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Nobody asked for a giant green stockbroker. 1940 gave us one anyway. This week Zach introduces Mike to the Green Giant, not the vegetable mascot, a different one. A public domain Golden Age superhero from 1940 who works at a brokerage firm on Hall Street, fights counterfeit stock fraud, and gets big when he touches his belt. That is his entire power set. Why does he get big? Nobody knows. The comic never explains it. He just does. He also flies. That's also never explained. New format alert: before Zach breaks down the story, he shows Mike the character and asks him to guess the powers, the alter ego, and the origin. Mike scores 2 whole points. What happens in Green Giant #1: a man touches his belt, becomes enormous, lifts a car full of criminals, threatens to crush them in his hand until they talk, chases the boss to a ship headed for South America by swimming as a giant through the open ocean, punches the man unconscious mid-money-count, then flies the criminal and his money bag back to shore and drops both through the roof of the police station with a note in very pretty cursive. From: Green Giant Comics #1 (1940) | Pelican Press / Kent Publishing | Public Domain Also this episode: the Unknown Gathering — a live spooky horror event on October 10th. Stay tuned. Follow us: YouTube Shorts & TikTok: @brofoehero Instagram: @brofoehero Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart & more: search Bros Foes and Heroes Email: [email protected] Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

FULL SPOILERS. If you haven't seen Supergirl yet , go see it first, then come back. We went to the movies. We have thoughts. A lot of them. Zach gives Supergirl a B/B+. Mike lands at B minus. Both agree: go see it. It's a fun ride. Not everything in it works, but Millie Alcock is perfect as Kara, Eve Ridley is great as Ruthie, the fights are great, there's a Modest Mouse needle drop, a Jimmy Eat World cover that Mike loved, and David Corenswet's Superman is still exactly what you want every time he shows up on screen. Where they disagree: Lobo. Mike thinks Jason Momoa is fantastic in the role and completely unnecessary to this particular story. Zach thinks he's great and would love to see him again somewhere else. The bigger conversation: We Covered Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. One of Zach's favorite comics, and he wrestled with what the adaptation kept and what it changed. The ending especially. If you've read the comic, you'll know exactly what he means. Next week: we're going back to the Golden Age. New format. Zach has a new way to present obscure public domain superheroes to Mike that he is very excited about. Stay tuned. Supergirl is in theaters now. Go see it. #supergirl #dc #dccomics #brosfoesandheroes #dcu Follow us: YouTube Shorts & TikTok: @brofoehero Instagram: @brofoehero Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart & more: search Bros Foes and Heroes Email: [email protected] Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Before Jason Momoa shows up in Supergirl, here's everything you need to know about Lobo. This week Zach and Mike dive into the 1990-1991 four-issue Lobo mini-series by Keith Giffen and Alan Grant, the run that created the version of the character most people actually know. The one with the space hog. The chain. The white skin and black hair. The one who is almost certainly showing up in the Supergirl film and who Mike compares, correctly, to "Wolverine if Wolverine were Deadpool." Here's what Lobo actually is: a bounty hunter from a utopian planet so peaceful they didn't even have a word for fighting. He was born wrong, got worse, and eventually committed genocide on his entire species just so he could be unique. He is now the last of his kind. He did that on purpose. The story we're covering has him transporting a prisoner across the galaxy, his fourth grade teacher, who wrote an unauthorized biography about him and whom he very much wants to kill. While being chased by space fanboys, a paramilitary senior citizens' decency committee, and the planetary police force of every planet he's stopped at along the way. There is also a spelling bee. Also this week: the Marvel Thanksgiving Day Parade float. RoboCop is in it. Hulk barely moves a clock tower. Captain America takes it very seriously. We watch the whole thing. Plus: Supergirl movie excitement, the Dean Cain callout, a Mister Miracle animated series update, and the Lobo that DC tried to reboot in 2011 who Mike did not like the nipples of. From: Lobo Mini-Series #1–4 (1990–1991) | Writer: Alan Grant | Plotter: Keith Giffen | Artist: Simon Bisley #supergirl hits theaters this week. Go see it! Follow us: YouTube Shorts & TikTok: @brofoehero Instagram: @brofoehero Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart & more: search Bros Foes and Heroes Email: [email protected] #dc #lobo #dcu #dccomics #supergirl #superman #marvel #comics Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy 5th anniversary to us. We celebrated by reading a 1951 Batman comic that uses one specific word 37 times, and that word does not mean in 2026 what it meant in 1951. This week marks five years of Bros, Foes & Heroes and for our anniversary story, Zach pulled "The Joker's Comedy of Errors" from Batman Issue 66 (August 1951). The plot: the Joker becomes a national headline after a botched robbery, and rather than lay low, he decides to recreate history's most famous mistakes. Military, architectural, aviation all as the basis for an entire crime spree. He researches them. He plans elaborate heists around them. The newspapers cover every single one with the same word in the headline, every time, for the entire issue. Zach explains why that word meant something completely different 75 years ago. Mike does not let it go for the rest of the episode. The story itself involves a battleship run aground, a leaning bell tower built specifically to rob an oil tycoon, a Trojan horse used to smuggle a heist crew onto a movie set, and a directional beam that sends Batman to England by accident. Also: Bob Kane's actual headstone, which exists, and which the two of them read out loud. Thank you for five years. Genuinely. We mean it! Coming next week: Lobo, ahead of our Supergirl viewing. Follow us: YouTube Shorts & TikTok: @brofoehero Instagram: @brofoehero Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart & more: search Bros Foes and Heroes Email: [email protected] Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week Zach and Mike cover "The Lady and the Lion" . A Silver Age Superman story in which the Man of Steel gets roofied by an alien sorceress named Circe who drugged his mineral water because he politely declined her marriage proposal. The serum turns him into a lion by dawn because, as Circe helpfully explains, Superman most resembles a lion by nature. Nobody questions this logic. What follows is Superman, now a fully lion-headed man in a cape, trying to continue living his life. He takes Lois Lane to the theater. He performs for orphan children by letting them stick their heads in his mouth. He flies to Africa, breaks up a lion bully situation, and accidentally gets elected King of the Lions. He does all of this with a rope for a tail. He is very sad about it. Also: Lois Lane kisses a lion. It doesn't work. Perry White sits on the scoop of the century because he's actually a decent guy. And Circe, who committed multiple crimes and fled the planet, faces zero consequences because Superman figured out the antidote on his own using Kryptonian library records. Circe is still out there. #superman #dccomics #silverage #actioncomics #brosfoesandheroes #superhero #comics #loislane #comicbooks #dc  Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Superman built his own island. Shaped like himself. In the middle of the ocean. With a foghorn that plays a recording of his voice saying "Keep off Superman Island." This week Zach and Mike tackle a pair of Silver Age Superman stories, starting with "The Secret of Superman Island" a story in which the Man of Steel harvests rocks from mountains, chisels a giant spade out of boulders, tells a whale to leave him alone mid-ocean, builds a lighthouse that projects his own face, installs a lead-lined vault, and constructs an entire island in the shape of his own body. The reason for all of this is both logical and completely unhinged. Lois Lane gets involved. Nautical crooks think there's treasure. There is not treasure. There is something much more interesting than treasure. Also: the island is a Superman star now. It's floating in space. That's how the story ends. Superman just throws it up there. Also in this episode: - Baking tips from Zach and Mike (this happens) - The Boys Season 5 finale discussed with spoiler warning, you've been warned - Mandalorian and Grogu reviewed — Mike has thoughts on Jabba's son's voice - Big 12 Media Days in July — Zach and Mike may be recording live. Athletes talking comic books. Stay tuned. - A live Halloween con appearance teased for October in — Tales from the Crypt vibes incoming - The audio drama voice cast is still coming together — reach out if you want in #superman #dccomics #dc #loislane #comicbooks #comics #silveragecomics #superhero #superheroes Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ever looked around the Batcave and wondered why on earth Batman keeps a giant, multi-ton copper coin just sitting next to the Batmobile? This week on Bros, Foes, and Heroes, Zach and Mike dive into the wonderfully ridiculous Silver Age origins of one of Gotham’s most famous trophies. Tune in as we break down World’s Finest Comics Issue 30 (1947) to meet Joe Coyne. The petty paper-boy turned "Penny Plunderer" and discover how a roll of pennies, some "five-minute crafts" MacGyvering, and a millionaire's houseboat gave birth to an iconic piece of Bat-history. #batman #dccomics #dc #batcave Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Batman is the World's Greatest Detective. He lives in a cave under a barn. He got there by accident. This is the official origin story. This week Zach and Mike go back to Batman Annual Issue 1 (1961) to find out how Bruce Wayne discovered the Batcave. A story written by Bill Finger, drawn by Sheldon Moldoff, and so completely unhinged that Mike spends most of it convinced Batman is just a drug addict having vivid hallucinations in an alley somewhere. Here's what actually happens: Bruce buys a house. He was going to use the barn as his secret headquarters, just a regular barn. The floor gives way, he falls into a cave full of bats, and he decides on the spot that this is an omen. The Batcave is born. That's it. That's the origin. Two pages. But then they find a piece of ancient pottery that says "Death to the Man of Two Identities" and naturally the only logical next step is to travel back in time via hypnosis to 1700s Gotham to figure out what it means. They bring their costumes. Batman builds a periscope, a surveillance mirror system, a utility belt, and a trophy room for a colonial spy with a broken leg named Jeremy Coe. Who, it turns out, discovered the cave first, called it the bat cave because of the bats, and is technically the original Batman. Batman also paints himself with tree bark dye, gets rained on mid-mission, and has to be rescued by a 12-year-old via smoke signal shaped like a bat. Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Clayface movie is coming and we've got you covered with everything you need to know. This week we're digging into the vault. Zach and Mike break down the full history of Clayface, all the versions, all the clay. Then dive straight into Clayface: One Bad Day, the 2023 DC one-shot that might just be the blueprint for what the movie does with this character. First: how do you go from Basil Karlo, a horror movie actor driven to murder by a remake of his greatest film, to Matt Hagan, to Preston Payne, to the shapeshifting monster we know today? Zach walks Mike through the whole muddy lineage. Mike's prior Clayface knowledge: a talking blob from a kids' show called Gigglesnort Hotel. We start there. Then: Clayface One Bad Day. A struggling Hollywood actor named Clay Pots lands his dream role and loses himself completely in the process. What follows is one of the darkest, most quietly tragic Clayface stories ever told. He suffocates a man, steals his face, walks onto a movie set, and spends the entire issue auditioning for a role he's already taken. The ending, with ten figures watching him deliver his monologue one final time, hits harder than it has any right to. Also in this episode: - The full Clayface family tree — Basil, Matt, Preston, Sondra, Cassius, and more - The Killing Joke connection hidden in the One Bad Day one-shot - Whether the Batman: Killing Joke animated movie deserved the extra 45 minutes (it did not) - Zach getting accused of being a porch pirate while retrieving his own DoorDash order Check out Feat of Clay. Our episode on the Batman: The Animated Series two-parter that inspired the film. Back to back Clayface. You're welcome. Read it yourself: Clayface One Bad Day is available now on DC Universe Infinite and wherever comics are sold. Follow us: YouTube Shorts & TikTok: @brofoehero Instagram: @brofoehero Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart & more: search Bros Foes and Heroes #clayface #batman #dccomics #dcu #dc #brosfoesandheroes  Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Clayface movie trailer just dropped — and before Mike sees it, Zach is making him sit through the Batman: The Animated Series two-parter that inspired it all. "Feat of Clay" is the origin story of Matt Hagan: a disfigured Hollywood actor addicted to a face cream that lets him reshape his own body, force-fed so much of it by the man who controlled his supply that he became something that could no longer be called human. It's a kids' cartoon. It goes pretty dark. This week Zach breaks down both parts of the classic BTAS two-parter, the one that created the definitive version of Clayface. One that blended Basil Karlo and Matt Hagan into a single tragic figure. Plus: the real Hollywood actors who inspired the character, why two different animation studios handled the two episodes and the talents of Ron Perlman, Ed Asner, and Ed Begley Jr.  Mike's verdict: he's watching Batman: The Animated Series with his grandkids. Zach has never been more proud. Also covered this week: - Lon Chaney, Montgomery Clift, and the real tragedy behind Matt Hagan - The cream. We can't stop calling it the cream. - Poor Teddy. The Clayface film (directed by James Watkins, written by Mike Flanagan) is coming and now you'll know exactly where it's drawing from. Also dropping this week: our Clayface One Bad Day episode replay — the 2023 DC one-shot where a Hollywood actor becomes Clayface in a single very bad day. Back to back Clayface content. Follow us: YouTube Shorts & TikTok: @brofoehero Instagram: @brofoehero Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart & more: search Bros Foes and Heroes #batman #clayface #batmantheanimatedseries #dccomics #brosfoesandheroes  Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Bros, Foes, and Heroes, Zach and Mike take a break from covering a single comic and dive into something way messier: the long, petty, and sometimes hilarious history of comic book creators going after each other. From the early days of Marvel and DC through the ’00s and beyond, this episode explores what happens when writers and artists don’t just disagree, but decide to put those disagreements directly into the comics themselves. We’re talking: Creators sneaking insults and caricatures of each other into stories. The fallout from work-for-hire deals and lack of creator credit. Behind-the-scenes drama involving names like Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and more Stories that go from playful jabs… to straight-up character assassination Along the way, we get into why so many creators were frustrated during this era, how that frustration showed up on the page, and why some of these moments still feel shocking (and kind of hilarious) today. It’s petty. It’s ridiculous. It’s surprisingly revealing and it might change the way you read comics once you start spotting the drama hiding between the panels. #comicbooks #marvelcomics #dccomics #comicdrama #creatordrama #comichistory #stanlee #jackkirby #comics  Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Bros, Foes, and Heroes, Zach and Mike take a look at one of the most unexpected comics ever published: a 1993 Marvel collaboration with a Christian publisher telling the Easter story of Jesus Christ. In the early ’90s, Marvel Comics teamed up with Thomas Nelson in a strange (and short-lived) attempt to bring faith-based stories into comic shops. The result? A straightforward, panel-by-panel adaptation of the Gospel accounts covering everything from the Last Supper to the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Along the way, we talk about: Why Marvel was experimenting with projects like this in the ‘90s. The surprisingly stacked creative team behind the book. Whether adapting something this serious into a comic actually works. The difference between meaningful faith-based media… and basketball Bibles. And how this bizarre partnership even happened in the first place It’s part history lesson, part reaction, and part “how did this exist?” with plenty of the usual off-the-rails tangents along the way. Whether you grew up with the Easter story or are just here for weird comic book history, this is one of the most unique issues we’ve ever covered. #marvelcomics #marvel #jesus #easter #bible #christianity #easterstory #comicbooks #comics #90scomics Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Bros, Foes, and Heroes, Zach and Mike dive into Secret Six (2008) by Gail Simone. a brutal, hilarious, and wildly underrated run that throws together a team of villains and asks one simple question: What could possibly be worth a $10 million bounty… per person? The answer leads to chaos. We follow a crew of mercenaries including Deadshot, Bane, Catman, Scandal Savage, and the unsettling Ragdoll, as they take on a job that immediately spirals out of control. Break a prisoner out of a metahuman prison, transport her safely, and get paid. Easy, right? Not even close. Suddenly, every villain on the planet is hunting them. Batman is warning them to stop. And at the center of it all is a mysterious card that might be the most dangerous object in the DC Universe. Along the way, we talk about: Gail Simone’s impact on comics (and the “Women in Refrigerators” era). Why this team of villains somehow feels more human than most heroes. The perfect balance of dark violence and genuinely funny moments. And the absolutely insane reveal of what’s actually on that card. It’s gritty, it’s chaotic, it’s surprisingly heartfelt, and it might be one of the best team books you haven’t read. #secretsix #dccomics #deadshot #bane #batman #gailsimone #comicbookpodcast #comicbookhistory #dcuniverse #villains #comicbooks #dc Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Bros, Foes & Heroes, we're continuing our month of spotlighting female creators in comics and we're diving deep (pun intended) into the legacy of Ramona Fradon, one of the only women working in comics in the early 1950s. She started drawing Aquaman as a backup strip in Adventure Comics and ended up defining the character's look for over a decade. So if you picture the classic Aquaman, you're picturing her work. We cover two of her Aquaman stories, talk about her fascinating origin in the industry (art school, a husband who drew for The New Yorker, and a connection that got her through DC's door), her later work on Brenda Starr, Reporter, and how she helped create Metamorpho. Plus, we get into the wild history of why Batgirl was created, a Family Circus ghost rabbit hole, and even more fun. #aquaman #dccomics #comicbookhistory #brosfoesandheroes #comicbookpodcast #comicbooks #womenincomics #femalecreators #comicbookart #comics Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Bro’s, Foes and Heroes, we dive into the history of one of DC’s most iconic and beloved characters: Harley Quinn. While many fans know her from the movies and modern comics, her origin is unique in the world of superheroes. Born not in the pages of a comic book, but on a television screen, Harley’s journey started with a chance friendship and a surprising inspiration from a daytime soap opera. Zach and Mike break down the legacy of Batman: The Animated Series, the "Dark Deco" animation style that set the tone for Gotham, and the creative genius of Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. We also explore the definitive origin story, Mad Love, and how Arleen Sorkin’s performance forever defined the voice and soul of Harleen Quinzel. #harleyquinn #batmantheanimatedseries #dccomics #batman #joker #pauldini #brucetimm #comicbookhistory #podcast #brosfoesandheroes #roguemedianetwork #markhamill #kevinconroy Thank you to our sponsors! Click on them below: puzzle.io : https://puzzleio.pxf.io/3J0Y4y MagikFlame: https://magikflame.pxf.io/K0dgQv Hello Cake: https://cake.sjv.io/kOoEjv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.