Hall of Justice

WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2024 WBD/DC Universe release "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part 2" or do not mind hearing key plot points. Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part 1 is the newest WBD/DC Universe release and the first of a trilogy that concludes the “Tomorrowverse” cluster of films. That continuity began in 2020 with Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Crisis is based on the 1985-1986 epic crossover from DC Comics. It is not to be confused with the Crisis crossover in the “Arrowverse” that aired on the CW. All three films were written by Jim Krieg, who joined the show. He's agreed to review all three parts here on the podcast. In this episode, Krieg talks about the need for proper backstories for Supergirl, Psycho Pirate, and the Monitor. He also discussed how Part 2 is a bridge between 1 and 3, and how tied into each other the films are.

Warning: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen Season 2 of the Amazon Prime animated series “Invincible” or do not mind hearing key plot points. Invincible is an animated series based on the comic book of the same name. It's created by Robert Kirkman and airs on Amazon Prime. Season 2 begins with the aftermath of the cataclysmic events of Season 1. Mark Grayson (Invincible) deals with the apparent loss of his father and tries to navigate college and social life as well as being a superhero. Acclaimed sportscaster Robin Lundberg, a longtime comic-book genre fan, joins the show to review Season 2. Use code HALLOFJUSTICE at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan: https://incogni.com/HALLOFJUSTICE

Lenny Jacobson played Wayne Cobb in the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind. He joined the podcast after a mutual friend found out that Seth was a big fan of the show. He also played Gordo in the reboot CW series Frequency, and Evan in the 2022 Max/DC series Peacemaker. He is also well known for his role in the Comedy Central series Big Time in Hollywood, Florida. In this episode, Jacobson discusses his career path and the various Hall of Justice-adjacent projects he has been involved in. He also discussed how For All Mankind grew in popularity after Season 1, and that show's multiple plot twists and character arcs.

The newest Marvel Studios series is an animated series called X-Men '97. It continues the now iconic X-Men: The Animated Series from the 1990s. X-Men '97 has premiered on Disney+ to much fanfare, and fans are coming out on social media to announce their love for the original series. Larry F. Houston was a producer/director on X-Men. He is a consultant on X-Men '97. He is on the podcast discussing both the original and new show. Houston's career spans decades in animation. His credits include GI Joe, Fantastic Four, He-Man, and more. In this episode, Houston explains his reaction to the adoration for the new show, and how Disney+ has impacted viewership of the original show. He discusses how the original creators were brought in to help with the new show, and how loyal both series have been to the original comic book source material.

Iconic comic book creator Garth Ennis joined the show. Best known for his work on The Punisher, creating The Boys, Hitman, and Preacher. Ennis has a new project involving a classic character of his, a Director's Cut Edition of 'Marjorie Finnegan, Temporal Criminal' Series. Ennis is returning to the much-beloved, epic time travel adventure that debuted in 2021 - this time, with a brand-new Marjorie story, never-before-seen back matter, and rare materials from Garth's archives. Plus, there is an exciting full range of backer offerings, which includes everything from obtaining a soft or hard cover of the title once it's published, to joining Garth and Axel for a virtual drink and chatting about the series, to becoming immortal and having Garth draw you into the new Marjorie story. In this episode, Ennis discusses his best known work. He explains his relationship with creator-owned characters such as The Boys, while maintaining a healthy relationship in a work-for-hire function for Marvel with the Punisher. He also weighs in on the current state of the comics industry, and its relationship to TV/film. More information can be found on the Kickstarter here: http://kck.st/3T0zVl7.

This episode is a continuation of last week. Mike Carlin recently completed his run as DC Entertainment's Creative Director of Animation. There, he oversaw the creation of dozens of DC animated films. The conversation about those films, including one based on the “New 52” (also known as the “Tucker-Verse”). The conversation ranges from what films worked, and what the guidelines were from the parent company Warner Bros. and DC Comics. The beginning of this episode also features a preview of next week's show with comic book writer Garth Ennis. His newest project involves a Kickstarter which Ennis explains in the first few minutes of the podcast. More info can be found here: http://kck.st/3T0zVl7.

Mike Carlin returns to the show after his first appearance a few months ago (Episode 365). In that episode, Carlin spoke about his run at DC Comics as the group editor for the Superman comic books. Later in his career, he became DC Entertainment's Creative Director of Animation. While the first episode focused on comics and specifically the Death of Superman storyline, this episode covers his transition to animation. Then, he assesses the many films that he worked on in varying degrees. Beginning with Batman – Year One to the current release Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Carlin was a part of it all and has insight into those films and shows.

WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the NBC Revival Series “Quantum Leap” or do not mind hearing key plot points. Quantum Leap is a continuation of the 1980s series that starred Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. The revival series stars Raymond Lee as the new lead character Dr. Ben Song, along with Caitlin Bassett, Mason Alexander Park, Nanrisa Lee, and Ernie Hudson. In this storyline, Thirty years have passed since Dr. Sam Beckett vanished into the Quantum Leap accelerator. The Quantum Leap project has been restarted with a new team trying to piece together the mysteries behind Beckett and his machine. Ben Song steps into that accelerator. The revival series just completed its second season. Sweeny Murti of MLB.COM, a noted fan of the original series, came on Episode 303 to discuss the original series. He rejoined the podcast to discuss Season 2. He discussed the storylines of the series, and how they reflect the themes of the original show. Seth and Sweeny pontificate on possible storylines for a third season, which at the time of this podcast's release, has not been confirmed.

WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2024 Sony/Marvel “Madame Web” or do not mind hearing key plot points. Madame Web is the latest entry into the Sony Spider-Man adjacent series that includes Venom and Morbius. It stars Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, who has superhuman psychic abilities. It also stars Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O'Connor, Tahar Rahim, and Emma Roberts. Journalist/Podcaster Swara Saleh returns to the podcast to review this film. In this episode, they talk about this disjointed yet watchable film. They discuss their knowledge of Madam Web from the 90's Spider-Man Animated Series, and how that character was essential to the Secret Wars storyline, Still, the film iteration of Madame Web is not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is heading towards a Secret Wars feature film.

WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2024 Disney+/Marvel Studios' "What If?” (Season 2) or do not mind hearing key plot points. What If? Season 2 is the follow-up to the 2021 release of Season 1. It stars Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher, who narrates the story. It features 9 stories in different worlds and are thus variations of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While each episode is standalone, the story weaves together in a climactic finale. Stand-up comic Eddie Pence, who joined the podcast to review Season 1, returns for Season 2. In this episode, they discuss each season 2 chapter and compare it to the previous season. They also discuss the new trailer for “Deadpool and Wolverine” released during Super Bowl 58.

WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2024 Netflix series "Masters of the Universe: Revolution" or do not mind hearing key plot points. Masters of the Universe: Revolution is the follow-up to 2021's MOTU: Revelation. That first series is an indirect sequel to the 1983-1985 Filmation series “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.” While Revelation has 10 episodes, Revolution is only 5. It was created by Kevin Smith, who was a Hall of Justice guest on Episode 182. It stars Chris Wood as He-Man, Melissa Benoist as Teela, Mark Hamill as Skeletor, and Keith David as Hordak. Acclaimed voice actor Heath Martin makes his Hall of Justice debut to talk about the 2nd season (Revolution). In this episode, they talk about the storyline and how it is less controversial than Season 1. They also talk about changes in the cast, and how this storyline compared to the 2002 He-Man series on Cartoon Network.

WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2024 WBD/DC Universe release "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part 1" or do not mind hearing key plot points. Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part 1 is the newest WBD/DC Universe release and the first of a trilogy that concludes the “Tomorrowverse” cluster of films. That continuity began in 2020 with Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Crisis is based on the 1985-1986 epic crossover from DC Comics. It is not to be confused with the Crisis crossover in the “Arrowverse” that aired on the CW. All three films were written by Jim Krieg, who joined the show. He's been on previously to discuss his illustrious career (Ep. 253). In this episode, Krieg talks about adapting such a large storyline for the screen. He also talked about how the Tomorrowverse was mapped out from the very beginning, and the seeds were planted in the earlier films that led to this moment in the story.

WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen both seasons of the Amazon Prime Series “Reacher” or do not mind hearing key plot points. Reacher is an action/adventure series based on the Lee Childs novels of the same name. Alan Ritchson stars as Jack Reacher, a former U.S. Army military policeman with formidable strength, intellect, and abilities. He now lives as a drifter, traveling from town to town across the United States. In Season 1, he visits the (fictional) town of Margrave, Georgia and is arrested for murder. After he is freed, he teams up with two honest police officers, Oscar Finlay, and Roscoe Conklin, to investigate a local conspiracy involving corrupt lawmen, politicians, and a wealthy business tycoon and his son. In Season 2, Reacher is contacted by a former member of his defunct MP unit from New York City when one of their own is murdered under mysterious circumstances. He reassembles his old team to find the murderers and avenge their friend. Abe Gordon, a producer, and host at 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, Georgia, joins the show to review both seasons. They discuss the difference between the show and the two Reacher films, and how they are based on well-received novels. They also discuss the travails of Ritchson who excels at the role of Jack Reacher.

WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2024 Disney+/Marvel Studios' Series “Echo” or do not mind hearing key plot points. Echo is a 5-episode mini-series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It takes place five months after the events of “Hawkeye,” which was reviewed in Episode 265 of this podcast. It involves Maya Lopez played by Alaqua Cox. As a result of what happened in Hawkeye, Maya is on the run and heads back to her hometown in Oklahoma where she reconnects with her family and her Native American roots and develops new abilities. She is pursued by the Kingpin, played by Vincent D'Onofrio, who reprises his role from both the Daredevil series and Hawkeye. Destiny Jackson of Deadline rejoins the show to review this series. In this episode, the review focuses on questions about the storyline, and questions about Maya's character development.

Longtime comic book writer and editor Mike Carlin joined the show to talk about his illustrious career. In 1986, he became group editor of the Superman comics. He oversaw the “Death of Superman” storyline and subsequent “Funeral For a Friend” and “Reign of the Supermen” stories as well. He went on to become DC Entertainment's Creative Director of Animation beginning in 2011. This episode focuses on his breaking into the comics industry and his run on the Superman titles. In this episode, Carlin explains the process of deciding how to kill the Man of Steel in the books, and the subsequent firestorm that was created in a pre-social media age. He also talked about how the comics industry has evolved as streaming services and films are inundated with superhero content.

Actor Nelson Lee made his first appearance on the podcast when he was guest-starring in Stargirl, playing the Dragon King. After that episode was recorded, Lee teased that he was working on something big and that he couldn't tell a soul. Fast forward to 2023 when the Star Wars series "Ahsoka" premiered on Disney+. Lee's "big project" was to play Hamato Xiono in the new series. Xiono's character originated in the Star Wars animated series Resistance. The big moment in Episode 7 of Ahsoka, is when Lee shares the screen with Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, a two-time veteran of this podcast (Episodes 327 and 343). Paul Sun-Hyung Lee reprised his role as Carson Teva from the Mandalorian series and the mini-series Book of Boba Fett. That scene also features a Star Wars icon, but that story should be told by Nelson himself.

WARNING: Do not listen to this episode unless you have seen the 2023 Warner Bros. Discovery film “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” or do not mind hearing key plot points. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the sequel to Aquaman (2018), and the 15th film and final installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film was directed by James Wan and stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman, alongside Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Randall Park, Dolph Lundgren, Temuera Morrison, Martin Short, and Nicole Kidman. Marshall Harris, sports director at WBBM/CBS Chicago, rejoins the show to discuss the film, and its low expectations. They discuss the impact of the end of this “universe” and how it impacted the stroryline of this film. They also talk about the legal issues surrounding Amber Heard and how it changed the way she was portrayed in the movie. They also talk about the future of Jason Momoa in DC films, albeit not as Arthur Curry. Go to factormeals.com/hallofjustice50 and use code hallofjustice50 to get 50% off.

This episode is about the only holiday that would be discussed on the Hall of Justice podcast. Festivus, created in 1997 for the 9th season episode “The Strike” of the hit TV show Seinfeld, is a fictional holiday that has continued long past the show's run. In the fictional story, Festivus occurs on December 23. It includes a Festivus dinner, an unadorned aluminum Festivus pole, practices such as the "airing of grievances" and "feats of strength", and the labeling of easily explainable events as "Festivus miracles". The episode refers to it as "a Festivus for the rest of us". Longtime journalist Allen Salkin wrote the book “Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us” in 2005. Since then, he has been an authority on all things Festivus, and it is a Festivus miracle that he is on this episode. He has written for many publications including the New York Times and New York Post. He also is a part of the New Books Network. Follow Allen on social media @allensalkin.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe series “Ms. Marvel” and the feature film “The Marvels,” Zenobia Shroff plays Muneeba Khan, the mother of Kamala, who becomes Ms. Marvel. In the show and film, Muneeba is very protective of her daughter. In the series, she takes young Kamala to learn her roots. Her performance has received rave reviews from fans and critics alike. Shroff has been performing for decades. Her career started in Mumbai, India as a model and actress. She has starred in stage performances and played Kumail Nanjiani's mother in the 2017 feature film “The Big Sick.” In this episode, Shroff explains how she got the role of Muneeba and how it has impacted her life. She also discussed living in New York for over three decades and the limited roles she could take due to being a minority in America. She also talks about how being part of Marvel has changed her life and her love of pop culture. Follow Zenobia on social media @zenobiashroff.

Acclaimed actor Rick Cosnett joins the show to promote a new independent film entitled, “Shoulder Dance.” Cosnett is best known for playing Eddie Thawne/Cobalt Blue in the WB CW TV Series “The Flash,” which concluded its 9-season run in 2023. Shoulder Dance stars Cosnett, along with Matt Dallas, Taylor Frey, Samuel Larsen, and Maggie Geha. Geha is known in the superhero genre for playing Ivy in the series “Gotham.” In this episode, Cosnett recounts his days as Eddie Thawne, with a particular emphasis on his Season 1 death. He also spoke about the chance to come back during the series' final season. Shoulder Dance is available digitally via iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. It is the story of two couples, one gay and one straight, who spend a weekend together. It won Best Drama at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival and Best Ensemble at Film Out San Diego. Geha won Best Supporting Actress at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival.