Secret Convergence on Infinite Podcasts – Part Seven
It’s part seven of Secret Convergence on Infinite Podcasts, and I’m joined by Elle Collins (of Into It with Elle Collins), Helena Hart (of Journey Into Misery) and Jeff Lester (of Wait, What?) to talk about the comics, characters and creators from the bottom of the barrel whom we love despite their occasionally ostensibly awful nature, those who’ve never had a fair shake, and those we just feel sorry for. For other episodes of Secret Convergence, and for info on the crossover and its participating podcasts, check out http://secretconvergence.tumblr.com and @scoipodcasts on Twitter.
The episode can be found here, or via the embedded player below. Let us know what you think, in the comments, on Twitter, via email or on our Facebook fan page, and remember – a shirt is for life, not just for Christmas, but it’s also for Christmas.
Housekeeping
Various things have kept me from doing any full length posts over the last week (and probably will for the next few days too). At least two of those things involve plans for things that are coming up in the future, though, so stick with us. In the meantime, here’s where we stand on blog content:
The X-Axis remains effectively on hiatus, due to everything being in mid-arc until Secret Wars ends. The exception to that is Magneto, which ought to be wrapping up sooner or later. And since Jeff Lemire is coming aboard, I thought I might do the first arc of Descender, if time permits.
The Chikara posts remain on their as-and-when non-schedule.
The chart posts are going down to a once-a-month-or-thereabouts roundup of number ones and other particularly notable stuff, because there’s really not enough going on on the singles chart these days to make a weekly post worth the time it takes.
And, because a surprisingly large number of people said they’d read it, a series of posts on British pre-school children’s TV is coming. Look for a prologue post in the next week or so.
Charts – 14 June 2015
Look, Britain, it was nice when you gave Jason Derulo a second week at number 1, because it kept up this year’s trend for a slow turnover at the top. But three, Britain? Really?
34. Ed Sheeran – “Photograph”
Housekeeping
No reviews this week, I’m afraid – no time, and besides, there’s nothing actually finishing this week anyway. Should be back to normal service next week.
Charts – 28 September 2014
It’s another very quiet week for new releases. But we do have a genuine moment of chart history that will live on pub quizzes for years to come. And here it is now.
33. Meghan Trainor – “All About That Bass”
Nightcrawler vol 1: “Homecoming”
The X-books have, for a while now, given the impression of being made – or at least commissioned – by people wrestling with the commercial challenge of how to have as many X-Men titles as humanly possible, while still trying to make them all at least somewhat creatively distinct. Part of the answer to that problem has come in a wave of solo titles for characters who would not previously have been thought natural candidates – Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler.
Charts – 14 September 2014
Quiet week. (In the chart. Not generally.)
And for no particular reason, let’s pause to ask ourselves how each of these tracks did on the Scottish chart. How different are we, really?
26. A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera – “Say Something”
Originally released in March, when it made number 4. Why is it back? Why, because X Factor is back on the air, and “Say Something” is thoroughly suited for use in X Factor. And so X Factor is duly hammering it. It showed up in the midweeks for the previous chart, but vanished by Sunday; this time it shows a bit more staying power.
Scottish chart position: n/a. Yes, Scotland is less likely to buy X Factor backing music. We’re off to a good start, Scotland!
22. Fall Out Boy – “Centuries”
All-New Doop: “The Real Battle of the Atom”
It’s been over a week since All-New Doop finished up, so we’d better get it done before it slips out of memory. Another sequel of sorts to Peter Milligan’s X-Force/X-Statix run, this picks up on Doop in his current status as a minor supporting character for the X-Men.
For those who might not remember, X-Statix was a series, way off on the fringes of the X-books franchise, about a bunch of mutants who had signed on to become “heroes” in a team that existed largely to promote its own celebrity status. While they did fight the odd villain, they did so more because their public imagine demanded it than anything else. And floating around in the background was Doop, their cameraman who spoke in gibberish.
X-Men/Iron Man/Nova: “No End In Sight”
A relatively obscure story this week – this is a three-parter running through Uncanny X-Men Special #1, Iron Man Special #1, and Nova Special #1, a similar format to last year’s “Arms of the Octopus”. These stories are pretty much incidental so far as the wider continuity is concerned, but rather than treat them as complete filler, Marvel seem to regard them as a good venue to try out new creators.
So we have here a complete story by Sean Ryan, who has a number of scattered writing credits to his name, but is probably best known in these parts as a former X-books assistant editor from a while back. On art, we have three pencillers and six inkers, but since all involved are going for a relatively straightforward Marvel style (and colourist Ruth Redmond is able to impose a degree of consistency), the result reads quite smoothly.
Charts – 10 August 2014
There weren’t any X-books to review this week, hence no reviews. I was thinking of doing the first six issues of Moon Knight instead but, well, I haven’t had time to write it. Maybe later in the week.
Meanwhile, here’s a very dull chart.
40. Maroon 5 – “It Was Always You”
No video for this, and it’s not officially on YouTube as an audio either (not that you’ll have any trouble finding it there). This is a trailer single for their upcoming album “V”, and since it’s not a fully promoted single in its own right, they have an excuse for the chart position. It was at 25 in the midweeks, which presumably means all the fans bought it at the start of the week – who knew there were so many Maroon 5 fans?
34. Jessie Ware – “Tough Love”
