Halloween is unlike any other holiday in the Marvel Universe – a winter-holiday story about Christmas, Hanukkah, or Yule needs that sweet spot publishing date of Oct, Nov, or Dec; while there’s always a bit of romance in a title, Feb really hits it with Valentine’s Day; and it’s only ever Flag Day, Memorial Day, or Veteran’s Day in Cap Comics – but Marvel can produce a whole character line around *spoooooky* characters any time of the year! Join the Action Pack as they look at a host of recent Marvel Halloween Hits from Ghost Rider, Werewolf By Night, the Spider-Verse, and more!  X Is For ..read more

Daredevil is a complicated hero – DD historically sits at the bottom of the top tier heroes (save for a dynamic once-every-decade redefining run), mixing dark magic ninjas with Irish-Catholic guilt like few comics can, and – in great part due to a shared pool of creators – is regularly seen as a crimson-imitation of Batman (and sometimes, they even team up). But then, in 2019, Chip Zdarsky dared to bring Daredevil due on 55 years of potential, promises, and conflicting mythologies: Mike Murdock lives, Elektra dons the cowl, The Daredevils vs The Fisks for the fate of NYC, new trajectory for Ty ..read more

The nature of the shifting comic book news cycle means readers often see covers, know plots, teams, creators, and more sometimes as much as six months in advance of release, leaving readers in holding patterns where the nature of what’s out now vs what’s coming next can become confusing. At other times, the announcements can aggressively infringe on the validity of what’s coming out at the time. Nico, TK, & Kevo take a look at the current and future states of Marvel like Fall of X vs Fall of House of X, Avengers by McKay vs Avengers: Twilight by Zdarsky, and J. Hick’s Ultimate Invasion vs ..read more

Wolverine & Ghost Rider team-up for Weapons Of Vengeance -- a four-part crossover building on the current runs of both books by Ben Percy. The crossover goes deeper, painting a picture of a missing moment in both heroes’ journeys, leading the Action Pack to examining the history of Wolvie & the Rider, across multiple iterations of both characters, starting when the two first met in 1990, with no signs of stopping. X Is For Show is your premiere place for web content where we discuss your favorite media, from comics to film & television to gaming and beyond! You can find the Action ..read more

Whether its the comics or the TV show, the world of Daredevil wouldn't b be the same without Gladiator -- but his earliest appearances do Melvin Potter no justice, as he struggles to find his character. The earliest years of Daredevil feature so much testing-new-ideas, The Hornhead faces some forgettable foes like The Tri-Man and the Masked Marauder as well. But it's cool because Gladiator is so hot it really doesn't matter. Then – Daredevil spends much of the 1960s searching for an identity. Ka-Zar's jungle vibes and his weird crime-boy brother do not help this journey, but it's still a fun r ..read more

When Marvel fans think of classic friendships, Daredevil and Spider-Man often comes to mind first. While many of the earliest stories lack the exact magic that later tales would contain, this early story is filled with memorable moments and a battle with the Masked Marauder. But really, it’s about the power of community the two characters manage to share despite their as-of-yet-unknown secret identities hanging overhead! Then – It takes the title a while to find its groove and its recurring character line-up, but Daredevil: The Man Without Fear is on its way. A two-part arc with Gladiator and ..read more

The Ox was not the most memorable villain Daredevil had in the earliest issues o the title, but Ox’s second appearance, while rote with tropes that were common to the era, manages to finally reclaim the energy that once belonged to the title. The transition of artists, writers, and genre left Daredevil languishing, like the wrong mind in the wrong body – which is exactly what Daredevil #15 delivers! Then – The Billy Club is back with an all-new news special! Daredevil Omnibus volume 2 was announced leading Nico & Tori to a deeeeep rabbit hole looking at literally every Marvel Omnibus editi ..read more

As Daredevil continues to struggle to develop its voice as a title, the characters continue to evolve and transform into the heroes we know them as today. In Daredevil #9, Matt gets his first “you-may-get-your-sight-back” story as well as the first DD villain who never shows up again – in fact, never even sees mention again. Klaus Kreuger acts as a rough Doctor Doom stand-in, and finds himself slipped into Matt & Foggy’s past, and then just as easily slips right back out again. But of course, regardless of anything else, Matt’s struggles against ableism are far from over. Next – Daredevil ..read more

Marvel is reinventing their universe with GODS by Jonathan Hickman & Valerio Schiti while dialing into the past of the MU with Marvel Age 1000. One book seeks to develop the future, unifying the complexity and in-the-moment magics and sorcery of the Marvel Universe while the other “includes contributions from some of the most storied creators in Marvel history, as well as a few surprises, as the classic days of Marvel are explored in depth!” Can Marvel shape their future and while meaningfully examining their past in the same editorial cycle? Can a company like Marvel have it both ways? Ex ..read more

One of the most famous friendships in all of comics, Spider-Man and Daredevil have their first team-up in their long careers in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #16. Their brotherhood is first defined here, where Matt and Peter meet and face off against the Ringmaster, an odd turn considering last issue of DD, DD faced off against another mind-controller. Nico and Tori fall for DD and Spidey falling for each other. Also, Daredevil’s head appears twice in Amazing Spider-Man #18. So that comes up. Then – Early Daredevil is punctuated by unusual, and sometimes forgettable villains – Matador falls ..read more