Positively Nerdy

It’s time to once again go back and get caught up on comic goodness with Comics With Catch-Up! In this episode we're taking a look at the first volume of Thor: God of Thunder!Written by Jason Aaron and art by Esad Ribic, Thor: God of Thunder was launched last fall as a part of MarvelNOW! I missed out on the series at the time but heard nothing but amazing things from anyone and everyone that was reading it. So when the first collected edition of this series became available I jumped on it.The series features breath-taking artwork and an epic story that connects three Thors from different eras to battle Gor, the god butcher. The young, brash Thor, Thor the Avengers and finally Thor, the All-Father each battle the god butcher in different eras with different methods.If you missed out on this phenomenal Marvel series, now is the perfect time to get caught-up!Visit:www.positivelynerdy.comContact Ryan:Twitter: @positivelynerdyE-Mail: ryan@positivelynerdy.comHead over to iTunes by August 31st and leave a review for Positively Nerdy to become eligible to win an autographed comic or a Marvel Comics Omnibus. Two reviews will be selected at random as winners. The prizes in question: A Forbidden Planet Exclusive copy of Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #1 signed by writer Tony Lee and artist JK Woodward and A Marvel Omnibus Hardcover of the X-Men: Fall of Mutants crossover event. Go to iTunes, leave a review and you’re entered to win! It’s that simple

Welcome to Positively Nerdy! It’s time to once again explore the world of IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics along side co-host Suine Hallock in the latest installment of the Radical Corner of Turtle Comic Talk. In this special episode of RCTCT, Suine and I are joined by writer Erik Burnham! Erik Burnham is a frequent writer on the one-shots and mini-series that accompany IDW’s main, ongoing TMNT series. Erik wrote the one-shots for Splinter and Baxter Stockman, collaborated with writer and artist Mateus Santolouco on The Secret History of the Foot Clan mini-series and wrote the Free Comic Book Day issue of the New Animated Adventures. That issue serves as a sort of ‘zero issue’ to the new Nickelodeon cartoon-inspired comic series. Erik also wrote the Karai one-shot, which is out this week! (Assuming you’re reading this in a relatively timely manner.) Throughout the episode Suine and I discuss with Erik the behind-the-scenes of working on a series like TMNT, collaborating with a variety of artists and follow creators and the constant battle to keep as many of his jokes in the final script as possible. You’ll also catch information on the new Karai issue, Erik’s love of caffeine and we all share a moment in remembering that Sam Rockwell was the cigarette-peddling thug in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle feature film. And just for good measure we discuss Erik’s terrific work on Ghostbusters also for IDW and his new gig working with Chris Yost on Scarlet Spider! We want to thank Erik for coming on the show and be sure you’re all checking out his amazing work! You can follow Erik on Twitter: @erikburnham Visit: www.positivelynerdy.com Contact Ryan: Twitter: @positivelynerdySuine: @Suine_Hallock E-Mail: ryan@positivelynerdy.com Head over to iTunes by August 31st and leave a review for Positively Nerdy to become eligible to win an autographed comic or a Marvel Comics Omnibus. Two reviews will be selected at random as winners. The prizes in question: A Forbidden Planet Exclusive copy of Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #1 signed by writer Scott Tipton and artist JK Woodward and A Marvel Omnibus Hardcover of the X-Men: Fall of Mutants crossover event. Go to iTunes, leave a review and you’re entered to win! It’s that simple!

Welcome to Positively Nerdy! It’s time for another round of comic book reviews, this time for the comic released in the first two weeks of August 2013. The Spider-Man family of titles at Marvel continues to grow, and to impress. And away from the Marvel and DC offerings there are six comics from six different publishers! From Action Lab to Vertigo, this episode has it all! Comics Reviewed in this episode: Action Lab: Skyward #2 Vertigo: Trillium #1 BOOM! Studios: RoboCop: Last Stand #1 (of 8) IDW: Star Trek #24 Dark Horse: Star Wars #8 Image: Saga #13 DC: Green Arrow #23 World’s Finest #15 Earth 2 #15 Batman #23 Marvel: Infinity #1 (of 6) All-New X-Men #15 Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #2 Scarlet Spider #20 Superior Foes of Spider-Man #2 Superior Spider-Man #15 Visit: www.positivelynerdy.com Contact Ryan: Twitter: @positivelynerdy E-Mail: ryan@positivelynerdy.com Head over to iTunes by August 31st and leave a review for Positively Nerdy to become eligible to win an autographed comic or a Marvel Comics Omnibus. Two reviews will be selected at random as winners. The prizes in question: A Forbidden Planet Exclusive copy of Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #1 signed by writer Scott Tipton and artist JK Woodward and A Marvel Omnibus Hardcover of the X-Men: Fall of Mutants crossover event. Go to iTunes, leave a review and you’re entered to win! It’s that simple!

Welcome to Positively Nerdy! It’s time to once again discuss all things cinematic with the latest episode of Ryan and Leah: At the Movies! This time around we’re talking Elysium, the trailers for Captain Phillips and Escape Plan and plenty of movie news from the D23 Expo! Here’s what awaits you in this week’s episode: Leah’s excited by the Captain Phillips trailer and the prospect of more end-of-year-movie-awesomeness from Tom Hanks. And despite the dreaded phrase “Based on a true story” Ryan also admits he’s looking forward to it as well. Ryan is the only one willing to admit that he’s looking forward to Escape Plan starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Now it’s time to talk about all the excitement coming out of the D23 Expo! And after ranting (again) about the lack of Star Wars Episode VIII announcements, it’s all fun and excitement as Ryan and Leah discuss: Guardians of the Galaxy Muppets Most Wanted Malificent Into the Woods Tomorrowland Toy Story OF TERROR Frozen Inside Out Finding Dory Get a Horse Leah’s Cinematic Consultation for this episode is End of Watch starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. And the episode comes to an end as Ryan and Leah discuss, review and celebrate Elysium, the new film from District 9 director Neill Blomkamp starring Matt Damon and Jodi Foster. Ryan and Leah both enjoyed it with Ryan calling it the best movie he’s seen all year. Visit: www.positivelynerdy.com Contact Ryan: Twitter: @positivelynerdy E-Mail: ryan@positivelynerdy.com leah@positivelynerdy.com Head over to iTunes by August 31st and leave a review for Positively Nerdy to become eligible to win an autographed comic or a Marvel Comics Omnibus. Two reviews will be selected at random as winners. The prizes in question: A Forbidden Planet Exclusive copy of Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #1 signed by writer Scott Tipton and artist JK Woodward and A Marvel Omnibus Hardcover of the X-Men: Fall of Mutants crossover event. Go to iTunes, leave a review and you’re entered to win! It’s that simple!

Well, after a year of podcasting, it was bound to happen. For this episode we forgo the positive (well, mostly) in favor of rants on Star Wars: Episode VII, comic events and the overall state of DC Comics. But to reward your patience for this episode I'm announcing an all-new contest for listeners!What can I say, sometimes a man just needs to blow off some steam. So in this episode I let fly on the lack announcements from Disney and Lucasfilm regarding the production of Star Wars: Episode VII and if the delay lends any credence to the rumors regarding JJ Abrams leaving the production. Following the Star Wars talk I confess that after reading a decade worth of events since House of M and Infinite Crisis, event fatigue has finally caught up to me. Infinity and Forever Evil hold very little appeal to me. And once I start ranting about DC, it seems I just can't stop.But it's not all doom and gloom on this episode! Since the one-year anniversary of the Positively Nerdy podcast is right around the corner, I've decided it's time for another contest! All you have to do is leave a review on iTunes for a chance at one of two prizes! A copy of Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation2 #1 Forbidden Planet exclusive cover signed by writer Scott Tipton and artist JK Woodward OR the Marvel Omnibus Hardcover: X-Men: Fall of the Mutants. Leave a review on iTunes for the Positively Nerdy podcast before September 1st, 2013 to be eligible to win! Visit: www.positivelynerdy.com Contact Ryan: Twitter: @positivelynerdy E-Mail: ryan@positivelynerdy.com

Welcome to Positively Nerdy! It's once again time join myself and our awesome pal Suine Hallock as we head into the Radical Corner of Turtle Comic Talk! This time around we're talking Alopex, City Fall and the new Animated Adventures!We say it every time but it needs to be said again: this series just keeps getting better and better! The City Fall event is heating up with the reveal of 'dark' Leonardo - one of comics' worst kept secrets during the last few months - and the story has readers on the edge of their seats. Suine and I begin the episode discussing the Alopex Micro-Series issue by Brian Lynch and Ross Campbell. Lynch and Campbell craft a masterful tale, getting inside Alopex's head, revealing her past as well as dramatic clues to what her future might hold. Then it's onto issue #24 of the ongoing series . Crafted and written, as always, with Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz and artwork by Mateus Santolouco. This issue is overflowing with story including: Shredder and Karai's relationship, the new dynamic between Slash and the Turtles, the cunning of Old Hob and the aforementioned reveal of 'dark' Leonardo! And if you're digging the Nickelodeon TMNT cartoon then IDW has you covered with the all-new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures. We discuss the first issue by Kenny Byerly and Dario Brizuela as a perfect companion to the animated series this issue finally convinced me that the 'Nick toon' verison of April is the best iteration of the character we've ever had.

Welcome to Positively Nerdy! It's been three long week but we're finally back with an all-new episode of comic reviews! From all the usual shenanigans of MarvelNOW and the New 52 to the latest new series from Action Lab entertainment and IDW and everyone's favorite sci-fi franchises, this episode has a little bit of everything!Comics Reviewed in this episode:Action Lab Entertainment:Skyward #1IDW:The Colonized #4 (of 4)The Rocketeer and The Spirit: Pulp Friction #1 (of 4)Star Trek #23Dark Horse:Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #4 (of 5)DC:He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #4Batman '66 #1Batman Superman #2Batman and Catwoman #22Batman Annual #2Wonder Woman #22Aquaman #22Marvel:Indestructible Hulk 311Thanos Rising #4Ultimate Spider-Man #25Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #1Superior Spider-Man #14Savage Wolverine #7All-New X-Men #14Visit:www.positivelynerdy.com Contact Ryan:Twitter: @positivelynerdyE-Mail: ryan@positivelynerdy.com

Welcome to Positively Nerdy! It’s time to once again head to the movies for the newest episode of ‘Ryan and Leah: At the Movies’. Our second episode is jam-packed with no shortage of topics from current movie reviews and discussions to news and rumors of upcoming movies and plenty more! Here’s what awaits you in this week’s episode: Leah shares the news, and her opinions, on The Butler. Or should we say, Lee Daniels’ The Butler. We discuss the surprising news that Harvey Weinstein is once again working with Disney, to adapt the Artemis Fowl series of young adult fantasy novels. Leah saw Fruitvale Station and shares her thoughts on the emotional film, based on a true story. Speaking of Fruitvale Station, the director and star have approached Sylvester Stallone about the Rocky franchise spin-off: Creed. Ryan and Leah had to divide-and-conquer The Wolverine. We both really liked it and are excited for what comes next. Ryan finally lays out some of his thoughts regarding the upcoming slew of comic book movies include his thoughts on Man of Steel 2, Avengers 2: Age of Ultron and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Leah’s Cinematic Consultation has returned, this time featuring Marvin’s Room. And Leah and Ryan finally saw The Lone Ranger and… Well, you’ll just have to listen and find out what we thought! Visit: www.positivelynerdy.com Contact Ryan: Twitter: @positivelynerdy E-Mail: ryan@positivelynerdy.com leah@positivelynerdy.com

Welcome to Positively Nerdy!  It’s time to once again join in on the reading and rapid page turning that is: Ryan and Rob Choose Their Own Adventure!  It’s Chapter 3 of our ongoing efforts and in this episode things take a turn from the action packed to the dramatic and there’s now a way for all of you to play along! Rob and I continue our quest for the Sommerswerd in Book 2 of the Lone Wolf Adventures: Fire on the Water.  Gone are the countless battles against a variety of foes and in its place are deceptions, intrigue and even more decisions than usual.  Will we expose our would-be assassin or do we kill and innocent victim in the process?  We couldn’t have imagined the decisions and peril that awaited us as we continued through Fire on the Water!  And a special thank you to listener Miles for sharing the knowledge of www.projectaon.org.  This site contains all the books in the Lone Wolf series allowing each and every one of you to follow along, should you so choose.  The site is also filled with artwork, links, errors and corrections and even a forum!  Head on over to www.projectaon.org and check out all they have to offer and play along with us! Visit: www.positivelynerdy.com Contact Ryan: Twitter: @positivelynerdy E-Mail: ryan@positivelynerdy.com

Welcome to Positively Nerdy! Suine Hallock and I once again team-up and enter the Radical Corner of Turtle Comic Talk to cover the recent news and discussions of IDW's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from San Diego Comic Con!The biggest news, actually solicited prior to SDCC, involves the long-awaited appearance of fan-favorites Bebop and Rocksteady! Teased long ago in the Raphael Micro-Series, the terrible two-some is finally here to battle the 'toitles'! Suine and I go over the topics discussed at the SDCC panel including 'City Fall', its aftermath, as well as the remaining Villains Micro-Series issues including Karai, Hun and the Shredder! Visit: www.positivelynerdy.com Contact Ryan: Twitter: @positivelynerdy E-Mail: ryan@positivelynerdy.com

Welcome to Positively Nerdy! The Positively Nerdy podcast is quickly becoming a 'catch-all' for a variety of shows covering a variety of content. The newest ongoing feature is 'Ryan and Leah: At the Movies!' Every other week Ryan and Leah will share with you all things movies, from reviews and recommendations to news and trailers!We kick off the first episode with Leah's discovery of the movie mastery that is the late, great Ray Harryhausen courtesy of 1963's Jason and the Argonauts that we watched recently on Turner Classic Movies. After that it's time to discuss the new trailer for Disney's Saving Mr. Banks, starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson, which re-tells the story of Walt Disney's battle to adapt Mary Poppins.Next up, in what will become a regular feature, it's 'Leah's Cinematic Consultation'. Each episode Leah will discuss a movie that probably isn't on your radar and usually well off the beaten path. Her first 'Consultation' is Rabbit Hole starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart.And finally it's onto the discussions of the movies currently in theaters. First up we discuss Pixar's Monster's University followed by World War Z before, closing the episode, Ryan goes off on the complete epic awesomeness that is Pacific Rim!We sincerely hope you all enjoy the first episode of 'Ryan and Leah: At the Movies!' and we'll see you all again in two weeks for our next episode! Visit: www.positivelynerdy.com Contact Ryan: Twitter: @positivelynerdy E-Mail: ryan@positivelynerdy.com leah@positivelynerdy.com

Welcome to Positively Nerdy! Fifty-one episodes of Positively Nerdy have come and gone since I last shared my favorite ongoing series so in this episode - that's just what we're going to do! It's the latest episode of Positively Nerdy and the Tuesday Top5, all rolled into one!Before we get into the current list of my five favorite comic titles we take a look back at episode #29 and review the choices from last November. As you might've guessed, the list has changed considerably but a few manage to retain a position within the Top5. And don't think for a moment I'm going to reveal the Top5 here in the description, there's only one way to find out and that's to listen! One hint I will provide: each of the comics featured in the Top5 come from a different publisher. Marvel, DC, Image, IDW and Dark Horse are all featured here! After the reveal of the Top5, I'll throw in a few Honorable Mentions, just for fun!What about you? What are your current Top5 ongoing series?Visit:www.positivelynerdy.com Contact Ryan: Twitter: @positivelynerdy E-Mail: ryan@positivelynerdy.com

Welcome to Positively Nerdy! It's been two weeks so that means it's once again time for another round of comic book reviews! This review episode is very heavy on the superhero side of things with a lot from Marvel and DC. However we kick the episode off with some stellar Image issues and make a quick trip to that galaxy far, far away before diving into the Big 2!Comics Reviewed in this episode:ImageDark Skullkickers Dark #1Chew #35Dark HorseStar Wars #7DCJustice League #22Superman Unchained #2Green Arrow #22World's Finest #14Earth 2 #14Batman #22MarvelScarlet Spider #18Indestructible Hulk #10The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #1Superior Spider-Man #13 Visit: www.positivelynerdy.com Contact Ryan: Twitter: @positivelynerdy E-Mail: ryan@positivelynerdy.com

Welcome to Positively Nerdy! We're back to once again explore, discover and discuss our way through the classic chose-your-own-adventure series Lone Wolf! The new show rolls on as we conquer (or escape) Flight from the Dark and move on to the second book: Fire on the Water!If you missed out on the first episode of 'Ryan and Rob Choose Their Own Adventure' feel free to listen to episode #73 and get caught up. Or, like the books in the series itself, feel free to jump right in and enjoy the ride. In this episode Rob and I complete Book 1 in the series, Flight from the Dark, thanks to several choices that certainly seemed like a bad idea (like traveling through the Graveyard of the Ancients!) before finally meeting the King and sharing with him the tragic tale of the Kai Lords. In Book 2, Fire on the Water, the King has sent us on a quest for the Sommerswerd to aid in the fight against the Dark Army. The quest is compromised from the start, leading to a much more action-packed beginning than in Book One. With ships, pirates and explosions Fire on the Water is certainly living up to it's name so far!As before, Rob and I end the episode on a cliffhanger, leaving the next step up to you - the listeners! Be sure to share with us your opinion on how you think we should proceed on our quest to find the Sommerswerd!

Welcome to Positively Nerdy!  It's time, once again, to be joined by the always fantastic Suine Hallock for another round of the Radical Corner of Turtle Comic Talk, discussing the Old Hob one-shot and issue #23 of the ongoing series, both from IDW.The massive 'City Fall' even continues to rage on but before Suine and I talk about that, we share some information regarding the upcoming Power-Con in September!  Fans of Masters of the Universe and yes, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles won't want to miss this party!  And there are special incentives for getting your tickets ahead of time, which you can learn all about right here!Then Suine and I share all of our fantastic feedback from the previous episode before it's finally time to discuss the TMNT comics.  First of is Old Hob, a comic we were both massively looking forward to (and it did not disappoint!) before continuing the 'City Fall' story in issue #23.  Issue #23 features an incredible array of artists that have all worked previously on the series.  Best not to spoil that here though, you'll have to listen to the episode