Episode 268: Reviews of Recent Romance Comics - a podcast by Stergios Botzakis & Derek Royal

from 2018-02-14T16:19:58

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It's Valentine's Day, and this week the Two Guys with PhDs are doing something they've never done before: devote an entire episode to recent romance comics. And this year, there are quite a number of new comics devoted to love and relationships...and with curious twists. And speaking of twists, they begin their show by discussing the first two issues of the new Image Comics series, Twisted Romance. This is a four-issue anthology published weekly throughout the month of February, and in issues #1 and #2 we see comics contributions from the creators Alex de Campo, Katie Shelly, Sarah Horrocks, Alejandra Gutierrez, and Meredith McClaren, with short prose offerings from Magen Cubed and Vita Ayala. From there they go to Death of Love #1 (Image Comics), written by Justin Jordan with art by Donal Delay. Much like Twisted Romance, this is a skewed look at love -- and this one includes assholes and drugs.

Following that, Gene and Derek discuss one more recent release from Image Comics, Tee Franklin and Jenn St-onge's Bingo Love. This is a unique LGBT narrative that focuses on the relationship of older citizens. While intended for teen readers, this is a graphic novel that can be appreciated by all ages. After that they visit, once again, the wacky world of Craig Yoe and his partner Clizia Gussoni. Weird Love, Vol. 6: So This Is Love! (IDW Publishing/Yoe Books) is the latest collection of their Weird Love series, classic romance stories from the 1950s and 1960s that not only appear warped to our contemporary eyes, but were probably strange to their original audiences. And finally, the guys wrap up their special Valentine's Day episode with an offering from DC Comics, Young Monsters in Love. Much like last October's DC House of Horror, this is an extra-long seasonal anthology issue written and drawn by a who's who of DC creators. Included are stories focusing on, among others, Swamp Thing, Man-Bat, Raven, Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Solomon Grundy, Deadman, the Creature Commandos, and (one of the guys' favorites) Monsieur Mallah and the Brain.

Love is definitely in the air this week!

 

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