The X-Men Neighborhood

The X-Men Neighborhood

Author: Stephen Bradford November 15, 2022 Duration: 1:22:06
We took a break from playing Marvel Snap to try something a little different. We still read a bunch of comics (in this case, Giant Size Dracula #2, The New Mutants Special Edition #1, and The Chris Claremont Anniversary Special), but this time we chose to focus on the career of one individual. There’s a clue to who the topic of our exploration this week was in one of the issue titles. Can you figure it out?

There's a particular kind of magic in watching someone discover something you love for the very first time. That's the genuine, often hilarious, energy at the heart of Make Mine Manga!. Host Stephen Bradford, along with Aldo, has finally convinced their friend John to step out of his lifelong superhero-comic comfort zone and into the vast, sometimes bewildering, universe of manga. Each conversation in this podcast feels like pulling up a chair at a lively bookstore cafe. You'll hear John's initial skepticism and growing curiosity as he grapples with reading right-to-left, encounters unfamiliar cultural nuances, and stumbles upon genres he never knew existed. Stephen and Aldo act as enthusiastic guides, offering context and personal favorites, but the real joy comes from the unscripted reactions and the shared journey of exploration. It’s less a formal review show and more a chronicle of a friendship built around storytelling, where the panels of a graphic novel become a springboard for humor, debate, and genuine discovery. Whether you're a seasoned manga veteran who enjoys seeing the medium through fresh eyes, or someone who, like John, is curious but doesn't know where to start, this series offers a uniquely personal and engaging point of entry. The discussions are deep enough for fans but remain entirely accessible, capturing the simple pleasure of passing a great book to a friend and waiting for their verdict.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Make Mine Manga!
Podcast Episodes
Fill-in: The Colors of Loeb and Sale [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:30
Once again, the demands of the real world have preempted out usual schedule, but never fear! John is here to reminisce about a series of short stories he holds in high regard: the frequent Marvel collaborations between J…
Disaster Babies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:05
Legacy superheroes often star in compelling stories. How do the children of Wolverine fare in Orphans of X? Plus, the boys take a look at the future past (or is the the past future) of a galaxy far, far away in Star Wars…
Kroger Brand Red Skull [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:56
The Masters of Evil may take center stage on this week’s discussion of Avengers: Under Siege and Thunderbolts, but you won’t believe how much Burn Notice we can manage to talk about at the same time.
Fill-in Issue: “Comics” Books [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:28
The real world has been a beast lately, so the boys are taking a week off from the grind of… reading… comics. To help pass the time, though, Stephen is here with three recommendations for favorite comics books. That’s “b…
I’m Gonna Tickle Your Toes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:54
Personal drama is getting in the way of getting an episode out on time, but hopefully a surprise drop helps your hump day along! We’re continuing our read through two fantastic Dan Slott runs: Silver Surfer and Superior…
Remembering Romita [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:52
Episode is a bit late this week, but we think it’ll be worth the wait. The boys take a look at the career of the late, great John Romita Sr. through some of the amazing comics he left behind. We always love the chance to…
Well, You’re a Dog Now [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:13
The High Evolutionary - star of the big screen and of this week’s episode, where the boys take a look at 1989’s Evolutionary War saga. The landscape of Marvel events looks dramatically different now from 25-ish years ago…
Fill-In Issue: Gurihuru [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:37
New babies mean the boys are taking a break this week, but that didn’t stop Aldo from doing a deep dive into the career of one of our favorite art teams: the incomparable Gurihiru!
Under the Sun All is Fungible [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:22
The comics Star Wars universe keeps getting bigger, and we continue to poke around out there with another installment of the Doctor Aphra series! Plus, the tendrils of Marvel/Disney have been grabbing different propertie…
Ain’t Nobody Dope Like Jeff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:47
IT’s JEFF!!! …no, seriously. It’s just Jeff. We did a whole episode about Jeff the land shark and the Infinity Comic dedicated to his adorable antics. If we had the chance, we’d do it again.