Vertiguys

Brace yourselves for a revelation! This week we plunge into Hellblazer Annual #1, where we learn Constantine had an ancestor who was an even bigger jerk. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/23_Hellblazer_Annual_1_edit.mp3   Show Notes 0:47 – Aside from his work on Hellblazer, Kent Williams might be best known for his artwork on the fantastic Wolverine and Havok: Meltdown miniseries … Continue reading Hellblazer Annual #1: The Bloody Saint →

Sandman ventures into Dream Country for a couple of standalone stories in issues 17 and 18. First the series takes a strong (if inconstant) stance on mistreatment of mythological women, then Kelley Jones draws a whole mess of cats. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/22_Sandman_17-18_edit.mp3   Show Notes 1:19 – They’re not. 1:42 – Kelley Jones contributed several covers to … Continue reading Sandman 17-18: A Dream of a Thousand Cats →

Preacher catches its breath in issues #17-18. Cassidy plays a long con, Jesse and Tulip stop for breakfast, and Garth Ennis takes on The Things They Carried. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/21_Preacher_17-18_edit.mp3   Show Notes 3:14 – For example, we saw Jesse in his collar, drinking with Cassidy over a knocked-out mook on a pool table on the cover … Continue reading Preacher 17-18: Texas and the Spaceman →

In Hellblazer #12-13, Constantine’s got a fever – and the only cure is revenge! Plus, we learn about the proper facing of a pentagram, the cost of procrastination, and how to get your demon license. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/20_Hellblazer_12-13_edit.mp3   Show Notes 1:02 – The one-point-up pentagram has long been a positive symbol in Christianity and other belief systems, … Continue reading Hellblazer 12-13: The Devil You Know →

The Doll’s House wraps up in Sandman #14-16, in which Rose Walker attends a creepy convention, the Corinthian picks a fight, and Morpheus serves up some justice. No new Vertiguys next week, but we’ll be back September 6 with the next installment of Hellblazer. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/19_Sandman_14-16_edit.mp3   Show Notes 0:27 – Okay, this one went over … Continue reading Sandman #14-16: Collectors →

Jesse Custer makes it to San Francisco to visit Cassidy in Preacher #13-16, but runs afoul of a mess of new villains! Some are utterly menacing, and one is really, really uncomfortable. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/18_Preacher_13-16_edit.mp3   Show Notes 4:35 – This is a reference to a Pizza Hut ad we saw many years ago while visiting the … Continue reading Preacher #13-16: Crashing the Party →

In Hellblazer #11, we journey back to 1978 and witness the worst day of John Constantine’s life. It’s not pretty. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/17_Hellblazer_11_edit.mp3   Show Notes 6:05 – As mentioned, “Heroes” (the quotes are part of the title) hit in September 1977, the first single from David Bowie’s October ’77 album of the same name. 11:06 – … Continue reading Hellblazer #11: Newcastle →

This week, Morpheus takes a break from the doom and gloom of The Doll’s House, and so do we with the delightful Sandman #13. Our hero makes a bet with Death, and Hob Gadling has a lunch date with destiny. (Or is it his brother?) http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/16_Sandman_13_edit.mp3   Show Notes 1:42 – At the time of … Continue reading Sandman #13: Men of Good Fortune →

Jesse Custer confronts his past and his terrifying family in Preacher #11-12, plus the Duke and the Almighty drop by to discuss the story so far. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/15_Preacher_11-12_edit.mp3   Show Notes 3:14 – We covered Sandman #9, “Tales in the Sand,” along with the first half of The Doll’s House story arc in a previous episode. … Continue reading Preacher #11-12: Until the End of the World →

Swamp Thing hijacks our plot and our protagonist in Hellblazer #10, dragging him unwilling to Swamp Thing #76 and 77. It’s sophisticated suspense as Constantine earns frequent flyer miles, Swamp Thing takes up smoking, and the Phantom Stranger watches you have sex. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/14_Swamp_Thing_76-77_edit.mp3   Show Notes 4:50 – Sorry, that was Sandman #4. When Etrigan greets Morpheus in rhyme, … Continue reading Hellblazer #10 & Swamp Thing #76-77: L’Adoration de la Terre →

Morpheus goes back to work in Sandman #9-12. But he’s up against a spate of rogue dreams – and Jack Kirby’s idea of what a Sandman should be. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/13_Sandman_9-12_edit.mp3   Show Notes 1:56 – That was a reference to Timett, son of Timett. 12:54 – We’ve previously seen Morpheus’ hobby of feeding the birds in … Continue reading Sandman #9-12: The Doll’s House →

We finally get all the answers in Preacher #8-10, and they’re worse than we could have imagined. Join us as we explore Tulip’s hit-woman past and meet Jesse’s bone-chilling Gran’ma. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/12_Preacher_8_10_edit.mp3   Show Notes 1:43 – While Angelville’s burning crosses obviously invoke the racist violence of the Ku Klux Klan (and Angelville’s people are definitely … Continue reading Preacher #8-10: All in the Family →

John Constantine’s problems with the Resurrection Crusaders come to a head in Hellblazer #8-9, but not before an old foe stops by John’s hospital room to eat it. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/11_Hellblazer_8-9_edit.mp3   Show Notes 1:22 – Stanley Donen’s 1963 thriller Charade has been described as “the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made.” Audrey Hepburn plays the … Continue reading Hellblazer #8-9: Intensive Care →

And so we arrive at Sandman #8, the epilogue to the prelude. Morpheus decides to wrap up his grand adventure with some moping, and we meet his big sister, the least beloved of the Endless. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/Sandman_8_edit.mp3   Show Notes 0:19 – Geoff Johns is President and Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics. 1:36 – Washington … Continue reading Sandman #8: The Sound of Her Wings →

Preacher takes a bite out of the Big Apple in #5-7, and Jesse’s acting like a total tourist, popping in on the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the Unluckiest Cop in the World. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/09_Preacher_5-7_edit.mp3   Show Notes 3:13 – And Now for Something Completely Different, you may recall, is the title of … Continue reading Preacher #5-7: Say a Prayer for Seven Bullets →

Hellblazer picks up some needed momentum in issues #6 and #7. Listen in as Constantine learns more about the enigmatic Zed, underestimates the power of 80s hacking, and meets Iron Fist! Not that Iron Fist. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/08_Hellblazer_6-7_edit.mp3   Show Notes 1:58 – Constantine met the Sandman in Sandman (vol. 2) #3, as we touched upon a … Continue reading Hellblazer #6-7: Extreme Prejudice →

At long last, Morpheus confronts Doctor Destiny to reclaim his ruby in Sandman #5-7. Join us for the creepiest issue yet, plus a true Sandman rarity – a fight scene! There will be no new Vertiguys episode next week, but we’ll be back June 7 with the next installment of Hellblazer. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/07_Sandman_5-7_edit.mp3   This podcast … Continue reading Sandman #5-7: Sound and Fury →

The last time we saw Jesse Custer, he was possessed by a nascent godling and hunted by an immortal cowboy. Things don’t get much better in Preacher #2-4 as we learn Cassidy’s dark secret, the heavenly host appears, and Jesse gets a knock on the noggin. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/06_Preacher_2-4_edit.mp3   Show Notes 1:50 – Luca Dragos is … Continue reading Preacher #2-4: Gone to Texas →

Things get a little episodic and a lot creepy in Hellblazer #3-5. Join us as Constantine makes it to the polls, solves a family emergency, and faces the most terrifying prospect of all: a trip to the States! http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/05_Hellblazer_3-5_edit.mp3 Show Notes 2:28 – The name “Mammon” originates from our old friend the Vulgate Bible, in … Continue reading Hellblazer #3-5: Waiting for the Man →

On our journey back into the lands of nightmare, the Vertiguys stop to chat about Sandman #2-4. Listen in as the Dream King meets a pair of unbrotherly brothers, tangles with that rascal John Constantine, and competes in the deadliest poetry slam. http://media.blubrry.com/vertiguys/content.blubrry.com/vertiguys/04_Sandman_2-4_edit.mp3 Show Notes 2:53 – If you like Teen Titans, or general old-school … Continue reading Sandman #2-4: A Hope in Hell →