Shows
BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 198: Titanic Team-Ups (w/Matt McThorn)The Teen Titans have always been linked to the Bat Family. There are very few iterations of the Titans that don't include a former or current Robin in their ranks. So most Titans stories fit within the remit of this podcast. Patreon backer and friend of the show Matt McThorn specifically wanted to talk about a couple late 90s/early 00s stories featuring Nightwing and his relationship with Batman and the other original Titans, and we decided to throw in one of those completely insane Bob Haney Brave and the Bolds to round it out.
Rebels in the Streets (The...
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The ComicsXF Interview PodcastOur Son Pete Episode 29: The One with the Naked Gun (Excalibur #114 with Matt Lazorwitz)Dan's CXF Interview Podcast co-host Matt Lazorwitz returns to talk about Excalibur #114, in which Pete reveals his past with Sari St. Hubbins. But really this episode is about the 1988 movie The Naked Gun.
2025-08-041h 07BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 193: Joker Behind BarsThe revolving doors of any prison or mental health facility in Gotham City are running jokes, and rightly so; they can't keep a D-lister like Ratcatcher locked up, let alone someone like the Joker. But they do keep winding up back in custody, so there has to be story potential there, right? This week's episode looks at three times Joker wound up locked up. A graphic novel from Dixon and Nolan finds Joker on death row, a tale of Joker's first time in custody and there's a mystery of exactly how all of Gotham's rogues wound up in a warehouse...
2025-07-021h 13BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 192: Seven Assassins and a PredatorDoug Moench wrote Batman stories for about a decade over the course of his runs on the character. And while his Bat work is probably best associated with his collaboration with Kelley Jones, generally his best known collaborator is penciller Paul Gulacy, with whom he defined Shang-Chi over at Marvel. That isn't to say he didn't work wit Gulacy on Batman though. This week we read three of those team-ups, including two Legends of the Dark Knight arcs defining the post-Crisis Hugo Strange and a Batman/Predator crossover.
Also, this episode is partly brought to you by Matt's local library...
2025-06-261h 02BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 187: Everyday? Or Every Day? (w/ Matt McThorn)Y'know, sometimes you get an episode request, and you wind up with stories better than you could have expected. Patreon backer and friend of the show Matt McThorn specifically wanted to talk about the Batman annual with the origin of Clownhunter and art by James Stokoe. So we decided, what better theme than more annuals. And not to spoil too much, but we wound up with not one, but two new stories in the top 100 of the Big Board. And one very weird story quite a bit lower, but that's still a great showing for the night.
There is Hope...
2025-05-211h 12BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 183: The Tales of the Tales of BatmanThis whole episode came about when Matt was looking for something else entirely, and he stumbled across an issue of Batman: Gotham Adventures, the animated series tie-in, written by Ed Brubaker. As he didn't remember that at all, he decided he had to read it, and since he has minimal time to read for pleasure, the best solution was to work it into an episode. Thus we have three stories about people telling stories about Batman and Bruce Wayne. Is it a stretch for a theme? Yes. Are the comics all very good? Also yes.
The Autobiography of Bruce Wayne...
2025-04-241h 02BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 182: Batman and the Last CrusadeWe're back to the bookshelf Will keeps of random Batman trades he has picked up over the years (a shelf that for Matt is something he just calls his house). We start off as ever with a volume of Batman '66, follow that up with Batman meets The Da Vinci Code meets Last Crusade and wrap up with a mini-series that led into Final Crisis that is actually nowhere near as bad as much of those were.
Batman '66 V.3 (Batman '66 # 11-16)
Batman: The Chalice OGN
Gotham Underground # 1-9
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com...
2025-04-171h 11BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 181: Because No One Demanded It- DeathstrokeThere are very few characters in comics that I, Matt, truly dislike. One of them is, sadly, a character with significant ties to the Bat family: Deathstroke the Terminator. A villain turned anti-hero who I don't feel like ever should have been, I decided it was time to bit the bullet and cover three stories featuring Deathstroke. We have his first meeting with Batman, a Chuck Dixon story of dueling assassins and a story where Batman and Deathstroke both feature, but don't actually meet.
Content warning: this episode includes discussions of sexual assault and exploitation
City of Assassins (Deathstroke the...
2025-04-101h 22BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 178: Villain War! (w/ John Wickham)Gotham villains seem to spend so much time fighting each other, it's a wonder they have any time to fight Batman. Friend of the show and Patreon backer John Wickham returns for three instances of villain on villain violence, with Blackgate Vs. Arkham during the Forever Evil crossover, Hush Vs. Talia in the run up to Infinite Crisis and The War of Jokes and Riddles, the Tom King story with the breakout star of Kite-Man.
Arkham War (Batman V.2 # 23.4, Forever Evil: Arkham War # 1-6, Forever Evil Aftermath: Batman Vs. Bane)
Job Termination (Batman: Gotham Knights # 66)
The War of Jokes and...
2025-03-191h 16BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 177: Stay Golden (w/ Josh Weil)Friend of the show and Patreon backer Josh Weil is a busy guy these days. Josh is running in a special election as the Democratic nominee to be the new Representative for Florida's 6th District. But Josh is such a dedicated fan that he took some time off from his busy schedule to join us and talk about three Batman stories from the Golden Age of Comics: the first appearance of Dr. Death, the first super villain Batman ever fought; the first appearance of Hugo Strange; and a fun story where Batman and Robin solve murders that are using superstitions...
2025-03-131h 15BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 176: Raining Wildcats and DogsI have a soft spot for Wildcat, the Golden Age hero, member of the JSA, and trainer of heroes. And he has a connection to the Bat family, having trained more than one member. So this week we're reading a perfectly whacky issue of Brave and the Bold as only Bob Haney could write it, and two mini-series by Chuck Dixon that feature Bat characters teaming up with Wildcat
May the Best Man Die! (The Brave and the Bold V.1 # 118)
Batman/Wildcat # 1-3
Catwoman/Wildcat # 1-4
Also, we are adding a fourth story to the Big Board, as we are...
2025-03-061h 15BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 175: From Zero to FreezeI sit and write this introduction on a February morning where it is in the mid 40s and going up to the low 50s today, but it's still winter, and so we were thinking about the snow and cold when coming up with episodes, and when you think of cold and Gotham, who else do you think about but Mr. Freeze? We feature his first appearance this week, when he was Mr. Zero, as well as an animated series tie-on and the first arc of Gotham Central where Freeze is the antagonist.
The Ice Crimes of Mr. Zero (Batman V.1 # 121)
...
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BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 174: An Odyssey Into Madness (w/ Matt McThorn)I usually try to put something witty or informative here. But this week, Patreon backer Matt McThorn is back, and he asked us to read Neal Adams's mad dream, Batman: Odyssey. He didn't know what he was getting himself or us into, so we have forgiven him, but this one feels like an all-timer. We also read two Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams stories from the 70s, as well as a classic EC Comics story that we don't rank since it's not a Batman story, but ties in with what we're talking about, and you can read it on-line HERE: https...
2025-02-201h 28BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 173: Carrying the Idiot BallLightning can strike twice. But not often. The original Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight series was a collection of classic creators doing amazing stories. DC has tried to recapture that magic multiple times, and that lightning has never quite hit again. Legends of the DC Universe was another attempt to get that magic, but this time for the entire DC Universe. Three of the arcs of that series featured Batman related characters: one featuring Robin, one featuring Batgirl and one featuring the Joker. This week we read those three stories.
Fear of God (Legends of the DC Universe #6)
Folie...
2025-02-131h 08BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 172: More Paul Dini=More ZatannaWill wanted to talk about Paul Dini and Alex Ross's graphic album, Batman: War On Crime, so the logical episode theme was more Paul Dini stories, so this is not Matt 100% forcing more Dini on Will. And while Matt didn't do it intentionally, well, he did wind up picking a story with Zatanna, because there are so many of them. But he also picked a story with some fun characters that sadly have been forgotten that Dini created, and that's a point in his favor, right? Right?
Batman: War on Crime OGN
Opening Night (Detective Comics V.1 #843-844)
Final Cut...
2025-02-061h 03BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 171: There's Something Funny About HimIt's always a good time for us to return to the runs that we're following in order. This time, things go from bad to worse in No Man's Land, Dick Grayson investigates Wayne Manor for clues to Bruce Wayne's whereabouts while Damian has a strange encounter with Oberon Sexton, and the magical war in the Injustice world reaches its epic conclusion.
Claim Jumping (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 119, Batman: Shadow of the Bat # 87)
Batman Vs. Robin (Batman and Robin V.1 # 10-12)
Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Three V.2 (Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Three # 8-12, Annual # 1)
Check out our...
2025-01-291h 15BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 170: Farewell, Darwyn CookeOver the past 169 episodes, we have covered work from a lot of creators. And I can't think of one that we have unanimously and consistently lauded than the late Darwyn Cooke. A writer artist like few others, Cooke passed away at a tragically young age, leaving a body of work that would have only grown. This week, we are covering the last comic Cooke was involved with that has any Batman related content, as well as two other comics that are related to it, one very directly, and one a bit more tangentially.
Night of the Stalker (Detective Comics V.1 # 439)
...
2025-01-231h 14BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 169: A Rags to Ragman StoryWhile nearly all of Gotham's vigilantes are affiliated in some way with Batman and his family, there are a few who stand on their own. One of those few is Ragman, one of the few canonically Jewish heroes in the DC Universe. Rory Reagan wears the suit of souls, a collection of patches that are made up of the souls of criminals. And even though he is not affiliated with the Bat family, he has met members of it on more than one occasion. This episode, we're reading three of those adventures.
Snitch (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 51)
Suit...
2025-01-161h 07BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 168: The World's Vilest Team!Batman has teamed up with pretty much every hero in the DC Universe because he's, well, Batman. He's also teamed up with many a villain. We've read stories where he worked with Lex Luthor, Ra's al Ghul and Bane. But Patreon backer Ross Holmes very specifically wanted us to read a story where he teams up with the most unlikely of villains: The Joker. And as it turns out, that has happened more times than one might think...
Death Has the Last Laugh (The Brave and the Bold V.1 # 111)
The Batman Who Laughs V.2 # 1-7
Only Angels Have Wings (The...
2025-01-091h 19BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 167: For Want of a Nail, the Podcast Was LostIt's the New Year's week, and if you've been listening to the podcast, you know what that means: New Year, New Batman. That's right, it's three more Elseworlds. We have Nosferatu (which is strangely more an adaptation of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari than Nosferatu), The Nail (which is more a Marvel-style What If? than most Elseworlds) and I, Joker, which does what Sean Gordon Murphy wanted to do, only better.
Batman: Nosferatu
Justice League: The Nail #1-3
Batman: I, Joker
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo
...
2025-01-021h 10BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 166: A Happy Holiday Anthology (w/ John Wickham)Happy holidays, BatChat listeners. It's the week of Christmas and Chanukah this year, so we're celebrating the holiday in the BatChat style. Patreon backer and friend of the show John Wickham is joining us to discuss three of Dc's modern holiday anthologies. Have yourself a merry everyone!
DC Infinite Holiday Special # 1
DC Rebirth Holiday Special # 1
New Year's Evil Vol.2 # 1
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo
Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill
2024-12-261h 16BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 165: They Used to Be Friends (w/Josh Weil)There was a time in the pre-Crisis days when Batman and Superman were the best of friends. But then the Crisis, and Frank Miller, came along, and things changed. For most of a decade, Batman and Superman's relationship ranged from confrontational to cordial. Patreon backer Josh Weil returns this week to trace the evolution of that relationship back to friendlier terms in three Superman stories guest starring Batman.
Dark Knight Over Metropolis (Superman V.2 # 44, Adventures of Superman V.1 # 467, Action Comics V.1 # 654)
Hazard's Choice (Action Comics V.1 # 719)
Superman: The Wedding Album
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com...
2024-12-191h 20BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 164: A Black & White EpisodeLast week was three random books from Will's collection. This week is three stories that Matt has wanted to cover that don't easily fit in with any themes he has come up with yet. We read some more black and white stories, the sequel to a highly ranked sorry by a late, great writer and an annual from some legendary creators.
Batman: Black and White- The Gotham Knights Stories Vol. 2 (Batman: Gotham Knights # 17-49 or Batman: Black and White Vol. 3 TPB)
Don't Blink (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 164-167)
Villains in Love (Batman V.1 Annual # 11)
Check out our current...
2024-12-121h 15BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 163: Cacophony Means Clashing Sounds. It Fits.We're back picking through random volumes of mostly weird stuff from Will's bookshelf that he hasn't read before. We return to the wonder that is the Batman '66 follow up series, a sequel to a classic Batman story that may not be as classic and some more Kevin Smith Batman that is something else.
Trigger Warning: This episode was recorded on November 6th, so the opening bit is a lot of feelings about the US Presidential election. If you want to skip that and get to the comics, just start around the 9:18 mark.
Batman '66 V.2 (Batman '66 # 6-10)
Wrath...
2024-12-051h 12BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 162: All Ages Thanksgiving 2024Our annual all ages Thanksgiving episode is back, with a new volume of Wayne Family Adventures. the sequel to the charming Batman & Robin & Howard and a one off crime story from the animated universe.
Wayne Family Adventures Vol. 2 (Wayne Family Adventures #26-51)
Batman & Robin & Howard: Summer Breakdown OGN
How This World Goes? (Batman: Gotham Adventures #21)
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo
Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill
2024-11-281h 07BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 161: Catman, Catman, Burning BrightBatman rogues have some seriously strange evolutions. Some, like the Joker, have a path you can easily follow. Others, like Mr. Freeze, have just become completely different over the years. Another like that is Catman, created in the mid-Silver Age as yet another anti-Bat before becoming a joke character, and then evolving into a morally grey anti-villain (I'm coining that right here). Patreon backer Matt McThorn wanted to talk about some Catman stories, so we're reading his first appearance, his first post-Crisis appearance and the mini-series that redefined him for the modern era.
Challenge of the Cat-Man (Detective Comics V.1 # 311)
...
2024-11-211h 19BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 160: The Proper Pronunciation of ConstantineIt's been a while, but we're returning to the three runs that we're following in order. In No Man's Land, we take a break from big story revelations for an anthology month of four of shots. In Grant Morrison's run, Dick Grayson brings Batman's corpse to England to a Lazarus Pit and learns something unexpected (by everyone but Tim Drake, because he's the best). And in the world of Injustice, John Constantine joins the resistance against Superman, as the moral darkness continues to spread
The Calm Before (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 118, Batman: Shadow of the Bat # 86, Batman V.1 # 566...
2024-11-121h 18BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 159: Batgirl Doesn't Talk, But We DoA fixture in the Bat titles from 1999-2011, and again since Rebirth, Cassandra Cain was the second full time Batgirl. Trained from birth to be a living weapon, Cassandra had to learn not just how to fit in with the Bat family, but how to fit in among normal people. This week, just in time for her new mini-series, we discuss two early stories of Cassandra Cain and the mini-series that tried to rehabilitate the character after editorial missteps left her in a bad way after One Year Later.
Down With the Ship (Batman: Gotham Knights # 2)
Speech & Consequences (Batgirl V.1 # 4...
2024-11-051h 09BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 158: Villains Month- Man-BatAnd we have reached the end of October, the spookiest of months, and this the end of villains month. And to wrap it up, we're getting one of the spookiest of Batman villains: Man-Bat. Dr. Kirk Langstrom has an origin really out of the pages of Spider-Man, but someone has wound up a fixture in the Batman titles. Also, he has had more mini-series than any other Bat rogue. Go figure. We read his first appearance, a bizarre prestige format mini that feels straight out of 90s Vertigo and another mini that, while featuring some beautiful Man-Bat art, doesn't feature...
2024-10-311h 06BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 157: Villains Month- Black MaskBlack Mask was Hush before Hush: a villains obsessed not with Batman but with Bruce Wayne, seeking to bring down Bruce for childhood grudges. But over the years he has evolved into a more sadistic figure. As villains month nears its end, we read three stories featuring Roman Sionis: his first appearance, his return in the run up to Knightfall and the story that establishes his modern rivalry with Catwoman.
Losing Face (Batman V.1 # 386-387, Detective Comics V.1 # 553)
Warpaint (Batman V.1 # 484-485)
Relentless (Catwoman V.3 # 12-16)
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/
Thanks to Geri...
2024-10-2357 minBatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 156: Villains Month- Killer CrocKiller Croc is a character who has evolved a great deal over his time, and that pun is only half unintended. He has been a mobster, a monster and an anti-hero. This week, for Villains Month, we look at three different interpretations of Croc. In one, he's a barely human monster running from humanity. In another, he's a supervillain on a killing spree. And in the third, he is the mayor of Monstertown in the sewers of Gotham during Joker War.
Swamp Things (Batman V.1 # 521-522)
Batman In Barcelona: Dragon's Knight
Monsters of Men (Detective Comics V.3 # 1026)
Check out our...
2024-10-171h 13BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 155: Villains Month- Two-FaceThe second week of villains month, and we love a theme, so why not use this week to have our second Two-Face episode? We've covered a lot of Two-Face stories both for the podcast and the column, and we're swinging back to some classics. We have the first appearance of Two-Face (a two-parter, of course), the annual that redefined Two-Face in the post-Crisis era and an animated series story that puts a spin on that very annual.
The Crimes of Two-Face (Detective Comics V.1 # 66,68)
The Eye of the Beholder (Batman V.1 Annual # 14)
Lucky Day (Batman: Gotham Adventures # 2)
Check out our...
2024-10-101h 08BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 154: Villains Month- Mr. ZsaszIt's October, the spookiest month of the year. So, what better time to focus on the villains of the Batman universe? There are five Thursdays and we'll be focusing on five villains, all but one we haven't had a spotlight on before. The first villain is a favorite of Matt's, one who has appeared in some of the higher ranked stories on the big board: Mr. Zsasz. The (as Will calls him in the episode) "knife pervert" of the rogue's gallery, we read the story of his origin, a story of him and Batman both being hunted by the GCPD...
2024-10-031h 03BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 153: The Most Ethical Jason? (w/ John Wickham)It's strange to think that Jason Todd has been back from the dead longer than he was actually dead now. For those of us who read Batman comics in the 90s, the death of Jason was possibly the most important moment in Batman's life after the death of his parents. But he is back, and is now a member on good standing of the Bat family. That was not always the case either. John Wickham joins the podcast to talk about the stories that bridge the gap between "Under the Red Hood" and Grant Morrison's "Revenge of the Red Hood"...
2024-09-261h 18BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 152: The Boys' Picks (w/ Josh Weil)Our very first Dick Grayson backer, Josh Weil, makes his return to the podcast this week, but he's not picking the stories. Instead, he has gifted his picks this month to our youngest backers, his sons, David and Alexander. They give us stories that show they love sidekicks, young butlers, and giant monsters.
Robin War (Robin War # 1-2, Grayson # 15, Detective Comics V.2 # 47, We Are Robin # 7, Robin: Son of Batman # 17, Gotham Academy # 13, Red Hood/Arsenal # 7, Teen Titans V.5 # 15)
Young Alfred: Pain in the Butler OGN
Justice League Vs. Godzilla Vs Kong
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com...
2024-09-191h 25BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 151: BatChat Goes to the DogsBatman is a loner. Except for Alfred, the Robins, the Batgirls, Signal, Batwoman and the Justice League. But before many of those characters, there was Ace the Bathound, the first of numerous Bat pets, mostly brought into the cave by Damian, another noted loner , and that club now includes Titus, Alfred the tuxedo cat and Batcow. Another noted dog lover is this week's Patreon backer, Dan Grote, who asked us for stories about Bat pets. So we're going into all ages territory for some Scooby Doo and Tiny Titans, and then reading what might be the most heart warming story...
2024-09-121h 04BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 150A: THE RE-RANKENING!We've talked about it for a while, and here it is. This week, Matt and Will each picked three stories that they felt were too low on the Big Board, and they discussed them again and moved them to spots they felt more appropriate. It's a lot of the creators we talk about regularly, and a lot of the stories that have served as benchmarks for lower on the board, now moved into some more prime real estate
Batman: Holy Terror
Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgment in Gotham
Blades (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #32-34)
The Clown at Midnight (Batman...
2024-09-051h 17BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 150: Batman Trips OutIt's a celebration over here as we hit episode 150! We started out with a theme of anniversary issues, ones that were numbers leading up to 150, so a 50, a 100 and a 150. And we did do that. But somehow, we wound up with a second theme: stories where Batman trips balls. Sometimes you find the theme. Sometimes the theme finds you. We have a Shadow of the Bat arc where a new villain poisons some milk, The Joker War (which we both liked more than we thought we would) and a story where a little old lady tries to tempt Dick Grayson...
2024-08-291h 11BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 149: Bat to the FutureWelcome to the world of tomorrow! Like, way tomorrow. Matt McThorn is back, and we are talking about the 853rd century and Grant Morrison's first DC crossover, DC One Million. It's a wild, sci-fi epic, which we all know if completely Will's jam. But you might be surprised as we talk about the core mini-series, as well as the arc of Bruce Wayne in the future and the Batman of the future in Gotham right after the cataclysm.
DC One Million (DC One Million #1-4, JLA #1M)
Dark Planet (Batman #1M, Catwoman #1M, Robin #1M)
The Bat of the Future...
2024-08-221h 13BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 148: A Pod of No ThanksI have heard it said that every writer has a Batman story they want to tell. Only a few get to tell them. And sadly not all of them are great. This week we're reading three stories from writers not usually associated with Batman, Harlan Ellison, Eddie Campbell and David Lapham. And, well, none of these really are going down as central to the canon.
The Night of Thanks, But No Thanks (Detective Comics V.1 # 567)
Gotham Emergency (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 200)
City of Crime (Detective Comics V.1 # 800-808,811-814)
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf...
2024-08-151h 07BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 147: A Better Name Than Bat-verineFor the first time in a very long time, this week was supposed to see the publication of a collection of Marvel and DC collaborations, so Will and I decided that this would be a good time to read some of that. But these are big omnibuses, so as is often the case, they have been delayed. But we here at BatChat aren't following suit. We planned this weird episode, and we're doing it. This week, it's three Amalgam comics, stories where DC and Marvel characters are smooshed together to make one strange hybrid character. Batman and Wolverine become Dark...
2024-08-081h 10BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 146: Noir- Gotham StyleGotham is a city of shadows. A city where good and evil blend together. It's a city made for Noir storytelling. And while some Batman stories have some elements of a Noir, most are very much superhero stories. But to tie-in with the 40s themed animated series, Batman: The Caped Crusader, debuting this week, and because Will has wanted to do this episode since somewhere around episode 3, we're reading three Batman Elseworlds that absolutely embrace Noir and crime storytelling. We read Batman meets the Untouchables, the grimmest Jim Gordon you will ever see, and Dick Grayson, the gumshoe. It's a...
2024-08-011h 07BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 144: Will's Bookcase Picks Vol.1Generally speaking, the episodes we do here are carefully curated. We try to take a theme, a character, and thoroughly dig through the 85 years of Batman stories to find the ones that best fit that theme. But then there are the weeks where Will just picks three random books off his bookshelf and wants to cover them, and Matt just says sure.
Batman '66 V.1 (Batman '66 # 1-5)
A New Dawn/King Tut's Tomb (Batman Confidential # 26-28)
Golden Dawn (Batman: The Dark Knight V.1 # 1-5)
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz...
2024-07-181h 19BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 139: Pride in the Name of Gotham (w/ The Gotham Outsiders)We’re in the heart of June, which is Pride Month, so BatChat is joined by the hosts of the Gotham Outsiders podcast to talk about three stories featuring the queer residents of Gotham. Kate Kane’s origin is revealed, Tim Drake comes out, and animated Harley and Ivy go on a road trip. Oh, and towards the end, Will does his Matt impression, something that editor Matt couldn’t bring himself to cut.
And buckle in for this one, folks. We definitely earn that “E” for explicit this episode.
Go (Detective Comics V.1 # 858-860)
Sum of Our Parts (Batman: Urban Lege...
2024-06-131h 39BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 138: Black Label Batman (w/ Matt McThorn)We're joined this week by our newest Dick Grayson tier backer, Matt McThorn, who wanted to talk about series released under DC's mature readers (mostly) super-hero imprint, Black Label. We have the infamous debit book of the line, where Batman goes full frontal, a story of the Joker driving his therapist insane (not that therapist, another one), and a journey through a dark mirror Gotham. And yes, even Gotham can have a dark mirror, as hard as that is to believe.
Batman: Damned # 1-3
Joker: Killer Smile # 1-3, Batman: The Smile Killer # 1
Batman: City of Madness # 1-3
Check out our...
2024-06-061h 22BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 135: BatChat: The MovieFor those of you out there who back the BatChat Patreon, you have heard Matt & will talk about all manner of Batman media: movies, episodes of animated series and live action TV, narrative podcasts. And this week, we're taking that energy, but swapping it around so we can talk about the comic adaptations of three of the highest ranked stories on the Bonus Episode Little Board: Batman '89, Mask of the Phantasm, and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.
Batman: The Official Comic Adaptation
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm- The Animated Movie
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
Check out...
2024-05-161h 09BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 134: 400 Stories YoungMatt here, and I am going to be writing in the first person for this one. When I started this podcast, I don't know what I was expecting. Will and I had been writing the BatChat column for a while. Dan Grote and I had been recording the ComicsXF Interview Podcast (then WMQ&A) for quite a bit longer. I just wanted to talk Batman some more. I didn't know if it would work, and if it did if it would last. And here we are, ranking story 400. I just want to thank everyone for listening, out Patreon backers for...
2024-05-091h 20BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 132: Batman is the Kwizatz Haderach (w/ Dan Grote)It's time to celebrate! Matt's other show, The ComicsXF Interview Podcast, reached episode 300 this week. And so for that celebration, that show's co-host, the first ever BatChat guest, Matt's best friend of over 30 years, ComicsXF editor-in-chief Dan Grote is joining BatChat again. We are talking stories from three creators who have been interviewed on the podcast formerly known and WMQ&A (find out about the name change by listening). Those creators are Kelly Jones (with a side of another BatChat fave, Matt Wagner- https://soundcloud.com/dan-grote-754829938/wmqa-episode-280-dracula-motherfers-with-matt-wagner-kelley-jones), Joe Kelly (https://soundcloud.com/dan-grote-754829938/wmqa-episode-241-joe-kelly-talks-about-his-dad-classic-cars-and-sonics-feet) and Scott Snyder...
2024-04-251h 16BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 128: Matt Will Finally Know Peace (w/Josh Weil)Josh Weil is back, and he's bringing his favorite character with him. It's time for Batman to team up again with Ollie Queen, Green Arrow. We're reading the classic Haney/Adams story where Ollie grows his signature facial hair, a team up that also includes the Question, and some questionable content involving Poison Ivy.
And just to be clear, the proposed episode title of "Flipper Penis" would have lead to some issues on some podcast apps, or otherwise that would be the title.
The Senator Has Been Shot! (The Brave and the Bold V.1 # 85)
Fables (Detective Comics V.1 Annual # 1, Green...
2024-03-281h 22BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 126: Better With NihilistsWe've read a lot of great comics for this podcast. Tonight? We are not doing that. Tonight we are reading three stories that were on the document of possible episode topics marked as "Three Stories that Matt Remembers Hating." And Matt's taste has apparently has not changed much since he first read these, because this is, far and away, the lowest ranked episode on average of any we have done. See the complete destruction of a beloved Batman cast member, read the story Matt has dubbed "The Bad Lebowski," and see if you can appreciate a book where Batman is...
2024-03-141h 23
The ComicsXF Interview PodcastOur Son Pete Episode 19: Pryde & Wisdom #2 with Matt LazorwitzWMQ&A/BatChat co-host Matt Lazorwitz joins Dan to talk about Pryde & Wisdom #2, in which Kitty meets Pete's father and sister, and a bunch of other stuff happens because Warren Ellis is throwing idea spaghetti at the walls in too tight a space.
2024-02-271h 06BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 113: Overstuffed OwlsI was going to start this with the Court of Owls nursery rhyme, but I believe I did that when we actually covered the original Snyder Court of Owls story, so instead you're just going to get my usual ramble. This week, Patreon backer Matt McThorn has a request, and it's stories of the Court of Owls and the sensational character find of 2012, Calvin Rose, the Talon turned hero. Who's that, you may ask if you weren't reading Batman related comics in 2012 and 2013? Well, listen here and find out. We also look at a one off that goes into some...
2023-12-141h 12BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 112: Batwoman BeginsOriginally introduced in the 1950s, Batwoman has gone from a forgotten character to one who is a queer icon and headlined her own TV series. Kate and Kathy Kane are very distinct characters, and this week, we'll be reading stories featuring them both, thanks to a request from Sam Hopper. We see Kathy meet Bat-Mite, Kate's first solo outing and James Tynion IV's run on Detective Comics begin in a story that not just features Kate but Tim Drake, so we all know Matt has feelings about that one.
Batwoman's Publicity Agent (Batman V.1 # 133)
Elegy (Detective Comics V.1 # 854-857)
Rise...
2023-12-071h 29BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 110: A Wayne Family ThanksgivingHappy Thanksgiving, everyone! As is our custom here at BatChat (and this is the third time we've done it, so that qualifies as a custom now), the Thanksgiving episode features three all ages Batman stories, and as I have pointed out in the past, for a character who is so often associated with grim stories, there are a lot of all ages Batman stories. This year, we're digging into the first volume of Webtoons Wayne Family Adventures, reading an all ages comic Matt hadn't read before featuring Bat-Mite and a Brave and the Bold tie-in that may not have aged...
2023-11-221h 08BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 109: X Marks the Bat (w/ Adam Reck)We're comics fans, so we all love a crossover, right? So why shouldn't that expand to our podcasts? It's ComicsXF podcast crossover week, so Matt is joined by Battle of the Atom host Adam Reck to talk about three Batman stories from creators whose work are favorites on BotA. John Francis Moore moves out of 2099 to Gotham in the 90s, Chris Bachalo draws a atman story released the same month as the first issue of Generation X and we read the first issue of Larry Hama's short and much maligned run on Batman. It's a fun time, and Will may...
2023-11-161h 22BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 103: Conceived Behind a DumpsterBig Two superhero comics are an iterative process. What was conceived in the 1930s and 40s has evolved and changed over the intervening three quarters of a century. Usually? That's for the better. Characters get deeper and develop more of an internal life. Plots become more mature. Art becomes more realistic, or more stylized.
And then there are the origins of the three Robins during DC's New 52. Dick Grayson becomes part Tim Drake, Jason Todd becomes a mess, and Tim Drake becomes an ungrateful ass. It was not a good time, and Matt and Will find a way to at...
2023-10-051h 20BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 81: Can't He Just Hush Already?Every time Will has complained about how much he hates Hush, Matt or someone else said, "Well, read 'Heart of Hush.' That might change how you feel." And this week he did. And, well, it was the best story of the week, and the best story centered around Hush as the primary antagonist (since the original "Hush" story is a Riddler story in the end). We discuss why Hush doesn't seem to work, more of Paul Dini's psychology, and the one good page in the third story we wish was the entire comic.
Pushback (Batman: Gotham Knights # 50-55)
Heart...
2023-04-271h 23
BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 77: Crossing Over the 90s (w/ Josh Weil)Linewide crossovers are a big part of comics, and Batman has often been a big part of these kind of events. But our buddy Josh Weil comes back on the show to talk about three crossovers form the 90s where Batman doesn't play a big part. So we talk about Batman, sure, but also about Hal Jordan, Blue Devil, Trickster, and the Legion of Super-Heroes. Will gets introduced to all sorts of madness, and Matt relives his younger days, and thus turns slightly more into dust
Zero Hour: A Crisis in Time (Zero Hour #4-0, Batman V.1 #511)
Underworld Unleashed (Underworld...
2023-03-301h 47BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 75B: What's With All the Bandages?We're back with the second part pf our 75th episode and the second chapter of Batman Eternal. And this one is... not as exciting. There's a whole lot of Hush this time. Like, a whole lot. Plus the supernatural stuff takes over a lot, and most of the cool crime stuff is forgotten. As is pretty much everything else. So if you're a big fan of Hush, you might enjoy this. Or probably not, since neither Matt or Will are.
Batman Eternal # 22-34
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our...
2023-03-0955 minBatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 69: NiceSo, this is, to quote Will, by far our stupidest episode ever. But it's episode 69, so Will wanted to go wild with it, and Matt really didn't want to find a new co-host, so he agreed to this. It's three Batman stories with panels that have spawned internet memes.
Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles # 1-6
The Joker's Comedy of Errors (Batman V.1 # 66)
The Clash of Cape and Cowl (World's Finest Comics # 153)
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo
Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show...
2023-01-1259 minBatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 66: A Christmas TangentOK, so if you've listened to this podcast, you know that your intrepid hosts love a good tangent. This week, well, the tangents take over for a while. You get your standard moments of Star Trek (what are the actually good episodes of TOS), but you also get ten minutes on the oeuvre of a band it turns out both Matt & Will love and they didn't realize it until recording: The Barenaked Ladies. Oh, and there are three Batman Christmas stories that get discussed too. But we know you're here for the Star Trek and 90s Canadian rock band talk
...
2022-12-221h 33BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 65: Damians of Future PastDamian Wayne remains a character who is controversial around these parts; Will can't stand him, and Matt, well, he's the kid who beat up Tim Drake, so there remains some beef there. But there are all sorts of stories of Damian, and many of them are stories of Damian in possible futures or alternate worlds, and this week we're diving into three of them. This one goes out to our youngest fan, Alexander; one of these stories is his favorite, so this is an an early Christmas present
Batman in Bethlehem (Batman V.1 # 666)
DCeased: Hope At World's End # 1-15
The...
2022-12-1555 min
BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 59: Bat Hound Turns Into the BatmobileSo, this week, it's Matt's birthday recording, and as opposed to Will, who picked stuff based on gut instinct (and who must have had a stomach ache based on what we got), Matt went with three stories from his younger years that he remembers really liking. The results are considerably better. We get some Grant and Breyfogle, John Ostrander writing a comic within a comic, and rare Brian Stelfreeze interiors.
The Nobody (Batman: Shadow of the Bat # 13)
Dark Genesis (Detective Comics V.1 # 622-624)
Fool's Errand (Detective Comics V.1 # 726)
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/
Thanks...
2022-11-031h 16BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 56: The Most Punchable Bat RogueIn another moment that makes Matt feel like he's not so slowly turning to dust, "Hush," the Jeph Loeb/Jim Lee neo-classic, is turning twenty years old this week. Or is it a classic? That is what Matt and Will are looking at this week, with three stories starring the Batman villain most likely to make you want to punch him in his arrogant jerk mouth, the Riddler.
Hush (Batman V.1 # 608-619)
Remarkable Ruse of the Riddler (Batman V.1 #171)
E. Nigma, Consulting Detective (Detective Comics V.1 #822)
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/
Thanks to Geri...
2022-10-131h 21BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 54: It's Tim Drake Time!This is the one Matt has been waiting for. To tie in with the first issue of his new ongoing series, we're looking at three stories from the history of the best Robin, and Matt will brook no argument on this one, Tim Drake. See his origin, his return to Gotham from training, and his dark night of the soul.
A Lonely Place of Dying (Batman V.1 # 440-442, New Titans # 60-61)
Shadow Box (Batman V.1 # 467-469)
A Lonely Place of Living (Detective Comics V.3 # 965-968)
Interested in listening to the episode of Titan Up the Defense Matt guested on talking...
2022-09-291h 13BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 50: Live & In Person Anniversary Spectacular!Who would have thought we'd have made it to 50 episodes? But we did it! This week, for the first time ever, Matt & Will were in the very same place, Matt's dining room, where they discussed three stories that wrap up in big number anniversary issues to tie in with this special anniversary.
Knightfall Part 2: Who Rules the Night? (Batman V.1 # 498-500, Detective Comics V.1 # 664-666, Showcase '93 # 7-8)
Resurrection Night (Detective Comics V.1 # 566, Batman V.1 # 400)
Blind Justice (Detective Comics V.1 # 598-600)
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo
...
2022-09-011h 33
The ComicsXF Interview PodcastWMQ&A Episode 223: Matt Goes to Flame Con 2022Our intrepid man in the field Matt Lazorwitz visits Flame Con for interviews with Amy Reeder (Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur), Connor Goldsmith (Cerebro podcast), Jarrett Melendez (Chef's Kiss), Josh Trujillo (Blue Beetle: Graduation Day), Kat Calamia (Dancer) and con co-organizer Steve Gianaca.
2022-08-301h 01BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 46: Batman Loves DinosaursSo, Matt spent most of his long drive into work trying to come up with a Batman version of the Green Lantern oath, but he's not a poet, so instead we're admitting that here. This week, we're reading three stories where Batman wields a power ring. One of these books is far and away the comic with the most problematic creators, if not content, that we've ever read, so buckle up for that one!
Universe (Batman Giant V.1 # 3-14/Batman: Universe # 1-6)
Batman: In Darkest Knight
Fear of the Dark (Batman: The Dawnbreaker # 1)
Check out our current ranking list at...
2022-08-041h 13BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 44: A Master CraftsmanOne of the artists most represented on the big board, and probably, if we arrogated based on number of stories and story placement (and that would be higher if Matt got his way with "Blades"), one of the favorite artists we have, comics lost a major talent with the passing of Tim Sale last month. So Matt and Will looked at his catalog of work, and this week, we are featuring three other stories by Tim Sale
Solo # 1
The Misfits (Batman: Shadow of the Bat # 7-9)
Batman: The Long Halloween Special # 1
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf...
2022-07-211h 07BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 43: BatDad With Matt & WillDoctor. Philanthropist. Vigilante? Killer?
For a character who was introduced to be killed and be the motivation to drive his son into a life of crime fighting, Thomas Wayne has worn a lot of hats (and cowls, for that matter). This week, we're reading three stories that are about Thomas Wayne and his legacy.
The First Batman (Detective Comics V.1 # 235)
Cold Case (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 201-203)
Flashpoint: Batman- Knight of Vengeance # 1-3
Check out our current ranking list at www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo
Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics...
2022-07-141h 02BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 41: Content Warnings AboundSo, this week was supposed to see the release of the final issue of James Tynion IV's ongoing Joker series, a series Matt & Will have unabashedly loved over on the BatChat column. But whether it's supply chain shipping issues or something more related to the production of this particular issue, the comic has been pushed back a week. But time, tide and ranking lists wait for no man, and so we are moving forward with this episode regardless. This week, well, we're going to make some enemies, because we are talking about three more Joker stories, including what many consider...
2022-06-301h 01BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 39: The Never-Ending War Game (w/ Josh Weil)Dick Grayson-tier Patreon backer Josh Weil is back this week, and he brings with him a heck of a story. War Games was the early 00s crossover where a huge gang war breaks out in Gotham, and so, we get a 25 park crossover! That's the longest single story we've covered in here. Can we make it? What do we cover for the other two stories? How many problematic elements are in this story? You'll just have to listen to find out.
War Games (Batman: The Twelve Cent Adventure # 1, Detective Comics V.1 # 797-799, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 182-184, Nightwing...
2022-06-161h 24BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 38: Batman Villains as Burlesque (w/ Veronica Biatrise)This week, Matt and Will are joined by the Carrie Kelly to Matt's grumpy old Bruce Wayne, singer/storyteller/myth scholar and previous guest of WMQ&A, Veronica Biatrise, to talk about one of her favorite characters, Poison Ivy, just in time for Ivy's new mini-series to debut this week. We have classic Ivy, modern Ivy and animated Ivy in this week's episode, and it's is a deep one, filled with stories that aren't too great but serve as a jumping off point for discussions that make this by far the most political, and queerest, episode of BatChat yet!
Beware...
2022-06-091h 27BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 37: The Late, Great Darwyn CookeThere are some creators who left us too soon, and left us at the height of their creative output. One of those creators was Darwyn Cooke, whose work balanced on a tightrope of nostalgia and modernity, who could tell a story with the best of them. Cooke's output included many Batman stories, and thanks to Patreon backer Sam Hopper, Matt and Will are going to dig into three of them this episode
Batman: Ego
Batman/The Spirit
DC: The New Frontier
We recorded this episode in early May, at the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Month, and as a trigger...
2022-06-021h 14BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 34: 100 Stories Down...Hey look at that! They said it couldn't be done, but we have actually gotten up to 100 stories on the big board! To celebrate, Matt & Will just... picked stuff they wanted to talk about. So this week we finish the Vampire Batman trilogy, we go back to the world of The Long Halloween to see what Catwoman was up to off-panel for most of Dark Victory, and in a bit of synergy, we read an all-ages graphic novel from creator Jeffrey Brown, the guest on this week's episode of Matt's other show, WMQ&A.
Batman: Crimson Mist OGN
Catwoman: When...
2022-05-121h 06BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 33: The Feline FataleBatman's most significant female nemesis. His true love on many Earths. The best thief in Gotham. A star of screens, both small and big, with numerous famous actors having portrayed her. An icon. All of these describe one character: Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman. This week, we're looking at three stories starring Catwoman
Your Face is Your Fortune (Batman V.1 # 15)
Her Sister's Keeper (Catwoman V.1 # 1-4)
Anodyne (Catwoman V.3 # 1-4)
Check out our current ranking list at https://www.comicsxf.com/batchat-rankings/
Note: There's a long tangent in the middle of the episode about the Hollywood blacklist and a...
2022-05-051h 13BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 32: Is There a Single Likeable Character In This Book?As The Batman is now streaming on HBO Max, Matt and Will thought it was time to look at one of the stories that served as a prime inspiration for this year's blockbuster Bat movie- Batman: Earth One. And to go with it? Two other stories of Batman's origins and early years.
Batman: Earth One Vol. 1 OGN
The Untold Legend of the Batman # 1-3
My Beginning... And My Probable End... (Detective Comics V.1 # 574)
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo
Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/batchatwithmattandwill
2022-04-281h 16BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 28: Breaking SaneWhen you back the podcast at the Jason Todd tier of $10 a month, you get to select a story for Matt & Will to read. As much as they don't want to read it. And this week? We get our first Jason Todd tier request. Previous guest of the show, co-host of the other show Matt does each week, WMQ&A, and writer/editor/podcaster triple thread Dan Grote decided that the guys have to read Batman: White Knight, a story Will has... strong feelings about, and boy after rereading it Matt does too. To go with this particular story, we...
2022-03-311h 09BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 26: Super Comics and Bat Cassettes (w/ Cori McCreery)They're darkness and light. One is the champion of the city of tomorrow, one is the hero a corrupt and fallen city needs. They have been rivals, allies and sometimes friends. They are Batman and Superman. This week, a new volume of World's Finest, the classic Batman/Superman team-up book, launches so Matt and Will are joined by noted Superman expert and writer at Women Write About Comics and ComicsXF, Cori McCreery to discuss three versions of early Batman and Superman meetings.
The Mightiest Team in the World (Superman V.1 # 76)
One Night in Gotham City (Man of Steel V.1 # 3)
Stop...
2022-03-171h 20BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 25: The Young Bruce Wayne Chronicles (w/ Josh Weil)Did you know, if you back us on Patreon, you can come on the show? Yes indeed, if you are a Dick Grayson tier backer you can. And our first Grayson backer is here with us today! Josh Weil, podcaster at X is for Podcast, stops by to talk about a couple stories he picked, and one Matt added in to round out the episode, that all feature scenes or full stories of Bruce Wayne training to be Batman.
Blood Secrets (Detective Comics V.1 Annual #2)
Grounded Part 8 (Superman V.1 #710)
Shaman (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #1-5)
Thanks to Geri...
2022-03-101h 26BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 24: Reading Morrison is Like Reading ShakespeareWe've talked about them before on multiple episodes, but few writers cast a longer shadow over the canon of Batman than Grant Morrison. Big ideas, dark stories and characters that are polarizing are central to Morrison's opus on Batman. This week, Matt & Will read three Batman stories by Morrison, one from before their long run on Batman, one from it's beginning, and one from it's middle, as Matt exposes Will to more Morrison, and while they don't fight, well, let's just say there are some compromises made on the ranking list this week.
Gothic: A Romance (Batman: Legends of the...
2022-03-031h 14BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 23: Do I Look Like Batman? (w/ Lex Smith)Look, anyone with any knowledge of comics history knows that comics creators in mainstream American comics are, well, pretty darn white. And Batman is no exception; there are no truly long runs by creators of color on any of the flagship Batman titles. But there are some good stories by Black writers on Batman, and so, as this is February and Black History Month, Matt & Will wanted to look at some of those stories. And they brought along ComicsXF writer Lex Smith, so there was an opinion that wasn't just a pair of white guys.
Blink (Batman: Legends of the...
2022-02-241h 24BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 21: Love, Gotham Style (w/ Abigale Heartbalm)We're less than a week from Valentine's Day, and what says love more than a guy in a Bat costume pursuing a woman in cat themed leather or a beautiful assassin? Or a disastrously dysfunctional relationship between two clowns? Talking about those things with thee ones we love, of course. That's why this week, Matt and Will are joined by Will's better half, Abigale Heartbalm to discuss three stories of romance in Gotham. Well, two stories of romance and one that is most assuredly not.
Batman Adventures: Mad Love
Only Takes a Night (Catwoman V.3 #32)
Batman: Son of the Demon...
2022-02-101h 15BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 20: Legends of Legends of the Dark KnightWow, we've made it to 20 episodes! To celebrate, Matt and Will are looking at three stories from three volumes of one of their self-confessed favorite series, the legendary (see what I did there) anthology, Legends of the Dark Knight. Will they gush about the original volume? Will they complain about DC not giving the most recent volume a shot? You better believe it.
Mask (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 39-40)
Riddler in the Dark (Legends of the Dark Knight V.1 # 53-55)
Haunted (Legends of the Dark Knight V.2 # 7-8)
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo
Follow the...
2022-02-041h 12BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 19: So It's Come to This, A BatChat Sequels EpisodeIt only took us 19 episodes to swing back to ground we've already tread; it's not like there are 80 years of completely unrelated Batman stories to talk about. But this is our podcast, and we'll do what we like (unless you back us on Patreon, and then we'll do what you want). Anyway, this week, Matt & Will are reading three stories that are direct sequels to stories that they have read on earlier episodes.
Batman: Bloodstorm OGN
Batman: Master of the Future
Batman: Dark Victory #0-13
Thanks to Geri Nonnewitz for our podcast logo
Follow the show on Twitter @BatChatComics and...
2022-01-271h 06BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 17: I Know Your Secret! (w/ Armaan Babu)If there's one thing you need to know about Batman, it's that Batman works alone.
Except for Robin
And Alfred
And Jim Gordon
And the rest of the Bat family
And the Justice League
OK, it's pretty obvious that Batman is not the lone avenger of the night after all. And since, this week, Matt and Will are talking about stories where Batman is a part of the Justice League, they figured it was time to add in a guest for this titanic team-up. Enter Armaan Babu, writer over at the pod's internet home of ComicsXF. Enjoy three stories of...
2022-01-131h 17BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 16: A Serious Podcast on Serious EarthIt is a mad house. It is the home to terror, both supernatural and all too irrational. Arkham Asylum is one of the most recognizable locales in Gotham City, if not the entire DC Universe. This week, as "Shadows of the Bat," the tale of the new Arkham Tower, begins in Detective Comics, Matt & Will take a look at three stories set around Arkham Asylum and its inmates
Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth OGN
Madmen Across the Water (Showcase '94 # 3-4)
Living Hell (Arkham Asylum: Living Hell # 1-6)
Editor Matt's Note: Last one with the janky sound...
2022-01-061h 25BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 15: New Batman, New Year2021 is winding down, and as we look forward to 2022, we're dipping back into the well of alternate reality Batmans (the proper plural), to look at three new takes on the character for the new year: one is a 60s more swinging but far more real (and bleaker) than the one from the classic TV show, one in the American Civil War and one who made a very different choice the night of his parents' murder.
Happy New Year from Team BatChat! We look forward to much more Batman talk in the coming year.
Thrillkiller (Thrillkiller # 1-3/Thrillkiller '62 # 1)
The Blue...
2021-12-301h 17BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 14: Have Yourself a Batman Little ChristmasIt's the week of Christmas, and even the Dark Knight has taken time out to celebrate the holidays. This week, Matt & Will are looking at three Christmas stories in Gotham. Happy holidays to one and all, and we hope your Christmas doesn't involve the Joker. Trust us in this one.
Death Casts the Deciding Vote/The Silent Night of Batman (Batman V.1 # 219)
Favorite Things (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 79)
Slay Ride (Detective Comics V.1 # 826)
Editor Matt's Note: Apologies on my sound this week and the next couple. My mic had switched from headset to laptop without any logical reason...
2021-12-231h 12BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 12: The Daring Young Man on the Flying TrapezeWith DC continuity a mess of Crises, reboots, Rebirths and New 52s, some stories get rewritten and some stories get retold. Batman's first year has been rewritten numerous times. But his first meeting with Dick Grayson, the first Robin? That one gets retold, and each time it's tinkered with just a little. This week, Matt and Will look at three versions of that very first meeting, comparing and contrasting what stays the same, what changes, and what makes them better or worse.
Robin, The Boy Wonder (Detective Comics V.1 # 38)
Batman: Year Three (Batman V.1 #436-439)
Robin: Year One (Robin Annual...
2021-12-091h 08BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 11: Don't Fear the Unicorns and BunniesAs Fear State wraps up in the current comics, Matt and Will go back and look at three stories starring the Master of Fear, the Scarecrow. It's an eclectic mix, one quirky, one a bit off the mark, and one with a story that talks about, "an uncontrollable butt frenzy," which would have made the title of this episode but it was deemed a bit too much.
Fear for $ale (Detective Comics V.1 # 571)
Scarecrow (Batman V.1 # 523-524)
Batman/Judge Dredd: Judgment on Gotham
2021-12-021h 03BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 10: The Most Tolerable Damian WayneIt's Thanksgiving week here in the States, so Matt & Will are dipping back into all ages stories for three Batman books you can talk about around the dinner table with one and all. Hear about the story that would have introduced a major Bat villain to the classic TV series, the cutest Batfamily in comics, and what makes a good comic vs. a good Batman comic.
Batman '66: The Lost Episode
Batman: Li'l Gotham (Batman: Li'l Gotham #1-12)
Batman: Overdrive OGN
2021-11-251h 03
BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 9: Will's Art PicksWill takes the reins this week, with a little ill advised help from Matt's knowledge of 90s Batman stories. Will picked three stories that he figured would have art he'd love and, well, two out of three ain't bad.
Six Fingers (Legends of the Dark Knight V.1 # 85-88 [Digital])
Chasing Clay (Batman V.1 #550)
Batman: Black and White V.1 # 1-4
2021-11-181h 07BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 7: The Clown Prince of CarnageHe's Batman's greatest nemesis. He is as mutable as his foe, appearing sometimes as a whacky criminal clown, sometimes as a terrifying homicidal maniac, and sometimes as an urban terrorist. He is the Joker. And this week, Matt and Will look at three single issue Joker stories in their first villain spotlight episode.
The Joker's Five-Way Revenge (Batman V.1 # 251)
A Clash of Symbols (Detective Comics V.1 # 617)
The Clown at Midnight (Batman V.1 # 663)
2021-11-041h 14BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 5: Batman is for the Children! (w/ Dan Grote)Dan Grote, Matt's co-host on his other show WMQ&A, stops by to talk about four stories (one of these comics is a twofer) of an all-ages Batman teaming up with other heroes.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold # 20
Batman Adventures Annual (V.1) # 2
Batman: Gotham Adventures # 6
2021-10-2158 minBatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 4: The Dark Knight DetectiveThere are many ways to describe Batman. Superhero. Martial Artist. Scientist. Adventurer. But for your hosts, Matt & Will, one beats all the rest: Detective. This week, we look at three stories that have a theme of Batman as the Dark Knight Detective.
Blades (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight # 32-34)
The Doomsday Book (Detective Comics V.1 # 572)
Beautiful People (Detective Comics V.1 # 821)
2021-10-1452 minBatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 3: A Batman By Any Other NameIf Batman is anything, it's malleable. There are plenty of alternate Batmans (that's the plural and I'm sticking to it) out there, and this week, Matt & Will are looking at three of them.
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight
Batman: Holy Terror
Superman: Speeding Bullets
2021-10-071h 08BatChat With Matt & Will: A Batman Ranking PodcastEpisode 1: BeginningsThe inaugural episode of our new podcast, BatChat with Matt & Will, a podcast where we take every Batman story ever, read them, and rank them on a big list from best to worst. This week, we look at three different first Batman stories.
Batman: Year One (Batman V.1 # 404-407)
Zero Year (Batman V.2 # 21-27, 29-33)
The Case of the Chemical Syndicate (Detective Comics V.1 # 27)
2021-09-201h 02
The ComicsXF Interview PodcastWMQ&A Episode 150: Matt Kindt Day (& a Special Announcement)Matt Kindt joins the show to talk about his two new high-profile series, "ENIAC" at Bad Idea and "BRZRKR" at BOOM Studios. Plus: Co-host Matt Lazorwitz has some big news.
2021-03-091h 17
The ComicsXF Interview PodcastWMQ&A Episode 25: Dan and Matt go to 'Teen Titans Go to the Movies'This week is our foil-plated 25th episode spectacular! Matt Lazorwitz returns to talk about a range of DC stuff, from "Teen Titans Go to the Movies" to the Ink and Zoom young-reader lines to current Batman continuity to Hawkman to Geoff Johns and more. Plus, listen for a couple major announcements about the show.
2018-07-301h 01