Get ready to expand your mind as @TwoPlai and @MattLune ‏star their dive into Kirby’s Fourth World

Welcome to the Comics Syllabus podcast, where we read widely and we dig deep. Your host Paul, a literacy researcher and English teacher, introduces curious readers to a range of current and classic comics, and then engages in closer discussion and analysis of particular comics works.

[audio: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/440976789-twoplai-mother-box-a-new-gods-by-jack-kirby-pod-pilot-w-matt-lune-pt-1.mp3]

Or download the podcast episode here.

A special, slightly different episode: Paul and “That’s the Issue” host Matt Lune embark on a podcast journey, as they launch “Mother Box: A New Gods by Jack Kirby Podcast” project, a read-through of the “Fourth World Omnibus” by Jack Kirby. Together, Matt and Paul aim to learn about the New Gods universe, characters, and stories in anticipation of the planned “New Gods” movie directed by Ava Duvernay. They will read through and discuss Kirby’s New Gods work issue by issue. And they’ll invite on experts and other readers to inform them along the way.

This episode is a pilot, of sorts, for “Mother Box,” as well as a briefing about Jack Kirby, the New Gods, and what we hope to do with the project. Next week, on “That’s the Issue,” we will continue with a closer reading of the first issues of the “Fourth World Omnibus,” the first three issues of Jack Kirby’s work at DC on “Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen.”

Let us know what you think!

Some primer articles you might check out:

Multiversity’s Jonathan O’Neal’s piece

DC’s 101

Nerdist Primer

IGN rundown

Chris Sims at Comics Alliance

A blogger’s explainer piece

Recent Kirby write-up in the Independent

The Vulture’s Reisman longform

Another blogger’s take, what’s wrong with New Gods (it’s Superman)

LA Times “Reading Irresponsibly with Jack Kirby” piece

Meanwhile, if you’re not a subscriber to the Comics Syllabus podcast, you may have missed the smaller (and yet still quite long-winded…) episodes Paul dropped the last couple weeks, which included:

MIGHTY THOR #706 by Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman (Marvel) (originally released Wednesday, April 25)

[audio: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/435349239-twoplai-mighty-thor-706-by-aaron-and-dauterman-marvel.mp3]

Or download the episode here.

AVENGERS INFINITY WAR REFLECTIONS (SPOILERS!!!) (originally released Monday, April 30)

[audio: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/437353293-twoplai-spoilery-mcspoilers-avengers-infinity-war-reflections.mp3]

Or download the episode here.

BE PREPARED by Vera Brosgol (First Second) (originally released Saturday, May 5)

[audio: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/439857324-twoplai-be-prepared-by-vera-brosgol-from-first-second.mp3]

Or download the episode here.

Subscribe and follow the Comics Syllabus podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Soundcloud, or copy this RSS feed to your podcatcher: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:235183739/sounds.rss or you can find archives for this podcast (previously named “Study Comics with Paul”) here: http://studycomics.club/

Join the discussion on the Comics Syllabus Facebook page: http://facebook.com/ComicsSyllabus or with Paul on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoPlai or leave your comments here on the showpage.

Thanks for listening!