Superheroes Every Day

The final act of Batman Begins is all about three things that the movie is obsessed with but does not understand: water, air and fear. There's a pointless ninja switcheroo, a random house fire and a happy ending that pleases nobody, especially us. This is the season finale for the podcast — I'll be back with another season later on! To be sure you don't miss the next season, subscribe to the podcast, sign up for the mailing list at superheroeseveryday.com, or follow the show on Facebook or X-Twitter. Thanks for listening!

It's the middle of the beginning as we delve into Act 2 of Batman Begins! This is the part where Bruce Wayne turns into Patrick Bateman and does improbable things with bats. Mostly I'm concerned about all those confused slaves that great-grandpa Wayne was trying to stash underground. Come back for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3!

In the season finale, Danny and guest Trevor Bolliger examine the 2005 instruction manual for psychopaths Batman Begins! In which Bruce Wayne goes to Ninja Hogwarts for seven years, and then burns it down just like every other facility we've ever seen. Come back later this week for Act 2 and Act 3!

It's the thrilling conclusion to our episode about X-Men: The Last Stand! The good guys fight to take away their own rights in what might be the most unintentionally conservative superhero movie ever. Plus: Why Dark Phoenix is never going to work in a movie, so please stop trying. Come back in two weeks for episode #23: Batman Begins!

In Act 2 of The Last Stand, everyone chants "We don't need the cure" so much that it's no wonder Robert Smith gets depressed all the time. More useful characters are senselessly disposed of, and the Merry Men assemble in Sherwood Forest. Look out for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3!

Another hot slice of mutant madness! Author Laramie Dean joins Danny to talk about the 2006 mixed metaphor X-Men: The Last Stand. Come back later this week for Act 2!

It's the thrilling conclusion of Joss Whedon's Justice League, and we ask the most pressing question: Does Superman have two birthdays now? It's a laugh a minute as the parademons attack and the world is on the brink of destruction, and the only thing that can save us now is Steppenwolf's allergy to the end of movies.

It's act 2 of our Justice League episode, where we confront the question: What is this movie actually about? I mean, I know, it's The Avengers for sad people, but besides that.

Danny is joined by movies and arts critic Robert Faires to discuss the 2017 monster mash-up, Joss Whedon's Justice League! Join us as we try to make sense of the parademon scratch-off game, the notorious fruit-kickers, fish with fomo and the issues with Amazon delivery. Come back for Act 2 and Act 3 later this week!

The thrilling conclusion to our Batman & Robin episode! Come back in two weeks for episode #21: Joss Whedon's Justice League!

The caped crusaders face off against a pair of slow, stupid criminals who somehow manage to evade capture three times out of five. Robin has several tantrums/rebellions. Plus: almost nothing about Batgirl! Come back for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3, later this week!

This week, Danny's joined by graphic designer and author Stuart Manning to talk about the tremendously toyetic 1997 not-the-worst-ever movie Batman & Robin! If you don't have the time or inclination to like this movie, then don't worry, we will like (parts of) it for you. Come back later in the week for Act 2!

The conclusion of our visit to the haunted hospital of The New Mutants! In Act 3, our five heroes finally come to terms with the fact that they are terrifying supermutants who cannot be contained by science or the supernatural.

This episode has everything: blood snow, baby rattlesnakes, traumatic pool parties, failed teen rebellions, the truth about tambourines, and a whole bunch of discussions about coal. Come back for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3!

Danny and guest Becca Petunia check out the 2020 teenage wasteland The New Mutants! It's the story of five supermutants who get locked up in a haunted hospital and forget that they're actually the scary person in the room. Trigger warning for people who are scared of coal! Check out Act 2 and Act 3, coming later this week!

In the thrilling conclusion to the Iron Man episode, Danny and Ryan discuss ghost drives, teleporting villains, unbelievably reliable cars and the big red movie-finishin' button. Come back in two weeks for episode #19: The New Mutants!

Okay, so Tony Stark has proven how cool he is and how much fun it is looking at him, but how does he single-handedly turn himself into a cartoon character? Ryan and Danny investigate. Look out for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3, coming later this week!

Danny and regular guest Ryan Steans find themselves in a novel situation: talking about a movie that they actually like! Find out how Iron Man gets us to like the unlikeable, believe the unbelievable, and give in to the irresistible appeal of showing up late for your own movie.  Look out for Act 2 and Act 3, coming later this week!

The thrilling conclusion of our X2: X-Men United episode! I'm not going to lie to you, a lot of this episode is just Danny and Stuart saying the word "spillway". To be fair, that's pretty much what the movie is like. Also: Are you finding all the mutants? Come back next week for episode #18: Iron Man!

Danny and Stuart head over to Bobby's place for some unseasonal ice tea in the second act of our X2: X-Men United episode! Look out for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3, coming later this week!

Bamf! Stuart Gipp from the retro video games podcast Retronauts joins Danny to talk about the 2003 political thriller X2: X-Men United! Charles Xavier is still babbling about evolution as we join the X-friends for another run-in with the human world. Look out for Act 2 and Act 3, coming later this week!

Go go go! It's the conclusion to our epic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode, when the movie goes literally downhill. There's a lot of turtle tobogganing and an endless roof battle ahead! Come back next week for episode #17: X2: X-Men United!

Danny reveals the backstage secret behind the baffling Sacks/Shredder plan. Splinter reveals the Turtles' baffling backstory. Sacks does a baffling villain monologue. It's basically just one big baffle. Look out for Act 3, coming later this week!

Knock knock, you about to get shell-shocked! Join Danny and Sloane as we discuss the 2014 Michael Bay toy-store tentpole Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! This action figure playset comes complete with nonsensical backstory, a ninja clan that drives sport utility vehicles, and an utterly unconvincing gal reporter. Look out for Act 2 and Act 3 coming later this week!

The thrilling conclusion to our wrestling match with Suicide Squad! Everybody stands in a line in front of a pointlessly gyrating Enchantress as we bid farewell to our supervillainous comprades. Come back next week for episode #16: Michael Bay's 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

Act 2 of Suicide Squad is an insane slog to nowhere, involving a cast of characters that keeps growing long after you think they've stopped adding new people. There's also a ton of whirlybird drama, like, way more than you think there would be. Check out the thrilling conclusion in Act 3, later this week!

Danny and guest Evan Brady discuss the 2016 festival of self-sabotage Suicide Squad! It's a tale of two trailers, as we watch a movie studio lose confidence in their movie, panic, and rewrite it on the fly. Look out for Act 2 and Act 3 coming later this week!

It's one Disney death after another as Danny and Anthony trudge their way through the squelching knife-fight finale of Venom! Come back next week for episode #15 — Suicide Squad!

So many snacks, so little time! Venom finally makes an appearance in his own movie, and in Act 2, we experience movie medicine, several action sequences of varying quality, and a new challenger arriving from East Malaysia. Anthony does a lot of Venom impressions and therefore it is a worthwhile episode. Look out for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3, coming later this week!

Anthony returns to talk about the 2018 boy-meets-goo film Venom! We discuss how the movie establishes the coolness of the lead character, who shows up late to his first scene. Plus: lots of squelching! Come back later in the week for Act 2 and Act 3 of Venom!

The conclusion of our X-Men episode! It is a festival of tryacting as the X-Men and the other guys scramble around on the top of the Statue of Liberty, and then all of the world's leaders turn into goopy mutant space monsters. Come back next week for episode #14 — Venom!

Danny and Trevor try to keep up with the latest gossip from Charles Xavier's School for Doomed Runaways. How does Mystique know who Rogue's been spending time with? How does Magneto know what train she's on? And why doesn't the school have any staff? Look out for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3, later this week!

Danny and guest Trevor Bolliger address the uncanny giant-size mutant masterpiece X-Men! The question is: are mutants dangerous? And the answer is: obviously yes! Enjoy a big slice of Wolverine body worship as evolution takes another giant leap. Look out for Act 2 and Act 3 coming out later this week!

Breathe it in — that's fear! In the thrilling conclusion of our Batman v Superman episode, Danny and Stephen discover that the world doesn't make sense unless we force it to. We decide not to bother; it's fine this way. Come back next week for episode #13: X-Men!

Danny and Stephen try to figure out what Ma Kent is talking about. Lex Luthor implicates himself in several more crimes. Lois figures everything out, because of groceries. This has no effect on the film. Look out for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3, coming later this week!

Danny and guest Stephen Robinson take on the 2016 high-flying failure, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice! We ask the crucial questions: Why do we need a new machine gun bullet? Why doesn't Superman talk about his feelings? and Why does Batman brand people with his logo, instead of just selling them a T-shirt like everyone else? Look out for Act 2 and Act 3 coming later this week!

The conclusion of our shocking Ghost Rider episode! We saddle up and head into the crappy town of San Venganza for the final battle between evil and a different kind of evil. Blackheart changes his name. We are unsatisfied with Hasbro's quality control. Come back next week for episode #12 — Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice!

Johnny turns into the Ghost Rider, and starts collecting plot tokens. Along the way, he punishes the worst possible person in the tri-county area, gets arrested based on no evidence at all, and acquires a mentor who is made entirely of folksy exposition. Look out for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3, coming later this week!

Danny and guest Sloane discuss the 2007 crypt-kickin' spectacular, Ghost Rider! Johnny Blaze makes a deal with a slow-talking Devil, with predictably disastrous results. Nicolas Cage watches monkey videos. Wes Bentley plays a soap opera demon, who kills people and talks even slower than his dad. He summons three male models to be his new friends. Look out for Act 2 and Act 3 coming later this week!

The conclusion to our Green Lantern episode! When the chips are down, the Green Lantern Corps chooses to ignore a cataclysmic threat and stay at home like little cowards, while a hapless rookie takes care of the situation. You see what I've been saying about Science Councils? They're terrible. Come back next week for Episode #11 — Ghost Rider!

Hal meets his new friend and temporary mentor, a top-heavy traveling rooster. Danny, Joe and every living creature are resentful of the Green Lantern will-sucking system. Danny identifies the worst shot in this or possibly any movie, featuring a crowd of stunned superhero film bystanders. Look out for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3!

Danny and guest Joe Hennes of ToughPigs discuss the 2016 high-flying trash fire Green Lantern! We use the emerald energy of willpower to try to get through the opening of this movie. Hal's coolness is overdetermined. There are three characters named Carol in this film, all played by the same actress. Hector and Hal are both kidnapped, and given terrible jobs. Stay tuned for Act 2 and Act 3, coming later this week!

Cry pretty, Jessica! This is the conclusion of our cosmic journey through Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. Once again, we are detained in, escape from, and participate in the destruction of a government facility. The Silver Surfer bonds with a human woman. Johnny has all the powers. Hasbro hallucinates a different movie. Come back next week for episode #10 — Green Lantern!

The gods play Calvinball with the universe. Sue has lady concerns, Reed has bad news about Altair 7, and Chris Evans has a destiny. Look out for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3, coming later this week!

Danny and guest Becca Petunia of The Daily Fantastic discuss the 2007 sequel foisted on the world without our consent, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer! Act 1 is the wedding spectacular, including a terrible bachelor party, a demanding bride and absolutely no surprising dialogue. Meanwhile, a mysteriously tight-lipped silver figure heralds the coming of Galactus, by digging holes and not talking to anybody. Look out for Act 2 and Act 3 coming later this week!

The conclusion of our Ant-Man: Quantumania episode! Kang doesn't have a constituency. Jeff Loveness doesn't understand conquerors, socialism or story structure. It all ends in a big dumb fistfight. Come back next week for episode #9 — Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer!

Janet fixes Kang's car, and feels bad about it. Kang talks really slowly. It turns out there's more down. Danny destroys Ryan's enjoyment of the probability storm. Look out for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3, coming later this week!

Danny and Ryan Steans discuss the 2023 Phase Five fizzle, Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania! In Act 1: We get sucked down to the Quantum Realm, where the sky looks terrible and we don't know where anything is. We visit a Star Wars desert and a Star Wars cantina. We drink the ooze. We wait for someone to explain what's going on. Look out for Act 2 and Act 3 coming later this week!

The conclusion of our Morbius episode! Michael breaks the stinky little pinky. There's a sudden subplot about Martine's cat. Michael calls all of his woodland friends to help him end the film. Danny tries to comfort Joe with limited success. Come back next week for Episode #8 - Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania!

Initiate lockdown! With evidence piling up in heaps all over town, the FBI agents find the crucial clue: an origami bat. Somebody kills Nurse Sutton, single mother of twin girls. Sony violates the white tanktop rule. Come back for the thrilling conclusion in Act 3, coming later this week!

Danny and Dark Shadows audio producer Joe Lidster discuss the 2021 vampire superhero blood-struck blockbuster, Morbius! Dr. Michael Morbius meets a series of bats, and brings them home to his secret lab, in a busy children's hospital. On the way, he tells the King of Sweden to go to hell. Then Michael and Martine take to international waters, for dangerous maritime science. Joe and Danny are the few against the many. Look out for Act 2 and Act 3 coming later this week!