavy is soooooo stupid and impetuous

Everyone reacts in character to Etienne’s return from the dead.

Izzit You? You can get so many character moments from one image

Etienne comes clean to everyone and reveals he wants to make humanity non-violent.

Etienne reveals his plan I've come to the same conclusion in my thought experiments as Etienne

Etienne is such a better liar than Val

Etienne lies better than Val In comics, it only takes one panel of hesitation to speak volumes

Then only ethical thing to ever do with the nuclear button is not to press it

Etienne's final words

Heavy finds out he’s really a dick from the newspaper. Harsh.

That strange was a bad idea Heavy regrets a former lover

Eliza sets the record for best comic panel series of all time. Seriously, showing a shitty image of it doesn’t do justice. This is one you have to go out and pick up the issue to really experience it. I said issue, not collected trade. Go!!

Eliza is pissed There's more than I can show here

The Pyramid cultists have enough and take out Magus.

Dev gets a surprise The other guy woulda seen it coming

The Pyramid and Val send ELiza to hell.

Elize takes a trip That's gotta hurt

When Isabella comes back only to transform into a perfect piece of art at the hands of someone else, Masumi loses control and Desconstructa emerges,

Deconostructa I still say Deconstructa is one of the best names in literature. And yes, I consider The Power Fantasy literature.

Val goes back to do things over again

Val time travels Gonna go Back in time!!!!

Kieron Gillen says he envisioned this and the first panel before writing anything else.

The End of the Series The End is the Beginning is the End again

What Did We Learn?

The Power Fantasy RULES!!!

Next Episode

For the next full episode, we move on to our next topic and cover Steely Dan with Special Guest Daniel “D-Jax” Jackson. In the first episode, we’ll be covering their first album “Can’t Buy A Thrill”.

The Power Fantasy is available for free on Hoopla, or for purchase wherever you get comics.

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Cheers, all!