Immortal Orphans Review

Hey everybody, it is Carter Mann, and you have

just jumped inside the pull bag. You fell in!

You didn't know there was even a hole there!

Hello, and welcome to The Pull Bag. This is episode

405 .5. That's right, 405 .5. I am, of course,

too, if you are in my journey. Once again, is

Mikey from Moonbase 2. Hello, sir. How are you?

I am as well as can be expected, I guess. I mean,

I kind of wish I had nanites in my body at this

point. I don't know if I could handle the process

to actually get them in there, but yeah, we are

back. It is the end of March. So far in this

month, we've gotten Mikey's origins of comic

reading in episode 402. Steve and I talked about

Beast Wars number two in episode 403. My friends

Edward and Kendra joined me for comics not found

where we started talking about comics and then

we talked about anything other than comics and

then somehow we tied it back into talking about

comics I don't know how the hell we did that

and Then they also joined me for radiant black

number one and two from image comics. We're here

Damn it. I thought I got rid of all this shit

before I started the recording Talk about an

edit point We are here to talk about the second

issue of Carter Mann's Immortal Orphans. That's

right, Immortal Orphans number two from Carter

Mann on Comixology. Ladies and gentlemen, if

you need a comic that just... I don't, because

he's better than this, but just turn your brain

off and pay attention to this story because this

story has literally everything in it under the

sun that any person with common sense would want

to read. Yeah, no and a murder cat Who is who

is my favorite character now by the way So it

went from already last issue to murder cat this

issue Yeah, yeah murder cat is like murder cat

is is is the bomb. I believe the technical term

is yes Yes, absolutely murder cat is actually

based as far as I can remember and I'm sure Carter

will correct me because I did not get any previous

knowledge from him before this issue unlike last

time. But Murder Cat, I do know is based on his

actual real life cat Pepper. She is not purple.

The reason why she's purple in here is it's a

reference to his girlfriend, Laura Hardy. Regular

Laura here on the over there in Kentucky in the

in the radio biz. She is regular Laura on 1077

the eagle in Louisville, Kentucky and her hair.

is purple. So that's kind of why Murder Cat is

purple. Yes, Murder Cat is amazing. We start

the issue off pretty much where we left off with

issue one with Ganyan having to do the the whole

time travel thing and he didn't exactly volunteer

for this. No, no, he's a volunteer. It says so.

It says so right there. You volunteered. Uh -huh.

You're right. Uh -huh. They're going to give

him lots of gifts. You know, these gifts you've

been giving me, they don't... Electrocution is

the gift that keeps on giving. Ain't that the

truth? Who needs the gas chamber when you can

have the electric chair? Lovely! I'd like to

point out that was Mike, not Mikey. Just emphasizing

that one. I think they would know considering

I'm American and you're Irish. Yeah, our version

of execution is too much Guinness. Hey, you know

what? Electrified Guinness, sign me up, man.

Does it come in a jacuzzi? Can you get bubbles

out of it? Oh God, I'm sorry even I I can't Because

Guinness is basically a solid. So like that's

more like going for a swimmin jello but Hey,

I like jello not the swimmin. J -e -l -l -o.

Oh Come on, everyone loves pudding pops After

a good stare we've podcasted Yeah, we've podcasted

exactly three times for the first time ever,

folks, and the camaraderie is already there.

If I can keep him laughing through the whole

episode, it's like I've done my job. Yeah. Carter

did tell me when I was asking him about issue

one that the art would get a huge step up, and

it is so much cleaner in this one. Like I joked

about murder cat there, but like the actual like

they use it as like the picture in the issue,

too But the actual like shot of a murder cat

giving your man the dirty look just like I'm

sorry What like that is a really nice piece of

work? I really like that and the rest of the

arts come together a lot like it's it feels a

lot more dynamic And purposeful like I didn't

mind the art in the first one But I would say

like it had that air of I'm I'm figuring this

out This this feels like okay. I put I put an

issue out I know what I'm doing now I'm getting

the sense of it like I would say there's a notable

step up actually to be honest I explored it from

the end, but I think there's a notable step up

in the whole issue. Oh Absolutely. Yeah it between

the backgrounds between the lines between the

colors Just everything is a huge step up. Oh

I did not recognize I'm on the eyeball page where

It's been my privilege to know you already you've

been closest confident these last several years

I'm way ahead at this point, but I'm like, ooh,

that's an eyeball Know about know about all them

eyeball things now. I Had a bad experience in

kindergarten You see one time I found an eyeball

on the street and it was looking at me Yeah,

no, this is even worse for Halloween in 1985

19 remember this folks 1985 in kindergarten for

Halloween the afternoon kindergarten teacher

decided to dress up like a witch for Halloween

and bring in quote -unquote eyeball soup I've

had an aversion to, yeah, no. I've had an aversion

to eyeball soups. Yeah, no. No, no, no. So me

and eyeballs don't exactly get together all that

often. But, but yeah, I mean. It's always awkward.

Like they're there. They're wishing me. They

wish me well. And I'm just like trying not to

look at them. But they're saying like, you're

not making eye contact. I'm just like, it's really

awkward. Exactly. So Ganyan goes through all

these procedures and he, you know, they're preparing

him to go back in time or to go through the portal

luminous or what, you know, the black hole portal

that they've created here. And one of the things

is that she is sending Artie with him and she

is actually essentially setting the genie free.

She's giving Artie her, her sentience or his

sentience or I don't, I don't know if Artie is

supposed to be. male, female, whatever. I assume

it's supposed to be female because considering

the red and fuchsia boobs on it. I don't know.

It's a robot, folks. I'm not commenting on the

color of someone's boobs. That feels very, very

personal. It's like your boobs don't match, madam.

I'm sorry. It's distracting me your neon boobs.

It's I could take the neon But it's the fact

that you have to go with two different colors

How is there not a steampunk game with that seriously

or a cyberpunk game? Yeah, not cyberpunk but

a cyberpunk game of Like cuz I've never like

I've seen because it's sci -fi I've seen them

with multiple boobs and no boobs and yeah boobs

where boobs should not go But I've never seen

someone do like here Here's someone with different

colored skin like all across their body. That

would be really neat rainbow child as a superhero

And are we in Kansas? Listen with me in Kansas

rainbows. I'm like canvas isn't even on the map

Listen I didn't say anything about finding the

pot of gold in that scenario, so In my case I'd

probably like likely to be finding a bowl of

cereal so Trust me, that was not magically delicious.

No. Somewhere in this there's a comic. Yeah,

somewhere in this there's a comic. That's what

happens when you record at 7am, folks. Not my

idea. I'm saying... I understand that. Seven

eight nine hours away from me. So it's like I

gotta figure out some easy way to deal with the

time difference alright getting back into this

they're setting him up to go through the portaluminous

and doing all this stuff and She says okay. So

if I explain this next part, you're likely to

freak out. So and then she presses the button.

Wait, what? What did you do? I was very curious

where this is going. Like I wasn't expecting

the whole quantum thing, but yeah, it was happening

like Jesus. And then I assume I could be wrong,

and I'm most likely wrong, and I know how good

Carter is, and he will point this out to me.

The panel where Gannion comes back. Wow, what

was that? I feel amazing. The pain is gone, like

gone and gone. I'm like. Oh, giant green glowing

lights and I'm like, did they just inject him

with like really, really high toast fruit corn

syrup weed or something? Like, seriously, I see

this green glow and all I can think of is pot.

And I'm not a pothead. Kids, if your pot's green

when you take it, maybe you should leave it outside

a bit longer. If it's on fire when you take it,

you should probably not. Take it. Take pot responsibly,

kids. The Geekcast Radio Network and the pullback

do not recommend you take pot at all. Just say

no to drugs, folks. Just say no to drugs. But

yes, he is. McGruff the crime dog. Good Lord.

So yeah, he feels a million percent better and

Artie says, yes, the surface area of the anomaly

behaves in some ways like a black holes event

horizon is not at all unlikely that will both

be atomized upon entering the portal. Changed

my mind. That's a very good panel. I really like

the I really like panels that make good use of

darkness. and good use of just very simple colors

and like the use of black, a bit of sort of sea

green and the white eyes, I think that was very

effective. Especially for a panel that's essentially

for a gag panel as well. Yeah. I thought that

was quite clever, quite inventive. Yeah, I actually

changed my Facebook cover photo to this panel

because... Oh boy. So they they get ready to

go through the portal and we cut to so that was

2420 hmm, and you know Carter did comment on

on our post about that. It's like hey 420 get

it and I'm like, oh You sneaky bastard Topical

to the previous parents of the conversation exactly,

right? don't do drugs kids just just say no uh

we cut back to no you leave your irish peer pressure

to yourself thank you ah sure what's wrong with

a few bit of you know get the injection into

the vein it's grand so it's like lucky charms

but for your head Never listen to my podcast.

An Irishman doing a Lucky Charm impression. Listen,

I have grown up on American TV. You have no concept

what it's like being one of us sitting there

listening to, it's not even the 1960s Batman

kind of shit. It's stuff made in the last five

years and just sitting like, where do you think

I'm from? Who sounds like that? What's going

on? Do you all think that we power our houses

by rubbing sticks together or what? No, we don't.

We don't. We have solar power. Thank you. Okay,

so solar powered Guinness, it works. Electrified

Guinness. You have a whole country on alcohol

and, you know, the stereotype works. All I can

think of that Family Guy episode about the whiskey

now. The hyper advanced society. We've discovered

this new type of alcohol. Lord. So we go back

to 2220 and we go back to Science Boy and Quinn

and... All of that and speaking of alcohol I

actually really like this scene because I I just

like how it plays out like it's actually quite

clever to just lay the groundwork don't call

me kids and laying that groundwork and it's like

okay it's just he saw he's talking to a teenager

don't call me kid I'm 14 and but as it played

out he's getting more annoyed every time and

it's like I'm 46 And I thought that was a great

reveal. I was like, no, 45, sorry. I am in my

40s and I am never allowed to grow up. I was

a toy for a child that someone actually didn't

care about. That's fascinating. I think that's

a great idea. Yeah, this is basically, even though

the design of Science Boy has nothing to do with

what I'm about to reference. This is basically

Robin Williams Jack. It's a 40 year old's body

kind of thing. But he's, you know, he's, you

know, a 14, 15 year old and a 45 year old's body.

Nice. That's actually a good comparison. Yeah.

And enter murder cat. The greatest cat. Yes,

absolutely. Oh, and I just now noticed a little

a little cat tree in the background as she walks

away I honestly have a feeling murder cats going

to be pretty significant because there's a lot

of like not central but clearly paying attention

mm -hmm and and like not just a panel or just

like Per and like oh, I hear something and it

looks like it were like a monocle and should

be an anime but the the one where he He's explaining

his background everything else and like where

they're all in shadow and murder cats clearly

to the side But like in a way where it's listening

in Like yeah, like I'm suspicious of the cat.

I mean, I'm always suspicious of the cat but

I'm specifically suspicious of this cat Yes,

I have questions about murder cat because like

I said before I know it is slightly based off

of his actual Carter man's actual cat pepper

and Obviously the coloring as I said is is based

off of his girlfriend's hair color But what I

have questions about is this giant like I know

all cats have collars or something But murder

cat has a big honkin collar on her like it takes

up It's not just around her neck. It's almost

like, I don't want to say this, but I'm going

to anyway. It's like an upper chest. Chastity

belt. Seriously. Where do you think cats reproduce?

No, I know. That's why I said upper. No, trust

me. Babies are born from the neck. No. That's

not, I understand that. I get that. But what

I'm saying is how large this thing is, it reminds

me of a chastity belt. It's just in the wrong

spot. It kind of like, um, there was a cartoon

many, many moons ago, um, mummies alive, like

mid nineties. Um, and they had like a cat in

it and it could grow into like this links type

form. And it had a lot of these, like, this looks

very Egyptian to me. And like, especially the,

the eye marking. Yeah has kind of a higher realistic

vibe and I'm just thinking of that especially

with the expressiveness Absolutely So we get

science boys history through his creator who

was Julian Durand And like you said You see them

in shadow and you see murder cat in shadow and

it's like, hmm, I need to file this away for

later just in case. I must live up to my name.

Yes, exactly. And yeah, I again, I think that

this is gotten to be it's one whole story. But

it is two halves of one whole story and we're

not like I mentioned earlier or mentioned back

in episode three ninety nine there are times

where time travel in comics screws with me now

that I've read the first issue and I've read

this at least three or four times at this point.

I am perfectly fine with them setting up the

time travel in the beginning and then actually

going back to twenty two twenty. and having this

whole story play out and then so basically, the

2420 stuff is basically bookends to what the

main part of the 2220 story is. Well, I'm getting

like, structurally, it's quite Terminator. Yeah,

the you know, this is this is the the framing

device of go back in time to take the robot and

go back in time to change the future kind of

thing. So Like the meat and bones in a way is

the 2220 stuff, but I would say in this book

I actually think the the framing device the the

stuff would With with Ghanian and the rest I

I think it's It has an interesting job where

it it basically adds as much to the world as

though as the the the 2220 stuff Which is not

always an easy thing to do with your framing

device. Especially a book like this where essentially

you have two very large parts and then a smaller

part with Liberty and her brother and then another

shorter epilogue essentially is how this plays

out. So I think there's a very good balance of

content. Like a lot goes on in all of these.

Yeah. So I think that's something that you could

really give some praise for. that kind of really

hit hit a very good balance between pages, which

is something I like a lot of mainstream comic

books don't manage, especially ones that have

this like there's what three parallel storylines.

So that's not an easy thing to pull off satisfactorily.

So I think you've done a good job here. Yeah.

It's been amazing. And the whole part of the

story with Liberty and her brother. it's like

wow this just adds so much more to what's already

happening and it's a whole other layer because

oh boy the reveal at the end of this issue yikes

yeah it's a good one yeah it's a good one dude

left us on a cliffhanger and i know he's working

feverishly on issues three and four so yikes

Yeah, we haven't even gotten to the point yet

of of Gannion actually time traveling it's just

him getting set up to like you said we have this

middle section here with Liberty and and hernia

man and Basically trying to break him out I think

or calm him down or so. Yeah, there's something

about that. The helmet is like something about

the helmet. She wants it off. And I'm assuming

it does either something to his brain or it's

something that makes him the way he is. And,

you know, he's resisting. She's she's trying

to get him to count that we see his apps like

it's weird. This section like these sections

in the twenty to twenty, they're actually totally

quite and in some ways jarring because they feel

more like superhero parody. Whereas like last

time I said the other ones feel more 2000 AD

and I I think this issue really drives at home

Like I think the the the framing and 2024 20

and the the stuff with science boy that feels

very 2018 to me like even the approach to reality

TV Whereas Liberty stuff with her brother that

feels much more like a Sort of parody superhero

book Like here's the hernia man with his massive

powerful intestines or something like that, you

know And so and like it's very interesting to

me to get that Tonal shift while not really breaking

the flow of the book Right, which isn't easy,

which is not easy. So again, this is I'm pointing

all this out because I think Carter like It's

one of those things where I'm reading this book

and I'm thinking like this is someone he's trying,

he's putting his oar in, he's new to the medium,

he's new to self -publishing and everything else,

but within two issues you're already seeing quite

a jump in quality. And ideas are forming quite

well and visuals are improving and he's managing

and balancing a lot of elements and I think that's

really praiseworthy. And like I said, in episode

three 99, he spent all of 2020 working on this

as far as crafting the idea and whatever else.

And he's always for his entire life. He's always

been in, in comics. He's just never had, no one's

ever given him the chance to have that breakout

thing. And it's one of those things where I love

the fact that he's making it on his own. He's

doing it. The way he wants to do it, he's not

beholden to any, you know, any Marvel DC heads,

whatever. Although I'm sure we'd love to see

any of the publishing companies pick this up.

At the same time, I wonder if they did, if it

would affect how he creates it because of these

companies have certain things that they want

and certain things that they don't want. So.

Hey, as long as he can make it on his own and

the way he wants to do it, I'm all for it. I'm

all for supporting him and supporting this comic.

Like I said at the beginning of the podcast,

everyone else should be at least trying this

because it is really cool. It's seeing a writer

and an artist do something original. references,

it has feelings, like you said, sci -fi, you

know, for, you know, 2000 AD or superhero, like

it has all that stuff, except it's not trying

to fit Batman into bewitched or something. Not

that there's anything wrong with that, but it's

not like it's his own creation. It's his own

thing. It, he can bring his personal. Style and

personality and styles to it like as soon as

I saw a murder cat. I'm like, oh that that's

so Laura I know it's not well, I know it's not

his girlfriend Laura It's more so his cat pepper,

but every time I see videos of him and his cat

Pretty much. Yeah, that's that's that's pepper.

All right But that's the thing like this is what

this is making me like I think it would it's

really good That he's getting a chance to do

this on his own ideas in his own way and everything

else but the thing is As I'm reading this, I'm

thinking like if you if I if I was like going

through an IDW book or a DC book or a Marvel

or whatever at our dark horse or whoever image

pick a name. Right. And I saw his name pop up

as taking over writing duties for X or new book.

I would then I like I would now have that on

like, OK, definitely picking up issue one because

I think his style like. I would love to see him

on loads of original concepts, and I'd also really

like to see his take on established characters,

because there's an inventiveness here that you

don't always get. In a weird way, it's kind of

what I got when I started reading the Joshua

Williamson run on The Flash, because I wasn't

too familiar with him, but one of the things

I've always been like, I kind of hate how...

Since he came back, Barry has basically been

written as kind of a less interesting version

of Wally, because Barry didn't have a personality.

He was a Silver Age comic book hero. He was a

cookie cutter like good guy who was then followed

up by a character who was developed in the dark

age of comics into the 90s, into the 2000s, like

when character writing became kind of a big thing.

And then when I was reading Josh's version in

Rebirth, it was like, oh, wow, he's actually

given Barry a distinct personality and character.

And it plays off of the fact he's older. It plays

off like things that Barry lies a lot. Like,

because that's what Silver Age superheroes did.

They lied constantly and got away with it. And

they play that out in a modern context. And that's

kind of the feeling I get off this. Like, okay,

I'm seeing talent. I'm seeing a lot of stuff

I wouldn't expect from sort of like independently

published sci -fi comic and I'd like I'd really

like to see his take on like something maybe

similar to this or original I'd love to see something

following up this that was original but I just

got this idea in my head like gave him something

like animal man I'd love to see his take on that

because I love the horror animal man and I really

did enjoy the sort of semi -parody one that was,

you know, the fourth wall breaking semi -horror

one from the 90s, I think it was just 90s. And

this is the kind of writing style here is something

I'd love to see in that kind of book, you know?

Yeah. Yeah, seriously, this has come together

very well, much better than I was actually expecting

when I first started reading these. Like I said,

I think there's a big jump in quality from the

last issue. It's not that I didn't like the last

issue. It just felt to me like, okay, this is

an independent comic publisher who's doing his

own thing and he's learning how to do it. Now

this is like he's learned how to do a lot of

it. I'm sure the next issue, there'll be more

refinement and more. I think the last issue could

be very interesting to read. Yes, well here's

hoping he has a 50 issue run or more How long

his story is supposed to be this is the thing

some people set out to do? Oh, we're gonna tell

this full story in four issues and Okay, great,

but what if at the end of the fourth issue? I

want more like you may finish your story But

now you need to give us more kind of things.

So I don't know what his what his plan is and

hopefully Soon, I can get him on the show and

we can talk about it and all that good stuff

and whatever. So there's that. Issue two, absolutely

enjoyed it. There wasn't anything in here other

than the little eyeball scene thing. That's just

my own predilection, I guess. But like you said,

the art has had an amazing leap. The writing

is still so very very good. I'm glad there are

no more sports ball puns So, you know, there's

that at least for now anyway, I'm sure he'll

throw some more in there sometimes maybe use

some hockey puns Carter Sticking in some hurling

give me something I'll understand Hurling or

curling hurling which is by far the most dangerous

sport played by men Where someone said, we'll

give you a big stick and a ball hard as a rock.

Also, you don't have to wear a helmet. And you

have to run and act at a pace no other sport

asked for. It's something to watch. I love watching

Americans watch hurling for the first time because

like just that moment of dawning horror as they

just watch it like you play this. Yep. And everyone

playing this is doing it for free. Yep. What?

Yeah, really, you know. It's a fun experience.

Yes, I'm sure it is. It sounds to be an ill -advised

experience in my eyes, but it's kind of like

me and bull riding. I don't mind watching the

bull riding on TV, but would I ever know? I ain't

Bugs Bunny. Thank you very much. I ain't facing

off against that bull. Immortal Orphans number

two, zero to five. What would you give it? I

gave it like straight middle last time, I believe.

So I would be pretty comfortable giving this

a four. I think it's a good solid improvement

over issue one. Like I said, when I was writing,

I was more writing in the concept of how is this

is the this is the bench setter. I think this

is a good jump up from the bench setter. And

yeah, I'm interested to see what happens in the

next issue. Yeah, absolutely. Me too. I would

also give it a four. Like I said, I love how

much more smooth the art seems to be from the

backgrounds, the lines, to the way the facial

features are. I mean, that gun Liberty has, holy

crap. That gun is amazing. The incineration beam.

Yeah. That gun is like, just looking at that

gun, I'm like... She got a big honking gun. Okay.

Then that's amazing. Obviously murder cat is,

is amazing. Uh, yeah, I'm very much looking forward

to, to seeing what happens. What I'm looking

forward to now is that, so we've seen Gannion

get prepared to time travel. And by the end of

this issue, he does go through the portal. I'm

interested to see how he interacts with Quinn,

because that's what I assume. They're going back

to 2220. That's what I'm assuming. I could be

wrong and Carter will most likely let me know

if I am wrong. And that's fine that he does that.

He's the creator. It's his story. He should know

what the hell he's doing. But I'm assuming just

looking forward, I'm looking forward to seeing

Ganyan interact with Quinn and Science Boy and

Murder Cat and all of that. I think that's going

to be interesting. It's going to be interesting

to see how the timelines merge, like him coming

into the time. Like you said, Terminator. You

know what the funny thing is? They did make a

sixth movie. Oh god, I know after the second

one basically every terminator movie is a reboot

So I've no idea I know this one and like every

reboot has now has good Arnold Schwarzenegger

in it But it because it's rebooted every time

it's a different good Arnold Schwarzenegger every

time Yeah, it's a it's it's more confusing than

than than hunting Turbo Foxes. I was going to

say, if you didn't laugh at that, we've got a

problem. I don't know. The whole Terminator thing

was a big... Like you said, it's kind of a big

allegory here for us. Again very much enjoying

it. Can't wait to see more of Carter man's immortal

orphans And will I assume we'll have an issue

out in April But what we will also have in April

here folks inside the pullback on the geek caster

in your network Is something I've I've been deeming

this this since I think either 2016 or 2017 might

have been before then but I remember but anyway

we will be having auto -botley april that's right

episode four oh six to episode four oh nine transformers

volume two the change in your nature volume three

all fall down galaxies seven to nine beast wars

number three and galaxies ten to twelve will

be what is covered in april here on the pullback

and obviously once uh... issue three of the mortal

orphans comes out will cover that as well You

got anything you want to pimp or promote or anything

like that? Yeah, just as always, check us out

in the Moonbase too, moonbase2 .lipson .com,

and we're on Twitter as Moonbase2. Yeah, we ostensibly

talk about Transformers, but usually that only

lasts a little bit these days. So yeah, I'm currently

trying to track down a Transformers Red RC, which

I hear is absolutely terrible, but I need people

to buy Transformers Prime figures so they make

some more. So but my god is she so overpriced.

People keep bumping up her price. It's nuts.

Like they know I'm looking for something. But

yeah, check us out. We we usually try to be at

least mildly entertaining and we do a Patreon

show as well if you're interested for $2 a month

because we talk about anything else really. And

we do some comic reviews and a bunch of other

stuff. So yeah, that's us. Very cool. Very cool.

You can find me at TF2 and Mike on Twitter. And

you can hear all the other stuff in the closing

of the episode, and I'm still working on getting

Steve Megatron to record a new intro and outro,

maybe just a new intro, because we haven't done,

like I said earlier, we already finished I Hate

Fairland, so gotta get him to change that up.

But anyway, make your greatest game in the comics,

and we will catch you next time here inside the

pull bag. Bye! You've just heard the latest episode

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