Happy pre-Thanksgiving episode! This one's stuffed full of reviews, with two music reviews: New Surrender by Anberlin and The Stand-Ins by Okkervil River.  As your side dishes, we offer up a look at Bolt, the new Disney film, and iVerse Media comics on the iPod. If that isn't enough, stick around for some dessert and a review of 110 Percent by Tony Consiglio.
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The Thunderbolts are such a messed up team. Oddly I love them.
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Nothing like some oddly titled items to make for an interesting show. We start off with some reviews of iPod games, with Aurora Feint being the clear winner.  TV on the Radio's, Dear Science, wasn't as easy to decipher but we try anyways, following up with the endearing piece, Will You Still Love Me If I Wet the Bed by Liz Prince.  Throw in some commentary on the newly released Kick-Ass movie images and how to steal a church and you've got yourself Episode #106!

Running Time: 21:02
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Wolverine, rave glow sticks, spider buggies
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The Mad House of Ultimate Fortune Episode!

Forget raking leaves. Wouldn't you much cozy up with this new episode featuring a discussion on Mad Men Season 2?  Or perhaps the clap-along sounds of Gentleman Auction House are more appropriate for these Fall days? Maybe you prefer laughs and excitement to get you through Seasonal Affective Disorder? If so, we have reviews for both Fortune and Glory by Brian Michael Bendis and Ultimatum #1.

Running Time: 23:05
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The Acid Anatomy in Local Montreal Episode!

With your extra hour from Daylight's Saving Time, feel free to use it listening to Episode #104 two times! In this episode, we cross our fingers and hope that Jenny Lewis' album, Acid Tongue, figures the formula out. At least, it's a good excuse to put up a picture of her. Speaking of pictures, we talk about the recent Of Montreal show here and what it was like being an official photographer for a night. Finally, we cap the discussion off with last month's book of the month, Local, by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly and announce November's book of the month, Savage Dragon Archives Vol 1, which is now 47% off at Instocktrades.com. Oh yeah, and I go on a slight rant about the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Running Time: 23:45
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The Good Heroes & Riot Crisis Episode!

An episode overflowing with reviews as we take a look back to Ra Ra Riot's first full-length album, The Rhumb Line, which turns out to be a nice surprise. The goodness continues through reviews of Fables: The Good Prince, Secret Invasion #7, and Final Crisis #4. If that wasn't enough, how about a discussion of Heroes: Season 3 to cap off the episode! Come for the reviews! Stay for the multiple times that Louis says "Furries" instead of "Fury" or "Furies"!

Running Time: 22:30
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The Intimate Politic Frenzy Episode!

In a special episode in conjunction with many other comic podcasts, we're participating in the Comics Podcast Theme Event: Politics in Comics! And in true Kwok Talk nature, it's a completely useless list of the Top 5 Super Villains I would want as president in a time of crisis. And if you're still around after that, we quickly hit up Bloc Party's latest album, Intimacy, and Feeding Frenzy 2 (Xbox 360)

Running Time: 20 minutes
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The Year of the Walkmen Crashers Episode!

Show Notes:
00:27 - Intro
02:36 - Batman Year One - Miller / Mazzucchelli (Half Hour Wasted - Legion of Dudes review)
08:31 - October BOM - Local - Wood / Kelly (40% off now at www.instocktrades.com)
10:10 - The Walkmen - You & Me
13:05 - Odd News - Bangkok Punch
14:49 - Castle Crashers (XBLA)
17:51 - Outro

Running Time: 21:50
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Hallelujah! Fight the Fainting Legion Devil Episode!

Show Notes:
00:27 - Intro
01:01 - T-Mobile G1 announced
03:31 - Galaga Legions (XBLA)
06:11 - Jurassic Fight Club (History Channel)
10:12 - The Faint - Fasciinatiion
13:17 - Hallelujah the Hills - Prepare to Qualify EP
16:20 - Daredevil #111
19:01 - Outro

Running Time: 20 minutes
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The iTunes Criminal Partie Episode!

Show Notes:
00:28 - Intro
01:54 - Black Kids - Partie Traumatic
05:08 - Uncanny X-Men #502
07:46 - iTunes 8
11:40 - War Heroes #2
13:54 - Criminal Volume 3: The Dead and the Dying - Brubaker/Phillips
18:35 - Outro

Running Time: 20 Minutes
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The 49 Minute Disco Revelation For Our Forefathers Episode!

Show Notes:
00:27 - Intro
01:30 - HEALTH - Disco
03:29 - Review: Wondermark - Beards of Our Forefathers by David Malki
05:47 - Odd News: Father / Son Dorms
06:44 - Review: Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved (XBLA)
10:25 - Review: Paul Westerberg - 49:00 of Your Time/Life
13:14 - Final Crisis: Revelation #2
16:57 - Secret Invasion #6
19:27 - Outro

Running Time: 20 Minutes
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The Strong Spider Rat Parade Episode!

Show Notes:
00:27 - Intro
01:37 - Ratatat at The Gargoyle
04:03 - Review: Whiteout by Greg Rucka / Steve Lieber
08:02 - September Book of the Month - Batman Year One by Frank Miller / David Mazzucchelli (47% off at instocktrades.com)
09:28 - Review: Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People Episode 1 (Wii)
12:52 - Review: Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
17:35 - Review: ASM #570
18:56 - Outro

Running Time: 20 minutes
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The Horrible Lion Musical Episode!

Show Notes:
00:27 - Intro
02:18 - Review: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
06:34 - Summer of musicals at the Muny
10:47 - Relationships and male hobbies
15:02 - Review: One Day As A Lion EP
17:54 - Outro

Running Time: 20 minutes
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The Gotham Invader Talk Episode!

Show Notes:
00:27 - Intro
02:25 - Review: Gotham Central Volume 4 - The Quick and the Dead by Greg Rucka / Michael Lark
07:02 - Odd News: Fake iPhone lines
08:33 - Odd News: Anti-Kidnapping Chips
10:27 - Review: Space Invaders Extreme (DS)
14:16 - Review: Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
18:26 - Outro

Running Time: 20 minutes
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The Steady Checkmate Revelation Episode!

Show Notes:
00:26 - Intro
02:46 - Review: Checkmate Vol 4 - Fall of the Wall by Greg Rucka was a nice payoff
06:52 - Review: Amazing Spider-Man #567 and its reveal was not so mind-blowing
10:04 - Odd News: Rat snacks are our solution, just not the one I expected
11:24 - Odd News: BK bubble bath and a slight digression on the youth and Internet
14:59 - Review: The Hold Steady - Stay Positive was yet another great random pickup
17:55 - Review: Final Crisis Revelations #1...was dark
19:17 - Outro

Running Time: 20 minutes
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The Motion Trio Episode!

Show Notes:
00:25 - Intro
01:50 - Review: Watchmen Motion Comic
04:16 - Review: Invincible Motion Comic
05:38 - Review: Stephen King's N Motion Comic
07:29 - Motion Comics as a Medium
08:26 - Ask a Jenny
11:27 - Review: Alkaline Trio - Agony and Irony
14:27 - Review: Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #1
16:49 - Review: Final Crisis #3
19:20 - Outro

Running Time: 20 minutes
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The Cold Sentry Economics Episode!

Show Notes
00:25 - Intro
01:35 - Review: The Sentry - Paul Jenkins/Jae Lee is a mixed bag of agoraphobic fun
07:24 - August Book of the Month: Whiteout - Greg Rucka/Steve Lieber
08:33 - Review: Coldplay - Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends probably won't change any existing opinions of the band
11:39 - Comics During a Recession (Comic Foundry) and the five titles I would stick with
17:15 - Review: Wolverine #67 shot an arrow of fun in my face
19:05 - Outro

Running Time: 20 minutes
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The Uncanny Glamour Death Knight Episode!

Show Notes:
00:28 - Intro
02:25 - Odd News: More embarrassing kid names
03:55 - Review: Glamourpuss #2 proved to be an interesting read
06:21 - Dark Knight reflections and my top 5 list of things to consider for the next Batman movie
12:48 - Review: Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs did not quite possess my heart
16:08 - Review: Uncanny X-Men #500 was somewhat of a San Francisco treat

Running Time: 20 minutes
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The Mighty Pitchforknauts Trade Episode!

Show Notes
00:26 - Intro
04:01 - Pitchfork Music Festival 2008
13:25 - NBA Trade Talk
15:30 - Mighty Avengers #16
18:35 - Perhapanauts #3

Running Time: 20 minutes
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The Smooth Fourth World State and Tokyo Godland Episode!

Show Notes:
00:27 - Intro
02:12 - Review: Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus Volume 1
09:47 - Review: Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us
13:39 - Review: Warioware - Smooth Moves (Wii)
16:36 - Listener Questions
19:44 - Review: Godland Celestial Edition Volume 1 by Joe Casey
24:01 - Review: Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
26:50 - Odd News: Feel a Statue

Running Time: 30 minutes
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The holiday gave me late books and a free bag of discount firecrackers. Will Astonishing X-Men #25 win via Twitter text? Can Overdrive pimp a win?

Preliminary Seeding
1. Astonishing X-Men #25
2. Batman #678
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer #16
4. Amazing Spider-Man #564

Show Notes:
00:26 - Intro
03:33 - Round 1: Astonishing X-Men #25 vs. Amazing Spider-Man #564
07:11 - Round 1: Batman #678 vs. Buffy the Vampire Slayer #16

Tune in to find out the rest...

Running Time: 15 minutes
Show Music - mewithoutyou - Catch For Us the Foxes
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The Queen Zohan Wall Blox Index Episode!

Show Notes:
00:27 - Intro
02:35 - Review: You Don't Mess With the Zohan
05:11 - Review: Wall-E
09:33 - Review: Thrice - The Alchemy Index I - IV
17:28 - Review: Queen and Country Vol 1 (Definitive Edition) by Greg Rucka
22:38 - Odd News: Stripper Golf for Kids
23:20 - Listener Questions
25:20 - Review: Boom Blox (Wii)
28:23 - Outro

Running Time: 30 minutes
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It's the NIT of Kwok Talk comic tournaments! As we look through some of the lesser anticipated books, there are still some gems to be found. Can Sinestro construct a win like he did an airplane? Can Fear Agent drink it's way to the top?
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Show Notes

00:15 - Intro
02:01 - Round 1: Green Lantern #32 vs. Runaways #30
03:52 - Round 1: Avengers Initiative #14 vs. Immortal Iron Fist #16
05:43 - Round 1: Fantastic Four #558 vs. Superman #677
07:23 - Round 1: Uncanny X-Men #499 vs. Fear Agent #22

Tune in to find out the rest...

Running Time: 15 minutes
Show Music - Flight of the Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
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Too many comics to be contained within one episode, so we're giving you TWO episodes this week! This episode is a battle of the top seeds, where we let the big dogs fight for the prize of being the book of the week. Can Hank Pym sleep with enough skrulls to carry Mighty Avengers #15? Will Ellis' swan song on Thunderbolts #121 get the sympathy vote?
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Show Notes:
00:15 - Intro
02:34 - Round 1: Thunderbolts #121 vs. X-Men Legacy #213
04:08 - Round 1: New Avengers #42 vs. Daredevil #108
05:21 - Round 1: Captain America #39 vs. Mighty Avengers #15

Tune in to find out the rest...

Running Time: 15 minutes
Show Music - Ben Folds - Rockin the Suburbs
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The Third Suburban Key Fleet with Mario Gear Episode!

Show Notes:
00:26 - Intro
02:45 - Review: Suburban Glamor by Jamie McKelvie
09:11 - Odd News: Sudoku court
11:21 - Review: Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
13:21 - Metal Gear Solid reflections
19:00 - Review: The Black Keys - Attack and Release
21:54 - Review: Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
25:05 - Review: Portishead - Third
28:49 - Outro

Running Time: 30 minutes
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It's a small week of comics, so we get to slow down this episode. No bracketology, but a lot of comic goodness still!
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Show Notes:
00:15 - Intro
02:24 - Amazing Spider-Man #562
06:53 - Green Lantern Corps #25
12:16 - Action Comics #866

Running Time: 15 minutes
Show Music - Hepcat - Right On Time
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Can the appearance of a sidekick help Kick-Ass #3 slash its way to the top? Or will the multitude of babies generated in Nightwing #145 create enough sympathy for a win?
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Preliminary Seeding:
1. Secret Invasion #3
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer #15
3. Kick-Ass #3
4. JSA #16
5. ASM #561
6. Nightwing #145
7. Young X-Men #3
8. Punisher War Journal #20

Show Notes:
00:15 - Intro
01:51 - Round 1: Secret Invasion #3 vs. Punisher War Journal #20
04:27 - Round 1: Buffy the Vampire Slayer #15 vs. Young X-Men #3
05:38 - Round 1: Kick-Ass #3 vs. Nightwing #145
06:58 - Round 1: JSA #16 vs. ASM #561

Tune in to find out the rest...

Running Time: 15 minutes
Show Music - Sunny Day Real Estate - How It Feels To Be Something On
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The Crystal Castle Soundsystem Running Rascal Method Episode!

00:19 - Intro
02:27 - What you been up to?
05:25 - Review: Dizzee Rascal - Boy in Da Corner
07:33 - Odd News: Reverse drug bust?
08:51 - Review: Aesop Rock - All Day
11:34 - Review: The Crystal Method - Drive
14:15 - Listener questions
17:46 - Review: Defend Your Castle (Wii)
21:11 - Review: LCD Soundsystem - 45:33
23:14 - Review: The Hives - Black, White, and Run (Expensive People Remix)
26:04 - Review: Bizarro Comics (V/A)
29:09 - Outro

Running Time: 30 minutes
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Sooooo many comics. The holiday delay in getting my comics means no comic tournament. But hopefully this free-form talk about my books makes up for it as I run down my Top 5 books and all the others.
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00:15 - Intro & the "other" books
06:05 - New Avengers #41
07:18 - Daredevil #107
08:34 - Batman #677
10:07 - Final Crisis #1
12:43 - Giant Sized Astonishing X-Men #1

Running Time: 15 minutes
Show Music: Rancid - Life Won't Wait
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It's upset city this week! Are any of the top seeds safe? Can JLA #14 fend off the pop-art evil of ASM #560? Can Captain America #38 put up enough espionage to outwit Avengers Initiative #13 and Perhapanauts #2?
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Preliminary Seeding:
1. Incredible Hercules #117
2. Captain America #38
3. JSA #15
4. Mighty Avengers #14
5. Fantastic Four #557
6. Amazing Spider-Man #560
7. Avengers: Initiative #13
8. Perhapanauts #2

Show Notes:
00:15 - Intro
02:10 - Round 1: Incredible Hercules #117 vs. Perhapanauts #2
04:15 - Round 1: Captain America #38 vs. Avengers: Initiative #13
05:43 - Round 1: JSA #15 vs. Amazing Spider-Man #560
07:17 - Round 1: Mighty Avengers #14 - Fantastic Four #557

Tune in to find out the rest....

Running Time: 30 minutes
Show Music: Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
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The Button Castles With Hercules Cookies Episode!

00:22 - Intro
01:46 - Review: Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
05:37 - What have you been up to?
08:12 - Listener Questions: Part 1
13:46 - Review: F*** Buttons - Street Horsssing
16:18 - Odd News: Darth Vader Attacks Jedi Church
18:17 - Review: Hercules and the Love Affair - Hercules and the Love Affair
19:50 - Review: Princess at Midnight by Andi Watson
22:45 - Odd News: Girl Scout Cookies
24:45 - Listener Questions: Part 2
27:09 - Outro
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Another full bracket competing to be book of the week. Can Titans #2 even squeeze into the competition? Do I find parcour cool enough to enjoy ASM #559? How did Marilyn Manson get into Batman #676?
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Preliminary Seeding:
1. Thunderbolts #120
2. Batman #676
3. X-Men Legacy #211
4. Wolverine #65
5. Green Lantern Corps #24
6. Amazing Spider-Man #559
7. Guardians of the Galaxy #1
8. Transhuman #2
9. Titans #2

Show Notes:
00:15 - Intro
01:21 - Disqualified: Titans #2
02:35 - Round 1: Thunderbolts #120 vs. Transhuman #2
03:52 - Round 1: Batman #676 vs. Guardians of the Galaxy #1
05:24 - Round 1: X-Men Legacy #211 vs. Amazing Spider-Man #559
07:03 - Round 1: Wolverine #65 vs. Green Lantern Corps #24

Tune in to find out the rest....

Running Time: 30 minutes
Show Music: Listener - Ozark Empire
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Eight books vying for the coveted title of Book of the Week. Who will make it on top? Will Alex Maleev be able to draw Mighty Avengers #13 to victory or stun with a horrific Frank Castle cover on Punisher War Journal #19? Will the boobalicious cover of Young X-Men #2 leave us embarrassed? Can Dracula help Buffy #14 win the competition with back to back issues?
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Preliminary Seeding:
1. Secret Invasion #2
2. Mighty Avengers #13
3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer #14
4. Amazing Spider-Man #558
5. Nightwing #144
6. Young X-Men #2
7. Logan #3
8. Punisher War Journal #19

Show Notes:
00:15 - Intro
01:49 - Round 1: Secret Invasion #2 vs. Punisher War Journal #19
03:00 - Round 1: Mighty Avengers #13 vs. Logan #3
04:29 - Round 1: Buffy #14 vs. Young X-Men #2
06:19 - Round 1: ASM #558 vs. Nightwing #144

Tune in to find out the rest....

Running Time: 30 minutes
Show Music: Mates of State - Team Boo
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The Blindspot Fear and Extra Life Episode!

00:23 - Intro
02:12 - What have you been up to?
04:45 - Review: Drawn to Life for Nintendo DS
09:19 - Odd News: Lice Exhibition
10:27 - Forum Questions
13:11 - Review: Extra Golden - Hera Ma Nono
15:58 - Review: Vic Ruggiero - Something In My Blindspot
18:43 - Odd News: Nuclear Tea
19:44 - Review: Fear Agent - The Last Goodbye by Rick Remender / Tony Moore
23:45 - NBA 2nd Round Picks
27:38 - Odd News: PBR Coffin
28:58 - Outro
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Weeks like this make it hard to just pick one book of the week. Who will win? The Skrull Queen infiltration? Black Hand throwing up black goop? Hal Jordan bench-pressing a plane? Iron Fist kicking things?
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Preliminary Seeding
1. New Avengers #40
2. Action Comics #864
3. DC Universe #0
4. Green Lantern #30
5. X-Men Legacy #210
6. Avengers: The Initiative #12
7. The Immortal Iron Fist #14
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Finally a light week, with a fab four of books. Will Uncanny X-Men's cover frighten me away with it's hippie overload? Am I one being suspected by Fury as a skrull in Mighty Avengers? Can Countdown end good at all?

Preliminary Seeding
1. Mighty Avengers #12
2. Countdown To Final Crisis #1
3. Uncanny X-Men #497
4. Batman #675

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We're so all over the map this episode, you'll need to consult the records of Ponce de' Leon. We've committed to our NBA first round picks, so feel free to see those fall apart, but to soothe those upset specials you may want to listen to our reviews of She & Him - Volume One and Vampire Weekend - S/T.  On the animated side of things, we also discuss the recent New Frontier DVD and on the comic front I spend time with the Alias omnibus.  And because we care about you, we warn you about the dangers of being a hairdresser and the healing properties of Pokemon.
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As our lawyers sue the NBA for copying our playoff format, treat yourself to the latest episode of Comic Talk. Will Perhapanauts #1 impress enough to go far?  Can Orion and Darkseid slug each other enough to move onto the next round? Will that picture of Anole on X-Men: Divided We Stand #1 never cease to creep me out?

Preliminary Seeding
1. Captain America #37
2. Incredible Hercules #116
3. Avengers Initiative #11
4. Countdown 2
5. ASM #557
6. Perhapanauts #1
7. X-Men Divided We Stand #1
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I may be a bit travel weary, but now back at the home base, there's no stopping this tournament to find the best book of the week. Will JSA #14 win due to team size? Can Reed coming to the rescue get the excitement meter going off the charts in Fantastic Four #556? Will the abundant use of white in Amazing Spider-Man #556 lull me into defeat? And I don't even mention "skrulls" or "babies" this episode...ok, maybe once.

Preliminary Seeding
1 - Wolverine #64
2 - FF #556
3 - JSA #14
4 - GL Corps #23
5 - Avengers Fairy Tales #2
6 - Titans #1
7 - ASM #556
8 - Countdown to Final Crisis #3
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Does a podcast have seams? If so, this one would be burstin' at them.  We're giving you double for what you paid for this episode, with two videogame reviews of Commander: Attack of the Genos and Poker Smash for XBLA. We also have two album reviews, with !!!'s - Myth Takes and The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia both being different than anticipated. Guy Delisle takes us on a trip to North Korea in his graphic novel, Pyongyang, but is that place funner than thong diamonds, skyscraper underwear, and taking divorce a little too literally? You'll have to listen to find out. Oh and my dog decides he wants to play mid-show. Fun
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Entertaining Grime
Alternate Reality
Fred News
Comic Tube
Fuzzy Typewriter
Fanboys Strike Back
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So many great books this week made me take a more refined and thoughtful approach to figuring out the best book for the week.  So many books that Countdown #4 wasn't even invited to the dance. Secret Invasion is upon us, but can that beat Puerto Ricans beating up a superhero in Kick Ass #2 or Superman meeting Dr. Zoidberg in Action Comics #863. Even Dracula and Xander's male bonding in Buffy #13 might not be able to top that. And find out which comic would make me eat babies. Oh yeah. That good to get me all un-PC

Preliminary Seeding
1 – Secret Invasion #1
2 – Kick Ass #2
3 – Action Comics #863
4 – Buffy 13
5 – Nightwing #143
6 - ASM #555
7 – Young X-Men #1
8 - Logan 2
9 - Countdown 4
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Upset city! This episode busts more brackets than Murdock busts skulls in Daredevil #106! Will The Mighty Avengers #11 tear the ugly face off the competition? Will Green Lantern #29 and Hal's origin survive the Echo skrullpocalypse in New Avengers #39? Can Transhuman #1 engineer a victory or will Countdown #5 leap out like a dog with a knife and stab its way to a win?

This week's rankings:
1. New Avengers #39
2. Daredevil #106
3. Green Lantern #29
4. Transhuman #1
5. X-Men Legacy #209
6. Mighty Avengers #11
7. Countdown #5
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Remember that time when you got irradiated with rays, gained super powers, and were trained by what you later found out to be a terrorist organization? Yeah I don't, but Jessica Drew does as we review Spider-Woman: Origins by Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Reed, and the Luna Brothers. I also can't remember the last Nine Inch Nails album I liked, but that' s probably because Ghosts is the first NIN album I've tried. As well, I've never tried fighting 500 lb gorillas, but I did enjoy King of Kong: A Fistfull of Quarters.  Things to maybe not try include Triggerheart Exelica on XBLA or sticking engagement rings in balloons.  So pull up your pants before you get arrested and get ready for some random fun.
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It's March Madness, baby! And while I really don't care for NCAA sports, we're using the occasion to try out a new format. Think of it as a bracket for best book of the week. The issues have been seeded and are ready to battle to the death for supremacy. Will Countdown #6 pull off the upset? Will The Incredible Hercules #115 stomp it's sandals all over the competition? Can the referees be tempted by the cheesecake art of JLA #19? Only time will tell, or at least 20 minutes of podcast sportstacular goodness.

This week's rankings:
1. The Incredible Hercules #115
2. Captain America #36
3. ASM #554
4. JLA #19
5. The Immortal Iron Fist #13
6. Countdown #6
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The week's shipping list didn't look that exciting, but actually provided a lot of gems that really knocked my proverbial socks off.  Perhaps shining the brightest was Thunderbolts #119 - how can you not get excited by Swordsman exploding Venom? Perhaps a little more on the G-rated end, Avengers Fairy Tales #1 wonderfully kicks off the mini-series in as much a whimsical fashion to almost be my book of the week. Shoot, Wolverine #63 and Mighty Avengers #10 weren't really slouches either. Perhaps some of that energy could have rubbed off to Countdown #7, which left me wondering where we're headed in this series.  Same thing with Avengers Initiative #10, but in a good way.  Amazing Spider-Man #553 shows that I have no heart when it comes to mutated freaks.  Fantastic Four #555 teaches us that the 2018 editorial staff at Marvel has some retcons to do, and finally, Green Lantern Corps #22 wasn't anywhere close to as bad as I may have thought.

Happy St. Patty's day comic fans.
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Could we possibly pack more reviews into this episode? (Yeah, probably, but I'm only one man, you ungrateful jerk!) On the audio front, we spent time with some EPs: Black Kids - Wizard of Ahhhs EP and The Myriad - Prelude to Arrows EP, one which got us pretty jazzed and the other...not so much. The Checkmate/Outsiders crossover, Checkout, by Greg Rucka and Judd Winnick leaves us wondering who DC is paying to come up with Checkmate trade names. Shifting to games, we talk about our time with Rez HD and FIFA Street for the Xbox 360. One was possibly powered by drugs and you couldn't get me to buy the other without getting me drugged.  Mixed in with all this is odd news of getting snipped in the name of March Madness and how you listening to this is contributing to American's crime wave.
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Yeah, I'm shocked too that Buffy the Vampire Slayer #12 was my favorite book of the week, but I found myself laughing with every person convening to find out on Buffy's latest activities. Amazing Spider-Man #552 kept the BND train rolling on nicely, while Green Lantern #28 keeps us moving towards the blackest night. Logan #1 was disappointing and Uncanny X-men #496 was just weird and filled with hippies. Nightwing #142 was a nice link to the other Batman books and Countdown #8 makes me tired with all it's talky talk.

It's comic time. Come and get it.
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"While being tortured, I replay episodes of Kwok Talk in my mind. How soothing," Batman wrote on a cocktail napkin at the local bar.

Let's talk comics!
-Kick - Ass #1
-Batman #674
-Action Comics #862
-JSA #13
-Captain America #35
-Daredevil #105
-Countdown #9
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"Crap. We should have listened to Kwok," said a German scientist before getting eaten by a newly found sea spiders the size of dinner plates.

-Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo
-Scalped vol 1 by Jason Aaron
-XO & Lost Kisses by Silber Media
-Odd news: Sexy church and the potential aquatic apocalypse
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"Morgan Le Fey said I had to bring a gift the next time I came over. iPod loaded up with Kwok Talk episodes should work wonders," wrote Dr. Doom on his blackberry to his Twitter site.

Let's talk comics!
-The Incredible Hercules #114
-Mighty Avengers #9
-ASM #551
-JLA #18
-Runaways #29
-Countdown #10
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"Kwok's voice would warm my heart if it wasn't replaced by robotic technology," computed Alpha Lantern Boodikka while performing a quadratic formula.

Let's talk comics!
-Wolverine #62
-New Avengers #38
-Countdown #11
-Green Lantern Corps #21
-Fantastic Four #554
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"I would also like to attach this legislation to make Kwok Talk the official picnic podcast for Kentucky," pronounced Kentucky State Representative Charles Siler while trying to pass his bill to get KFC to be the official state picnic food and fending off PETA protesters with a broom.

Listening to this podcast will earn you 2 points in the primaries. If not, at least you'll get to hear reviews of:
-Strictly Leakage by Atmosphere
-Batman and Son by Grant Morrison & Andy Kubert
-The false Juno videogame
-Fried chicken being the official picnic food of Kentucky
-NBA trades
-Mrs. Clemens on HGH
-Dangerous flirty women
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"This podcast is helping me relax after our mansion was destroyed, my mentor was shot in the head by a renegade teammate, and my team was disbanded," Cyclops admitted while riding a Triceratops during his Savage Land vacation.

Let's talk comics!
-Justice Society of America #12
-Uncanny X-Men #495
-Countdown #12
-Buffy the Vampire Slayer #11
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"I'd like to register, please...to be able to post on the Kwok Talk forums," emailed Jessica Jones to the CSG moderators while her baby was sleeping.

Let's talk comics!
-Avengers: Initiative #9
-New Avengers Annual #2
-Mighty Avengers #8
-Daredevil #104
-Captain America #34
-Batman #673
-Countdown #13
-Green Lantern #27
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"It was either the Mets for 4 prospects or that other team who offered the entire Kwok Talk catalog," Johan Santana reported said while preparing some spinach artichoke dip for his Superbowl party.

It's Wednesday, so let's celebrate hump day with a new episode to keep you going until the weekend.  Here we talk about:

-The Hives - The Black and White Album
-Undertow (XBLA)
-Tommysaurus Rex by Doug TenNapel
-Music disagreements and fire
-The complaint choir
-Heartache leave
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"Wait, they're destroying the perfect Earth?! Save the Kwok Talk episodes!!!" screamed Superman-Prime while ironing his cape.

Let's talk comics!
-Countdown to Final Crisis #14
-X-Men #207
-Astonishing X-Men #24
-The Order #7
-Ultimates 3 #2
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"I usually keep an iPod filled with Kwok Talk episodes in one of my pockets to play for the baby. If this baby is the savior of mutantkind, we need to toughen her up a bit," wrote Cable on an Etch-a-Sketch.

Let's talk comics!
-The Incredible Hercules #113
-New X-Men #46
-The Immortal Iron Fist #12
-JLA #17
-Countdown #15
-Amazing Spider-Man #547
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The Go to the Dead Checkmate Galaxy Episode!

"I may be the the third smartest person in the DC universe, but at least Kwok dresses better," Mr. Terrific said in an IM message to Batman.

What a better way to celebrate our new Wednesday release schedule with episode #75! In this episode we talk about:

-Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
-The Walking Dead Vol 3 (HC) by Robert Kirkman
-Checkmate Vol 2 by Greg Rucka
-The Go! Team - Proof of Youth
-Why kids hate clowns
-the Macbook Air

Also, this episode features hand-drawn craptacular art by yours truly! Keep this episode in mint-condition, it'll be worth millions in the future!
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Comic Talk for books released on 01/09/08

"I hope to destroy the multiverse, but maybe I'll keep Kwok Talk around. Maybe." - declared Lord Monarch in an entry in his Anne Geddes diary.

In a possibly ongoing series of weekly episodes, this episode focuses on:
-Mighty Avengers #7
-Countdown #16
-The Spirit #12
-X-Factor #27
-Punisher War Journal #15
-Hulk #1
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The Best of 2007 Music, Podcast, and Sports Episode!

"My agent tried real hard to get me a gig as co-host on Kwok Talk, but unfortunately Louis doesn't really do the co-host thing. I guess I'll just have to settle for a possible NBA Championship," quipped Kevin Garnett while supersizing his meal at McDonalds.

This is it - the last of our Best of 2007 trilogy. You like the music? You like the podcasts? You like the sports? You like the teeth-whitening properties gained by listening? Well, I can only guarantee three of the four. Enjoy!
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The Best of Comics & TV Episode!

"I laughed so hard that I accidentally slapped Chuck on the back. And then she died. And then, I wasn't laughing anymore. Thanks a lot, Kwok." - Ned the Piemaker supposedly wrote in an angry fan letter.

Continuing our Best of 2007 episodes, this time we talk about year in comics (titles & events) and TV.  What's on our best of lists?  Tune in to find out!
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The Movie & Videogame Episode

"We didn't make Kwok's Top Movie list?!? Autobots, prepare to kick his butt," Optimus Prime was quoted saying while watching the Rose Bowl.

It's the first episode of the year, you know what that means - the year end extravaganza! Too much to be contained in one episode, this is the first of several podcasts discussing our best of 2007 lists. 

First up - movies & videogames!!
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The Raving World Rebirth Episode!

"I had to either rescue the World Series ball or this episode of Kwok Talk from my dog's mouth. Fortunately, I chose wisely," Boston reliever Jonathon Papelbon admitted while wrapping his Christmas presents.

-Rayman: Raving Rabbids 2
-Green Lantern: Rebirth by Geoff Johns
-Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light
-$9000 Guitar Hero 3
-Forum Questions
..and more!
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With their last release, The Question, back in 2005, the Seattle-via-South Carolina post-hardcore band Emery won me over enough to curiously anticipate their third and current album, I’m Only a Man.  While they started with screamo tendencies, The Question was much catchier collection of songs and evolution of the band’s style.  For this third release, the band has changed things up enough to prevent repetition, while retaining a familiar sound.  Some chances are taken, mostly to the benefit of their sound.

One of the things about Emery that has the ability to either frustrate or amaze me is their inability to give you a straightforward song 9 times out of 10.  While still having a pop-hardcore overarching shell, within the span of a single song the style and tempo might swing multiple times in completely different directions.  The point is illustrated best in the song “Don’t Bore Us Get To the Chorusâ€? that goes from falsetto chorus to moody waltz to beat pop within a 2-3 minute span. Whether you like it or hate it, it’s definitely not the same thing you hear elsewhere.  While the album does have its fair share of pop-hardcore tracks familiar to older fans, this album continues the attempt to widen their style.  The screaming is pretty limited this time around, taking the opportunity to showcase the vocal abilities of Devin Shelton and Toby Morrell – who both work very well independently and playing off each other.

Yet even despite these initial praises, it took me a long time to actually like the album.  The experimentation doesn’t always seem to work (especially the use of electronics) and on my first listen, I was actually turned off by most of it.  But over a few more sittings, it did grow on me a bit and in part I think my expectations negatively colored my reception.  Though the band grew a lot between their first and second album, I don’t think the same leap was made between the second and third.  Some of the weaker tracks seem just slightly off-target or fall a bit short, but I still hold out hope that they’ll figure out the magic formula by the time their fourth album comes out.  Overall a good try, but well short of a knockout punch. 3 out of 5.

Countdown To Final Crisis - #20
A bit of an off-issue after a few good ones, falling back into trying to give you too many divergent stories and losing cohesiveness. The Piper/Trickster storyline had really fallen far after such a good start, but I’ve been drawn back ever since Trickster died.  The Karate Kid / Una story seemed to take a dumb turn with Una’s love confession, and highlighted some really bad art by Howard Porter (just too many lines!).  Everything is still building towards something big, but hopefully the next issue will get back on track in giving some more enjoyment along the way.

Grade: C+

New Warriors - #6 – Crap Book of the Week
I have been on the fence about this series and I think the axe is falling on the chopping block. It’s not horrible by any means, but really hasn’t blown me away since the first few issues.  It’s weird, I should love it – the art’s nice and the characters are nice fanboy service to the X-fans (Stacy X revealed in this issue – yikes!), but I really don’t feel vested in the story and characters.  Oh well, it was nice knowing you.

Grade: D+

Green Lantern #25 – Book of the Week
WAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! This was AWESOME! To be honest, I had really started to lose faith in the Sinestro Corps series as of lately, but this was truly a great bookend to the stellar one-shot to kick off the series.  Oddly I found Cyborg Superman’s death and resurrection some of the most interesting panels in the book.  Can you just let a brother die? Great, now I’m hooked on GL for at least another two years.

Grade: A+

New Avengers #37
I actually think I’ve liked the more “colorful� issues of lately, which are strong contrasts to Yu’s art, but I think it still looks good. The Hood storyline was a bit of a letdown, but there’s still hope for a fun blowout fight in the Annual.

Grade: B

X-Factor #26
I’m glad that we have Halo Spartans protecting our future. A bit of a slower issue, but the X-Force / Reaver fight looks promising. Also, I am close to getting weary of the Cyclops / Professor X cat fight and I hope they don’t make “Angry Scottâ€? a permanent thing.  Still getting a kick out of Cable’s baby carrier uniform.

Grade: B

Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia, the now quartet has put out Happiness, LTD., their second major label release and third full release overall.  Their last album, Elevator, was slicker and more commercially appealing than their debut album, but didn’t quite capture the attention they had hoped for and was a little too uneven in quality, leading it to be labeled a failure in some circles.  Interestingly, instead of trying to replicate the indie love after their first album, they’ve set out to try and make an even more produced and polished album to try again in winning over a bigger audience.

For an album entitled, Happiness LTD., it’s ironically the most subdued album from the band.  Where Make Up the Breakdown was choppy and spiky, Happiness LTD.  pulls it all in to try and smooth out both the melodies and instruments.  If these were intended to be pop-ballads ready for radio, this is probably the best shot that they have. But how good is that?  Some of the tracks are catchy enough to keep our Brit-pop loving toes tapping, but I think some of my worries about this album stem to Hot Hot Heat being more about the music and fun energy than the lyrics.  For those missing the old times, there are a few tracks left (5 Times Out of 100 and My Best Friend) that have the old feel of recklessly running forward at full-blast, but the majority of the album progresses at an even pace that definitely feels slowed-down for these guys  (see Waiting for Nothing that crawls at a painfully slow speed.)  I keep going back and forth about how I feel about a slower Hot Hot Heat, and ultimately I respect them going that direction because their strictly jingle-jangle style would probably have run out of steam at some point.  However, I can’t say that I always loved the output of that direction either, since it leaves them indistinguishable from the ten gazillion other indie pop bands.

In the end, the new album should appeal to old fans and if any of the singles hit the radio it should find a few new ears looking for something danceable, but won’t blow up the charts.  If you like what you hear, it wouldn’t hurt you to pick this up.  But if you don’t there isn’t really a big loss on your end.  Happiness, LTD. from Hot Hot Heat chugs along getting a 3 out of 5.

Had some extra reviews, so you'll see some new reviews over the next few days.

Dashboard Confessional – The Shade of Poison Trees
Chris Carrabba, the original singer for Further Seems Forever, frontman for Dashboard Confessional, and the sole culprit for bringing my personal pet peeve of crowd singing at concerts to life in full force, is back with his fifth original release.  Anyone who’s followed his career is aware of the sharp difference from the very stripped-down sound of just him and his guitar from his first two releases compared to the full-band products of more recent years, which have polarized some fans, including myself, who either strongly like or dislike the transition.  For me, while I don’t want to curtail any growth or exploration as a musician, I really missed his stripped-down style.  When I last saw him in concert a few months back, it was ridiculously different feel than when I had seen him during tours for his first album.  While my enthusiasm for each subsequent Dashboard release has been met with diminishing returns, hearing that The Shade of Poison Trees was a return to his acoustic roots made me optimistically curious.

The album sounds sharply different at first with the lead track, “Where There’s Gold,â€? which is a great start, blending the sound of his earlier music with his more obtuse lyrics of recent.  However as the songs pass, you begin to realize that the album isn’t quite a “return to old formâ€? as possibly envisioned.  We do get subdued pop songs that sound like his older songs, but they still hold onto the developed instrumentation of latter releases.  Looking back, I think it was a somewhat smart move as his old acoustic style really has a low ceiling in terms of sustained creativity.  But somewhere in their move away from simplicity, the songs still suffer from being unmemorable or sounding dangerously close to previous songs.  Lyrically, nothing has changed in the continued offering of self-conscious confessionals around the same emo trinity of love, conflict and betrayal.  In my opinion, it’s nothing horrible, but that really depends on which side of the emo fence you fall on.

In the end, The Shade of Poison Trees ranks better than his last few albums, but falls a bit short of his first two releases. If you have been curious to try out Dashboard Confessional, this isn’t a bad one to try out – but it isn’t the best one either.  Either way, it just isn’t that memorable in the end, fitting the “passable fillerâ€? description seen in another review.  Dashboard Confessional’s album, The Shade of Poison Trees, gets an average 3 out of 5.

Man, I'm in a weird mood tonight, with late comics again.

Countdown to Final Crisis #21 – Yo mama so dumb she thought Countdown to Final Crisis meant the last season of Jerry Springer.
Grade: B+

JLA #15 – Yo mama’s butt so big she makes Ed Bene’s ladies look like Unicef posters.
Grade: B+

Buffy #9 – Yo mama so dumb about this book of the week that when she saw BKV, she thought it was the new value meal at Burger King.
Grade: A+

Avengers Initiative Annual #1 – Yo mama so ugly she got startled by the last page because she thought she was looking into a mirror
Grade: B+

JSA #11 – Yo mama gets around so much that she hooked up with more guys than the JSA has members.
Grade: B

The Return of the Stereo Hero 2 Saint Episode!

"I may be Sportsman of the Year, but Kwok Talk is the real unsung hero," Brett Favre said during a dream when he was a NASCAR racer.

-Guitar Hero III for Xbox 360
-JLA Earth 2 by Grant Morrison
-New Found Glory - From the Screen To Your Stereo II
-Text a Saint
-Forum questions and more!
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The repercussion of holidays leaves me getting my books on Monday…again.  Therefore, irrelevant reviews in limerick form!

Countdown to Final Crisis #22

Jimmy Olsen’s story wasn’t so bad;
Trickster dying made the Rogues rad;
Come soon Morrison’s run;
Final Crisis should be very fun;
Mary’s butt shot made me very mad.

Grade: B

Green Lantern Corps #18

Is the Sinestro Corps over yet?
Hopefully just one more issue I bet;
Ion’s beat down made me glad;
The yucky art mad me sad;
Event please conclude well so I don’t regret.

Grade: C+

Daredevil #102 – Book of the week (tie)

I thought this was the best issue in a while;
Mr. Fear’s character really showed some style;
How does Razor Fist take a pee?
The cover made me jump with glee;
Will Daredevil ever be able to smile?

Grade: A

X-Men #205 – Book of the week (tie)

Another solid issue for the mutant event;
Baccalo’s art for the battles was worth every cent;
Gambit stabbed in the chest!
Cable’s not dead, you surely jest!
I wish more Marvel events like this went.

Grade: A

All Star Batman & Robin #8

DCBS made a shipping mistake;
This instead of Batman for heaven’s sake;
Jim Lee’s art is so great;
Batman has such a weird mental state;
This series hilariously takes the cake.

Grade: B+