The very BEST Alan Moore ending in his entire body of work. – Guillermo del Toro, filmmaker The Killing Joke is a story about Batman and the Joker; it isn't about anything that you're ever going to encounter in real life, because Batman and the Joker are not like any human beings that have ever lived. So there's no important human information being imparted … Yeah, it was something that I thought was clumsy, misjudged and had no real human importance. It was just about a couple of licensed DC characters that didn't really relate to the real world in any way. – Alan Moore, the original writer, The Killing Joke Wanna say that again, pussy? – Brian Azzarello, screenwriter, Batman: The Killing Joke Out of nowhere–well, the questionably sincere loins of 2016 DC Animation–comes Batman: The Killing Joke, the animated adaptation of Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's seminal 1988 comic book one-shot, starring Tara Strong as Batgirl, Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill in his much-anticipated return as The Joker. Matthew Hurwitz and I thought it might be nice to sit down and hash over the film, much like we did for Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. Little did we know Killing Joke wouldn't just turn out to be terrible, it would find astoundingly terrible ways to be terrible. So join us now, as we gaze long into Batman: The Killing Joke and peel back each layer of superhero comics, animation and movie history that lead from the original book to a movie that did virtually everything wrong. Yeah, you knew we were the only ones up to the task. While everyone else is ranting about the instantly-infamous Batman / Batgirl hookup sex scene, only The Comics Fondle Podcast gives equal time to discussing the idiocy of this version having The Joker use circus freaks as a gang of deadly goons. (We do actually get to discuss some good things, like "Batman: The Animated Series" and some comics. It's not all doom and gloom. There's whimsy)

We're back on a monthly schedule! At least for this episode. Here's what we talk about. Wacky Raceland Jupiters Legacy Weird Detective DK III Hearthrob Strange Attractors The Spire Sixth Gun Kaijumax Starve Lazarus Dept H The Fix Satellite Falling Circuit Breaker Fairyland Cinema Purgatorio DC Rebirth

Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows' horror masterpiece Providence has just begun its final act, so what better time to take an in-depth look back at the journey so far with a Comics Fondle Podcast one-shot? Guest co-host (and occasional Comics Fondle contributor) Matthew Hurwitz of Danger Burger joins to chat for over two hours about Robert Black's oblivious odyssey through the New England of H.P. Lovecraft. Join us as we take into account the many weird tales interwoven through Moore's sprawling homage: The Call of Cthulu, The Dunwich Horror, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, Herbert West: Re-Animator, From Beyond, Pickman's Model, The Haunter of the Dark, et all, plus the epic's origins in Moore & Burrows' previous Lovecraft comics from Avatar Press, The Courtyard and Neonomicon. We also consider the stature Providence could occupy in the context of Moore's seminal career and speculate as to how he might surprise his readers with the series' conclusion. Much trivia mentioned in this recording would not have been ascertained without the starry wisdom of Facts in the Case of Alan Moore's Providence, whose meticulous research makes the Stella Sapiente's archival work look like Robert Black's dream journal. Cthulhu fhtagn!

Six months since our last episode! Almost. It's an extra-long episode full of comic book goodness. Here's what we talk about. DC Rebirth Special Manifest Destiny Train Called Love Hearthrob Velvet Johnny Red 6 Turncoat Ganges Hot Damn Pretty Deadly Future Quest Scooby Apocalypse Sabrina Afterlife With Archie Baker Street Peculiars Kaijumax Kennel Block Blues Criminal 10th Anniversary Special Tokyo Ghost Squirrel Girl Circuit Breaker Prophet Earth War Providence Cinema Purgatorio

We're late, but we brought the Best of 2015 with us! Please forgive the echo and so on. Here's what we talk about. Archie Comics Sandman Overture Miracleman Red One Airboy/James Robinson Brandon Graham's Universe Ghosted Mind Mgmt Unwritten Sons of Anarchy Nameless Rat God Archie/Jughead Casanova:Acedia Sixth Gun ? War Stories Letter 44 Manifest Destiny Curb Stomp D4VE OYDC Phonogram Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Invisible Republic Decender Injection Order of the Forge Spire Where Monsters Dwell Hip Hop Family Tree Auteur -Sister Bambi Star Spangled War – GI Zombie Starve BPRD Universe Prez Strange Fruit Over the Garden Wall Tokyo Ghost Klaus Monstress Wrenchies gn Love and Rockets vol 7 Inner City Romance collection Life After Copperhead Lazarus Crossed +100 (issues #1-6) Humans Velvet Big Man Plans Satellite Sam Kaijumax Minimum Wage-So Many Bad Decisions Harrow County Princess Ugg Empowered vol 7 + Pewpewpew one shot Providence Eltingville Fan Club The New Deal gn Borb! gn

Sorry in advance for the audio troubles, folks. Vernon and I are trying to figure it out and we're having separate technological failures concurrently. No fun. But eighty-four or so minutes of Comics Fondle goodness this episode. These are the books we talk about. Where Monsters Dwell Johnny Red War Stories A Train Called Love Black Magick Lazarus Fade Out Velvet Minimum Wage Tokyo Ghost Miracleman Dark Corridor I Hate Fairyland Monstress Birthright Klaus Manifest Destiny Paper Girls Pretty Deadly Midnight Society Rocket Girl Twilight Children Over the Garden Wall Empowered Mystery Girl We Can Never Go Home Ringside Limbo Humans Dark Knight III Providence

I'm stunned to discover Vernon and I managed to get TWO episodes out in one month. We certainly thought we were behind, which got us to hunker down and talk about some rather good comics. These are the books we talk about. Providence 5 Over The Graden Wall 1,2 Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham 1,2 Harrow County 4 The Spire 3 Dave2 1 The Fiction 4 We Stand on Guard 3 Kaijumax 6 Injection 5 Fade Out 9 Tokyo Ghost 1 8house 3 Kiem Dark Corridor 2 Invisible Republic 6 Phonogram: The Immaterial Girl 2 Manifest Destiny 17 Hip Hop Family Tree 2 From Under Mountains 1 Beauty 2 The Island 3 Jughead 1 Copperhead 10 Fall of the House of West Empowered vol 9 Lady Killer Hellbound The New Deal The Legacy of Luther Strode Catwoman by Brubaker & Cooke

I'm stunned to discover Vernon and I managed to get TWO episodes out in one month. We certainly thought we were behind, which got us to hunker down and talk about some rather good comics. These are the books we talk about. Providence 3 Auteur 3 Minimum Wage 4 Dark Corridor 1 This Damned Band 1 The Fiction 3 Airboy 3 The Spire 2 Kaijumax 5 Hip Hop Family Tree 1 8house Arclight The Island 2 Beauty 1 Letter 44 19 Lazarus 18 Rebels 5 Velvet 11 Sons Of Anarchy 23 Copperhead 9 Casanova 3 Cluster 5 Injection 4 Eltingville Club 2 Then we talk about some problems with indie books before wrapping up with a discussion of the best comic book writers working today.

After missing a month–we have no idea where that episode went–Vernon and I are back with lots of new comics to talk about. All our regular indies–Image, Oni, Ennis and Moore Avatar–and I think we even talk about a Marvel and DC comic. One for each of them. Give it a listen.

YOWSA! BACK from the dead, your Comics Fondle hosts Andrew and Vernon talk about nothing less than 35 TITLES! Can you TAKE IT, pilgrim? We even manage to reveiw ONE Marvel book! So get a beverage of your choice, sit back in your comfy spot, and find out about all the titles you SHOULD be reading! Order of the Forge! Minimum Wage! Kaijumax! And MANY MANY MORE!