Pick of the Week Podcast Episode #117: Hellblazer #240

[conorkilpatrick]

It's our 117th episode and it's so hot it could melt all this stuff.

We discuss Josh's Pick of the Week for January 25, 2008:

http://www.ifanboy.com/images/pick_012308-thumb.jpg
Hellblazer #240
by Andy Diggle & Leonardo Manco
Running Time: 00:59:11

Click here for download info and show notes! (http://www.ifanboy.com/archive/weblog/its_the_ifanboy_2.html)

Click here to read the Pick of the Week review! (http://www.ifanboy.com/archive/pickoftheweek/01242008_hellbl.html)

[conorkilpatrick]

wait, you guys aren't going to Heroes Con? :(

Most likely not this year. It's not 100% decided but it's not looking like it.

[six-gun]

wait, you guys aren't going to Heroes Con? :(

Oh well, Rucka's still going to be there

[paper]

Skipping out on Philly again too, eh?

*sniffle*

Nah, that's cool. That's cool....

*turns on a Cure album*

[labor_days]

Really good music this week.


edit: the audio is a little hot. yeah.

[conorkilpatrick]

edit: the audio is a little hot. yeah.

I wasn't referring to the audio, rather referencing My Blue Heaven, which the iFanboys watched last night.

[labor_days]

I wasn't referring to the audio, rather referencing My Blue Heaven, which the iFanboys watched last night.
Huh, what are you talking about?

Where/when were you referring to My Blue Heaven*?

*The Steve Martin movie with the mobster? Excellent.

[paper]

Huh, what are you talking about?

Where/when were you referring to My Blue Heaven*?

*The Steve Martin movie with the mobster? Excellent.

see his first post:

It's our 117th episode and it's so hot it could melt all this stuff.

[labor_days]

Ah, I see. Sorry, didn't read the OP.

I just felt Ron's audio was a little hot on the podcast. Unrelated comment to the OP.

[paper]

Podcasting from multiple locations is hard. Sounds pretty good, considering.

[esophagus]

Labor, have you ever recorded a podcast?

[labor_days]

Ok, look. There is no need to be so reactionary. I didn't say the podcast sucked, that the Fanboys don't put a lot of time into the show or that this is unlistenable.

Ron's audio is a bit too loud. That is all.

Now whatever else you want to extrapolate from that- is your business. I said nothing out of order here.

[conorkilpatrick]

I said nothing out of order here.

I agree .

[paper]

I didn't mean my post in a hostile way. I was just offering an explanation. I know how frustrating it can be. All I'm saying is, they know when their audio is hot. Shouldn't need to make a note every time.

*****

Now, Hellblazer.

I just want to let Josh know that I started reading this a few issues back based on his recommendation and I'm really enjoying it. So, thanks, Josh.

And remember that me and Dave (and several others, I'm sure) are reading this too. So no need to feel alone.

[esophagus]

Ok, look. There is no need to be so reactionary. I didn't say the podcast sucked, that the Fanboys don't put a lot of time into the show or that this is unlistenable.

Ron's audio is a bit too loud. That is all.

Now whatever else you want to extrapolate from that- is your business. I said nothing out of order here.
While there was certainly a reactionary bit to my post, I was asking a serious question. You always seem to have audio criticisms, do you have any experience with recording/editting, or is that just the audiophile in you?

[labor_days]

You always seem to have audio criticisms, do you have any experience with recording/editting, or is that just the audiophile in you?

Yes, to both. Have recorded in a professional studio (as a musician and sound mixer) and could be considered an audiophile.

But that's actually irrelevant.

One need not be proficient in a craft to comment on it. It was a passing comment on my part, not a criticism of the show or the efforts of the hosts.

There isn't much to discuss on the subject, actually. Let's move on or take it elsewhere.

[esophagus]

Yes, to both. Have recorded in a professional studio (as a musician and sound mixer) and could be considered an audiophile.

But that's actually irrelevant.

One need not be proficient in a craft to comment on it. It was a passing comment on my part, not a criticism of the show or the efforts of the hosts.

There isn't much to discuss on the subject, actually. Let's move on or take it elsewhere.Was just a question. Not passing judgement on the comment. I just know those aren't the kinds of things I pick up on. I've got nothing more to say. Not trying to pick a fight.

[benjaminsimpson]

Just a heads up for Josh, the complete Young Avengers series comes out this week as an oversized hardcover, so if you're looking to get into that book, this would be an excellent way to read it. All 12 issues plus the Special.

[higgledy]

Great show this week. We need a follow up to the bar voice mail.

I've been listening to a new podcast I thought you guys might enjoy. The title hides the fact that it is a comics cast so I thought you might not have it on your lists. Not as good as ifanboy of course but if you just want more general comics talk then it's a good one:

Johnny gigawatt and the tiger men from mars

[mikegraham6]

I feel sorry for Labor sometimes, dude always gets jumped on in the forums like he's trying to start shit. Labor, i think people just read into your post too harshly man, you're just trying to help improve the podcast...

Anyway, Ron thank you so much for mentioning the Order on the podcast, it's about time that book got some loving! This was definitely the best issue so far and i agree with you about Fraction, he's turning out to be one of my favorite Marvel writers at the moment. This book was my POW and it's really depressing that it's going to end with #10. I've said it before, but this is the best thign to come out of the Initiative.

Josh, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on issue #7, once you've read it.

[six-gun]

I feel sorry for Labor sometimes, dude always gets jumped on in the forums like he's trying to start shit. Labor, i think people just read into your post too harshly man, you're just trying to help improve the podcast...


Indeed http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a161/Sn4ke22/ShieldWall97118.jpg

[six-gun]

OK Josh, I have a question. What I've read of Andy Diggle's work has always come across as incredibly grounded and well researched. Take Green Arrow: Year One for instance. Every weapon, vehicle and piece of gear in that book is real and his characters throw around terms like "AK" and are actually carrying Kalashnikov's. I say this to ask, is his run on Hellblazer this grounded and researched? I realize that indeed this book is indeed fantasy more or less, but does it still contain those elements?

[jaflanagan]

OK Josh, I have a question. What I've read of Andy Diggle's work has always come across as incredibly grounded and well researched. Take Green Arrow: Year One for instance. Every weapon, vehicle and piece of gear in that book is real and his characters throw around terms like "AK" and are actually carrying Kalashnikov's. I say this to ask, is his run on Hellblazer this grounded and researched? I realize that indeed this book is indeed fantasy more or less, but does it still contain those elements?

I have no idea. It seems that way, but it's all about ancient magic and demons, so I don't really know much about the source material. But it feels like a complete world. So that's good.

[dave-accampo]

OK, listening to the podcast, but I had to pause:

Kudos, Josh. I'm a long-time Hellblazer fan, and I thought you laid it out pretty well. Yes, Alan Moore first introduced JC, and then Jamie Delano took it over when his solo series started. Delano's work was...interesting, but there's some GREAT stuff there. After Delano, Ennis revitalized it, bringing it a bit more down-to-earth, and probably transformed it into a bit more of a crowd-pleaser, but Delano did create some wonderful bits about Constantine, including his stay at Ravenscar, etc. This series deserves an omnibus set, IMHO.

One thing: The Laughing Magician concept isn't exactly new with Diggle's run. Delano established a lineage of Constantines through history (which could be argued is not the same as the Laughing Magician concept), but Neil Gaiman actually used the concept in the first Books of Magic mini-series. In fact, when the African shaman dude talks about walking back and forth to the end of time, he's directly referring to what Gaiman showed in the original BoM miniseries, where Tim Hunter is taken to the end of time, and there's a "Jack" character there that's obviously analogous to JC.

He's also using the "Synchronicity Highway" concept, which is something Gaiman introduced in the Books of Magic mini-series.

I think that's what I really like about Diggle. He's calling upon elements from Moore, Delano, Gaiman, Ennis and Ellis, and he's really blended them together extremely well.

[jaflanagan]

The key here being that I didn't have to know any of that to enjoy it. But you did, and can enjoy it that way. Good stuff. Thanks for the lesson.

[dave-accampo]

The key here being that I didn't have to know any of that to enjoy it. But you did, and can enjoy it that way. Good stuff. Thanks for the lesson.

Oh yeah, totally. I was just giving a little background for anyone interested.

You're absolutely correct in that this was well written, and required NO knowledge of everything I just blathered on about.

It just amuses me to do so. ;)

[zombox]

I've never read more than cursory material from Hellblazer and Josh is exactly rigth about why. There is a huge amount of continuity to sort through and I've never heard of a good place to pick it up. 20 years of issues is a ton, especially when the stories don't really seem to be throw-aways that are within defined archetypes.

[dave-accampo]

I've never read more than cursory material from Hellblazer and Josh is exactly rigth about why. There is a huge amount of continuity to sort through and I've never heard of a good place to pick it up. 20 years of issues is a ton, especially when the stories don't really seem to be throw-aways that are within defined archetypes.

But as Josh was saying, the continuity in this book ADDS to your enjoyment, but it doesn't DETRACT from your enjoyment. If you were to start with THIS issue, or with the start of Diggle's run -- you wouldn't need ANYthing else.

If you, like me, are a long-time fan, then you get to see all sorts of little inside tidbits about where Diggle is drawing from, but it's absolutely unnecessary to the overall enjoyment of the book.

It is very British, so the only hinderance I could see is that it might be hard to understand all the dialogue. But I can safely say that continuity shouldn't be a problem. I'd recommend starting with Diggle's run and not looking back.

[conorkilpatrick]

I've never read more than cursory material from Hellblazer and Josh is exactly rigth about why. There is a huge amount of continuity to sort through and I've never heard of a good place to pick it up. 20 years of issues is a ton, especially when the stories don't really seem to be throw-aways that are within defined archetypes.

I thought Josh said that that might be the perception but the reality was exactly the opposite.

[jaflanagan]

I thought Josh said that that might be the perception but the reality was exactly the opposite.

Conor is correct.

[j-far]

I've got a quick question...I don't know if anyone brought this up yet (probably did) but in X-men 207, is there a certain reason Xavier's dead body is missing in the last panel when every one is standing around him? Is it just the art or was it significant? Oh and is anyone reading Archaia's Awakening and Killing Pickman?

[conorkilpatrick]

I've got a quick question...I don't know if anyone brought this up yet (probably did) but in X-men 207, is there a certain reason Xavier's dead body is missing in the last panel when every one is standing around him? Is it just the art or was it significant?

Whoa! You're right! Weeeeeeird.

Maybe Professor X is like Obi-Wan Kenobi?

[j-far]

A bullet to the head makes him more powerful than you could possibly imagine...

[mikegraham6]

i noticed that too, i thought it was very strange that no one even reacted to the fact that Xavier disappeared

[paper]

Ellis wrote for Hellblazer? I was wondering if he had because it struck me yesterday that he'd be a good fit for the character.

Was he?

[dave-accampo]

Ellis wrote for Hellblazer? I was wondering if he had because it struck me yesterday that he'd be a good fit for the character.

Was he?

He wrote a few cool Constantine stories.

I fact, the "Map" character that appeared a few issues ago was one of his.

IIRC, Ellis had a truncated run because they pulped an issue he wrote about school shootings. However, if you google it, you can find it online still. Anyway, he left the book shortly after that happened.

I believe he has a TPB collection entitled "Haunted." Worth picking up.

[dave-accampo]

Just FYI, since this never saw print:

Warren Ellis and Phil Jimenez on Hellblazer #141: "Shoot". (http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/%7Ejp/comics/shoot/)

[cormano]

The Young Avengers hardcover comes out this week, $29.99 for the whole series. So, good timing for Josh.

I disagree with you guys on Young Avengers Present, I loved it. Otherwise, excellent episode.

[paper]

Thanks, Dave!

More people need to be reading this. The magic and fantasy elements shouldn't scare people off. this is like the supernatural cousin of Fell. In tone and characterization.

[animalvader1]

Great show again guys.

For anyone who's worried that the chick they're with won't like your comic habit, ask them what kind of shows they like. If they like Heroes, Lost, 24, Buffy, or any other type of serialised story telling, explain to them that comics are the same thing, just in book form, then finish off with the fact that several of the writers/ producers for these are also in the comic biz. Acceptance is born through understanding....


p.s. Josh: I left the donation, hope you like Silver Surfer Requiem! :D

[jgg0610]

Great show guys but was I the only one who caught that Conor is no longer with the Batman girl from one of the earliest video podcasts?

Also, Josh you may finally get me to check out Hellblazer.