183: The Walking Dead #174; Paper Girls #18

[00:00:00] Hey everyone, welcome to our podcast. I'm Mr. Blahg. And I'm Grace. And this is Under the Comic Covers, Episode 183. And in this episode we go under the comic covers of The Walking Dead 174 and Paper Girls 18. Every so often you read a book and you're

[00:00:48] just like, God damn that was great. And then every so often, a little rarer happens, you read two books and go, God damn that was great. And that is what these two books were this week.

[00:01:04] You know what my thought was? My thought was like, damn, this is why we do the podcast. This is why we started this podcast because I felt such a need to talk about it after I read, you know, talk about these books after I read them.

[00:01:18] Oh, totally. Yes. Yeah, this is why we do the podcast so we can chat about these and, you know, gush and have fun. This is some great stuff to this week. Oh no, absolutely. And it's so frustrating because I feel like I've been so busy the

[00:01:30] last couple of days with various, you know, just life things that I haven't, maybe I haven't really mulled over enough about both of these and have I given it enough thought? And then I'm like, we have the podcast. We're going to work this

[00:01:42] out regardless, even if we don't have it down, one of our listeners is going to have it down. Yeah, we got a lot of letters this week. We got a lot of letters and I think people were excited about both of them.

[00:01:51] They didn't all make it in so apologies in advance if yours didn't, but there were a lot. So next time, if they didn't. Very cool. But Grace, this week, how you doing? I am doing just dandy. I'm actually in a good mood. My girl upstairs cooking

[00:02:07] and there's Christmas music playing and it's all kinds of crazy around here, but the good kind of crazy. So I'm in a good mood. How about you? I too am finding myself in a good mood. So maybe it is that the holidays are coming.

[00:02:21] You know, I spent my weekend putting up Christmas lights and other various decorations that we have a light up husky dog, a little mini husky outside, a little light up penguins and snowmen and shit like that. You know, so. I kind of get I enjoy the holiday thing.

[00:02:39] It's it's feeling good. I've got a I believe a Hanukkah satyr dinner to go to next week. That should be very nice and and and oh my God, I only got Star Wars coming up next week just. Yeah. Oh, so many things I'm excited about.

[00:02:55] So I don't know, you know, something good is in the air. These two comic books help sweeten the air. I got to tell you that much. I'm really loved them and I am excited to talk about these.

[00:03:07] But before we get deeper into the episode, which I'm going to say folks, hasn't happened yet because we're just talking now. But I think this is going to be a good episode. Just just a slight prediction. I'm excited about these two.

[00:03:20] But Grace, we got some news to go over. We do have a couple things to talk about. You know, I always like to put in a little bit of good news when I do come across it, which sometimes is really hard to find. But these days, yes.

[00:03:37] These days. But I saw this bit and I wanted to talk about it is that the comic book publisher Lion Forge announced that they're going to release this anthology titled Puerto Rico Strong and all the profits that are made are going to go to aid

[00:03:55] Puerto Rico and the island and trying to recover from Hurricane Maria. And I just thought that was really great. It's going to be like all these creators from Puerto Rico coming together and creating this book. And so, you know, I kind of like to.

[00:04:16] Chip in and buy these things and check them out when they happen. And it's kind of a fun way to to give to these causes on the way. So if you want to find out more about that, you can all put it up

[00:04:30] on Facebook, too. But Puerto Rico Strong and oh, I lost when it was coming out. But. But I'll put it up on our Facebook for you. Awesome. Anyway, that's great. Very good. And some other news is if you hadn't heard

[00:04:51] next year, 2018 is the 15th anniversary of The Walking Dead. And I'm like, gosh, wasn't the 10th anniversary just like two years ago? I know. I kind of feel that way as well. Like, yeah, it was just the 10th anniversary. What are you talking about? 15th. That's preposterous.

[00:05:07] It's kind of crazy. But for the 15th anniversary, what they're going to do is have these variants all year long and they reveal the first two. I think they're all going to be by the artist. Oh, it's going to be all year long. Oh, awesome.

[00:05:22] I thought it was just those two. So it's going to be all year long. Oh, I don't know. Well, I assume it's going to be all year long. The press release actually was very vague. But the story arc, the new story arc, and this is all like 175

[00:05:38] and these new variants are going to kick off the new story arc, New World Order. And they said New World Order is going to run throughout 2018. And of course, it's their anniversary all year long. I assume they're going to celebrate.

[00:05:52] So it's my assumption that there are going to be 12 variants. And I assume they're all from the artist. The first two are definitely from the sequence and they they release them. It's going to be a new character every month, I believe.

[00:06:08] And the first one is Rick and the second one is Michonne. So each month it'll be a new character. They look gorgeous. I mean, it's fun when you get such a... And that's, I mean, you know, we are of two minds, really, of the variants. Totally.

[00:06:26] It's fun, you know, to see these totally completely different art styles. Well, for those who haven't seen them yet, I mean, they are portraits. They're portraits. So the first one is... Very, very lifelike. Michonne is gorgeous. I love them. Oh, absolutely. And but the Rick when I love...

[00:06:44] If it didn't say Rick across it, I probably wouldn't know it was Rick. Because that's not how... The hair looked a little off, but... I picture him in my mind, but... But isn't it... I guess maybe because Rick, the word Rick is sort of covering his beard.

[00:06:57] So in the little small picture I see, you know, because it's present day Rick. It's present day Rick with a big beard and short hair. With a short hair and the long beard. So I guess now that I'm really looking at his beard,

[00:07:10] I can see a little bit more, but they look super cool. And you can ask your retailer in order them for you. And I think I'm actually going to do that. I don't go out of my way too often to pre-order the variants,

[00:07:26] but these look really, really nice. And so just like I said, sort of. Well, anyway, look for those. I'm yeah, I got to say I'm super sad right now. But one order. Go ahead. Well, yeah, I'm looking forward to New World Order as well.

[00:07:41] I can't wait for that. But one thing I'm sad about my comic shop, Blue Moon Comics. Santa Fe, California. Maybe closing. Well, it definitely is closing. They're they have not found a new location. So it may be closing for good.

[00:07:59] I may no longer have a local comic shop as of the end of this year. And I'm really bummed about it because that's, you know, friends and a community and a place that we hung out. And sure.

[00:08:12] You made you made good friends with your the owners and the owner and staff there. Yeah, absolutely. And it's kind of I don't know. I'm really bummed out about this. And just, you know, I'm thinking about the variant covers and ordering variant covers.

[00:08:26] I guess there's some way I know some. Well, whatever, we can talk about this later, but some way to get comics on a weekly basis through the mail. So I may have to sign up for something like that

[00:08:40] because I just I don't really have any other local shop here in Marin and I'm bummed about that. So oh, man, that stinks. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry to bring everybody down. Sorry. My bad on that. Those were talking about the variant covers.

[00:08:55] I just got to thinking about I can't say hey, order me some variants. Oh, well, yeah. That's shit. So OK, our other little bit of news is I just wanted to remind people are just I guess I just had a reminder that at the end of the year,

[00:09:12] every year there's always like the best of comics, you know, to 2017 or whatever kind of list. There's a bunch of lists out there and I happen to run across. I think it was like the Paced Magazine one or whatever. And there's a lot of good,

[00:09:26] a lot of interesting sounding titles on there, you know, many of which I have not heard of and reading through them and reading through the descriptions and such. I was like, OK, you know, these are some things that interest me and we've been bad about picking up titles.

[00:09:40] Yeah, and something I could maybe pick up for top of the stack because we've been slacking lately on that. We have like got me like a little bit excited. So if we're not recommending things, you know, there are a bunch of lists out there for 2017.

[00:09:57] So look at those. And if you read read something before we talk about it, you know, feel free to write in and let us know that, you know, this is really awesome or whatever. Check it out. But that kind of just excited me.

[00:10:10] So I want to throw that in there. Cool. Thank you. So in our last bit of news, we need to talk about next week's schedule. Do you want to take over on that? Oh, sure. So next week, really the only thing that was coming out was Royal City.

[00:10:25] So as we tend to do, we like to push Royal City. We were thinking about maybe covering Motor Girl, the end of that, which we're going to very soon. But in all honesty, the real reason for us having to miss next week.

[00:10:41] Yes, it is Royal City, but it's also the opening night of Star Wars Episode 8. The last Jedi, I do have 7 p.m. tickets with myself and my daughter. So my older daughter, so I'm really excited about going to seeing that.

[00:10:53] So that's sort of why we're not going to be on next week, but we are going to cram Royal City in with the books from the week following. So we will be back in two weeks. And if they miss you terribly, they can hear you in the meantime.

[00:11:07] That's right. Thank you for bringing that up. You are absolutely correct. That's why I'm giving this item to you, man. No, you're right. I'm sorry, I didn't even think about it. So of course, because of Star Wars Episode 8, The Last Jedi,

[00:11:18] I'll be seeing that Thursday on Sunday, myself, Jason Caron. Caron and Jason, of course, of the Walking Dead cast along with Melissa Hutchison, the voice of Clementine from the Walking Dead video game from Telltale, we will be releasing our The Last Jedi review.

[00:11:37] Of course, that won't be under under the comic covers. That will be under the Walking Dead cast. But by all means, go check that out. I'm guessing it's going to be a good one two years ago when we did The Force Awakens.

[00:11:48] I don't know, Jason and I and the world had some tension. And and I think that's all going to be cool this time. And it's all going to be great. And I'm just really excited to see the movie and and God bless it. I'm excited.

[00:12:02] I don't know. I'm just Star Wars. I can't wait. Like tattoos etching. All right. Very good. That's all I had this week. So awesome. That's quite a bit. And and it was good gravy. I'm excited to talk about these books. So let's go ahead and get going.

[00:12:19] What do you say? OK, let's do it. All right, we're going to begin with previously in The Walking Dead. All right, so last month. Good, my goodness. What did happen last month? Help me out. That's basically where we got the beginning of New World Order, I think,

[00:12:36] is where our Ohio group suddenly were like, wait, why is Stephanie not here? And then boom, all of a sudden they see these soldiers with guns pointed at him going, stay right where you are and drop your weapons. Right. That was the big whoo at the very end.

[00:12:55] Maggie was upset. Well, it was upset. Dante was talking to her and she said, Dante, come here. That was the last we saw that that plays out in this issue for sure. Seem that Rick, I don't know what was going on with Rick.

[00:13:07] I can't remember, but he was no longer sleeping on Andrea's grave. Seemed like he said goodnight to her and that was that. And he walked away. So that's some nice growth, a nice growth from Rick. What else am I missing here?

[00:13:22] Anyway, I think that's good because this one is kind of self contained. So really last month's issue didn't play out that much, except for the whole Maggie Dante conversation. Excellent. OK. So yeah, cover the important.

[00:13:34] Oh, no, we also have the whole thing with the reason why I'm forgetting is if I recall correctly, last issue had a lot of different stories that was flipping around. We just got little bits of everybody, right? So we had Carl helping out Sophia, pissing off Lydia.

[00:13:48] And that was just like one page. And I feel that was kind of a big deal. You know, so there were these little things. Throughout the whole deal because oh, and we also found out the identity of beta. Right. That was in the last one.

[00:14:01] It was a basketball player and that was a major letdown. I think last month was just sort of like. All right. But this month, hell, no, this is not just. Oh, yeah. All right. This was amazing from panel one to panel last. I loved it. Grace, your thoughts.

[00:14:23] It was great. I loved it. And, you know, I don't love Negan as much as you love Negan, but I thoroughly enjoyed this page after page. It was so well done, so well done. It's yeah, it really, really was. And I.

[00:14:42] What I what I liked about this issue more, I think more than almost anything is that it. You know, Negan is about his comic bookie in cartoony of a character as this book gets. Right. Sure. And yet I found such a humanized thing going on in this issue,

[00:15:02] which was nice to see a little less of the cartoony Negan and more of just like, OK, there's a character right on. It was such a great. I feel like it was a follow up to the here's Negan. Yeah.

[00:15:15] A mini story arc there that we had on the side and this, you know, where it showed kind of the more human side of Negan and where he came from and all that. And so it makes this side this part that we hadn't previously

[00:15:30] seen a ton of in the main story. It made it, you know, make sense and it made it flow so well and made me re appreciate the whole here's Negan little arc there. Yeah. So it was great. Well said. Well said. Let's get into it.

[00:15:47] What's your number three? OK, my number three is Negan being Negan. OK, well, there you go. I think there's a lot. I almost I was so close to saying, let's just chat about this one. But because it is such a focused thing.

[00:16:00] No, no, no, no, no, no way. I have my three as well, but I feel like they're negligible, you know, it's because it is Negan being Negan for the most part in this one. So it's here it out.

[00:16:10] Like by that specifically, I meant the funny the funny part of the book and where we started out, you know, we're Negan and self dialogue. And he doesn't even have an audience, but he still has to make one up,

[00:16:24] kind of have a little silent audience and just his his banter and God if, you know, nobody's even around here and he's still talking about his dick size. So it was enjoyable and, you know, a good way to kind of start it off a little bit humorously,

[00:16:44] but really show how lonely he is. Yeah. And I think it just it worked really well. I thought it was a great way to to start off this this issue. But I mean, the train, I think the transitions, even though we were talking about like the transitions basically

[00:17:03] with one character, they work so well showing his little lonely day to day. Oh yeah, those those eight panels, which I love, you know, just the. Him realizing has no food going out hunting a dog, eating it, feeling bad about it. Fucking jackpot. Brrr, oh fuck.

[00:17:23] You know, that was and then seeing the barn. I. There was humor, there was humanity, there was, you know, there there was so much to that. And it was. Yeah. I don't really do you see the loneliness. Yeah. And those specifically, specifically in those eight panels

[00:17:40] you're talking about. Yeah. I like seeing the beard come back. He's getting he's getting a little scruffy. Yeah, yeah. And really just opening it up with just, OK, you're coming with me, you sexy motherfucker. And it's a sunflower. I I have to say when I when I.

[00:17:57] The turn on that I had no clue what it was going to be, even though he's holding a trowel. Should have been a clue. It could have been a weapon. You never know. And he's wearing gardening gloves, not just the trowel.

[00:18:10] He's even got gardening gloves when I garden. I don't even wear gloves. I love gardening. I don't wear gloves. Negan is wearing gloves. It's adorable, right? So worried about his manicure, man. He must be so, you know, then the root thing. It's just I yeah, Negan being Negan.

[00:18:27] What a great way to put it. But then but then we get this heartfelt. You know, chat with Lucille. Mm hmm. I don't know. It was. It was it was, you know, it I'd like to have a like to that we

[00:18:44] had that little chuckle and before we led into those eight panels and like the real heart than the real hard to heart with Lucille kind of or maybe that came before. But just was so it was really well done. And did you see.

[00:19:02] The little did you see Twitter at all today? No, I don't. Sean McAwits or whatever. No. Sean McAwits said something about the okay, which panel is it? It's after the big splash page, then the second page to that one

[00:19:18] where he's he's kneeling in front of the sunflowers and his shirt's riding up a little bit. Yeah. Sean McAwits tweeted something about how Charlie, you know, missed the perfect opportunity or something like that for the butt crack. And so I like retweeted it and said something about it.

[00:19:36] And but it kind of like got me out of the moment out of the story a bit when it because that's what exactly what I was thinking. It was like, wait, no butt crack because you remember? Yeah.

[00:19:47] It was all that war where I swear it's like any opportunity Charlie had to draw a butt crack. I felt like he was adding that in. I was like, what? No, Negan butt crack. Well, you know, he sees trimming up a bit.

[00:20:00] I mean, he's in pretty damn good shape. He's you know, so maybe that no matter, I mean, you still have a butt crack and if your jeans riding low, but well, maybe they're not getting low. That's what I'm saying.

[00:20:11] Maybe it's, you know, he's riding them high and tight. You're right. There should be a butt crack there. I don't know. It's funny. That is cute. And I do love that. Negan's still talking to zombies. Yeah. Everyone's a fucking critic. Yeah, he doesn't. There's how he doesn't judge.

[00:20:28] She's like, no judgment. When? No, man, Negan. When he doesn't kill him. Yeah, never mind. I'm not going to sit here and what's interesting is later on, of course, Maggie's the one that kills those two. Well, I don't think she wanted them to kill Negan. No, I know.

[00:20:45] Yeah. Yeah. No, we're getting there. Well, OK, so. OK, so what's your number three? You know, I'm actually going to switch some of mine around just just for the sake of the discussion and how it's moving along. The short sweet life of Lucille three. And Negan solitary life.

[00:21:04] That's what that was what I had written here. So. I loved everything when the moment he sees that bat. He's like, no, no, no, no, no. And then he gets that old Negan look, right? But it's just like, yeah, chatting it up with with Lucille.

[00:21:22] I mean, that whole progression and then the way it looks, the art, the shift in art when you got Negan and the Earth, excuse me, Lucille or Lucille three. You get the bat in the foreground and Negan

[00:21:34] and the just opening that that door with just the light coming in. It was so beautiful. I am young again and I want to live. Terrifying. It was. It was definitely like this moment of just like, oh, shit, what's going on here? What does this mean?

[00:21:51] You know, I hope we're not seeing a return of that particular Negan. That's not good. So but then of course he sees the barbed wire, but for some reason I did have this weird feeling like it was going to be OK.

[00:22:08] And by the end of this, he burns her. Yes. That was, you know, and this was going to be a discussion more about my number three, but whatever I shift things around just to talk about that whole

[00:22:22] scene with the with the bat and him leading up to it, Negan solitary life. But you know, him finding the bat is definitely significant, right? It's very so symbolic to him. It's so much of who and what Negan is. And we are so clearly reminded of.

[00:22:41] That whole experience when we first meet Negan in this issue. Which who? Talk about hitting with a bat that everything happening in this one. Definitely did that for me when it comes to sure what I'm sure we're going to be talking about very, very soon. Your number two.

[00:23:01] Yeah, well, we can go ahead and talk about it because my my number two was I just called it the fake out. But you know, the terror that when your stomach kind of goes cold. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:23:13] Sick feeling that that's how I felt when he raised the bat. But that was my number two. Just that whole progression there of finding the bat and. I'm glad it didn't go all the way with Lucille. Seal three. It's a Maggie interruption. So.

[00:23:33] Do we go ahead and talk about it? Well, OK, so yeah. Well, and then here he goes. Actually, my number two then moving things around is simply closure. For me, I felt this was an incredible issue. Of closure for not just Negan, but also Maggie.

[00:23:53] And some other stuff as well. But. It felt so fucking cathartic getting through that entire exchange between Maggie and Negan. Yeah, you know, I feel like it's a feeling we don't get very often. No, it was never maybe with the walking down. No, we don't.

[00:24:13] Get that feeling of closure. It felt it felt nice. It felt very nice. It was like we it was nice to just be able to relax for a second and go, yeah, OK, this is right. This is this is good. Well, it was tense as fuck.

[00:24:29] That that entire thing was so I mean, I really did. Did you think Maggie was going to shoot him? I mean, I did. I just figured I didn't. And then I was worried something bad was going to go wrong. Yeah. So I was a little worried.

[00:24:46] At the beginning, I wasn't worried. But then it got a little hairy and I was I was thinking, oh, you know, there's going to be an accident or, you know, whatever. So I was it was tense. It was tense. Yeah, I really did think.

[00:25:03] I thought she was going to kill him, you know, especially after Negan started begging for it. But then you see that. That look that that Adelaide seems to really reserve only for. Maggie Green just being like done that that like, you know, her eyes

[00:25:22] kind of droop down a bit, just sort of like, oh, fuck. Really, Maggie Green gets that. Oh, Rick gets that look too. Where she's like, no, not giving you what you want. It's so fucking cold yet so. Decent and right. It's so this is such a great thing.

[00:25:39] I love this. I love, love, love this is that there's just this closure. Everybody gets to express what they needed to express in a calm and reasonable way. And she gets mad about that and it's justified and he gets it. It's just it's so reasonable.

[00:25:58] Fuck the scene with them was perfect. I feel like he has had Kirkman has had this written for so long in his mind. And what Maggie said and the questions she asked when, you know, she asked about, you know, can you hear? Can you see her face?

[00:26:16] Can you hear your voice and what she said about trying to picture Glenn and all she can see and all she can hear. And that's exactly how I feel. And it seems kind of ridiculous.

[00:26:27] And I've said it before in the podcast, but when Glenn died and I saw that. I mean, I literally cried on and off for like three days because I could not get that picture out of my mind. And here this is a fiction fiction story.

[00:26:46] And it's not only that, but it's it's a comic book. So I mean, it's not even live action. And it still affected me that much. And I'm not married to the guy. You know, I just if it affected me that much, I just can't even put myself.

[00:27:04] I can't even fathom what that would really do to somebody. And I love that they brought that up because what it did, it brought all those feelings back when she was talking about it. And I get that same sick feeling in my stomach and like

[00:27:21] that image of my head that I can't forget. And, you know, and it was it was perfectly done. I don't know what else I can say, but. Oh, and I loved the the way when Maggie shows up and this whole like,

[00:27:41] you know who I am, don't you? Yeah, I'm not senile. You know, just even the way it starts is just. Come on, don't. And when when she was like, you know, you know why I'm here?

[00:27:55] He's like, I got a pretty good guess and the gun kind of gives away. Yeah, yeah, I mean every was good. But it was. I don't know this if for some reason it just felt sort of. I don't know.

[00:28:09] I'm sure nobody would really have dialogue like this in a situation like this. But but it felt real to me. It just felt earned. Oh, there we go. It just it felt earned. On both parts. I feel for me when I put myself in Maggie's shoes,

[00:28:26] I'm thinking that she had this. In her mind, the scenario and she had these lines planned out for so long and and probably ran through it in her mind what she would do so many times in so many different ways. Yeah. And like for her, this is.

[00:28:46] Going through this script, you know, and he has his own script. You know, he has his own reaction to her script. But yeah, she's probably I don't want to say fantasize because that sounds like a little strange, but she's probably fantasizing.

[00:29:01] I think that's a right way to put it. Yeah. That, you know, she's just finally getting to play through it. And, you know, sometimes it goes a little differently in real life. No, you are. I got to say that this actually came up recently with Mrs.

[00:29:18] Blogg and I as we were talking about that. And something came up, Rose, the subject of do you ever like run through an argument in your head? And think about how the other person is going to respond and how you're going to respond.

[00:29:32] And I actually did say, I'm like, no, I actually gave that up years ago after 20 plus years now. It's just sort of like. I gave it up years ago only because I realized every time I try to do it, it always doesn't go as planned.

[00:29:46] The other person never says what you think they're going, maybe one or two things, but never the whole thing. And then your argument is just like, and I think that's where you're going with this, is that's what happens with Maggie?

[00:29:58] She reaches a point where she's like, well, you you can't know. You can't apologize and feel bad for what you're doing. What do you mean? You won't fight back. Fuck you. You know, yeah. That's not how it's supposed to go down. Yeah, yeah. I see what you're doing.

[00:30:12] I loved it. It just felt genuine. It felt earned. You felt her rage and you felt his. I don't want to say guilt. That's obvious, but his. What's the word I'm looking for? Remorse. Yeah, I mean, he's remorseful and he's suicidal in his own ways.

[00:30:36] He's just calm and, you know, sort of given up. I mean, are he resigned? Resigned there and he's he it's very disarming, right? You're all pissed off like that. And someone's coming at you like the Buddha and you're like, I can't shoot this guy. Shit.

[00:30:53] You know, I mean, he wants. And then, of course, the switch is to oh, he wants to die. Oh, fuck him. I'm not going to give him the pleasure of dying, you know, which I think gives Maggie what she needs to, which is a sense of winning. Yeah.

[00:31:07] She got something over because like I feel like at different moments, they were both. Like I think when Negan was like, you know, you know, just go ahead. I understand. Kill me. You know, I think that is the conversation in his mind that he's had before.

[00:31:25] He has played through before. But then when she couldn't go through it, you know, he kind of loses it and grabs her and grabs the gun and points it because. You know, that's that was his reaction, like Maggie's reaction

[00:31:38] when the script wasn't going like he wanted to go. You know, they both kind of lose it a bit there. Yeah. And I'm looking at those two pages where, you know, Maggie's got the gun to his head. I'm just it's. I feel bad for.

[00:31:54] Both of them, you know, because he's saying picture, Glenn's face, remember that. Remember what I did? That's who I am. That's what I'm capable of. I can do that again. And I believe him and it's just he's trying so hard to just say.

[00:32:08] And that's what we have, you know, in the beginning, that's what we. Of course. As as readers were kind of saying, you know, that's what he's capable of. He could do it again. We don't we don't know. Yeah. You know, we we.

[00:32:21] You trusted Rick more than I did, but I was certainly there. And I didn't think it was worth taking the chance. You know, I don't know. I'm got to say, I'm feeling kind of. Well, what's the word? I'm looking I'm very short of words this week, aren't I?

[00:32:41] Vindicated, that's the word. Rightfully so. Rightfully so. I definitely am. I definitely am. And it's I don't know. It was. And then to see that. You got some shit for being on the Negan train, quote unquote. I got a lot of shit for being on the Negan train.

[00:33:01] That's true. But I don't know. I'm looking right now at the couple of pages later as Maggie's pulling the gun away and how let's face it, how sad and pathetic and broken, broken, Negan looks. And I honestly think that

[00:33:21] has she not killed those two zombies that he would have allowed them? Yep, I think so, too. And you know, I mean, let's just say it kudos to Kirkman and Adler. I mean, I think the art in this was absolutely amazing. But I mean, the fact that

[00:33:39] they he has managed to create a character over the course of 74 issues that we hated more than almost anything in the world. And to somebody we are sympathizing with can understand, have empathy for, have a backstory of, have an actual arc of

[00:34:07] do horrible things, face justice, redeem himself. I mean, his arc has been stupendous. You know, and at no point do I feel Kirkman ever necessarily took the easy way out because every every turn where he could have killed him

[00:34:24] would have been applauded and people would have been fine with it, but he didn't. He kept it going. And he managed to make this cartoonish character humanized. And I'm, yeah, I'm going to give it up to Kirkman for that because. Yeah.

[00:34:42] You know, I was willing to eat crow. If he turned out to be a complete bad guy again, that would have been fine. I'm really happy. I was kind of, you know, the whole I believe in Rick Grimes thing. Well, you know, I believe in Kirkman sometimes and

[00:34:59] and I want to believe and I think maybe now I'm beginning to understand where he's trolling us and where he's not. Maybe not. I'm sure I can be wrong immediately. We'll see. Negan has had a spectacular, spectacular arc. I think, you know, I think

[00:35:18] because a lot of it, I always feel like Negan is Kirkman and Negan is says the shit that Kirkman would want to say. After time, I think Kirkman has a good understanding of Negan in some kind of weird way. And so he is, I think he did

[00:35:37] exceptional, exceptional job with the development of this character. And, you know, once again, I'll say again that I appreciate that backstory that we got on him recently was that perfectly into it meshed perfectly into the story like no other back story that we've gotten really has.

[00:35:58] The other ones agreed. Yeah, totally agree. Very good. So I think the only other thing we really haven't talked about is the kiss. Oh, and that's exactly how I have my number one written. As the kiss. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Finally. And I got to say, first of all,

[00:36:22] I was a little slumbery, because that was exactly where I was going. And I decided to not be so gross. And I was going to start with Dante's face in that first panel. His eyes are basically like she just talked about,

[00:36:37] you know, thinking about Glenn saying her name as his eyeball was popped out. It seems a little rude that then Dante would turn around and pretty much make it look like his eyeballs are fucking popping out. She can't see him or I said, no, you're right.

[00:36:50] She's really into it. He's really surprised. And my God, there is slobber. I don't know who is wetter of the mouth. I'm guessing Maggie. She seems like she's. Yay. Yeah, I think, you know, I think what I liked about it is because I saw it

[00:37:15] and I'm totally OK with it. You know, I was totally OK with it as much as I love, love Glenn. I am totally OK with this. And I think that I that made me feel like, OK, what she just went through with Negan, you went through.

[00:37:34] That's when I knew that it was good closure. When I saw this page and these three panels and I was totally fine. There it is. Amazing, right? Yeah. Yeah. So I felt I was like, OK, I'm ready. Oh, this is good. This is a good thing.

[00:37:51] Oh, I'm so happy to hear that. That's great. I really I love this so much. I did love seeing that kiss. Look at the look on Maggie's face. And this is why I got to say I got to give it up to Adler as well.

[00:38:02] I think he's still firing on all cylinders with this. The look she gives him. What's that cheesy meme that's going to find yourself a woman and or man who looks at you the way X looks at X, right? The way Maggie looks at Dante. Oh, hell yeah. Yeah.

[00:38:20] I mean, it's like I'm here. I'm sorry it took so long. Yeah, right? Right. No. I love that. So did I. And Dante's look of, well, he looks like a man who's just like, what just happened? Am I dreaming? I must be dead.

[00:38:38] Well, think about it from his perspective. Huh. She went into a room with Negan. Didn't kill him, comes out, shoots a couple zombies, kisses me and tells me let's go home. That's hot. What gets her off?

[00:38:56] I mean, I think that's what you know, might be he might be wondering about that. I don't think he knows that he's awake. Well, that's possible to. That was very cute. Excellent. Do you have any notes beyond all these wonderful little, I mean,

[00:39:17] there we definitely talked the hell out of this thing, but there was there were so many. There's so many things. There's so many things that I'm sure some of our listeners, we have a lot of mail.

[00:39:27] I'm sure some of them touch on some things that we can do. Well, and I didn't even have time to read the. And I do want to say like, you know, Negan burning the bat. And then that final panel, the look on Negan's face is pure contentment.

[00:39:44] You know, that's a guy who's like. At peace with with himself, a piece of the war. It's just like I look at it and I think Namaste. That's what I think he looks at peace. I love he does look at peace. He he's closure, closure.

[00:40:04] He's had closure just like it was it was a good. It was a good meeting between the two of them. It was and this is the last issue of this arc, right? Before we begin the New World Order. So the theme of closure. You know, I don't know.

[00:40:22] This is and I love something's going on here at the end of the year. Oh, right. You know, we have new stuff going on next year. Yeah. Sure. One will kind of revisit these these characters. The world may be gone by next year.

[00:40:38] So this is great, you know, that we're getting it. They're giving us some sense of closure in a world where where we could all die at any given. It's a gift. I feel as peaceful now. All right, Grace, I think we've talked the hell out of this.

[00:41:03] I already said that once before. Shall we move on to the letters? Yes, let's do it. OK, our first one here is from Aaron. Hey, Grace and Mr. B, that first full page panel was priceless right out of the gate with Negantok.

[00:41:23] I didn't picture sunflowers as sexy until now. They are really tall. My neighbor across the street grows them and those fuckers are super tall. I'll send you a picture in the springtime. No, no, it's OK. Don't worry about it. It did bring back memories of my childhood.

[00:41:42] We used to have on our on our back deck, we used to have a bird feeder and, you know, the birds are messy. And so or maybe they didn't like the sunflowers with the whatever they pitch them out or. But anyway, the sunflowers would grow.

[00:41:56] Yeah, that the seeds would fall on the sunflowers would grow. And they were like seriously as tall as my deck. It was oh, absolutely. Sunflowers get giant. I love them up here. Very tall and sexy. Anyway, back to Aaron's email. The issues dove deep into Negan's psyche.

[00:42:15] He's flown off the deep end. That scene where he finds the bat reminded me of the Denzel Washington movie Flight. Not sure if you guys saw that movie, but he's got a drinking problem and there is this sense where he's staying in a five. Oh, scene.

[00:42:34] Well, hold on. Spoilers for anybody who hasn't seen flight. Jump ahead 30 seconds. How old's the movie? A few years. I mean, I know, go on. I just I've wanted to be polite, you know. Not sure if you guys saw that movie,

[00:42:50] but he's got a drinking problem and there is this scene where he's staying at a five star hotel and his sponsors clean out his minibar from getting drunk. Well, there was a door to another hotel that was open and it had a full minibar.

[00:43:07] He told himself, no, no, no, like Negan did with the bat went back to bed but kicked the door down and drank everything. I thought that hilarious and similar to this issue. That encounter with Maggie was 75 issues in the making.

[00:43:24] And man, oh, man, was it worth the wait? The way the writing and illustrations were done made me feel like I was watching the show. I think the biggest take on this is that not only Maggie can move on wait till you get to the back hilltop,

[00:43:40] wait till you get back to the hilltop Dante. But it looks like Negan burning that bat symbolizes a door closing for him in the next chapter for his story to come. Very excited for this next story arc, guys, and looking forward to seeing where this will take us.

[00:44:01] Side note, with the lack of Rick Grimes and his constant depressing grave sleeping, do you think this is soon to be the end of our Rick Grimes? I feel like with all of these awesome stories coming up that his character could in fact do without.

[00:44:20] Let me know what you guys think. Yeah, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Yeah, thank you very much, Aaron. Appreciate that. Do I think this is the end of it? Look, if I had a dollar for right, if I had a dollar

[00:44:31] for every time as somebody says the end of Rick Grimes, I'd be 100 air. It's it's. I don't know. Maybe I do think that the show has always going to be moving on to Karl. But I ultimately think it is Rick's story.

[00:44:48] I will tell you if they decide to end this show. It's a show. They decide to end this book at issue 200. I'd be thrilled if it was coming towards the end, you know? But but who knows where it's going to go? Kirkman has surprised us.

[00:45:05] There have been so many false potential deaths for Rick Grimes. It's not even funny, you know? Who knows? I hope not. I want to keep going, but you never know. It could keep going without him. You're right. I do think it could keep going without him.

[00:45:23] But at that point, I would keep going without him. But more and more, I'm thinking that. That is almost the only way to end it. I really like Rick's story ending and then. Our old stories just sort of on the horizon that we don't really find out.

[00:45:42] See, I like the idea of like old man Karl telling the story of his father to his grandchildren. And that's what all of this is. It feels very sweet to the ending kind of thing or spoilers. But anyway, I can live with that. OK, with that people. Lovely.

[00:46:02] I don't know that we need lovely, but yeah, maybe. Couldn't we use a little lovely in the world right now? We could use a lot of lovely in the world. Right. Just I'm not sure we want to look

[00:46:13] to the wards of walking dead to give us that though. Oh, fair enough. All right, let's move on. Next letter from Dylan. Sorry. Hey, guys, I really like this issue. Even though it was bottled, we got an enormous amount of character development from it.

[00:46:35] Seeing Negan officially reform himself was amazing. We've seen him change. But until he's alone and acting for no one, you don't get that same perspective and confirmation. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Kirkman goes about his character from now on.

[00:46:51] I almost thought he was going to slip back with the bat. And the Maggie scene really moved me. I kept thinking one of them would break and there would be a fight and it didn't happen. And that was brilliant in my opinion.

[00:47:04] One of the most dramatic scenes that can remember that didn't involve the major death. I absolutely enjoyed it in every aspect. Flawless writing. The Dante kiss was pretty expected for a while, I guess. I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of the relationship,

[00:47:19] but I guess it makes sense that this is Maggie's full closure on there's that word on Glenn in a way. She got revenge and she didn't actually have to do anything to get it. On a side note, she tells Negan, you have to live with what you've done.

[00:47:36] After all this time, she finally understands that Rick was right to spare him after all that war. Kirkman did this cynical plot without having to have a character directly say excuse me, take it back. Kirkman did this cyclical plot, not cynical, cyclical plot

[00:47:55] without having to have a character directly say it, which I loved. Overall, I really love this issue. Thanks for the podcast as always, Dylan, aka Pickles 312. Yes. Thank you, Dylan. That was that was awesome. I am generally. Yeah, pretty much right there with you.

[00:48:18] Indeed. OK, our next one is from Jason. Hello, Mr. Blog and Grace. I finally made it. I'm completely caught up with the comic. I entered the Walking Dead universe watching the TV show. Once I found out it was also a comic, I had to check it out.

[00:48:35] I never had any interest in comics before. I ordered the compendium number one and quickly got caught up with the TV show and stopped not wanting to get spoiled. Around season three, I stumbled across the Walking Dead cast

[00:48:48] and I started with their first episode and got caught up. Of course, this is where I discovered you guys. It wasn't long before I decided to read the comic past where the show was. Nobody I know reads a comic and can't believe I'm willing to spoil

[00:49:04] the show by reading the comic. But I don't want to be spoiled on the comic by watching the show first. While I was reading, I was listening to your podcast because I have no one to talk to about the comic. So you guys filled that void.

[00:49:20] Listening to you guys got me excited to read other comics. So I made an extended comic Christmas list. I can't wait to see what I might get. Awesome. That's cute. That's awesome to be excited about Christmas. I know, right? Yeah, right.

[00:49:36] No, actually, no, this year I'm kind of excited because Mrs. Blogg got me something and I have no idea what it is. And it's it's cooking related and I'm so excited. I have no idea. But it's sorry. Back to Jason. OK, back to Jason.

[00:49:54] After I finished the compendium number one, I started ordering the hardcover books and only keeping up as the books came out. Those are great, right? I love my hardcover. So I got to say, Jason, good choice. I wish I could have afforded it when I first started collecting.

[00:50:09] Or I wish I had them. Once a year after getting book 14 and reading it, I finally decided to visit my local comic shop here in Newark, Ohio. While there, I picked up a couple of volumes that weren't on my Christmas list. Revival and postal.

[00:50:27] Oh, cool. I have read revival and I will be continuing it. I haven't started postal yet. I pointed out the DuckTales comic to my eight year old daughter and now she is enjoying reading it. I ordered through issue 173 of the Walking Dead, read them and patiently waited for

[00:50:45] 174 to show up. Oh, welcome to pain. Welcome to the pain. The monthly pain. Hard. But now he can write in. Yeah, absolutely. That makes that for it, right? Now that I've caught up, caught you up with my sudden addiction to comics after almost 43 years,

[00:51:05] I will briefly tell you what I thought of issue one. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, we just read the comic. OK, I was excited to get back to Negan and his entertaining vocabulary. I about shut when he. Oh, shit. I think that's not a correct right there.

[00:51:23] That's not a correct thing. I about shit when he started to recreate Lucille. Then Maggie. Oh, man, I can't believe she actually spared him. I don't know how to feel about Maggie and Dante, but I guess she deserves to be happy. Yes, she does. She sure does.

[00:51:40] I was kind of disappointed that Negan tossed Lucille 3.0. Yeah, thank you in the fire. We can't wait to see that what I can't wait to see what he does next. But I bet he's going to take a while to find out

[00:51:56] because we're going to hopefully find out what our group has gotten themselves into in Ohio. I'm glad I was able to catch up and finally write in until next time. Jason in Ohio. Thank you, Jason. For fuck's sake, Jason, welcome. Welcome to under the comic covers.

[00:52:11] I'm so glad. And really, this is kind of cool that he went from the beginning of the walking dead cast, so he got to hear like you way before me. You know, I showed up quite a bit later and it was. Wow, you've seen a bizarre evolution.

[00:52:30] Of kind of where we came from and how it all started in the beginning of Walker Stocker con, so the walking dead. Patience to do that too. It really must. Yeah. I mean, I'm sorry if you're going through something rough that you're going through all of those.

[00:52:47] I found podcasts. So happy he really does. But podcast has helped me through many difficult times of my life over the last few years. I'm just saying. But no, that's that's cool. I don't know. So thank you, Jason. I really really keep writing in. We love it.

[00:53:00] And by the way, the reason why I chuckled when she said Lucille 3.0, Jason Rose and Lucille 2.0, which does make 100 percent sense. But in context of this episode, you've been calling her Lucille 3. So it's Lucille 3. Yeah, exactly.

[00:53:17] All right. Our next letter here is from Amanda, who is also new. That is so cool. I mean, she wrote in one letter before that in the red and then a couple of times just back and forth behind the scenes behind the scenes. But Amanda, welcome as well.

[00:53:33] This is this is great. Really 183 episodes in or get new people. Love you guys. It's awesome. Hi, Grace and Mr. B. Hope you both are doing well. First, I wanted to say thank you, Grace, for the titles you suggested. I started Saga. Oh, fuck yeah.

[00:53:50] And I'm loving it so far. Now onto the Walking Dead. I have to say she had this. I'm interrupting here. She had this whole list of titles that she had picked up based on our recommendation. And she's like, well, you know, what else should I pick up?

[00:54:06] I'm like, wait, you haven't started Saga yet? Yeah, Saga is one of those. There has to be a typo anyway. Yeah, that's one of those must reads for sure. So right on. Congratulations. Kirkman almost had me. I almost felt sorry for Negan for a minute.

[00:54:25] Then Maggie brought back those awful images of Glenn's death. And I remembered why I disliked Negan so much. It was nice to see Maggie confront him. And maybe she got some closure closure. There's that word again.

[00:54:36] I know she'll never really get past losing Glenn, but it seems like she's moving on. That kiss was definitely unexpected. And the look on Dante's face was priceless. You have her eyes bugging out. I don't see Negan being able to live alone indefinitely.

[00:54:53] He can't survive without an audience. Plants and zombies will only work for so long. I still don't trust him being out there in the world knowing what he's capable of. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this issue.

[00:55:06] Oh, shit. Well, Amanda, I'm sorry to say, I think Negan. He's fine out in the world. He's a broken, sad man. I'm kind of believe in Negan at this point. I don't know. He could go back to it, but can't they all look what Rick has done?

[00:55:23] I don't think he will. I think he got what he needed out of it. I think that healed him a little bit enough to be you know, give him, like you said, closure, not enough closure that he needs to heal.

[00:55:37] And I almost wouldn't be surprised if we never saw him again. I almost feel like he is. You know, his story's over. I know. Yeah. And I'd be OK with that. I'd be OK with that. I'll tell you what, I actually would be OK with that.

[00:55:59] And I would respect Kirkman. We're doing that for cutting off a character that is. Gold, he's a great. He is a great fucking kid. Now, maybe maybe they could go away from him for a while and have him come back in a. Lancelot at the end of Excalibur,

[00:56:21] sort of way where where he's all grizzled and old and like, you know, everybody thought he was already dead and but he shows up to save the day at the last minute. He's already done that kind of. Kinda, I don't know. I would really dig that. So.

[00:56:40] Again, I'm used. I think I've done this before. I think I've used Excalibur as an example before. Oh, I did with with when we interviewed Charlie Adler. I thought that's the way all that war was going to end that Negan or Rick. We're going to kill each other.

[00:56:53] Oh, right, right. Wow. My predictions are always so fucked up. Although lately I've had a few correct ones. OK. If you guess enough sooner or later. Exactly. A broken clock is right twice a day. Teasing, teasing. OK. Thanks.

[00:57:14] Was that Amanda or last we've been rambling rambling so long. Thanks, Amanda. OK, our next one is from Jason Kibasi, our podcast daddy. We haven't called him that in a while. Hi, Jason. We haven't. Hey, Jason. OK. Oh, it's freaking loved this issue.

[00:57:34] I think this issue finally made me come around and think Negan has actually had a deep change of heart. Sorry. I ever doubted you, Mr. Block. Oh my goodness. Sorry, I ever doubted you. You might have been one of the ones that said something about the Negan train.

[00:57:53] So oh yeah, I got I got that's exactly. I definitely got some closure for you. It really is. I got some closure as well. Thank you, Jason. That was awesome. Thanks, Jason. Haven't heard from him in a while. So you know it's a good issue when I write.

[00:58:11] And that's great. Absolutely. Our final letter really, we've had a lot of mail for this one. And like you said, we didn't even get everything on this one. Apologies, but from Lloyd. Hi, Grace and Mr. Blog, I have to say I really enjoy this Negan centric issue.

[00:58:27] It provided a nice bit of insight as to who Negan really is or should I say has become. I believe he truly came to terms with the error of his former ways on his own, but he did not fully understand the true horrors of his actions.

[00:58:44] I think he kind of did. But Maggie's questions and Negan regarding his wife's face and voice were great. Her mercy was certainly not deserved, but certainly has caused a permanent change in him, which all led up to her unexpected kiss to Dante fueled by

[00:59:01] all those conflicting emotions burning inside her. It seemed like it all just left her with those two bullets. She put into the zombies so they wouldn't kill Negan. The whole exchange was sublime. The only question left is, do we see him again? Do we need to? Deja Vu.

[00:59:24] Yeah, maybe I saw that. Take care, Lloyd. Thanks, Lloyd. You read my mind. This is Casey Kasem saying, oh, wait, sorry. Got into Casey Kasem mode on that one. Yeah, thank you very much, Lloyd. That was great. I love that.

[00:59:42] And you know, I think he can be remorseful and, you know, see the error of his ways, but not really fully understand what someone was going through until he actually talked to her in that whole back and forth conversation. So I see what Lloyd's saying there.

[01:00:03] You know, I think maybe that was the first time he really, really put himself in Maggie's shoes. And as much as he is hurting over Lucille's death, like watching the violence beating of your spouse has to be much worse than what he went

[01:00:21] through and think about how traumatized he is. So anyway, very good. Thank you, everybody. That was some amazing letters we got through. Absolutely. Amazing feedback. And so many, I mean, so many of them came in yet. Almost all of them came in yesterday. That's awesome.

[01:00:38] That's really great that by yesterday, that's Wednesday. You know, oh my gosh, this is going to be. Well, and it was funny because I even got a, it wasn't even an email. It was a Facebook messenger thing from somebody in Scotland,

[01:00:54] I believe, who sent me a message and I was like. And they live in the future, so they had it already. Exactly. And I'm like, oh, fuck, I haven't ready. Okay, hold on, I can't read this. I need to get to work and pull it up right away.

[01:01:08] It was like 8 30 in the morning at work and I'm reading The Walking Dead. I'm like, oh, God, I got it. I hope this is not a good, you know, but I needed to do that to make sure.

[01:01:19] And then there were a bunch of emails for paper girls that I couldn't read until until much later. And I'm like, God damn it. Which. Damn. Grace, let's go ahead and get moving. We have another whole comic book to talk about, which is way more confusing

[01:01:40] and twisty and curvy and weird and all sorts of wonderful. At least. But wow, we've really talked about The Walking Dead quite a bit. Grace, shall we go ahead and move on to paper girls? We need to. Number 18. OK, yes, we do. Be back in a moment, folks.

[01:02:07] Tell me your troubles. I'm. Giving everything inside and out. And. Love strange. So we learn the. Love. Slow change. It may pull us apart when I laugh. Get in your. Baby, don't you forget about me.

[01:02:41] Welcome back Time Travelers. It is time now to talk about Paper Girls number 18. We begin as always with Previously in Paper Girls In the last issue the girls were still separated from Tiffany The main group is in Charlotte Her basement like she's this crazy cartoonist

[01:03:14] She kind of explains to them the battle of the ages Which is this war between the teenagers and the old-timers who are both on Different sides of if you should fuck with the past or should you not fuck with the past?

[01:03:31] Charlotte's on the side of the teenagers and She met one I guess apparently met I think was Jude She was young and but all the girls that you know They want they're kind of interested to know what's going on

[01:03:44] But they what they're really really want to do is find Tiffany But Charlotte won't let them leave and she ends up pulling a gun on them And then we kind of Leave them and we see what's going on with Tiffany. She finally gets away from the police officer

[01:04:00] officer and Of course after she pulled him out of this burning police car like Arnold freakin Schwartz and agar And she also witnessed the cleanup job of the old-timers really super cool restores and Then she goes straight to her parents house kind of looking for help but instead

[01:04:23] Meets this vampire. I mean her future husband See this is how previously on is done. Holy shit, you know, I could learn less than earth to from you

[01:04:35] Do research things to talk about as opposed to like five different storylines that we're going on with the walking dead in the last issue Wow, thanks. That was fantastic this issue. Where's it pick up? It picks up in the basement and charlotte's basement so

[01:04:52] Brian K. Vaughan is very good about Allowing his volumes to just roll from one to the other You know without much of a hitch Kirkman's good about that as well And I love that. I love that things flow throughout these volumes. So Your thoughts on this issue

[01:05:13] This issue was amazing start to finish action fun, you know, I just I couldn't be more pleased with this week's issues really both of them and So we got so much information This this is one of the first times and and you know, was it expository?

[01:05:33] Yeah, maybe to a certain degree, but I think it's expository in a way that plays off of our knowledge of The future of the last 17 years, right, you know, we understand the the last 17 years So we understand that that's

[01:05:50] We do I feel like ever since we met charlotte that we've been getting a ton of information Yeah, she's she's been a fantastic little info dump for us And I love that she's kind of crazy and You know, she's like this crazy old fangirl

[01:06:07] With a gun. Yeah, that about sums it up. I like it. I like it. Yeah, what's your number three? Let's dig into it Anyway, okay. Yeah, okay. My number three is getting more information on Chris and to be sure

[01:06:21] Very nice. I like the chat between between them. I like how she's like You know, she tries to play it off and try to make things believable But then when she see you know, she feels like Chris might be in danger or she's like no

[01:06:35] Tiffany and she totally convinces him. I like that he bull. I you know, he's all right I do I think that he's done. He's an okay guy, you know he Was faced with something like totally impossible in ludicrous and what business school is that we're talking about

[01:06:59] I think she thought it was more on Tiffany thought that idea was more ludicrous than the whole time travel thing Well, exactly. I love that face was like I really loved it. I thought again, you know going back to something I was even saying in the walking dead

[01:07:13] There was a certain Realness to everything going on, you know and that to me felt very real this idea of Ew like a kid think about business and then he's like Yeah, no, it was really a shitty fit. You know just wasn't a good

[01:07:32] Both for either of us. I can't see him in a bid to go in this going there. No, that was fun I love it because you know on the surface He you know

[01:07:40] It's a little shocking to see him because he dresses maybe a little bit differently than you would think that Tiffany or her husband might dress and to find out that obviously she must dress a little You know, yeah, I can't wait to see

[01:07:55] How she looks how do you go from there? You know 12 years, you know, how do you change that much? Oh, it doesn't it. Are you kidding me? That just takes eighth and ninth grade

[01:08:08] Yeah, that's all that takes. Oh, yeah, that's a oh, yeah, yeah, no I get that one So that was that was super fun and I like that I totally trust Chris Yeah, me too. I like I like that feeling 100% I do too little shocking seeing him

[01:08:30] But I totally trust him and I really enjoyed like you know he Okay, so part of what I really dig about Chris is How do I put this? He's 24 and he's like I'm a full grown adult, you know

[01:08:48] So there's that aspect to him which is like oh my god really kid come on. Give me a break but then there's this other part where he's speaking to Tiffany in a Really kind and genuine way and super respectful

[01:09:03] Even though she's young and I love it. She says maybe it's growing up me. She's not She's got keys not grown up you That was funny and in another thing that really Hit me between

[01:09:19] The two of them the conversation between the conversation between the two of them is that she was so heard that he didn't recognize her I like that, you know, it's like she was shocked looking at him and thinking how would I ever marry that?

[01:09:32] but then you know a few minutes later she she is like so Her that he doesn't know It's I gotta say I kind of felt the same way I was I'm kind of with her like how could you not know that's your

[01:09:49] But then when he said it was like what three months that they got married, you know, so yeah Obviously the Tiffany becomes shall we say impulsive? Probably well, but we don't know how long they've known each other. That's true. Yeah, you're right on that

[01:10:04] They've only been married three months, but you're right. You're right. I take it because that means she's 24 I don't because 12 years my only complaint is his blue eyeshadow That is way to 70s. I don't think blue eyeshadow is happening in 2000

[01:10:23] Save some complaints it would have been way more of it would have been It would have been way more of a smoky eye not that blue. I just disagree with that so I mean that the colors are kind of funky and not necessarily realistic in paper girls

[01:10:41] So all right, all right, we can go with that my number three. We're not even in my number three yet Which similar to yours thanks to Charlotte and actually I wrote out a long thing here

[01:10:54] Thanks to Charlotte and the conversation between grandfather and prioris. We have a much clearer understanding of the two sides but What is the significance of our paper girls?

[01:11:13] You know, we still big question mark when we get these question marks while we're getting all these answers and I fucking love it I love the conversation that we give a Charlotte where she's just spewing out this shit about anthrax wall

[01:11:26] Pardon me not shit about anthrax and envelopes and airplanes going into skyscrapers She's talking about the future and and it's scary bits of the future and it's our past You know, this is interesting thing and it is I

[01:11:42] Have to say if I were to hear somebody like Charlotte in Real life IRL if the kids will I would think oh shit, this is an absolute crazy person But what's funny is this crazy person is actually spewing out truth

[01:12:00] Because she really does know the past and I love that there's that subversion of our Expectation that that somebody spewing out these sort of crazy sounding things would be just that crazy and we even started this is calling her crazy Charlotte so I

[01:12:19] Really love that. She spewed all that out and and That clarification of what the old timers and the teenagers This what this war of the ages is really all about is so fascinating to me and it in it Absolutely bends my concept of this entire book

[01:12:40] Of who we should or should not be rooting for and I think we talked about this last month But it really really hit me in this issue having it spelled out as as

[01:12:54] Clearly as it was in this one about about what the two sides are all about and I'm like well fuck to yeah Just let history happen. I mean I'm but

[01:13:04] Well, God a perfect present, you know if you can tweak things in the bed. No, I think that's a horrible idea And and I love that Chris very selfish idea which I could get behind in certain moments

[01:13:16] But the hope that's just it and here I think we're beginning to see what this may Eventually all be about is that is kind of the teenage mind, right? You and I have teenagers as children We understand you know, oh, I take it back

[01:13:35] We don't understand the teenage mind But we understand the plight of anybody trying to understand the fucking teenage mind Even though they once been teenagers and they just can't remember. Oh, I remember a lot of it

[01:13:46] And remember a lot of it is like I was a dumb ass so I think I think that was so much mature mature all were for fuck's sake So that's something you know, so we're beginning to see like oh my god

[01:13:59] Is this book really about the battle between the adult you and the teenage you you know the the Experience versus Ideology You know it's it's I think I think there's some really bigger Sort of themes going on here that are being very slowly fleshed out

[01:14:25] And we don't know what they are yet and it's Brian K. Vaughan and I He is one of those Extraordinarily rare writers where it's like no, no, no, I'll bear it all I will I will splay myself open for you. I Want to see your story

[01:14:41] And I know and I feel like we have done that For most of the series really probably up until the last two or three issues where we You just have to With the series you just have to trust him. Yeah, because it's this some crazy fucking shit

[01:15:02] Yeah, you have no idea what we had no idea what's going on and now we're finally Sort of being told what's going on and Things are sort of falling into place a little bit in some areas and we're getting some

[01:15:18] Understanding but still there's so much out there and I love that feeling and you know, we've talked about it before I love Having complete trust in the creators. It's it's knowing somebody is at the rudder really steering this and it's not just doing something for

[01:15:39] Shock value doing something for the sake of of yeah shock about good enough It's somebody with with a real clear concise view of where this story is gonna go

[01:15:51] And where it's gonna and where it's gonna end and you feel it and and it's a really good feeling because you just To be in the hands of a good storyteller Mm-hmm. There you go. It's a great feeling Neil Gaiman

[01:16:05] To put my hands in Neil Gaiman I trust that man Christopher Moore another great storyteller. I'm not comics but books, you know, I really Literature book whatever non picture books, you know what I mean Yeah, it's a great feeling Because because you can just be vulnerable and allow

[01:16:30] Allow yourself to go with the story and and that's and here's something at issue 18 I'm already getting that feeling of oh, I can't wait to go back and reread this and see all the things we missed

[01:16:43] And it's only at issue 18 and I feel like it's already been going on for quite some time Again great feeling really good so My god, we just okay Was that was that just my number three? Did you go?

[01:16:58] I just have my number three and I think our verbal hand job for Brian K. Vaughan is done What is your number two? Number two is the great escape. I thought that was super fun Exciting and I loved all the different little parts of it from Erin

[01:17:14] You know, she hasn't been at the paper girl job for very long But she's the new kid but man her aim is is very good and That that was fun because it was slightly unrealistic then it's

[01:17:30] Scary and fun and trying to trap the crazy old lady in the basement and then we're running, you know they're basically running like mad people trying to get to Tiffany's house and then

[01:17:42] Max can you hold back a minute? It's like they have so much to talk about but what's on Max mind? The whole lesbian thing with KJ Like of all the things that are important this is

[01:17:57] You know at the forefront of her mind and I thought that was great and fun and so Teenagery and self-centered and Great and do you think she really thinks? KJ is an alt KJ or you think she's just gone Oh

[01:18:14] Making her deal with things inside her that she's like God, please be the real KJ. I I Think she's just trying to get some sort of Mmm, maybe another opinion exactly on the whole thing and just like I don't I don't believe that's not really her

[01:18:34] I think probably cuz you know, maybe she has judged herself so much for whatever thought she might have had either Thoughts on it exactly. I think she is so She's been so programmed Program, that's the right word It's ingrained in her to believe that that is just wrong

[01:18:56] That this is pure projection because she probably Look, we've already seen the future. We've already seen her in KJ kissing and and Mack may very well be gay as well And and she can't come the terms with that because of her upbringing and that's just wrong. That's bad

[01:19:13] That's whatever it is. I think that's what she's wrestling with Yeah, so I don't know that was fun. It was great and then we get to Tiffany's parents house She shoved in the basement and just the whole funnies were you here and it's like

[01:19:36] Absolutely love that as well. What was your number? What was your number two again? That is my number two the Great Escape the Great Escape. Okay, sorry Hmm Agree with you 100% God my number two is is all sorts of different. We okay

[01:19:57] I say all sorts of different thing. It was actually Tiffany's husband. We've already talked about that then I'm like, okay Let me talk about maybe I have a bunch of notes. So Max reaction the case coming at shit. We just talked about that

[01:20:10] Um, well, let's see. I'm gonna go with oh Hell yeah, Erin using some paper girl ninja skills That's how they got out of that mess right she takes that paper throws it now. That's not a good number two

[01:20:26] Let's well and what we already talked about it. Let's go with Super fucking cool robot battle Battle nobody else because nobody else than see Tiffany why okay? So prior says that they have a cloaking device, right? So there's definitely cloaking going on but

[01:20:47] Clearly Tiffany's the only one I can see through the cloaking. Why is that? Does it has that does it have to do with when she Appeared separate from her friends in this particular world That she's able to see that Does it have to do with her age?

[01:21:05] Is she a slightly different I had to go back to when what was that thing that got her? I don't even know her remember the name of it With the T name. That's right the oh

[01:21:17] Crappity crap crap. There's no way I'm no not tardigrade. Yeah, that was the other thing. It was the Not archaeopteryx. We already had the giant

[01:21:25] Thanks for that thing that got a hold of her and showed her her past. Yes, I don't know. I did that alter her brain somehow And maybe I'll have your why well, but then but also

[01:21:39] KJ had she touched that as well, but that was the different symbol. No, that was a different It gave her eyeballs. Okay. J saw the feature. Yeah gave her pupils a different symbol. You're right. So hmm

[01:21:53] I don't know. So I don't know why she's the only one that can see it, but at least we got some X explanation as to why the cop is like What you know, you're on drugs and why he couldn't see it and then it's appeared and whatever

[01:22:07] We got a little bit at least we know that right now. She's the only one that's yeah seeing it We don't know and then we get the cop later on. Let's just go ahead and talk about that I'm sure it's not your number one

[01:22:17] No for certain there was so much about this that I loved and it was real one page And it was very you know kind of a sci-fi movie of like okay His brain's obviously just been zapped when we do know he just dealt with the Stompers

[01:22:31] You know, he got reprogrammed and I'm pretty sure that's all this is right just kind of good zapped Please do not worry. Well, that was disturbing That was the best and that was with Tiffany, of course now what I really enjoyed was just I forgot all about that

[01:22:47] This is the cop that gave them a hard time earlier In another in remember it 2016. Oh Was the cop oh Okay, I yeah, see I totally didn't know what they were referring to

[01:23:03] Then I think it was like right around the target around yeah, so so he's sort of okay So he exactly we know he's okay, and that's kind of the whole thing with this entire story which I find so fascinating is

[01:23:18] The old-timers and the teenagers they all well at least the old-timers seem to be able to repair shit And and I just find that fascinating care to repair or care to repair shit

[01:23:30] You're right the teenagers probably could as well. They even said their technologies millennia ahead of theirs at least at this point And that's I'm getting into my number one here once we get talking about at this point whatever Whatever that is

[01:23:45] Fucks sake um yeah, whatever that is the timeline is so screwy with with them So with my god even what we're talking about. I don't know where we are Where are we that was my number two? Find out your number one

[01:24:02] Okay, well my number one is Joppo, I guess and not only is grandfather Joppo But he's not gonna be playing by the rules any longer So it's like bam bam we get it but but but but but but No, we see him as an old man

[01:24:24] So whatever in prior issues, right? Well, so whatever That just tells me this is a really fucking long war well, yeah, it's absolutely a really fucking long war But it He at least survives whatever this is so whatever last rights is

[01:24:49] Still continues on to the point where grandfather is old but I oh Well, last rights told me that isn't the end of him. That's more like we can use deadly force against our yeah

[01:25:01] Yeah, yeah, okay. I was thinking that was the tactical nooks. That's the okay for tactical nooks Maybe I don't know. I mean my number one. I'm gonna say is I don't know about much about technical nooks

[01:25:16] But well, nobody does be aimed or that's the whole point of tactical is this apparently they are Doesn't exist yet, but or it does whatever I don't know I just

[01:25:32] It's gonna kill a lot of people and and the whole thing with the old timers is that they don't change the past to alter the future Right. He's changing the rules, but he's changing the rules my number one

[01:25:44] I mean it was basically the same but it's rip prioris and I'm gonna read actually I'm gonna read this out as I as I wrote it much the way I did with number three rip prioris and whoa Joppo is he going to

[01:26:00] nuke stony Brook and start killing the teens but The old war is still happening when he's old but time travel are Yeah, I wrote are Yeah very well, I mean, maybe he makes this big mistake and

[01:26:17] Part of it is he's going back to try to fix the mistake later. I don't know Maybe he does wipe it out and maybe he killed the girls and he's always going back to try to correct it Is the war about the maybe the killing of the girls?

[01:26:33] Maybe well There are so many things I'm actually I am you know and when they're going back when we first meet them and Taking all the teenagers maybe is because they're not trying to harm them. Maybe they're trying to protect them

[01:26:51] Because they're not killing them there like putting them in little yeah Specimen blasts things so maybe it is maybe it is all about the girls Maybe because Charlotte says something about I'm going back here to Charlotte

[01:27:07] And the war is over she said yeah, but and she says if you guys get here wait where is it? Oh here it is You're making a terrible mistake girls the war is over if you get yourselves captured But she didn't mind killing them so

[01:27:25] But mate but actually she said that but she was probably just so but what does that mean? Does that mean one of these four girls becomes? Is very important. Okay, let's think about that Mac dies Tiffany Marys Chris Cage

[01:27:49] We don't see we haven't seen her no we don't know and Aaron becomes Aaron We've already met 2016 Aaron, but dr. Brownstein is born in 2016 Okay, so Joppo, we got to talk about He's just fried my brain a little bit okay, so

[01:28:13] Grandfather's job, oh, I think we threw out that theory Why I think we did I think other people did as well I don't heavily doubted ourselves at the time

[01:28:23] I know I don't think it's as awesome as I like to think it is that that we came up with that one But Joppo Okay, so he was born Well something way BC He didn't come with the girl, but he is did dr. Brownstein live in the past

[01:28:43] Did she make it? I Thought I kind of thought she died That's what do I can't remember damn, so if she found out she died she could still come back later anyway Earlier time. Oh, you're right. She could so I'm just I'm wondering how Joppo Got to the

[01:29:06] Present slash future How that happened I don't think we figured that out yet Yeah, how he became a representative for all of humanity. I mean, I really loved all this information Priores gave us He's elected. He's elected. I get a kick out of that

[01:29:27] That was interesting beautiful and not what I expected. No not at all And again this I think lends us now to this more sympathetic sympathetic feeling that we have towards Joppo and Priores and dude, I really I got I got bummed out of Priores's death

[01:29:46] Well, I mean it was obviously he had obviously had feelings for Obviously he has feelings for her had feelings for and and she seemed to be a very moral upstanding woman who was a good Balance for him and and Damn

[01:30:06] That's gone. So I you know, but obviously this has already happened god damn time travel again because he's older later on We know that's already happened for him But did it I don't know oh fucking paradox of time travel It sucks

[01:30:26] It's so my my mind is a little fried The vodka I'm sure is helping No, that's how I feel like after as is my wine girls every time I'm like, oh brain fried So very good though Did we get to your number one? I really look forward

[01:30:48] future podcasts doing a You know, hey we cover completed series too and going over paper girls And talking about this because I think you know once it's all completed and done much like why the last man I Regret or not regret, but I'm sad that I wasn't

[01:31:13] Aware enough to be reading that at the time How cool would that have been published first? I'm glad we get to do that with saga I'm glad we get to do this with paper girls Yeah All the books we cover

[01:31:29] Yeah, I agreed agreed and especially like I because Brian K. Vaughn they're so timely, you know, they're so Yeah, they're so of its time Well now I want to you know, and that's why we had a problem

[01:31:43] You know it's hard going back and kind of reading why the last man in a way because it's so oh it is so 90s Yeah, no very much so yeah and

[01:31:55] But I'm sure reading it saga saga just had a fucking fidget spinner in it and it actually that that kind of bum me out I'm like no no no no no no you shouldn't put fidget spinners and shit. That is way too of its time so

[01:32:10] But saga generally is not no, it's not which is why I found that was surprising one is definitely Paper girls definitely Yeah Is of a couple different times and it's a great blend but anyway, okay? We're

[01:32:23] We're looping around and going crazy and losing our way this episode is way long For two issues mail notes we haven't even done notes yet We don't need to know you know, I'm looking at my notes and I'm like nope. Nope. Nope. We covered everything. All right

[01:32:47] Who I'm sorry everyone and grace Um everyone in grace like you're not part of everyone Wine let's move on to the mail Our first one here is from Nathan hello grace and mr. Blog

[01:33:05] Paper girls 18 was a page turner the pages with grandfather and prior us discussing whether to play fair was revealing It's hard at this point not decide with them. They clearly give a shit about the complete

[01:33:20] Continuum of time on the other hand Charlotte's fear of our society has some merit Anthrax 9-11 reference smartphone addiction But it's hard to Condone the way they go about it usually with violence the last panel with the battle monster reappearing The stoppers

[01:33:44] This day is ready to clock grandfather's robot was definitely one of the most tense moments in the book indeed poor Mac totally in denial That's the word I was looking for denial Though it does add just the right dose of humor for such a serious issue

[01:34:06] It makes you wonder how Mac will eventually get to that final spectacular splash page Issue 13 and she and shake KJ kiss can't wait to see how that unfolds The big reveal is that grandfather is Joppo Something many of us have guessed I do wonder what kind of relationship

[01:34:27] Prior has had with Joppo there seems to be something more there As a note issue 10 was older grandfather Noting that his mother was born in the year 2016 Which we figured out was also the year dr. Bronstein was born I Always assumed dr. Bronstein was grandfather's mom

[01:34:56] But now I'm not so sure because worry is supposed to be Joppo's mom Sorry, I'm confused but the most beautiful but in the most beautiful way any thoughts Aloha grace And you pronounce that one to you shock us Okay. Oh Okay, and shock us to you mr. Block

[01:35:16] Nathan from Hawaii PS guess who got their letter published? That was very cool. That was awesome. He has is the very last letter so you have to go read it It's a poem. It's fun And if this wasn't such a long long podcast already I would read it

[01:35:31] But definitely flip through back in the last Letter read it the Nathan's poem. It was great Um So what the how could dr. Bronstein and Wari Wari both be a mom Oh, maybe maybe she does live and she steals Joppo. Maybe Wari dies and

[01:35:53] But I thought dr. Bronstein died but I'm not a hundred percent sure I don't know maybe Joppo doesn't know who's not real mom exactly. I think that could be what it is Maybe I don't know. I just think this is so I

[01:36:09] Love this. I don't know. I just love And we love the not knowing what we are we are relishing it kind of yeah But here's the thing that I really get a kick out of this is that the kid who was born in the

[01:36:22] You know thousand BC's whatever Is the one who wants history to be the continuum Mm-hmm, you know there's something I Just am so I'm so surprised to find myself on grandfather's side Mm-hmm at the beginning because we were not at all in the beginning of this series

[01:36:47] And now I'm just they seem like the bad guys. I don't know and my brother here from from Hawaii It just makes me happy. I guess we I don't know yeah shock is bra Um Let's move on. Okay. Thank you very much appreciate it Mahalo's

[01:37:04] From Matt hi grace and mr. B the opening page with best buys to why kid or why 2k warning was hilarious Fuck I love that. I do have to say when I open it up. That was all that

[01:37:17] He brought that up. I love this issue as I loved each and every issues of paper girls thus far But I have questions Dude we all do one why does Tiffany seem to be the only person who can see through the Stompers cloaking?

[01:37:33] I like Grace's explanation about her Getting close to the oh Something Trix You almost oh god, I almost did have it. It was right there All you know there's like half of our listeners are screaming. I know sorry. It's driving me crazy too Something Trix. Okay. Damn it

[01:37:58] Um, two what was the deal with that cop? I think we talked about it three What does perform last rights mean? I think we talked about that as well Does that mean the tactical nukes that they mentioned maybe great issue? I really enjoyed it

[01:38:12] Thanks for the podcast. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts this week Matt and Iowa Thanks, Matt. Thank you Okay, our last one here is from Amanda Thankfully KJ Aaron and Mack got away from Charlotte and found their way to Tiffany's house so cool

[01:38:30] At Erin that Erin used her paper girl skills to get them out of there and just skills in Charlotte And Charlotte social commentary was definitely interesting. I liked Erin's reaction about KJ being an imposter And

[01:38:46] What happened to that cop? I guess the restores messed him up a bit The robot fight was awesome, but why can't anyone see it but if I hope they all make it into the basement before the robot destroys the house

[01:39:01] Her husband turned out to be a pretty cool guy I hope we get to see more of him and possibly only Tiffany next issue. Oh, I can't wait to see her I know I mean I kind of worried that we're not going to oh

[01:39:14] I'm not gonna I'm not gonna say that too many times. Wow Joppo is grandfather. I did not see that coming. Why is he hunting the girls? They saved his life Did he just authorize them to be killed?

[01:39:27] Rest in peace priorities, but I'm sure we'll see her again in another timeline very true I feel like I have a million more questions. Maybe you will have some insights for me Thanks for the podcast Amanda. Oh, Amanda. Thank you so much Amanda. Oh Oh squee This was

[01:39:47] Grace I had so much fun doing this and everybody. Thank you so much for listening Wow I hope it wasn't totally tedious because it certainly was fun to talk about We were rambled you have vodka flowing through you. I've got some wine flowing through me. I

[01:40:04] Love these episodes where we get a little goofy things get a little silly. I hope you guys enjoyed it It was really all an act. We all actually very no, just kidding

[01:40:18] Wow, that's a good one and so I think this is gonna hold me for the two weeks until we exactly podcast again That's what I'm saying. You know some strong issues to you know Wrap up agreed. Oh

[01:40:33] Grace as we go into our slight vacation here for two weeks. It's been a pleasure Chatting with you, but are you ready to close this thing out? I Am okay very well

[01:40:46] if you'd like to write to us you can reach us at feedback at UTC covers comm or Leave us a voicemail six seven eight seven nine six UTCC at six seven eight seven nine six eight eight two two

[01:41:11] You can find us at under the comic covers calm or on Twitter at UTC covers or on Facebook Facebook comm slash under the comic covers and in addition to iTunes You can also find us on stitch a radio and many other popular

[01:41:26] Podcatchers and be sure to check out the other great podcast in our network at podcastka.com Join us in two weeks as we go over Royal City 8 and Copperhead 17 Until then That's our show Thanks for listening and we'll see you next time under the comic covers You