The Comics Pals

Riverdale Season 1 Review | The Comics Pals

The Comics Pals have finally decided to bite the bullet and review the full first season of Riverdale! Cale, Pete, and Marco discuss their general feelings about the show, the comparison to Twin Peaks, the various murders and (most importantly) all of the ships! This episode was recorded on July 4th, 2017! Stay tuned for Riverdale Review the show where we’ll review every episode of Season 2! Right here in the Pals Network! Catch Riverdale on the CW on Wednesday nights! The Pals: Cale: @totointow Pete: @Loud_Pete Marco: @woeismarco_

Dirk Manning Interview & Horror Comics | The Comics Pals Episode 51

It’s The Comics Pals spookiest episode yet! The scariest man in comics, Dirk Manning, joins the show to talk about the launch of yet another successful Kickstarter, this time for Tales of Mr. Rhee Volume 4: Everything Burns. He also talks about his collaboration with the band Twiztid, how he’s managed to become successful in comics without ever writing for Marvel or DC, and more! The Pals also talk about horror comics and why the genre not only prevails but thrives, and how it uses the strengths of the comics medium to take the horror genre to another level. PLUS: Phil is a changed man. Apples and Origins Reader Mail Pals Pulls: Marco - Kill or Be Killed 13 Phil - Grayson the Superspy Omnibus Pete - Invincible 141 Sean - Batman 33, Batman The Drowned #1 Justice League Heroes Trailer: https://www.polygon.com/…/justice-league-trailer-superman-c… Len Wein’s Final Swamp Thing Story to Be Released: http://ew.com/…/new-swamp-thing-special-to-feature-posthum…/ Hulu’s Runaways Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6_0dJkjFAM How Marvel Changed Nico Minoru For Runaways Show: https://www.polygon.com/…/16449462/marvel-runaways-hulu-nico Why Hulu Was the Perfect Place For Runaways: https://www.polygon.com/…/runaways-hulu-marvel-tv-jeph-loeb… Fox’s New Mutants Trailer: http://www.heroicgirls.com/first-new-mutants-trailer-read…/… Main Topic: The horror genre has a long, storied history in the comics medium, with some of the best comics of all time also being some of the greatest horror stories ever told. In honor of the spookiest time of year, the Pals talk about all things horror comics, breaking down the differences between horror films and comics, the limitations horror comics have and the ways the medium uses its strengths to tell amazing horror stories, and we talk about some of our favorite horror comics. The Pals: Sean: twitter.com/SeansSoapbox Pete: twitter.com/Loud_Pete Cale: twitter.com/Totointow Marco: twitter.com/woeismarco_ Phil: twitter.com/Cyborgbebop

IGN Buys Humble Bundle & The Problem With Loot Boxes | The Video Game Pals Episode 25

The boys are back in their respective towns and there's no shortage of drama to dig into this week around IGN X Humble Bundle, Loot Boxes and the possibility of the Game Boy Classic. PLUS: Andy pitches a Disney MOBA. -NYCC Game Impressions -Buy or Sell -Watch Until Dawn on Pals Play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhHZ3OemnO4 DA NEWS: 1. EA responds to SW Battlefront II’s beta controversy: https://www.ea.com/games/starwars/battlefront/battlefront-2/news/thank-you-beta 2. The ESRB has weighed in on the growing frustration and concern around the ethics of look boxes: https://kotaku.com/esrb-says-it-doesnt-see-loot-boxes-as-gambling-1819363091 3. A Japanese trademark bot has tweeted out what appears to be a trademark for a Game Boy Classic https://kotaku.com/nintendo-registered-a-classic-mini-game-boy-trademark-1819350111 4. News from League of Legends developer Riot Games has some exciting implications: https://www.riotgames.com/articles/20171011/2431/founders-lane-swap 5. Mike Laidlaw has left BioWare after 14 years with the company: https://twitter.com/mike_laidlaw/status/918588012119826432 6. Let’s talk about Race issues in South Park: The Fractured But Whole again: https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/9/16435592/south-park-race-difficulty 7. Humble Bundle has been acquired by IGN: http://blog.humblebundle.com/post/166366386976/humble-bundle-is-joining-forces-with-ign https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/13/16473542/ign-buys-humble-bundle Meat and Potatoes: SO, obviously there’s a lot to unpack here, but lets’ start with a broad question and zero in from there: What do we think about this news? Are you concerned about the future of Humble Bundle? Worried about collusion over game reviews? Think people are overreacting? Andy I know you have a lot of feelings about this a both a liberal leaning man and a big fan of what Humble Bundle does, so you want to start us off here? Music: "Swanky Ballroom Party For Sophisticated People" by Adhesive Wombat - @adhesivewombat The Video Game Pals is The Pals Network's weekly video game podcast where we talk about video games, the news and how it all makes us feel. The Pals: Sean: twitter.com/SeansSoapbox Pete: twitter.com/Loud_Pete Andy: twitter.com/Tiger_Millions Thompson: twitter.com/RelicVampire

Chapter 14: A Kiss Before Dying (S2E1) | The Riverdale Review

You loved our Riverdale Season 1 review(Right?!), so we're back for Season 2 reviews every Wednesday (until we come up with a better time slot!). Here are our thoughts on Season 2, Episode 1: "Chapter 14: A Kiss Before Dying"! Featuring: Andy from The Video Game Pals! The Pals: Pete: twitter.com/Loud_Pete Marco: twitter.com/woeismarco_ Cale: twitter.com/Totointow Andy: twitter.com/Tiger_Millions

Ryan Cady Interview & The Impact of Comic Conventions | The Comics Pals Episode 52

On our one year anniversary episode (!), The Pals bring on special guest Ryan Cady (writer of MAGDALENA, WARFRAME) to talk about his work at Top Cow, writing for a licensed property like Warframe, and being a member of the current DC Writer’s Workshop class. We gush over the Black Panther and Punisher trailers, talk about the possibility of the Russo brothers leaving the MCU, and more! We also talk about conventions, how important they are to the comic book industry, and how they played a major role in shaping The Comics Pals! PLUS: We learn who is the ultimate Ryan! Pals Pulls: Sean – Batman the Merciless #1 Marco/Pete – Saga #48 News: Black Panther Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjDjIWPwcPU Punisher Premiere Date Revealed: https://www.polygon.com/tv/2017/10/19/16301890/punisher-premiere-date-netflix-marvel Daredevil Season 3 Teaser: https://www.polygon.com/tv/2017/10/17/16490668/daredevil-season-3-teaser-defenders-marvel-netflix Thor: Ragnarok Reviews Extremely Positive: https://www.newsarama.com/37037-thor-ragnarok-rotten-tomatoes-score.html Russo Brothers Leaving MCU After Avengers 4: http://comicbook.com/marvel/2017/10/20/avengers-4-russo-brothers-leaving-mcu/ Marvel Discusses Marvel Only Convention: https://www.newsarama.com/36974-marvel-have-discussed-doing-their-own-convention.html Main Topic: Comic book conventions have become some of the biggest pop culture events in the United States, with the recent New York Comic-Con event drawing over 250,000 fans. As tremendous as this growth is, much of it is due to the co-opting of these huge shows by other forms of entertainment media, like films, television and video games. Do comic-cons still serve comic books, particularly the creators whose work isn't necessarily well known? The Pals discuss this, and their own experiences at comic book conventions, including how cons have shaped and formed The Comics Pals! The Pals: Sean: twitter.com/SeansSoapbox Pete: twitter.com/Loud_Pete Cale: twitter.com/Totointow Marco: twitter.com/woeismarco_ Phil: twitter.com/Cyborgbebop

EA Shuts Down Visceral & The Future of AAA Single Player Games | The Video Game Pals Episode 26

Thompson is MIA this week, but the Pals have their most packed show since E3 season! We've got hot updates around IGNxHumble Bundle & the loot crate controversy, the wave of sexual harassment claims finally hitting the games industry and the future of AAA single-players games. PLUS: OHHHHH GOT UM! -Buy or Sell DA NEWS: 1. IGN has posted their review of A Hat in Time, the first Humble-published game since their acquisition of the company: http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/10/16/a-hat-in-time-review https://twitter.com/GameOverGreggy/status/920093855369781250 2. The UK government has responded to the ongoing loot box controversy that’s dominated the conversation around games as of late: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-10-17-government-response-to-loot-box-concern-is-predictably-non-committal 3. Former Naughty Dog, David Ballard Speaks out About Sexual Assault: https://twitter.com/DBal/status/919284577566412801 https://www.naughtydog.com/blog/an_important_statement_from_naughty_dog 4. Video Game forum NeoGaf has gone dark after sexual assault allegations surfaced about the site’s owner, Tyler “Evilore” Malka: http://www.usgamer.net/articles/neogaf-goes-dark-after-sexual-assault-allegations-against-founder 5. Sony Music is launching a new publishing arm for games that will release games in Switch and PC: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sony-is-publishing-nintendo-switch-and-pc-games-un/1100-6454129/ 6. Nintendo Switch 4.0.0 update: https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/18/16501642/nintendo-switch-video-capture-save-data-transfer-update https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/19/16504088/nintendo-switch-wireless-headphones-headset-update https://kotaku.com/the-switchs-new-video-capture-function-isnt-great-1819691383 7. Activision made headlines this week for the patent of technology for a matchmaking system that encourages players to buy microtransactions: http://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/news/how-activision-uses-matchmaking-tricks-to-sell-in-game-items-w509288 8. EA is shutting down Visceral Games, the team behind the Dead Space series, and makinf significant changes the formerly upcoming Star Wars game being helmed by former Uncharted Director/Writer Amy Hennig: https://www.ea.com/news/an-update-on-the-visceral-star-wars-project https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/17/16490960/ea-closing-visceral-games-star-wars-game-delayed https://twitter.com/ToddStashwick/status/921025091252584448 https://twitter.com/zachulon/status/921390010955284480 Polygon’s Samit Sarkar titled, “EA’s Star Wars ‘pivot’ is a vote of no confidence in single-player games” which is going to be the jumping off point here for our meat and potatoes: https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/18/16491188/ea-star-wars-visceral-games-single-player Meat and Potatoes: Are games as services, online games and loot boxes killing AAA single player experiences? We’ve seen loot boxes creeping their way into more and more single player games and with Activision Blizzard reporting over 3 billion dollars of revenue coming exclusively from in-game purchases, and the lengthy life of GTA Online, it’s no surprise publishers are looking to get a piece of that pie. We’ve regularly discussed our concerns that critical darlings like Dishonored simply don’t seem to sell enough to warrant their continued existence in the current games climate. So, what do we think the future of AAA single player games is? Music: "Swanky Ballroom Party For Sophisticated People" by Adhesive Wombat - @adhesivewombat The Video Game Pals is The Pals Network's weekly video game podcast where we talk about video games, the news and how it all makes us feel. The Pals: Sean: twitter.com/SeansSoapbox Pete: twitter.com/Loud_Pete Andy: twitter.com/Tiger_Millions Thompson: twitter.com/RelicVampire

Chapter 15: Nighthawks (S2E2) | The Riverdale Review

For this episode special guest Olivia Hicks joins the Pals in the booth to talk about our thoughts on Season 2, Episode 2: "Chapter 15: Nighthawks"! Featuring Olivia Hicks: https://twitter.com/missoliviahicks The Pals: Pete: twitter.com/Loud_Pete Marco: twitter.com/woeismarco_ Cale: twitter.com/Totointow

Planet Hulk & Thor: Ragnarok | The Comics Pals Book Club

Welcome back to another Comics Pals Book Club! In honor of the upcoming film Thor: Ragnarok we decided to dive into two of the comics the film was (loosely) inspired by Planet Hulk and Thor: Ragnarok! The Pals: Sean: twitter.com/SeansSoapbox Pete: twitter.com/Loud_Pete Cale: twitter.com/Totointow Marco: twitter.com/WoeisMarco_ Phil: twitter.com/Cyborgbebop

Are Women In Marvel & DC Films Second Class Heroes? | The Comics Pals Episode 53

On this episode of The Comics Pals, the Pals as they talk about the latest news in the comics industry, including Zachary Levi being cast as Shazam, the possibility of a Deathstroke film, DC's announcement of a $30 hardcover edition of Action Comics #1000, and much more! They also take a look at how women in superhero films have been treated historically, and look towards the future of female led superhero films now that the success of Wonder Woman has opened the floodgates. PLUS: CALE IS BACK BABY! Buy or Sell Pals Pulls: Cale - Archie #25, Sherlock Frakenstein & the Legion of Evil #1 Pete - Paper Girls #17, The Walking Dead #173 Phil - Batman The Devastator #1 Sean - Batman #34, Captain America #695 News: Zachary Levi Is Shazam: http://comicbook.com/…/shazam-movie-cast-zachary-levi-dc-c…/ Release Window For Shazam Revealed: http://comicbook.com/…/shazam-director-release-date-david-…/ Deathstroke Movie Being Written: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/…/deathstroke-movie-works-… Key Piece of Wonder Woman's BvS Origin Retconned: https://www.cbr.com/wonder-woman-movie-retcon/ Action Comics #1000 to Have Two Versions: https://www.bleedingcool.com/…/action-comics-1000-30-168-p…/ Doomsday Clock Movie Theater Trailer: https://www.newsarama.com/37107-coming-soon-to-a-theater-ne… Kevin Feige Talks Female Thor In MCU: http://comicbook.com/…/23/female-thor-mcu-kevin-feige-movie/ 'Logan' Director James Mangold Writing X-23 Film: https://www.cbr.com/wonder-woman-x-23-film/… Captain Marvel Officially In 'Avengers 4': https://nerdist.com/captain-marvel-avengers-4/ Ben Mendolsohn Rumored to Play Villain Role In 'Captain Marvel' Film: http://variety.com/…/ben-mendelsohn-captain-marvel-villain…/ Main Topic: Is the future bright for female characters in superhero films? Superhero films have taken over the movie industry, bringing in billions of dollars per year and pleasing fans worldwide. These movies have come under fire for a number of things, however, and one of the key points of criticism has been the lack of female characters who play a pivotal role in these films, and a lack of depth for the ones that do. The Pals take a look at how female characters have fared over the years, how 2017 changed the game for women in these films, and whether or not the future is bright for comic book movies starring women. The Pals: Sean: twitter.com/SeansSoapbox Pete: twitter.com/Loud_Pete Cale: twitter.com/Totointow Marco: twitter.com/woeismarco_ Phil: twitter.com/Cyborgbebop

The NBA & eSports | The Video Game Pals Episode 27

The eSports Dynamo Peggy "Moirai" Forde is back for an episode about big money in eSports, BUT before that the pals have hot takes on all the week's biggest news stories! -Mario Odyssey & Fire Emblem Warriors Impressions -RANDOM QUESTION OF THE WEEK Da News: 1. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is coming to iOS and Mobile sometime near the end of November: https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/24/16536774/animal-crossing-mobile-ios-android-release-date https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/25/16541408/animal-crossing-pocket-camp-tom-nook-kk-slider-microtransactions 2. Shin Megami Tensei V has been revealed: https://kotaku.com/shin-megami-tensei-v-revealed-with-a-trailer-1819764070 3. Updates on last week's sexual assault stories: https://twitter.com/DBal/status/922572716959584257 http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1452075 4. “The Collapse Of Visceral's Ambitious Star Wars Game”: https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/923981734596800513 https://kotaku.com/the-collapse-of-viscerals-ambitious-star-wars-game-1819916152 5. Gamecube Controller support on Switch was a surprise to Nintendo: http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/10/24/gamecube-controllers-now-work-with-nintendo-switch http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2017/10/27/zelda-breath-of-the-wilds-second-expansion-is-still-on-track-for-this-year-nintendo-says 6. Wolfenstein 2 has no multiplayer because it would 'Dilute' storytelling: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2017-10-23-adding-multiplayer-would-dilute-wolfensteins-storytelling 7. Kinect is officially dead, but it’s tech lives on: https://www.fastcodesign.com/90147868/exclusive-microsoft-has-stopped-manufacturing-the-kinect Meat & Potatoes: Peggy’s eSports report! What’s the deal with big money in eSports? Music: "Swanky Ballroom Party For Sophisticated People" by Adhesive Wombat - @adhesivewombat The Video Game Pals is The Pals Network's weekly video game podcast where we talk about video games, the news and how it all makes us feel. The Pals: Sean: twitter.com/SeansSoapbox Pete: twitter.com/Loud_Pete Andy: twitter.com/Tiger_Millions Thompson: twitter.com/RelicVampire Peggy: twitter.com/MoiraiOW