Mark Russell on 'Polis', Protopias, and 'X-Factor' lost stories

·1 hr 24 min·5 clips

David Brook reveals he's the 'Dorian Gray of podcasters' as the show hits episode 330, marking a decade of episodes.

The episode opens with hosts David Brook and Alex Schlesinger joking about podcast milestones and recording schedules. They introduce the week's comic news, starting with the X-Men Hellfire Gala Vigil, analyzing character costumes like Armor's look and deep pulls like Angel and Beak. Marvel's August 2025 solicitations are covered, including Venom: Black, White, and Blood, Thor's return as Donald Blake, and Godzilla combining with a symbiote. DC news includes new DC Go digital comics like 'Aquaman: Yo-Yo Hold Onto Your Hook' and a promotion with golden tickets in Adventure Comics #210. Independent publisher news features 'Blink and You'll Miss It' from Boom Studios and 'Red Vector' from Mad Cave Studios. The hosts share their top books of the week: Alex highlights 'Doom Academy #4' and 'Into the Unbeing Part Two #4', while David chooses 'Absolute Flash #3' and 'Amazing Spider-Man #4', noting the latter's flashbacks of a rebellious Peter Parker. Standout moments include Franklin Richards as a baby destroying Galactus in 'Fantastic Four #34' and the vibrant art of 'Robo Wolf #1'. Most anticipated upcoming comics include 'Mr. Terrific: Year One #1' and 'Magic #5'. Favorite covers are Sean Crystal's variant for 'Absolute Martian Manhunter #3' and Stephanie Hans' cover for 'Absolute Wonder Woman #8'. The interview with Mark Russell begins, discussing his one-shot 'Polis' from AWA Studios, a sci-fi story about a girl seeking refuge in floating cities amid climate disaster. Russell explains the concept of 'protopia' as a hopeful middle ground between utopia and dystopia. He details his collaboration with artist Laci and colorist Marco Lesko. Russell reflects on his 'X-Factor' run ending at 10 issues, revealing lost storylines like the dynamic between immortal Granny Smite and teenage Zyber. He previews his new series 'Vanishing Point' from Mad Cave, describing it as an existentialist Twilight Zone. Russell also mentions other projects like 'Batman: Dark Age' and 'Traveling to Mars', and discusses his working relationships with various publishers. The episode closes with Russell sharing his online presence.

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