THE FANDOM ZONE 367: "No Strings" Is Up!

 
"Tell me, Ultron, if I granted you the freedom to live amongst them, what would you do?"
"I would go to the Louvre, the Prado, the Met, and the Modern -- Take in their beauty -- or I'd hijack their missile systems and burn them all to ash. Hard to say. Fifty-fifty, a coin flip."
-- The Vision and Ultron, VisionQuest: "No Strings"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "No Strings" and "Theseus", the first two episodes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe series VisionQuest, featuring Paul Bettany as the Vision, James Spader as Ultron, and the introductions of Todd Stashwick as Paladin/Paul Denning and Ruaridh Mollica as Thomas Shepherd!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like my being a fan of Terry Matalas and Todd Stashwick from Star Trek: Picard, the first two episodes being mostly setup, some comics background on Ultron, The Vision and Paladin, the return of James D'Arcy as J.A.R.V.I.S., the Vision preferring to hide out in his Mindspace, the avatars for DUM-E and U not having voices, seeing James Spader play an avatar representation of his Ultron character, Ultron being the Dr. Hannibal Lecter to the Vision's Clarice Starling, the quick fridging of Fiona just to give the Vision motivation, Ultron contacting the Paladin through carrier pigeon email, our early list of suspects for the mysterious "Client", Thomas and Lisa's grift operation in London, Ultron congratulating the Vision on having a son, wondering is Elizabeth Olsen will return as the Scarlet Witch, Tommy's video rant like Kyle Reese from the original Terminator film, the Vision's first confrontation with the Paladin, Ultron leaving the attic, J.A.R.V.I.S. sacrificing himself for the other A.I.s, Tommy returning with a stolen car to save the Vision, our favorite quotes of the episode, my story for DC Comics' upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, wondering who's next on Ultron's A.I. death list, and more! 

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

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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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 "Reboot" and "Malware", the third and fourth episodes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe series VisionQuest, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 366: "Dirt and Stars" Is Up!

 
"In brightest day, in darkest night, I'll embrace my fear, I'll do what's right. I choose this ring, I choose this fight, in service to this lantern's light."
-- John Stewart, Lanterns: "Dirt and Stars"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we're joined by special guest Jesse Jackson as we discuss "Dirt and Stars", the season finale of Lanterns, featuring Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Kyle Chandler as the Halogram, Kelly Macdonald as Kerry Kane, and Ulrich Thomsen as Thaal Sinestro!

In this episode, DJ Nik, Jesse and I talk about things like Nik hanging out with his mates, Jesse bookending the Lanterns season with us, whether the finale stuck the landing, John's return in the upcoming Superman (2025) sequel Man of Tomorrow, finding out what happened after Kerry found Hal in the hotel rubble, Kerry bringing Hal flowers and a six-pack of Schlitz beer when he left prison, Kerry calling out the townspeople of Rushville in a spaghetti restaurant, Kerry's love of garlic bread, Noah saving Hal from his being being firebombed, Nik yelling at the TV about Noah, Sinestro using fear-tainted water to create a Power Battery, Sinestro's bombshell about being able to bring Hal back to life, Noah opening up to John and saying that he killed Hal, Noah asking John to kill him, Lawrence Block's books about Keller, John realizing that Kerry knew who Noah was the whole time, the flashback revealing the killer of Hal Jordan, wondering if Billy Macon knew that Kerry was pregnant with Noah before they got together, John leaving Noah in the custody of his mother to keep him on the straight and narrow, Noah choosing the Nebraska football cap, Guy Gardner finally noticing the penis drawn on his Lantern Signal, John telling Guy that he's an independent contractor watching over Earth, John telling Guy to deliver a message to the Guardians, the Halogram's final words to John, why John Stewart created his own oath instead of using the Green Lantern Corps oath, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor and Aaron Case, my story for DC Comics' upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, our upcoming discussion of VisionQuest, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 "No Strings" and "Theseus", the first two episodes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe series VisionQuest, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 365: "The Jordan Boys' Legacy" Is Up!

 
"I think you're being paranoid."
"Well, I think being murdered allows for a little paranoia."
-- John Stewart and the Halogram, Lanterns: "The Jordan Boys' Legacy"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "The Jordan Boys' Legacy", the seventh episode of Lanterns, featuring Kyle Chandler as the Halogram, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Kelly Macdonald as Kerry Kane, and Jake B. Miller as Martin Jordan!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik filling the void between Inter Milan matches, everything feeling like a countdown clock, the difference between a superhero drama series and a big-budget superhero film, co-writer Damon Lindelof incorporating elements of his 2019 Watchmen series, some comics background on co-writer Tom King, Martin Jordan finding out that his son Hal was pulled from an almost no-hitter, Martin telling Hal that he can't hold onto his baseball forever, Martin adding to Hal's sense of entitlement, the Halogram calling out John for not knowing that Mogo is a planet, the Halogram using charades to communicate instead of talking, the remaining 5% charge left on Hal's ring taking a really long time to run out, John being surprised when the Halogram compliments him on his ability to maintain a construct without having the ring on, Hal being a fan of KC and the Sunshine Band, Noah Macon's hat ceremony, Billy Macon transferring his hatred of Hal Jordan onto John Stewart, Sheriff Kane meeting the Halogram after Hal's funeral, what's inside Hal Jordan's storage vault, DC Comics keeping Watchmen in print, wondering why Hal had a portal to Antaan's planet, John's fear-induced hallucination of pointing a gun at his younger self, John being afraid of becoming Green Lantern, putting the Halogram at the top of the list of suspects, Sinestro meeting John Stewart, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor, Jesse Jackson, Aaron Case, and Ken from Chicago, my story for DC Comics' upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, Jesse Jackson returning to discuss the Lanterns season finale, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 "Dirt and Stars", the season finale of Lanterns, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 364: "Bad Optics" Is Up!

 
"But I asked him, because it was a classy thing to do, if he had any wisdom to impart. And do you know what he said to me?"
"No, what did he say?"
"Go climb a rope."
"Because you're a gym teacher."
"No, cause he's a shit fuck. And I was an athletic director."
-- Guy Gardner and John Stewart, Lanterns: "Bad Optics"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Bad Optics", the sixth episode of Lanterns, featuring Kyle Chandler as the Halogram, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Amie MacKenzie as Carol Ferris, and the return of Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern/Guy Gardner!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like our mutual friends hinting at payback against Nik, the episode being a transitional episode, the fun of coming up with a list of suspects while watching a murder mystery, Nathan Fillion voicing Hal Jordan in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, some comics background on Guy Gardner and Carol Ferris, the Stewart Brothers pitching their panic rooms for intergalactic threats to Midway City, wondering why Hal didn't want John telling anyone that he's in Rushville, John driving all the way to Rushville twice, John becoming more comfortable with swearing, drinking and eating meat, wondering why John wasn't honest to Kerry about him punching Hal in the diner, being glad that John never hooked up with Kerry, Hal trying to find redemption in Rushville, the Rushville medical examiner refusing to talk to John, Nik trying meat loaf, Kerry learning that John beat up her ex-husband, John calling his brother Marcus for bail money, John being self-destructive, John telling Guy that everything he has is because of him, someone freeing Sinestro from Space Azkaban, Maggie the waitress blackmailing John for $314,536.27, Carol Ferris asking John to deliver Hal's eulogy that he wrote for himself, John digging up Hal's corpse, running down my suspect list, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor, Jesse Jackson and Aaron Case, my story for DC Comics' upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, hoping for Lanterns Season 2, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 "The Jordan Boys' Legacy", the seventh episode of Lanterns, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 363: "Lights Out" Is Up!

 
"You want an update? Since we last spoke, I was ambushed by Hal Jordan, who totaled my rental and almost burned me alive in it. I’m pretty sure he didn’t want that to happen, but I’m not entirely sure, which is the point. By rights, I should be dead, but thanks to alien technology, I'm as good as new, even though I feel like I tumbled butt naked down a hill of broken glass. As you can imagine, Mama, I'm mad as all hell, and I plan on doing something about it."
-- John Stewart, Lanterns: "Lights Out"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we're joined by special guest Jesse Jackson to discuss "Lights Out", the fifth episode of Lanterns, featuring Kyle Chandler as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, and Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe Macon!

In this episode, DJ Nik, Jesse and I talk about things like Nik getting his American breakfast, this episode feeling like a season finale, Jesse's son being hooked on Lanterns without realizing it, the songs featured in the episode, Zoe making a deal with Kerry Kane for protection, Hal crashing the rental car to take John off the game board for a moment, Zoe standing back and watching as John burned in a car fire, Kerry warning Hal that the consequences of going after Zoe is on his hands, Hal lying to Antaan that the Manhunter is Will Macon, why Zoe chose to be a person of color, Geoff Johns introducing the Green Lantern ring charge as a percentage in the comics, Will Macon pretending to be the Manhunter to try and fool Antaan, Jesse bailing on us halfway through, John being fed up with his parents not being happy that he doesn't have Hal's ring, the first-person shooter sequence with Hal wearing night vision goggles and taking a helicopter, Hal and John's ugly and brutal fight, John leaving Hal behind to bait Zoe, the girl who lost her father, John telling Liana that he feels empty after putting on the ring, John's big decision, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Aaron Case and Dave Proctor, my story for DC Comics' upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, the upcoming funeral for Hal Jordan, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 "Bad Optics", the sixth episode of Lanterns, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 362: "The Weenie" Is Up!

 
"You had one shot to get the guy and you whiffed. If Zoe hadn't called me, you'd be beyond fucked."
"I live in beyond fucked."
"Jesus. What is that, a catchphrase?"
-- Sheriff Kerry Kane and Hal Jordan, Lanterns: "The Weenie"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we're joined by special guest Jesse Jackson to discuss "The Weenie", the fourth episode of Lanterns, featuring Kyle Chandler as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Garret Dillahunt as William Macon, and Poorna Jagannathan as Zoe Macon!

In this episode, DJ Nik, Jesse and I talk about things like Nik skipping Batman Day to work a country music festival, the elephant in the room, this episode being the first time Hal and John start working together, Jason Manuel Olazabal appearing on both Dexter and Castle, some comics background on Hector Hammond and Ch'p, the definition of the "weenie" design term popularized by Walt Disney, Jesse's anecdote about finding nothing in Cinderella's Castle, Sinestro manipulating Hal to see John as a replacement threat, Hal being the Clarice Starling to Sinestro's Dr. Hannibal Lecter, John having to buy a rifle just to get the scope he wanted, John explaining to Hal about the Weenie, the Rushville Bar & Grill being completely empty, Lianna negging John about being too weak and lacking courage to be a Green Lantern, wondering why Lianna doesn't just take the ring from Hal, John debating in his head about whether he should say the oath, that awkward moment when Will Macon asks John to draw him in the nude, John telling Zoe that everyone (including her) is lying to him, the big revelation about Zoe, Hal not talking to the other Green Lanterns, the slaughterhouse black portal being just like the black portal used in John Stewart's abandoned shopping mall interview, my theory that Zoe and Lianna are the same Manhunter, Hal not buying the fake Hector Hammond misdirection, John falling victim to Hal's signature move of diving out of a speeding car yet again, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor, Ken from Chicago and Aaron Case, my story for DC Comics' upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, Jesse returning for at least an hour or so, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 are joined by special guest Jesse Jackson to discuss "Lights Out", the fifth episode of Lanterns, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 361: "OutKast" Is Up!

 
"Would you be comfortable replacing Hal Jordan? With the understanding that he would be under the impression that you are simply his backup."
"Are those my orders?"
If you get the job, yes, those would be your orders."
"Well, then it doesn't matter if I'm comfortable with it."
-- Lianna and John Stewart, Lanterns: "OutKast"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "OutKast", the third episode of Lanterns, featuring Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, J. Alphonse Nicholson as John Stewart Sr., and introducing Laura Linney as Lianna and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Bernadette Stewart!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik celebrating Inter Milan's 3-2 comeback over Napoli, the risk of interrupting the flow of the mystery with John's backstory, writer Vanessa Baden Kelly taking major liberties with John Stewart's secret origin, Hal Jordan making racist comments in John's first appearance in Green Lantern (vol.2) #87, Bernadette Stewart making her own racist comments, some comics background on the Guardians of the Universe and Lianna, the two OutKast songs featured in this episode, Lianna leaving John to wait all night in her office before interviewing him, wondering if the Guardians watched The Matrix before deciding how to recruit people, Baby John watching his father fail being selected as Abin Sur's replacement, Bernadette seeing Liana shift into her Guardian form and inviting her inside for coffee, Lianna realizing Baby John has the potential to be a Green Lantern, Bernadette's experiences making her upset at the Guardians for not seeing differences in skin color, Outback Steak House being the Australian version of Olive Garden, John showing up in full military dress uniform for an undercover meeting, Bernadette's secret pact with John Sr. about their baby son's future, John's parents being like Michael Jackson and Tiger Woods' fathers, 5-year-old John getting a Green Lantern costume and a rifle instead of the box of crayons that he wanted, John's parents rewarding John with cheeseburgers for passing the "William Tell" tests, John never getting the affection from his parents that his older brothers received, John making his mother experience the "William Tell" test instead of his father, John spending nine months in his sniper's nest to wait for his target only to have Hal Jordan swoop in and take his target away, John manifesting the inner workings of a watch like Dr. Manhattan, Nik providing balance between the darkness and the light, the Guardians looking to get rid of Hal Jordan, wondering how Hal was able to steal John's big moment of telling his parents that he finally got the Green Lantern job, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Jesse Jackson, Dave Proctor and Aaron Case, my story for DC Comics' upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, looking forward to more of Sinestro, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 "The Weenie", the fourth episode of Lanterns, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 360: "Trust Fall" Is Up!

 
"What the hell's all over the seats?"
"I believe, uh, technically they call that alien goo."
-- John Stewart and Hal Jordan, Lanterns: "Trust Fall"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Trust Fall", the second episode of Lanterns, featuring Kyle Chandler as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, and introducing Paul Ben-Victor as Antaan and Ulrich Thomsen as Thaal Sinestro!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik traveling across America via Lanterns, Paul Ben-Victor as Moe Howard in the 2000 Three Stooges biopic, the second episode expanding the show's cosmic lore, some comics background on the Manhunters and Sinestro, Hal's password reference to the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons story "Mogo Doesn't Socialize", Hal dumping a bucket of ice water on John to wake him up, wondering why Hal didn't bring his Power Battery with him to Rushville, John manifesting a bird construct instead of flying, Hal removing the front bumper from his rental car to test a metal detector, Hal crashing a Rushville town meeting, the sexual tension between Sheriff Kane and Hal Jordan, John learning that Hal lives in an elaborate mansion that's practically empty, John feeding Hal's carnivorous plant Earl Jordan, John trying to escape from kidnappers by jumping out of a van onto a busy freeway, Hal using alien corpses to test an alien detector, that awkward moment when Hal gets pulled over by Sheriff Kane with three alien corpses in his car, John meeting Antaan and learning about the Manhunters, fan theories about Antaan possibly being the Red Lantern Atrocitus, Hal waking up in the creepy Rushville Medical Center that has no other patients and has a bunch of brand-new medical equipment still under plastic wrap, my theory that the entire townspeople of Rushville are Manhunters except for Sheriff Kane and her son, a possible connection between Sheriff Kane and Batwoman, my theory that Zoe Macon is the Grandmaster of the Manhunters, the possible explanation for why Abin Sur needed a spaceship, John dismissing his bird construct as "just a bird", Hal leaving Earth to confront Sinestro, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Jesse Jackson, Dave Proctor and Aaron Case, my story for DC Comics' upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, the upcoming first appearance of a Guardian of the Universe on Lanterns, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 "OutKast", the third episode of Lanterns, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 359: "Lanterns" Is Up!

 
"Me, I'd be pissed off. Disappearing for two weeks, no explanation, show up hungover, and late. Come on, you gotta be a little angry."
"No, sir."
"Mildly perturbed?"
"No, sir."
"How come it is every time you say 'sir', it sounds more and more like 'Fuck you'?"
"I have no idea. Sir."
-- Hal Jordan and John Stewart, Lanterns: "Pilot"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we're joined by special guest Jesse Jackson to discuss "Pilot", the first episode of the HBO Max series Lanterns, introducing Kyle Chandler as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan, Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, Kelly Macdonald as Sheriff Kerry Kane, and Garret Dillahunt as William Macon!

In this episode, DJ Nik, Jesse and I talk about things like Nik and I comparing our driving skills, Jesse being a backseat driver and being ready to throw down, Lanterns being very similar to the HBO series True Detective, DC Comics writer Tom King writing for the series, director James Hawes directing episodes of Doctor Who, Aaron Pierre as Dev-Em on Krypton, our love of Kelly Macdonald, some comics background on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, DC Studios going with John Stewart as Green Lantern going forward, John Stewart Sr. playing William Tell with John Jr., why John's dad didn't want John watching 60 Minutes, John meeting the "Halogram" from 2006, Hal slow rolling John's training, Hal's stupid plan involving playing "Brand New Key" by Melanie over and over on the jukebox, John's awkward sex scene with Zoe Macon, John being very observant about details, Hal not impressing the judge at his arraignment hearing, that awkward moment when John realizes he had sex with William Macon's wife, William Macon's mysterious benefactor probably being Lex Luthor, the interrogation scene with Hal and secret alien Waylon Sanders, wondering what happened to Hal's Power Battery to recharge his ring, whether Hal is really dead in 2026, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Jesse Jackson, Dave Proctor and Aaron Case, my popping the David Lynch cherry on Nik's Gold Standard: The Oscars Podcast, some news about my upcoming story for DC's upcoming Christmas anthology DC's Naughty List, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 "Trust Fall", the second episode of Lanterns, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 358: "The Man in the Mask" Is Up!

 
"I'm not in the mood to talk to The Spider. The truth is, he's kind of hard to talk to, especially on the phone. Hey, buddy, can you remove the mask so a guy can actually hear?"
"Is this some kind of joke? A piece of humor I'm not grasping?"
"No, I mean it. I genuinely can't understand half of what comes out of his mouth. Well, you've seen him. He wears a stupid sock on his head."
-- Ben Reilly and Silvermane, Spider-Noir: "The Man in the Mask"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "The Man in the Mask", the final episode of Spider-Noir, featuring Nicolas Cage as The Spider/Ben Reilly, Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane/"Finn" Byrne, Li Jun Li as Felicia "Cat" Hardy, and Jack Huston as Sandman/Flint Marko!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like my going to see The Silence of the Lambs at the Ohio Theatre, Nik having to marry his air conditioning, the finale ending to either provide a satisfying conclusion or set up a potential second season, Silvermane imparting advice on life to Cat, Janet smacking Cat twice across the face for her betrayal of Ben, wondering if Silvermane was grooming Cat as his replacement, Kilowatt seeding doubts on remaining loyal to Silvermane, Ben realizing that Cat will do something as long as its in her best interest to do so, that awkward moment when Robbie tries to slip Ben the antidote syringes and fails, Robbie talking to Silvermane as The Spider, Cat finally getting real and coming clean about her true intentions, Ben trying to advise Robbie as The Noir in front of Silvermane, the mirror homage to Enter the Dragon, Silvermane wanting Cat to be the one to kill him, whether Kilowatt survived being struck by an elevated subway train, wondering why Ben and Cat attended Silvermane's funeral, Ben's parting words to Cat, wondering how Mayor Morris won the election, being glad that Ben recognized Janet's worth by making her his partner, hoping we'll get a second season of Spider-Noir, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor and Jesse Jackson, our upcoming discussion of Lanterns, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back in two weeks when DJ Nik and I discuss the first episode of Lanterns, the upcoming HBO series based on DC Comics' Green Lantern characters, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 357: "Nobody's Hero" Is Up!

 
"I need a drink. Lo, the irony. A man controls the flow of alcohol for a city of seven million souls, and yet, my throat is as dry as a camel's hole in a sandstorm."
-- Silvermane, Spider-Noir: "Nobody's Hero"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back with a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Nobody's Hero", the seventh episode of Spider-Noir, featuring Nicolas Cage as The Spider/Ben Reilly, Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane/"Finn" Byrne, Lamorne Morris as Joe "Robbie" Robertson, and Abraham Popoola as Tombstone/Lonnie Lincoln!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like England beating Norway in the World Cup, the heat in Italy, Spider-Noir receiving 11 Emmy nominations, some comics background on Tombstone, the episode's bar fight being one of the very first ideas Nicolas Cage came up with for Spider-Noir, Megawatt's quote from William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Cat deserving to feel guilty over betraying Ben's secret identity, Megawatt and Sandman robbing Mayor Morris' campaign headquarters, Janet being Ben's protector and having Cat's number from the start, Ben beating up a bunch of barflies as The Spider while drunk, Robbie pointing out that Ben would've already taken the antidote vial if he was serious about getting rid of his powers, Ben probably being dead without his support system of Janet and Robbie, Cat being opportunistic, why Janet keeps putting up with Ben's bullshit, Robbie stabbing Tombstone in the eye with a syringe, men who show their feelings getting wives and girlfriends, Lonnie Lincoln's exit from the series, using a split-screen to deliver information faster from two sets of characters, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor, my tease for next week's finale of Spider-Noir, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 "The Man in the Mask", the final episode of Spider-Noir, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 356: "Nightmare on a Gurney" Is Up!

 
"The Spider was never a hero. I only did it for the thrill."
"Well...maybe you weren't then, but there's still time for you to become one."
-- Ben Reilly and Ogden Faber, Spider-Noir: "Nightmare on a Gurney"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Nightmare on a Gurney", the sixth episode of Spider-Noir, featuring Nicolas Cage as The Spider/Ben Reilly, Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane/"Finn" Byrne, Amy Aquino as Dr. Alethea Faber and Andrew Robinson as Ogden Faber!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like recording on America's 250th anniversary, Nik missing me, Ben Reilly changing his name from Peter Parker after returning from World War I, this episode being a drinking game where you take a drink every time Ben loses consciousness, Ogden not being down with Ben's plan to leave the city with Cat, Ben not listening to his Spider-Sense, the flashback to what happened after Ben was bitten by the man-spider, real life war criminal Klaus Barbie, Dr. Faber probably embracing being a mad scientist if she wasn't busy trying to save her son, Dr. Faber trying to rationalize her actions, Ben's various hallucinations, Ben being proven right about Ogden's mother, Ruby being Ben's "Uncle Ben", Silvermane's henchman not buying Dr. Faber's explanation, the irony of Dr. Faber succeeding in saving her son only for both of them to die an hour later, Silvermane calling out Megawatt's impulse control problem, Ben having the antidote to take his powers away, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor, my tease for next week's episode, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 "Nobody's Hero", the seventh episode of Spider-Noir, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 355: "Betrayal" Is Up!

 
"I assume you know who I am."
"The man with the mane of silver. Born from nothing. Built his empire through gut and guile. Purveyor of the finest prohibited potions. King of the five boroughs, Mr. Finbar Byrne himself-ah!"
"I see you like to talk. Think you could listen for a second?"
"Oh, I am, uh, like a Nebraskan cornfield -- All ears. I'm listening."
-- Silvermane and Megawatt, Spider-Noir: "Betrayal"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Betrayal", the fifth episode of Spider-Noir, featuring Nicolas Cage as The Spider/Ben Reilly, Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane/"Finn" Byrne, and introducing Amy Aquino as Dr. Alethea Faber and Andrew Robinson as Ogden Faber!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik and I just recording 48 hours ago, more on the 2026 World Cup, some comics background on Marvel's Sandman, the 1929 German novel All Quiet on the Western Front, Ben's flashback to his time in World War I and his origin of how he received his spider powers, understanding why Ben wants to give up his powers, Robbie's conditions for letting the Daily Bugle publish his latest story, the friction between Cat and Flint, Robbie's meeting with Dr. Faber, Nik's guesses on Ogden's identity, Ben smuggling Dr. Faber's secret files out of her office, Flint's warning to Ben, Ben falling for Cat too quickly, Janet being happy that Ben has finally found happiness, Flint accepting that he's just muscle for a gangster, Flint almost accidentally killing Cat, Cat betraying the superhero to the mad scientist, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor and Jesse Jackson, my tease for next week's episode, "Nightmare on a Gurney" sounds like Snakes on a Plane, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 "Nightmare on a Gurney", the sixth episode of Spider-Noir, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 354: "A Mistake I'll Never Make Again" Is Up!

 
"What happened to your face?"
"I...walked into a door."
"How many times?"
-- Felicia "Cat" Hardy and Ben Reilly, Spider-Noir: "A Mistake I'll Never Make Again"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "A Mistake I'll Never Make Again", the fourth episode of Spider-Noir, featuring Nicolas Cage as The Spider/Ben Reilly, Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane/"Finn" Byrne, and introducing Andrew Lewis Caldwell as Megawatt/Dirk Leyden!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like how NIk's family's World Cup picks are doing, some comics background on Megawatt, the James Cagney film Ben watches and tries to imitate in this episode, the cop-out by having Silvermane kill Gio instead of Ben or Cat, Cat asking Silvermane if he had any regrets about almost killing her the night before, Cat's song "The Devil You Know" being about Silvermane, Ben struggling to open the door to his office while being seriously hungover, Silvermane closing Cat's window that she just opened, Cat having the chance to kill Silvermane, Frankie calling out Ben for his shabby appearance, Cat confiding her life story to Ben while Flint secretly watches from the shadows, Janet breaking the ice with Lonnie by dealing him into a card game, Ben taking Cat back to his apartment with one clean drinking glass, Ben finally telling the backstory of what happened to Ruby J. Williams, Ben having to pretend to be a coward to get Cat to leave so he can change into The Spider, Silvermane trying to remind Mayor Morris and the Chief of Police who put them in their positions, The Spider's fight with Megawatt, Mayor Morris trying to use The Spider to help his re-election campaign, Cat pulling a Margot Kidder Lois Lane by throwing herself out of the window to force Ben to confirm he's The Spider, Cat's romantic feelings for Ben being incredibly sudden, Silvermane having some really dumb minions, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor, Jesse Jackson and Ken from Chicago, my tease for next week's episode, 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 X/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! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting 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 "Betrayal", the fifth episode of Spider-Noir, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!