Triple Love Special: X-Men

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For episode 35 of Love Hate Relationship, Alex and Andy are proud to welcome Twitch-streamer, uber-nerd, and longtime friend of the podcast, Matt Caulder, for a Triple Love Special all about the X-Men.

They begin with a discussion of how each of them came to awareness and appreciation of the franchise (spoilers, the 90’s animated cartoon, and its excellent theme song feature heavily) and how that childhood fandom blossomed as they began reading comics. There’s a healthy dose of realism as they wade into the decades of continuity and the mixed quality of the comics and cartoons over the last several decades (shoutout to Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men), discussing the highs of the Claremont, Morrison and Whedon runs opposed to the Silver Age or the infamous Chuck Austin period, and how the X-books as a set can be viewed as a smaller representation of the comics industry as a whole.

They also talk favorite characters, with Alex going on a bit of a tear about his favorite African Weather Goddess, Matt talking up the most quintessential member of the team in just about any period, and Andy giving a certain swashbuckling blue elf his consideration–also, lots and lots of Gambit love.

Finally, because it wouldn’t be LHR without it, the group takes a minute to address the more problematic aspects of the franchise, from myths about its conception as a civil rights allegory, to its clumsy and troubled attempts to reflect real-life struggles of marginalized people without properly representing them, and all of the ways its let us down as fans. They close, however, with a hopeful look to the future of the franchise as Jonathan Hickman enters a new era of the comics and the MCU looks to fold them into the universe in the coming years.

Be sure to follow to follow Matt on Twitter and Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and check out his Twitch channel where he hunts shiny Pokemon and is generally awesome. Also, have a look at Comic Book Herald on his recommendation for all of your comic book info needs, X-Men and otherwise.