X-Ray Vision

On Episode 17 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion, Rosie Knight, and Cody Ziglar answer your questions! That’s right, it’s an all-hosts Holiday Mailbag. So snuggle in with a hot cup of tea, a blanket, your comics in your lap, and set your television to the extended crackling fireplace because it’s time to talk about favorite crossover events, creators’ rights, Netflix’s Arcane, video games, and more! X-Ray Vision will be off on New Year’s Eve (celebrating the New Year in style), but we will see you in 2022!Tune in every Friday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button!Nerd Out Submission Instructions!Send a short pitch and 2-3 minute voice memo recording to xray@crooked.com that answers the following questions: 1) How did you get into/discover your ‘Nerd Out?’ (2) Why should we get into it too? (3) What’s coming soon in this world that we can look forward to?Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rkFollow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmediaPLUGS:Rosie’s IGZig’s twitterImage Comics’ UnionThe Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!Eric Nylund’s Halo novels - Comprising The Fall of Reach, First Strike, & Ghosts of Onyx with epic space-naval battles & lots of good action. Ender’s Game with less children & more all around fun. Available on Bookshop and more.Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - Available here.Exhalation by Ted Chiang - Available here.Dragon Ball Super by Akira Toriyama & illustrated by Toyotarou - Available here.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 16 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion & Rosie Knight try to get into MIT! First, in Previously On (1:36), Jason and Rosie recap episode 5 of Hawkeye, streaming on Disney+. Then, in the Airlock (36:00) Jason and Rosie dive deep (deeeeep) into Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is in theaters now. Then, X-Ray’s debut listener submitted Nerd Out (1:39:29) and in The Endgame (1:42:58), Jason and Rosie play another round of Assembly Required, picking a character from No Way Home for a randomly assigned mission (hint: holiday shopping time!). Use #XRVEndgame and let us know what you think of their choices!Tune in every Friday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button!Nerd Out Submission Instructions!Send a short pitch and 2-3 minute voice memo recording to xray@crooked.com that answers the following questions: 1) How did you get into/discover your ‘Nerd Out?’ (2) Why should we get into it too? (3) What’s coming soon in this world that we can look forward to?Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rkFollow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmediaPLUGS:Rosie’s IGThe Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!Spider-Man: One More Day - A 2007 crossover series written by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada, with art by Quesada; controversial at the time of release, even derided by fans for its reimagining of Peter Parker & MJ’s relationship. Available on Marvel Unlimited.Spider-Man: Brand New Day - A storyline that deals with the fall out of One More Day. Available from Comixology & more.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 15 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion & Rosie Knight prepare for Spider-Man: No Way Home! First, in Previously On (2:29), Jason and Rosie recap episode 4 of Hawkeye, streaming on Disney+, and share how the series has embraced comics like no other. Then, in the Airlock (24:25) Jason and Rosie dive deep (deeeeep) into the Spider-Verse, recapping the seven previous Spider-Man films (Maguire, Garfield, & Holland) so you don’t have to watch them all, analyzing the possibilities of No Way Home’s villains, and offering tons of theories for No Way Home and the MCU Multiverse. Then, in The Endgame (1:08:17), Jason and Rosie play another round of Assembly Required, picking a character from the Spider-Verse for a randomly assigned mission (hint: wedding bells anyone?). Use #XRVEndgame and let us know what you think of their choices!Tune in every Friday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button!Nerd Out Submission Instructions!Send a short pitch and 2-3 minute voice memo recording to xray@crooked.com that answers the following questions: 1) How did you get into/discover your ‘Nerd Out?’ (2) Why should we get into it too? (3) What’s coming soon in this world that we can look forward to?Plus, we got a mailbag episode coming so send your nerdy questions & queries to xray@crooked.com!Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rkFollow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmediaPLUGS:Rosie’s IGSome of George Perez’s iconic comics work: New Teen Titans, JLA/Avengers Crossover, & More!The Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!Secret Wars - A twelve issue series published in 1984, written by Jim Shooter with art by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton, featuring the Beyonder and Battleworld; essentially an opportunity for Marvel to cash in on a Mattel toyline. Available on Marvel Unlimited.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 14 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion & Cody Ziglar dodge traffic (Pym arrow not included)! In Previously On (1:58), Jason and Zig recap episodes 2 and 3 of Hawkeye, streaming on Disney+. In the Airlock (37:42) Jason and Zig dive deep (deeeeep) into the theories and possibilities of Hawkeye’s upcoming episodes. For The Omnibus (54:17) Jason lifts the lid on organized crime in the Marvel canon. And in The Endgame (1:07:05), Jason and Zig play another round of Assembly Required, picking a character or item from Hawkeye episodes 2 and 3 for a randomly assigned mission (no hints this time). Use #XRVEndgame and let us know what you think of their choices!Tune in every Friday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button!Nerd Out Submission Instructions!Send a short pitch and 2-3 minute voice memo recording to xray@crooked.com that answers the following questions: 1) How did you get into/discover your ‘Nerd Out?’ (2) Why should we get into it too? (3) What’s coming soon in this world that we can look forward to?Plus, we got a mailbag episode coming so send your nerdy questions & queries to xray@crooked.com!Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rkFollow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmediaPLUGS:Zig’s The Dark Weeb podcastThe Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!Savage Land - Created by Jack Kirby and debuting in Marvel Mystery Comics #22, a prehistoric land in the modern world of Marvel comics (right near Antarctica); picture Jurassic Park with even more dinosaurs and zero rules. Daredevil - Specifically the 2011-2014 Eisner-winning series by Mark Waid with eye-popping art by mainly Chris Samnee; the series was known for its humor, introducing the villain Ikari, and featured a team-up with Spidey himself. Available on Marvel Unlimited, Comixology, and more.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 13 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion & Cody Ziglar grab a slice with Lucky the Pizza Dog! First, in the brand new recurring segment Nerd Out (1:41), in which nerds get to share what they love and why, Crooked’s own Kendra James (producer of Keep It & Lovett or Leave It) sits in the captain’s chair to give the latest on Trek as Discovery season 4 premieres on Paramount+. In the Airlock (15:25) Jason and Zig dive deep (deeeeep) into the first episode (and a sprinkling of the second) of Hawkeye, out now on Disney+. And in The Endgame (53:24), Jason and Zig play Assembly Required, picking a character from Hawkeye for a randomly assigned mission (Hint: pass the gravy boat). Use #XRVEndgame & let us know what you think of their choices!Tune in every Friday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button! Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rkFollow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmediaPLUGS:Zig’s Amazing Spider-Man #79, out now!Zig’s Twitter & IGThe Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!My Life as a Weapon aka Hawkeye - Written by Matt Fraction with gorgeous art and covers by mainly David Aja, this is the series Disney+’s Hawkeye takes inspiration from and the series that redefined the character Clint Barton in the eyes of fans. Available on Marvel Unlimited, Amazon, etc.Avengers (2012) - This is the MCU movie that really made people sit up and notice (unless you were already sitting up, in which case it made you stand). We see the continued aftermath of the Battle of New York from Kate Bishop & Clint Barton’s perspectives in Hawkeye, revealing that, when it comes to war & loss, some wounds never heal. Available on Disney+ or for rent.Young Avengers - Created by Allan Heinberg & Jim Cheung before being relaunched by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie after the Marvel NOW! rebranding in 2012. Both series by the different writers and artists won GLAAD Media Awards (2006, 2014) during their respective runs. Available on Marvel Unlimited.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 12 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion & Rosie Knight jazzercise with She-Hulk! In the Airlock (0:02:09) Jason and Rosie dive deep (deeeeep) into the lore around the biggest announcements from the first annual Disney+ Day, including Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and Ms. Marvel. For the Omnibus, (0:49:42) Jason details the background and history of the character Moon Knight; in The Hive Mind (1:09:38), Jason is joined by writer and podcaster Preeti Chhibber for a spoiler-free primer on The Wheel of Time book series by Robert Jordan, the upcoming Amazon TV show (premiering November 19th), and how WoT is different (in a good way) from Game of Thrones. Finally, in The Endgame (1:28:34), Jason and Rosie play Assembly Required, picking a character from Marvel’s Disney+ Day releases for a randomly assigned mission (Hint: you can pick up some Swedish meatballs where we’re going). Use #XRVEndgame & let us know what you think of their choices!Tune in every Wednesday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button! Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rkFollow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmediaPLUGS:Preeti’s Tar Valon or Bust podcast & Wheel of Time ReviewRosie’s IGThe Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!Moon Knight by Lemire & Smallwood - The collected volumes of Jeff Lemire & Greg Smallwood’s run on Moon Knight in which Marc Spector finds himself trapped in an insane asylum. Available on Marvel Unlimited.Patsy Walker, AKA Hellcat - Written by Kate Leth and illustrated by Brittney L. Williams, this 17 issue series started in 2015 and follows Walker after her comeback from hell and starting a super-folk temp agency. Available on Marvel Unlimited.Ms. Marvel (2015-2019) - Written by G. Willow Wilson & drawn by Adrian Alphona with tremendous creative input from Marvel editors Sana Amanat & Stephen Wacker and assistance from Jamie McKelvie. The series garnered critical acclaim and won a Hugo Award in 2015. Available on Marvel Unlimited. See Wakanda & Die - Set during Secret Invasion and written by Jason Aaron with art by Jefte Palo, all about how the skrull invasion very much does NOT go to plan once they hit Wakanda. Available on Marvel Unlimited.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 11 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion & Rosie Knight pack up & start an Amazonian mind-control cult! In Previously On…(1:34) Jason goes solo to recap Eternals, the latest in the MCU, out in theaters now. In the Airlock (24:56) Jason and Rosie dive deep (deeeeep) into the theories and characters of Eternals. For the Omnibus (49:06), Jason chronicles the work-life of Eternals’ creator Jack Kirby; in The Hive Mind (or rather, the Uni-Mind) (1:14:02), Jason is joined by comics journalist and author Abraham Riesman for a conversation around creators rights in the comics industry, especially involving Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Finally, in The Endgame (1:26:21), Jason and Rosie play Assembly Required, picking their Eternal to go head-to-head in a randomly selected scenario (Hint: they’ll be swiping left & right). Use #XRVEndgame & let us know what you think of their choices!Tune in every Wednesday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button! Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rkFollow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmediaPLUGS:Abraham Riesman’s Twitter & website!Check out Comic Book Workers United & show your support!The Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!Black Knight, Created by Roy Thomas & John Buscema, he’s a Marvel hero whose debut was The Avengers #47 in December, 1967; Dane Whitman is in fact the third character to hold that title. Black Knight has been a member of The Avengers, The Defenders, & MI13, Marvel’s equivalent of the famed real life MI6.Blade, Created by Marv Wolfman & Gene Colan, this half-man, half-vampire (aka dhampir)’s first appearance was 1973’s The Tomb of Dracula #10. Wesley Snipes played the character in a trio of films that came out from 1998 through 2004 (the second was directed & written by a budding Guillermo del Toro and available on HBOMax).She-Hulk’s Past with Eros (aka Starfox), Featured in She-Hulk Vol 2, #6-7, from 2006, written by Dan Slott and art by Will Conrad; the arc ultimately doesn’t really resolve the fate of Eros after his escape from court, so it’s hypothetically possible that the character is still wanted for his crimes on Earth.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a very special Episode 10 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion is joined by both co-hosts, Rosie Knight & Cody Ziglar, for an all hosts, all comics, all conversation! In Previously On…(1:10) Jason goes solo (and Soprano) to unpack the trailer of Disney+’s Boba Fett, Sony’s Morbius, and celebrate the formation of the brand new Comic Book Workers United union at Image Comics (link to support below!). In the Airlock (9:51) Jason, Rosie, and Zig dive deep (deeeeep) into the world of comics, offering entry points for eager new readers, some all time personal faves, and what they’re looking forward to in all things panel & page. In The Endgame (1:00:22), Jason, Rosie, and Zig play Some Assembly Required, picking their comics character to go head-to-head-to-head in a randomly selected scenario (Hint: stock up on Koopa Shells). Use #XRVEndgame & let us know what you think of their choices!Tune in every Wednesday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button! Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rkFollow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmediaPLUGS:Check out Comic Book Workers United & show your support!The Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!Black Widow (2020) - Kelly Thompson & Elena Casagrande. Available here.Hawkeye (2012) - Matt Fraction & David Aja. Available here. Hellions (2020) - Zeb Wells & Stephen Segovia. Available here.Young Avengers (2013) - Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, & Matt Wilson. Available here.Infinity Gauntlet (1991) - Jim Starlin, George Pérez, & Ron Lim. Available here.Silver Surfer: Rebirth of Thanos (1990) - Ron Lim & Jim Starlin. Available here.X-Men: Grand Design (2018) - Ed Piskor. Available here.Ultimate Spider-Man (2000) - Brian Michael Bendis with Mark Bagley, Stuart Immonen, David LaFuente, & Sara Pichelli. Available here.Avengers Disassembled / New Avengers (2004) - Brian Michael Bendis with various, including David Finch & Steve McNiven. Available here.Saga of Swamp Thing (1984) - Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, & John Totleben. Available here.Batman: Year One (1987) - Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli. Available here.Hellboy: The Chained Coffin and Others (1998) - Mike Mignola. Available here.Invincible (2003) - Robert Kirkman with Cory Walker & Ryan Ottley. Available here.This One Summer (2014) - Mariko & Jillian Tamaki. Available here.Super Mutant Magic Academy (2015) - Jillian Tamaki. Available here.Very Near Mint (2011) - Justin Peterson. Available here.Scott Pilgrim (2004) - Bryan Lee O’Malley. Available here.Love and Rockets (1982) -The Hernandez Brothers, Gilbert, Jaime, & Mario. Available here.Akira (1982) - Katsuhiro Otomo. Available here.Fantasy Sports (2015) - Sam Bosma. Available here.We3 (2004) - Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly. Available here.Demon Days (2021) - Peach Momoko. Available here.Trial of the Amazons DC Event (2022) - Written with input by Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, Vita Ayala, Stephanie Williams, Joelle Jones, and Jordie Bellaire. Start with Nubia & The Amazons, available here.The Antagonists (2020) - Tyler F. Martin with Felipe Dunbar, Kelechi Nwaogwugwu, Kieran Jack, Giacomo Guida. Available here. Fist of the North Star re-release by Viz (2021) - Buronson & Tetsuo Hara. Available here.The Good Asian (2021) - by Pornsak Pichetshote & Alexandre Tefenkgi. Available here.The Department of Truth (2021) - James Tynion & Martin Simmonds. Available here.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a very special Episode 9 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion fights for DESERT POWER! In Previously On…(2:13) Jason goes solo to recap the world of Frank Herbert’s Dune as brought to life in Denis Villeneuve’s new film. In the Airlock (32:48) Jason is joined by special guests Jason Goldman & Haitch of the Dune Pod to dive deep (deeeeep) into the cinematic sand dunes & rich textural history of Herbert’s novels. In The Omnibus (1:08:36), Jason explores the origin of the space empire trope and compares and contrasts Dune with Isaac Asimov’s Foundations. And in The Endgame (1:20:32) Shea Serrano drops by the pod to give his take on Dune, shout out his new book, and then Jason and Shea pick their Cafeteria Table (from Jason & Shea’s own The Connect) of Hot Cinematic Dads. X-Ray’s Rule of Thumb: you can never have too many Oscar Isaacs. Use #XRVEndgame & let us know what you think of their choices!Tune in every Wednesday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button! Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rkFollow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmediaPLUGS: Listen to Jason Goldman & Haitch on the Dune Pod & check out the other fantastic shows on the Tapedeck Podcast Network!Hip Hop (And Other Things) by Shea Serrano is out now & available wherever books are sold!The Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!Enemy, a 2013 drama film directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Jake Gyllenhaal in a dual role as men alike in appearance, but different in personality. The spider reference in question relates to the dreams shared by Gyllenhaal’s characters Adam & Anthony, including a dream of a naked woman with a spider head and a skyscraper-sized spider crawling through the city.Frank Herbert’s Dune (Sci-Fi), A 2000 miniseries on the Sci Fi Channel (before the ‘Y’ rebrand), written and directed by John Harrison, and followed up with a Children of Dune miniseries in 2003. Dune (’84), directed and written by David Lynch, and featuring Kyle Maclachlan in his film debut. Heavily criticized upon release for pretty much everything except its special effects, the film bombed at the box office and Lynch disowned it. Roger Ebert scorched the movie in his review and later named it the worst movie of the year. Available on HBOMax.Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson; first published in 1962, the book focuses on the adverse environmental impact (mostly on birds, hence the title) of excessive pesticides by chemical companies. The book prompted widespread outrage and an overall ban on the use of DDT for agricultural purposes. Available on Bookshop.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Episode 8 of X-Ray Vision, Jason Concepcion and Cody Ziglar have a latte with The Riddler! In Previously On…(2:56) Jason and Zig briefly discuss the release changes in upcoming Disney films and mourn the cancellation of FX on Hulu’s Y: The Last Man. In the Airlock (13:44) Jason and Zig dive deep (deeeeep) into the trailers that emerged from this past weekend’s DC FanDome, including The Batman, The Flash, HBOMax’s Peacemaker and more. In The Omnibus (42:36), Jason continues his exploration of the ‘deadly games’ genre to further analyze the economic and sociopolitical ideas behind Netflix’s smash hit Squid Game. Next, writer & podcaster Dave Schilling drops by this week’s Hive Mind (58:59) for an astute conversation around what makes HBO’s Succession the best show on TV & why we love the Roys despite their awful behavior. Finally, in The Endgame (1:24:48) Jason and Zig play Top Fives for their ‘favorite’ fictional billionaires. Use #XRVEndgame & tweet at Jason to let us know what you think of their choices!Tune in every Wednesday and don’t forget to Hulk Smash the Follow button! Follow Jason: twitter.com/netw3rkFollow Crooked: twitter.com/crookedmediaPLUGS: Dave Schilling & Jonah Ray’s Galaxy Brains & Dave’s LA Times article on why men should wear skirts.Zig’s twitter: twitter.com/yayforzig & his pod (co-hosted with Brodie Reed) The Dark Weeb: available wherever you get your podcasts!The Listener’s Guide for all things X-Ray Vision!Batman (’89), Directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton in the titular role with Jack Nicholson turning in a hammily deranged performance as the Joker; the film’s campy atmosphere and theatricality is both eye-catching and divergent from the gritty, more noir later Batman films of the 2000s. Available on HBOMax.Flashpoint, a 2011 crossover comics series, the bulk of which was written by Geoff Johns with art by Andy Kubert. As alluded to by Jason, this series radically shifted the landscape of the DC universe and led to the The New 52 reboot of DC’s ongoing series.1989: Bob Dylan Didn’t Have This to Sing About, by prominent cultural theorist and poet Joshua Clover originally published in 2009, which analyzes the year 1989 in popular music and the outgrowths (such as rap, grunge, acid house, etc.) that emerged in the following decade. Clover is currently a Professor of English & Comparative Literature at UC Davis. Available on Bookshop.com.Peep Show, a British sit-com that ran from 2003 to 2015 and was written by Jesse Armstrong, among others. Following the lives of two best friends, the show, with its offbeat humor, unconventional POV filming style (hence the name ‘peep show’), and voiceover narration offering the internal monologue of the characters’ thoughts, never achieved wide audiences but garnered critical acclaim across its run. Available lots of places.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, please visit crooked.com/xrayvision.. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.