BatChat - COMICSXF https://comicsxf.com The comics criticism you crave Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:22:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/comicsxf.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/cropped-orange-favicon-2.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 BatChat - COMICSXF https://comicsxf.com 32 32 107498702 BatChat With Matt & Will: Batmanga Begins https://comicsxf.com/2026/04/30/batchat-with-matt-will-batmanga-begins/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=56657 Not long ago, we did an episode entirely dedicated to Batman stories that originated in Japan. Amongst those stories was a collection of creator Jiro Kuwata’s 60s Batman manga, that were adaptations of earlier American Batman stories. This week, we dive into those stories, reading three of them and seeing not just how they rank,...

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]]> 56657 BatChat With Matt & Will: The State of the Future(w/ Matt McThorn) https://comicsxf.com/2026/04/23/batchat-with-matt-will-the-state-of-the-futurew-matt-mcthorn/ Thu, 23 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=56608 Event comics are a weird thing. And those events that slip in and take over the monthly slots of other comics are even weirder. Could you imagine if Law & Order was cancelled for two weeks to be replaced by Anarchy & Chaos? People wouldn’t know what to do with it. But we comics fans...

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]]> 56608 BatChat With Matt & Will: How Are We At Story 700? https://comicsxf.com/2026/04/16/batchat-with-matt-will-how-are-we-at-story-700/ Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=56559 When I, Matt, came to Will in the waning days of pandemic lockdown with the idea to this podcast, legally completely unrelated to Battle of the Atom, a podcast I may or may not have mainlined 300-ish episodes of during the pandemic, I figured we’d goof around for a bit, and maybe get in about...

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]]> 56559 BatChat With Matt & Will: From the 5th Dimension https://comicsxf.com/2026/04/09/batchat-with-matt-will-from-the-5th-dimension/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=56508 Bat-Mite is a silly character. He is this hopeless fanboy who just doesn’t get what a pain in the tuchus he is. But he’s not the only mite in the DC Universe, and the others aren’t quite as benevolent, if hopelessly backwards. The most notable imp (sorry, Bat-Mite) is Mr. Mxyzptlk, Superman’s nemesis who is...

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]]> 56508 BatChat With Matt & Will: Return to Will’s Bookshelf https://comicsxf.com/2026/04/02/batchat-with-matt-will-return-to-wills-bookshelf/ Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=56440 BatChat returns to Will's bookshelf for three randos, one of which is an oddly well-timed tribute to Sam Kieth, and another is more Batman '66.

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]]> 56440 BatChat With Matt & Will: A Mother & Daughter Reunion (w/ Abigale Heartbalm) https://comicsxf.com/2026/03/26/batchat-with-matt-will-a-mother-daughter-reunion-w-abigale-heartbalm/ Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=56356 Abigale Heartbalm joins BatChat to talk about three stories featuring Cassandra Cain and her mother, Lady Shiva.

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]]> 56356 BatChat With Matt & Will: That is the Question https://comicsxf.com/2026/03/19/batchat-with-matt-will-that-is-the-question/ Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=56308 When she was created for Batman: The Animated Series, I can’t imagine the series creators realized what a life Renee Montoya would have in the comics. Technically appearing in comics before B:TAS premiered because of the much longer lead time for animation, Montoya has gone from beat cop to detective to vigilante to police commissioner...

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]]> 56308 BatChat With Matt & Will: Some Bones About It https://comicsxf.com/2026/03/12/batchat-with-matt-will-some-bones-about-it/ Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=56240 The DC Universe has a lot of strange looking characters. King Shark is a bipedal shark man. G’Nort is a walking, talking dog alien. Animal-Vegetable Mineral Man is… well, look him up. Dude looks weird as all hell. But amongst the more macabre looking characters is super villain turned superhero turned super spy Mr. Bones,...

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]]> 56240 BatChat With Matt & Will: The Fall of the House of Wayne https://comicsxf.com/2026/03/05/batchat-with-matt-will-the-fall-of-the-house-of-wayne/ Thu, 05 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=56159 BatChat arrives at the final arc of Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated, as well as the next arcs of "No Man's Land" and "Knightquest: The Crusade."

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]]> 56159 BatChat With Matt & Will: Shadow of the Cat (w/ Sam Hopper) https://comicsxf.com/2026/02/26/batchat-with-matt-will-shadow-of-the-cat-w-sam-hopper/ Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=56126 Catwoman has been around for over 80 years, and like all good Bat villains, she has changed with the times. But it’s amazing how much of the character has been there through the ages. Patreon backer and friend of the show Sam Hopper joins us to look at the evolution of Catwoman, what has stayed...

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]]> 56126 BatChat With Matt & Will: Riddle Me This, Will (w/ John Wickham) https://comicsxf.com/2026/02/19/batchat-with-matt-will-riddle-me-this-will-w-john-wickham/ Thu, 19 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=56026 We’ve read plenty of his stories, and if you are a long time listener to the podcast, I’m sure you realize that Tom King is a writer who has some serious variety of placements on the big board. He has multiple stories in the top 10, plus a number of stories lingering near the bottom....

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]]> 56026 BatChat With Matt & Will: Date Night (w/ Josh Weil) https://comicsxf.com/2026/02/12/batchat-with-matt-will-date-night-w-josh-weil/ Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55927 Love is in the air. It’s nearly Valentine’s Day, and for the past couple of his appearances, Patreon backer and friend of the show Josh Weil has mentioned that he’s been considering selecting one of the few truly whimsical and just plane fun stories Tom King has written: “Date Night,” where Batman an Catwoman go...

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]]> 55927 BatChat With Matt & Will: Batmanga! https://comicsxf.com/2026/02/05/batchat-with-matt-will-batmanga/ Thu, 05 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55847 Superheroes were an American invention, at least the modern conception of them. But they have spread across the world and taken on many forms. We’ve done an episode about Batman stories across the world before, but this weeks we’re focusing specifically on Batman stories from Japan. We’re reading the first collection of stories that spun...

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]]> 55847 BatChat With Matt & Will: One Hell(boy) of an Episode (w/ Matt McThorn) https://comicsxf.com/2026/01/29/batchat-with-matt-will-one-hellboy-of-an-episode-w-matt-mcthorn/ Thu, 29 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55747 This week, BatChat is once more joined by Patreon backer and friend of the show Matt McThorn. This time, Matt wanted to talk about times Batman and his allies and enemies crossed over with properties from Dark Horse Comics. So we have Batman meeting Hellboy (and Starman, but that’s less of a jump), The Joker...

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]]> 55747 BatChat With Matt & Will: 666- The Story of the Beast https://comicsxf.com/2026/01/22/batchat-with-matt-will-666-the-story-of-the-beast/ Thu, 22 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55678 We read three stories an episode. So with that math, episode 222 means we are ranking story 666, which is certainly a portentous number. It’s a number that screams horror. And it’s not like we haven’t covered plenty of Batman horror on this show. But as we get to that number here, we figured there’s...

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]]> 55678 BatChat With Matt & Will: The Angel, The Ivy, The Demon Star https://comicsxf.com/2026/01/15/batchat-with-matt-will-the-angel-the-ivy-the-demon-star/ Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55574 This week, BatChat is returning to the three runs we’ve been following in order. Well, sorta. Yes, we’re reading the next arc of No Man’s Land and the penultimate arc of Grant Morrison’s epic run. But Injustice has been showing signs of severely diminishing returns the past few volumes, and we had something else we’ve...

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]]> 55574 BatChat With Matt & Will: ‘Cause I’m a Creep https://comicsxf.com/2026/01/08/batchat-with-matt-will-cause-im-a-creep/ Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55498 The Creeper is a weird character. He’s a guy with yellow skin, a green and black banana hammock, and a red fur boa. That’s a heck of a look. He’s also a good guy that most think is a bad guy. And sometimes he hangs out in Gotham City. That’s a lot on a character...

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]]> 55498 BatChat With Matt & Will: A Scumbag Bruce Wayne https://comicsxf.com/2026/01/01/batchat-with-matt-will-a-scumbag-bruce-wayne/ Thu, 01 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55439 It’s the start of a new year again, and so, as we do every year, it’s time to look at some new visions of Batman in a handful of Elseworlds. We’ve got a pulpy adventure of Batman and Superman, the Bat-pirate Leatherwing sailing the seven seas and an issue of the Batman Chronicles anthology with...

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]]> 55439 BatChat With Matt & Will: Batman and the Origins of Christmas https://comicsxf.com/2025/12/25/batchat-with-matt-will-batman-and-the-origins-of-christmas/ Thu, 25 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55393 Happy holidays to all! As is our tradition, and as we aren’t going to run out any time soon, the week of Christmas we read three stories of the holidays in Gotham. One is a little holiday kinda-noir from Bat legends Denny O’Neil and Frank Miller, one is a perplexing animated series style Brave and...

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]]> 55393 BatChat With Matt & Will: Into the Batcave https://comicsxf.com/2025/12/18/batchat-with-matt-will-into-the-batcave/ Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55299 You walk down a set of stairs hidden behind a clock. You enter a large cavern. And there you see all manner of things. A large computer. A car like no other. Cases displaying costumes. And trophies. You have entered the Batcave, and this week we’re reading three stories featuring the first appearances of those...

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]]> 55299 BatChat With Matt & Will: When a Robin’s Not a Robin (w/ Sam Hopper) https://comicsxf.com/2025/12/11/batchat-with-matt-will-when-a-robins-not-a-robin-w-sam-hopper/ Thu, 11 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55239 You can start out as a Robin, but eventually you have to grow up, right? Well, maybe not Tim Drake, who’s Robin again, but there was a period where he wasn’t. And Dick Grayson and Jason Todd have left the Robin identity behind long ago. This week, Sam Hopper joins us again to talk about...

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]]> 55239 BatChat With Matt & Will: The Three Faces of Batgirl (w/ John Wickham) https://comicsxf.com/2025/12/04/batchat-with-matt-will-the-three-faces-of-batgirl-w-john-wickham/ Thu, 04 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55118 Barbara Gordon was introduced to add some flair to the final season of Batman, to try to buoy the sagging ratings on the show. And while she didn’t save that series, she has become the iconic Batgirl of the comics, a character who has had a long career in various identities. This week, friend of...

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]]> 55118 BatChat With Matt & Will: All Ages Thanksgiving 2025 https://comicsxf.com/2025/11/27/batchat-with-matt-will-all-ages-thanksgiving-2025/ Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=55035 It’s time for our annual tradition here at BatChat, up there with cranberry sauce from a can, stuffing that’s a little too dry and avoiding conversations about politics with your red baseball cap wearing relatives: it’s all ages Thanksgiving. Three stories of Batman for the whole family come in some very different flavors this year:...

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]]> 55035 BatChat With Matt & Will: Batman is Everywhere (w/ Josh Weil) https://comicsxf.com/2025/11/20/batchat-with-matt-will-batman-is-everywhere-w-josh-weil/ Thu, 20 Nov 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=54923 For a brief, shining moment just before the New 52 rewrote the DC Universe, Batman was everywhere. You might say to me, “Hey, podcast guy, Batman is everywhere now. And he has been since at least 1989, probably since 1966.” But I’m talking in universe here. Grant Morrison had created Batman Incorporated, where Batman travelled...

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]]> 54923 BatChat With Matt & Will: Beyond Batman https://comicsxf.com/2025/11/13/batchat-with-matt-will-beyond-batman/ Thu, 13 Nov 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://comicsxf.com/?p=54828 While in comics circles the most well known alternate future for Batman is The Dark Knight Returns, in the public consciousness, that title has to be held by Batman Beyond. Three seasons of young Terry McGinnis and crotchety old Bruce Wayne in the DCAU, plus appearances on Justice League Unlimited, left a mark for this...

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