DRUNK CINEMA 100: "The Dark Knight" Is Up!

 
"Those mob fools want you dead so they can get back to the way things were, but I know the truth -- There’s no going back. You’ve changed things...forever."
"Then why do you want to kill me?"
"Kill you? I don’t wanna kill you. What would I do without you? Go back to ripping off mob dealers? No, no, no! No, you...you complete me."
-- The Joker and Batman, The Dark Knight

Hello again, movie fans!  My wonderful co-host Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Drunk Cinema! This time, Xan and I celebrate our 100th episode as we watch The Dark Knight, the 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, featuring Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Heath Ledger as The Joker, Gary Oldman as James Gordon, and Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face/Harvey Dent!

This time, Xan and I discuss things like Xan and I seeing "Weird Al" Yankovic at the Ohio State Fair, karma on Judy Tenuta, Puddles Pity Party, taking six years to reach Episode 100, why you should only order the Little Fry at Five Guys, our first Christopher Nolan film, being happy that The Odyssey (2026) is doing well at the box office, Eric Roberts as the Fourth Master in the Doctor Who TV movie, David Dastmalchian as Pit Boss Warrick on Twin Peaks, The Joker winning Best Actor Oscars, The Dark Knight getting robbed of a Best Picture nomination, Hans Zimmer and the Inception Foghorn, The Dark Knight being the first comic book movie to earn a billion dollars at the box office, the one thing that keeps The Dark Knight from being my all-time favorite comic book movie, the Mob Savings & Loan bank, Elon Musk failing miserably at recreating the Tumbler, the disappointing Batcave replacement, Xan lobbying for Aaron Eckhart as Snake Plissken, Maggie Gyllenhaal replacing Katie Holmes as Rachel Dawes, Aaron Eckhart having a stronger Batman jawline than Christian Bale, Batman's kidnapping sequence, wishing for an "I'm Spartacus!" scene with people proclaiming "I'm Batman!", how Xan became afraid of helicopters, the Joker's nod to Jerry Maguire, the great special effects with Two-Face's scarred half of his face, everyone being one bad day away from becoming a Batman villain, not getting any Drunk Mail, my upcoming story for DC's Naughty List Christmas anthology, our upcoming celebration of Star Trek's 60th anniversary, and more!

If you'd like to check out our podcast and subscribe to us, you can find us on...

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As a reminder, we have a Drunk Cinema t-shirt and merch, which you can find on TeePublic by clicking HERE!  This spiffy shirt looks great while you're listening to the Drunk Cinema podcast or when you're attending your favorite film festival! Or you can order all sorts of cool Drunk Cinema merch there as well!

Be sure to come back in two weeks as Xan and I celebrate Star Trek's 60th anniversary as we watch Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the 1991 science fiction film directed by Nicholas Meyer, featuring William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Captain Spock, DeForest Kelly as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, and Christopher Plummer as General Chang!

DC Studios Announces ABSOLUTE BATMAN Animated Series

 
This Batman animated project sounds like an absolute no-brainer.

Earlier today at a joint presentation at the Annecy International Film Festival, DC Studios announced that they and Warner Bros. Animation are partnering on a series adaptation of DC's best-selling comic book series Absolute Batman.

Reinventing the Batman myth for a new generation of fans, Absolute Batman reimagines the Dark Knight as a working-class hero up against impossible odds on a mission to prove that even in an era of wealth, power and corruption, one good person can change the world.

The presentation was hosted by Warner Bros. Animation President Sam Register, with Peter Safran, DC Studios Co-Chairman and Co-CEO alongside James Gunn, joining him on the stage. According to the article by Deadline, Absolute Batman writer Scott Snyder will serve as executive producer and showrunner, while artist Nick Dragotta will be a producer on the new animated series.

"We could not be more excited about this. We are in very early stages of development on this with executive producer and writer Scott Snyder and the artist, Nick Dragotta," said Register. "It is a full CG show…It’s going to be a whole different tone and a whole different take again on Batman as well."

Absolute Batman has only been around since 2024, when it became the first title in DC's Absolute Universe imprint. It launched alongside Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Superman as one of three founding titles in the line. The series stars a 24-year-old blue-collar civil engineer named Bruce Wayne, who operates at night as the vigilante Batman, fighting crime with his self-designed equipment and armor. While doing so, he is stalked by an MI6 agent, Alfred Pennyworth. Unlike the mainstream DC continuity's Bruce Wayne, this version grew up without family wealth in Crime Alley, and many of his classic enemies, including Killer Croc, the Riddler, and the Penguin, are childhood friends, while the Joker is reimagined as a billionaire.

Absolute Batman #1 became the best-selling comic in the direct market for 2024, selling just under 400,000 copies across multiple printings. The series received an Eisner Award nomination for Best New Series and reached number five on the New York Times Best Seller list in September 2025. By the end of 2025, the title had sold close to three million copies and accounted for approximately 35 percent of the Absolute line's total sales for the year.

DRUNK CINEMA 089: "Batman (1966)" Is Up!

 
"Some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb."
-- Batman, Batman (1966)

Hello again, movie fans!  My wonderful co-host Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Drunk Cinema! This time, Xan and I watch Batman, the 1966 superhero film directed by Leslie H. Martinson, featuring Adam West as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Burt Ward as Robin/Dick Grayson, Lee Meriwether as Catwoman, and Cesar Romero as The Joker!

This time, Xan and I discuss things like Xan recovering from Thanksgiving and Record Store Day, why Xan picked this movie, the Space Ghost Coast to Coast episode "Batmantis" featuring Lee Meriwether, Julie Newmar vs. Eartha Kitt as Catwoman, Batman fans having to wait the better part of three decades to undo the damage Batman (1966) and the campy TV series did to the character, camp being very prevalent in the 1960s, Batman (1966) originally being planned as the TV series pilot, kids knowing Adam West only from Family Guy, Xan's encounter with Adam West, Burgess Meredith reprising The Penguin on an episode of The Monkees, Xan's take on The Twilight Zone Season 4, The Venture Bros.' nod to "A Town Called Malice", my getting into Batman because of the TV series, Bat-Shark Repellant, Cesar Romero's mustache not being as noticeable before HD televisions, wondering why the Penguin has an exploding octopus, Burgess Meredith ad-libbing the "Careful, every one of them has a mother" line, a bad case of Bat-Gas, Catwoman being a Cougar, Batman just happening to have a Super-Molecular Dust Separator, my being Bat-trayed, new Drunk Mail from Christine Peruski, our official Drunk Cinema merch, Kolchak the Night Stalker, Xan breaking her Leg Lamp, and more!

If you'd like to check out our podcast and subscribe to us, you can find us on...

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Drunk Cinema's Facebook Page

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And in honor of our fifth anniversary, we have a NEW Drunk Cinema t-shirt, which you can find on TeePublic by clicking HERE!  This spiffy shirt looks great while you're listening to the Drunk Cinema podcast or when you're attending your favorite film festival! Or you can order all sorts of cool Drunk Cinema merch there as well!

Be sure to come back in two weeks as Xan and I watch A Christmas Story, the 1983 Christmas comedy film directed by Bob Clark, featuring Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker, Darren McGavin as Mr. Parker, and Melinda Dillon as Mrs. Parker!

CLAYFACE Casts Tom Rhys Harries as Matt Hagen

 
Tom Rhys Harries is about to perform a feat of clay.

Deadline has confirmed reports that Tom Rhys Harries has been cast as the lead in James Watkins' upcoming DC Universe film Clayface, based on the DC Comics supervillain. Filming is scheduled to begin in October 2025 in the United Kingdom. According to TheWrap, Harries will be playing Matt Hagen, the second person to become Clayface in DC Comics.

DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn confirmed the casting on Instagram, stating, "After a long and incredibly exhaustive search, we finally have our DCU Clayface in @tomrhysharries. Both Matt Reeves and I were just blown away by this guy, and can’t wait for you to see this film, directed by James Watkins and written by Mike Flanagan."

Harries, 34, is a Welsh actor probably best known as Ricky September in last year's Doctor Who episode "Dot and Bubble", and has appeared in episodes of Jekyll and Hyde, Britannia, Midsomer Murders, White Lines, Suspicion, and The Split. He's also appeared in the films Kandahar, The Gentlemen, and Slaughterhouse Rulez.

Created in 1961 by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff, Matt Hagen first appeared in Detective Comics (vol.1) #298 as a treasure hunter who found a mysterious radioactive pool of protoplasm in a cave. Immersing himself in it, he was transformed into a malleable clay-like form which could be shaped into almost anything he desired. Hagen soon gleefully began using his newfound powers for crime. His powers, however, proved only to have a temporary effect, requiring him to return to the pool periodically in order to maintain use of his powers. This power lasted 48 hours, after which time Batman succeeded in capturing him and sending him off to prison.

One year later, Batman trailed Hagen to the cave where Hagen received his powers and acquired the powers himself. He soon defeated the villain, who had planned to steal some art treasures. Batman sealed off the cave, but Hagen had managed to stash some of the protoplasm away. Hagen eventually copied the pool's protoplasmic jelly after studying chemistry, although the artificial proptoplasm only allowed him five hours of Clayface powers compared to the full two days from the cave pool.

In 1986's Crisis On Infinite Earths #12, Hagen was killed, along with the original Bug Eyed Bandit, by Shadow Demons. Later, the other three villains who use the name Clayface gathered Hagen's remains and launched an attempt to revive Hagen. The group of Clayfaces (including Basil Karlo, Preston Payne, and Lady Clay), dubbed the Mud Pack, ultimately ended in failure.

Harries will be the third actor to portray Clayface in live-action, after Kirk Baltz in the Birds of Prey episode "Feat of Clay" and Brian McManamon on the TV series Gotham.

Clayface is scheduled to arrive in theaters on September 11, 2026.

THE FANDOM ZONE 312: "Priyatel Skelet" Is Up!

 
"Um...Maybe we can make it, like, fun? You know, do something to pass the time. Do you guys have Scattergories?"
-- Nina Mazursky, Creature Commandos -- "Priyatel Skelet"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Priyatel Skelet", the sixth episode from Creature Commandos Season One, starring the voices of Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, Indira Varma as The Bride, and Zoë Chao as Nina Mazursky!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik awaiting the Supercoppa Italiana, the adaptation of Dr. Phosphorus' origin living up to Nik's expectations, Nik waiting for the Commandos to get to the bloody castle, wondering what a podcast with Shohreh Aghdashloo and Con O'Neill would be like, some comics background on Doctor Phosphorus and Rupert Thorne, the Bride and Nina Mazursky taking refuge in a brothel, wondering if Rick Flag Sr. can be rebuilt like the Six Million Dollar Man, Weasel playing fetch with a pack of wolves that were about to kill him, worrying about Weasel trying to protect Princess Ilana, Dr. Phosphorus getting framed by Rupert Thorne for the murder of his own wife and son, James Gunn making the Creature Commandos sympathetic, the first appearance of Batman in the new DC Universe, wondering how Dr. Phosphorus practiced his dance choreography with his henchmen, the Bride's owning move of literally ripping her enemy's heart and showing it to him before crushing it in her hand, cats having to look cool and not show that they care about you, that awkward moment when Yana's parents show up and find her hanging out with Dr. Phosphorus, our favorite quotes of the episode, my upcoming story for DC Comics' anthology DC's Lex and the City, Nik's recent appearance on Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast, wondering if Nina's backstory will be the most dark and tragic, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

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The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "A Very Funny Monster", the Creature Commandos Season One finale, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

DC Studios Greenlights Film Based on Batman Villain CLAYFACE

 
At this point, we're seeing more of Batman's villains than we are Batman.

Variety is reporting that DC Studios has greenlit a feature film based on DC Comics supervillain Clayface. The film's script will be written by Oculus and Doctor Sleep filmmaker Mike Flanagan. Flanagan first pitched DC Studios on a Clayface project in 2023, previously posted on Twitter in 2021 that he was "really keen to do a standalone Clayface movie as a horror/thriller/tragedy."

According to the article, filming on the project is expected to begin early next year. The Batman director and producer Matt Reeves along with Lynn Harris will produce the film through their company 6th & Idaho productions.

Created in 1940 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Clayface first appeared in Detective Comics (vol.1) #40 as Basil Karlo, an actor who was driven mad after learning that a new actor would lead the role in a remake of a classic horror film that Karlo had originally starred in. Adopting the alias of the villain of one of his old movies, "Clayface," Karlo fatally wounded several members of the cast and crew of the remake before eventually being defeated by Batman and Robin.

In 2016, Karlo's origin was changed to bring him more in line with both his original origin and the DC Animated Universe. In this version, Karlo was the son of horror makeup/SFX artist Vincent Karlo, who illegally used an industrial chemical Renu to create his effects. Renu caused flesh to become malleable like clay. When found out, Vincent was fired due to the chemical being banned from use on human skin. Basil would grow up to be a celebrated actor in the film industry who landed the film of a lifetime, only to learn of his father's death over the phone while driving. Upon this discovery, the shocked Basil got in a car accident which left him horrifically disfigured.

Needing to maintain his career, Basil found his late father's stash of Renu and used it to recreate his old appearance, albeit with the side-effects leaving him addicted to the material. Soon after, Basil began using his shapeshifting and acting abilities to break into Daggett Industries in search of more Renu. In one incident of trying to steal Renu, Basil was confronted by the GCPD on Roland Daggett's payroll. The police opened fire on the actor, shattering a wall of Renu bottles which flooded onto Basil's body. This incident transformed Basil into the shapeshifting monster "Clayface", who became a major enemy to Batman and inmate of Arkham Asylum.

Clayface is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on September 11, 2026.

THE FANDOM ZONE 307: "A Great or Little Thing" Is Up!

 
"You're going to Hell, sweetheart."
"I'll save you a seat."
-- Oz Cobb and Sofia Gigante, The Penguin -- "A Great or Little Thing"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "A Great or Little Thing", the series finale of The Penguin, featuring Colin Farrell as The Penguin/Oz Cobb, Cristin Milioti as Sofia Gigante, Rhenzy Feliz as Vic Aguilar, and Deirdre O'Connell as Francis Cobb!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like bringing sunshine to your dark, dark world, Colin Farrell being contracted for three The Batman films, wanting Matt Reeves to explain where the hell Batman was during the events of The Penguin, the show reminding you that Oz is not someone you should root for, some background on Oscar Wilde's poem "The Ballad of Reading Gaol", the shoutout to Batman writer and editor Archie Goodwin, Francis rocking a cigarette holder like the comic book version of the Penguin, some background on the aria "O mio babbino caro" from Giacomo Puccini's opera Gianni Schicchi, the last bombshell that Francis knew all along what Oz did as a child, Rex Calabrese wanting Francis to groom Oz into the world of crime, Sophia and Julian trying to get Francis to admit the truth about Oz, Vic's surprise that the Gotham gangs were so quick to bail on Oz, Sophia trying to get Oz to admit the truth about what he did, Sophia wearing a new outfit for each scene, Sofia needing better hired goons, Oz telling Councilman Hady to blame Sofia and Salvatore Maroni for everything, Oz making his power move to step up in the world, Link and the other gang lieutenants siding with Oz against their leaders, Oz having Sofia sent back to her nightmare at Arkham Asylum, Oz flipping out after learning that his mom is now in a vegetative state, Vic's fatal error by telling Oz that he's family, wondering if we'll get a Hangman and Catwoman team-up in The Batman Part II, the dark irony of Francis finally getting what Oz promised her, Oz forcing Eve to dress up and behave like his mother, the final shot of the Bat Signal reminding viewers that Batman is still there, Oz being similar to Psycho's Norman Bates, The Penguin sticking the landing, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fanmail from Jesse Jackson, Aaron Case, and Dave Proctor, my upcoming story for DC Comics' anthology DC's Lex and the City, coming back to discuss all ten episodes of Superman & Lois Season 4, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
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The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back in three weeks when DJ Nik and I are joined by special guest Jesse Jackson to discuss Superman & Lois Season 4 on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 306: "Top Hat" Is Up!

 
"So, you can call yourself whatever the hell you want, but when my Oswald puts a bullet in that pretty little skull of yours, I'll be tap-dancing on your grave like Ginger fucking Rogers."
-- Francis Cobb to Sofia Gigante, The Penguin -- "Top Hat"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Top Hat", the seventh episode of the DC series The Penguin, featuring Colin Farrell as The Penguin/Oz Cobb, Cristin Milioti as Sofia Gigante, Clancy Brown as Salvatore Maroni, and Deirdre O'Connell as Francis Cobb!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik being a beacon of light in our new dark world, trying to provide an escape for our listeners, wondering if Oswald was a monster all along or was killing his brothers just the first step, some background on the film Top Hat starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the sly Beetlejuice reference that connects to Batman Returns, Francis doing the books for Rex Calabrese, wondering if Rex Calabrese is Oz's father, Oz deliberately leaving his brothers to die, Vic probably not betraying Oz, Oz getting annoyed that Salvatore Maroni died of a heart attack during their fight, somebody else needing to turn Harvey Dent into Two-Face, Francis' defiance of Sofia, Sofia's reaction to Francis' dementia episode, Sofia's reaction to Gia cutting herself, Dr. Julian Rush experimenting on Francis, that awkward moment when Sofia realizes she's living her father's life, Sofia making Oz think that his dead mother was in the trunk, connecting Silence of the Lambs with Seven, Con O'Neill as Lemmy from Motörhead, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fanmail from Aaron Case, Dave Proctor and Christine Peruski, my upcoming story for DC Comics' anthology DC's Lex and the City, next week's finale of The Penguin, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "A Great or Little Thing", the series finale of The Penguin, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 305: "Gold Summit" Is Up!

 
"Hanging and the pinky? Jesus, Sofia...Pick a fucking lane."
-- Oz Cobb, The Penguin -- "Gold Summit"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Gold Summit", the sixth episode of the DC series The Penguin, along with "Follow Me My Friend / To Glory at the End" and "Maiden, Mother, Crone, the final two episodes of the Marvel series Agatha All Along!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik going as a monk for Halloween, the time jump as Oz and Vic grow the Bliss business, the cliffhanger with Sofia Gigante holding a crowbar, the Elliot Bridge possibly teasing Hush in The Batman Part 2, Vic being Oz's number one guy, Francis Cobb wanting to keep her dignity, Oz telling Councilman Hady how to back out of his parking space, Sal Maroni and Sofia Gigante each filling a void in the other's life, Sofia telling Eve the truth that Oz knew that Carmine Falcone was the Hangman, Oz and Sofia's different styles of manipulation, Vic having to kill Squid, Oz's big speech to rally the smaller gangs against the Gigantes and the Maronis, "Follow Me My Friend" feeling like it would've been a better series finale, Agatha's fight with Death not lasting long, Jennifer Kale finding out that Agatha is the one who stole her powers, wondering when Thanos shows up to try and make Death his girlfriend, wondering if Aubrey Plaza will return as Death if a major Marvel hero dies, Billy showing up in his Wiccan super-suit, Billy realizing that he was the one who created the Witches' Road, some comics background on Nicholas Scratch, Agatha using Nicholas to lure witches into her trap, wondering why Agatha is afraid of facing her son in the afterlife, the lack of an actual ending to Agatha All Along, Marvel sacrificing the story narrative to keep everything connected, wishing Kevin Feige would pick a lane, our favorite quotes of the episodes, new Fandom Zone Fanmail from Aaron Case and Dave Proctor, my upcoming story for DC Comics' anthology DC's Lex and the City, looking forward to the final two episodes of The Penguin, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Top Hat", the seventh episode of the DC series The Penguin, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 304: "Homecoming" Is Up!

 
"The way I see it, Sofia done us a favor. One family down, one to go."
-- Oz Cobb, The Penguin -- "Homecoming"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Homecoming", the fifth episode of the DC series The Penguin, and "Death's Hand in Mine", the seventh episode of the Marvel series Agatha All Along!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like more on our Jewish superhero Beth Shalom, Oz always finding a way out even when he's at his lowest, Oz taking perverse pleasure in watching the Maronis burn, how Sofia Falcone became Sofia Gigante in the comics, Francis watching the movie Gloria (1980), John Turturro's hypocrisy while trying to explain why he didn't return to play Carmine Falcone again on The Penguin, Vic being completely on board for Team Penguin, Oz making bigger moves than he would in the past, Oz setting Sal Maroni's wife and son on fire, that awkward moment when the burning Maronis set off the parking garage's fire extinguishers, that awkward moment when Salvatore Maroni survived being shanked in prison, Eve telling Oz that she refuses to go hide out in Crown Point with him, Sofia's explanation of what happened to the Falcone to GCPD Chief Mackenzie Bock, Bock sounding like he drank battery acid regularly as a child, wondering where James Gordon is during Gotham's mob war, Sofia donning her mother's fur coat and taking her mother's last name Gigante for her own, Sofia taking Johnny Viti off the board and being a great motivational speaker, Sofia tracking down Sal and offering him an alliance to kill Oz and take over Gotham, Francis rebuffing Oz's attempt at affection, Oz realizing the abandoned trolley station can be used to continue his Bliss operation, the Doctor Who timey-wimeyness of "Death's Hand in Mine", fans overreacting by calling the episode the best ever, some comics background on Marvel Comics' version of Death, wondering if the writers weren't allowed to say if the Scarlet Witch is truly dead or not, Lilia Calderu's life coming full circle, Lilia's redemption arc, the Salem's Seven being an extreme disappointment, our favorite quotes of the episodes, new Fandom Zone Fanmail from Dave Proctor, my upcoming story for DC Comics' anthology DC's Lex and the City, encouraging people to watch the final season of Superman & Lois, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Gold Summit", the sixth episode of the DC series The Penguin, along with "Follow Me My Friend / To Glory at the End" and "Maiden, Mother, Crone, the final two episodes of the Marvel series Agatha All Along!

THE FANDOM ZONE 303: "Cent'Anni" Is Up!

 
"I know you're all anxious for me to leave. No one has been shy about that. I'd really hoped that it would be different, but I understand. I don't fit into this family anymore, so tomorrow, I'm starting a new life. For the first time, I have hope. To new beginnings. Cent'anni."
-- Sofia Falcone, The Penguin -- "Cent'anni"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Cent'anni", the fourth episode of the DC series The Penguin, and "Familiar by Thy Side", the sixth episode of the Marvel series Agatha All Along!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik and I creating a Jewish superhero named Beth Shalom, my Cleveland Guardians being on the brink of elimination in the American League Championship Series, Penguin director Helen Shaver, "Cent'anni" being the episode that should give Cristin Milioti an Emmy, Mark Strong taking over from John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, some comics background on Carmine Falcone and Magpie, Sofia the Mafia Princess, Sofia's relationship with Oz as her driver, Summer Gleeson making her live-action debut, Sofia realizing that Carmine killed her mother, Carmine framing Sofia as The Hangman and getting her locked up in Arkham Asylum, Jason Statham in The Transporter, Arkham Asylum making Sofia insane with electroshock therapy, Sofia finally snapping and killing Magpie, Sofia crashing the Falcone family dinner, Sofia saving Gia before killing the rest of the Falcone family, wondering how Sofia is going to explain her Michael Corleone style massacre, "Familiar by Thy Side" being the best episode of Agatha All Along so far because it focused on Wiccan, the unexpected return of Randall "Ralph" Boner, Nik's thoughts about Billy Kaplan's Bar Mitzvah, the big coincidence of Lilia and Alice being involved with Billy Kaplan way before their journey down the Witches' Road, the awkwardness of 7-year-old Billy Maximoff being inside 14-year-old Billy Kaplan's body with a boyfriend, Agatha lying about knowing Billy's identity all along, our favorite quotes of the episodes, new Fandom Zone Fanmail from Dave Proctor, Christine Peruski, Jesse Jackson, and Aaron Case, my upcoming story for DC Comics' anthology DC's Lex and the City, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Homecoming", the fifth episode of the DC series The Penguin, and "Death's Hand in Mine", the seventh episode of the Marvel series Agatha All Along!

THE FANDOM ZONE 302: "Bliss" Is Up!

 
"You're fun at a card game, or over drinks, I'll give you that, but people don't keep you around because they think you're smart. And they sure as shit don't trust you. Nah... People keep the Penguin around as entertainment, because everybody knows you're a goddamn joke."
-- Johnny Viti to Oswald "Oz" Cobb, The Penguin -- "Bliss"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Bliss", the third episode of the DC series The Penguin, and "Darkest Hour / Wake Thy Power", the fifth episode of the Marvel series Agatha All Along!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like the Cleveland Guardians making the American League Championship Series, some background information on Bleeding Tooth Fungi, some comics background on the Neon Dragon Triad and the Odessa Mob, the flashback sequence of Gotham City flooding that ties into The Batman (2022), Vic wanting a better life for his family, Graciela wanting Vic to leave Gotham with her, Vic trying out his speech to Oz in the Penguinmobile, Oz not helping his argument that Vic shouldn't be afraid of him, Oz creating a monster by telling Vic to assert himself, Oz being surprised by Sophia's crop of Bleeding Tooth Fungi, wondering who is supplying Sophia with the Fungi to make Bliss, Oz being sorry (not sorry) about betraying Sophia to her father, that awkward moment when Johnny Viti calls Oz "The Penguin", Vic choosing to drive the Penguinmobile into one of Nadia Maroni's hired goons, being proven right about Alice Wu-Gulliver's fate, how Marvel Studios could give a big "eff you" to the people passing on Agatha All Along, some comics background on Salem's Seven and Wiccan, Teen insisting on using brooms to escape the Salem's Seven, Killing Joke's song "Eighties", the coven being garbed in '80s sleepover attire, the coven using a Ouija board to talk with the spirits, the homages to The Exorcist, my appreciation for the growing body count, Teen being revealed as Wiccan, our favorite quotes of the episodes, new Fandom Zone Fanmail from Dave Proctor, looking forward to seeing Sophia Falcone in Arkham Asylum, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Cent'Anni", the fourth episode of the DC series The Penguin, and "Familiar by Thy Side", the sixth episode of the Marvel series Agatha All Along!

THE FANDOM ZONE 301: "Inside Man" Is Up!

 
"What do you say, Oz? You in?"
"Let's dance."
-- Sofia Falcone and Oswald "Oz" Cobb, The Penguin -- "Inside Man"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Inside Man", the second episode of the DC series The Penguin, and "If I Can't Reach You / Let My Song Teach You", the fourth episode of the Marvel series Agatha All Along!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like the Cleveland Guardians taking Game One against the Detroit Tigers, Theo Rossi as "Shades" Alvarez on Luke Cage, the humanization of the Penguin, some comics background on Luca Falcone and the "No Man's Land" storyline, Oz having to scramble to survive his own plan, Oz working as an inside man for the Maroni crime family, Nik looking out for the gamer community, Eve realizing what a dangerous game Oz is playing, mothers playing a big part in crime dramas, wondering what Oz would do if he lost his mother, Oz forcing Vic to lie down in a grave with two dead bodies, Oz losing his shit over cilantro, Dr. Julian Rush being extra cozy with Sofia, Sofia being pissed that no one in her family takes her seriously, Oz taking advantage of Sofia not having any allies, horny Italian guys at Lake Cuomo, the great homage to the ending of The Godfather, Oz's shaky alliance with Sofia, Agatha's coven wearing clothes similar to '70s rock and pop stars, The Penguin and Agatha All Along being two completely different types of shows, some comics trivia on the Daughters of Liberty, Agatha's Latin chant referencing The Muppet Movie, Rio claiming Agatha's child in exchange for the Darkhold, Agatha letting the coven overhear Rio's plans to kill them, the demon perching on Alice's shoulders, Alice's mother selling her music catalogue, Agatha All Along being more interesting when the coven is on the Witches' Road, Lilia having conversations with events in the future, our favorite quotes of the episodes, Alice's mom's record having a track about a "Red Haired Woman", new Fandom Zone Fanmail from Dave Proctor and Jesse Jackson, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Bliss", the third episode of the DC series The Penguin, and "Darkest Hour / Wake Thy Power", the fifth episode of the Marvel series Agatha All Along!

THE FANDOM ZONE 299: "After Hours" Is Up!

 
"Maybe I'm more than what you think."
-- Oswald "Oz" Cobb, The Penguin -- "After Hours"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "After Hours", the first episode of the DC Studios series The Penguin, and "Seekest Thou the Road" and "Circle Sewn with Fate/Unlock Thy Hidden Gate", the first two episodes of the Marvel Studios series Agatha All Along!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik and I coming off losses by our respective football teams, Batman being busy elsewhere in Gotham City, The Penguin continuing Matt Reeves' vision from The Batman, The Penguin being DC's version of The Sopranos, Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor in Superman: The Animated Series, some comics background on the Penguin, Sofia Falcone, and Salvatore Maroni, the Easter eggs to former live-action Penguins Burgess Meredith and Danny DeVito, the movie Gilda (1946), what the QR code shown in "After Hours" leads you to online, that awkward moment when Oz kills mob boss heir Alberto Falcone for calling him a "little bitch", Oz being skilled at talking his way out of a bad situation, Oz becoming a strange mentor to Vic, Oz's mother Francis being supportive of his criminal behavior, Oz and Sofia going out to dinner, Sofia still being clearly insane, Oz and Vic setting up the Maroni crime family as the people who killed Alberto, Agatha not being Agatha until the end of the first episode, Agatha as a stereotypical TV detective, hoping for a Scarlet Witch movie, Agatha and Rio Vidal possibly having a former lovers' spat, some comics background on Jennifer Kale, Alice Gulliver, and the Witches' Road, "The Ballad of the Witches' Road" song being the gateway to access the Witches' Road, having to take your shoes off to walk the Witches' Road, Agatha being paired with "Teen", our favorite quotes of the episodes, new Fandom Zone Fanmail from Dave Proctor, our upcoming 300th episode, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Google Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
Stitcher -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Feel free to post a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I celebrate our 300th episode as we discuss "Through Many Miles of Tricks and Trials", the third episode of the Disney+ series Agatha All Along, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!